When Bandai Spirits announced Project Pale Rider, they included a mobile suit development chart on the Premium Bandai special page that featured three Pale Rider prototype units that are yet to get model kits. And with the release of the Mobile Suit Gundam BATTLE OPERATION: Code Fairy it’s revealed that these three prototype units are part of the game and would be getting Premium Bandai exclusive kits. So, here we are a couple of weeks after and finally getting solicitations for these two, starting with the HGUC White Rider.
The RX-80WR White Rider is the first prototype for the Pale Rider Project, using the same RX-80 base unit as the succeeding variants. It’s also equipped with the ZEUS System which is an earlier version of the HADES System (notice the Greek god names) and is based on the EXAM System from the Blue Destiny units. As part of this special system, they needed to design the head unit in such a way that the mobile suit appears to be wearing a crown.
It’s basically your Gundam v-antenna on steroids.
Much like the other Pale Rider units, you have the option of building this kit with either the ZEUS System activated or deactivated through multiple sticker sets. Speaking of color-correcting stickers, a knock against these Pale Rider kits is their heavy reliance on stickers to be color accurate. So, despite being mostly white, you should expect a good amount of painting to this kit, especially the vents and those yellow highlights.
The kit comes with its primary weapon, the Prototype “Shekinah” which we later see in the Pale Rider Cavalry. It has two modes, the standard form and a form that looks like a bow and can fire high-powered beams. It also has a half cape (is that even a term) like binders for testing air mobility and stability during ZEUS/HADES mode operation.
That’s the first of two Pale Rider kits they’ve revealed for Code Fairy. I’ve yet to get my hands on a copy of the HGUC Pale Rider Cavalry but I am really targeting to getting this kit because it totally looks like a Gundam monarch. Next up is its opposite cousin, like white-to-black cousin.
HGUC 1/144 White Rider
February 2022 / ¥2,200
