This is my first build post in "real time", made as I actually work on the kit instead of afterwards.

First Impressions

I’ve had this in my backlog for a while, and finally decided to pull it out to work on it as I watched the last episode of Iron-Blooded Orphans. My feelings about the show are mixed, as are my feelings about the mobile suit designs, but this one was calling to me for a while.

I actually bought the kit before I got to the point in the show where the suit appears, so it was purely purchased for aesthetics. What can I say? I’m a sucker for blue kits!

Body Building

One thing I knew, right from seeing the (admittedly, pretty cool) box art, was that the Burst Saber probably wasn’t getting built. That’s one of the things that bothered me the entire time I watched IBO - I missed beams. Gundam just doesn’t feel the same without wild beam weapons everywhere!

So I decided early on that I’d probably forgo fully building the Burst Saber and instead try to pose Vidar using the Handguns and Hunter’s Edge. While snapping the legs/feet together, I kept thinking about what a hilariously dumb and fun gimmick it is. Even though I still miss beams, how could I not love KNIFE FEET?

As a fairly modern kit, the plastic was nicer to work with than some older models I’ve built. There’s something about some of the newer plastic that is ever so slightly softer that makes it easier to avoid stress marks and some of the other “bad” parts of a snap build.

I’m still not a huge fan of the Gundam Frame designs from IBO, with their tiny waists, but I have to admit that Vidar looks pretty imposing once fully snapped together!

Get Equipped

So much for those nice pops of blue, huh? The accessories and weapons on this kit are… bleak looking. I really wish they could’ve at least given them some small amount of color separation.

Not to harp on it, but no beams is still a bummer. I love the dual pistols though, so I guess that kinda makes up for it? The way the Rifle attaches to the side armor is neat, but a little clunky. And the rifle itself is… fine?

As promised, I’m leaving out the Burst Saber entirely. Maybe I’ll dig it back out when/if I build more IBO kits and can actually set up a clash of physical swords.

Also… KNIFE FEET KNIFE FEET KNIFE FEET

Mission Complete

Well I wish the Vidar was a bit more flexible for posing. The shoulders really limited what I could do, and the torso started to come apart a bit as I switched between poses. I got a few good ones in though! Tried to do as much as I could to show off KNIFE FEET.

All told, the HG Gundam Vidar was a fun build, but could have been better in a number of ways. I think a lot of that is on me, just because IBO never really grabbed me and I bought the kit solely based on looks.