HGGundam Build Divers Re:Rise

Aun [Rize] Armor

A support unit playing dress-up as a Gunpla, and honestly getting away with it.

MechaGrade Score

3.4/5

Aun [Rize] Armor · 1/144 · 2020

GradeHG

Scale1/144

Released2020

Runnersn/a

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The verdict

I like this kit more for what it represents than for what it is standing alone.

It is not a mobile suit, it is an armor and weapons expansion built to dock onto the separately sold Core Gundam Anima, and once I accepted that going in, the novelty of building two different combined loadouts out of one small box won me over. On its own two feet it looks a little odd and top-heavy. Paired with Anima it clicks into something genuinely cool.

Best for: Build Divers fans who already own or plan to own Core Gundam Anima and want the speed and power loadout options

The full review

What it is

This is one of the Core Gundam support kits Bandai ran through the Build Divers Re:Rise line, an armor and weapons set for the PFF-X7R Anima that reconfigures into either a speed booster type or a power arm type depending on how you split the parts. Out of the box you get the armor pieces, a small display stand, and a foil sticker sheet, no full body underneath. I built it as a standalone unit first out of curiosity and it holds together fine on the stand as its own little mecha, thruster pack up top, twin claws or blades depending on the mode you build. It is a fun half hour, not a weekend project, and that is exactly the point of this sub-line.

The catch

The honest catch is that this kit does very little for you if you do not own the Anima core it was designed around. Standing alone it reads as an odd cluster of armor plates with a face, not a suit, and the proportions look unbalanced without a body to wrap around. Color separation leans on that foil sticker sheet rather than molded plastic in a few spots, which is normal for a small support kit but still means visible seams if you want a fully painted look. Part count is low for the price band compared to a standard HG mobile suit, because you are paying for a specialty accessory, not a full figure.

Who it's for

Buy this if you are deep enough into Build Divers Re:Rise to already have Anima on your shelf, or if you specifically collect the Core Gundam support-unit sub-line and want both the speed and power configurations in hand. Skip it if you want one kit that stands proud on its own as a complete mobile suit, because that is not this kit's job. For newcomers to Gunpla in general, this is a strange first purchase, go get a standard HG mobile suit first and come back to this once you understand what a Core Gundam system even is.

The build story

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

The build itself is quick and low friction, gates are placed where you would expect on a small support kit and cleanup is minimal. Nothing here fights you, which fits the Skill Level 1 rating Bandai gave it, this was designed to be an easy accessory build rather than a technical challenge.

The clever part is the swap between speed and power configurations, moving the same armor pieces between arm-mounted and leg-mounted positions changes the whole silhouette and role of the unit. The included display stand is a nice touch since the kit is meant to be shown both attached to Anima and on its own, and the foil stickers do give the thruster and vent details a decent metallic pop even if I would rather have seen more molded color.

Lore & trivia

01The Aun [Rize] Armor is one of several Core Gundam support units released for the Gundam Build Divers Re:Rise anime, designed to dock with the PFF-X7R Anima rather than stand as its own mobile suit.
02It carries two named combined forms, a speed type and a power type, achieved by rearranging the same armor parts across the Anima's limbs and back.
03The kit shipped in August 2020 as part of Bandai's ongoing Build Divers Re:Rise Gunpla wave, alongside other Core Gundam armor and weapon expansion sets for the same core body.