HGBuild Divers

Valkylander

The dragon that proves not every Gunpla box has to hide a humanoid.

MechaGrade Score

3.7/5

Valkylander · 1/144 · 2019

GradeHG

Scale1/144

Released2019

Runnersn/a

Check price on Amazon

Affiliate link. We may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.

The verdict

I'll say it plainly, this is one of the most fun HG kits I've put together simply because it isn't another biped.

Valkylander is Parviz's SD-inspired dragon Gunpla from Build Divers Re:RISE, and Bandai committed to the bit with a jaw that opens, a tail that swings, and wings built for an action base flight pose. It won't wow you with inner-frame engineering, but it wins on pure personality.

Best for: Build Divers fans and anyone who wants a genuinely different silhouette on the shelf next to a wall of Gundams

The full review

What it is

Valkylander is the HGBD:R kit of Parviz's signature Gunpla, a chunky, low-slung dragon with a wide head, clawed feet, and a segmented tail, built off the bones of the SD Gundam Astraea Type-F but skinned entirely as a beast. I went in expecting a gimmick kit and came out genuinely charmed. The proportions read as a dragon from every angle, the head sculpt has real presence with its underslung jaw, and it is a quick, breezy build, I had it done in well under an hour with time left over to just pose it on the shelf. It is a Skill Level 2 kit, so nothing here demands experience, just basic nipper and gate cleanup.

The catch

This is still an HG at HG money and HG part counts, so the frame is simple, there is no real inner skeleton to speak of, and detail is achieved through shape and paint apps rather than layered engineering. The legs and tail have a fixed, sturdy quality more than a wide range of dynamic poses, this is a kit built to stand and roar, not lunge into an action shot. It also needs Bandai's action base (sold separately) to open up its best flight poses, without one it is a grounded, if handsome, statue. If you are chasing MG-level articulation or panel line density, you will not find it here.

Who it's for

Buy this if you are a Build Divers fan who wants Parviz's actual Gunpla on the shelf, or if you just want a distinctive, non-humanoid kit to break up a collection that is otherwise all Gundams and Zakus. It is also a genuinely good pick for a newer builder or a kid who wants something fun and fast that still looks impressive finished. Skip it if you need heavy articulation, an MG-grade inner frame, or a kit that holds dynamic combat poses, this one is built for presence and charm over posability. I'd put it on the shelf, not in a diorama fight scene.

The build story

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

Gate placement is straightforward and forgiving, this is a kit built for Skill Level 2 builders, so nubs land on flat or hidden surfaces and cleanup with a basic nipper and hobby knife is quick. Parts fit together with the usual snug HG tolerances, nothing here fought me, and the whole build moved fast enough that I finished it in a single sitting without ever feeling rushed or bored.

The standout is the jaw hinge, it opens and closes with real mechanical satisfaction and instantly sells the dragon concept. Wing spread and the segmented tail give it a good amount of shelf presence for the price point, and the kit is clearly designed around the action base gimmick for flight poses, even though the base itself is not included. Articulation elsewhere is basic, functional joints rather than a deep range of motion, which fits the beast concept more than it would a humanoid suit.

Lore & trivia

01Valkylander is the personal Gunpla of the character Parviz in Gundam Build Divers Re:RISE, who nicknames it "Morgiana."
02The design is built from the base shape of the SD Gundam Astraea Type-F, reskinned entirely into a dragon form rather than a humanoid mobile suit.
03Parviz later pilots a follow-up version called the EX Valkylander, which is based on the Gundam Astraea and the Sacred Beast Cuadorn with larger wings.
04The kit released in November 2019 as part of the HGBD:R (High Grade Build Divers Re:RISE) line at Skill Level 2.