Gundam – Gunpla Guide, Grades & Collectibles
Gunpla turns 45 in 2026. Here is the most useful thing to know before buying: what HG, RG, MG and PG mean, which suits whom, and why you need neither glue nor paint.
Techbox, Thessaloniki
The grades: the most important thing to know
A "Gundam model kit" is not one thing. There are six grades, ranging from ten euros to four hundred, with an enormous spread in difficulty:
The simplest. Few parts, assembles without tools. Ideal for a first build or for a child.
Small and chibi-proportioned, with an oversized head. Very easy and inexpensive.
The normal starting point. Good detail, sensible price, manageable difficulty. Most buyers should begin here.
The same size as an HG, but far more complex. Exceptional detail at small scale – and very small parts.
Larger, with an inner frame beneath the armour. For someone who has built a few already.
Enormous, hundreds of parts, many hours of work. Experienced builders only. Prices reach three and four hundred euros.
The RG trap
An RG is small but difficult. Many people buy one assuming "small means easy" – and find themselves with tiny parts and intricate joints.
If it is a first kit, buy an HG or EG. RG is worth owning, but as a second or third build.
Do you need glue or paint?
No. This is the most common misconception, and it puts a lot of people off trying.
Gunpla kits are snap-fit: the parts click together, and the plastic is already coloured at the factory. You remove the parts from the runner and assemble them.
The one thing that genuinely helps is a pair of model nippers – they cost very little and give a clean finish. Scissors or fingernails leave marks.
The history: the anime that changed the genre
Mobile Suit Gundam began in 1979. Until then, robots in anime were superheroes. Gundam made them machines: weapons in a war, with frightened people inside them.
It is not a story of good against evil. It is a story about war – which is why it still speaks to adults forty years on.
Gunpla began in 1980, a year after the series. In 2026 it turns 45, and is now among the largest model-kit brands in the world.
What is happening now
- GQuuuuuuX (2025): the first collaboration between studio khara – of Evangelion – and Sunrise. It brought entirely new mobile suit designs.
- A new anime series: announced in July 2026 at San Diego Comic-Con, alongside the video game Gundam Rogue Orbit.
- Gunpla's 45th anniversary: Bandai has released commemorative kits, headlined by the PG Unleashed Nu Gundam.
Gift guide
An HG – or an EG if it is for a child.
An RG or MG.
A PG, or a large MG. And a good pair of nippers.
An HG of the RX-78-2 – the original Gundam, recognised by everyone.
Frequently asked questions
- What do HG, RG, MG and PG mean?
- They are grades of difficulty and detail. HG (High Grade) is the normal starting point. RG (Real Grade) is the same size but more complex. MG (Master Grade) is larger, with an inner frame. PG (Perfect Grade) is enormous and for experienced builders only.
- Do I need glue or paint?
- No. Gunpla kits are snap-fit – the parts click together and the plastic is already coloured. Only a pair of model nippers genuinely helps, for a clean cut.
- Which kit for a beginner?
- An HG, or an EG if it is for a child. Avoid RG as a first kit – it is small but genuinely difficult, and many people buy one assuming the opposite.
- Do I need to have watched the anime?
- No. Plenty of people build Gunpla purely as model kits, without having seen any of the series. The RX-78-2 – the original Gundam – is the most recognisable choice.
- Where can I find Gunpla in Thessaloniki?
- At the Techbox store (Al. Papanastasiou 100) and online at techbox.com.gr. You can order online and collect from the store with no shipping cost.
