MGBuild Divers

AGE-IIMG Gundam AGEII Magnum

A transforming veteran suit that trades a little articulation for a genuinely clever Phoenix Mode gimmick.

MechaGrade Score

3.7/5

AGE-IIMG Gundam AGEII Magnum · 1/100 · 2019

GradeMG

Scale1/100

Released2019

Runnersn/a

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The verdict

This kit earns its shelf space through the transformation, not in spite of it.

Kyoya Kujo's championship ride folds down into Phoenix Mode with real hip and shoulder locking mechanisms doing the work, not just a floppy hinge pretending to be a jet. It is not the most flexible MG on my shelf, but it is one of the more mechanically satisfying ones to fold in half and watch click into place.

Best for: Build Divers fans and anyone who wants a transforming MG that actually locks solid in jet mode instead of sagging

The full review

What it is

This is Kyoya Kujo's upgraded AGE-2, redesigned for Gundam Build Divers with a beefed up shoulder mold and new hip locks so the legs hold their shape whether the kit is standing in MS mode or folded flat into Phoenix Mode. Building it, that transformation sequence is the whole personality of the kit. It is not a paint-swap reissue, Bandai actually re-engineered joints to make the flight form hold together under its own weight, and getting to that first successful fold after assembly felt like the payoff the whole build was building toward.

The catch

Articulation is the honest weak point here. The torso, hip skirts, and forearm vents are sculpted to survive the Phoenix Mode fold, and that means the range of motion in a few key joints is tighter than a modern MG standard, so some dynamic poses fight you a little. The kit leans on a decent number of foil and regular stickers for panel accents and the namer plate rather than pad printing everywhere, and while the nub placement is mostly tucked away, the pale gray and white parts make sloppy gate cleanup show up fast if you rush it.

Who it's for

Grab this one if you are into Build Divers, want a transforming MG where the gimmick is engineered rather than gimmicky, or you just like suits with a strong shield and offensive wing profile. Skip it if pure pose range is your priority, a straight MG Gundam or Sniper-line kit will out-articulate this one joint for joint. For anyone who wants to build the actual GBN champion's suit and watch the transform lock into place with a satisfying click, it delivers exactly what it promises.

The build story

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

The build itself is a straightforward MG runner count with 23 runners feeding into a kit that goes together cleanly, no weird sub-assemblies that trap you. Nubs are tucked into inconspicuous spots for the most part, though the lighter gray and white plastic means you need to actually check your clipped nubs under light rather than assume they blended in. Sticker use is light, mostly foil accents and the name plate decal, so most of the color separation is coming from the molded plastic itself.

The standout engineering is the transformation. Bandai reworked the shoulder mold for extra strength and added new hip locking mechanisms specifically so the legs stay put in both MS and Phoenix Mode, and that shows the moment you fold it down, everything clicks rather than droops. The tradeoff is articulation gets a little boxed in around the torso and hip skirts to make that fold possible, so poses feel more deliberate than free-flowing. Accessory loadout leans into the shield and wing units that give this suit its offensive silhouette in the show, and they double as the visual anchor once the kit is finished.

Lore & trivia

01The AGEII Magnum is piloted by Kyoya Kujo, the reigning GBN (Gunpla Battle Nexus) champion in Gundam Build Divers, built for his own aggressive fighting style.
02Its name was deliberately changed from AGE-2 to AGEII as an in-universe statement that this suit was meant to surpass the original AGE System.
03The suit's high speed flight form was upgraded into a dedicated Phoenix Mode, matching the transformation gimmick this MG kit is built around.
04The MG version added a reinforced shoulder mold and new hip locks specifically absent from earlier grades, to keep the legs stable through the transformation.