HGUniversal Century

RX-93 ν Gundam (First Lot Color Ver.)

The kit that made people put their MG money toward an HG instead.

MechaGrade Score

4.1/5

Nu Gundam · 1/144 · 2020

GradeHG

Scale1/144

Released2020

Runnersn/a

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The verdict

This is the HG that convinced a lot of builders they didn't need the Master Grade version sitting next to it.

The proportions are the whole story here, this thing looks like the movie's ν Gundam in a way plenty of bigger, pricier kits don't quite manage. Color separation across the frame is strong for an HG price point, and the fin funnel backpack is the payoff piece that makes the rest of the build worth it. It has real, reported weak points, but none of them are dealbreakers.

Best for: builders who want the definitive-looking ν Gundam without committing to an MG-level build session

The full review

What it is

This is the 2008 HGUC #86 mold reissued in 2020 with its original first-production color plastic, and it earns the reputation. Amuro's final UC mobile suit comes together as a clean, well-proportioned HG with molded color doing most of the work rather than paint, so the head, chest vents, and shoulder blocks all read correctly straight off the runner. Building it feels like the mold knew exactly what this suit needed to look like. The fin funnel rack on the backpack is the standout part of the whole kit, six separate funnels that peg on and actually look like they belong there rather than being an afterthought accessory.

The catch

The shoulders are the recurring complaint, several builders report a bit of looseness there that shows up when you pose the arms out wide with the bazooka or funnels attached. A few builds have also flagged the neck joint fighting to stay seated without a little extra pressure or a dab of glue for peace of mind. Markings still lean on stickers, mainly the fin funnel tips and some body accents, so if you want a fully molded-color look you're doing some sticker work regardless. It's also an older mold, so leg articulation and ab movement are more limited than what a modern HG line offers.

Who it's for

Grab this if you want the ν Gundam on your shelf and would rather spend an afternoon on a great-looking HG than a weekend on an MG. It's also a smart pick if you've already got the MG or PG version and want a smaller-footprint display piece that still nails the silhouette. Skip it if loose shoulder joints under weapon load are a real dealbreaker for you, or if you're chasing maximum articulation for dynamic funnel-array poses, in which case the RG version with its inner frame is the better fit.

The build story

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

The build itself moves quickly and the gate placement is forgiving, nothing here demands the patience an MG runner sheet would. Fit between the torso, waist, and leg blocks is snug and confidence-inspiring, it's really just the shoulder and neck joints that draw complaints once the suit is fully loaded out with its gear.

The real engineering win is how much of the ν Gundam's identity comes through in molded color alone, from the tri-color chest to the yellow vent detailing, without leaning on paint to sell it. The six-piece fin funnel rack and the interchangeable hand set add real accessory value for the price band, and the beam rifle and hyper bazooka round out a loadout that gives the finished kit genuine display presence.

Lore & trivia

01The ν Gundam was the first Gundam-type mobile suit ever equipped with Funnels, here in the form of six fin funnels mounted on a backpack turret.
02Because Amuro's suit was rushed into production at Anaheim Electronics' Von Braun facility, the fin funnels were built as one-use, non-recoverable weapons rather than true funnels with self-return capability.
03The psycho-frame technology embedded around the cockpit and joints was secretly supplied by Char Aznable, the ν Gundam's own eventual rival, letting Amuro channel Newtype input directly into the suit's response.
04In the climax of Char's Counterattack, the ν Gundam's psycho-frame resonates with the Sazabi's to generate the force that pushes the Axis asteroid off its collision course with Earth.