MGUniversal Century

F90III-Y Cluster Gundam

The F90 formula grown up, with real inner-frame durability and a bazooka loadout that means business.

MechaGrade Score

3.9/5

Cluster Gundam · 1/100 · 2024

GradeMG

Scale1/100

Released2024

Runnersn/a

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The verdict

This is the F90 concept done with modern MG engineering, and it shows.

The core block cockpit, the swap-ready Core Fighter, the two mega beam bazookas mounted right off the waist, all of it snaps into place with a confidence the original F90 kits never had. It is not a flashy suit and it will not win a shelf-presence contest against a big-name UC icon, but as an engineering exercise it is one of the better recent P-Bandai releases.

Best for: F90 completionists and MG builders who want ABS-joint durability over polycap looseness

The full review

What it is

The Cluster Gundam is the third suit in the Formula 90 modular-armor line, and this MG rebuilds the whole platform around a Core Block cockpit that separates into an escape Core Fighter, then reattaches to the backpack to form a Core Booster. That transformation gimmick is the reason to own this kit. It tabs together cleanly, the canopy opens and closes, and the landing gear swaps between the two Core Fighter configurations without feeling like a compromise. Bandai gave it a dedicated beam rifle with a working scope and foregrip plus two mega beam bazookas that mount straight onto the waist hardpoints, so you get a genuinely different silhouette than the vanilla F90 the moment you clip the weapons on.

The catch

It is a Premium Bandai exclusive, which means no retail shelf price cushion, you are paying import markup and shipping on top of the 6,600 yen sticker price, and it will not always be in stock. Bandai leaned on foil stickers and water decals for the sensor and marking details rather than molding them in color, so the finish depends on how careful you are with application. The Cluster Gundam only ships with its own bazooka-and-rifle loadout; the full ten-hardpoint mission pack fantasy this suit is built around means tracking down the separately sold F90 mission packs, which is a real ask for a kit that already isn't cheap to land.

Who it's for

If you already have or want the base MG F90 and like the idea of a modular mission-pack army, this is the obvious next kit to chase, the parts and hardpoints are built to play with that whole line. It is also a good pick if you specifically want an MG with ABS-jointed limbs instead of polycaps, because that's exactly what you get here, joints that stay tight over years rather than loosening the way some polycap MGs do over time. Skip it if you want a suit with instant name recognition or a striking finished silhouette without any accessory buying beyond the box, and skip it if hunting a P-Bandai exclusive at import prices isn't something you're willing to do.

The build story

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

Assembly is straightforward MG-standard runner work, nothing unusually fiddly, and the ABS joint parts click together with a firmer, more deliberate feel than a polycap MG. The Core Fighter separation and canopy hinge are the parts worth taking your time on, they are small but well engineered and reward careful gate cleanup so nothing binds when you test the transformation.

Articulation holds up well for the class, the waist has a proper swing joint, the shoulders and elbows clear the armor without the boxy F90 shoulder guards fighting you, and the legs take a wide stance for dynamic poses. Color separation on the yellow accent parts is genuinely good molded-in work, it is really only the small sensor and panel details that fall to stickers rather than plastic color.

Lore & trivia

01The Y in F90III-Y stands for Young Star, the designation Bandai gave this Core Fighter variant when it revived the F90 line for Premium Bandai.
02The suit's Core Block System doubles as an escape pod, the cockpit block can eject and reconfigure into a standalone Core Fighter, and that same Core Fighter can dock with the backpack to form a Core Booster for extended flight.
03Cluster Gundam carries ten hardpoints across the shoulders, forearms, and skirt armor built to accept the F90 program's interchangeable Mission Packs, the same modular equipment system introduced with the original F90.
04The suit first appeared in the manga Mobile Suit Gundam Silhouette Formula 91, part of the Earth Federation Forces' Strategic Naval Research Institute F90 test program set in Universal Century 0123.