Gunpla Grades Explained (2026)

I've built over 150 Gunpla kits. The question I get asked most often isn't about panel lining or topcoats. It's the basic one: what does HG or MG even mean, and which should I buy first?

The grade system exists because Bandai figured out that different builders want different things. A 10-year-old and a 40-year-old hobbyist have completely different expectations for a Saturday afternoon project. The grades reflect that reality.

Here's every grade explained with real build times, real prices, and honest opinions.

Entry Grade: $8-10, 30 Minutes

Entry Grade is newer than most people realize. Bandai launched EG in 2020, and it's specifically designed to be someone's first Gunpla kit ever.

You don't need nippers, a hobby knife, or any tools. The runners are engineered so parts pop off cleanly and snap together without any cleanup. The RX-78-2 EG is the one everyone recommends, and for good reason. It takes about 30 minutes, looks genuinely good, and costs less than a movie ticket.

The downside is obvious: there's not much to it. The proportions are simplified, articulation is limited, and there's no inner frame or detail work. EG is a fantastic gateway kit. It's not something you'll display proudly next to your Master Grade collection.

Buy it if you've never built anything before and want to know if you'll like this hobby before spending real money.

SD: $8-15, 1-2 Hours

SD (Super Deformed) kits turn Mobile Suits into chibi versions of themselves. Big head, tiny body, simplified limbs. They look like the Gundam mascot costume version of the actual mech.

Some people love them. I find them charming for display in small spaces. A whole shelf of SDs looks intentional and fun in a way that a mixed collection doesn't.

Build time is 1-2 hours. Part count is low. The plastic quality from Bandai is still excellent. Prices run $8-15 depending on the kit.

SD kits are genuinely good for kids or as gifts for people who think Gunpla looks too intimidating. They're also a surprisingly fast palette cleanser between complex builds. After a 20-hour MG project, snapping together an SD in an afternoon feels like a reward.

HG 1/144: $12-25, 2-4 Hours

HG (High Grade) is where most builders live. It's the workhorse of the Gunpla lineup and has been since the late 1980s.

The scale is 1/144, meaning the finished model is about 5 inches tall for a standard Mobile Suit. Part count is typically 150-250 pieces. Build time runs 2-4 hours depending on complexity. Prices land between $12 and $25 for most kits, with some premium releases hitting $35.

The selection is enormous. There are over 100 RX-78-2 variants alone. If a Mobile Suit appeared in any Gundam series, there's almost certainly an HG of it. The HGUC (Universal Century) line is especially strong.

Panel lining an HG and hitting it with a topcoat takes it from toy to display piece. It's a genuinely satisfying process that doesn't require serious investment.

Where HG falls short: the plastic can feel thin on older kits, and some designs have limited articulation or visible seam lines. Newer HG releases have improved dramatically. An HG from 2024 looks nothing like one from 2005.

This is the grade I recommend for every new builder. Your first kit should be an HG. Your second kit should probably also be an HG.

RG 1/144: $25-40, 4-8 Hours

RG (Real Grade) is the one that surprises people. It's 1/144 scale like HG, but the engineering inside is closer to MG territory.

Bandai builds RG kits with a pre-assembled inner frame. The plastic is color-accurate straight from the box, with advanced articulation and surface detail that requires no modification to look impressive. Some RG kits have part counts exceeding 400 pieces at the same small scale as an HG.

Build time is honest: 4-8 hours. The hands are tiny and genuinely fiddly. Several RG kits have a reputation for fingers that pop off if you breathe on them wrong. The RG Strike Freedom is notorious for this. It looks stunning on a stand. Posing it aggressively is a frustrating experience.

Prices run $25-40 for most releases. They photograph beautifully at this scale because the detail density is high enough to catch light well.

My take: RG kits are for builders who want MG-level detail but have limited display space, or who specifically love the 1/144 scale aesthetic. Don't start with an RG. Build 5-10 HGs first so you understand how Bandai's engineering logic works before you're handling tiny inner frame parts.

