This is a model kit that Bandai released in 2018, making it a relatively older kit by today's standards. After purchasing it back then, it sat in my backlog as I never had the time to build it. It wasn't until a recent warehouse cleaning that I rediscovered it and decided to finally put this MG together.
The Gundam Avalanche Exia (ガンダム アヴァランチエクシア) is a mobile suit from "Mobile Suit Gundam 00V: Battlefield Record," developed by the organization Celestial Being. To put it simply, it's the original Gundam Exia equipped with additional high-mobility gear, transforming it into the Avalanche Exia. Since it's just an addition of high-speed equipment, the main body's armaments are identical to the original Exia's.
This Gundam Avalanche Exia was designed by Kanetake Ebikawa (えびかわ かねたけ). I believe Ebikawa needs no further introduction; he is renowned as one of Japan's famous mecha designers. Besides his work on 00, his Gundam contributions include "Mobile Suit Gundam AGE." "Mobile Suit Gundam 00" is arguably his most representative work in the Gundam franchise. Many models and die-cast toys released by Bandai often feature mobile suits in the "Ebikawa style."
For this build, the entire mobile suit was finished with a metallic paint job.
Blue: Surfacer --> GAIA 121 --> GAIA EX-02 --> GAIA Primary Color Blue --> GAIA Flat Clear.
Red: Surfacer --> GAIA 121 --> GAIA EX-02 --> GAIA Primary Color Red --> GAIA Clear Red --> GAIA Gloss Clear.
White: A straight build with nub marks cleaned up. A pearlescent sheen was achieved by directly spraying a mix of bright white pearl powder and gloss clear coat.
Yellow: Sprayed with surfacer, and after drying, GAIA 132 Pearl Gold was applied.
Inner Frame: Sprayed with surfacer, and after drying, GAIA 125 Star Bright Iron was applied.
Weapons: Sprayed using GAIA 1002 and GAIA EX-07 respectively.
Regarding articulation, without the Avalanche equipment, its posability is the same as the MG Exia, as it uses the same mold with just the added gear. However, once the Avalanche equipment is attached, the articulation is significantly reduced. There's a reason the manufacturer includes a display stand. It's not impossible to have it stand stably without the stand when the skis aren't deployed, but you'll need to use the skis as a support at the base. Therefore, I highly recommend using the stand for a more comfortable display experience.
Building this kit brought a wave of nostalgia, a true "relic of a bygone era." The age of PC polycaps and semi-articulated hands flashed through my mind. Looking at the MGs in my display cabinet, so many were built with such components. We've journeyed from fixed-pose hands, through semi-articulated hands, to the current interchangeable fixed-pose hands, and the memories just came flooding back. Although Bandai has almost completely shifted to interchangeable hands now, in the early days, I only ever swore by Kotobukiya's mecha for their hand parts. To this day, the level of detail in Kotobukiya's interchangeable hands remains number one in my heart!
Completing this MG Avalanche Exia has fulfilled a small personal regret. If you can't buy the METAL BUILD, just build it yourself. Since it's just for display, it doesn't really matter, haha. Below is a simple introduction; I hope everyone enjoys this MG Gundam Avalanche Exia.
▼【MG Series】Can't Buy the METAL BUILD, So I Built My Own: MG 1/100 Gundam Avalanche Exia
▼The blue of the Avalanche equipment was painted with a matte metallic blue. The waterslide decals were applied selectively, not all of them were used.
▼The shoulder armor can be opened. The gold parts were painted with GAIA 132. Be especially careful when assembling the shoulder armor's white parts; they must be pressed all the way in to lock the tabs, otherwise the shoulder armor will easily separate when opened.
▼There aren't many red parts on the main body. The red was achieved using GAIA Primary Color Red topped with Clear Red. After GAIA's Primary Color Red dries, it tends to have a pinkish-purple hue. Using GAIA Clear Red can cover this and produce a metallic red texture. Finally, a gloss clear coat was applied.
▼The chest can be opened to reveal the cockpit. The image below shows the open state.
▼The image below shows the closed state. Be very, very, very careful with the two chest pieces because they fall off extremely easily—I have to say it three times because it's that important. If you don't plan on removing all the Avalanche equipment to display it in its Exia form, I recommend gluing them in place to avoid them suddenly falling off and getting lost one day.
▼The white parts are from the original kit, only sanded and with nub marks removed. The pearlescent finish was created using pearl powder mixed with gloss clear coat. Since I don't plan on removing the Avalanche equipment, I didn't apply waterslide decals to the knees.
▼The mobile suit's GN strips have a front and back side. If you're afraid of installing them incorrectly, you can follow the numbers in the instruction manual. The GN strips themselves are designed to be foolproof, so it's unlikely you'll install them backward if you follow the manual.
▼The kit comes with one sheet of waterslide decals. I chose to apply them selectively rather than using all of them.
▼Two GN Swords (long/short), one GN Long Blade, four Beam Sabers, and a shield can all be mounted on the mobile suit.
▼To mount the shield, a dedicated replacement part must be used to attach it to the rear skirt armor. The connection isn't very secure; while it won't fall off with a slight shake, it does feel a bit loose.
▼GN Long/Short Swords
▼GN Sword, painted with GAIA 1002 and EX-07.
▼The legs in their armored state without the skis attached.
▼The four GN Sabers can be mounted on the shoulders and backpack.
▼The semi-articulated hands are truly a relic of a bygone era. You probably won't see this type of hand in MG series models these days.
▼There are also two GN strips on the rear of the waist. Don't install them backward!
▼The inner frame color is the perennial GAIA 125. Thinning it with GAIA's metallic paint thinner really makes a difference in the particle finish.
▼The GN strips on both arms significantly increase interference when raising the arms horizontally. The resistance from the GN strips prevents a full horizontal lift, reducing articulation quite a bit.
▼To install the skis, you must first remove all the parts from both calves and knees.
▼Gundam Avalanche Exia
▼With the equipment installed on both legs, it looks much more robust and no longer feels top-heavy.
▼The skis. The two skis are very large and long. In their stored configuration, if you don't use the stand, you'll need to adjust the angle of the skis to support the weight of the upper body for a stable stance. It's highly recommended to just use the stand for a much better experience.
▼The skis in their deployed mode. It really looks like it's skiing, haha.
▼With the skis deployed, this is the complete form of the Avalanche Exia!
▼Side view
▼There are two small tabs on the skis that allow the feet to be correctly secured in their proper position.
▼The front sections of both the left and right skis each have three small claws.
▼The claws can be opened, revealing a small hole in the middle.
▼The small hole can be used to mount a beam saber.
▼The angle of the front claws can be adjusted.
▼The kit includes a display stand in a special color.
▼ That's all for this simple build review. Next up are some simple studio shots to share with everyone.
