Gunpla Grades Explained: HG, RG and MG for Your First Build

Walk up to the Gunpla shelf for the first time and the boxes read like a code: HG, RG, MG, 1/144, 1/100, Ver.Ka. It is less complicated than it looks. Bandai sorts its Gundam model kits into grades, and the grade tells you roughly how big the finished model is, how many parts are in the box, and how much of an evening (or a weekend) you are signing up for. Here is how we explain it to people at the counter.

The grades, from first kit to centerpiece

Every Gunpla kit snaps together. You do not need glue or paint to get a good-looking model, and the plastic comes molded in color. What changes from grade to grade is scale, part count and how the inside is built.

• Entry Grade (EG), 1/144. The simplest kits Bandai makes. Big parts, few steps, and some can be built without tools at all. Great for kids or for anyone who wants to see if the hobby clicks before spending real money.
• High Grade (HG), 1/144. The heart of the line and the biggest selection by far. A finished HG stands about five inches tall, builds in an evening or two, and covers nearly every Gundam series. Prefixes like HGUC, HGCE, HGAC and HGAW just tell you which timeline the suit comes from.
• Real Grade (RG), 1/144. Same size as an HG, but with a full inner frame and a lot more detail packed in. Lots of small parts, so expect a slower, fiddlier build. Rewarding once you have a couple of HGs behind you.
• Master Grade (MG), 1/100. Bigger (around seven inches), with an inner skeleton, more articulation and more engineering surprises. Most builders call an MG their first real project. Ver.Ka kits are MGs redesigned by mechanical designer Hajime Katoki, usually with sharper detailing and extra decals.
• Perfect Grade (PG) and other specialty grades. Large, expensive, showpiece kits. Worth knowing they exist; not where we would start anyone.

A simple rule of thumb: start with an HG, move to an MG when you want a bigger build, and try an RG when you want maximum detail in a small footprint.

What we would hand a first-time builder

If you are just getting started, pick the suit you think looks coolest. That matters more than anything else, because you will finish a kit you care about. That said, a few kits from our current Gunpla shelf make especially good first builds:

• HG Gundam Barbatos from Iron-Blooded Orphans. Clean, chunky design, a quick build, and an easy price for a first try.
• HG Leo from Gundam Wing. A grunt suit, which means a simple layout and a great kit for practicing panel lining or a first paint job.
• HG RX-78 GP01Fb from Stardust Memory. Classic white-and-blue Gundam styling with a bit more going on than the basics.
• HGCE Infinite Justice Gundam Type II and the HG Legend Gundam for Gundam SEED fans who want a newer-style HG with more parts and color separation.

Ready for a step up? The MG Master Gundam and MG Z'Gok Char Custom are approachable Master Grades with a lot of personality. The MG Crossbone Gundam X1 Ver.Ka, MG Unicorn Gundam 02 Banshee Ver.Ka and MG Nu Gundam Ver.Ka are the kind of kits people build to put on a shelf and look at for years. If you want the Real Grade experience, the RG Wing Gundam is a classic, and the RG Akatsuki Gundam Oowashi Unit is a gold-plated showpiece.

Our stock moves quickly and changes week to week, so check the Gunpla collection for what is on the shelf right now.

One tool is worth buying with your first kit: a pair of nippers. Cutting parts off the runner instead of twisting them leaves clean edges instead of torn plastic and white stress marks. The Bandai Spirits Entry Nipper is an inexpensive place to start, the Entry Tool Set adds the basic cleanup tools, and the DSPIAE single-blade nipper is there when you want nearly invisible cut marks. Paint is optional. If you do want to paint, the same acrylic lines we carry for miniatures work well on Gunpla.

We carry Gunpla, Pokemon model kits and other Bandai plastic models at both of our stores, in Pikesville, Maryland and Lemoyne, Pennsylvania, and we ship nationwide from stevensongames.com. Stop in if you want to see a kit's box in person or ask which grade fits you. Whether it is your first HG or your tenth Master Grade, we are glad to help you pick the next one.