MGEX Kits Explained: 7 Items, Only 3 Regular Releases

MGEX looks like a full grade, but Bandai's list holds only three regular MGEX kits across six and a half years, and the third is not out until March 2027. If you are pricing MGEX kits, the useful question is which of those three you can still get in the US, and whether a Perfect Grade of the same suit makes more sense. One odd fact frames it: in Japan, the 1/100 MGEX Unicorn Gundam Ver.Ka lists above the 1/60 PG Unicorn.

What are MGEX kits? (quick answer)

MGEX kits are 1/100 Master Grade kits built around one "extreme" theme each: lights, metal finish or plated sparkle. Bandai's Japanese page calls MGEX an "MG high-end brand". There are three regular releases and four limited editions. If you want one you can buy today in the US, start with the 2022 MGEX Strike Freedom.

Key Takeaways

• MGEX = Master Grade Extreme, 1/100 scale, age mark 15+ on every MGEX item page we read.
• 7 items, 3 regular kits: Unicorn Gundam Ver.Ka (Sep 2020), Strike Freedom (Nov 2022), Mighty Strike Freedom (scheduled for March 2027).
• 4 limited editions: two Premium Bandai items, one Gundam Base edition and the ¥66,000 Twilight Coating event edition.
• Price is not tied to grade: the MGEX Unicorn lists ¥1,100 above the PG Unicorn in Japan.
• US, Oct 28: Strike Freedom $183.00 to $184.95 in stock; Unicorn out of stock at Newtype and preorder full at USA Gundam Store; Mighty Strike Freedom listed at $279.99 to $280.95.

Overview: what Bandai means by MGEX

Bandai's English site lists the line as "MGEX [MASTER GRADE EXTREME]". The first kit's English page opens with "Gunpla 40th Anniversary! A high-end brand is born in MG!" and describes MGEX as a brand that "challenges MS's "extreme expression" based on the "theme" set for each aircraft". The Japanese pages put it more simply: an MG high-end brand. So MGEX is not a new scale or a new ladder step. It is Master Grade with a theme, at a higher price.

Each kit's theme is the point of the line. Bandai's Japanese pages number them: the first is the Unicorn Gundam, the second the Strike Freedom, the third the Mighty Strike Freedom. Our Gunpla grades explained guide shows where MG and PG sit around it.

Diagram: PlamoDesk. Data: Bandai Hobby Site (Japan), MGEX items; prices as listed, not launch prices.

The gaps are long. Twenty-six months passed between the first and second kits. The third is scheduled 52 months after the second.

Desk note: Our copy of Bandai's Japanese list (data/kits/catalog-jp.json) files 7 items under MGEX. Only 3 are regular releases; the other 4 went through Premium Bandai, the Gundam Base or an event. A US builder shopping regular stores is choosing from three kits, and one of them is not out yet. Our MGEX kit list keeps the full table with channels.

This guide covers those seven items, what each regular kit's theme means on Bandai's own pages, and US prices from three shops on Oct 28. It leaves out third-party upgrade parts. We have not built these kits; nothing here describes how they feel in hand.

Step-by-Step: choosing an MGEX kit

1. Decide between a regular kit and a limited edition. Three items are regular releases that US shops list. The Unicorn Ver.TWC was a Gundam Base item, the Twilight Coating an event item, and two more were Premium Bandai items. Our Premium Bandai exclusives guide explains how those reach US buyers, when they do.

2. Pick the theme you want. The Unicorn is about light, with an LED unit and three AA batteries you buy separately. The Strike Freedom is about metal finish on the inner frame. The Mighty Strike Freedom is about plated sparkle. These are different kits, not three versions of one idea.

3. Price the same suit in MG and PG first. In Japan, MGEX costs about three to 4.6 times the regular MG of the same suit. In one case it costs more than the PG. The comparison section below has the numbers.

4. Check US stock and the arrival estimate. On Oct 28 only the Strike Freedom was in stock at the shops we read. The Unicorn Ver.Ka was out of stock or behind a full preorder.

5. Check the reissue list before paying a premium. Bandai's January to March 2027 reissue list includes the MGEX Unicorn Gundam Ver.Ka at a new Japan price. A sold-out kit may come back, at a higher price.

