It feels like forever since I’ve done an actual Gundam build, with my last one being the MGSD Wing Zero, which I finished back in the beginning of January. I was at my local hobby store getting some paint and other supplies, and I stumbled upon this Legend while there. When this kit was first announced, I thought it was pretty neat that were finally getting around doing a modern Legend release, so I figured I’d pick it up, and got around building it pretty quickly.
If you’re familiar with HG SEED Freedom kits, building this kit will feel right at home sharing the same SEED Action joints, but unlike most kits in that lineup, the construction of the Legend actually shakes things up a bit. The head is fully color separated all the way to its tiny head cannons. The torso has some pretty funky things going on so that the single thruster in the back can have full color separation with the blue and the red, the arms have this strange locking mechanism that I have no idea what that’s useful for, the waist can pivot side to side, I’ve never really a built a leg like this before, and even the feet, which don’t even have any toe bends, doesn’t build in a traditional sense. Getting to the backpack, it’s simple, but there are still quite a few parts put together to make its good range of motion, and the way the DRAGOONs are made are exquisite for being made of 2 parts each (4 for the bigger ones). That being said, it’s still easy to put together, and out of the box, the Legend do be looking plain since it goes for anime accuracy with sleeker proportions.
Regarding accessories, I’m surprised Legend actually doesn’t actually as much as you’d think. All of its DRAGOONs are detachable with the bigger ones having nice beam effects, though I’m kinda baffled that they’re colored pink instead of gre—oh, the lil’ ones fire pink. Interesting. Besides the DRAGOONs that Bandai does not offer any stands to show them off in the box, it just has a loooong gun, two beam sabers, and a beam shield. Compared to the loadouts of other HGCE kits, it does kinda feel underwhelming, especially when you don’t have options to display the DRAGOONs deployed all at once.
Anyway, Legend was kinda lookin’ a bit plain, so I dabbed quite a bit of hand paint here and there to spice the mobile suit up. I primarily used Vallejo Dark Gray to break up the main gray, dabbled some Tamiya Red where color separation was missing and also put some on the vents of the inner leg cuz why not, there’s like the slightest bit of Metallic Blue, and I used the color correcting stickers for the white of the gun, then used white and red paint what the stickers didn’t cover because Bandai just didn’t feel like finishing the job. I then did some panel lining, and used a couple of whatever Delpi caution decals I had left on my sheet just to give it more punch. But holy shit I’m not sure if it’s just me or that my 1/144 caution decals shrunk, because oh god do they look tiny on the Legend. Then again, Legend, especially with its backpack, is kinda huge. By the next day, I gave everything a flat coat, which everything looked grainy because the can I was using was like 90% finished, threw that shit away and used a new can instead and mostly fixed the finish, and it was time to pose!
Now, I was able to get it to stand before on its own, but whatever the case may be, Legend can’t stand for shit with its giant backpack, and posing was kinda finicky with so much of the backpack being in the way and the DRAGOONs flopping around when you clearly knew you locked them in place. That being said, when I do get the poses I want, Legend does reek of a u r a, its silhouette being as dominating as its predecessor, the Providence, with its big shoulders, bulky forelegs, and its spiky ass backpack. He does look pretty menacing, especially with the utilitarian gray. However, I am surprised how good it pulls twin beam saber shots. I feel like I never get lucky with Darth Maul poses, but Legend does them freaking amazingly, that for being a beam spammy kind of mobile suit, I’m having it posed with the sabers as my final pose.
Overall, this was a nice build. I feel like I’ve been doing a lot of overwhelming builds lately that getting this one done was calming, I didn’t have to rush myself, it was just a good time. Is it worth picking up? Sure, but keep in mind it is quite expensive for an HG at $37. Its shelf presence is out there with its ginormous backpack, but it’s still very much an HG. I like it, for what it’s worth. Anyway, it was a nice appetizer for what I’m really excited for—the MGSD Destiny, which is finally in my hands. I’m gonna get started on that one very soon. See you then!
