HGBuild Divers

PFF-X7II/U7 Uraven Gundam

A sniper's armor kit that turns a good base suit into a genuinely great one.

MechaGrade Score

3.8/5

Uraven Gundam · 1/144 · 2020

GradeHG

Scale1/144

Released2020

Runnersn/a

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The verdict

This is one of the better armor-expansion HG kits Bandai has put out for the Build Divers line.

On its own the Core Gundam II is a fine but slightly loose little kit, and the Uraven armor is what actually finishes the job, tightening up the legs, upgrading the hands, and giving you a completely different silhouette and role for the same core frame. If you already own or plan to own the Core Gundam II, this is close to an easy recommendation. If you don't, you're buying half a kit's personality without the frame it's built around.

Best for: Core Gundam II owners who want a sniper-focused second identity for the same frame, and Build Divers fans who like bit weapons

The full review

What it is

The Uraven Gundam is an armor set built around Hiroto Kuga's Core Gundam II, reworking it into a long-range sniper unit with three deployable Sensor Bits, a Beam Shoot Rifle U7, a shield, and beam sabers tucked into the loadout. What struck me building it is how much of a personality shift the armor gives the small Core frame. Underneath it's the same compact 1/144 body, but the armor panels, the rifle, and the bits turn it into something that reads as a dedicated sniper rather than a generic recolor. Snapping the armor over the bare Core Gundam II and watching the proportions click into place was the best moment of the build.

The catch

The bare Core Gundam II underneath is the weak link on its own, with reports of loose legs and a rattly fit before the Uraven armor goes on, so you are effectively paying for a fix to a problem the base kit has. The torso has no ab crunch and relies on a simple waist swivel, which limits dynamic poses more than I'd like on a sniper suit that wants to kneel and aim. The Sensor Bits are small and easy to lose track of on a shelf or desk, and if you don't already own the Core Gundam II frame, this armor set alone doesn't stand as a complete kit experience.

Who it's for

Get this if you already have the Core Gundam II or are planning to pick it up alongside it. The two together solve each other's problems, the armor tightens the frame and the frame gives the armor something to click onto, and the pairing is worth more than the sum of its parts. Skip it if you're looking for a single standalone HG experience or if fiddly small bit weapons and a limited torso range are dealbreakers for you. Build Divers completionists and sniper-suit fans in general will get the most out of this one.

The build story

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

Gate placement follows the same Core Gundam II runners, which builders have flagged as easy nub removal since most connection points sit on the inside of panels or where two armor pieces meet. That means a clean look with minimal filing even for newer builders, and the armor snaps over the bare frame without any real fitting fuss.

The real engineering win here is what the armor does to the frame underneath it. Reviewers building the Core II have noted the legs stop rattling and the new hands have noticeably better tolerances once the Uraven armor is on, so the design isn't just cosmetic, it's a functional upgrade to a kit that has real fit issues in its bare form. The three Sensor Bits and the Beam Shoot Rifle U7 add legitimate accessory value for an HG price point, and the display stand included for showing the armor separately is a nice touch for anyone who wants to pose the bare Core Gundam II and the Uraven configuration side by side.

Lore & trivia

01The Uraven Gundam is built and piloted by Hiroto Kuga, the protagonist of Gundam Build Divers Re:RISE, as a long-range sniping configuration of his Core Gundam II.
02The armor deploys three Sensor Bits that surround the suit to enable ultra-high-precision sniper attacks alongside the Beam Shoot Rifle U7.
03It released in May 2020 as HGBD:R kit number 023 in Bandai's High Grade Build Divers Re:RISE line.