HGUniversal Century

GM/GM II/GM III Set

Three grunts, three eras, one box, and honestly the best history lesson in Gunpla form.

MechaGrade Score

3.8/5

GM/GM II/GM III Set · 1/144 · 2023

GradeHG

Scale1/144

Released2023

Runnersn/a

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The verdict

This Gundam Base exclusive is a genuinely smart idea executed with real care, and I came away liking it more than I expected to.

You get the RGM-79 GM, the RMS-179 GM II, and the RGM-86R GM III, one from each of the first three UC anime, plus a waterslide decal sheet and a show-accurate mint tint on the plastic that none of the standalone releases got. It is not flashy and it will not blow anyone away on engineering, but as a compact trip through fifteen years of Universal Century grunt design, it delivers exactly what it promises.

Best for: UC completionists and grunt-suit fans who want the GM lineage's evolution in one shelf-friendly set

The full review

What it is

This is three older HGUC molds (GM, GM II, GM III) repackaged with fresh mint-green tinted plastic and a dedicated decal sheet, sold as a Gundam Base exclusive to mark the first three UC Gundam TV shows. Building all three back to back is a neat way to feel the design lineage tighten up: the original GM is simple and a little stiff, the GM II adds double-jointed elbows and a cleaner silhouette, and the GM III (built on the Zeta-era frame, sharing its backpack with the Mk-II and coming with two beam sabers instead of one) is clearly the most refined of the three. None of them will wow you individually, but stood side by side they tell a real story, and that is exactly the point of the set.

The catch

These are old molds and it shows. Knee joints on the GM and GM II only bend to roughly 90 degrees, color separation leans on stickers and the included decal sheet rather than molded plastic, and detailing is genuinely basic on the original GM in particular. The GM III's hand parts are all molded in the same grey rather than differentiating the extra open-hand set, and more than one builder has flagged that the hands pop out of the wrists too easily during posing. Because it was a limited Gundam Base exclusive at roughly 4,730 yen, it also is not always easy to find at retail, and secondary market pricing can run well above what the kits would cost individually.

Who it's for

If you care about Universal Century history, or you just want RGM-79 red-shoulder grunts standing next to their Zeta and ZZ-era descendants, this set is worth tracking down and it is genuinely fun to build three kits in one sitting. If you already own the standalone HGUC GM, GM II, and GM III, the only things you are missing are the tint and the decals, and that is a thin reason to double-dip unless the display value matters to you. Skip it if you want modern HG articulation or color separation, since none of these three were designed with today's engineering in mind.

The build story

What the build is actually like, and the engineering worth knowing about.

None of the three kits will challenge an experienced builder. Gate placement is straightforward, the polycap-and-large-panel construction typical of older HGUC grunt kits keeps assembly quick, and you can realistically finish all three in one longer session. The waterslide decals take more patience than the usual sticker sheet, but they pay off with a more integrated, painted look on the finished mint-tinted plastic.

Articulation improves noticeably as you move up the set: the GM's waist rotates fully and the head and arms swivel on ball joints, but the knee and elbow bend is limited. The GM II adds double-jointed elbows for a real posing upgrade. The GM III, sharing its backpack with the Mark II, comes with a beam rifle, shield, and two beam sabers rather than the series' usual one, and its articulation carries over everything that worked on the GM II. For the roughly 4,730 yen exclusive price, three complete kits plus a dedicated decal sheet is solid value even before you weigh the collectible angle.

Lore & trivia

01The set was a Gundam Base Japan exclusive, sold in-store from June 10, 2023 for 4,730 yen while supplies lasted.
02It bundles the RGM-79 GM from Mobile Suit Gundam, the RMS-179 GM II from Zeta Gundam, and the RGM-86R GM III from Gundam ZZ, deliberately spanning the first three Universal Century TV series.
03All three kits use a show-accurate mint/green-tinted plastic and come with an exclusive waterslide decal sheet not included in the standalone HGUC releases.
04The GM III shares its backpack tooling with the HGUC Zeta Gundam Mk-II and is armed with two beam sabers, unusual for a GM-line grunt suit that typically carries only one.