MGUniversal Century

MG MS-06K Zaku Cannon

The Zaku II Ver 2.0 frame with a 180mm gun bolted on, and it works better than it has any right to.

MechaGrade Score

3.8/5

Zaku II · 1/100 · 2008

GradeMG

Scale1/100

Released2008

Runnersn/a

Check price on Amazon

Affiliate link. We may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.

The verdict

This is the Zaku II Ver 2.0 kit wearing artillery, and that pedigree is exactly why it holds up.

Bandai took the frame that made the 2008 Zaku II J-type a fan favorite and just changed the backpack and forearms, so you get all the posability of that kit plus a genuinely cool support-suit silhouette. It is not a top-tier MG when you judge the cannon assembly on its own, but as a Zaku variant it is one of the better ones on the shelf.

Best for: Zeon collectors who already like the Zaku II Ver 2.0 line and want a support-weapon variant with real shelf presence

The full review

What it is

This kit is built on the same hyper-articulated frame Bandai introduced with the MG Zaku II Ver 2.0, so the legs, hips, and shoulders move the way you want a Zaku to move, and that inner-frame work carries over almost entirely intact. What changes is the loadout: a detachable 180mm cannon unit clips onto the backpack with real mounting hardware, the forearms carry waist-slung rocket launchers and magazines, and you get both the standard head and the round-eyed rabbit-ear head as an option. Assembling it feels like meeting an old friend in new gear. The core build is familiar and satisfying, and the cannon turns a suit you already know into something with a completely different battlefield role.

The catch

The tubing on the cannon mount and the launcher assemblies is the one part of this build that builders consistently flag as annoying, the fittings are stiff and small enough that seating them properly can genuinely hurt your fingers. It is not a fast kit either, most builders report a couple of evenings rather than a single sitting once you account for the extra cannon parts and the two interchangeable heads. Because this is a J-type derivative rather than a space-capable MS-06 variant, the in-universe fiction locks it to ground deployment, which is a flavor note rather than a flaw but worth knowing before you pose it in a space diorama. Articulation is also very slightly reduced from a stock Zaku II because the shoulder cannon and the waist-mounted launchers get in the way of full range poses.

Who it's for

Buy this if you already have a soft spot for the Zaku II Ver 2.0 line or you want a Zeon support-suit that looks different from every other green (or in this case olive-drab) Zaku on your shelf. The MSV backstory, defending California Base as an anti-aircraft-turned-fire-support unit, gives it more personality than most obscure variants get, and the detachable cannon means you can display it with or without the gun for two different silhouettes. Skip it if you want your first Zaku kit to be simple, the tube assembly is fiddlier than a standard MG II, and skip it if you specifically want a space-loadout Zaku, this one is a ground-type through and through.

What works

Full Zaku II Ver 2.0 frame means excellent posability carries straight over from one of the best MG lines Bandai has made
Detachable 180mm cannon unit with real mounting points lets you switch between gunner and standard Zaku silhouettes
Comes with both the normal head and the rabbit-ear head plus a real weapon loadout: machine gun, bazooka, and heat hawk

Worth knowing

Tube and hose assembly around the cannon mount and launchers is stiff and fiddly, several builders specifically call out sore fingers
Slightly reduced articulation compared to a stock Zaku II because the shoulder cannon and waist launchers restrict some poses
Ground-type only per its MSV background, so it is not the kit to reach for if you want a space-deployed Zeon loadout

Sold? Grab it.

Check price on Amazon

Affiliate link. We may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.

The build story

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

The core assembly runs through the same Zaku II Ver 2.0 sequence Bandai fans already trust, snap-fit joints, clean part fit, and gates placed where cleanup does not scar visible surfaces. Where it slows down is the cannon backpack and the waist-mounted launcher units, the connecting tubes need to be seated into small ports and they do not go in gently, budget extra time and expect a little finger strain there specifically.

The payoff is real: the detachable 180mm cannon has proper mounting hardware rather than a glued-on afterthought, so you can pull it and run the suit as a cleaner Zaku silhouette or keep it mounted for the support-gunner look. Weapon loadout covers a Zaku machine gun, bazooka, and heat hawk axe, and the two head options (standard and rabbit-ear) let you pick which era of Zaku face you prefer without buying a second kit.

Lore & trivia

01The Zaku Cannon's design originated in Bandai's Mobile Suit Variations (MSV) series before later being folded into the Mobile Suit Gundam Unicorn novel and OVA continuity.
02In its MSV backstory, the MS-06J-12 project that produced the Zaku Cannon started as an anti-aircraft suit concept and was redirected toward mid-range fire support after the Earth Federation fielded the RX-77-2 Guncannon.
03This MG shares its frame with the MG MS-06J Zaku II Ver 2.0, giving it the same hyper-articulated joint system rather than a bespoke skeleton.
04The fictional squadron of nine prototype Zaku Cannons was said to have defended California Base under the command of Ian Graden through the end of the One Year War.