Gunpla Review: 1/144 HG Arios (kit 28)

I've been wanting to get my hands on the Arios for awhile now, but finding it for a reasonable price took awhile. I'm still looking for the GN Archer -- $70 CAD is too much for a support-type HG, no matter how cool and unique it is. I decided on the Arios because it has so many features, and the transformation has grown on me as 'sleek' instead of 'unnecessarily long.'

Before I get into my build experience, fair warning: I ordered the GNHW/M version just prior to ordering the normal Arios, which had dropped to $22 CAD at the time. I plan on giving the HW/M (kit 50) to one of my nephews to build, and I've decided to split the extra weapons with him -- I'm taking the connecting cockpit and the missile pods, he's taking the big gun. The pictured model is of the normal kit with the missile pods connected, but they are not included in kit 28 which, along with the missile pods, is what I have here.

Because there's so much to the Arios, this was a more time-consuming build than I'd anticipated: After one hour I had the chest, head, and missiles. Another hour only gave me one arm. And so on, because there's so much underneath of it all, and I do appreciate that this is what's required for so much articulation, and for the gimmick to work so well.

The V-fins are one interesting part: the yellow plastic fins are one piece. The cone to which the forehead jewel connects is another. Bandai gives you a sticker to go onto the cone. I decided to forego it, and instead used my metallic red gundam paint marker on the part of the cone the jewel covers. I then used my red sharpie to colour the inside and underside of the jewel. Once mounted, I painted the sides with my marker.

This set the scene for my many other paint apps, including on the machine gun covers, the legs, and the leg wings (because I have seen so many reviewers complain about the stickers peeling off because of the transformation. I don't have a fine black or grey marker, so I used my silver marker for accents, and painted the thrusters in the legs gold.

For the clear plastic lenses, I decided not to use the plain black stickers. I coloured the bottom of the settings for the domes silver with my gundam marker, and the undersides of the domes with my green sharpie, giving it an effect much closer to what the G-Portent has. I also added some red to the GN rifle for added effect. The green on the sights is with my green sharpie again. I broke up the monotonous orange on the backskirt with the metallic red, which I had already used on the leg wings anyway.

To reduce the chances of the frontskirts popping off on me, I applied a coating of nailpolish to the ball joints. If they still pop off too easily, I'll apply another coat, but probably not, since it was already difficult to put the frontskirts back on.

For those wondering about the differences between normal Arios (kit 28) and GNHW/M (kit 50), apart from the weapons the builds are almost identical. Almost. The only real difference is that the leg connectors are vertical for kit 50, and horizontal for kit 28. Of course, your legs are more likely to slide free if you have kit 50. I have not had this problem yet, but then I have only had the Arios for a few days.

Articulation is fantastic, especially with the shoulders, which pop up, and the wrists, which swivel. You can do pretty much anything with this model, although you may have some problems getting him to stand. A stand does come included, and it has a straight connectors and a diagonal connector. Be careful with the adapter pieces, as they can break easily. A little plastic cement can go a long way in fixing your mistakes.

The transformation is fairly easy, although I have yet to figure out how to mount the long adapter to the chest / crotch. The missile pods slide easily off of the arms, forward or backward, so you don't have to pry at them, and Arios looks great almost no matter what. This is definitely worth the purchase!

Now, a little caution: due to the intricacy of the parts and all the time it takes to put it together, I would not be quick to recommend this as your first kit. That said, even beginners should be able to interpret the instructions correctly and complete the build with persistence. Ideally this is your third or fourth kit. If you want to practice on a simpler transforming gunpla, perhaps the Fenice Rinascita is more your speed, as it was a faster, more basic build.

Still, highly recommended. I give the 1/144 HG Arios (kit 28) an 8 out of 10, due to difficulties with the adapter and the many, many painting opportunities.

Difficulty: Intermediate
Builder Level: Rookie
Tools: Baby nipper, file, angled tweezers, sharpies, metallic gundam paint markers, brush-type black gundam marker
Build time: ~5 hours

Finally, I haven't featured them since I painted them. Here's my entire collection, as Team Celestial Being takes on Team Build Fighters: