HGPost Disaster

ASW-G-66 Gundam Kimaris Trooper

A knight on the battlefield with a lance built to punch through anything in front of it.

MechaGrade Score

3.8/5

Gundam Kimaris Trooper · 1/144 · 2016

GradeHG

Scale1/144

Released2016

Runnersn/a

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The verdict

This is one of the more satisfying HGIBO kits I have put together, and the Destroyer Lance is the whole reason why.

I went in expecting another simple ground kit and came out with a mobile suit that reads instantly as a mounted knight, jousting weapon and all. The build is quick and the parts fit is clean, but the articulation takes a real hit compared to the base Kimaris. I still think it earns its spot on the shelf for the silhouette alone.

Best for: IBO fans who want the Gaelio arc's ground-combat knight and don't mind trading some poseability for presence

The full review

What it is

The Kimaris Trooper is Gaelio's alternate armor loadout for the Kimaris, built for prolonged ground combat instead of the mobile worker frame of the base kit. The moment I had the shield, saber, and Destroyer Lance assembled I understood why people keep calling this the medieval jousting Gundam. The lance is genuinely the star of the kit, it is long, it has two visible 140mm machine guns molded into the barrel, and the side skirt auxiliary arms fold out to physically brace it when you pose the suit in a charging stance. Molded color is mostly violet, pale gray, white, and clear plastic, so the paint job looks right straight off the runners with only a handful of foil stickers for markings on the back skirt, the shield, the eyes, and the groin vent.

The catch

Articulation is where this kit gives something back. The legs and hips move forward and back well thanks to double-jointed knees and a ball-and-socket ankle, but there is almost no lateral hip movement, so wide side-to-side stances and deep lunges are mostly off the table. The transforming hover-craft leg gimmick is a fun idea on paper but it is fiddly to get seated correctly and does not lock in with much confidence. The violet color choice on some panels reads a little flat to my eye next to the sharper HGIBO releases that came later in the line, and the stand that's included is welcome but basic.

Who it's for

If you already like the IBO aesthetic and want a display piece that looks imposing standing still, holding that lance level with both auxiliary arms braced under it, this kit delivers. It is also a fair pickup for anyone who wants the visual variant of Kimaris without hunting down the pricier 1/100 version. Skip it if articulation and dynamic posing matter more to you than the lance and the silhouette, the base Kimaris and later HGIBO kits flex further. For around fifteen to sixteen dollars you get a full weapon loadout and a distinct look, which is a fair trade for a suit you mostly want standing at attention.

The build story

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

This is a fast, clean HGIBO build. Gates are placed where you would expect on this line, and the violet, gray, white, and clear runners snap together with the usual tight IBO frame fit under the outer armor. The lance assembly takes the most time since it is built from several long pieces plus the twin machine gun barrels, but everything lines up without forcing.

The engineering payoff is the way the whole weapon system integrates with the body. The side skirts hide auxiliary arms that swing out specifically to support the lance in a charge pose, which is a clever bit of design for a kit at this price point. Color separation is genuinely strong for an HG, with only a small handful of foil stickers needed on the back skirt, shield, eyes, and groin vent. The tradeoff is articulation, the double-jointed knees and ball-jointed ankles help the legs bend well front to back, but the hips will not give you a wide horizontal stance.

Lore & trivia

01The Kimaris Trooper is Gaelio Bauduin's alternate ground-combat armor for the Gundam Kimaris, equipped after Tekkadan's forces arrived on Earth in Iron-Blooded Orphans.
02The Destroyer Lance is Kimaris Trooper's primary weapon and is larger than the earlier Kimaris Gungnir, built with two 140mm machine guns for ranged use alongside its melee role.
03Gaelio's Kimaris Trooper clashes directly with Mikazuki Augus's Gundam Barbatos during the Edmonton garrison battle in the series.
04The kit released in March 2016 as part of Bandai's HGIBO line at a budget-friendly 1,400 yen price point in Japan.