Build Burning Gundam
The 1:144 scale High Grade Build Burning Gundam is the first new model kit produced for the follow up to last year’s “Gundam Build Fighters” titled, “Build Fighters Try!”
“Please set your GP Base! Beginning Plavsky Particle dispersal.”
“Gundam Build Fighters Try” is the sequel to the sensationally entertaining series from Sunrise geared for young audiences and adult fans alike set in a world without conflict where “Mobile Suit Gundam” and its legacy of plastic model kits continue to be a global phenomenon.
The series picks up seven years after the first season with a new cast of characters and an even wider selection of Gunpla including models Bandai still hasn’t made yet.
And of course Mr. Ral is back too!
New episodes air every Wednesday on Youtube courtesy of Gundam.Info. Seriously, go watch it!
”Please set your Gunpla!”
The rules of Gunpla Battle have changed with new modes of play and ‘Damage Levels’ to prevent the unnecessary destruction of a fighter’s Gunpla, whether in casual Gunpla Battle or in the qualifying matches before the World Championships.
Fighters can now enter in teams of three, piloting separate Mobile Suits or a single Mobile Armor.
Hailing from Seiho Academy, home of the former world champion from the first season, Sei Iori are ‘Team Try Fighters’ comprised of three unique Gundams: the customized Re-GZ Lighting Gundam, the transformable Super Deformed Winning Gundam, and the martial arts using Build Burning Gundam!
“I understand… this Gunpla’s loud roar!”
The BG-011B Build Burning Gundam is a mysterious Gunpla discovered by the series new protagonist, Sekai Kamiki when he joined the school’s Gunpla Battle Club. Believed to have been built by Sei as the successor to Build Strike Gundam, it was hidden within an MS-09 Dom stored inside a secret compartment on the bottom of Sei’s trophy from the Seventh World Championship Tournament.
The Build Burning Gundam is a Gunpla designed exclusively for mobility and close quarters combat improving upon the Build Strike’s “Radiant General Purpose” (or RG system) ability to maximize its use of Plavsky Particles using the crystalline parts across its body.
With Sekai’s martial arts training from the Jigen Haoh School, he was able to flawlessly assimilate to the Gunpla’s potential as a fierce fighter.
Ironically, according to the series’ director, the Build Burning Gundam’s name shares nothing in common with another Gundam once called “Burning” other than its martial arts roots.
“Field R: Rob’s Desk”
Even though it is inspired by “Mobile Fighter Gundam G,” the Build Burning Gundam doesn’t have any direct Mobile Suit of Origin like its predecessor that was based on the GAT-X105 from ‘Gundam SEED,’ making it one of the truly unique Mobile Suits to both the ‘Build Fighters’ series and the Bandai model kit.
Out of the box, the Build Burning Gundam’s nine parts runners are molded in its final colors of red, blue, white, gray, and yellow plastic.
One of the things I noticed when I first opened the box were the mold gate extensions on some of the runners that suggest this kit could be converted to some other version.
This comes as no surprise now that Bandai has unveiled this Gundam’s ‘mid-season upgrade’ into the Try Burning Gundam.
The model uses Bandai’s new type of polycaps created for their 1:144 scale “High Grade All Gundam” collection that allows the finished model’s limbs to be interchangeable with different models like the previous Build Strike.
The runner also contains new polycaps that are exclusive to this model.
The Build Burning Gundam has duplicate runners molded in translucent blue and orange plastic for the crystal parts on the Gunpla’s shoulders, arms and legs and two full runners of special effects parts molded in brilliant orange plastic.
The Build Burning Gundam features some of Bandai’s latest innovations in High Grade engineering designed to maximize its articulation through the color separation.
Parts are molded in whole sections that mask seams along panel lines and where the different colored plastics meet.
This is one of the few Gunpla I have built with sleeves for the thigh armor!
Its torso is built with a ball and socket in it midsection.
What I’m most impressed with is the hinged clavicle and double jointed shoulder joint assembly that greatly improves the range of movement in the arms.
