Kusakusa Gunpla

SHCM-Pro Unicorn Gundam

This marks my first purchase of a SHCM-Pro model. The main difference between this and the standard HCM-Pro is the size: SHCM-Pro is at 1/144 scale similar to HGUC while HCM-Pro is smaller at 1/200. SHCM-Pro also comes with more details and gimmicks as well as an inflated price tag. I wasn’t really interested in the previous SHCM-Pro releases (RX-78 & Zaku II) since I already have plenty of them in different scales, but I haven’t had a Unicorn in my collection yet. There’s the MG and HGUC versions of the Unicorn but I opted for the SHCM-Pro because well, I’m getting lazy. The price is higher than the MG or HGUC versions (officially priced at approx. 10,000yen) and I couldn’t seem to find the SHCM-Pro version in any retail stores nearby. So I tried my luck at Yahoo auctions and found one at a nice price. It wasn’t in mint, unopened condition but I don’t care about that. I was going to do stuff to it anyway.

The SHCM-Pro Unicorn is a transformable model which involves swapping some parts. The default ‘out-of-box’ mode is the Destroy mode and you actually have to transform it into the Unicorn mode. Weapons include a bazooka, beam rifle, beam sabres and shield. No gattling guns but I wasn’t expecting any presents from Bandai, anyway.

Even though decals have already been placed on the model, a small sheet of waterslide decal was also provided. I decided against applying them because I think adding more decals would be overkill. The white parts seem to have a slight glossy pearl finish and as usual, I added some panel lines with some black enamel paint. I’m not sure of the articulation of the MG or HGUC versions, but this one seems to be pretty flexible, allowing for some nice poses. However, the bazooka ammo doesn’t seem to fit too snugly to the bazooka  and it can get tiresome changing hands for different poses/weapons.

Transforming into Unicorn mode involves swapping parts on the head, shoulders, chest, skirt armor, knees and the whole foot. Pretty straightforward, but just be careful not to misplace the small parts. I actually prefer the Unicorn mode for its simple, sleek and clean design. To me, the Destroy mode looks slightly unbalanced with the elongated arms and legs and the high-heel feet.

Part of the reason why I bought this model is because of the 1/48 Unicorn head I already have. The stand at the back of the head display base has a round peg to fit the HGUC version of the Unicorn. Unfortunately, the SHCM-Pro version doesn’t have the necessary ‘hole’ at the bottom of the waist to fit this peg. So I made a custom adapter peg modified from the 1/100 and 1/144 Bandai action base. It fits like a charm.

And there you have it, a pseudo-review of sorts for the SHCM-Pro Unicorn. For the price paid, I can say I’m satisfied with what I got. Design, proportions, articulation, details and finish are top notch. Transformation into the Destroy & Unicorn modes was easy too. So if you’re a lazy modeler like me, or you don’t already have a Unicorn in your collection, you might consider getting this SHCM-Pro version. As for finding one at a nice price, good luck!