KitsGradesSeriesGuidesReviewsCompareBlogGift FinderDisclosure

Browse by grade

HGRGMGPGSDEG
Browse kits
MGAfter Colony

XXXG-01SR Gundam Sandrock EW (Armadillo Unit)

The base Sandrock EW mold gets a heavy desert coat, and the armor gimmick is the whole show.

MechaGrade Score

3.9 out of 53.9/5

Gundam Sandrock EW (Armadillo Unit) · 1/100 · 2020

GradeMG
Scale1/100
Released2020
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 the well-proven Sandrock EW frame wearing a genuinely clever add-on kit, and the Armadillo shoulder armor is the reason to pick this version over the plain EW release.

I built it expecting a reskin and came away impressed with how much the extra shell changes the silhouette without locking the suit into one pose. The base frame's articulation carries over intact, which matters more than the armor does in daily posing. It is not cheap for what amounts to a base kit plus an armor add-on, and that is the one thing I would flag before buying.

Best for: Gundam Wing fans who want the Endless Waltz movie/manga desert look and are willing to pay extra for a well-executed armor gimmick

The full review

What it is

The Armadillo Unit takes the existing MG Sandrock EW and bolts on a heavy shoulder-mounted desert armor system pulled from the Glory of the Losers manga art, plus a beefed-up backpack and shield boosters. Underneath all of it is the same frame that's been getting praise for years: excellent hip, knee, and neck articulation, and a suit that balances on its own in dynamic poses without a stand. Building it feels like two kits stacked together, first the familiar EW Sandrock, then a second layer of armor plates that clip on and off. The heat shotels, the beam machine gun, the option to link the shotels into a double-bladed weapon or dock them on the shield as the Cross Crusher, all of it is here and all of it still works with the new armor on.

The catch

The leg attachment points are the frame's known weak spot. Builders report that once you settle on a standing pose, moving the legs again risks the joint popping loose, so you want to commit to your final pose rather than keep fiddling. The heat shotel blades are thin and can bend if you're not careful handling them. And because this is fundamentally the base EW kit with an armor expansion stacked on top, you're paying a premium over the standard release for parts that mostly change how the suit looks with the armor on, not how it performs underneath.

Who it's for

Buy this if you specifically want the desert-armored Glory of the Losers version of Sandrock and don't mind paying more than the standard EW kit costs for that look. The articulation and stability that make the base Sandrock EW a strong MG carry over here completely, so you're not sacrificing poseability for the armor gimmick. Skip it if you just want a good Sandrock and don't care about the Armadillo variant specifically, the standard MG XXXG-01SR Gundam Sandrock EW gets you the same excellent frame for less money and without the armor to store or lose track of.

The build story

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

The build splits cleanly into two phases, the base Sandrock EW frame first and then the Armadillo armor shell that clips over the shoulders and torso. The base frame goes together the way the standard EW kit always has, well-fitted joints, minimal sticker reliance for the main color scheme, and clean gate placement that keeps cleanup manageable. The armor add-on parts are new tooling and snap onto the existing frame's attachment points without needing you to modify anything, though test-fitting before final assembly saves headaches once the desert shell is on.

Where this kit earns its keep is articulation carried over from a frame that was already well regarded, hip and knee range let it hold low, wide combat poses, and the neck lets it look up and down without the head hitting the collar. The skirt armor pieces move independently, which helps leg clearance in deep poses. Weapon count is generous for the price band, dual heat shotels, beam machine gun, shield with boosters, and the desert armor itself effectively doubles as a second display option since you can build and store the suit both armored and unarmored.

Lore & trivia

  • 01Gundam Sandrock is piloted by Quatre Raberba Winner and is built for desert combat, with thicker armor plating than the other four Gundams from the original Wing series.
  • 02The Armadillo equipment is unique to the Glory of the Losers manga continuation of Endless Waltz and does not appear on the standard TV or movie version of Sandrock.
  • 03The heat shotels can be thrown as ranged weapons, linked pommel-to-pommel into a double-bladed staff, or mounted on the shield to form the Cross Crusher configuration.
  • 04This kit released in October 2020 as part of Bandai's push to revisit Endless Waltz designs through the Glory of the Losers manga art direction.

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