The Witch from Mercury's final-act mech, the one Lauda Neill takes into the last fight
The MDX-0003 Gundam Schwarzette is the suit Jeturk Heavy Machinery had on the shelf for years before the GUND Format made it work. Once the format slotted in, the long-sidelined frame came back as a Gundam in the final stretch of Mobile Suit Gundam The Witch from Mercury. Lauda Neill takes it into combat in the run from episode 18 through to the series finale.
The kit is for builders who want the Witch from Mercury articulation and stability in a darker, sharper silhouette. Black and purple armour, six Bit Staves that combine into one massive sheath on the back, and a beam blade that draws from inside that sheath. It is one of the most striking HG silhouettes in the line, and the engineering matches the look.
Build difficulty
Standard HG 1/144 snap-fit. Bandai rate it age 8 and over, which puts it within reach of newcomers to the hobby. Mecha Express tags it both beginner and intermediate: a confident first-timer can manage it, and an intermediate builder will appreciate the Guardian weapon assembly. Expect 3 to 5 hours at a relaxed pace for a clean snap, longer if you panel line or apply the included stickers carefully. The Guardian assembles in stages and the Bit Stave geometry takes a careful read of the manual the first time. No glue. No paint required to look right out of the box.
Technical highlights
Colour separation is the headline. Builders consistently note that the kit reproduces the dark colour scheme through moulded parts rather than colour-correcting stickers, with the head vulcans even separated as their own pieces. The shell unit inside the Guardian is reproduced with a plastic seal so the inner glow reads without paint. Ball joints in the neck and waist carry the standard Witch from Mercury frame, with extra space for anterior and posterior leaning. The kit ships with the standard HG hand set plus one open left hand for relaxed posing, and the Guardian weapon is a single large unit that breaks into 6 Bit Staves for the deployed and Marionette configurations.
What makes this kit special
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Three configurations from one set of parts. Guardian Sheath (default, large back-mounted scabbard), Guardian Draw (Bit Staves deployed around the central Beam Blade), and Guardian Marionette (Bit Staves attached to hardpoints across the suit, the anime's final-form silhouette).
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Six Bit Staves built in. Four offensive, two defensive. Each Bit Stave detaches and can be displayed individually, replicating the Omni-Azimuth Laser scene from the anime when fanned out.
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Standout colour separation. No colour-correcting stickers on the dark purple and black armour. Builders rate this kit's separation as one of the strongest in the Witch from Mercury HG line.
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Plastic-seal shell unit. The inner Guardian shell unit is reproduced with a moulded plastic seal for a built-in colour pop without paint.
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Standard Witch from Mercury articulation. Same ball-joint engineering as the rest of the HGTWFM line, with anterior and posterior leaning at the neck and waist.
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Final-arc design. The Schwarzette only appears from episode 18 onward, including the series finale, so it carries that late-arc visual weight for collectors completing a Witch from Mercury display.
What's in the box
- Runners for the MDX-0003 Gundam Schwarzette
- 1 × Large Guardian weapon, breaks into 6 Bit Staves (4 offensive, 2 defensive)
- 1 × Beam Blade effect part
- 1 × Open left hand
- Standard HG hand parts set
- 2 × Sticker types (foil and clear)
Compatible kits and accessories
This is a mobile suit kit, not an accessory. The Schwarzette uses the standard 3 mm back-mount socket, so it pairs with the standard Bandai action base posing system.
No display base is included with the kit. For dynamic poses of the Guardian Draw and Marionette configurations, pair the Schwarzette with the Bandai Action Base 2, the standard 1/144 display stand. For posing the Bit Staves in their detached configurations, the separately-sold Witch from Mercury Display Base is the matching accessory.
Build your Witch from Mercury collection
The Schwarzette sits at the end of the Witch from Mercury cast. These in-stock WFM kits at Mecha Express pair well with it on the shelf:
Build specifications
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Series: Mobile Suit Gundam The Witch from Mercury
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Grade: HG (High Grade), HGTWFM
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Scale: 1/144
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Mobile Suit: MDX-0003 Gundam Schwarzette
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Pilot: Lauda Neill
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Faction: Jeturk Heavy Machinery (Benerit Group)
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Manufacturer: Bandai Spirits
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Kit packaged weight: 280 g (in retail box, 302 × 92 × 60 mm)
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Barcode (EAN): 4573102650245
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Skill Level: Mecha Express tags it beginner and intermediate, Bandai rate it age 8 and over
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Assembly method: Snap-fit
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Paint required: No
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Special features: Three-mode Guardian weapon system (Sheath / Draw / Marionette), six detachable Bit Staves, plastic-seal shell unit, standard Witch from Mercury articulation
Perfect for
- Witch from Mercury collectors building the antagonist side of the shelf
- Builders who want a darker silhouette next to the hero Aerial line
- Beginner and intermediate HG builders ready for a kit with a more involved weapon assembly than a basic Aerial
- Anyone hunting the final-act villain Gundam from the series, rather than the hero suits
- Display-focused builders who want a kit that holds three distinct weapon configurations on the shelf
Fast Australian shipping
Dispatched same day from our Brisbane warehouse if ordered before 2pm AEST on weekdays. Free shipping Australia-wide on orders over $199. Genuine Australian stock in hand, not ordered through an overseas proxy. Packed securely in a sturdy outer box with water-soluble cornstarch void fill that dissolves cleanly in the sink.
What to watch for
Based on verified builder feedback from independent reviewers:
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The Guardian weapon is heavy for the hand grip. One reviewer noted that when the Bit Staves are fully assembled into the large claymore configuration, the hand parts struggle to hold the weight in most active poses. The fix is to display it back-mounted (its default position) or to rest the tip on the floor of your display in a planted stance.
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The horns are small and fine. One builder warned about the antenna and horn pieces being thin enough to flex. Take extra care during runner removal and clean-up.
Builder Tips. A black or grey panel line marker sharpens the dark armour seams without overpowering them. The included foil sticker for the shell unit reads well as-is, but a thin coat of clear orange or clear yellow over the plastic-seal piece gives the inner unit a stronger glow if you want to push the look. If the Bit Staves feel loose when first detached, a tiny dab of clear cement on the connection pegs locks them in for posed display.
Build notes
No glue required for the standard build, this is snap-fit. A basic Gunpla tool kit (sharp side cutters or nippers, a hobby knife for clean-up, a panel line marker) is recommended though not essential. Allow 3 to 5 hours total build time at a relaxed pace, longer if you panel line, apply the sticker sheet carefully, or take time with the Guardian's separation gimmicks. Recommended age 8 and over per the Bandai box.
Last updated: 23 June 2026 (AEST)
