KitsGradesGuidesReviewsCompareBlogDisclosure

Browse by grade

HGRGMGPGSDEG
Browse kits
HGBuild Divers

XXXG-01S2龍虎狼 Gundam Jiyan Altron

A tiger-and-wolf remix of Altron Gundam that looks fierce on the shelf and fights you a little on the way there.

MechaGrade Score

3.4 out of 53.4/5

XXXG-01S2龍虎狼 Gundam Jiyan Altron · 1/144 · 2018

GradeHG
Scale1/144
Released2018
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

This is a fun, oddball HG that trades on its beast-themed silhouette more than clean engineering, and that trade mostly pays off.

The new head crest and animal-motif shoulder armor genuinely sell the tiger-and-wolf concept, and the Dragon Fang sub-arms carry over from the original Altron with the extending gimmick intact. Where it stumbles is stickers and pose range, both of which keep it from reaching the upper tier of HG kits from this era.

Best for: Wing-era and Build Divers fans who want a striking beast-Gundam variant and don't mind a sticker sheet

The full review

What it is

Jiyan Altron takes the familiar XXXG-01S2 Altron frame, dragon head arm blades and all, and reskins it with tiger and wolf motifs for its Gundam Build Divers pilot. The head crest is new, the shoulder armor is new, and both can swing forward to double as hand-held weapons, which is a neat bit of kit engineering carried over from a franchise that's always been generous with transforming gimmicks. Building it feels familiar if you've put together any Altron kit before, snap fit body with a few screw-free subassemblies, and the animal parts genuinely change the silhouette enough that it doesn't feel like a simple recolor. I liked how much personality the head and shoulder redesign added to a chassis I'd built variants of already.

The catch

The tiger head and shield are almost entirely sticker work rather than molded color, and there is a full foil sticker sheet to get through if you want the kit to look finished. Builders also report some looseness in the legs after a few pose changes, and the knees inherited from the original transforming Altron design are awkward, they don't bend the way a non-transforming HG's knees would. The bigger issue is posing overall: the tiger and wolf arm add-ons look striking standing still but get in the way once you try to swing the arms into a dynamic pose, so you end up fighting the accessories more than the joints themselves.

Who it's for

Grab this if you already like the Altron Gundam silhouette and want a version with more visual flair for the shelf, or if you're building out a Build Divers roster and this suit's design speaks to you. The double ball-joint neck and 360 degree waist mean it can still hold a decent standing pose even with the sticker reliance and knee quirks. Skip it if you want a kit that poses aggressively out of the box or if you're not willing to spend the time on foil stickers, in which case look at a non-transforming-based HG in the same price band instead. As a display piece with the wings and Dragon Fangs deployed, it earns its spot.

The build story

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

The build itself runs through 13 runners plus a foil sticker sheet, and assembly is straightforward snap-fit HG work with no real surprises in gate placement. The new head and shoulder parts are the most interesting sprues to build since they're unique to this release rather than reused Altron tooling, and they go together cleanly. The sticker sheet is where the time goes, the tiger head and shield need a good chunk of foil work to look finished, which is more patience than most HGs demand.

Articulation is a mixed bag by design: the double ball-joint neck and double-jointed elbows give good upper body range, and the front and side skirt armor pivot out of the way of the legs, but the knees carry over the original Altron's transformation-compatible joint, which limits how far they bend compared to a kit built knees-first for posing. The Dragon Fang sub-arms extend and the claws pivot at the knee joints, a nice call-back gimmick, and the shoulder-to-hand weapon conversion is the standout engineering touch that makes this more than a repaint.

Lore & trivia

  • 01Jiyan Altron is piloted by Tigerwolf in Gundam Build Divers, and its finish move Ultimate Secret: Ryukorodo releases twin tiger and wolf energy streams from the right fist that combine into a dragon-shaped blast.
  • 02The kit is built on the XXXG-01S2 Altron Gundam frame from Mobile Suit Gundam Wing, keeping the dual Dragon Fang arm blades, back wings, and shield from the original while replacing the head and shoulder armor.
  • 03It released in July 2018 as HGBD kit number 011 in the Gundam Build Divers High Grade lineup.
  • 04The gunpla is shown turning gold just before its pilot executes the signature finishing attack, a nod to its in-universe power-up state.

What other builders say

This write-up is grounded in real reviews and builder discussion, not just one opinion. A few worth reading:

More reviews

All reviews