Two of Gundam’s Rarest Exclusive Master Grade Kits Officially Return After More Than a Decade
Two sought-after Master Grade Gunpla kits from Gundam’s extensive MSV catalog are returning, with Bandai reopening orders for the Mass Production Type Hyaku Shiki Kai and heavily armed FA-78-2 Heavy Gundam.
Both originally debuted as Premium Bandai exclusives in 2015, making the new production runs another opportunity to pick up two Mobile Suit variations that have never joined the regular retail Master Grade lineup.
The “MG 1/100 Mass Production Type Hyaku Shiki Kai” comes from Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam MSV and transforms the familiar Hyaku Shiki into a production-oriented attack Mobile Suit developed for the AEUG.
Based on the MG Hyaku Shiki Ver.2.0, the kit adds newly molded parts for the Mass Production Type’s extended head, shoulder armor, backpack, and distinctive shoulder-mounted Beam Gatling Guns.
Two Beam Gatling Guns are included and can be mounted simultaneously across both shoulders, with rotating bases allowing their firing angles to be adjusted for different poses.
Its revised backpack receives additional mechanical detailing and can carry the included Clay Bazooka, while a Beam Rifle and pair of Beam Sabers complete the main weapons selection.
One of the kit’s biggest advantages is its convertible construction, as alternate parts allow builders to assemble a standard Hyaku Shiki instead of the Mass Production Type.
Unlike the familiar plated finish used on many Hyaku Shiki kits, the armor is molded in unplated gold plastic, making the surface considerably easier to paint or customize without first having to remove a metallic coating.
Both configurations are also compatible with the separately sold 1/100 Mega Bazooka Launcher and Ballute Pack, while water-slide decals include markings intended for either version of the Mobile Suit.
The second returning kit is the “MG 1/100 FA-78-2 Heavy Gundam,” an MSV design developed as a heavily armored evolution of the original Gundam and notable for replacing removable Full Armor equipment with armor integrated directly into the Mobile Suit.
Its 2015 Master Grade release was also the first conventional Gunpla kit of the FA-78-2, recreating its altered head, chest, shoulders, arms, backpack, waist, legs, and ankle armor with dedicated parts.
The defining accessory is the enormous Frame Launcher attached directly to the right arm, measuring around 17 cm long and combining multiple weapons into a single imposing unit.
A built-in Beam Cannon sits over the shoulder, while a Beam Saber is also included for close-range poses, and water-slide decals provide additional caution markings across the heavily armored exterior.
Japanese pre-orders for both Premium Bandai exclusives opened on September 4, 2026, with the “MG 1/100 Mass Production Type Hyaku Shiki Kai” priced at ¥6,490 (approx. $42 USD / £31 GBP) and scheduled to ship in February 2027.
The “MG 1/100 FA-78-2 Heavy Gundam” is priced at ¥5,390 (approx. $35 USD / £26 GBP) and will follow, with shipping scheduled for March 2027.
Neither re-release has been announced through Premium Bandai US at the time of writing, although Bandai frequently follows Japanese Gunpla restocks with separate US listings, making both kits worth watching for an international return.
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