MGUniversal Century

RX-121-2 Gundam TR-1 [Hazel II] Early Type / RGM-79Q Hazel Reserve Unit / GM Quel

One P-Bandai box, three Titans test suits, and a backpack mold that finally does the tri-booster justice.

MechaGrade Score

3.8/5

Gundam TR-1 [Hazel II] Early Type / RGM-79Q Hazel Reserve Unit / GM Quel · 1/100 · 2019

GradeMG

Scale1/100

Released2019

Runnersn/a

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The verdict

This is a value proposition dressed up as a model kit, and I mean that as a compliment.

You get runners that build the Hazel II Early Type, the GM Quel, or the GM Quel's Hazel Reserve Unit form, and you only commit to one per box, which is exactly the kind of choice Gunpla collectors love arguing about online. The new tri-booster backpack is the real star here, it poses in ways the older Hazel kits in this family never could. It is a P-Bandai exclusive niche pick, not a starter kit, but if you already know the Advance of Zeta story it earns its spot on the shelf.

Best for: UC completionists and Advance of Zeta fans who want a Titans test-unit MG with real building choices

The full review

What it is

This kit lands in the middle of the Hazel/GM Quel MG family, and it shows in a good way. Bandai built it as a proper three-in-one, Hazel II Early Type with the new white cheek vents and wrist armor, the plain GM Quel, or the GM Quel's Hazel Reserve Unit configuration if you swap the head. The genuinely new part is the tri-booster backpack, an all-new mold that replaces the older Sturm Booster arrangement and lets the whole rig tilt and swing instead of sitting stiff. Building it feels like assembling a transitional Titans test mule with real design intent behind every panel, not a reused mold dump.

The catch

This is P-Bandai exclusive territory, so expect secondary-market pricing well above a retail MG and no guarantee of a restock. You are also choosing one build, not three, so whichever configuration you skip stays unbuilt unless you track down a second kit or scavenge parts from the older MG Hazel Custom line. The giant tail binder and tri-booster add real weight to the back, and like the HG version in this same lineup, the balance takes some getting used to when the unit is posed with the booster raised. The included right hand only holds weapons, there is no closed fist option, which limits some poses.

Who it's for

This is for builders who already have a soft spot for the Titans test-team side stories and want the definitive modern kit for Chap Adel's era of hardware, not someone looking for a first Gundam build or an impulse pickup. If you already own the MG GM Quel or MG Hazel Custom and want the missing Early Type variant with a backpack that actually poses, this is worth hunting down. If you just want a recognizable Amuro-and-friends Gundam for the shelf, skip this one and grab a mainline RX-78-2 or Zeta kit instead, the lore payoff here only lands if you know the source material.

What works

Three build options from one box (Hazel II Early Type, GM Quel, Hazel Reserve Unit) gives real choice instead of a single fixed loadout
All-new tri-booster backpack mold poses and swings far better than the older Sturm Booster setup in this kit family
Full weapon loadout, beam rifle, GM rifle, beam saber, and shield, plus water-transfer decals for proper Titans Test Team markings

Worth knowing

P-Bandai exclusive pricing and availability, expect to pay more than a standard retail MG and possibly hunt for stock
Only one of the three configurations gets built per kit, the other two stay theoretical unless you buy again
Heavy tail binder and tri-booster shift the balance point, and the right hand is weapon-grip only with no closed fist

Sold? Grab it.

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The build story

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

The build leans on the established GM Quel and Hazel Custom MG frame, so anyone who has built earlier kits in this family will recognize the joint layout and gate placement fast. The new tri-booster runner is where the attention clearly went, the parts fit with more precision than the rest of the kit and the hinge points feel purposeful rather than reused filler.

Color separation follows typical MG standards for this line, molded plastic handles the bulk of the Titans grey and white, with decals carrying the unit markings and warning stripes. Articulation is solid for a boxy Titans test suit, the shoulders and hips have real range, though the ankle joint could use a touch more vertical travel for deep stances. For the price of admission you are getting three suits worth of design research condensed into one thoughtfully engineered backpack and frame.

Lore & trivia

01The Hazel II is featured in Advance of Zeta: The Flag of Titans, a UC 0084 side story following the Titans Test Team aboard the Alexandria-class carrier Aswan, well before the events of Zeta Gundam.
02The 'Early Type' designation marks the Hazel II before its crest-shaped head sensor was installed and before it received the Titans Test Team's yellow pinstriping, distinguishing it from the suit's later, more finished appearance.
03This kit reuses and expands on runners from the earlier MG GM Quel and MG Hazel Custom releases, with an all-new tri-booster backpack mold built specifically for the Hazel II's booster pack.
04The kit's three-in-one build options mean it can represent the Hazel II Early Type, the plain RGM-79Q GM Quel, or the GM Quel's Hazel Reserve Unit form depending on which head and parts a builder chooses to attach.