RGUniversal Century

MS-06R-1A Black Tri-Stars Zaku II (Triple Set)

Three aces, one jet stream attack, and a lot of the same great little RG frame to build three times over.

MechaGrade Score

4.1/5

Zaku II · 1/144 · 2018

GradeRG

Scale1/144

Released2018

Runnersn/a

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The verdict

This is the RG Zaku II High Mobility platform at its most theatrical, and I think it earns the premium.

You get three copies of a genuinely excellent small-scale kit, a triple action base built for the Jet Stream Attack pose, and the specific gear needed to build Gaia, Ortega, and Mash as individuals rather than clones. The engineering underneath is the same proven RG Zaku frame that's been winning people over since the line's earlier releases, so the fundamentals are not in question here. What is in question is whether you want to pay for three kits and a display base at once, and that's really the only thing holding this back from a higher score.

Best for: Zeon collectors and RG fans who want the full three-man Black Tri-Stars formation posed mid-attack, not just a single Zaku on a shelf

The full review

What it is

This is a Premium Bandai triple pack: three MS-06R-1A High Mobility Zaku II kits molded for the Black Tri-Stars color scheme, plus a triple action base so you can actually stage the Jet Stream Attack these three are famous for. Each kit uses the same RG Zaku II High Mobility engineering that's shown up across Shin Matsunaga and Johnny Ridden releases, and the set includes the parts to distinguish Gaia, Ortega, and Mash, right down to selectable heads and their signature fuel cartridge and shoulder details. Building one is satisfying on its own. Building three back to back, watching the same clever inner frame click together each time, is honestly kind of meditative, and by the third one you're moving fast and confident.

The catch

You cannot buy one. This is a set-only release, so the price reflects three full RG kits plus a dedicated action base, and that puts it well above a standard RG purchase even though each individual Zaku isn't asking for anything unusual. RG parts at 1/144 are small and the runners are dense, so gate marks land in visible spots on the black frame and cleanup matters more here than it would on a bigger kit. The polycap joints on RG Zaku kits also tend to loosen with repeated pose changes over time, which matters more when you're trying to lock three units into one dynamic diorama pose at once.

Who it's for

If you already love the RG Zaku II and want the definitive Black Tri-Stars display piece, this is the version to chase, the individualized parts and shared action base are exactly what a single kit can't give you. If you just want one good Zaku for your shelf, buy a standard RG or HG Zaku II instead and save the premium spend for this set later. Newer builders should know RG panel lines and small parts ask for a steady hand, and building three in one sitting is a real time investment, so plan a weekend rather than an evening.

What works

Same well-regarded RG Zaku II High Mobility inner frame and articulation across all three units, so the engineering quality triples right along with the part count
The triple action base turns three separate kits into one cohesive Jet Stream Attack display, which is the entire reason to own this over a single Zaku
Individualized details (selectable heads, Gaia/Ortega/Mash specific parts) mean these read as three distinct pilots, not three identical repaints

Worth knowing

Set-only pricing means you're committing to three kits and a base in one purchase, no option to build just one
Small RG runners put gate marks in visible spots on the black plastic, cleanup takes real patience across three builds
RG polycap joints can loosen over time with repeated repositioning, which is a bigger risk when you're holding a three-figure pose

Sold? Grab it.

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The build story

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

The build itself is classic RG Zaku II: dense runners, small connector parts, and an inner frame that goes together in stages before the outer armor snaps over it. Gate placement asks for careful nipper work since this is molded mostly in black and any white stress marks show. By the second kit the sequence is familiar enough that you're building with confidence, and by the third you're genuinely fast. None of the three units feel like a chore, they're just RG-scale fiddly in the way RG kits always are.

The standout engineering carries over from the base RG Zaku mold: a ball-jointed head with a monoeye that shifts on a gear when you turn it, double-jointed elbows and knees, a hip frame that tilts, and articulated skirt armor that gets out of the way of leg movement. Weapon loadout across the set covers the signature Zaku Machine Gun, Heat Hawk, Giant Bazooka, and Zaku Bazooka, and the color separation on the black, purple, and gray Tri-Stars scheme comes molded in rather than leaning on stickers. For part count and detail per kit, this matches what you'd expect from a standard RG Zaku, times three, plus the base.

Lore & trivia

01Gaia, Ortega, and Mash started out in dark sea blue MS-05B Zaku Is as the Mobile Training Battalion before adopting the black, purple, and gray scheme that made them famous
02The Black Tri-Stars debuted their signature Jet Stream Attack against Side 5 and later used it to sink five Federation ships, including the flagship Ananke, at the Battle of Loum
03This RG release reuses the High Mobility Type Zaku II mold that Bandai first built for Shin Matsunaga's and Johnny Ridden's custom Zakus, giving all three of these lines the same underlying engineering
04Mash was killed at Odessa when Amuro Ray broke through the Jet Stream Attack by using Gaia's mobile suit as a jumping platform, ending the trio's run as a three-man unit