This guy needs no introduction. Gundam Deathscythe Hell is one of the most popular Gundam designs, especially in the west, thanks to its aesthetic based primarily on the grim reaper. When Bandai Spirits released the HGAC Gundam Deathscythe in mid-2021, many were eagerly anticipating its upgraded form. The release of the HG Gundam Livelance Heaven further solidified the anticipation as it’s basically an inverse of Deathscythe Hell.
However, there are times when Bandai thinks we don’t deserve wonderful things. And this is no more evident by making the HGAC Gundam Deathscythe Hell a Premium Bandai exclusive. Like come on! I’ll bet my collection that they know how popular this kit is, and yet they decided to put it behind exclusivity. And we all agree that ordering from Premium Bandai, whether from a middleman service or some localized version of their store, isn’t the most pleasant of experiences thanks to what appears to be extraordinarily little stock allocated to these local stores.
Everyone’s frustration aside, let’s check out the kit and ponder on the potential horrors of securing your own copy.
Gundam Deathscythe Hell is popular for its Active Cloak that renders this mobile suit invisible to electronic, and at times, optical sensors. Opening up the cloak reveals its ribcage-inspired torso design that further brings home that grim reaper look.
Speaking of signatures, its main weapon is of course the Twin Bean Scythe which deals double the damage thanks to double the beam blades. The beam emitters appear to be connected via a hinge, which allows you to turn the blade in various directions for more dynamic poses.
Its other weapon is an upgraded version of the Buster Shield. You can see here how my main concern with this design is addressed. Both the Buster Shield and the head unit of Deathscythe Hell have orate details that would normally be left for the builder to paint if this kit were released some years earlier. But the majority of the ornate details for the Buster Shield come from color separated plastic. The same goes for the head where the white trim on the helmet piece also looks like separate plastic pieces.
Going back to the Buster Shield, it comes with its own beam effect part which you can attach to the front, and the physical blades are also interlocked so that both will open at the same time.
Here’s everything that comes with the kit outside of the main mobile suit. Besides the multiple pairs of hands, it also comes with the Twin Beam Scythe when in storage.
Again, I don’t understand who made the decision to make all these mid-season upgrades Premium Bandai exclusives. Especially for a design as popular as Gundam Deathscythe Hell. Decisions like this makes me think twice of their commitment to bring Gundam to a wider audience outside of Japan. In any case, get ready to spam the refresh button or hook up with your preferred middleman service if you want to pick up this guy.
HGAC 1/144 Gundam Deathscythe Hell
May 2023 / ¥2,200
