Kit Review

Straight build + panel lining + waterslide decals

Straight-built state

Full parts layout after panel lining and waterslide decal work

Before attaching to the MG Hi-Nu Gundam Ver.Ka

Both sides of the chest armor have a missile launcher opening gimmick.

Inside the front skirt, there's a beam saber mounted on a sub-arm.

The leg armor has an opening thruster unit gimmick.

MG H.W.S. Expansion Set for Hi-Nu Gundam Ver.Ka - You can build the Hyper Mega Rifle by adding three armor pieces on top

You can build the Hyper Mega Rifle by adding three armor pieces on top of the existing Hi-Nu's beam rifle.

Hyper Mega Rifle

MG H.W.S. Expansion Set for Hi-Nu Gundam Ver.Ka - The shield requires some elaborate waterslide decal work. The decals a

The shield requires some elaborate waterslide decal work.
The decals are pretty tricky to apply, so I made a few mistakes here and there. T_T

MG H.W.S. Expansion Set for Hi-Nu Gundam Ver.Ka - The shield included in this kit doesn't come with the center polycap or

The shield included in this kit doesn't come with the center polycap or the connecting parts,
so the instructions tell you to reuse the leftover polycap from your existing MG Hi-Nu Gundam Ver.Ka.
But since I'd thrown out all my leftover parts a while back, I had no choice but to disassemble the original shield and borrow them from there.

The large and impressive Hyper Mega Shield.

Articulation of the Hyper Mega Shield side sections

MG H.W.S. Expansion Set for Hi-Nu Gundam Ver.Ka - To recreate Form 2, which requires two bazookas, this kit includes one

To recreate Form 2, which requires two bazookas,
this kit includes one additional bazooka identical to the original.

MG H.W.S. Expansion Set for Hi-Nu Gundam Ver.Ka - You pull the chest armor slightly forward to create a gap, then insert

You pull the chest armor slightly forward to create a gap,
then insert the fixing pin on the inside of the chest armor to lock it in place.

MG H.W.S. Expansion Set for Hi-Nu Gundam Ver.Ka - The front skirt and the side calf armor open up, and you slot the addit

The front skirt and the side calf armor open up, and you slot the additional armor pieces in.

MG H.W.S. Expansion Set for Hi-Nu Gundam Ver.Ka - The original shield clips into three locking points inside the Hyper Me

The original shield clips into three locking points inside the Hyper Mega Shield to hold it in place.
The locking mechanism is solid, so there's no issue with stability once it's attached.

MG H.W.S. Expansion Set for Hi-Nu Gundam Ver.Ka - HWS Form 1 configuration. (1/7)

MG H.W.S. Expansion Set for Hi-Nu Gundam Ver.Ka - HWS Form 1 configuration. (2/7)

MG H.W.S. Expansion Set for Hi-Nu Gundam Ver.Ka - HWS Form 1 configuration. (3/7)

MG H.W.S. Expansion Set for Hi-Nu Gundam Ver.Ka - HWS Form 1 configuration. (4/7)

MG H.W.S. Expansion Set for Hi-Nu Gundam Ver.Ka - HWS Form 1 configuration. (5/7)

HWS Form 1 configuration.

MG H.W.S. Expansion Set for Hi-Nu Gundam Ver.Ka - HWS equipment detail shots (1/3)

HWS equipment detail shots

MG H.W.S. Expansion Set for Hi-Nu Gundam Ver.Ka - If you rotate the rear mounting section of the Hyper Mega Rifle and plu

If you rotate the rear mounting section of the Hyper Mega Rifle and plug it into the forearm, it locks in pretty securely.
Without doing this, the wrist just can't hold up under the weight of the weapon.

MG H.W.S. Expansion Set for Hi-Nu Gundam Ver.Ka - The shield mounting pin rotates horizontally, so you can also swing the

The shield mounting pin rotates horizontally, so you can also swing the shield around to face forward naturally, as shown above.

MG H.W.S. Expansion Set for Hi-Nu Gundam Ver.Ka - To set up Form 2, you spread open both sides of the Hyper Mega Shield a

To set up Form 2, you spread open both sides of the Hyper Mega Shield and raise the bottom section.

Then mount the two bazookas inside,

MG H.W.S. Expansion Set for Hi-Nu Gundam Ver.Ka - and plug the Hyper Mega Shield into the spot where you've removed the p

and plug the Hyper Mega Shield into the spot where you've removed the parts from the tips of the backpack stabilizers.
The connection point looks a bit iffy, but it actually holds better than you'd expect.

