HGUniversal Century

RGM-79S GM Spartan

A jungle-camo GM that finally gets its own kit, and earns it.

MechaGrade Score

3.7/5

GM Spartan · 1/144 · 2022

GradeHG

Scale1/144

Released2022

Runnersn/a

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The verdict

This is a niche P-Bandai release that punches above its exclusive-shop status.

It's the first ever 1/144 plastic kit of the GM Spartan, a subtropical combat variant that had previously only existed as a resin garage kit and some artbook pages, and Bandai used the occasion to build a genuinely fun HG. The articulation is the star here, not the gimmick paint job people expect from a reskinned GM.

Best for: GM variant collectors and HGUC completionists who want a fun, poseable jungle-fighter without MG money on the line

The full review

What it is

The GM Spartan started life as a 2015 Master Archive artbook design, a jungle and subtropical combat spec of the GM Command built for the Earth Federation's Mechanized Marine Division, and it took until this P-Bandai HGUC to get real plastic. Building it feels like getting a bonus GM Sniper II sibling: same core RGM-79 chassis logic, but with flip-up front and side skirt armor so the legs actually clear on deep poses, ball-jointed hands and head, and an ankle that tilts and pivots instead of just hinging. I went in expecting a reskin and came out impressed by how much movement Bandai coaxed out of an HG at this price point.

The catch

It's a P-Bandai exclusive, so you're paying online-shop pricing and dealing with import or reseller markup instead of a shelf price, and the detailing leans on stickers rather than molded color separation for the jungle camo scheme and trim. Builders consistently note the kit rewards a topcoat and some panel lining, the sticker work looks flat straight out of the box and the translucent parts need masking if you spray matte. None of that is a structural flaw, it is just extra weekend work if you want the finished look the render promises.

Who it's for

Grab this if you already like the RGM-79 lineage, GM Sniper II, GM Command, and want a variant with a distinct silhouette and a Halo-esque jungle helmet look, without waiting for a mainline re-release. Skip it if you want an out-of-box pop with no sticker work, or if the P-Bandai premium and secondhand hunting isn't worth it to you for what is still, under the camo, a GM. For anyone chasing the full GM family or who just wants a genuinely fun-posing 1/144 for the shelf, it delivers.

The build story

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

The build follows standard HGUC GM logic so nothing here should surprise anyone who has put together a GM Sniper II or GM Command, but the tooling is clean and the flip-up skirt armor is the kind of small engineering touch that makes the whole lower body feel less stiff than older GM molds. Gate placement is typical HG, nothing that demands heavy cleanup, and the sticker sheet is where most of the visual work happens rather than the plastic itself.

Where it earns its score is articulation: 360-degree waist rotation, ankles that both pivot and tilt, and ball joints at the head and hands add up to poses a lot of same-era HGs can't hit. Accessory loadout stays GM-basic (nothing exotic), so the value case rests on the variant itself and the pose range rather than an armful of extra weapons.

Lore & trivia

01The GM Spartan design first appeared in the 2015 Master Archive Mobile Suit Gundam RGM-79 GM Vol. 2 artbook before ever getting a mainline kit or anime appearance.
02Prior to this HGUC release, the only physical version of the GM Spartan was a B-Club resin garage kit.
03In lore, the GM Spartan is a subtropical and jungle-combat variant of the RGM-79G GM Command, fielded by the Earth Federation's Mechanized Marine Division and the Black Dog Squad during the One Year War.
04Variants based on the Master Archive GM Spartan design later appeared in the 2021 mobile game Mobile Suit Gundam Battle Operation Code Fairy.