Kit Review

Straight build + Panel lining + Decals

Size comparison with a cigarette pack

MG Full Armor Gundam [Thunderbolt] Ver.Ka (1/8)

MG Full Armor Gundam [Thunderbolt] Ver.Ka (2/8)

MG Full Armor Gundam [Thunderbolt] Ver.Ka (3/8)

MG Full Armor Gundam [Thunderbolt] Ver.Ka (4/8)

MG Full Armor Gundam [Thunderbolt] Ver.Ka (5/8)

MG Full Armor Gundam [Thunderbolt] Ver.Ka (6/8)

MG Full Armor Gundam [Thunderbolt] Ver.Ka (7/8)

MG Full Armor Gundam [Thunderbolt] Ver.Ka (8/8)

MG Full Armor Gundam [Thunderbolt] Ver.Ka - Upper/lower body detail shots (1/4)

MG Full Armor Gundam [Thunderbolt] Ver.Ka - Upper/lower body detail shots (2/4)

Upper/lower body detail shots

With all Full Armor equipment removed

With only the Full Armor plating removed

Full Armor Gundam on its own

MG Full Armor Gundam [Thunderbolt] Ver.Ka - To attach the Full Armor plating, you need to rotate the center section of the ba

To attach the Full Armor plating, rotate the center section of the base body's skirts 180 degrees
then plug in the orange missile parts and layer the armor over them. (All 6 skirts — front, back, left, and right — need this treatment)

MG Full Armor Gundam [Thunderbolt] Ver.Ka - The cover on the Full Armor chest armor duct is removable, but the fit is pretty

The cover on the Full Armor chest armor duct is removable, but
the fit is pretty poor so it keeps falling off.
You're probably better off just gluing it in place for your own sanity.

MG Full Armor Gundam [Thunderbolt] Ver.Ka - Cockpit hatch open in Full Armor configuration. You open two armor covers and one

Cockpit hatch open in Full Armor configuration.
You open two armor covers and one canopy, and you can also spread open the armor panels on either side of the cockpit —
this is probably the most complex hatch-open gimmick ever on a Gunpla.

The 6 claws on the soles of the feet are articulated too.

MG Full Armor Gundam [Thunderbolt] Ver.Ka - The missile hatch-open gimmicks on the shoulders, skirts, knees, and backpack are

The missile hatch-open gimmicks on the shoulders, skirts, knees, and backpack are all nicely reproduced.

Four shields are included.

MG Full Armor Gundam [Thunderbolt] Ver.Ka - You can slightly open the beam saber section on the side of the backpack, then pu

Slightly open the beam saber section on the side of the backpack,
then pull out the sub-arm stored inside the backpack and deploy it.
After that, folding the beam saber section back inward locks the sub-arm in its extended position —
but the hold here is a bit weak, and the sub-arm tends to retract back in a lot.

MG Full Armor Gundam [Thunderbolt] Ver.Ka - The peg at the tip of the sub-arm can be inserted into the hole on the shield's h

The peg at the tip of the sub-arm can be inserted into the hole on the shield's handle,
so the sub-arm + shield connection is quite solid.

Interchangeable finger-type hands are used.

The base Gundam on its own

MG Full Armor Gundam [Thunderbolt] Ver.Ka - Detail shots of the base Gundam (1/4)

MG Full Armor Gundam [Thunderbolt] Ver.Ka - Detail shots of the base Gundam (2/4)

Detail shots of the base Gundam

Half-armor-removed shot of the base Gundam

The frame structure is simpler than you'd expect.

MG Full Armor Gundam [Thunderbolt] Ver.Ka - The arm and torso frames are pretty plain. (1/3)

The arm and torso frames are pretty plain.

MG Full Armor Gundam [Thunderbolt] Ver.Ka - The legs have a two-layer inner frame, but the design feels more like a skeleton

The legs have a two-layer inner frame,
but the design feels more like a skeleton concept than detailed mechanical structure.

MG Full Armor Gundam [Thunderbolt] Ver.Ka - Frame cover parts are used to represent the bellows covers at the joints, and the

Frame cover parts are used to represent the bellows covers at the joints,
and the material feels like stiff plastic wrap.
This is exactly the same approach used on the 1/48 Ingram.

One frame cover part is used on each arm.

MG Full Armor Gundam [Thunderbolt] Ver.Ka - To prep the frame cover parts, you'll need to temporarily use the stand support p

To prep the frame cover parts, you'll need to temporarily use the stand support parts.