The three regular MGEX kits

MGEX 1/100 Unicorn Gundam Ver.Ka (2020): light

The first MGEX kit went on sale on September 12, 2020, at ¥25,300 with tax (23,000 yen before tax on Bandai's English page). The theme, in Bandai's English text, is "Extreme "Light Emission Mechanism"". A button lights the eyes and head camera, then the psycho frame glows red and green. Bandai credits Hajime Katoki with supervising the proportions, and the kit includes a waterslide decal. The light needs "Three AA alkaline batteries (sold separately)". Our Unicorn Gundam kit comparison ranks it against the HGUC, RG, MG and PG versions.

Difficulty: age mark 15+; Bandai lists an LED unit, lead wires to the shield and a battery box in the MS cage. Pick it if lights are the reason you want the suit.

MGEX 1/100 Strike Freedom Gundam (2022): metal

The second kit came out on November 19, 2022, at ¥17,050 with tax (15,500 yen before tax). Bandai's Japanese page says it first: the theme is "the highest peak of metal expression in Gunpla history" (our translation). Six finishes do the work: three special processes, two metallic moldings and an etching seal. Bandai also claims the most frame-linked moving gimmicks in MG history. The box includes an Action Base and a papercraft runner stand for sorting runners, the plastic frames that hold the parts.

Difficulty: age mark 15+; Bandai lists an internal frame with frame-linked moving gimmicks. Pick it if you want an MGEX you can buy in the US this month.

The official GUNDAM CHANNEL INTL posted a long product video for this kit:

Video: GUNDAM CHANNEL INTL on YouTube (official), embedded.

MGEX 1/100 Mighty Strike Freedom Gundam (2027): sparkle

The third kit is scheduled for March 2027 in Japan at ¥26,400 with tax, with no day yet. Bandai's page calls it the third MGEX, with the theme 光彩表現, roughly "light and sparkle" (our translation). It adds mechanical core plating on colored plastic, which Bandai calls a first in Gunpla history. It is built on the 2022 Strike Freedom's frame, with some parts newly molded. That is ¥9,350 more than the 2022 kit, a 55% jump. Our MGEX Mighty Strike Freedom report covers the box contents and preorder terms.

Difficulty: age mark 15+; frame shared with the 2022 kit. Wait for it if the plating is what you want; skip it if you own the 2022 kit and only want the frame.

MGEX vs MG and PG: the same suit at three prices

MGEX does not sit at a fixed price between MG and PG. For the Unicorn Gundam, the MGEX lists ¥1,100 above the 1/60 PG. For the Strike Freedom, the PG costs ¥12,100 more than the MGEX.

Diagram: PlamoDesk. Source: Bandai Hobby Site (Japan) item pages, read Oct 28.

The MGEX Unicorn costs 4.6 times the MG Unicorn Ver.Ka. The MGEX Strike Freedom costs about three times its 2006 MG. Size does not explain any of it: MG and MGEX are both 1/100, and PG is 1/60. You are paying for the theme, the LED unit or the finishes.

The reissue makes the Unicorn gap wider. Bandai's January to March 2027 list moves the MGEX Unicorn Gundam Ver.Ka from ¥25,300 to ¥27,940 with tax, our transcription of the notice's price tables. The PG Unicorn is not on that list. Our Gunpla price increase 2027 tracker has every row.

GODEEPER: Weighing the 1/60 option instead? Perfect Grade's two generations, prices and LED add-ons. Perfect Grade Gunpla explained →

Which MGEX kits can you buy in the US?

One kit, on Oct 28: the 2022 MGEX Strike Freedom, in stock at Newtype for $183.00 and at Gundam Planet for $184.95. The Unicorn Ver.Ka could not be ordered at Newtype or USA Gundam Store; we did not read a Gundam Planet page for it. The Mighty Strike Freedom is a preorder at two shops and "Coming Soon" at Newtype. We read each shop's product page that evening, Vietnam time.

Diagram: PlamoDesk. Source: each shop's product page, read Oct 28.

