HGBuild Divers

Mass-Produced Zeonic Sword

A ten dollar sword that turns any grunt suit into the boss of the display shelf.

MechaGrade Score

3.4/5

Mass-Produced Zeonic Sword · 1/144 · 2019

GradeHG

Scale1/144

Released2019

Runnersn/a

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The verdict

I like this kit for exactly what it is and nothing more than that.

It is not a mobile suit, it is a weapon add on, and once you accept that framing it is a genuinely clever little accessory. The mass production green recolor of the nu-Zeon Gundam's signature blade is a fun twist on a design that started out as a one off hero weapon, and the stand plus support arms mean it does not just sit flat and lifeless on a shelf. I would not build this as a standalone purchase, but paired with an HG grunt suit it earns its place.

Best for: HG collectors who already own a Build Divers grunt suit like the Leo NPD and want a cheap way to make it look dangerous

The full review

What it is

This is a weapon kit, not a mobile suit kit, and MechaGrade reviews it on those terms. It reproduces the nu-Zeon Gundam's signature blade from Gundam Build Divers Re:RISE, but recolored in mass production green so it reads as gear any grunt suit could be issued rather than a one of a kind hero weapon. The box gives you the sword itself, two support arms, and a display stand, all snap fit with no glue needed. Opening it up and clicking the blade together took me only a few minutes, and I immediately wanted to hand it off to a spare Leo NPD I had sitting around. It is less a build project and more a shelf upgrade, and on that level it delivers.

The catch

At roughly ten dollars you are getting a handful of parts, not a project, so do not expect a satisfying build arc here. There is no articulation to speak of since it is a weapon, not a figure, so all the posing potential comes from how you clip it onto a suit's hand or back. The stand is functional but basic, and it only really shines when you already own a compatible grunt suit to hold it. Buy this on its own with nothing to attach it to and you will be disappointed by how little there is to do with it.

Who it's for

Grab this if you already have an HG grunt suit from the Build Divers line, especially the Leo NPD, and want an easy way to make a background mob unit look like a boss enemy. It is also a nice cheap way to dip into the nu-Zeon Gundam's weapon design without paying for the full hero kit. Skip it if you do not already own a suit to wield it, if you want a proper articulated build, or if you are shopping for your first Gunpla kit. This is a supporting accessory, not a centerpiece.

The build story

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

There is not much of a build here in the traditional sense. The blade, support arms, and stand snap together cleanly with no visible seam lines that bothered me, and the whole thing goes from runners to finished piece in well under ten minutes. Gate marks are small and easy to clean up if you care to, though most builders will not bother given the scale of the project.

The real engineering interest is in how the sword attaches to a host suit. The support arms let you rig it onto the back or into the hand of any HG grunt kit from the Build Divers line, and the stand gives it a way to stand alone in a Hi Mega Bow Gun or Hi Mega Saber pose straight out of the show. For ten dollars, getting a display stand plus a full recolor of a named weapon is a fair trade, it just is not a kit you build for the build itself.

Lore & trivia

01The Zeonic Sword is the signature weapon of the nu-Zeon Gundam, a fan built machine from Gundam Build Divers Re:RISE that reimagines Amuro Ray's nu Gundam repainted in Zeon colors.
02In the show the weapon can shift between three forms: a physical blade, the Hi Mega Bow Gun, and the Hi Mega Saber, which can even project a beam replica of the Axis asteroid to drop on enemies.
03This HGBD:R release swaps the original weapon's red and gold nu-Zeon colors for a mass production green scheme, positioning it as gear any Build Divers grunt suit could plausibly carry rather than a unique hero armament.
04Bandai released it in December 2019 as part of the HGBD:R weapon accessory line, sold separately from any mobile suit kit for around ten dollars.