Details
Name: Series: Release Date: Pros: Cons:	HG 1/144 Grimoire Red Beret Gundam Build Divers April 2018 A fun kit, plenty of accessories and gimmicks, a good entry point for customising. Limited articulation due to being a retooling of an older kit.

Review

For any one familiar with the Gundam franchise's Build series (Build Fighters, Build Fighters Try, Build Divers, Build Divers Re:RISE) will know that their model kit lineups are mostly comprised of retools of older model kits, with a couple of brand new ones thrown in to the mix. While the Red Beret falls in to the former category, it has turned a standard design in to something fun and interesting with a lot of extra little features added to the mix.

In terms of presentation, the Red Beret really plays to the military/army theme of its pilot and Force/squad (The 7th Panzer Division), aside from its head that gives this Grimoire the Red in Red Beret, there is a lot of military green. There is also a little bit of blue on its colar, side skirts and within the eyes. While you are given stickers for all of these, I only used the ones for the eyes due to them being covered with clear plastic, ensuring they don't peel off over time. I just used a metallic light blue Gundam marker for the other blue highlights.
In another neat extra, you are given three star stickers. While you only need to use one for the left leg, it's nice that Bandai gave you two more to use however you like.

The articulation is somewhat lacking in some areas. However, this is due to being based off the HG Grimoire from the Renconguista in G series back in 2014-2015. The elbows bend just short of 90 degrees, though the wrist has an extra hinge to try and make up for it. The torso can move in two places, due to its design - in the chest, and in the waist. The knees can only bend 90 degrees, finishing off with ball jointed ankles.

While the kit is limited in its articulation, it makes up for it in accessories and gimmicks. For accessories, firstly there is the shield. It's a pretty standard shield that comes with an adapter that can be mounted on either the side or back of the arm. Next you get a knife. It's molded in one piece... and one color, so get out that Gundam marker and paint that blade. You can also store that knife behind the rear skirt armor. Furthermore, you get two extra knives (which will be relevant shortly). However, the main attraction is the assault rifle. At first glance, it looks like a regular assault rifle with a grenade launcher attachment, until...

Yeah, this thing is made up of multiple weapons. The grenade launcher can detach to become a hand held launcher. The main body can be used as a regular assault rifle - or you can detach the main barrel and you have a sub-machine gun. But that's not all - you can remove the stock which then becomes a pistol. As a result of the rifle's modular nature, you can equip the Red Beret however you want. The rifle also has peg holes that allow you to mount other weapons if you wish.

Next you get the backpack. You will notice that there are peg holes at the top, and larger ball sockets below. This is intended to be used with the tilt rotor accessory (sold-seperately). However, you don't have to use that accessory to get the best out of this feature. I attached the Saturnix weapons from HG Build Divers Re:RiSE line, and a launcher cannon from an older Summer Gunpla campaign that was running a few years ago.

As for what's inside the backpack, naturally you would think that it would contain weapons. But open it up and you'll see...

Two remote drones, or mini-moires as they're called. They're each equipped with a small gun arm and claw arm which can be used to hold the extra knives. Again, the knives are molded in the same single color, so get that Gundam marker out again.
However, the best part is that the mini-moires' heads are identical builds to the Red Beret's red head. So if you wish, you can switch out the red head for either the blue or green and make your own Grimoire Green or Blue Berets.
The final "accessories" are left over parts from the original HG Grimoire. These are parts for the original Grimoire's legs and skirtings, should you wish to make a military green regular Grimoire.

As for the gimmicks on the Red Beret itself, the first thing you will notice is the wheeled feet. The back wheels can spin, though the front ones do not. That's because they flip out to become spiked toes. Unfold the knee armor, and you get fold-out blades. Due to being pegged in to the legs, these can rotate in a variety of positions. Pretty fun stuff.

When it comes to size, it is smaller compared to most other 1/144-scaled Gundam kits. However, thanks to its proportions, the Red Beret is chunkier compared to a standard mobile suit. Here it is along side the Transformers Studio Series Sideswipe (Revenge of the Fallen version), and the HG 1/144 G-Bouncer from Gundam AGE.

Despite being based on a kit from a Gundam series that is not all that memorable in terms of model kits (or anime personally...), the Grimoire Red Beret has taken the Grimoire design and made it its own. In the spirit of the Build Divers series, despite its shortcomings, this kit is fun.
For more experienced builders, or even those who want to start getting in to customising, it also has a lot of customisation opportunities, especially on the shoulders and backpack. While it is intended to be used with the tilt-rotor accessory, there's nothing to stop you from equipping another other accessories on to it, as long as they have compatible pegs.
This kit can be difficult to find nowadays, but if you are able to find the HG Grimoire Red Beret at a reasonable price, I encourage you to give this kit a try.

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