Kit Review

Straight build + Stickers + Panel lining

Size comparison with a cigarette pack

The backpack is heavy, but it's designed well enough to stay balanced.

HGUC Messala - Upper/lower body detail shots (1/5)

HGUC Messala - Upper/lower body detail shots (2/5)

HGUC Messala - Upper/lower body detail shots (3/5)

Upper/lower body detail shots

HGUC Messala - Verniers and hidden details. (1/3)

Verniers and hidden details.

Shoulder missile pod open gimmick.

The forearm claws can be reproduced via part swapping.

Two types of hands are included.

The beam saber hand locks securely onto the beam saber's peg for a solid hold.

A dedicated stand using the Action Base 2 is included in the box.

If you look at the bottom of this dedicated stand, you'll notice some odd locking gimmicks...

You can store the leftover parts like this.

Leftover parts from the stand runners.

Articulation.
Thanks to the way it's shaped, the hip articulation is excellent.

HGUC Messala - Beam saber + claw action. The upper body is heavy, so striking poses on the ground is a bit tricky. (1/3)

Beam saber + claw action.
The upper body is heavy, so striking poses on the ground is a bit tricky.

HGUC Messala - Beam saber action on the dedicated stand. (1/3)

Beam saber action on the dedicated stand.

Dual claw action.

Transformation

First, two transformation lock parts are needed for the transformation.

Detach the arms and shoulders, then push the upper body downward.

Rotate the back section 180 degrees and align it in line with the upper body.

HGUC Messala - Connect the separately provided locking gimmick parts to both the main body and the massive mega particle cann

Connect the separately provided locking gimmick parts to both the main body and the massive mega particle cannon backpack section.
This double-locking system keeps everything locked in at a nice, crisp angle.

Bring the feet together toward the center...

HGUC Messala - Fold the legs back about 150 degrees — the holes on the back of the thighs connect with the pegs on the lock p

Fold the legs back about 150 degrees —
The holes on the back of the thighs connect with the pegs on the lock parts for a solid hold.

Remove the outer forearm piece and reattach it in the upper position.

Gently slide the arm you've prepared into the open space underneath the backpack.

HGUC Messala - It's a parts-swap transformation rather than a full transformation, but thanks to that, everything fits togeth

It's a parts-swap transformation rather than a full transformation, but thanks to that, everything fits together snugly and cleanly.

HGUC Messala - Mobile Armor mode. I really love how solidly everything locks together. (1/7)

HGUC Messala - Mobile Armor mode. I really love how solidly everything locks together. (2/7)

HGUC Messala - Mobile Armor mode. I really love how solidly everything locks together. (3/7)

HGUC Messala - Mobile Armor mode. I really love how solidly everything locks together. (4/7)

HGUC Messala - Mobile Armor mode. I really love how solidly everything locks together. (5/7)

Mobile Armor mode.
I really love how solidly everything locks together.

Alongside the HGUC Zeta Gundam.
This thing is so massive that even the fairly tall Zeta looks tiny next to it.

Alongside the hefty Byarlant Custom.

Straight build

Finally! The Messala has been released as an HGUC kit. It's not riding the Unicorn wave that's been all the rage lately — this is the Messala, a pretty obscure unit from the original Zeta Gundam, actually getting a proper release. As an old-school fan, I'm genuinely moved. Personally, the Messala and the Paras Athene were my two favorite units from that era, and now both have finally made it to HGUC.

The Messala is a massive unit by design — 23m to the top of the head and 30m overall — so even as an HGUC it comes out with MG-level bulk and volume. (And yes, the price is up there with early MG kits too... ahem.) Stand it next to most other HGUCs and the sheer size difference makes you wonder if they're really the same scale.

The Messala's distinctive bluish molded color came out nicely without looking too garish, and probably because of its size, the color separation is pretty solid for an HGUC. The overall proportions aren't bad for 1/144 either, though I was personally hoping for something a bit more slender, which is a slight letdown. That's probably just nostalgia talking — I have fond memories of those old resin Messala kits that were long and lean.

In MS mode, the big question is the weight of the backpack. Despite having two enormous mega particle cannon + thruster packs hanging off the back, the joint strength is solid enough that it can stand upright without too much trouble. If you balance it just right, it ends up standing with a slight forward lean like a pot-bellied guy, but since the torso itself was never designed to be perfectly straight, it doesn't look all that weird. ^^ That said, if you want to strike action poses on the ground, you really do need to nail the balance.

Perhaps with that in mind, this kit includes an expanded Action Base 2 stand, and like other recent kits, it also has a handy storage function for leftover parts. Both MS and MA modes sit securely on the stand, so I'm very happy with how useful it is.

The other big highlight of the Messala is of course the transformation gimmick. As expected, it goes with a parts-swap transformation rather than a full transformation, which makes the process relatively straightforward and keeps everything locked in solidly after transforming. You do need two extra lock parts for the Mobile Armor transformation, but those parts hold the body, backpack, and legs all together at once. So despite the MA mode's rather bizarre silhouette, everything lines up at a really crisp angle.

On top of that, the shoulder missile pods are articulated and the forearm claws are done via part swapping — all in all, for a pricier, larger-than-usual HGUC, this kit delivers beyond expectations.

Overall, this is a very clean, high-quality kit — honestly feels like the best HGUC from the Zeta and ZZ era that's gotten renewed attention thanks to Unicorn. The transformation into Mobile Armor mode in particular — simple yet locking together so crisply — is almost cathartic. Old-school fans from the Zeta days should find this pretty satisfying. It's a must-recommend for any old-school fan who loves the Zeta era, and even newcomers seeing this wild-looking design for the first time should have a great time building it. :-)

HGUC Messala | 2013.6 | ¥3,400

AIThis page was translated by Claude Sonnet.