HGMobile Fighter G Gundam

Death Beast

A cheap, quadrupedal DG Cell monster that trades polish for pure army-builder novelty.

MechaGrade Score

3.2/5

Death Beast · 1/144 · 2020

GradeHG

Scale1/144

Released2020

Runnersn/a

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The verdict

This is a fun, cheap oddity that earns its keep on numbers, not finesse.

I like it for what it is, a four legged Devil Gundam mook you can multiply on a shelf without blowing your budget, but I would not call it a technically strong kit. The articulation is basic and the seams need real cleanup work before it looks its best. If you go in wanting a G Gundam monster swarm rather than a posable centerpiece, it delivers.

Best for: G Gundam fans and army builders who want a cheap, distinctive DG Cell monster to multiply on the shelf

The full review

What it is

Death Beast is the four legged beast-mode variant of the JDG-009X Death Army, one of the mass produced DG Cell mook suits the Devil Gundam spawns to swarm the Gundam Fighters in Mobile Fighter G Gundam. This HGFC kit converts between the bipedal Death Army stance and a hunched, four legged Death Beast configuration, and I had a genuinely good time flipping it between the two. The moving monoeye is the best surprise in the box, it works in both modes and gives the thing real presence for something this cheap. For a low skill level, low part count kit, it looks properly monstrous once assembled.

The catch

The articulation is the real limiter here. Builders consistently flag single jointed elbows that only bend to about 90 degrees and knees that look double jointed on paper but barely move more thanks to the bulk of the design, so dynamic beast mode poses fight you. Seam lines show up across the body and are worst on the gauntlet spikes and the club rifle, both of which are awkward shapes to sand or fill without losing detail. The kit also leans on stickers for some of its markings, and more than one builder has reported them stripping or lifting rather than sitting flat, so plan on a topcoat if you want them to last.

Who it's for

Pick this up if you are building out a Devil Gundam swarm, want a distinctive G Gundam monster kit for cheap, or just like the idea of a beast mode transformation gimmick at HG prices. Skip it if you want a kit that poses dynamically out of the box or holds up to close inspection without cleanup, the joints and seams will disappoint anyone expecting current-year HG articulation. As a one-off centerpiece it is mediocre. As the fifth or sixth Death Beast on a shelf of Devil Gundam mooks, it is exactly the right tool.

The build story

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

This is a skill level 2 kit, so expect straightforward runner cutting and gate cleanup rather than anything advanced, and the low part count keeps the build quick. The transformation between Death Army and Death Beast is the highlight of the assembly, the joints that let it fold down into four legged stance are simple but satisfying to work through by hand. Gate placement on the spiked gauntlets and the club rifle is awkward, those parts need careful sanding if you want the seams gone, and it is easy to lose crisp spike edges if you go at them too aggressively.

Color separation leans on molded plastic for the main body with stickers filling in some of the finer markings, which keeps the price down but means the stickers carry more visual weight than I would like, especially once they start lifting at the edges. The moving monoeye is the standout piece of engineering for a kit this size, it is a small touch but it does a lot for the finished look in both modes. Accessory loadout is minimal, in keeping with a mass produced mook rather than a hero unit, so do not expect a big weapons spread.

Lore & trivia

01Death Beast is a variant configuration of the JDG-009X Death Army, one of the Devil Gundam's DG Cell controlled mook suits from Mobile Fighter G Gundam (1994), a mass produced grunt built to overwhelm Gundam Fighters through sheer numbers rather than individual strength.
02The base HGFC Death Army kit released in 2019 as the first HG version of the unit, with the Death Beast variant following in 2020 as a Bandai Hobby Online Shop (Premium Bandai) exclusive release.
03Other named Death Army variants in the show include the winged Death Birdie and the aquatic Death Navy, reflecting how the Devil Gundam's DG Cells could reshape the same mook chassis into different battlefield roles.