HG 1/144 Banshee Norn (Destroy Mode)

This is the High Grade 1/144 Banshee Norn. This is definitely one of the more time consuming High Grade kits I’ve built, but the end result is pretty worth it. The main thing that adds time to the construction of this kit is the addition of the psycho frame pieces. Now, just to clarify, this kit does not transform. Just like the High Grade variations of the Unicorn Gundam, the Banshee Norn doesn’t transform. Don’t let that stop you from getting one, though. This is still a very cool looking gunpla.
The construction of this gunpla is mostly pretty solid, and doesn’t have many loose parts. There are some pieces on the backpack that I recommend gluing, but other than that, the kit itself is pretty sturdy. A lot of the body is made of the same pieces as the High Grade Unicorn Gundam Destroy Mode, but molded out of different colored plastic.
While I love the design of the Banshee Norn, there are a few small gripes that I have about this kit. One of the most annoying is that the instructions tell you to put two beam saber hilts into the backpack, but when you place them where the instructions say to, they fall right out. There’s literally nothing to keep them there. You can’t really see them most of the time anyway, so you could do what I do and just not even bother. Speaking of beam sabers, you get four beam saber hilts in this kit, but you don’t get any blades for any of them. Granted, you can just use beams from another kit to peg into the beam saber hilts, its still annoying that Bandai didn’t bother to include those. The last thing is that the crest (or whatever you want to call them) on the head can be very obstructive, and can make turning the head difficult. These are only minor things though, and I wouldn’t consider them to be dealbreakers.
All in all, this is a very cool kit, but is a bit of a time consuming build. If you’re willing to put the time and patience into it, though, you’ll find yourself with a perfect gunpla to display along your High Grade Unicorn Gundam Destroy Mode. I would recommend this kit to fans of the Gundam Unicorn anime series, fans of the Banshee and Banshee Norn, and to people just looking for something cool to put together.