Kit Review

Straight build + Panel lining + Decals

The universal yardstick — size comparison with a cigarette pack.

Underside

The double cannon — the most defining feature of the 08th MS Team Ball

Outer armor removed

MG BALL (08th MS Team) - The molding is faithfully reproduced all the way to the inside of the outer armor panels.. and panel

The molding is faithfully reproduced all the way to the inside of the outer armor panels.. and panel lining is a must to match!

Inner frame shots. Absolutely killer detail..

Upper frame

The frame has a double-layer structure.

The frame inside the lattice.

MG BALL (08th MS Team) - They even went ahead and reproduced the internal mechanics of the double cannon — now that's attenti

They even reproduced the internal mechanics of the double cannon — now that's attention to detail!
Weapon frames are something you'd normally only see on PG kits.

Hatch open

MG BALL (08th MS Team) - I forgot to mention this in the Ball Ver.Ka review.. but quite a few of these Balls have an issue wh

I forgot to mention this in the Ball Ver.Ka review..
Quite a few of these Balls have an issue where the hatch doesn't close all the way and sits just slightly open like in the photo above.
The fix is actually really simple.

MG BALL (08th MS Team) - Inside the hatch, there's a small tab that acts as a stopper when the hatch closes — just scrape or

Inside the hatch, there's a small tab that acts as a stopper when the hatch closes —
just scrape or trim the tip of that tab a little with a hobby knife.
If you're not sure what I'm referring to, just take a close look at the actual kit and open and close the hatch a few times
and you'll easily figure out which part I'm talking about.

Once you've trimmed it a bit, the hatch snaps shut nice and flush like in the photo above..

The cable detail on the claw arm.

Actual metal cylinders..

Two 1/100 figures in great poses are still included.

MG BALL (08th MS Team) - The bottom of the 08th MS Team version has an anchor unit, which can be configured into a total of 4

The bottom of the 08th MS Team version has an anchor unit, which can be configured into a total of 4 different forms through various parts combinations.

MG BALL (08th MS Team) - Three forms can be recreated through parts swapping: 1. Default state 2. Anchor rotated 90 degrees a

1. Default state 2. Anchor rotated 90 degrees and hooked onto the ring 3. Anchor deployed/unfolded
These 3 forms can be recreated through parts swapping.

MG BALL (08th MS Team) - For the 4th and final stage, you can fully disassemble and reassemble it to recreate the scene of th

For the 4th and final stage, you can fully disassemble and reassemble it to recreate the scene of the anchor being launched.

Just like that~ an action pose almost by accident~

Some articulation shots;; Everything that can move, does move.

On the 08th MS Team version Ball, the arm section can slide forward and backward about 1cm.

MG BALL (08th MS Team) - In addition to the 08th MS Team-exclusive double cannon, the 180mm cannon from the original Ver.Ka i

In addition to the 08th MS Team-exclusive double cannon, the 180mm cannon from the original Ver.Ka is also included.

MG BALL (08th MS Team) - The leftover parts. Some of you may have already noticed — these are the Ver.Ka-style body armor par

The leftover parts. Some of you may have already noticed — these are the Ver.Ka-style body armor parts.

MG BALL (08th MS Team) - You can actually assemble the entire front of the body in Ver.Ka configuration like this. (Though wh

You can actually assemble the entire front of the body in Ver.Ka configuration like this. (Though why would you;;)
Since there are no replacement parts for the back of the arm, it won't be a complete Ver.Ka ^^;

~ Comparison with Ver.Ka ~

The Ball brothers — synonymous with high-quality MG! View larger image
So what exactly has changed?

First off, the 08th MS Team Ball has a double cannon mounted on top of its head.

The backpack section is the same. But the back of the arm is different, right?

The back of the arm is completely different. The 08th MS Team arm can extend and retract.

Front comparison. The design above and below the cockpit hatch is totally different.

MG BALL (08th MS Team) - If you look really closely.. there's also the difference of whether the hole on the side of the head

If you look really closely.. there's also the difference of whether the hole on the side of the head is filled in or not ^^;

08th MS Team Federation Forces MG lineup!

