HGUniversal Century

MS-06R-1A Zaku II High Mobility Type (Ortega Custom)

A grunt suit with a boss weapon, and it knows exactly what it is.

MechaGrade Score

3.8/5

Zaku II · 1/144 · 2015

GradeHG

Scale1/144

Released2015

Runnersn/a

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The verdict

This is one of the more characterful HG Origin kits, and the giant heat hawk is the whole reason to buy it.

I like a kit that commits to one big idea instead of chasing a spec sheet, and here that idea is a melee weapon roughly the size of the Zaku itself, backed by a mono eye that actually swivels and a double jointed elbow and knee setup that holds a lunge pose without fuss. It is not the most technically advanced HG on the shelf, but it is genuinely fun to build and even more fun to pose.

Best for: Zeon fans and Origin watchers who want the Black Tri-Stars' signature weapon on the shelf, not just another stock Zaku

The full review

What it is

This is the Ortega Custom out of the HG Origin line, the Black Tri-Stars pilot's personal Zaku II High Mobility Type built around one purpose, swinging a heat hawk roughly four times the size of the standard one. Out of the runners it reads as a straightforward HG Zaku with the usual spikes and shoulder shield, until you get to that weapon, which dominates the finished kit's silhouette. Building it is quick and satisfying in the way good HGs are, snug frame, no glue needed, and the payoff is a suit that looks like it means business the second the heat hawk is in hand. I came away liking it more for what it represents in the anime than for raw engineering ambition.

The catch

The molded plastic runs noticeably bluer than the deep purple Ortega's suit is shown as in the anime and in box art, and builders have flagged this as the kit's most common complaint, meaning panel lining or a light paint pass does real work here if you want it screen accurate. Some of the Zaku-specific markings, including the Black Tri-Stars insignia, arrive as tetron stickers rather than molded color, so sticker fatigue is a factor if you are picky about seam lines showing through decals. It is also still an HG at heart, so the parts count and detail depth sit below what an MG version of the same suit would deliver.

Who it's for

Buy this if you want a Zaku that tells a specific story, the Loum campaign, the Black Tri-Stars, the flagship-cleaving heat hawk moment, rather than a generic green suit for your MS-06 shelf. It rewards people willing to do a five-minute panel-line or light wash to fix the blue-versus-purple color gap, and it is a great low-risk pickup for anyone newer to Gunpla since there is no frame assembly complexity to trip over. Skip it if you specifically want screen-accurate color straight from the runners with zero extra work, or if you already own a standard HGUC Zaku II and don't care about the oversized weapon gimmick.

The build story

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

This builds like a typical modern HG Origin kit, tight snap fit, minimal nub visibility on the outer shell, and no cement required. The frame goes together quickly enough that the giant heat hawk and its storage housing end up being the most time-consuming sub-assembly, mostly because of the sheer size of the parts involved.

The mono eye slides left and right via an underside switch, and the head sits on a ball joint with a bit of forward tilt, both nice touches for an HG. Weapon loadout is generous for the price band, giant heat hawk, a separate Zaku machine gun, heat hawk storage, two effect parts for the cleaving pose, and an action base adapter, which is a strong showing of accessories for a standard-tier kit.

Lore & trivia

01Ortega was one of the Black Tri-Stars alongside Gaia and Mash, and specialized in melee combat within the trio.
02In Mobile Suit Gundam: The Origin, Ortega drove his giant heat hawk through the bridge of the Magellan-class flagship Ananke during the Battle of Loum, helping capture Federation officer Johann Ibrahim Revil.
03The Giant Heat Hawk depicted with this kit is stated in-universe to be roughly four times the length of a standard Zaku heat hawk, with a blade over 10 meters long and hidden thrusters in the head to boost its swing.