MGUniversal Century

LM314V23/24 Victory Two Assault Buster Gundam "Ver.Ka"

The Core Fighter kit gets buried in more armor, more gold trim, and a lot more compromise.

MechaGrade Score

3.4/5

Victory Two Assault Buster Gundam "Ver.Ka" · 1/100 · 2018

GradeMG

Scale1/100

Released2018

Runnersn/a

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The verdict

I like this kit, but I like it with reservations I did not expect going in.

The Ver.Ka detailing and the gold-finished armor parts genuinely lift the look of the base V2, and the Core Block System still separates the way it should. The problem is the Assault Buster armor itself, it adds real weight and bulk to a frame that was already sacrificing pose range for its transformation gimmick, so the finished kit looks incredible standing still and gets stiff and top-heavy the moment you try to pose it.

Best for: Victory Gundam die-hards and Ver.Ka collectors who want the definitive display version, not casual builders chasing action poses

The full review

What it is

This is Bandai's P-Bandai exclusive full-armor take on the MG V2 Gundam Ver.Ka, built on the same three-piece Core Block frame but dressed in the Assault-Buster's shoulder cannons, waist expansion packs, and a completely retooled backpack. The gold metallic coating on the yellow armor sections is the first thing that grabs you out of the box, it reads far more premium than the standard kit's plain molded yellow. Building it feels like assembling two kits at once, the core V2 frame and then a full second layer of heavy weapon armor clipping over it, and there is real satisfaction in watching the plain V2 disappear under all that hardware.

The catch

The core V2 Ver.Ka frame was already known for trading articulation for its transformation gimmick, and this kit stacks a lot of extra mass onto that same frame without beefing up the joints to match. Builders of the HGUC version of this same suit reported the shoulder cannons barely staying seated and the model struggling to stand under its own weight, and the MG carries a lighter version of that same problem, wide poses and the model gets front-heavy fast. It also leans on waterslide decals for some of the fine trim rather than molded color, and as a P-Bandai exclusive it ran a premium price and limited print window, so secondhand cost has crept up.

Who it's for

Buy this if you already love the V2 Gundam design and want the most detailed, gold-trimmed version of it on your shelf, or if you specifically want the Assault-Buster loadout from the Victory Gundam finale. Skip it if you want an MG you can actually pose through a fight scene, the base MG V2 Gundam Ver.Ka without the Buster armor handles better and costs less. This is a display piece first, and I'd tell a first-time V2 builder to start with that base kit and treat this one as the upgrade you chase once you know you love the suit.

What works

Gold metallic-coated armor parts make the yellow sections look far more premium than the standard kit's molded plastic
Core Block System separation still works, the Core Fighter detaches from the Hanger and Boots sections just like in the show
New backpack mold and sliding barrel gimmick on the long mega beam rifle add real mechanical interest beyond a static add-on

Worth knowing

Articulation, already limited on the base V2 Ver.Ka frame, gets worse once the Assault-Buster armor's extra weight is loaded on
Shoulder cannons and waist expansion packs can feel loose rather than firmly locked in place
P-Bandai exclusive pricing and limited availability mean it costs noticeably more than a comparable non-exclusive MG

Sold? Grab it.

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The build story

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

The build itself is a two-stage process, first the standard V2 Gundam frame with its Core Fighter, Hanger, and Boots sections, then a second full pass clipping the Assault-Buster armor over the top. Gate placement on the gold-coated parts needs a careful hand since nub marks show more on the metallic finish than they would on flat molded color, and the waterslide decals for the fine linework take patience to place cleanly.

The standout engineering is still the Core Block System, the three-part separation and the ability to reconfigure into Top Fighter and Bottom Fighter forms is a genuinely fun gimmick that most MGs do not attempt. The new backpack and sliding beam rifle barrel are thoughtful additions. Where it falls short is articulation, the hip and shoulder joints were already built around supporting the transformation rather than a full range of motion, and the Buster armor's added mass makes wide leg or arm poses a real test of the joint tension.

Lore & trivia

01The V2 Assault-Buster Gundam is the upgraded form Uso Ewin pilots in the final episodes of Mobile Suit Victory Gundam, combining the base V2 Gundam with additional Assault and Buster armor parts.
02The Core Block System lets the suit split into a Core Fighter plus separate Hanger (upper body) and Boots (lower body) units, a design meant to improve pilot survivability by letting the cockpit eject independently of the rest of the frame.
03This MG version was a Premium Bandai exclusive released in December 2018, distinguished from a standard release by its gold metallic-finished armor parts in place of plain molded yellow.
04The Assault-Buster configuration also received an HGUC release, where reviewers flagged similar stability and articulation trade-offs from the added shoulder cannon and backpack weight, a pattern that carries into this MG.