Gundam Assemble Character Cards: Complete Guide to Unit and Tactics Cards

Gundam Assemble character cards form the foundation of this tactical miniatures game, bringing iconic Mobile Suits from across the Gundam franchise to life on the tabletop. Each unit card depicts a specific Mobile Suit’s statistics, weapons, and unique abilities, while Tactics cards provide additional strategic options during battle. Understanding how these cards work is essential for building effective squads and executing winning strategies.

Understanding Unit Cards in Gundam Assemble

Unit cards represent the Mobile Suits and other combatants players deploy during gameplay. Each unit card contains seven key components that define how that Mobile Suit performs on the battlefield.

The unit’s name and model number appear at the top of the card, accompanied by a signature title that differentiates it from other units sharing the same name. For example, a player might use both the RX-78-2 Gundam with the Legendary Hero signature title and the RX-78-2 Gundam with the Elite Mobile Suit signature title in different squads.

The starting Timeline value determines where the unit begins on the Timeline track at the start of each game. Units with lower starting Timeline values activate first, giving players tactical advantages in early-game positioning. The Timeline system represents the passage of time during battle, and careful management of Timeline costs directly impacts victory chances.

Hit points indicate how much damage a unit can sustain before being defeated. When a unit’s hit points reach zero, it is removed from the board and returned to the player’s Reserve. The unit then redeploys during a future activation, though it incurs a two-space Timeline penalty representing repair time.

The victory point value shows how many points opponents earn when defeating this unit. Heavier, more powerful Mobile Suits typically carry higher victory point values, making them priority targets but also rewarding players who field them effectively.

Unit Card Traits and Their Importance

Traits provide additional information about each unit, including pilot names, faction affiliations, and unique characteristics. These traits serve two critical functions in Gundam Assemble.

First, traits determine which Tactics cards can be included when building a squad with a particular unit. Some Tactics cards specify required traits like Earth Federation or Zeon, restricting them to squads containing at least one unit with matching faction affiliations. Cards without specified traits or named characters have no deck building requirements.

Second, some abilities reference specific traits when determining valid targets or triggering special effects. A Response ability might activate only when an allied unit with the Zeon trait takes damage, for example. Players must understand how traits interact with both deck building rules and in-game abilities to maximize their strategic options.

All units possess one or more traits indicating their pilot, faction affiliation, or other unique characteristics. Mass Produced units carry a special trait allowing players to include multiple copies of the same unit card number in their squad, provided each unit can be clearly distinguished through paint schemes or other modifications.

Weapons and Combat Statistics

Each unit card lists one or more weapons available during combat. Weapons define the offensive capabilities of Mobile Suits and include four key attributes.

Timeline cost represents the number of spaces a unit’s Timeline token moves forward when making an attack with that weapon. Higher Timeline costs mean units act less frequently but often correspond to more powerful attacks. The RX-78-2 Gundam’s Beam Saber, for instance, has a Timeline cost of three.

Range indicates the maximum distance for attacks with that weapon. Weapons with range 1 target only adjacent enemies. Weapons with range 2 or greater attack enemies multiple hexes away, requiring clear Line of Sight unless the weapon specifically ignores Line of Sight rules.

Strength determines the number of 10-sided attack dice rolled during attacks. Higher Strength values generate more potential hits, though Accuracy modifiers from elevation, terrain, and abilities affect final hit totals.

Critical hit effects trigger when players roll a 9 or 10 on attack dice. These special effects might increase damage, inflict status effects like Disarm or Fracture, destroy enemy Upgrades, or produce other tactical advantages. Critical hit effects activate once per attack regardless of how many critical hits are rolled, unless the effect specifies otherwise.

Some weapons also feature persistent effects that trigger each time the weapon is used for an attack, providing consistent benefits beyond critical hit situations.

Unit Abilities and Activation Types

Gundam Assemble character cards feature five distinct ability types, each with specific rules governing when and how they activate.

Command abilities can only be used while activating a unit, with each Command ability usable once per activation. These abilities cannot be used during other actions unless explicitly stated. Command abilities printed on unit cards or Signature Tactics cards require players to activate the specific named unit to use them.

Response abilities trigger in response to specific situations stated on the card, such as when an allied unit takes damage or when an enemy attacks. Responses activate as soon as stated conditions are met, regardless of which player is currently acting. Players may respond to a single trigger with multiple cards and abilities but cannot respond to the same trigger with the same ability multiple times. The player currently activating a unit decides first whether to respond to any trigger.

Attack abilities allow players to make attacks with unique weapons, replacing the unit’s Primary Attack Action unless otherwise specified. These abilities typically include Timeline costs that must be paid when using the ability. Some Attack abilities grant additional attacks with weapons already printed on the unit card, supplementing rather than replacing standard attack actions.

Ongoing abilities remain active from the game’s start and require no activation or Energy expenditure. The XXXG-00W0 Wing Gundam Zero (EW), for example, scores critical hits when rolling 7s or 8s due to its Zero System ongoing ability.

Setup abilities resolve during game setup before play begins, in activation order starting with the first player. Players with multiple Setup abilities resolve them in any preferred order. The Buster Gundam starts games with a special Weapon card in play through its Setup ability.

Tactics Cards and Strategic Flexibility

In addition to unit cards, each player begins games with a deck of exactly nine Tactics cards representing unique attacks, abilities, and strategies deployable during battle. Players shuffle their Tactics decks and draw three cards at the beginning of each game, then draw three more cards at the end of Phase 1.

Tactics cards come in three types that dictate when they can be played. Attack Tactics cards provide alternative weapons or special attack options. Command Tactics cards grant tactical advantages during unit activations. Response Tactics cards trigger during specific situations, similar to Response abilities on unit cards.

