Gundam Assemble Explained: $35 Starter Set, 6 Minis, 3 vs 3

If you want to try Gundam Assemble, Bandai's new miniatures game, buy Starter Set 01 and nothing else first. At Gundam Planet it costs less than one expansion pack: $34.95 for six miniatures, against $39.95 for three. That is the whole money advice. The rest of this page is what the game is, what is in the box and when it reaches the US.

TL;DR: It is a tabletop game, not a kit grade. You build and paint unpainted mobile suits of about 50mm, then play 3 vs 3 on a hex map with dice. Japan gets four items on Oct 31; Bandai Namco's US arm lists Starter Set 01 at $35 for October 2026, and US shops expect November or Q4. Checked Oct 14, 2026.

Verdict: Pick Starter Set 01 if you want to learn the game. Skip Paint Pack 01 until you know you like painting. Wait on the Deluxe Sets until you have someone to play with.

Key Takeaways

• What it is: a competitive miniatures game from Bandai, with unpainted miniatures of about 50mm.
• How it plays: squads of at least three units on a hex map; attacks are dice rolls.
• Starter box: six miniatures, six unit cards, 18 Tactics cards, a map, terrain, dice and a handbook. No paint.
• Japan: four items on Saturday, Oct 31; 15 items on Bandai's Japanese list through March 2027.
• US: $35 MSRP for Starter Set 01; shops quote November 2026 or Q4 2026.

Gundam Assemble explained: the quick answer

Gundam Assemble is a miniatures battle game, not a model kit line in the usual sense. Bandai Namco's US announcement describes a competitive tabletop game in which Gundam mobile suits are the pieces on the board. You assemble and paint the miniatures yourself, then fight squad battles where the terrain on the map matters.

Graphic: PlamoDesk. Data: Bandai Namco US post and Bandai Hobby Site item pages, checked Oct 14.

The miniatures are small. Bandai's item pages say about 50mm; its English game site says two-inch scale. Same thing. They are a separate format from the 1/144 HG kits in our Gunpla grades explained guide, sold as game pieces with cards and stats.

Bandai's item pages for the game sit under GUNPLA, next to the HG and MG kits, and name BANDAI TABLETOP GAMES as Bandai Hobby's label for its tabletop titles. It is not a grade, any more than the 30 Minutes Missions line is: same Bandai Hobby Site, its own rules. Here the rules are literal.

Overview: what is in the box

Diagram: PlamoDesk. Sources: Bandai Hobby Site item 01_7197 and Bandai Namco's US post, read Oct 14.

Starter Set 01 [ST01] (Official images) is built to be the only box you need for a first game. Bandai's page says it covers a full 3 vs 3 game and includes two scenarios. Bandai Namco's US post lists the six miniatures: the RX-78-2 Gundam, Char's Zaku II, Wing Gundam Zero EW, Gundam Epyon, Gundam Barbatos Lupus Rex and Gundam Vidar. Three series in one box.

The paper side: six unit cards with each unit's stats, 18 Tactics cards, two scenario objective cards, a game map, terrain pieces (paper on Bandai's list, cardboard in the US post), game tokens, a set of 10-sided dice, a handbook and two quick-reference sheets. There is no paint and no brush.

Desk note: At Gundam Planet's Oct 14 prices, a starter miniature costs $5.83 ($34.95 for six). An Expansion Pack 01 miniature costs $13.32 ($39.95 for three), and a Paint Pack 01 miniature $16.32, though that box also holds four paints and a brush. Of the five boxes we priced, the starter is the cheapest per miniature; Deluxe Set 01 comes closest at $7.46.

Diagram: PlamoDesk. Sources: Gundam Planet listings and Bandai item pages for the miniature counts, Oct 14.

Step-by-Step: your first Gundam Assemble game

1. Buy Starter Set 01 and nothing else. It has both squads, the map, the dice and two scenarios. Bandai Namco lists it at $35 MSRP in the US, age 15 and over.

2. Build the six miniatures. Bandai Namco's post says players assemble and paint them. The official site says the product does not come pre-painted. Plan a build session before game night.

