[Straight Build] Bandai Expo Limited HGUC 1/144 RX-80PR/G Pale Rider (Ground Heavy Equipment Type) [HADES Mode] Extra Finish Ver.

Model Number: RX-80PR/G
Designation: EFSF Prototype High Performance General Purpose Mobile Suit

The only Horseman that keeps getting the model kit treatment!
This particular model kit is the Expo Limited shiny-coated variant of the P-Bandai HGUC 1/144 RX-80PR/G (Ground Heavy Equipment Type) released in 2018 (a Space Type also exists), which is a remarkable kit by any measure. Completely congruent with the P-Bandai version, this Extra Finish variant features parts coated in Bandai's limited release shiny coating to give the Pale Rider a very luxurious sheen that is many shades darker than its stock colour scheme. As with all Pale Rider model kits, two visor colours (and optic stickers) are provided for builders to recreate the standard version or the HADES version of the mobile suit.

Outfitted for terrestrial combat, the RX-80PR/G Pale Rider (Ground Heavy Equipment Type) sports armament commonly found on the groundpounders of the Federation including the 90mm bullpup machine gun, leg-mounted missile launchers for area bombardment, a 180mm cannon and a gigantic spike shield for close combat. Pale Riders are also equipped with short range forearm-mounted beam cannons - the same type found on the Gundam G04, G05 and G06 - and side-skirt holstered beam sabers that are longer than standard issue models.

While these weapons served their intended purposes fairly well, their true potential were brought to the fore when the Pale Rider went into HADES (HYPER ANIMOSITY DETECT ESTIMATE SYSTEM) mode, increasing the mobile suit's performance and the pilot's reaction time. Theoretically, the HADES-enhanced pilot could disable enemy mobile suits at the joints with very precisely aimed 90mm machine gun grounds, as compared to the spray-and-pray tactic favoured by most users of the weapon. While HADES gave enabled Newtype-like reaction times and performance levels, the tolls exacted on both mobile suit and pilot were very unsustainable.

The most-feared weapon in the Pale Rider's groundpounding arsenal is definitely the 180mm cannon, a beast of a weapon in almost any combat situation and a mainstay in the Federation's ground arsenal. With HADES active, the Pale Rider could place rounds squarely on far-flung targets with amazing accuracy, functioning like a howitzer or long-ranged artillery with a much tighter killbox. The increase in speed granted by HADES also allowed the Pale Rider to immediately leave the area after launching the cannon rounds, resuming the assault from another location and keep enemy forces on their toes.

The Pale Rider is armed with a pair of high-power beam sabers for close combat. In HADES mode, the beam sabers became truly terrifying, ripping enemy mobile suits in two from the waist like a blitz of fury. Pale Rider pilots were fond of dual-wielding beam sabers, but most were perfectly adequate at using them singly to cut down the Federation's many foes.

The Pale Rider was a formidable multi-role mobile suit that was ahead of its time, its development stunted due to the high costs in both production and human capital. Nevertheless, the Pale Rider will always remain an iconic mobile suit with its distinctive visage.

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