HGBuild Fighters

NK-13S Gundam Schwarzritter

A black knight built out of spare parts, and somehow it works.

MechaGrade Score

3.6/5

Gundam Schwarzritter · 1/144 · 2017

GradeHG

Scale1/144

Released2017

Runnersn/a

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The verdict

This kit is proof that a good frame is worth reusing.

Bandai built the Schwarzritter on the Denial Gundam's skeleton and it pays off, you get real range of motion and a striking black and gold color scheme without paying for a new engineering pass. The transforming backpack blades are the reason to own this one. I came away impressed with how much drama a budget HG kit can pull off when the design team leans on a proven base instead of cutting corners.

Best for: Build Fighters fans and anyone who wants a menacing black knight Gundam with real sword-play options for under twenty dollars

The full review

What it is

The Schwarzritter is the HGBF answer to what happens when you take the Denial Gundam's frame, paint it midnight black, and hand it a pair of massive convertible blades instead of martial arts effect parts. I like that Bandai did not pretend this was an all-new sculpt, the kit openly reuses the Denial's body so most of your build time goes toward the new backpack and weapon runners. The color separation held up better than I expected for an HG, the gold accents come molded in rather than relying entirely on stickers, and the finished suit has real presence on a shelf next to other Build Fighters kits.

The catch

Only two of the nine runners in the box are actually new, the rest are the Denial Gundam's frame and body parts carried straight over, so if you already own that kit you are paying mostly for the backpack, blades, and a new color scheme. The front skirt armor gets in the way of hip and leg articulation more than I would like, and while the suit itself does not carry the Denial's infamous hair-piece balance problem, the massive backpack blades are heavy enough that you will want to check the ankle joints before attempting anything dramatic. Nub placement on the reused frame is standard HG fare, nothing brutal, but the visible seams on the torso and limbs are there if you go in without paint.

Who it's for

Grab this one if you want a genuinely cool-looking Build Fighters suit and do not mind that its bones came from another kit, the finished model earns its price through the backpack weapon gimmick and the black and gold paint job alone. Builders who already have the Denial Gundam on the shelf should think about whether a repaint job would scratch the same itch for less money. First-time Gunpla builders will find nothing scary here, it goes together fast and rewards patience on the seam lines, and Build Fighters completionists will want it regardless because Masked Second G's suit is a real chapter in that side story roster.

The build story

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

The build itself is quick and low-stress because most of the frame is a known quantity carried over from the Denial Gundam, so gate placement and nub cleanup are standard HG difficulty, nothing that will trip up a first-timer. The new runners covering the backpack and blade assemblies are where the kit gets interesting, the parts fit together cleanly to form the transforming weapon and there is a satisfying click when the two halves combine into the oversized single sword.

Where this kit earns its keep is the backpack gimmick, three saber grips and two dagger blades give you enough combinations to build the giant two-handed sword, dual smaller blades, or a mixed loadout, and the frame's arm and shoulder articulation from the Denial base holds those poses without drooping. Leg articulation is the weak point, the deep front skirt armor catches on the thighs during high kicks or wide stances, so most of your best poses will lean upper body and weapon work rather than acrobatics.

Lore & trivia

01The Schwarzritter is piloted by the masked Build Fighter known as Masked Second G, and its kit is a modified reissue of the earlier NK-13 Cathedral Gundam.
02Bandai built the model on the HGBF Denial Gundam's frame and runners, reusing seven of nine runners and adding only two new ones for the backpack, blades, and gold trim parts.
03Released in May 2017 as HGBF #055, the kit's backpack converts between a pair of dual-wielded sabers and one combined oversized greatsword using interchangeable saber grips and dagger blades.