Straight build

Following the Ball Ver.Ka, which sent shockwaves through the Gunpla community, its variation — the 08th MS Team BALL — has now been released as an MG. When the Ball Ver.Ka came out, just looking at the runner and parts structure, it was pretty easy to predict that the 08th MS Team Ball — which had a big role in the anime — would be coming eventually. Not turning a high-quality kit structure like this into a variation would honestly be a crime (;;) ^^;

It essentially includes almost all of the Ver.Ka's parts, with one additional G runner added, and the price has gone up by (only!) ¥400 to ¥2400. The box is a bit bigger too — about the same size as your typical ¥3000-class MG. The 08th MS Team exterior armor and double cannon have been added. Since all the Ver.Ka parts except the arm back cap are left over as leftover parts, you can actually assemble the body itself to look just like the Ver.Ka as shown in the photos above. (Though if that's what you want, you'd be better off just buying the Ver.Ka;)

Since the Ball Ver.Ka was already such a high-quality kit, the 08th MS Team Ball also delivers with its impressive inner frame, armor structure, and detail. If you want a more detailed look at the Ball itself, MG Ball Ver.Ka Reviewcheck that out. Maybe it's because of the orange-ball-like color scheme, but the colors feel more vivid and striking compared to the Ver.Ka. The 08th MS Team Ball takes things one step further — the inner frame is even reproduced inside the double cannon, which is an added weapon. On top of that, a sliding gimmick has been added so the arm can move forward and backward, giving it a bit more range of motion.

At the front lower section of the 08th MS Team Ball, there's an anchor unit that can be configured into a total of 4 different forms through various parts combinations. The four configurations — default, anchor extended, anchor deployed, and anchor launched — are a completely unexpected bonus~! The fit is a little loose so parts tend to pop off fairly easily, and since the parts are soft plastic they flex around and there's some risk of breakage, but it's exactly the kind of service you'd expect from a top-tier kit like the MG Ball. And on top of that, the 180mm cannon from the Ver.Ka is included as well — making it an even more generous package!

Adding all these various options to an already excellent Ball kit and still pricing it at ¥2400 — that's honestly a bold move by Bandai~. ¥2500 would still be more than fair for this volume and quality, and the fact that the price increase is smaller than other kits actually makes you wonder what they're up to;;

That said, the sheer amount of decals and seals is still pretty brutal. The kit is tiny, and you basically have to apply almost all of them — come on~ Ver.Ka series kits have always been like that, so Ball Ver.Ka gets a pass, but why did the regular 08th MS Team Ball have to inherit that tradition too.... Also, the panel lining grind is quite heavy for a kit this size. Then again, you could look at it as a kit that keeps you busy and entertained for a long time ^.^;

It doesn't hit quite as hard as when the Ball first came out as an MG, but it's a fuller, more option-packed Ball — so there's no way I can give it a low score. I guess even high quality can be upgraded? It's genuinely hard to find a kit with this level of quality and content at this price point. Plenty of people build multiple Balls anyway, so naturally you'll want to grab the 08th MS Team Ball as a set too — it's the sensible move! A choice you'll never regret, anytime, anywhere — that's the MG Ball. ^^

MG RB-79K BALL (08th MS Team)
Category	Rating	Analysis
Seam Lines	★★★★★	Almost no seam lines to deal with. All cylindrical parts are slide-molded.
Molding Color / Color Separation	★★★★★	Perfect
Proportions	★★★★★	Excellent!
Articulation	★★★★★	It's not an MS so things are a bit ambiguous, but everything that should move does move just fine.
Joint Strength	★★★★★	There's really nothing that feels loose;;
Internal Frame	★★★★★	The frame alone makes it the best kit ever. And now the weapons get frames too!
Detail	★★★★★	Even PG kits can't touch this.
Weapons / Accessories	★★★★★	Everything from the Ver.Ka + double cannon and 08th MS Team armor!
Parts Count / Price	★★★★★	196 parts total. Parts per ¥1000: 81.7. An even more loaded complete Ball!
Uniqueness	★★★★☆	The novelty factor has dropped a bit, but it's a step above the Ver.Ka in terms of content and quality!
Dalong's Point : 99 pts.

MG BALL (08th MS Team) | 2005. 5 | ¥3,000

AIThis page was translated by Claude Sonnet.