HGAnno Domini

GN-9999 Transient Gundam

An Exia descendant built for a builder who wanted a floating, spear-throwing show-off, and it delivers on that promise.

MechaGrade Score

3.8/5

Transient Gundam · 1/144 · 2015

GradeHG

Scale1/144

Released2015

Runnersn/a

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The verdict

This is one of the better surprises in the HGBF line, and I mean that.

It reads like a cousin of the Gundam 00 GN Drive suits (Exia especially), but the twin GN Partizans that split into Lance Bits and the aerial display stand give it its own identity on the shelf. The articulation is genuinely excellent for a kit this size and price, and it holds a spear-raised pose without drooping. My one real hesitation is the clear blue plastic, which I will get into.

Best for: HG builders who want standout articulation and a floating spear-and-bits display without an MG-sized time investment

The full review

What it is

The Transient Gundam is Wilfrid Kijima's ride from Build Fighters Try, and Bandai clearly had fun with it. Most of the kit is molded in clean white plastic with clear blue accents standing in for the GN particle glow, no separate effect parts needed to get that look. The pair of GN Partizans are the star of the show. Each one splits into a large Lance Bit or two smaller ones, and the kit ships with a stand built for posing it mid-flight with those bits fanned out. I built mine expecting a generic Exia reskin and came away impressed that it has its own silhouette and its own trick.

The catch

The clear blue plastic is the recurring complaint, and I hit it myself. No matter how careful the nub cleanup is, you tend to get faint white stress marks or nub scars on those parts because the clear material shows every cut differently than the white plastic does. It is a cosmetic issue, not a structural one, but it is the first thing you will notice under good light. Beyond that, this is a fairly simple build for an HG, so if you want MG-level part count or full inner-frame engineering, this kit will feel light in your hands.

Who it's for

Grab this one if you want a kit that poses dramatically and looks distinct on a shelf full of Exia-lineage builds, and if you do not mind babysitting a few clear parts with a hobby knife and some patience. Skip it if smooth glossy plastic under a spotlight is a dealbreaker for you, or if you specifically want a suit tied to the mainline 00 story rather than a Build Fighters original. For the price and the part count, the articulation and the Lance Bit gimmick punch well above what I expected going in.

The build story

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

This goes together fast and the gate placement is kind to the white parts, but the clear blue pieces need real care. Cut wide of the part and sand back rather than clipping tight, because the clear plastic reveals cut marks the white plastic simply hides. Nothing here fights you on fit, and the whole build is a relaxed afternoon rather than a multi-session project.

Where it earns its score is the articulation and the Lance Bit gimmick. The hips and shoulders give it a real fighting stance, and the wrists rotate enough to sell the GN Vulcan-into-beam-saber transformation. Splitting the GN Partizans into paired Lance Bits and mounting them on the included stand turns this into one of the more photogenic HG displays for the money, especially next to other GN Drive-era kits on a shelf.

Lore & trivia

01The Transient Gundam is Wilfrid Kijima's personal Gunpla in Gundam Build Fighters Try, an anime built around competitive Gunpla battling rather than mainline Gundam continuity.
02Its design draws directly from the GN Drive-equipped mobile suits of Mobile Suit Gundam 00, most visibly the Gundam Exia lineage.
03Each GN Partizan can function whole as a large remote Lance Bit or split into two smaller Lance Bits for ranged and melee use.
04It released as HGBF #034 in April 2015 and ships with a display stand built specifically for posing it in an aerial stance.