MGUniversal Century

RGM-96Xs Jesta (Shezarr Type, Team B & C)

The base Jesta gets a sniper's scope and a tripod cannon, and suddenly a grunt suit feels like a specialist.

MechaGrade Score

3.8/5

Jesta (Shezarr Type, Team B & C) · 1/100 · 2019

GradeMG

Scale1/100

Released2019

Runnersn/a

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The verdict

This is the standard MG Jesta wearing a very different hat, and I think that hat is worth the P-Bandai premium.

You get the same solid Jesta frame plus a whole new weapons loadout, a mega beam launcher on a tripod and a capture gun, that changes how the kit reads on the shelf. It is not reinventing anything mechanically, but the accessory swap gives it a purpose the vanilla release never had.

Best for: Jesta owners and Gundam Narrative fans who want the Operation Phoenix Hunt loadout on the shelf, not builders chasing frame innovation

The full review

What it is

This is the RGM-96Xs Jesta in its Shezarr configuration, the sensor-enhanced special ops variant Anaheim Electronics fielded during Operation Phoenix Hunt in Mobile Suit Gundam Narrative. Under the hood it is the same MG Jesta skeleton from 2009's spiritual predecessor, in the black and dark teal color scheme instead of Federation white. What sold me on it is the new Team B and C hardware bolted onto that familiar frame: a scope unit on the head, a tripod-mounted mega beam launcher borrowed conceptually from the ReZEL, and a capture gun for snagging the Phenex. It turns a serviceable grunt suit into something with an actual mission profile, and building it felt like getting a proper expansion pack rather than a straight rerelease.

The catch

This was a Premium Bandai exclusive, made to order only, so pricing ran above a standard retail MG and secondhand copies now carry a real collector markup. The core frame is over a decade old at this point, and builders of the original Jesta have flagged brittle plastic in the chest area and finger joints on the hand parts that dislocate easily and are fiddly to reseat. The tripod and launcher assembly adds bulk without adding poseability, it is more a display prop than an articulated component, so if you were hoping for a new frame under the new paint, this is not that.

Who it's for

Grab this if you already like the Jesta's boxy Federation-grunt silhouette and want the Narrative-specific loadout that tells the Phoenix Hunt story on your shelf, or if you are a completionist for the Unicorn timeline's side suits. Skip it if you are hunting for cutting-edge MG engineering, the frame underneath is the same 2009-era Jesta, or if you are not willing to pay P-Bandai secondary-market prices for parts you could largely 3D print or proxy. New builders should start with a mainline MG before chasing a limited variant like this one.

The build story

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

The build itself is straightforward MG-standard assembly, snap-fit inner frame under armor panels, and builders describe it as a satisfying entry point into Master Grade kits rather than a fussy one. The main complaints trace back to the base Jesta mold rather than anything new here, some panels in the chest feel thin and can crack under pressure, and the small finger joints on the hand parts dislocate easily and take patience to reseat correctly.

Where this release earns its keep is the new hardware. The scope-type sensor unit on the head and the tripod-mounted mega beam launcher, adapted from the same weapon concept used on the ReZEL, give Team B a proper sniper loadout, while Team C's capture gun rounds out the Operation Phoenix Hunt gear set. Color separation on the black and dark teal Shezarr scheme is handled well through molded plastic rather than leaning on stickers, and the standard Jesta accessories, beam rifle, beam saber, shield, hip-mounted grenades, all carry over.

Lore & trivia

01The Shezarr Type Jesta appears in Mobile Suit Gundam Narrative, where six units across three two-machine teams were deployed during Operation Phoenix Hunt to capture the RX-0 Unicorn Gundam 03 Phenex
02Team B's mega beam launcher and tripod combo repurposes a high-output beam weapon originally designed for the RGZ-95 ReZEL and its Commander variant
03This MG was a Premium Bandai made-to-order exclusive released in April 2019, reusing the 2009 MG Jesta frame with new head, weapon, and color tooling