MG Full Armor Gundam [Thunderbolt] Ver.Ka - Slide the frame cover onto the pipe as shown, scrunch it naturally with both hand

Slide the frame cover onto the pipe as shown, scrunch it naturally with both hands, then pull it back off.

MG Full Armor Gundam [Thunderbolt] Ver.Ka - Thread the arm frame through the inside of the frame cover part, then fit the rin

Thread the arm frame through the inside of the frame cover part,
then fit the ring-shaped part to secure the frame cover in place.

MG Full Armor Gundam [Thunderbolt] Ver.Ka - Cover it with the forearm part, then bend the elbow to stretch the frame cover ou

Cover it with the forearm part, then bend the elbow to stretch the frame cover out
and attach the elbow and forearm armor.

MG Full Armor Gundam [Thunderbolt] Ver.Ka - Next, fit the ring-shaped part on the shoulder side to secure the frame cover, th

Next, fit the ring-shaped part on the shoulder side to secure the frame cover,
then trim off the excess with a knife to finish the arm assembly.

MG Full Armor Gundam [Thunderbolt] Ver.Ka - Remove the outer frame armor from the leg frame — a total of 3 frame covers are u

Remove the outer frame armor from the leg frame,
then apply a total of 3 frame covers at the hip, knee, and ankle.

Scrunch up the frame covers naturally using the method described above.

First, slide the frame cover over the top of the thigh.

MG Full Armor Gundam [Thunderbolt] Ver.Ka - Bend the knee joint to stretch the frame cover out, cut the middle section, then

Bend the knee joint to stretch the frame cover out, then cut the middle section,
then layer on the knee armor and thigh frame to secure the frame cover.

MG Full Armor Gundam [Thunderbolt] Ver.Ka - Straighten the knee again, slide the second frame cover over the hip joint, then

Straighten the knee again, then slide the second frame cover over the hip joint,
then attach the thigh armor to lock the frame cover in place.

MG Full Armor Gundam [Thunderbolt] Ver.Ka - Secure the hip joint frame cover with the circular ring, then trim off the excess

Secure the hip joint frame cover with the circular ring,
then trim off the excess with a knife.

MG Full Armor Gundam [Thunderbolt] Ver.Ka - Finally, slide the third frame cover over the ankle, then snap the frame armor pa

Finally, slide the third frame cover over the ankle, then snap the frame armor part over it to lock it in place.

MG Full Armor Gundam [Thunderbolt] Ver.Ka - Fit the circular ring part onto the ankle pin to secure the frame cover, trim off

Fit the circular ring part onto the ankle pin to secure the frame cover,
then trim off the excess and the leg frame section is complete.

MG Full Armor Gundam [Thunderbolt] Ver.Ka - The finished bellows joints at the elbow, hip, knee, and ankle. They're a pretty

The finished bellows joints at the elbow, hip, knee, and ankle.
They're a pretty effective part in their own right, but the process of making them is a bit of a pain..

The core block inside the body is reproduced as well.

Core block configuration

MG Full Armor Gundam [Thunderbolt] Ver.Ka - The core block's emergency pod configuration, expanded into an X-shape (1/3)

The core block's emergency pod configuration, expanded into an X-shape

View from the bottom.
Even the front landing gear is articulated.

MG Full Armor Gundam [Thunderbolt] Ver.Ka - The canopy opens too, and if you look closely, you can also rotate the pilot's se

The canopy opens too, and if you look closely, you can also rotate the pilot's seat direction.

Base Gundam cockpit hatch open.

A few leftover parts remain.

The base body's articulation is quite excellent.

You can drop the hip joint downward to extend the range of motion.

MG Full Armor Gundam [Thunderbolt] Ver.Ka - The shoulder articulation front/back and up/down is really impressive. It's proba

The shoulder articulation front/back and up/down is really impressive.
It's probably the best-engineered shoulder joint on any Gunpla out there right now.

Even the middle knuckle of the thumb is articulated.

The verniers on the sides of the legs are articulated too.

MG Full Armor Gundam [Thunderbolt] Ver.Ka - The beam saber gimmick mounted under the backpack is really unique — you lower it

The beam saber gimmick mounted under the backpack is really unique —
you lower it down and then rotate it so it can be gripped by the hand.

