MGUniversal Century

FA-93HWS ν Gundam HWS "Ver.Ka"

The already-great Ver.Ka Nu Gundam, bulked up with chobham plating and enough firepower to justify the extra shelf space it demands.

MechaGrade Score

4.2/5

ν Gundam HWS "Ver.Ka" · 1/100 · 2016

GradeMG

Scale1/100

Released2016

Runnersn/a

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The verdict

This is the Ver.Ka Nu Gundam wearing armor plating, and I think the upgrade is worth it.

Katoki's frame underneath is the same excellent psychoframe engineering that made the base Ver.Ka a modern classic, and the HWS shell adds real bulk and a genuinely different silhouette rather than just bolting on parts for the sake of it. The catch is the fin funnels, which are the one piece of this kit that doesn't match the rest of the engineering.

Best for: builders who already love the Ver.Ka Nu Gundam sculpt and want the heavier, more armored take with a translucent psychoframe finish

The full review

What it is

This is the P-Bandai exclusive heavy weapons variant of Katoki Hajime's Ver.Ka Nu Gundam, released at the end of 2016 with chobham armor plates, a bigger thruster-equipped shield, and the recast translucent blue psychoframe running under the armor. Building it feels like building two kits in one: the same clean, satisfying inner frame from the standard Ver.Ka release, then a second pass adding the bulkier HWS shell over top. The Invoke-mode gimmick, where you open up armor panels to expose the glowing psychoframe underneath, is the moment that sold me on this kit. It is a neat trick that never feels gimmicky in hand.

The catch

The fin funnels are the recurring complaint across builder writeups, and I ran into the same thing. The joints connecting each funnel segment are loose enough that holding the single-wing firing formation takes some fiddling, and mounting all four funnels on one side is close to impossible without them drooping. Folding two funnels together for storage mode gives a sturdier connection than trying to pose them deployed. Decal count is also lighter than earlier Ver.Ka releases, and the foil stickers under the psychoframe panels are fussy to apply cleanly. None of this sinks the kit, but budget real patience for the funnel assemblies.

Who it's for

I would point this at builders who have at least a few MG kits behind them, since the frame complexity and the funnel fiddliness are not a great first-kit experience. If you already own or want to skip the standard Ver.Ka Nu Gundam and go straight for the heavier, more detailed variant, this is the one to chase down on the secondary market since it was P-Bandai exclusive. If your priority is stable, worry-free posing over detail and gimmicks, the RG Nu Gundam handles its fin funnels far more securely and costs a lot less. But for shelf presence and that psychoframe reveal, I would take this kit over the RG every time.

The build story

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

The inner frame runners use a softer plastic than the outer armor, which several builders noted makes nub cleanup easier and reduces visible stress marks on the psychoframe parts, a small thing that matters a lot given how much of that frame stays visible. Assembly runs in two clear phases: build the Ver.Ka inner frame first, then layer the HWS armor shell over it, which keeps the process from feeling overwhelming even with the higher part count.

Articulation holds up well everywhere except the funnels; hips, shoulders, and the skirt armor all move through a wide range without the bulk getting in the way of dynamic poses. Color separation is strong out of the box thanks to Katoki's original part breakdown, and the Invoke-mode opening panels are the standout engineering touch, a genuinely clever bit of design that rewards displaying the kit both armored up and cracked open.

Lore & trivia

01The FA-93HWS designation stands for Full Armor System, referencing the F.S.W.S. (Full-armor System and Weapon System) plan the design draws from within the Char's Counterattack Mobile Suit Variations lineage.
02This kit was a Premium Bandai exclusive released in December 2016, meaning it never had a general retail run and has to be sourced through the aftermarket or import shops.
03The HWS shell shares its armor tooling with the MG Hi-Nu Gundam Ver.Ka HWS kit, since both suits use closely related Anaheim Electronics armor upgrade packages in their original design lore.
04The Hi-Mega Shield replacing the standard Nu Gundam's shield was designed with built-in thrusters specifically to offset the added mass from the chobham armor plating.