The GAT-02L2 Dagger L is a mass-production multi-mode mobile suit featured in the anime series Mobile Suit Gundam SEED Destiny.

During the last months of the First Alliance-PLANT War, besides the mass-produced GAT-01 Strike Dagger, the Earth Alliance also produced in limited numbers the GAT-01A1 Dagger (aka 105 Dagger), which is the “true” mass production unit of the prototype GAT-X105 Strike Gundam. After the war, the EA stopped the production of the former and starts to mass-produce the latter.

Although GAT-02L2 Dagger L is the successor of the GAT-01A1 Dagger, it does not have the laminated armour but has superior weaponry and retains the ability to mount Striker packs. The Dagger L’s armament consists of four 12.5mm CIWS (twice the amount of CIWS than most other mobile suits have, and much smaller than the earlier mobile suit mounted CIWS weapons), two beam sabres, two rocket-propelled anti-armour penetrators and a physical shield for defence. The suit’s main weapon is a handheld beam carbine, and can optionally use a low-recoil cannon for anti-ship combat.

The High Grade Cosmic Era (HGCE) GAT-02L2 Dagger L is a 1/144 scale kit released in 2021. It is latest HG kit released by Bandai and the HG Dagger L shares some of the similar joint system with the Infinite Justice Gundam (hence the head unit is easily swappable and similar in scale). Also as a new kit, poly caps are not used but instead a series of spigot joints or hinges are used instead.

Due to been a newish mould, Bandai tolerances are much tighter, thus my personal opinion is that you will need to snip off some of the plastic tabs to help push pieces together if you decide to paint with primer and follow up with a top coat; the extra thickness of paint will restrict the pieces coming together.

The base price of this kit is relatively cheap compared to other kit; it is retail at about ¥1,200; whereas the Grand-daddy HGUC RX-78-2 Gundam (Revive) is ¥1,000. For a realtively cheap kit the articulations are also considered not bad and allow most basic dynamic movement without the use of polycaps.

The parts separation (in my humble opinion) is not something I will rave about for HG class. I am able to paint most of the parts separately with a bit of help from masking in different colours so if I choose. Masking is relatively straight forward since most to the parts has straight edges.

I was inspired my making it a Duster Gundam using the head of Infinite Justice Gundam and using a Buster Beam Rifle from Wing Gundam. I have also added 2 melee weapons at the elbows. I am relatively how the custom turns out; but I am not keen on the Infinite Gundam head and swapped it back to the original Dagger head.

See my side by side comparison to my other projects such as the Windam, Rogue Strike Gundam.

One of the nice thing about this Dagger L kit is that you have the same backpack connection as most of the Seed kits, with that I am able to use the Strike Rogue and Windam backpack.

I am currently going through a phase of Seed Fever! I have just built a Freedom Gundam and an Infinite Justice Gundam.