MGBuild Divers

RB-79PP Polypodball

A humble space pod gets legs, an attitude, and somehow still holds a pose.

MechaGrade Score

3.4/5

Polypodball · 1/100 · 2018

GradeMG

Scale1/100

Released2018

Runnersn/a

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The verdict

I like this kit more than I expected to, and I say that as someone who went in ready to write it off as a novelty.

It is built on the old MG Ball frame with a new set of leg runners bolted on, and that combination turns a kit that used to just sit there into one that can actually stand and strike a stance. It will never be a showpiece MG in the PG sense, but as a quick, cheerful, low-pressure build it earns its spot on the shelf.

Best for: Build Divers fans and Ball collectors who want the joke suit that can actually stand and pose, not a display centerpiece

The full review

What it is

This is the MG RB-79 Ball, the classic support-pod kit, given a new set of leg runners so it can walk around on land instead of just floating in a display stand. The core ball body is the same simple, chunky shape Ball fans already know, molded in the Polypodball's white and blue scheme instead of the usual olive drab. Snapping the legs on for the first time is genuinely fun, there is a real moment of "wait, it stands now" that a plain Ball kit never gives you. It leans into the goofy Build Divers premise (a mobile pod modified because its pilot thought it was unfair that only Gundams got to have legs) and the finished kit carries that same lighthearted energy.

The catch

The part count is barely above a High Grade, so this is not a kit that rewards long build sessions, if you want hours of engineering to chew on, look elsewhere. The leg runners are new but the core ball body and joints are the same basic MG Ball architecture from years earlier, so detail and articulation feel dated next to a modern MG. It was a P-Bandai exclusive, which means it comes and goes and can be pricier or harder to find than a standard retail kit when it is out of production. The included water slide decal sheet was sold as a separate add-on bundled with a different Gundam kit, so out of the box the color separation is doing most of the work and detail-hunters may feel shorted on markings.

Who it's for

Grab this one if you already like the Ball as a concept, want a fast palate-cleanser build between bigger projects, or you are chasing Build Divers suits specifically and want the version of the Ball that can actually take a stance on a shelf. Skip it if you want serious inner-frame engineering or heavy articulation for the money, a standard MG will serve you far better there, and skip it if you cannot find it in stock at a reasonable price since the exclusive-kit premium can erase the value case fast.

The build story

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

The build moves fast. The ball body assembles the same way the long-running MG Ball kit always has, simple snap-fit steps with straightforward gate placement, and cleanup is quick because there just are not that many parts to clip. The new leg runners are the one section that feels different, they are simple compared to a modern MG leg but they peg into the ball body cleanly and lock with enough tension to hold weight.

Where it earns its keep is articulation you would not expect from a Ball. Once the legs are on, the kit can stand flat-footed and take a light stance, something the display-stand-only original Ball was never built to do. There are no real weapon loadouts here, this is about the pod itself and its handful of Build Divers configurations rather than an arsenal, so value is really about the novelty of the transformation rather than accessory count.

Lore & trivia

01The Polypodball is a custom Gunpla built and piloted in-fiction by Azuma Carl Thompson, known by the handle BALL, during the GIMM & BALL's World Challenge arc of Gundam Build Divers
02In the show's own logic, the legs are junk parts Azuma scavenged from a hobby shop and grafted onto a standard space-use Mobile Pod so it could operate on land, motivated partly by his feeling that it was unfair only Gundam-type suits got legs
03The kit is a P-Bandai exclusive built on the existing MG RB-79 Ball mold, adding new leg runners rather than an entirely new frame
04The Polypodball has multiple in-show alternate configurations referenced in Build Divers material, including an 'Urusai Form' built around a large speaker unit and a stacked 'Skewer-Dumpling Form' using multiple Ball units