MGUniversal Century

RX-0 Unicorn Gundam 03 Phenex (Narrative Ver.)

A gold plated ghost of a Gundam, gorgeous to hold and a little fussy to trust.

MechaGrade Score

3.9/5

Unicorn Gundam · 1/100 · 2018

GradeMG

Scale1/100

Released2018

Runnersn/a

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The verdict

This is one of the best looking MG Unicorns on a shelf and one of the more nerve wracking ones in your hands.

The electrochemical gold plating and the clear blue psycho frame underneath are the whole reason to own this kit, and they deliver every time the light hits them. My hesitation is mechanical, not visual, the destroy mode transformation and the exposed psycho frame joints ask a lot of small parts that were not built for daily handling.

Best for: Unicorn fans who already love the MG Banshee/Unicorn frame and want the gold Narrative variant as a display centerpiece, not a pose-every-week fidget kit

The full review

What it is

Phenex is the same excellent MG Unicorn frame Bandai has been refining since the original release, dressed in real electrochemical gold plating instead of painted gold, with a clear blue psycho frame that lights up the joints and chest when you pop it into Destroy Mode. Sitting it on a shelf next to a standard white Unicorn is a genuinely different experience, the gold catches ambient light in a way no paint job manages, and the blue frame glowing through the gaps sells the Newtype horror movie vibe from the Narrative film immediately. Popping the horn and unfolding the armor plates is still satisfying, it is the same great transformation gimmick the line is known for, just wearing better clothes.

The catch

The gold plated parts are noticeably more brittle feeling than standard ABS/PS, and several builders report white plastic showing through at nub marks once you clip parts off the runner, which is much more visible against gold than it ever was against white. The knee psycho frame reveal for Destroy Mode uses a locking peg that loosens with repeated transformation, and the leg and arm joints are on the loose side out of the box for some copies. It is priced and sized like a premium MG, so accessory loadout (two Armed Armor DE units, beam magnum, shield) has to carry the value on its own since there is no huge parts explosion beyond the standard Unicorn frame plus the gold shell.

Who it's for

Buy this if you want the definitive gold Phenex on your shelf and you are willing to handle it like a display piece rather than a weekly poser, most of its problems only show up with repeated transformation cycling. If you already own an MG Unicorn or Banshee and mainly want the frame experience, you do not need to double dip here, the core engineering is the same kit you already built. Skip it if tight budget matters more than the gold finish, the HG or RG Phenex get you the same character and color scheme for a fraction of the price and without the plating anxiety.

The build story

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

Assembly follows the same well trodden MG Unicorn/Banshee path, so if you have built one before this feels immediately familiar. The plated gold runners need careful nub cleanup since any nick reveals white plastic underneath, and a few builders solve this with a gold paint marker or gold leaf pen touch up rather than aggressive sanding. The square poly cap parts used in a few of the destroy mode hinge points feel like an odd design choice and can bind slightly on first transformation before they loosen up.

Where it earns its keep is the destroy mode reveal, unfolding the chest and shoulder armor to expose the clear blue psycho frame is the payoff moment the whole kit is built around, and it looks as good in person as in official photos. Articulation is standard excellent MG Unicorn range, deep waist twist, good shoulder and hip movement, enough to hold the signature NT-D beam saber stances. The two Armed Armor DE units with their wire tail sensors add real visual weight and help balance out what would otherwise be a fairly modest accessory count for the price point.

Lore & trivia

01Phenex is the third Unicorn frame unit (RX-0 Unit 3), distinct from the Unicorn (Unit 1) and Banshee (Unit 2) seen in the original Gundam Unicorn OVA
02In Mobile Suit Gundam Narrative, Phenex's uncannily human, subtle movements are a story clue that it is being piloted remotely, its pilot Rita Bernal's presence is bound to the machine through her Newtype connection rather than sitting in a cockpit in the conventional sense
03The gold coloring reflects Phenex's role in the Narrative film as a suit tied up in the aftermath of the Laplace Incident, sought after by the Earth Federation, Zeon remnants, and the Sinanju Stein's Zoltan Akkanen alike
04Bandai released Phenex across multiple grades and colorways, including a gunmetal grey "Narrative Ver." test type recolor alongside this gold production color version, giving builders a choice between the film's two established finishes