MG Full Armor Gundam [Thunderbolt] Ver.Ka - Natural draw pose (1/3)

Natural draw pose

The stand joint part slides into the rear end,
so it locks in really securely.

MG Full Armor Gundam [Thunderbolt] Ver.Ka - It uses the MG Wing Gundam stand as a base, with a separate two-stage support arm

It uses the MG Wing Gundam stand as a base, with a separate two-stage support arm attached to complete the stand.
The durability of that two-stage support arm isn't great, though.
Maybe it's because the kit is so heavy, but it keeps wanting to lean sideways, which is pretty nerve-wracking.

MG Full Armor Gundam [Thunderbolt] Ver.Ka - Inner Gundam beam saber + shield action (1/3)

Inner Gundam beam saber + shield action

MG Full Armor Gundam [Thunderbolt] Ver.Ka - Now let's look at the articulation in Full Armor mode. Unsurprisingly, the extra

Now let's look at the articulation in Full Armor mode.
Unsurprisingly, the extra armor does cut down on knee articulation a bit.

The weapons mounted on the backpack can be moved in a variety of directions.

MG Full Armor Gundam [Thunderbolt] Ver.Ka - Aerial attack pose (1/5)

MG Full Armor Gundam [Thunderbolt] Ver.Ka - Aerial attack pose (2/5)

MG Full Armor Gundam [Thunderbolt] Ver.Ka - Aerial attack pose (3/5)

Aerial attack pose

MG Full Armor Gundam [Thunderbolt] Ver.Ka - Missile hatch open + sub-arm deploy action pose (1/6)

MG Full Armor Gundam [Thunderbolt] Ver.Ka - Missile hatch open + sub-arm deploy action pose (2/6)

MG Full Armor Gundam [Thunderbolt] Ver.Ka - Missile hatch open + sub-arm deploy action pose (3/6)

MG Full Armor Gundam [Thunderbolt] Ver.Ka - Missile hatch open + sub-arm deploy action pose (4/6)

Missile hatch open + sub-arm deploy action pose

With the MG Origin Gundam

With the MG Gundam Ver. 3.0.

With the MG Full Armor Gundam

With the HG Full Armor Gundam Thunderbolt version.

MG Full Armor Gundam [Thunderbolt] Ver.Ka - Straight build (1/4)

MG Full Armor Gundam [Thunderbolt] Ver.Ka - Straight build (2/4)

Straight build

2016 was the year of Gundam Thunderbolt in the Gundam world, right alongside Iron-Blooded Orphans. With the Gundam Thunderbolt anime adaptation came the MG Full Armor Gundam [Thunderbolt] Ver.Ka. As the Ver.Ka title suggests, this is a kit you'd expect to come with high-quality construction, waterslide decals, and a pretty hefty amount of work.

First, when you open the box, you're greeted with a massive collection of well over 500 parts and runners. As a plastic model enthusiast, seeing a kit this packed with content just lights something up inside me. ^^

True to MG form, you can also build the inner Gundam of the Full Armor Gundam Thunderbolt version — something you couldn't do with the HG — and it comes together as a completely new, angular-looking Gundam. This inner Gundam shows off some of the best articulation I've ever seen, and the shoulder joints in particular offer a range of motion that I'd say is the best in Gunpla history. On top of that, a new hip joint articulation gimmick has been added, giving the legs a wide range of motion as well. Overall joint strength is solid too, so at least as far as the inner unit goes, it feels like they've nailed both articulation and stability at the same time.

The flexible frame covers first seen on the 1/48 Ingram have been carried over here, with a total of 8 frame covers to attach — 1 per arm and 3 per leg. As you can see in the build photos above, the idea is to naturally crumple the vinyl frame covers to create wrinkles before assembling them. It does make the build process a lot more fiddly and tedious, but the effect is actually pretty decent. That said, if this is your first time dealing with these frame cover parts, there's a good chance your frustration level is going to spike. (Trust me, once you try it, you'll know — it never goes quite the way you want it to.) On top of that, because so much effort went into pulling off the frame cover look, the inner frame itself ends up being very simple, and the near-total lack of mechanical detail is a bit of a letdown.

Once all the Full Armor plating is on, my biggest concern was how well the armor would stay in place. Aside from the skirt parts popping off during posing, the armor retention is actually better than I expected overall. What's more of an issue is that in Full Armor mode, the backpack is so large and heavy that you can't avoid the kit leaning back with its legs splayed out just to stay upright — basically stuck in a "beach chair" pose. That's probably why a stand is included, but the two-stage support arm on the stand feels a bit flimsy, and there's a real chance the kit could topple to the floor during display...

