It is time to finally (finally!) chronicle a build that I did all the way back in December 2021. It was right after finishing the Real Grade Nu Gundam. Despite feeling exhausted after that gauntlet of a build, I still felt compelled to knock out one more model before taking a nice holiday rest. Something quick and simple that I could “relax” with.
It ended up being quicker and simpler than I even imagined. I started it on December 7th, and finished it up by the 13th, less than a week later. Which was a bit of a problem, because at the time I had yet to finish watching the show that the model came from. So now I had a mobile suit that I didn’t know enough to talk about. Even worse, this suit is the mid-season upgrade in its respective series, and I didn’t have its predecessor MS to compare it to.
That’s why I put it on the shelf until the time when I could discuss it properly. Which, as it turns out, is now, almost a year later.
Let’s finally (FINALLY!!!) talk about the High Grade Victory Two Gundam:
About the Victory Two Gundam
As the name implies, the V2 is the midseason upgrade to the original Victory Gundam (which I’m going to refer to from here on out as the V1).
In many ways, the V2 is identical to the V1. They use the same Core Block System, in which its Core Fighter can attach to - and operate with - just one of the other two blocks.
They also use the same basic weapons loadout, including a beam shields, beam sabers, and a similar-looking beam rifle (the V2’s rifle allows for a grenade launcher attachment, otherwise they’re identical).
Both mobile suits can also be augmented with additional weapon and gear via hardpoints:
That’s all well and good, but what exactly is it about the V2 that makes it an upgrade over the original? It mainly comes down to one new feature, which ends up being an absolute game changer (and also makes the V2 one of the most powerful Gundams in the setting of the Universal Century).
That would be the Minovsky Drive System. I’ll let the Gundam Wiki explain:
The most important upgrade, however, was the Minovsky Drive System, which was derived from the Victory Gundam's Minovsky Flight System and provided the unit with unparalleled power and maneuverability. This system allowed the V2 to fly in space without the use of conventional rocket thrusters (though some were still incorporated for maneuvering) and achieve incredible speeds. If used on Earth, the Minovsky Drive allowed the V2 to hover in mid-air without additional support, a significant advantage over the beam rotor technology used by Zanscare's mobile suits.The Minovsky Drive can also be used for both offensive and defensive purposes, sometimes simultaneously. The system's high-energy exhaust plumes manifested as a giant pair of wings ("Wings of Light"), which could be used as either gigantic beam sabers or as massive beam shields to shield both the Gundam itself and other targets. The defensive ability of the Wings of Light is nigh-unbreakable, if not absolute: not even the ZMT-S29S Zanneck's beam cannon, which could hit targets on Earth from high in the atmosphere, could penetrate them.
The Wings of light don’t show up immediately, since Uso takes a while to figure out how to use them. But once he does (and once he really masters them), he becomes nigh unstoppable:
Think about it - imagine being an enemy pilot, and watching this tiny mobile suit fly toward you faster than you can track, only to cut you in half with the exhaust of its wings. Or imagine locking on with a clean shot, only for the wings to absorb the blow. There’s a good reason why most fans consider it to be God Tier among UC mobile suits.
A Few Observations about the Wings of Light
First, the Wings alternate colors between blue and red:
The show is never explicit in explaining why, but my guess is that it depends on how hard the suit is being pushed (with red meaning it's running at maximum power).
Second, the Wings can change their shape and size. They can get at least this big:
This is why Uso is able to use them to cut battleships in half.
About the Visual Design
When comparing the V2 to the V1, it’s not just their weapons and systems that are similar. Even their bodies are largely the same:
Aside from some minor visual tweaks (and a few color changes), the head, feet, legs, arms, and skirt armor are of a kind. It’s only the upper torso that’s drastically different, and that’s on account of the Minovsky Drive System (it’s the reason for the big vents/thrusters coming out of its back).
Of course, there’s also the color change to consider. The V2 has almost no red anywhere on its body, instead leaning heavily on light blue and yellow/gold. Which brings me to an observation: visually the V1 and V2 are two sides of the same coin. The of the V1 is evocative of the French Cockade, while the V2’s colors are an obvious reference to French Blue and Gold.
And that’s to say nothing of the fact that there is a literal V in the chest. You know … for Victory. Maybe it’s a bit too on the nose, but I appreciate it.
But Which Do You Appreciate MORE ….?
You can’t ask me to choose between the V1 and the V2. That’s like asking me to choose between my children. I love them both for their own reasons.
(and now that I think about it, this isn’t even the only case where I like the baseline unit and the midseason upgrade equally. The same is true of the Gundam X and the Double X)
About the Model Kit
The High Grade V2 comes with the same number of accessories as the V1, right down to also having a scale model of the Core Fighter.
That makes a ton of sense, but it also means there is something missing - namely, the Wings of Light.
I’m of two minds on this. On one hand, I get it. The V1 and V2 are so similar that it makes all too much sense for the models themselves to be similar in their contents. On the other hand, the V2 feels a bit naked without its wings.
I guess I’d be more understanding if not for the fact that the Wings do exist - as an extra accessory that is/was exclusive to Premium Bandai. But we’ll leave that for another day …
Other Thoughts
There’s another High Grade Victory Two kit that comes with all the extra goodies and attachments (except the Wings of Light):
I had a choice between this and the standard one, and I think I chose the standard to save a few bucks. In retrospect that was a bad choice, but maybe my mistake can save you from making the same one.
Also, if they decided to make a bigger, pricier High Grade, why didn’t they just go all the way and add the Wings of Light? Come on Bandai.