3. Decide on paint later. The starter box has no paint. If you like the hobby side, Paint Pack 01 [PA01] (Official images) adds three more miniatures, four GUNDAM ASSEMBLE Color paints and a brush. Single bottles of that paint were $4.25 at USA Gundam Store and $4.50 at Gundam Planet on Oct 14. Our panel lining guide shows the simplest detail step before paint.

4. Set up the board and the Timeline. Each player places one Timeline token per unit on the round shown on its unit card. Shuffle your nine Tactics cards and draw three. The Timeline runs 10 rounds, then the next Phase starts.

5. Play your turns. When its round comes up, a unit may Advance up to three hexes, use a command ability and play a Tactics card. It must also take one Primary Action: Attack, Dash, Energize or Rescue. To attack, roll as many attack dice as the weapon's Strength. Primary actions move the unit's token forward on the Timeline by their cost, so a costly attack means a longer wait before that unit acts again.

6. Add one Expansion Pack when you want new units. Each pack has three unpainted miniatures; Gundam Planet's listing for Expansion Pack 01 also lists their unit and tactics cards. Expansion Pack 01 draws on Gundam Unicorn and Expansion Pack 02 on The Witch from Mercury, per Bandai's item pages.

7. Move to a Deluxe Set for bigger battles. Deluxe Set 01 [DX01] (Official images) brings 13 miniatures and 5 vs 5 battles with battleship-class units; Gundam Planet's listing says its main scenario is based on the Battle of A Baoa Qu. Deluxe Set 02 has 14 miniatures and an uneven 5 vs 3.

The official quick-play video covers the same basics:

Video: GUNDAM ASSEMBLE on YouTube (official channel, linked from Bandai's own pages for the game), embedded.

GODEEPER: Deluxe Set 01 and two more Expansion Packs are on Bandai's November schedule. Gunpla releasing in November 2026 →

When Gundam Assemble reaches US shops

Japan gets it first. Bandai's Japanese October schedule dates four items to Saturday, Oct 31: Starter Set 01 at ¥3,850, Expansion Packs 01 and 02 at ¥3,300 each and Paint Pack 01 at ¥4,290, all with tax. Bandai Namco's US post says Starter Set 01 launches in October 2026, but both US shops we checked expect it later.

The US price of an Expansion Pack is about $5 above the Starter Set at both shops. In Japan it is ¥500 below. Same plastic, opposite order.

The schedule is still moving. Deluxe Set 01's item page notes that Bandai changed its release month, dated Jul 15, and it now reads Nov. 2026. USA Gundam Store's Q1 2027 estimate for that box is later than its Q4 2026 estimate for Deluxe Set 02, a December item in Japan. Shop estimates are estimates; Gundam Planet's Starter Set page says its arrival month comes from the North American distributor and may slip.

Diagram: PlamoDesk. Sources: Bandai Hobby Site (Japan) schedules and item list, Oct 11 and Oct 14.

Bandai's Japanese list already runs to March 2027: Expansion Packs up to EX09, a Scenario Pack 01 at ¥4,400 and a Deluxe Set 03 at ¥14,300, with tax. Bandai Namco's US post says monthly releases follow the launch, with more than 30 items planned worldwide within a year. Our Gunpla release schedule 2026 guide tracks the dates month by month.

What players say about the rules

These are comments under the official quick-play video on YouTube, which the channel posted in March 2026. YouTube showed them as about seven months old on Oct 14.

• @MellowBun8: "The rules, at least, are simpler than Warhammer 40k. I now need them to release the background music for this video"
• @Quincy456: "So we're all going to scale this up to play with our HG's right?"
• @darkwingerx20: "No one to play with irl.. i hope this gets ported to tabletop simulator.."

One compares it to Warhammer 40k, one wants to bring the HG kits along, and the third, as we read it, names the real cost: a second player.

Tips: getting more out of the game

• Find opponents before you buy a Deluxe Set. Bandai Namco's announcement introduced an event platform, BANDAI TABLETOP GAMES, for finding events, registering for official tournaments and tracking match records.
• Read the item name, not the photo. Shop search for the game also returns the single paint bottles, which carry the game's name and cost $4.25 to $4.50.
• Mind the age mark. Every item we read is marked 15 and over. The HG Gundam Virsago, for comparison, is marked 8 and over.
• Check the US date again in November. Both shops gave estimates, and USA Gundam Store already showed its starter preorder as full on Oct 14 and its Deluxe Set 01 preorder as full on Oct 16.