With heavy, loaded-up Full Armor style kits like this, the connection between the stand joint parts and the body tends to be weak — but this kit actually slides the joint parts into the crotch area, locking them in place, so the connection to the stand is quite solid. The problem is that the support arm ends up being an unnecessarily two-stage structure, which makes keeping it stable in the air a whole other issue. It seems like this situation wasn't anticipated during development, and I really wish they'd just gone with a single, sturdy straight support arm instead.

The core block, which wasn't included in the HG, has also been reproduced here, and it can even transform into an emergency pod form by spreading the thruster nozzles out in an X shape. The original RX-78 transforms into a core fighter that looks like a combat jet, but in this kit's case, it's the core block as an escape module that's been recreated. The core block is small, but all the necessary gimmicks are well done — including articulated landing gear and a canopy that opens with a rotating cockpit.

The gimmicks in Full Armor mode are also well executed. The missile hatch open gimmicks on the shoulders, skirts, knees, and backpack all work satisfyingly well, and the sub-arms inside the backpack — which were swap-out parts on the HG — are now fully retractable and deployable. The one issue is that when the sub-arms are extended, they're supposed to lock in place using the beam saber holders on the sides as stoppers, but that connection is pretty weak and the sub-arms keep folding back inward, which is a bit annoying. Aside from that, the sub-arms themselves hold their position well and connect to the shield solidly enough to pass muster.

Overall, this is a kit that shows off the clean construction and excellent gimmick reproduction you'd expect from a Ver.Ka release. That said, the sheer amount of work involved — not just the build itself, but the panel lining and waterslide decals — is easily 2 to 3 times that of a typical MG, and that's going to be a love-it-or-hate-it thing. If you enjoy taking your time and savoring a long build, this kit is right up your alley. But if that's not your thing, the process can start to feel like a slog. On top of that, the sheer size and weight of the kit makes it a bit nerve-wracking to display — it's unstable standing on its own, and even on the dedicated stand it feels a little precarious — so even after all that work, there's a nagging sense of unease that lingers. I guess compared to a masterpiece like the Sinanju Ver.Ka, the long, long build time here felt oddly tedious. That's probably why I found myself hesitating to give it a glowing recommendation, and why scoring it high was a tough call.

All that said, as a Full Armor-style kit where you can swap the armor on and off, the quality is genuinely excellent. But if the workload sounds daunting, this one's hard to recommend — so make sure you know what you're getting into before you pick it up. :-)

MG FA-78 Full Armor Gundam [Thunderbolt] Ver.Ka
Category	Rating	Analysis
Seam Lines	★★★★★	Perfect, aside from some of the weapons.
Molding Color / Color Separation	★★★★★	Thorough color separation right down to the orange stripes, missiles, and verniers
Proportions	★★★★☆	Base proportions are good, but the "beach chair" lean when standing upright is unavoidable
Articulation	★★★★★★	Excellent base articulation + shoulder articulation that's the best ever!
Joint Strength	★★★★★	All joints are solid, and accessory retention is good too.
Internal Frame	★★★★	Feels like they gave up on the mechanical inner frame in order to pull off the frame covers
Detail	★★★★☆	Clean, but not particularly refined. And the frame feels bare.
Weapons / Accessories	★★★★★★	Full Armor-worthy rich weaponry plus the unique frame covers
Parts Count / Price	★★★★★	564 parts total. 80.6 parts per ¥1,000. Lots of content = lots of work
Uniqueness	★★★★★	The unique Thunderbolt Full Armor is faithfully reproduced with MG-level attention to detail. Clearly a well-designed kit, but something feels like it's missing that last 2%...
Dalong's Point : 100 pts.

* The scoring system used only for MG has been carried over from First 1.0 twenty years ago,
so applying it uniformly even to the latest kits — whose quality has leveled up across the board — is honestly a bit ambiguous.
Since it's just my personal take and can't clearly capture the differences in kit quality over the years,
please don't read too much into it and just use it as a loose reference.
(For kits scoring above 100, take it to mean the quality is much better than kits of the past.)

MG Full Armor Gundam [Thunderbolt] Ver.Ka | 2016. 7 | ¥7,400

AIThis page was translated by Claude Sonnet.