HGBuild Fighters

SB-011 Star Burning Gundam

Sei Iori's swan song kit, and a genuinely fun HGBF build that punches above its price.

MechaGrade Score

3.9/5

Star Burning Gundam · 1/144 · 2017

GradeHG

Scale1/144

Released2017

Runnersn/a

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The verdict

This is one of the better HGBF suits I have put together, and I say that as someone who has built a lot of Sei Iori's designs.

The proportions are cleaner than most of his kitbash-style Gunpla, the articulation is immediately obvious the moment you start posing it, and the accessories actually earn their keep instead of sitting in a parts tray. It is not going to out-detail an MG, but for a 1/144 original design built for a one-off anime special, it delivers more than I expected.

Best for: HGBF collectors and Build Fighters fans who want a posable, accessory-rich original-design Gundam without stepping up to MG money

The full review

What it is

The Star Burning Gundam is Sei Iori's own custom build from Gundam Build Fighters: GM's Counterattack, designed as an all-purpose machine that pulls the best ideas from his earlier Gunpla into one suit. Out of the box it reads as clean and balanced rather than the busy, overloaded look some of his other kits fall into. The double-jointed knees and swiveling thighs are the first thing I noticed once it was together, this thing sits into deep lunges and dynamic poses without fighting you. The build itself moves fast, seven runners, mostly straightforward snap-together assembly, and the kind of kit you can finish in an evening without feeling rushed.

The catch

Color separation leans on a sticker sheet, including a chrome-backed sheet for some of the accent colors, so if you skip stickers you will lose some of the on-screen look. Gate placement is kind to you thanks to the smaller 1/144 scale, but a few of the softer plastic joints (particularly in the arms) can feel a touch loose after repeated posing, which is a common HGBF-era complaint rather than something unique to this kit. It is also an HG, so do not expect MG-level inner frame work or panel lining payoff, this is a snap kit built for play-posing, not a display centerpiece straight from the box.

Who it's for

If you are into Gundam Build Fighters or you just want a suit that poses well and comes loaded with swappable hands and a transforming beam rifle for under MG prices, this is an easy recommend. It is also a solid pickup if you already have the Try Burning Gundam or Build Burning Gundam and want to see the design lineage play out in plastic. Skip it if color-accurate stickers annoy you and you are not willing to paint, or if you specifically want an official Universal Century suit rather than an original Build Fighters design.

The build story

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

The build moves quickly across seven runners with typical HGBF-era ease, gates are small and forgiving at 1/144 scale so cleanup is minimal even without much tool work. Assembly is entirely snap-fit in the modern HG style, no surprises, and most builders report finishing it in a single sitting without needing filler or heavy sanding.

Where the kit earns its score is in the details Sei Iori's design carries over: expressive swappable hands, a foldable beam rifle that trades fire rate for power depending on configuration, and a shield that splits into a pair of forearm-mounted shields. Combined with the double-jointed knees and swiveling thighs, it holds dynamic action poses far better than a lot of HG-line kits at this price point, even if the color separation leans on stickers to get there.

Lore & trivia

01The Star Burning Gundam debuted in the anime special Gundam Build Fighters: GM's Counterattack, built and piloted by protagonist Sei Iori alongside Reiji.
02It is not based on any official Gundam type, Sei designed it by pulling favorite elements from his own earlier Gunpla builds into one all-purpose machine.
03The kit released in Japan on August 26, 2017 as HGBF #058, well after the main Build Fighters Try series had aired.
04Its beam rifle has a folded, rapid-fire low-power mode and an unfolded, high-power slower-firing mode, mirroring the transforming weapon gimmicks common across Sei Iori's suits.