By Ray H.

Kit Divisions

Gundam kit divisions are pretty important to understand. When some people first start out collecting Gundam kits they are under the impression a Gundam kit is a Gundam kit, which couldn't be further from the truth, as there are many different types of Gundam kits. But if you know what to expect from each grade it really helps in getting the most bang for your buck.

Ultimately the more money you shell out the better the kit, you basically get what you pay for. Nothing requires glue unless its noted. Another aspect that can determine the quality of mobile suit your getting is age, usually the newer the kit the better. Something I get asked a lot is how big is what scale, its sort of hard to say because they are made "to scale" so naturally some Gundams like the Zeta Gundam are taller than say a Heavy Arms Gundam. Tts supposed to be that way cause that's the scale. Use this list to learn about the different scales and grades so you know what your getting.

Scales

• 1/144 - These are usually somewhere between 5 and 6 inches tall.
• 1/100 - These are usually somewhere between 7 1/2 to 8 1/2 inches tall
• 1/60 - these are usually about 12 inches tall

Note-There are some other oddball scales out there, but knowing what the 3 basic scales are you can guesstamate how big it might be.

Kit Grade Division

Basic:

These are 1/144 that are not marked with a grade (at least in english), sometimes people refer to them as "low grade". There molded in about 5 different colors, then the rest is either stickers or requires a little bit of paint. They have about 15 points of articulation.

• Assembly time: 45 minutes
• Price: $3 to 6$ Japanese retail $7 to 10$ in the US
• Example: these are Gundam Wing, Gundam X and Turn A Gundam 1/144's

High Grade 1/144:

These are much better than the basics, about 90% of the color is molded, and some have a little more articulation. These have more parts and generally cost a little more, but you get allot more. Also keep an eye out for age, some older HG 1/144 like the ones from 0080 are not quite as snazzy as the newer HG 1/144.

• Assembly time: 1 1/2 hours
• Price: $10 to $20
• Example: MS 08th Team, HGUC, 0080

High Grade 1/100:

HG is pretty much a standard issue for the 1/100 scale. These usually have between 20 to 40 points of articulation. The majority of the detail is there so no real painting needed, once again some older ones like the F91 series are not quite up to par with some of the newer stuff so keep that in mind when purchasing.

• Assembly time: 2 1/2 hours
• Price: $15 to $30
• Example: Wing Gundam, Gundam X, F91, G-Gundam

Master Grade:

They only make Master Grades as 1/100, these are heavily detailed and 99% "pre-colored". They have about 40 to 80 points of articulation, these are the best 1/100 out there. These are pretty heavy duty, there not really "harder" to assemble... they just have a ton of pieces. The latest Master Grades are starting to use a perfect grade style jointing system for even more movement and stability. Check them out.

• Assembly Time: 4 to 8 hours
• Price: $25 to $80 (it depends on the size some are much bigger than others)
• Example: Master Grade series

Perfect Grade:

Perfect grade is what the name says.. perfection. These are 1/60 scale, with jaw dropping detail and working lights. They feature like 100-200 points of articulation (I think most people lose count). Since these are so heavy duty there's only a few available: The RX-78, Zaku II, Char's Zaku, and the Zeta Gundam. pretty much 99.99% "pre-colored".

• Assembly Time: 24 hours
• Price: $120 to $200
• Example: Perfect Grade series

Limited Grade:

These are plastic kits that come in like 2 or 3 different molded colors, they do require some paint and glue. They'll tag on some obscuer characters as limited grades to existing series, like Gundam Wing or the MS 08th Team. Usually 1/144's

• Assembly Time: ---
• Price $4 to $10
• Example: Like the Gundam Wing Leo limited grade

First Grade:

These are some 1/144 that require a lot of work, they come in a flat base color, but their really cheap and are good for custom parts. The shape and contour on them is exactly like the perfect grade.

• Assembly Time: ---
• Price: $4
• Example: first grade

Gundam Real Type:

These are re-issues of Bandai's classic kits, they require some glue and allot of painting

• Assembly Time: ---
• Price: $5
• Example: Real type

Resin Kits:

These are for advanced builders only, they require glue, lots of painting and sanding. They make stuff for a variety of scales, out of resin. This is how many of the more obscure Gundam mecha get produced for finishing off dioramas. These are usually fairly pricey too. They also make "Conversion Parts" which can be integrated into regular plastic kit figures, to make it "scene specific" or modify it in some other way.

• Assembly Time: long
• Price: varied
• Example: ---

Super Deformed:

These are along the lines of a basic but done in Super Deformed (SD) style, they have articulation, but there design doesn't exactly let them have a huge range of movement. There are SD versions of the Gundam universe and original SD creations. There are some really decked out SD ones with loads of snap on armor and vehicles. These are about 3 1/2 inches tall. All that and their funny lookin', too.

• Assembly Time: 1 hour
• Price Starting at $5 and up
• Example: Generation Zero, BB series

Head Strikers:

These are sort of SD in appearance but there head consist of a large Ball that can shoot out at other head strikers.

• Assembly Time: 30 minutes
• Price: $7 and up
• Example: head strikers

Palm Top series:

These are candy toys, nice for the price. There about 2 inches tall

• Assembly Time: 3 minutes
• Price: $2 (depending where you get them)
• Example: palm top

Nano-Gokin:

These are tiny little diecast figures that you assemble, they have some articulation and are an all "metal color". About 2 inches tall.

• Assembly Time: 20 minutes
• Price: $20
• Example: Nano-Gokin

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