HGUniversal Century

RGM-96Xs Jesta (Shezarr Type, Team A)

A stealthy federal grunt suit that builds fast and poses better than its boxy shoulders let on.

MechaGrade Score

3.7/5

Jesta (Shezarr Type, Team A) · 1/144 · 2018

GradeHG

Scale1/144

Released2018

Runnersn/a

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The verdict

This is the HGUC Jesta at its most tactical, and I came away impressed with how much personality Bandai squeezed out of a repaint-and-retool release.

The high mobility backpack and external tank hardpoints give Team A a leaner silhouette than its Team B and C siblings, and the simplified novel-based detailing actually reads cleaner on the shelf than I expected. It is not a showpiece MG-level engineering exercise, but for an HG built around a federal mook suit hunting the Phenex, it earns its keep.

Best for: Universal Century completionists and Jesta variant collectors who want the stealthier Team A loadout without hunting down the pricier MG

The full review

What it is

This kit is the Team A release of the Jesta Shezarr Type, the version of the Federation's late-UC grunt suit that got reassigned to a high mobility backpack and propellant tank rig for Operation Phoenix Hunt in Gundam Narrative. Underneath the new backpack and head sensor unit it is still the familiar HGUC Jesta engineering, and building it felt like meeting an old friend in a new jacket. The beam rifle, saber, and shield all carry over, and assembly moved fast because the frame is a known quantity. I like that Bandai did not just recolor the original, they gave this variant a genuinely different backpack silhouette that changes how it reads on a shelf next to a stock Jesta.

The catch

The knee polycaps fought me during assembly, they do not want to seat flush on the first try and I had to reseat mine twice per leg. The wrist joints came out looser than I wanted, which matters if you like holding a beam rifle in a two-hand grip for long poses. This is also fundamentally a 2010s HGUC frame wearing new parts, so do not expect MG-tier inner frame engineering or the pose confidence of a Gundam Fix or RG. A few of the smaller backpack and sensor parts have gates in awkward spots that need real care with a nipper and a swipe of navy Gundam Marker to hide.

Who it's for

Grab this one if you already like the Jesta silhouette and want the Team A high mobility variant specifically, or if you are building out a UC federal forces lineup and want something that is not another RGM-79. It is also a solid pick if you want a straightforward, sticker-light HG build after wrestling with something fussier. Skip it if you only want one Jesta and do not care which team livery you get, since the standard HGUC Jesta or the MG will serve you just as well for less variant-hunting. It is also not the kit for someone chasing extreme articulation, an RG or a modern action-frame HG will bend further.

The build story

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

The frame is unmistakably the familiar HGUC Jesta chassis, so if you have built a Jesta before this goes together quickly with no surprises in the runner layout. A handful of the smaller sensor and backpack parts have gates tucked in spots that take a careful angle with side cutters, and the kit is dark navy enough that any nub scarring is genuinely easy to hide with a marker rather than sanding.

The double-jointed knees and pull-out shoulder joints are the standout engineering carryover, they let this suit hit deeper bends than the boxy proportions suggest. Waist rotation is a full 360 degrees, and the 7 interchangeable hands plus the beam rifle, saber, and shield loadout give solid value for the accessory count even before you factor in the new head sensor unit unique to the Shezarr Type.

Lore & trivia

01The Jesta (Shezarr Type) was created for Operation Phoenix Hunt, a Federation mission to recapture the RX-0 Unicorn Gundam 03 Phenex depicted in Mobile Suit Gundam Narrative.
02Team A, B, and C each carried different mission-specific loadouts: Team A used a high mobility backpack with external propellant tanks, Team B carried a mega beam launcher on a tripod mount, and Team C used a one-shot capture gun that fired a shrinking electromagnetic net.
03All three Shezarr Type teams shared a head-mounted scope sensor unit that boosted the suit's shooting performance when deployed, a detail Bandai molded specifically for this variant rather than reusing the standard Jesta head.
04This HGUC release was a Bandai Premium/P-Bandai web exclusive kit, first appearing in late 2018 alongside the Team B and C two-pack.