MGUniversal Century

XM-X2ex Crossbone Gundam X2 Custom "Ver.Ka"

A Katoki redesign that trades easy building for the meanest silhouette in the Crossbone lineup.

MechaGrade Score

3.7/5

Crossbone Gundam X2 Custom "Ver.Ka" · 1/100 · 2017

GradeMG

Scale1/100

Released2017

Runnersn/a

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The verdict

This is a kit you build for the shape, not for a relaxing evening at the workbench.

Katoki Hajime's Ver.Ka pass gives Zabine Chareux's black and violet X2 a genuinely menacing profile, the Buster Launcher alone makes the box worth it, but the frame underneath shows its 2017 age with stiffer joints than a modern MG. I came away impressed by how it looks standing still and a little frustrated by how much fuss it takes to get there.

Best for: Ver.Ka collectors and Crossbone fans who want the definitive X2 on the shelf and don't mind fighting the wrists a little for it

The full review

What it is

This is the Premium Bandai exclusive Ver.Ka reinterpretation of the X2, the second Crossbone Gundam piloted by Zabine Chareux, done up in Katoki's signature sharper, more mechanical take on the design. The black and deep violet color scheme calls back to the Black Vanguard heritage of the original Crossbone Vanguard, and the kit backs that look up with real hardware: a new sculpt for the distinctive horned head, a newly designed Shot Lancer, a clear beam shield, and the huge fold-out Buster Launcher that is genuinely the star accessory here. Building it feels like assembling a weapon platform first and a Gundam second, and I mean that as a compliment.

The catch

The frame is a 2017 Ver.Ka design and it feels it next to newer MGs, several builders single out the wrists as the weak link, with joints so stiff that removing or repositioning the hand risks twisting it right off the peg. It also leans on the Ver.Ka playbook of masking, panel work, and a bit of reverse washing if you actually want the box art look rather than the flat molded colors, so this is not a snap-together-and-done kit. The Buster Launcher is imposing but heavy enough that some backpack sag shows up over time, and the part count skews toward detail bulk over lean engineering.

Who it's for

Buy this if you already like the Crossbone Gundam design or Katoki's Ver.Ka line and you want a kit that rewards patience with a striking, oversized silhouette rather than one you can knock out in an afternoon. It is a good pickup for builders who don't mind a little panel-lining and paint touch-up to get the finished look right. Skip it if you want buttery MG-standard articulation for dynamic posing, the wrist stiffness will annoy you fast, or if you'd rather start with a more current MG release before taking on an older, fussier Ver.Ka kit.

The build story

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

Runner cleanup and part fit are typical MG-era work, nothing brutal, but the wrist assemblies are the one spot where I'd slow down since the joint tolerance is tight enough that forcing a pose can pop the hand off its peg entirely. Expect to spend real time on the Buster Launcher's folding mechanism too, it is a satisfying piece of engineering once you understand how the barrel tucks down to a carry length, but the first assembly pass is fiddly.

Where this kit earns its keep is accessory loadout: the Zanbuster (Zanber cutlass plus Buster Gun combining into a beam rifle), the Shot Lancer, the clear beam shield, a Heat Dagger mounted right on the leg, and a Scissor Anchor tucked behind the front armor. That is a genuinely full arsenal for the price point, and the molded color separation on the black and violet scheme is close enough that a light panel line pass gets you most of the way to display quality without a full repaint.

Lore & trivia

01The X2 was piloted by Zabine Chareux, who later defected to the Jupiter Empire during the Crossbone Gundam manga's storyline.
02The black and violet color scheme was chosen specifically to reflect Zabine's origins in the Black Vanguard Squad of the original Crossbone Vanguard.
03This Ver.Ka release is a Premium Bandai exclusive redesign led by mechanical designer Katoki Hajime, distinct from the standard HGUC version of the same suit.
04The Buster Launcher's barrel folds 180 degrees on the actual kit engineering to reproduce the suit's compact carry configuration from its in-universe design.