MG 1/100: $40-70, 8-20 Hours

MG (Master Grade) is the sweet spot. I've said this to dozens of builders and I'll keep saying it. If you want one grade that does everything well, it's MG.

The scale is 1/100, about 7 inches tall for most Mobile Suits. Part count ranges from 300 to 600+ pieces. Build times run 8-20 hours depending on the kit. Prices land $40-70 for standard releases, with premium items pushing $100-120.

MG kits have full inner frames. The engineering is complex in a satisfying way. You build the skeleton, watch the pose capability, then panel by panel you cover it with armor. The reveal at the end is genuinely rewarding.

The Ver.Ka line (designed by mechanical designer Hajime Katoki) is the premium tier within MG. MG Ver.Ka kits have more complex engineering, more nuanced proportions, and instruction manuals that are almost art pieces. The MG Unicorn Ver.Ka and MG Barbatos Ver.Ka are both worth the premium.

MG is also where paint and customization work makes the biggest visual impact. The surface area is large enough for weathering, waterslide decals, and panel lining to really show. It's the grade where people start thinking seriously about their finishing process.

If someone tells me they've built 10+ HGs and want to level up, MG is the answer every time.

PG 1/60: $150-300, 40-80 Hours

PG (Perfect Grade) is the endgame. These kits exist for builders who want to spend a month on one project and end up with something museum-quality.

The scale is 1/60, meaning a standard suit comes in around 12 inches tall. The PG Unicorn Gundam retails around $280 and includes LED units for the psycho-frame light-up effect. The PG Strike Freedom has a wing spread wider than most people's monitors.

Build times are serious. 40-80 hours is the honest range. Some people take longer. Every PG I've built required multiple dedicated weekends.

The experience is unlike any other grade. The engineering is Bandai showing off. Inner frames have internal mechanisms. Surface details require decal sheets that would exhaust you on a smaller kit. The finished product justifies the effort, but it asks a lot.

Here's the story I tell everyone: my third ever kit was a PG Unicorn. I bought it because it was the most impressive thing I'd ever seen in the hobby shop. I was six kits in before I understood what I was looking at on those instruction pages. The PG sat on my shelf in pieces for six months before I finished it.

Don't make my mistake. PG is for experienced builders who have the patience and skill to do it justice. Use our budget calculator before buying a PG to make sure the time investment fits your schedule.

RE/100, Full Mechanics, and Mega Size

Three grades that don't fit neatly anywhere:

RE/100 sits between HG and MG in complexity, closer to MG in scale. It targets suits that didn't have MG releases but have dedicated fans. The RE/100 Byarlant Custom is excellent. Prices run $30-50.

Full Mechanics is Bandai's mid-tier for Iron-Blooded Orphans suits specifically. Think of it as MG-light for that series. The Full Mechanics Barbatos Lupus Rex at $50 is one of the best value kits in the hobby.

Mega Size is 1/48 scale, massive, and more of a novelty than a serious grade. You won't see many of them. They're display pieces rather than builder's projects.

Which Grade Should You Start With?

Start with HG. Every time.

Your first kit should cost $15-20 and take an afternoon. The HG RX-78-2 Revive ($15) is the historical classic. The HG Barbatos ($18) is the better choice if you like Iron-Blooded Orphans. Either one builds in 2-3 hours and gives you a finished product to be proud of.

From there, build 5-8 more HGs. You'll learn how to read instructions, how to handle runners cleanly, how to panel line without making a mess, and what your personal aesthetic preferences actually are. That knowledge transfers directly to every grade above HG.

For planning your kit purchases and tracking what you've built, check out the Gunpla tracking tools that serious collectors use. And when you're ready to upgrade, read through the Gunpla build cost guide so you understand the full financial picture before your first MG.

The grade system exists to serve you. You're not a better builder for jumping to PG faster. You're a better builder for understanding what you're doing at every step.