Feeling old yet? Mobile Suit Gundam: Iron-Blooded Orphans just celebrated its 10th anniversary. But the show’s demon-inspired mobile suits have stayed fresh and in-demand even after a decade has passed. But is it still worth buying and building a more expensive Master Grade from Iron-Blooded Orphans even now? Gunpla 101 contributor Alex checks out the Gundam Vidar and shares how it measures up:
First Impressions
After the Master Grade Barbatos released in 2019 to much fanfare, other MGs from Iron Blooded Orphans were sure to follow. The brutal, gritty melee focus of the series has generated multiple fan favorites, and the ASW-G-XX Gundam Vidar is no exception. Many fans, including myself, have been wanting a Master Grade of this design ever since its anime debut. As the most recent Master Grade model, does it live up to the hype?
Color and Design
The Vidar looks amazing. The shapes are sharp and sleek, and the powder blue and black armor panels really pop. The hot pink eye lenses and the red thrusters provide some really strong contrast and focal points for the eyes. The signature features of the Calamity War Gundam designs are presented here: the frame pokes out through the armor, and there are exposed pistons throughout—which actually extend and retract. Ippei Gyobu is one of my favorite mechanical designers, and this kit really does justice to his sharp original concept for this model. There’s a lot of angular paneling and sharp features, the design is just vicious-looking, and it really benefits from the Master Grade treatment.
Difficulty
The kit comes together smoothly. Master Grades are a step up in complexity from a High Grade, but the parts all go together smoothly. There are some mildly finicky sections with piston alignments, but for the most part a novice-to-experienced builder should have a great time constructing this kit. It follows what has now become a standard process: first, you assemble the mechanical frame, next, you layer the armor over it. I find modern Bandai quality to be very welcoming and forgiving to builders. The undergates may present a challenge, so be careful and clean them thoroughly. There aren’t many stickers to apply either. The most important ones are the eyes, but since they are molded in clear plastic, I decided not to apply them. Even without stickers, the eyes glow in photos with the right angle of lighting.
Articulation
Just like its sibling unit Barbatos, the Vidar has excellent articulation thanks to its full inner frame. The lanky Gundam frame has a large range of motion and the joints are sturdy enough to handle any pose. Sometimes, parts may pop off if you overextend them, but they pop back on just as easily. The oversized shoulders and skirts are the biggest obstructions. The shoulders prevent some upward arm motion and the skirts restrict the splitting motion, but being on armatures help a little; just move them out of the way before posing. The arms and legs have full bends and the feet have a very large range of motion due to being on an almost circular joint.
Extras
The Vidar comes with several bonus pieces. First off: the normal pilot figures that come with Master Grades. They are decently detailed and tiny, and I attempted painting mine to moderate success.
The Vidar’s arsenal is fully represented here as well. Its signature rapier, Burst Saber, has a swappable blade gimmick. The hilt can be inserted into either skirt to replicate the blade changing from the anime. A rifle that can be stored on the side skirts is included also, but I much prefer its other ranged weapons: the dual pistols hidden inside its front skirts. The pistols are a lot of fun; the slide can actually move back and forth to replicate the effect of recoil. Trigger finger hands are included to use either ranged weapon option. The Vidar’s goofy foot knives are also available for use; they stow away and flip out very easily.
Final Verdict
The Vidar is my favorite design from Iron Blooded Orphans, and one of my favorite Gundam designs in general, so I have been waiting for a great representation for it ever since its anime debut. I missed the 1/100 Full Mechanics when it was released, and I had some issues with how the 1/144 High Grade looked, so I was very excited to see the Master Grade be announced. I had heard great things about the Barbatos, and I’m very pleased to say the Vidar continues the trend of modern Master Grades being fantastic. It’s a joy to put together and pose, and it looks great on the shelf. I highly recommended if you’re a fan of the show or the design, or just want something fun to build.
Alex has been an avid mecha and model kit enthusiast for years. His favorite series are Gundam 00 and Gundam Seed, but his true mecha love is Macross. Hobby-wise, Alex primarily builds HGs and RG, but enjoys scratch building, kit-bashing, and painting miniatures as well. Find Alex’s Gunpla and other hobby pursuits at @ShrimpSickness on all platforms.
Discover more from Gunpla 101
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
