Overview

The Aurora Raven Studio 1/144 CN-01 Annihilate is a heavy-arms original mecha model kit from Chinese manufacturer Aurora Raven Studio (极光鸦工作室). The design features a heavily armed silhouette with backpack-mounted dual swords, a ranged rifle, and a black, white, red, and gray color scheme with a distinctive cross-shaped head crest. Aurora Raven Studio is a newer entrant in the Chinese third-party mecha kit market, and the CN-01 Annihilate is their debut release.

Key Features

• Heavy Arms Loadout - Includes two large swords that mount on the backpack and a ranged rifle, plus three pairs of interchangeable hands (fists, weapon-grip, and open hands)
• 260+ Parts - Moderate part count for a 1/144 kit, with surface panel lines and mechanical detailing across the frame and armor
• Alternate Eye Part - Includes both a protruding eye piece and a flat eye piece, allowing builders to choose between a raised eye ridge or a flush surface suited for hand-painting or foil sticker application
• Bold Color Separation - Black, white, red, and gray plastic provides color contrast without painting, anchored by the kit's signature cross-shaped head crest
• Dual Decal Options - Comes with both a waterslide decal sheet and a foil sticker sheet with two eye color options (red and blue)
• Compact Display Size - Standing approximately 15 cm tall (approximately 18-19 cm with backpack and weapons equipped), the kit fits standard 1/144 display setups

Builder Context

The CN-01 Annihilate is suited for intermediate to advanced builders who are comfortable working with third-party Chinese kits. Several joints - particularly the hand ball joints, neck, waist, and front skirt armor - fit loosely and benefit from blu-tack or glue reinforcement during or after assembly. The instruction manual contains some runner label errors (the part illustrations are correct, but runner letter designations are wrong in places), so builders should match parts visually rather than relying solely on the letter codes. This is not a snap-fit kit comparable to Bandai HG builds, and some modeling experience with joint tightening and glue application is recommended.

Why Build This Kit

The Aurora Raven Studio 1/144 CN-01 Annihilate is an affordable original mecha design at a price point well below most third-party 1/144 kits from brands like SNAA or DLKHobby. The finished kit has a visually striking silhouette - the dual backpack swords, black/white/red color blocking, and cross-shaped head crest create strong shelf presence for a 1/144 kit, and the design has its own identity separate from Gundam-derived aesthetics. Builders should expect a kit that requires hands-on finishing work: loose joints need reinforcement with blu-tack or glue, sink marks are present on armor parts (particularly gray pieces), and the front skirt armor has a known mold fitment issue that requires trimming. The build is not difficult in terms of complexity - the part count is low and assembly is straightforward - but the quality control is below what builders accustomed to Bandai HG or SNAA 1/144 kits will expect. At this price tier, the Annihilate is best understood as a project kit for builders who enjoy hands-on cleanup and modification rather than an out-of-box display piece.

Box Contents

• Plastic runner sheets (260+ parts)
• Two backpack-mounted swords
• Ranged rifle
• Three pairs of interchangeable hands (fists, weapon-grip, open/claw)
• Alternate eye part (flat version for hand-painting)
• Foil sticker sheet (two eye color options: red and blue)
• Waterslide decal sheet
• Assembly instruction manual

Specifications