MG H.W.S. Expansion Set for Hi-Nu Gundam Ver.Ka - HWS Form 2 configuration. The center of gravity shifts heavily to the r

HWS Form 2 configuration.
The center of gravity shifts heavily to the rear, making it impossible to stand upright without a support stand.

MG H.W.S. Expansion Set for Hi-Nu Gundam Ver.Ka - Placed on the dedicated stand for posing. The stand connects to the bod

Placed on the dedicated stand for posing.
The stand connects to the body really well, so you can get a nice stable display out of it.

MG H.W.S. Expansion Set for Hi-Nu Gundam Ver.Ka - Form 1 firing pose with the missile launchers and thrusters open. (1/4)

MG H.W.S. Expansion Set for Hi-Nu Gundam Ver.Ka - Form 1 firing pose with the missile launchers and thrusters open. (2/4)

Form 1 firing pose with the missile launchers and thrusters open.

MG H.W.S. Expansion Set for Hi-Nu Gundam Ver.Ka - Beam saber action using the front skirt sub-arm. (1/4)

MG H.W.S. Expansion Set for Hi-Nu Gundam Ver.Ka - Beam saber action using the front skirt sub-arm. (2/4)

Beam saber action using the front skirt sub-arm.

MG H.W.S. Expansion Set for Hi-Nu Gundam Ver.Ka - Form 2 action poses (1/4)

MG H.W.S. Expansion Set for Hi-Nu Gundam Ver.Ka - Form 2 action poses (2/4)

Form 2 action poses

Leftover parts

This kit is the HWS Expansion Set for the MG Hi-Nu Gundam Ver.Ka, released as a Club G (Premium Bandai) online exclusive. It's a weapons/armor set that doesn't include the main body, and aside from the shield and bazooka which are duplicates, everything else is made up of new parts. True to the Ver.Ka name, it's also a kit that demands some serious waterslide decal work.

First off, it's packed with gimmicks worthy of the MG grade. The chest armor missile launcher opening gimmick, the front skirt beam saber sub-arm, and the leg armor thruster opening gimmick are all faithfully reproduced, and the Hyper Mega Rifle — built by adding armor pieces on top of the existing beam rifle — is nicely done as well. The large Hyper Mega Shield is loaded with various gimmicks to switch between Form 1 and Form 2, and there's also an extra bazooka identical to the original included so you can pull off the Form 2 configuration.

The included waterslide decals are not only plentiful but also quite challenging to apply — especially on the shield, where getting everything on perfectly without a single mistake was really tough. You really need to stay focused and careful throughout, and since this kit came out in 2014, the decal quality has aged a bit and they tend to tear easily. It's basically a full day's worth of work just for the decals, but once you're done, the sense of accomplishment is definitely there.

The chest, front skirt, and leg armor pieces attach by slightly opening the existing gimmicks on the base kit to create a gap and slotting in — and the fit is solid enough. That said, Form 2 shifts the center of gravity heavily to the rear, so a stand is pretty much mandatory. Fortunately, the connection between the Hyper Mega Shield and the rear stabilizers holds up well enough. One thing to watch out for: the thruster opening gimmick on the leg armor is quite stiff, so the whole leg armor tends to pop off when you try to open it — definitely take it slow and careful.

The MG Hi-Nu Ver.Ka was already a kit with pretty solid joint strength to begin with, so adding the HWS armor doesn't cause any major durability issues. The connection between the stand included with the original kit and the body is also sturdy, so aerial poses aren't much of a problem either. The Hyper Mega Rifle is quite heavy though, and the wrist joint alone can't hold it up — you'll need to rotate the rear mounting pin and lock it into the forearm to keep the rifle in a stable position. The Hyper Mega Shield is also on the heavy side, so holding the arm up high in a raised pose is a bit of a challenge.

It's definitely a weapons kit that takes a fair amount of work to build properly, but the sheer bulk and volume you get once it's finished delivers an incredibly satisfying result. If you're a fan of the Hi-Nu Gundam, this is a fantastic accessory kit that's well worth taking on. :-)

MG H.W.S. Expansion Set for Hi-Nu Gundam Ver.Ka | 2014.9 | ¥3,300

AIThis page was translated by Claude Sonnet.