The Strike Freedom was $1.95 apart at the two shops that had it. The Unicorn is the problem kit. Newtype showed it sold out, and USA Gundam Store's page read "Pre-order full", "Delayed", with no way to order. The Mighty Strike Freedom preorders sat within $0.96 of each other, but the arrival labels differ: Newtype's page gives a March 2027 release date, Gundam Planet says May 2027, USA Gundam Store says Q2 2027. For how each shop handles preorders and sold-out listings, see where to buy Gunpla in the US.

Tips

• Budget batteries for the Unicorn. Bandai's page lists three AA alkaline batteries, sold separately, for the lights.
• Read the bracket in the name. [TWILIGHT COATING], [Mechanical Clear] and Ver.TWC are separate items with separate prices, from ¥18,700 to ¥66,000 with tax.
• The Twilight Coating is an event item. Bandai's page labels it イベント (event) and lists it at ¥66,000 with tax, 3.9 times the regular Strike Freedom. Its page describes the Strike Freedom dressed in a beautiful white (our translation).
• Watch the 2027 Unicorn reissue. When the reissue lands, Japan's price becomes ¥27,940 with tax. US shops set their own prices.
• Shop titles add letters. Gundam Planet titles the 2022 kit "MGEX ZGMF-X20A Strike Freedom Gundam". Search by the suit name, not the full string.
• Keep the Action Base in mind. The 2022 Strike Freedom includes one, per Bandai's contents list; the Unicorn's list has a dedicated MS cage.

Common Mistakes

1. Treating MGEX as a scale. It is 1/100, like MG. A PG of the same suit is bigger at 1/60.
2. Assuming MGEX always sits below PG on price. The Unicorn MGEX lists ¥1,100 above the PG Unicorn in Japan.
3. Counting limited editions as kits you can order. Four of the seven items went through Premium Bandai, the Gundam Base or an event.
4. Reading "Pre-order full" as "coming soon". At USA Gundam Store it meant the Unicorn Ver.Ka could not be ordered on Oct 28.
5. Comparing yen across labels. Bandai's English pages show yen before tax; the Japanese pages include 10% tax. 15,500 yen and ¥17,050 are the same Strike Freedom.

What builders say

From r/Gunpla comments, read through the Arctic Shift archive:

• Snoo_55173 (October 2026), on the Twilight Coating: "slap a fancy coating on it, give it a shiny name, and charge an absolutely ridiculous amount of money. And the worst part? I'm still bloody tempted to buy it."
• introductiongold59 (October 2026): "You made people wait like 3 years for a new mgex and it's a glorified reprint of the last one."
• Weak-Collection3598 (October 2026): "Don't get me wrong, the MGEX Strike Freedom is a beast, but it's too over-the-top for my liking"
• Civil-Celebration560 (October 2026): "Is the mgex sf twilight coating from xunxin worth it? Bandai is too expensive."

Bandai's own wording on the Mighty Strike Freedom answers the "reprint" charge halfway: the frame is the 2022 kit's, and some parts are newly molded. The last comment weighs a "xunxin" version against Bandai's price. Before you buy any MGEX listing that does not name Bandai, our guide to spotting bootleg Gunpla shows how to check it.

GODEEPER: MGEX is not the same thing as Ver.Ka, even with Katoki on the Unicorn. Gunpla Ver.Ka explained →

Our take

Start with the MGEX Strike Freedom, the only MGEX kit we found in stock: $183.00 to $184.95. It costs about three times its 2006 MG in Japan, and the Mighty version adds ¥9,350 on the same frame. The Unicorn Ver.Ka lists above the PG Unicorn and was not orderable at the shops we read. Ignore this if lights are your reason to build; then wait for the 2027 Unicorn reissue. We recheck US stock when the Mighty Strike Freedom's March 2027 month arrives on the release calendar.

What we don't know yet

When the reissued Unicorn Ver.Ka reaches US shops, and at what price. Bandai's reissue list gives the Japan price, not a US date, and USA Gundam Store's page says "Delayed" and "New estimate Q4 2026". None of the Bandai pages we read names a fourth regular MGEX kit.

