The one they built to carry a nuke
After the One Year War the Earth Federation heard that Zeon remnants might be working on nuclear-capable mobile suits. Rather than wait, they built their own. The RX-78GP02A "Physalis" is the result, and everything about it follows from that job: heavy armour to survive its own blast, a shield thick enough to hide behind, and shoulder binders the size of a small car. Anavel Gato steals it in the opening act of Stardust Memory, and the shape of it has been intimidating people ever since.
This is the 1998 Master Grade, and at the time it was the largest and most involved kit Bandai had put out in the line.
Build difficulty
Sixteen runners. Even snap-fit and unpainted this is a few solid hours of work, and it is a genuine step up from a standard Master Grade in both part count and physical size. Nothing about the assembly is technically hard, it is just a lot of it. Comfortable for an intermediate builder, and worth attempting if you are confident rather than brand new.
Technical highlights
The atomic bazooka is the centrepiece and it is properly engineered. You can mount it in the hand in firing position, or break it into two pieces so the barrel stores inside the shield and the rest mounts on the back. The shoulder binders move, including the outer nozzle that pivots downward. Inner mechanism detail runs through the frame, and you get multiple sets of hands plus a beam sabre. Everything is moulded in colour and snaps together, with stickers for markings.
What makes this kit special
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Two-piece atomic bazooka: hand-held in firing position, or split so the barrel stows in the shield and the rear section mounts on the backpack.
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Articulated shoulder binders: the huge shoulder units move, and the outer nozzle pivots down.
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Sixteen runners: the biggest Master Grade of its generation, with the shelf presence to match.
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Multiple hand sets: swap between fists and weapon-holding hands for the pose you want.
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Inner mechanism detail: the frame underneath is built to be seen, not just to hold armour on.
What's in the box
- Sixteen runners of injection-moulded parts
- Polycap runner
- Atomic bazooka, separable into two sections
- Shield with internal bazooka barrel storage
- Beam sabre
- Multiple hand sets
- Sticker sheet for markings
- Instruction manual
Compatible accessories
No display base is included with the kit. Given how much the shield and bazooka weigh once they are on, a stand is genuinely worth having here rather than just nice to have. Pair it with the Bandai Action Base 4, the standard 1/100 display stand.
Build your Stardust Memory collection
The natural opposite number is the suit Kou Uraki chases him in. The Bandai 1/144 HGUC RX-78 GP01Fb is in stock now.
For more Zeon-side Master Grade weight on the shelf, the Bandai 1/100 MG Gouf Ver 2.0 is also available.
Build specifications
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Series: Mobile Suit Gundam 0083: Stardust Memory
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Grade: Master Grade (MG)
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Scale: 1/100
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Mobile suit: RX-78GP02A Gundam "Physalis"
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Pilot: Anavel Gato
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Faction: Earth Federation build, captured and flown by Zeon remnants
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Manufacturer: Bandai, Japan
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Original release: July 1998
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Runners: sixteen
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Kit packaged weight: 1110 g, retail box 39 x 31 x 12.3 cm
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Barcode (JAN): 4573102635365
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Skill level: 3
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Assembly: snap-fit, no glue required
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Paint required: no, parts are moulded in colour
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Special features: separable two-piece atomic bazooka, shield-mounted barrel storage, articulated shoulder binders
Perfect for
- Builders who want the biggest, heaviest silhouette on the Universal Century shelf
- Collectors working through the Gundam Development Project units
- Anyone who has wanted a Physalis since the first time they watched Gato steal it
- Intermediate builders ready for a high part count without technical difficulty
- Display-first collectors more interested in presence than deep posing
- Builders putting together an 0083 pairing with the GP01Fb
Fast Australian shipping
Dispatched same day from Brisbane if ordered before 2pm AEST on weekdays. Free shipping Australia-wide on orders over $199. Packed securely in a sturdy outer box with water-soluble cornstarch void fill that dissolves cleanly in the sink.
What to watch for
Posing is the recurring theme in builder discussion, and it is worth knowing before you buy. One builder who finished it summed it up as a kit with real flaws that is a bear to pose, while still saying it looks great on the shelf, and separate discussion of the kit keeps circling back to the same cause: the shield and the atomic bazooka are heavy, and hanging both off a 1998-era frame asks a lot of the joints.
The practical read is that this is a display kit more than an action-pose kit. Standing it in a clean, weight-forward stance looks superb. Trying to hold the bazooka out one-handed in a dynamic pose is where people run into trouble.
Builder tips: use the shield-mounted storage for the bazooka barrel when you are not posing it in firing mode, since it takes a lot of weight off the arms. A stand solves most of the balance complaints outright. If a hip or shoulder joint ends up loose, a thin wipe of clear nail polish on the peg, left to dry fully before reassembly, tightens it back up.
Build notes
No glue and no paint required. Nippers, a hobby knife and sanding sticks are enough, and the white armour is where nub marks show most, so it is worth cleaning those up. Set aside four to six hours across a couple of sessions for the full sixteen runners. Recommended age 15 and over.
Last updated: 5 August 2026 (AEST)