HGGundam Build Metaverse / Gundam Breaker Battlogue (Gunpla Battle fiction), a Gunpla Battle remix of the 00 Qan[T] from Mobile Suit Gundam 00: A Wakening of the Trailblazer

Gundam 00 Command Quan[T] Desert Type

A desert-worn Qan[T] hybrid that trades one big beam saber story for a whole arsenal of little ones.

MechaGrade Score

3.7/5

Gundam 00 Command Quan[T] Desert Type · 1/144 · 2024

GradeHG

Scale1/144

Released2024

Runnersn/a

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The verdict

This is a genuinely fun oddball of a kit, and I like it more than its backstory suggests I should.

Bandai bolted SD Command Gundam armor and a full battlefield loadout onto the 00 Qan[T] silhouette, and the result reads as a scrappy desert mercenary rather than a repaint gimmick. The accessory count alone makes it punch above its price band, and the tan and olive color separation actually sells the desert theme instead of just describing it. It is not a showcase of cutting-edge engineering, it is a showcase of what a good parts remix can do with an established frame.

Best for: Gundam Breaker and Gunpla Battle lore fans who want a loadout-heavy desert unit without stepping up to MG money

The full review

What it is

This kit takes the 00 Qan[T] body, a design most builders already know from Gundam 00: A Wakening of the Trailblazer, and dresses it in SD Command Gundam armor plating for the in-universe Gunpla Battle spinoff continuity. What you get in the box feels less like a straight reissue and more like a loadout kit. I counted a command sword, an arms shield, two combat knives that tuck into that shield, a heavy machine gun, and a missile launcher, which is a serious amount of gear for an HG at this price point. Building it, the desert tan and olive drab molded plastic actually does the work instead of leaning on the sticker sheet, and the finished silhouette reads immediately as a battle-worn field unit rather than a hero suit in a costume.

The catch

The core frame underneath all that armor is still the 00 Qan[T] HG skeleton, so if you have built other Qan[T]-lineage kits recently this will not feel new mechanically, just newly dressed. The extra armor plating and shield add bulk without adding new joints, so some poses feel more restricted than the bare Qan[T] would allow, especially anything that wants the arms shield tucked in close to the body. There is also a lot of small parts handling with two knives, a detachable shield, and multiple weapon swaps, so this is not a kit you build in one sitting if you want to actually use all the gear.

Who it's for

If you already like the Qan[T] shape and want a version that looks like it has actually been in a fight, or if you are chasing the Gundam Breaker Battlogue and Build Metaverse side of the hobby, this is worth the pickup. It also works well as a display piece paired with other desert or mercenary-themed HGs since the tan palette is distinctive on a shelf. Skip it if you are looking for a big step up in engineering or articulation over a standard HG, because this kit's appeal is entirely in the gear and the paint scheme, not in reinventing how the frame moves.

The build story

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

The build itself moves at a normal HG pace, gate placement on the armor add-on parts is straightforward to clean up, and nothing about the frame assembly deviates from what you would expect from a Qan[T]-based HG. The extra armor pieces clip on over the existing shoulders and torso without fighting the joints underneath, so fit is solid rather than fussy.

The standout here is the gear. Between the command sword, the arms shield with its two stored combat knives, the heavy machine gun, and the missile launcher, you end up with more weapon variety than most HGs at this price offer, and the shield's knife storage is a nice tactile detail that rewards fiddling with it after the main build is done. Color separation on the armor plating is handled in molded plastic rather than stickers, which keeps the desert scheme looking clean even after repeated handling.

Lore & trivia

01The Command Qan[T] Desert Type first appeared as part of the Gundam Build Metaverse video released for the Gundam Build Series 10th anniversary, and also ties into the Gundam Breaker Battlogue ONA and the Gundam Breaker Mobile game.
02In its in-universe backstory, the suit earned the nickname 'Dust Storm Breaker' after a Gunpla battler's unit prevented disaster when a system malfunction caused a huge sandstorm at the Gunpla Battle International Championship in Dubai, which is why the desert-type color scheme was later chosen for a memorial statue.
03The design combines the 00 Qan[T] frame, originally from Mobile Suit Gundam 00: A Wakening of the Trailblazer, with armor elements borrowed from the SD Command Gundam, making it a cross-continuity mashup rather than a suit that appears in the original 00 series.