HGUniversal Century

RGM-79HC GM Guard Custom (with E-2 Beam Spray Gun)

The P-Bandai fix that finally lets this GM hold its own shield.

MechaGrade Score

4.3/5

GM Guard Custom (with E-2 Beam Spray Gun) · 1/144 · 2020

GradeHG

Scale1/144

Released2020

Runnersn/a

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The verdict

This is the version of the GM Guard Custom you actually want, and I say that as someone who built the plain retail release first and came away annoyed.

The base HGUC kit nails the sculpt but ships with two-part hands that cannot grip its own shield without popping open. This P-Bandai E-2 release swaps in new hands, a new chest, backpack, and crotch piece to bring it closer to the original Origin MSD design, and suddenly the whole kit clicks into place, literally. Between the twin beam spray guns, the beam daggers, and the guardian shield, this is one of the most complete-feeling HG loadouts I have built all year.

Best for: HG collectors who already own or considered the retail GM Guard Custom and want the corrected, fully-armed version

The full review

What it is

This is the Premium Bandai reissue of the RGM-79HC GM Guard Custom, a fleet-escort GM variant from Gundam: The Origin MSD, upgraded with a pair of E-2 beam spray guns, long vulcan barrels on a new backpack, and reworked hands. Building it feels like Bandai went back and fixed the one thing collectors complained about on the original. Snapping the shield onto the new hand sculpt and having it actually stay there was a small, satisfying win. The surface detail is dense enough that the armor plates read as armor instead of flat plastic, and the waist joint lets the torso crouch forward in a way that makes standing poses look far less stiff than a typical HG from this era.

The catch

This is a Premium Bandai exclusive, so you are paying resale or import markup rather than a normal retail price, and the extra runners for the vulcans and second spray gun push part count up without changing the core frame underneath, which is still a fairly basic HG skeleton. The head is molded in two halves front to back, and that seam sits right on the face where you cannot hide it in a panel line, so you either live with it or break out putty. Some colors still lean on stickers rather than molded plastic for the finer markings, and the shield, while much better secured now, is still a lot of surface area for a single wrist joint to support in dynamic poses.

Who it's for

I would point this at HG builders who liked the idea of the GM Guard Custom but were put off by reviews flagging the floppy hands and shield-holding problem on the original release, plus anyone chasing an accurate Origin MSD lineup. If you can find it at a fair price, it is worth the hunt over the plain retail kit. Skip it if you already own the base version and are not bothered by the hand issue, since the sculpt underneath is largely the same suit, or if Premium Bandai pricing in your region makes it a hard sell against other HG options with full inner frames.

The build story

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

Gate placement is typical late-2010s Bandai HG, mostly on flat or recessed surfaces so cleanup is quick, and the extra runners for the vulcan barrels and second beam spray gun add a bit more clipping time than the plain retail kit without adding real complexity. Fit throughout is snug and confidence-inspiring, panels click home without needing glue, and nothing on this kit felt like it was fighting me during assembly.

The standout engineering is the crouching waist mechanism, a hinge setup that lets the torso lean forward naturally instead of just twisting, which single-handedly makes the finished pose range better than most HG kits at this price. Weapon loadout is generous for the grade: two beam spray guns that store on the side skirts when not in use, a pair of beam daggers, and the guardian shield, so you get real display variety without hunting for a third-party weapon set.

Lore & trivia

01The GM Guard Custom first appeared as material for Mobile Suit Gundam: The Origin MSD, a spinoff manga expanding on background Federation forces rather than the mainline Origin story.
02This P-Bandai release adds long vulcan barrels on a new backpack and swaps the chest, crotch piece, and hands to bring the kit closer to its original MSD design rather than reading as a straight GM Sniper Custom recolor.
03The guardian shield is depicted in supplementary material as built from five layers of four different metallic alloys with an anti-beam coating, meant to defend against both physical rounds and beam weapons.
04The retail HGUC version of this kit released in 2018, with this upgraded E-2 Beam Spray Gun Premium Bandai edition following in 2019 to 2020 specifically to address the shield-holding complaint.