HGUniversal Century

Me02R-F02c Messer Type-F02 (Commander Type)

A Premium Bandai reshuffle of the Mafty mono-eye grunt that actually earns its exclusivity with a real two-builds-in-one trick.

MechaGrade Score

3.6/5

Messer Type-F02 (Commander Type) · 1/144 · 2021

GradeHG

Scale1/144

Released2021

Runnersn/a

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The verdict

This is a smart P-Bandai riff on an already-good HG mold, and it is worth tracking down if you liked the base Messer.

The commander antenna head and the lifting flare legs give it real silhouette presence next to the plain F01, and the fact that Bandai built in a legitimate part swap to the stripped-down F-type naked form is the kind of bonus I did not expect from an exclusive release. It is not a ground-up new engineering job, so temper expectations there, but as a variant kit it is generous.

Best for: Gundam Hathaway fans who already have the base Messer and want the commander variant with a genuine alternate-build option

The full review

What it is

The Messer Type-F02 Commander Type takes the existing Mafty grunt suit and dresses it up as an officer machine, with a newly molded antenna head, flat left hand, and the bulkier lifting flare leg units that give this version noticeably more visual weight than the plain F01. Building it feels familiar if you have done the base kit, since the frame and most of the limbs carry over, but the new head and leg armor genuinely change the read of the suit on the shelf. What won me over is that Bandai did not just reissue the same kit in new colors. They engineered real swap points at the shoulder, backpack, and legs so you can rebuild it into the stripped F-type naked form seen in the film, which is a rare bit of generosity for a limited release.

The catch

Small parts are where this kit shows its budget. The purple and pink leg accents and the yellow pipe bases lean on foil stickers rather than molded plastic, so color separation up close is not as clean as the silhouette suggests from a distance. It is also a Premium Bandai exclusive, meaning secondary market pricing and availability are the real cost, not the sticker on the box. And converting between the commander and naked F-type builds means pulling parts apart and swapping them rather than having both on display at once, so it is somewhat fiddly if you plan to switch back and forth often.

Who it's for

Grab this if you already have a soft spot for the Hathaway's Flash Mafty suits or you specifically want the commander variant with its taller, more aggressive leg silhouette and the built in alternate form. It is a satisfying pickup for anyone who likes getting two distinct looks out of one box. Skip it if you never cared for the base Messer's proportions, since this kit will not change your mind about the underlying design, or if hunting down a Premium Bandai exclusive at a fair price is more hassle than you want. First-time Gunpla builders should start with a mainline HG instead and come back to variant kits like this one later.

What works

Genuine alternate build into the F-type naked form via real swap points at the shoulder, backpack, and legs, not just a repaint
New antenna head and lifting flare legs give the commander type a distinct silhouette from the base F01 kit
Solid accessory loadout for the price band: long beam rifle, shield, gun holder, spare flat hand, stand joint, and two saber blades

Worth knowing

Small color details on the pipe bases and leg accents rely on foil stickers rather than molded parts
Premium Bandai exclusive, so price and availability depend on the secondary market rather than a retail shelf
Swapping between the commander and F-type naked builds means disassembly rather than a quick pose change

Sold? Grab it.

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The build story

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

Since this shares its core frame and limb runners with the base HG Messer Type-F01, the build feels familiar in hand, mostly straightforward HG-level snap fit with the usual nub cleanup on the visible outer armor. The new parts, the antenna head, the flat hand, and the lifting flare leg armor, are where the kit differentiates itself, and they go together cleanly without any unusual fit issues reported by builders.

The standout engineering choice is the swap-point system that lets the same kit become the F-type naked form from the film, with the shoulder armor, leg armor, and shield all removable rather than permanently fixed. Articulation follows the HG norm for this line, serviceable but not RG-level range, and the accessory set (long beam rifle, shield, gun holder, spare hand, stand joint, twin saber blades) gives decent value for a variant release rather than feeling like a bare-bones reissue.

Lore & trivia

01The Messer Type-F02 is a mass-produced Anaheim Electronics mobile suit used by the anti-Earth Federation guerrilla group Mafty in Mobile Suit Gundam Hathaway.
02Its head mounts three pairs of shell-firing armaments per side, six total, used for suppressive fire and intercepting incoming missiles rather than direct combat damage.
03The kit was released as a Premium Bandai exclusive in September 2021 and can be partially rebuilt into the simpler F-type naked form that appears in the film by swapping out the shoulder, leg, and shield parts.
04It carries the same style of beam saber used on the Earth Federation's RGM-89 Jegan Type-A, with blades that only extend during melee engagement.