How we checked this

On Oct 28 we read Bandai's Japanese item pages for the five MGEX items that have pages on its hobby site, the English pages for the Unicorn Ver.Ka and Strike Freedom, and the MG and PG pages for the same two suits. The two Premium Bandai items come from our copy of Bandai's Japanese list (Oct 11); we did not request Premium Bandai. Reissue prices come from Bandai's notice. US prices come from each shop's product page that evening. Comments come from the Arctic Shift archive. We haven't built these kits.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is MGEX in Gunpla? MGEX means Master Grade Extreme. Bandai launched it in September 2020 with the MGEX 1/100 Unicorn Gundam Ver.Ka and calls it a high-end brand born in MG. Each kit gets one theme: light on the Unicorn, metal finish on the 2022 Strike Freedom, plated sparkle on the 2027 Mighty Strike Freedom.

How many MGEX kits are there? Seven items in our copy of Bandai's Japanese list, but only three regular releases: the Unicorn Gundam Ver.Ka (2020), the Strike Freedom (2022) and the Mighty Strike Freedom, scheduled for March 2027. The other four are two Premium Bandai items, one Gundam Base edition and one event edition.

What scale is MGEX? 1/100, the same as Master Grade. Every MGEX item name in our copy of Bandai's Japanese list starts with MGEX 1/100. Perfect Grade is 1/60, so an MGEX kit is smaller than a PG of the same suit even when it costs more, as the Unicorn Gundam does in Japan.

Is MGEX more expensive than PG? Sometimes. In Japan the MGEX Unicorn Gundam Ver.Ka lists at ¥25,300 with tax, ¥1,100 above the 1/60 PG RX-0 Unicorn Gundam at ¥24,200. The MGEX Strike Freedom goes the other way: ¥17,050 against ¥29,150 for the 2010 PG Strike Freedom. Compare the same suit, not the badge.

Which MGEX kit can I buy in the US right now? The 2022 MGEX Strike Freedom was in stock at Newtype for $183.00 and at Gundam Planet for $184.95 on Oct 28. The Unicorn Ver.Ka was out of stock at Newtype, and USA Gundam Store's preorder for it was full. The Mighty Strike Freedom is a preorder near $280 at Gundam Planet and USA Gundam Store.

What is the next MGEX kit? The MGEX 1/100 Mighty Strike Freedom Gundam, scheduled for March 2027 in Japan at ¥26,400 with tax. Bandai's page calls it the third MGEX and says it uses the Strike Freedom's frame with some newly molded parts. US shops list it for March, May or Q2 2027.

Related Reading

• SEED FREEDOM ZERO Gunpla: the first kits from the next SEED film, December 2026 to April 2027.
• Destiny Gundam Gunpla kits: the Strike Freedom's SEED Destiny partner, from HGCE to MGSD.
• HG vs RG vs MG: one suit across the three main grades, before you jump to MGEX.
• Gunpla Tools Guide: nippers and tweezers for a long 1/100 build.
• Gunpla Release Schedule 2026: how Bandai's monthly schedule works, and where reissues show up.

References

• Bandai Hobby Site (Japan): MGEX Unicorn Gundam Ver.Ka, MGEX Strike Freedom Gundam, MGEX Mighty Strike Freedom Gundam, MGEX Strike Freedom Gundam [TWILIGHT COATING], MGEX Unicorn Gundam Ver.TWC (Gundam Base), MG Unicorn Gundam Ver.Ka, PG RX-0 Unicorn Gundam, MG Strike Freedom Gundam, PG Strike Freedom Gundam, reissue price notice
• Bandai Hobby Site (English): MGEX brand page, MGEX Unicorn Gundam Ver.Ka, MGEX Strike Freedom Gundam
• Newtype: MGEX Strike Freedom Gundam, MGEX Unicorn Gundam Ver.Ka, MGEX Mighty Strike Freedom Gundam
• Gundam Planet: MGEX Strike Freedom Gundam, MGEX Mighty Strike Freedom Gundam
• USA Gundam Store: MGEX Unicorn Gundam (Ver.Ka), MGEX Mighty Strike Freedom Gundam
• GUNDAM CHANNEL INTL: MGEX 1/100 Strike Freedom Gundam Long PV
• r/Gunpla comments via Arctic Shift: Snoo_55173, introductiongold59, Weak-Collection3598, Civil-Celebration560