HGUniversal Century

RX-80PR-2 Pale Rider Cavalry

A P-Bandai exclusive that reuses a 2014 skeleton to sell you a very good sticker sheet.

MechaGrade Score

3.4/5

Pale Rider Cavalry · 1/144 · 2021

GradeHG

Scale1/144

Released2021

Runnersn/a

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The verdict

This kit is a solid pickup for Missing Link fans but not the premium showpiece its P-Bandai price tag implies.

The new molded parts on the head, chest, shoulders, arms, waist, legs, and backpack genuinely update the look, and the Shekinah cannon setup is a great centerpiece accessory. Where it falls short is color separation. A P-Bandai release in 2021 should not be leaning on a giant foil sticker sheet to hit its HADES-mode markings.

Best for: Missing Link and Thunderbolt-era UC fans who don't mind painting to finish the job right

The full review

What it is

The Pale Rider Cavalry takes the 2014 HGUC RX-80PR Pale Rider frame and dresses it in new tooling everywhere it matters most for silhouette: new head with the blade antennas and clear blue visor, new chest, shoulders, arms, waist, legs, and a reworked backpack housing six thrusters and removable propellant tanks. Building it feels like meeting an old friend in a sharper suit. The proportions read as tri-color Gundam-type rather than the older mono-eye mass production look, and holding the assembled Shekinah cannon, with its gatling mount, mega beam launcher, and micro missile launcher, is genuinely satisfying. There is a lot of kit here for a 1/144.

The catch

The frame underneath is over a decade old, and it shows in the joints. Wrist articulation in particular struggles to hold up the Shekinah's weight over time, and the overall pose range is competent rather than exceptional by current HG standards. The bigger issue is the huge foil sticker sheet covering the HADES-mode vent markings and shield details, areas that a premium P-Bandai release should have handled with molded color separation instead. Builders doing a straight build with stock stickers get a good-looking kit. Builders chasing the box art need Gundam Markers or paint.

Who it's for

Grab this one if you're building out a Missing Link or Thunderbolt-adjacent UC lineup and want the Pale Rider Cavalry specifically, or if you enjoy customizing and don't mind treating the stock stickers as a starting point rather than a finish line. Skip it if you want a modern, fully part-separated HG experience out of the box, or if wrist durability under weapon load is a dealbreaker for your display habits. As a straight build with patience for decal work, it earns its spot on the shelf. As a flagship premium release, it's a decade-old frame in new clothes.

What works

New molded head, torso, arms, waist, legs, and backpack meaningfully update the 2014 base kit's silhouette
Shekinah cannon assembly (gatling mount plus mega beam launcher plus micro missile launcher) is a genuinely fun, chunky accessory to build and pose with
Backpack thrusters and propellant tanks are removable, adding some display flexibility for HADES mode versus standard loadout

Worth knowing

Heavy reliance on a large foil sticker sheet for HADES-mode markings and shield detailing instead of molded color separation
Wrist joints can struggle to support the Shekinah's weight in dynamic poses over repeated handling
Articulation and engineering are carried over from a decade-old frame, so it plays it safe rather than pushing forward

Sold? Grab it.

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The build story

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

The build itself goes together cleanly, since it's built on a proven, well-worn frame, so there are no nasty surprises in part fit or gate placement. The extra unused parts left over from the forearm and lower leg runners are a nice touch for kitbashers, giving you spare material for other Pale Rider or 08th MS Team era builds without cutting into your main kit.

The standout engineering is really just the accessory loadout. The Shekinah cannon combining gatling, beam launcher, and missile launcher into one shoulder-mounted piece gives the kit a lot of visual weight and play value for a 1/144 price point, even if the frame underneath it is showing its age in wrist strength and overall pose ceiling.

Lore & trivia

01The RX-80PR-2 Pale Rider Cavalry originates from Mobile Suit Gundam Side Story: Missing Link, a manga set in the Universal Century timeline.
02It represents the mass-production endpoint of the Pale Rider Project, with the HADES system limiter installed to reduce pilot burden compared to the original Pale Rider.
03The kit was released in 2021 as a P-Bandai Hobby Online Shop exclusive, and it reuses the frame from the 2014 HGUC RX-80PR Pale Rider while adding newly molded head, torso, limb, and backpack parts.