HGBuild Fighters

GNW-100P Gundam Portent

An HG that poses like something two grades above its price tag.

MechaGrade Score

4.1/5

Gundam Portent · 1/144 · 2015

GradeHG

Scale1/144

Released2015

Runnersn/a

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The verdict

I came into this expecting a mid-pack Build Fighters HG and walked away genuinely impressed with how far Bandai pushed articulation and gimmick density into a budget-tier kit.

The Portent bends, twists, and splits in ways that put a lot of MGs to shame, and the swords and rifle give it real presence on a shelf. It is not perfect, the stickers fight you and there are visible seams on the limbs, but the fun-to-build-to-money ratio here is excellent.

Best for: HG builders who want maximum pose range and weapon variety without stepping up to MG money

The full review

What it is

The Gundam Portent is Shia Kijima's original build from Gundam Build Fighters Try, styled after the Celestial Being lineage, and Bandai clearly used it as a showcase for how much motion they could cram into a 1/144 frame. Assembling it feels closer to an RG at times, with more small parts making up the limbs and torso than the usual armor-plate HG shortcuts. Every joint moves further than it has any right to, the six wing fins on the arms and legs articulate independently, and the head tilts up so it can pose mid-flight. I did not expect to spend as long posing this kit as I did. It comes with a stand, a GN Pierce Sword with an extendable beam blade, a GN Smash Rifle, and a generous stack of hand parts, so the accessory loadout alone feels like it is punching above its price band.

The catch

The sword stickers are the real friction point here. The large white decals that wrap the curved blade of the Pierce Sword have a hole that needs to line up exactly, and getting them on straight without bubbling took me multiple attempts. Panel lines are easy to trace and reward a wash, but the lower arms and legs show visible seam lines that a from-the-box build will not hide, so seam work is worth doing if you care about a clean finish. None of this is a dealbreaker, it is standard HG-tier compromise, but if you are sticker-averse this kit will test you more than most in the line.

Who it's for

If you like posing your kits more than you like staring at them static on a shelf, the Portent rewards that instinct better than almost any other HG I have built. The split-leg range and independently moving fins make it a natural pick for anyone building action dioramas or just enjoying a wide range of motion at HG prices. Builders who want factory-fresh color separation with zero sticker work should look elsewhere, since the sword decals are unavoidable if you want the weapon to look right. For anyone who wants an affordable, weapon-heavy, highly poseable kit from Build Fighters Try, this is an easy recommend.

The build story

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

The runner layout leans into smaller, more numerous parts for the limbs and torso rather than big single-piece armor, which slows the build down slightly but pays off in how the joints move afterward. Gate placement is standard HG fare and cleanup is easy, nothing awkward or hidden. The sword stickers are the one spot where I would tell a new builder to slow down and dry-fit before committing adhesive backing to plastic.

The standout here is the sheer number of points of articulation packed into a 1/144 frame: head, shoulders, elbows, wrists, waist, hips, knees, feet, plus six independently moving wing fins, shoulder pauldrons, and the Karel container on the back. Add the Pierce Sword, Smash Rifle, variable-length beam saber effects, and a stand, and the parts-to-price value here is genuinely strong for an HG.

Lore & trivia

01The Gundam Portent is the original build of Shia Kijima, a member of Team Celestial Sphere in Gundam Build Fighters Try, and is styled after the Gundams used by Celestial Being.
02Coach Allan describes Shia's build quality on the Portent as 'perfect' within the show's story.
03The GN Pierce Sword can extend a flexible beam blade to increase its reach in combat, reflecting the suit's finesse-based fighting style in the anime.
04The kit released as HGBF #031 in March 2015 alongside the Gundam Build Fighters Try TV series.