FMMobile Suit Gundam SEED ECLIPSE

Boost Raider Gundam

A Frankenstein war machine that transforms clean and poses meaner than its parts list has any right to.

MechaGrade Score

4.2/5

Boost Raider Gundam · 1/100 · 2024

GradeFM

Scale1/100

Released2024

Runnersn/a

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The verdict

This is one of the best transforming kits Full Mechanics has put out, and I say that as someone who usually finds transformation gimmicks more trouble than they're worth.

The Boost Raider folds from robot to bird-of-prey mobile armor without a single part swap, and it still holds a full range of combat poses once it's back in MS mode. The catch is availability and price, this is a Premium Bandai exclusive, so you're paying import markup and hunting a secondary market instead of walking into a hobby shop.

Best for: SEED fans and transformation-gimmick nerds who want MG-grade engineering without stepping up to MG price and size

The full review

What it is

The Boost Raider is the upgraded P-Bandai version of the GAT-X370 Raider Gundam, stitching together design language from the Raider, Calamity, and Forbidden Gundams into one chunky, gun-heavy Atlantic Federation frame. Building it, the thing that got me was how confident the transformation feels. Sliding the shoulders back, rotating the leg joints, and locking the wings into their MA sweep is all built into the frame itself, no popping panels off and hoping you don't lose a peg. The new FAZZ-inspired head sculpt and sharper panel lines make this look like a legitimate upgrade over the original Raider kit rather than a reissue with a new sticker sheet.

The catch

This is Premium Bandai only, so you're paying roughly 6,820 yen plus shipping and import fees, and by the time it lands on your bench it can run close to MG money for what is still an FM-class kit. A few builders online have said flat out they had trouble justifying the price against what you get in the box. The kit also leans on marking stickers rather than molded color for some of the finer callouts, and the lead wire accessories for the iron ball weapon and shoulder barrel are a nice touch but genuinely fiddly to route and keep tidy during assembly.

Who it's for

If you already like SEED-era transforming Gundams or you build for the engineering more than the paint job, this kit rewards you every time you flip it into MA mode. It's also a good pickup for builders who want MG-adjacent complexity without committing to MG size or cost. Skip it if you're price-sensitive or allergic to import hunting, since this never touched general retail. Skip it too if fiddly lead-wire accessories and sticker-reliant markings aren't your idea of a good Saturday afternoon.

The build story

What the build is actually like, and the engineering worth knowing about.

Assembly follows typical FM standards, moderate part count with a full mechanics frame under the armor, and the transformation hardware is baked into the joints rather than bolted on as an afterthought. Gate placement is manageable and cleanup is about what you'd expect from a modern P-Bandai release, nothing unusually brutal, though the lead wire runs for the deployable barrel and iron ball weapon take patience to seat without kinking.

The standout here is the transformation lock, sliding the mechanism into MA form clicks into place with a satisfying stop instead of feeling loose or improvised, and the claw unit stays flexible on each axis in both forms. Weapon loadout carries over the Raider's heavy-hitting arsenal with the added shoulder barrel and iron ball, giving it real shelf presence as either a humanoid brawler or a menacing bird-of-prey silhouette.

Lore & trivia

01The Boost Raider Gundam first appeared in the official side-story manga Mobile Suit Gundam SEED ECLIPSE, with mechanical design by Junichi Akutsu.
02In-universe, the suit was built by fusing technology from the Raider, Calamity, and Forbidden Gundams to counter the ZGMF-X series, but its chimeric design gave it maneuverability so poor that only Coordinator pilots, the very side it was meant to fight, could actually control it.
03It's piloted by Joel Jeanmaire-Giraud, commander of Anti-Factis and the regular pilot of the Aile Calamity Gundam, in the SEED ECLIPSE story.
04The kit released through Premium Bandai in December 2024 for 6,820 yen, sold exclusively online rather than through general Gunpla retail.