RE100Universal Century

Type89 Base Jabber (Unicorn Ver.)

A flying dock for your Jegans, not a mobile suit in its own right, and it knows exactly what it is.

MechaGrade Score

3.4/5

Base Jabber (Unicorn Ver.) · 1/100 · 2019

GradeRE100

Scale1/100

Released2019

Runnersn/a

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The verdict

This is a diorama piece dressed up as a kit, and once you accept that, it delivers.

The Base Jabber isn't here to flex articulation or engineering, it exists to give your Londo Bell Jegans and Jestas somewhere dramatic to stand. As that, the color molding and panel line work are genuinely better than a support vehicle this size has any right to get. Just don't buy it expecting a second mobile suit.

Best for: Unicorn era collectors who already own an MG or RE Jegan, Jesta, or Full Armor Unicorn and want a flight platform to display it on

The full review

What it is

The Type89 Base Jabber is Bandai's RE/100 take on the sub-flight system that ferries Jegans and Jestas around the battlefield in Gundam Unicorn, the same lineage of flying surfboard that hauled the nu Gundam into position back in Char's Counterattack. Assembly is quick and low-stress, the part count is small, and the panel lines and thruster detail on the nose and hover jets punch above what I expected from a support unit. The white and grey color molding matches the show almost exactly without a paintbrush, and the footrest actually slides on a rail so you can dial in how your mobile suit stands on it.

The catch

The friction-fit construction leaves visible seams down the sides of the hull, and there's no getting around it without seam work or paint. Articulation is essentially nonexistent since this is a vehicle, not a figure, the only moving part of note is that footrest rail. A few small details, sensor lenses and some cockpit trim, lean on stickers rather than molded color or clear parts, which stings a little given how good the rest of the color separation is. And it does not attach cleanly to every mobile suit despite the marketing, hip joint compatibility varies enough that you'll want to test-fit before you commit to a display pose.

Who it's for

Grab this if you're building out a Londo Bell display shelf and already have (or plan to have) an MG or RE Jegan, Jesta, or similar UC-era suit you want airborne. It's also a fun, low-effort weekend build if you just want something different from another humanoid kit in the queue. Skip it if you're expecting posability or a standalone centerpiece, this is a support piece meant to serve a mobile suit you already own, and it only really sings once something is standing on it. Check your intended mobile suit's foot and hip joint compatibility before ordering since not everything docks perfectly.

The build story

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

The build itself is fast and undemanding, simple part divisions mean you're not hunting for tiny nubs or fighting stubborn runners. Gate marks are light and cleanup is minimal, which makes this a relaxing between-projects build rather than a technical challenge. The tradeoff for that simplicity is the snap-fit shell construction, which produces noticeable seams on the sides of the hull that a builder chasing a clean finish will want to address with filler or careful painting.

Where this kit earns its keep is color separation and surface detail. The white and grey Unicorn-era scheme comes molded correctly out of the box, with separate white line pieces instead of stickers in most spots, though a handful of sensor and cockpit details still rely on stickers or a dab of paint for the dark blue trim. The rear grip, side stand joint, and MS connection joint round out the accessory set, and the sliding footrest rail is the one genuinely clever engineering touch, letting a mounted mobile suit lean into a more dynamic stance than a fixed dock would allow.

Lore & trivia

01The Base Jabber sub-flight system first appeared in Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam, sharing design lineage with Zeon's earlier Dodai YS bomber from the One Year War.
02In Char's Counterattack, a Base Jabber was used to ferry the RX-93 nu Gundam from the Von Braun colony into the final battle.
03In Mobile Suit Gundam Unicorn, Type89 Base Jabbers see heavy use by Londo Bell to shuttle RGM-89 Jegans and other UC-era mobile suits into combat as late as UC 0096.
04The kit is designed to dock with 1/100 scale mobile suits sold separately, with Bandai specifically recommending the MG Jegan, Jesta, Jegan D Type, and Jesta Cannon as compatible boarding units.