HGGundam Build Fighters Try

BG-011B Build Burning Gundam Gold Ver.

The same tight, punchy HG engineering as the standard release, just dipped in gold and a lot harder to find.

MechaGrade Score

3.8/5

Build Burning Gundam Gold Ver. · 1/144 · 2015

GradeHG

Scale1/144

Released2015

Runnersn/a

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The verdict

This is a genuinely strong HG wearing a rare coat of gold plastic.

The frame underneath is the same Build Burning Gundam that builders have liked for years, with real double joints at the elbows and knees and a waist that actually swivels instead of just rocking. The gold version doesn't change the engineering, it just changes how you feel opening the bag, because this was a 660-unit campaign giveaway, not a retail kit.

Best for: Build Fighters fans and collectors who already love the standard Build Burning mold and want the scarce gold variant to display next to it

The full review

What it is

Build Burning Gundam is Sekai Kamiki's melee brawler from Gundam Build Fighters Try, a suit built around punches and kicks rather than a rifle rack, and this Gold Ver. is a straight recolor of that HG onto gold plastic. I went in expecting a simple color-swap curiosity and came out impressed by how much personality the sculpt has on its own. The double jointed elbows and knees actually hold a fighting stance, the waist has its own swivel separate from the hips, and the flame effect runner (two punch bursts, one kick burst, backpack flares) turns a plain HG into a proper action pose kit once you clip everything on.

The catch

The shoulder ball joints don't seat as deep as they should, so an aggressively posed arm can pop the joint loose mid-pose, which is the one recurring complaint from builders of the standard release and it carries over here unchanged. The gold plastic is not chromed or metallic foil, it's a solid gold-toned polystyrene, so don't expect a mirror finish out of the box. And the real catch isn't the kit at all, it's getting one: this was a 2014-2015 Gundam.info New Year Campaign exclusive limited to 660 pieces, never sold at retail, so secondary market prices run well above what a normal HG costs.

Who it's for

Grab this if you already collect Build Fighters kits or specifically chase gold and clear variant Gunpla, because the scarcity is the whole draw and the underlying kit backs it up with a build that's actually fun to pose. Skip it if you just want a good HG Build Burning Gundam to build and display, since the standard red and white retail release gives you the identical frame, the same effect parts, and the same articulation for a fraction of the cost. This one is for the shelf of someone who wants the rare version specifically because it's rare, not for someone hunting a first Build Fighters kit.

The build story

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

The build itself is simple and quick in the way good early-line HGs usually are, with clean gate placement and parts that mostly snap together without a lot of test-fitting. The clear/gold effect parts take a little more care during nub cleanup since they show scuffing more than the body plastic, but the kit's own engineering helps you out here: each flame effect piece is keyed to fit only its correct socket, so you can't accidentally jam a kick effect where a punch effect goes.

Where this kit earns its reputation is articulation. The double jointed knees and elbows plus the separate waist swivel give it a genuinely wide combat pose range for an HG, and the ankle tilt is better than most kits at this price point. Color separation is strong enough that stickers are limited to eyes, camera, and a couple of foot details, everything else is molded color. The accessory loadout of interchangeable hands and three flame effect pieces (two punch, one kick, plus backpack flares) is generous for a suit that carries no weapons at all.

Lore & trivia

01Build Burning Gundam was designed and built in-story by Sei Iori and piloted by Sekai Kamiki in Gundam Build Fighters Try, and it fights entirely with melee strikes rather than ranged weapons.
02The Gold Ver. was a Gundam.info New Year Campaign 2015 exclusive, limited to just 660 units and distributed to campaign entrants between December 2014 and March 2015 rather than sold at retail.
03Because it never had a retail release, the Gold Ver. now circulates almost entirely on the secondary market, where it has sold for roughly 85 USD or more, well above standard HG pricing.