MGUniversal Century

RX-93 ν Gundam "Ver.Ka" [GDHKIII LIMITED]

Katoki's psycho frame reveal, dressed up for a Hong Kong exclusive and still built like an enthusiast's dream kit.

MechaGrade Score

4.3/5

Nu Gundam · 1/100 · 2018

GradeMG

Scale1/100

Released2018

Runnersn/a

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The verdict

This is the Ver.Ka Nu Gundam at its core, a Hajime Katoki redesign that still holds up as one of the best-engineered MG kits Bandai has ever put out, wearing a limited-run coat of paint from the Gundam Docks Hong Kong III event.

I built the standard Ver.Ka years ago and the articulation alone justified the price then, and nothing about the engineering has aged since. The exclusive packaging and trim add collector value on top of a kit that was already excellent on its own merits.

Best for: Experienced builders who want the definitive Ver.Ka Nu Gundam engineering plus a piece of Gundam Docks Hong Kong III exclusivity

The full review

What it is

This is Katoki's modern take on Amuro's Nu Gundam, built around his G-Dome design language, and the psycho frame reveal is the reason to own it. Open the chest and forearm panels and you get a genuine look at exposed inner frame with psycho frame detailing underneath, not a painted-on suggestion of it. The hands use the same individually articulated finger system Bandai borrowed down from the Perfect Grade line, so you get real hand acting, not a fixed gunmetal fist. Waterslide decals handle most of the markings, which is a step up from the usual sticker sheet and pays off once it's built and under a light.

The catch

This is not a first-kit kind of build. Builders consistently flag it as more involved than a typical MG, with a part count and assembly logic that rewards someone who already has a few kits behind them. The fin funnels are the recurring complaint: the six included funnels use a finicky peg system to chain together, and mounted as a full set on one shoulder they tend to sag, pop loose, or tip the whole kit over without the included display stand doing the heavy lifting. There is also a foil sticker sheet for the psycho frame windows and camera lenses that some builders find fiddly to place cleanly, plus a color-correction sticker sheet to patch molded-color gaps.

Who it's for

Buy this if you already have a handful of MG builds done and want the engineering high point of the Nu Gundam line, or if the Gundam Docks Hong Kong III exclusive trim matters to you as a collector. The articulation, the frame reveal, and the finger detailing are worth the extra attention a build like this demands. Skip it if you are newer to Master Grade kits or want something you can finish in an evening, the funnel assembly and panel fitting will frustrate a first-timer more than they should. If you just want the Nu Gundam experience without the collector premium, the standard-release Ver.Ka gets you the same build.

The build story

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

Runner cleanup is standard MG-grade plastic with a bit more part density than usual, and the panel-opening gimmicks on the chest and forearms mean extra hinge and latch parts that need careful test-fitting before final assembly so the covers close flush. The waterslide decal set takes longer than stickers but the payoff on the shoulder and chest markings is worth the patience.

The engineering standout is the inner frame under the opened panels, genuine psycho frame detail rather than a suggestion of it, paired with the Perfect-Grade-style articulated fingers that let the hands do real acting instead of holding a fixed grip. Body articulation is excellent, with an extending abdominal joint that lets the torso crunch forward and bend back close to 90 degrees. Weapon loadout includes the hyper bazooka, beam rifle, twin beam sabers, shield, and the fin funnel set with foldable grip tabs designed for easier hand-holding, though as noted the funnels themselves are the one weak link in an otherwise well-thought-out package.

Lore & trivia

01The Ver.Ka redesign was done by mechanical designer Hajime Katoki as part of his G-Dome exhibit work for Gundam Front Tokyo, reinterpreting his own original Char's Counterattack production designs.
02The Nu Gundam was Amuro Ray's personal machine in Char's Counterattack, built around the psycommu system and equipped with fin funnels, remote weapons originally developed from Zeon bit and funnel technology.
03GDHKIII refers to Gundam Docks at Hong Kong III, a 2018 exhibition event that Bandai used as the venue for exclusive limited-run Gunpla releases, including this dressed-up version of the MG Ver.Ka.
04The kit includes six fin funnels standard, and Bandai later sold a separate Double Fin Funnel Expansion Set that lets the shoulder mount carry a full twelve.