MGUniversal Century

FF-X7 Core Fighter [Full Armor Color]

The escape pod that started every One Year War Gundam, now in Full Armor colors on your shelf.

MechaGrade Score

3.4/5

Core Fighter [Full Armor Color] · 1/100 · 2018

GradeMG

Scale1/100

Released2018

Runnersn/a

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The verdict

I like this kit for exactly what it is: a small, quick, faithful build of the little craft hiding inside the RX-78-2's chest, dressed in the Full Armor Gundam palette.

It will not anchor a display case on its own, but as a companion piece next to an MG Gundam or Full Armor Gundam it earns its spot. The color rework is the whole reason to pick this version over the standard release, and it delivers on that promise.

Best for: MG Gundam and Full Armor Gundam owners who want the matching Core Fighter on the shelf next to the mobile suit it powers

The full review

What it is

This is the Core Fighter, the small manned craft that forms the cockpit block for the RX-78-2 Gundam and its siblings, done up here in the white, blue, and red scheme tied to the Full Armor Gundam rather than the standard Core Fighter colorway. It started life as an Ichiban Kuji prize, which explains why it shows up in odd colorways like this one instead of a mainline retail box. Building it is a fast, relaxed session, snapping together a cockpit, wings, and thrusters rather than wrestling with an inner frame. I went in expecting a throwaway accessory and came out liking it more than I planned to, mostly because the proportions read correctly at 1/100 next to a Gundam.

The catch

It is small and simple, and if you are hoping for MG-standard engineering and part count you will be disappointed, this is closer in scope to a HG side kit than a flagship MG. Being an Ichiban Kuji prize also means it was never sold as a standalone retail item at a normal price point, so tracking one down means paying secondary market prices for what is a modest amount of plastic. The Full Armor colorway is also polarizing on its own, it is a deliberate mismatch from the classic Core Fighter white and blue, so builders who want kit-accurate colors need the standard release instead.

Who it's for

Buy this if you already have an MG RX-78-2 or Full Armor Gundam and want the accessory craft that belongs next to it, or if you are chasing a full Core Block System display with G-Fighter and G-Armor kits down the line. Skip it if you are looking for a kit that stands on its own as a display centerpiece, or if the secondary market price for a kuji prize piece does not sit right with you for what amounts to a small support craft. It is a nice-to-have, not a must-have.

The build story

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

The build moves quickly, a cockpit assembly, a pair of wings, and the rear thruster block go together without any fiddly small parts or awkward panel lines to chase. There is little in the way of inner frame here, so cleanup is light and the whole thing comes together in well under an hour.

Where it earns its keep is fit and scale accuracy against the mobile suits it is designed to support. It plugs into the Core Block System the same way the standard release does, so if you own the matching MG RX-78-2 or G-Fighter, this becomes a real functional piece of that ecosystem rather than a static shelf trinket.

Lore & trivia

01The Core Fighter is the cockpit craft for the Core Block System, the design used by the RX-75-4 Guntank, RX-77-2 Guncannon, and RX-78-2 Gundam, where it locks between the upper torso and lower body to complete the mobile suit.
02In an emergency the Core Fighter could detach and fly away on its own, functioning as an escape pod so the pilot and onboard combat data survived even if the mobile suit itself was destroyed.
03The Core Fighter's success led Hervic Company to develop the G-Fighter support craft, which combines with the RX-78-2 Gundam and Core Fighter to form the G-Armor.
04This particular release wears the Full Armor Gundam color scheme rather than the standard Core Fighter colors, and first appeared as a prize in an Ichiban Kuji lottery set rather than a standard retail box.