HGPost Disaster

V03-0907 Oltlinde

A P-Bandai musketeer built on borrowed bones, and it still looks this good.

MechaGrade Score

3.7/5

Oltlinde · 1/144 · 2023

GradeHG

Scale1/144

Released2023

Runnersn/a

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The verdict

The Oltlinde is proof that Bandai can make a great looking kit without touching the inner frame.

I built this expecting a reskin and got a reskin, but what a reskin. The asymmetric silhouette and the green, white, and yellow paint scheme sell a character this small kit otherwise has no business selling. Just don't go in thinking this is a new engineering exercise.

Best for: Iron-Blooded Orphans collectors and HG builders who want a striking, unusual silhouette without a new-frame learning curve

The full review

What it is

This is the Grimgerde's skeleton wearing a completely different coat, and I mean that as a compliment to the coat. The moment I had the shoulder armor and that lopsided cross-marked plate on, the kit stopped looking like a parts-bin exercise and started looking like its own character. The molded color on the head antenna and the shoulder cross mark did real work here, no sticker or paint pen needed for the two spots that would have bugged me most. It handles like a familiar HGIBO kit because it basically is one, but the new exterior armor is genuinely sharp, and the asymmetric musketeer silhouette reads as intentional rather than gimmicky the second it's standing on a shelf.

The catch

This is a P-Bandai exclusive, so you're paying import markup and shipping on top of a kit that reuses the Grimgerde's frame and joints wholesale. If you've built that kit or its siblings, there is nothing new happening under the armor, same range of motion, same engineering, same feel in your hands. The included Valkyria Double Blade splits into two weapons, which is a nice bit of value, but the rest of the loadout is thin for the segment. Molded color covers the big details, but you'll still want a few panel lines and a topcoat to make the finish pop the way it does in official photos.

Who it's for

Buy this if you're building out an Iron-Blooded Orphans shelf and want a suit that doesn't look like every other Gjallarhorn or Tekkadan grunt kit sitting next to it. The asymmetric design and unusual color story make it a strong display piece for not much money or effort. Skip it if you're chasing new engineering or you already own two or three Grimgerde-lineage kits and don't need a fourth pass at the same joints. This is a shelf-presence buy, not a build-experience buy, and it's worth knowing that going in.

The build story

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

If you've built a Grimgerde or any of its HGIBO siblings, your hands already know this kit. Gate placement and part fit are standard HGIBO fare, nothing that fights you, nothing that needs heavy cleanup. The new pieces are all exterior armor, so assembly order feels familiar even though the finished shape doesn't.

Articulation carries over the strong points of the line: a double-jointed elbow and knee, a ball-and-socket neck that tilts and swivels, a torso that leans, and a waist that spins the full 360 degrees. Side skirt armor rotates out of the way for wider leg poses, and the shoulder armor swings independently so the asymmetric design doesn't lock up your arm movement. For a small HG built on an older frame, it holds a dynamic pose better than you'd expect.

Lore & trivia

01The Oltlinde originates from Mobile Suit Gundam Iron-Blooded Orphans: Gekko (Moon Steel), a manga spinoff rather than the mainline TV anime.
02It was designed by mechanical designer Kanetake Ebikawa.
03The kit was released as a Premium Bandai online shop exclusive and shares its frame with the HGIBO Grimgerde.
04Its signature armament, the Valkyria Double Blade, can be split apart into two separate hand-held weapons.