Our take

Start with Starter Set 01 alone: $34.95 bought six miniatures, the map and the dice on Oct 14. Per miniature it is less than half the price of an Expansion Pack at Gundam Planet, and it holds both squads for a 3 vs 3 game. Paint can wait: the starter box has none anyway. Skip the Deluxe Sets until you have a regular opponent; they cost $96.95 and $162.95 at the same shop. We check the US arrival windows again when the Japanese launch has passed.

What we don't know yet

Bandai Namco's US post says five items launch in October 2026 but names only the starter in its lineup example; Japan's October list has four. No source we read gives a typical game length. US shops give months or quarters, not days.

How we checked this

On Oct 14 we read Bandai Namco's US announcement on bandai.com, Bandai's English item pages for the starter, three packs and two Deluxe Sets, Bandai's English site for the game and its play guide, and Bandai's Japanese October to January schedules. The later 2027 items come from our copy of Bandai's Japanese item list (checked Oct 11). US prices and status come from Gundam Planet and USA Gundam Store product pages and their search, with out-of-stock items shown. The video and comments were read on YouTube the same day. On Oct 16 we read the item pages, the announcement, Bandai's Japanese October to March schedules, both shops and the comments again.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Gundam Assemble? A competitive miniatures tabletop game from Bandai. You build and paint unpainted mobile suit miniatures of about 50mm, then fight squads of at least three units on a hex map, rolling dice for attacks. Bandai files the items under GUNPLA, but it is a game line, not a new kit grade.

When does Gundam Assemble come out? In Japan on Saturday, October 31, 2026, with four items: Starter Set 01, Expansion Packs 01 and 02, and Paint Pack 01. Bandai Namco's US announcement says the US launch is October 2026. On Oct 14, Gundam Planet expected November 2026 arrivals and USA Gundam Store estimated Q4 2026.

How much is the Gundam Assemble starter set? Bandai Namco lists Starter Set 01 at $35 MSRP in the US. On Oct 14 it was a $34.95 preorder at Gundam Planet and $34.99 at USA Gundam Store, where the preorder showed as full. In Japan it is ¥3,500 before tax, or ¥3,850 with tax.

Do Gundam Assemble miniatures come painted? No. Bandai's pages say every box holds unpainted miniatures, and the official site says the product does not come pre-painted. The starter box lists no paint or brush. Paint Pack 01 adds three miniatures, four GUNDAM ASSEMBLE Color paints and a brush, at ¥3,900 before tax in Japan.

How many players and miniatures do you need for Gundam Assemble? Two players with three units each. Bandai describes 3 vs 3 as the minimum squad, and Starter Set 01 has six miniatures, enough for both sides. Deluxe Set 01 moves up to 5 vs 5 with 13 miniatures, and Deluxe Set 02 to an uneven 5 vs 3 with 14 miniatures.

Related Reading

• Gunpla Releasing in December 2026: December's list, with Deluxe Set 02 and Expansion Pack 05.
• Gunpla Tools for Beginners: the first tools for any Bandai plastic, starting with a nipper.
• Where to Buy Gunpla in the US: how US shops charge for preorders and when they ship.
• Starter Set 01 on our kit database: Japan price and month, with every other item on the release calendar.

References

• Bandai Namco Toys & Collectibles America: GUNDAM ASSEMBLE Series to Launch in October 2026
• Bandai Hobby Site item pages: ST01, EX01, EX02, PA01, DX01, DX02
• Bandai Hobby Site: Gundam Assemble about page and play guide
• Bandai Hobby Site (Japan): October 2026 schedule, January 2027 schedule
• GUNDAM ASSEMBLE QUICK PLAY GUIDE, official YouTube channel
• Gundam Planet: ST01, EX01, PA01, DX01, DX02
• USA Gundam Store: ST01, EX01, PA01, DX01, DX02