HGBuild Divers

Diver Ace Unit

A backpack full of swords that turns any HG into a bigger deal.

MechaGrade Score

3.5/5

Diver Ace Unit · 1/144 · 2018

GradeHG

Scale1/144

Released2018

Runnersn/a

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The verdict

This is not a Gundam, it is the thing that makes your Gundam look like it means business.

The Diver Ace Unit is an option parts set, a backpack with folding wings, two Super GN Sword II blades, and two GN Diver Swords, built to clip onto the 00 Diver and (with the included adapters) a decent spread of other HG kits. I like it a lot for what it is, but you have to walk in knowing it has no legs, no head, and no story of its own.

Best for: HG builders who already have a 00 Diver (or another 3mm-compatible kit) and want a weapons-and-wings upgrade rather than a whole new robot

The full review

What it is

This box gets you three runners of hardware: a backpack that splits open into a pair of wings, two big double-bladed GN Diver Swords, and two Super GN Sword II units that can rack onto the shoulders or be held. Everything is built around 3mm peg connections, which is the part I actually enjoy most, because it means the backpack and swords are not locked to one kit. Snap it onto the 00 Diver and you get the proper 00 Diver Ace loadout from Gundam Build Divers. Snap it onto something else HG-compatible with the adapters and you get your own mashup. For six or seven dollars of plastic, that flexibility is the whole appeal.

The catch

Be clear on what you are buying before you order it, because this will not stand on a shelf by itself. There is no body, no head, no legs, just the backpack and the four swords. Color separation on the wings and blade cores relies on molded color for the big shapes, but the GN Condenser green glow points and some trim are down to stickers or a marker if you want it clean, and a few reviewers note the backpack's opening hinge can feel a little loose after repeated transformation. The joint parts and adapters are also very specifically tuned to Bandai's own 1/144 HG peg standard, so third party or older kits can be a fight to mate up cleanly.

Who it's for

Grab this if you already own the 00 Diver, or any HG with compatible 3mm sockets, and you want to give it a bigger, more dramatic silhouette without buying a second full kit. It is a cheap, fast way to scratch the customization itch that the Build Divers line is built around. Skip it if you want a single self-contained kit to build and display straight out of the box, or if you do not already have a suit lined up to wear it. On its own this is an accessory, not a Gundam, and it only pays off once you have a body to put it on.

The build story

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

Three runners, no manual surprises here. Gate placement on the sword blades and wing panels is mostly on flat, hidden edges so cleanup is quick, and nothing on this set needs glue. The 3mm peg sockets snap firmly into the 00 Diver's backpack mount and shoulders, and if you are running it on another HG with the adapters, expect a bit of trial and error finding the right peg length before it sits flush.

The best engineering here is the peg system itself, since it turns a single-purpose accessory into something you can move between kits as your collection grows. The backpack's wing-opening action is satisfying when it locks into the open pose, and the paired Super GN Sword II units give you enough weapon variety to build two different loadouts (dual-wielded swords or a shoulder-mounted rack) without buying anything else.

Lore & trivia

01The Diver Ace Unit is the gear Riku Mikami's 00 Diver gains after upgrades from fellow Build Divers Force member Koichi Nanase, letting it transform into 00 Diver Ace in the Gundam Build Divers anime.
02The set's GN Diver Swords are written in-story as carrying their own GN Condenser functions, boosting the 00 Diver Ace's energy efficiency over the base form.
03Bandai released this as part of the HGBC (High Grade Build Custom) option parts line rather than the main HGBD kit line, explicitly marketing it as a mix-and-match add-on for other 1/144 HG kits.