The Gundam comes with four sets of hands molded in fixed poses that are built with jointed wrists. The thick gauntlets on the back of the hands emphasis the Gundam’s close combat potential.
There is also a fifth pair of hands molded in the clear orange plastic of the special effects parts.
While building the Gunpla, there are a number of craftsman friendly areas that can be modified to enhance its details.
Its v-crest has squared nubs on the back of the crest tips designed to make the parts less hazardous for young builders which can be cut away.
I used my fine-tip cutters to chip the nubs down followed by shaving away the excess plastic with my x-acto knife and buffing the area smooth with a fine grit sanding pad.
The front skirt armor is molded together on a stem with round spacers that ‘coincidentally’ fit into grooves shaped like ball and socket joints in the pelvis.
Cutting the stem in half will allow the armor to swing independently and cutting it off completely will allow them to move even more dynamically!
Even with the full color injection molding, the model comes with decals for some of the finer missing details that I opted to paint instead.
I painted the Gundam’s eyes with a mixture of light blue and silver acrylic paint and outlined its mask with a GM01 (black) Gundammarker.
I continued to paint the frame’s gray color on the model where it was missing such as the ankles, and under the shoulder armor.
One of the drawbacks to the special effects parts being molded in crystal clear plastic, is you can see the tabs on the inside where it hugs against the Gunpla.
I used some fine grit sanding paper and my emery block to fog the parts and make them look more intense.
Fully built, the Build Burning Gundam stands just a little short of 5 inches tall from heel to V-crest, and is one of the most athletic looking Gundams I have ever built.
It has an almost Ohbari’esque (if I can coin a phrase) posture and narrow profile.
The finished model is very mobile and able to mimic most fighting stances and moves.
With its great flexibility comes some risk of loose limbs.
One problem I had was the shoulder’s ball and socket joints that kept making the arms fall out when I bent the shoulder at extreme angles.
After I painted and dried some glue over the ball joint, it fit together much tighter and held together even better.
“The particles Build Burning is emitting… It’s turning red like a flame!”
The Build Burning Gundam is one of the first Gunpla I have built that doesn’t come with any weapon accessories. Not even a beam saber!
This is funny considering there are a set of hands included that are designed to hold weapons.
Instead, because it is built for martial arts, the Build Burning Gundam uses special effects parts designed to complement its burning spirit!
When the Build Burning Gundam’s reaches its maximum potential, the Plavsky particle crystals will glow from blue to orange.
Changing between the duplicate set of the Build Burning Gundam’s crystalline parts begins with removing the armor pieces that secure them.
The process is easy enough and it doesn’t weaken the overall model’s integrity.
One of the added touches is that the parts glow under UV light!
The effects parts are molded in the shape of cones of fire with two for the fists and one for the feet that use interchangeable trailing flames.
The flames that form the halo around the Gundam peg onto the backpack either directly or with the additional joint pieces that accentuate their placement.
They are articulated to move like a burning wind, matching the Gundam’s fighting movements.
“Seiso-Geri!”
“Soten Guren-Ken!”
“Seiken-Zuki!”
Jigen Haoh!!!!
SHIPU-ZUKI!!!!!!”
Besides the special effects parts, the model does include an adapter piece for connecting the Build Burning Gundam to any of the “Build Booster” kits from the High Grade Build Fighters series.
Of course, saying the Build Burning Gundam doesn’t use “any” weapons is a gross overstatement as it combines with the SD Winning Gundam’s torso to create the “Winning Knuckle.”
As such, since I don’t have that kit…
Behold!
THE ULTIMATE MYSTERY ART OF THE GENERAL MECHANICS GUNPLA SCHOOL!
WINGING IT KNUCKLE!!!
Overall, the Build Burning Gundam is a great kit for its scale and an easy way to introduce new builders and old fans alike to the “Build Fighters” series. It has the same simplistic charm as the Build Strike Gundam and fits perfectly into its style of close combat type Gunpla.
This sample was provided by Bluefin Distributors.
The Build Burning Gundam is now available at Amazon.