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ASW-G-47 Gundam Vual

A scavenged Gundam Frame in a battered mining coat, and one of the more interesting silhouettes HG IBO ever put out.

MechaGrade Score

3.7/5

Gundam Vual · 1/144 · 2017

GradeHG

Scale1/144

Released2017

Runnersn/a

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The verdict

This kit earns its keep on personality more than polish, and I'm fine with that.

The mismatched armor over a bare Gundam Frame is a genuinely different look for the line, the parts fit is clean, and the mining hammer sells the whole scavenger backstory the moment you hold it. It's not the most articulate HG on the shelf, but it's one of the more memorable ones to build.

Best for: IBO completionists and builders who want a rougher, patchwork Gundam Frame kit instead of another clean factory-line unit

The full review

What it is

The Vual is a Gundam Frame that Rosario Leone found stripped of its armor, then had pieced back together with salvaged Astaroth Origin parts, and Bandai actually committed to that story in plastic. Half the kit reads like bare frame, the exposed arm sections and lower legs are molded to look like undressed Gundam Frame, and Bandai even throws in optional black chest and foot parts so you can dial down the purple and lean into the mercenary look. Snapping this one together, I kept noticing small details, like how the shield and hammer genuinely feel scavenged rather than issued. It is a fun, slightly odd build in the best way.

The catch

Articulation is good but not great. The shoulders and elbows only bend so far before the design runs out of room, and the left shield clamps onto the forearm in a way that blocks the elbow until you unclip it for a pose. The mining hammer is loose in the hand and tends to slide or droop unless you get the grip just right. Black parts cut a little rough and chalky compared to the purple and grey runners, and there are a handful of nub marks on the leg armor where the gate sits mid-panel, so budget a few minutes with a hobby knife if you want it clean.

Who it's for

Buy this if you are working through the HG IBO catalog and want a suit that looks different from the standard Gjallarhorn and Tekkadan lineup, or if the salvaged-frame aesthetic just appeals to you. Skip it if maximum poseability is your top priority, since more standard HG IBO frames flex further before the shield and hammer start fighting you. As a first Gunpla kit it is still perfectly approachable, just go in expecting a good-not-great range of motion.

The build story

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

Assembly runs through six runners plus polycaps and one sticker sheet, and if you have built other HG IBO Gundam Frame kits before this will feel familiar fast. Cleanup is mostly painless, though the black runners cut a bit chalky and a few leg armor pieces have their gate set mid-panel, so plan on a little extra knife work there if you want the surface spotless. Nothing here fights you, it is just not as forgiving as the cleanest HG kits.

The standout is the design itself, exposed frame sections on the arms and lower legs sit right next to armored panels, and it actually reads as a suit stitched together from spare parts rather than a factory unit. Double-jointed knees and swiveling thighs give the legs solid range, elbows bend to a real but limited degree, and the loadout of mining hammer, glaive, spike shield, and round shield is a strong spread of accessories for an HG price point even if the hammer needs some fussing to hold its grip.

Lore & trivia

01The Gundam Vual first appeared in the Mobile Suit Gundam Iron-Blooded Orphans Gekko manga, not the TV anime, as a Gundam Frame that Rosario Leone found with no armor at all.
02Gjallarhorn officer Ville Klaassen is the one who supplied the salvaged Astaroth Origin armor and equipment that gave the Vual its current patchwork look.
03A later variant, the ASW-G-47 Gundam Vual Yuhana, is built off the same frame and piloted by Sampo Hakuri in the same manga.
04The kit released in April 2017 as HG IBO number 37 and includes optional black-colored chest and foot parts so builders can swap out the stock purple scheme.