Some Tactics cards include Timeline costs that must be paid when playing the card. Others feature signature titles of specific units, restricting those cards to activations of the named unit. The Epic Shot Tactics card, for instance, can only be played while activating the RX-78-2 Gundam with the Legendary Hero signature title.

Card effects are resolved entirely before resuming other actions. Players may play up to one Tactics card per activation, choosing the optimal timing based on card type and current battlefield conditions.

Building Your Squad and Tactics Deck

Squad building in Gundam Assemble allows players to mix Mobile Suits from across the franchise with minimal restrictions. Most scenarios require squads of three or five units, with some scenarios also including Carriers.

The primary restriction prevents including multiple copies of units with identical card numbers unless those units are Mass Produced. When using multiple copies of Mass Produced units, players must clearly distinguish each unit and its corresponding Timeline token through paint schemes, base modifications, or other visual markers.

Many units benefit from pairing with typical comrades—Zeon forces synergize with other Zeon units, for example—but no inherent rule prevents any combination unless specified by scenario requirements.

Deck building follows three strict rules. First, each unit has a Signature Tactics card playable only by that unit. These cards can only be included in decks if the squad contains a unit with the matching signature title. Second, Tactics cards specifying faction traits like Earth Federation or Zeon require at least one squad unit with matching traits. Third, players may include only one copy of each card in their Tactics deck.

The nine-card Tactics deck is finite. After drawing three cards at game start and three more at the end of Phase 1, three cards remain. Some effects allow drawing additional cards, but when a Tactics deck runs out, that player cannot draw more cards. Games extending beyond two Phases require adding three additional Tactics cards per extra Phase—12 cards for three Phases, 15 cards for four Phases, and so on.

Abilities Requiring Energy

Many unit abilities require Energy expenditure, represented by Energy tokens placed on unit cards. Players acquire Energy through the Energize Primary Action, which costs two Timeline and grants one Energy. Some units possess the Fueled trait, automatically gaining one Energy each time they deploy.

Energy can also be collected from the battlefield. When units end any movement action in hexes containing Energy tokens, they immediately place those tokens on their unit card. Units must end movement to collect Energy; moving through hexes is insufficient.

Abilities requiring Energy can be used during the same activation the Energy is acquired, but the Energy must be spent by the unit activating the ability. A unit cannot transfer its Energy to another unit unless a specific ability allows redistribution. The RX-78-2 Gundam’s Frenzied Charge ability, for example, is a Command ability requiring Energy expenditure during activation.

Targeting Restrictions and Card Synergies

Many Tactics cards target only units with specific names or traits, with targeting restrictions detailed clearly in effect text. Signature Tactics cards calling out units by name must target allied units with matching signature titles.

When a player includes both the RX-78-2 Gundam, Legendary Hero and the RX-78-2 Gundam, Elite Mobile Suit in their squad, Signature Tactics cards for the Legendary Hero can only affect that specific unit, not the Elite Mobile Suit version. If an opponent also fields a Legendary Hero Gundam, Signature Tactics cards still target only the allied unit.

Understanding these restrictions helps players build cohesive squads and decks. Units with complementary traits enable broader Tactics card selections, while Signature Tactics cards reward focused squad compositions centered on key units. Players must balance general-purpose cards usable by any unit against specialized cards that unlock powerful synergies with specific Mobile Suits.

Card Management During Gameplay

Units begin games in Reserve rather than deployed on the board. The first time players activate a unit, they deploy it from their Base or Carrier before taking actions. Units cannot end movement on Bases, so newly deployed units must move at least one hex.

When units are defeated, they return to Reserve. Upon reactivation, units redeploy following normal deployment rules. Some abilities specifically affect redeployment, though these do not affect initial deployment. Units in Reserve cannot be targeted by attacks and cannot gain status effects, and some unit abilities remain inactive until deployment.

Status effects applied to units through abilities or critical hits persist until removed by game rules. Disarm forces units to re-roll hit dice during their next attack and prevents critical hit effects. Fracture causes units taking three or more combat damage from a single attack to take an additional three damage instead. Slow prevents unit Advance actions from generating movement. Each status effect resolves according to specific timing rules and removes itself after triggering.

Shield Upgrades, Speed Upgrades, and Strength Upgrades collected during gameplay remain on unit cards even when units are defeated and return to Reserve. These permanent improvements accumulate over the course of games, making Upgrade collection a key strategic objective alongside defeating enemies and controlling Objectives.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use Signature Tactics cards for any unit with the same name?

No. Signature Tactics cards require both the correct unit name and matching signature title. The RX-78-2 Gundam, Legendary Hero cannot use Tactics cards for the RX-78-2 Gundam, Elite Mobile Suit even though both share the Gundam name.

How many Tactics cards can I play per activation?

Players may play up to one Tactics card per activation, regardless of how many cards they hold or how many units they activate during a round.

Do abilities on unit cards require Line of Sight?

Yes, abilities require Line of Sight unless the specific ability states it ignores Line of Sight. This applies to both offensive abilities targeting enemies and supportive abilities affecting allies.

Can defeated units keep their Energy and Upgrades?

Yes. When units are defeated and return to Reserve, they reset hit points and remove status effects but retain all Energy and Upgrades. This allows defeated units to redeploy with accumulated resources.

What happens if both players want to use Response abilities at the same time?

The player currently activating a unit decides first whether to respond to any trigger. If both players respond to the same trigger, the attacking player’s abilities resolve first, followed by the defending player’s abilities.

Are Carriers considered units for card effects?

Yes. Carriers are considered units and follow most standard unit rules with specific exceptions detailed in scenario instructions. Abilities targeting “enemy units” or “allied units” include Carriers unless explicitly restricted.