Gundam Assemble Starter Set 01 Complete Guide & Contents Breakdown

Gundam Assemble Starter Set 01 launched in October 2026 as Bandai’s complete entry point into their new competitive tabletop miniatures game. At a $35 MSRP, this box delivers everything two players need for a full 3-on-3 skirmish match in one sitting, making it the most accessible way to start playing Gundam Assemble without buying additional products.

Unlike the earlier card game pack-in miniatures from 2025 that shipped as simple trios, Starter Set 01 represents a considerably more ambitious lineup designed specifically to teach new players the core rules while providing a ready-made squad that spans multiple Gundam series and eras.

What’s Inside Gundam Assemble Starter Set 01

Starter Set 01 contains a complete game in a single box. The contents include six unpainted and unassembled miniatures, six matching unit cards that define each suit’s abilities, 18 tactics cards for strategic options during play, a set of 10-sided dice for combat resolution, a hex-gridded game map, game tokens, cardboard terrain pieces, a handbook with the core rules, and a quick reference sheet.

The inclusion of 10-sided dice specifically drew praise from early reviewers as a pleasant surprise in a tabletop scene dominated by six-sided dice. Every component needed to learn and play the game ships in this single starter box, including the terrain pieces that many miniature wargames require players to purchase separately or build themselves.

The six miniatures finish at roughly 5 cm or 2 inches tall when assembled, a scale chosen for competitive skirmish play rather than display. Each miniature arrives on runners and requires assembly before play, following the same snap-fit or glue construction process familiar to anyone who has built standard Gunpla kits. Bandai sells a dedicated paint accessory bundle separately for players starting from zero hobby experience.

The Six Mobile Suits in Starter Set 01

The mobile suit lineup deliberately spans eras rather than sticking to a single Gundam series. This cross-series approach is central to Gundam Assemble’s design philosophy, staging matchups that never appeared in the original anime.

The six suits included are:

• RX-78-2 Gundam: The original Gundam from the Universal Century’s One Year War
• Char’s Zaku (Red Commander Type Zaku II): Piloted by Char Aznable
• Wing Gundam Zero EW: From Mobile Suit Gundam Wing: Endless Waltz
• Gundam Mepphyon: Also from Endless Waltz
• Gundam Vidar: From Iron-Blooded Orphans
• Barbatos Lupus Rex: Also from Iron-Blooded Orphans

This roster means the starter box designed for total beginners is already staging a crossover battle between suits from different timelines and shows. A Universal Century suit like the RX-78-2 faces off against modern series entries like the Barbatos Lupus Rex, giving new players an immediate taste of the format’s signature cross-era combat.

Teaching Scenarios and Learning the Game

Starter Set 01 ships with two dedicated teaching scenarios sized for its 3-on-3 default squad structure. These scenarios walk new players through the rules before they attempt to build custom squads on their own, demonstrating both win conditions the game supports without overwhelming first-time players.

The teaching approach is designed so two people who have never played a miniature wargame can sit down, read the handbook, and complete their first match in a single session. The quick reference sheet provides at-a-glance reminders of the most common actions and rules interactions once players move past the initial learning phase.

The low buy-in price relative to the line’s $40 expansion packs and $100+ deluxe sets positions Starter Set 01 as the mass market entry point meant to convert casual Gundam fans into tabletop players within a single purchase.

How the Timeline System Works

Gundam Assemble runs on a hex-gridded board with gameplay structured around what the rulebook calls the timeline. Every unit card lists a starting position on that timeline track, and as rounds progress and units activate, their chosen actions push them further down the track before they become eligible to act again.

A simple movement action called advancing lets a unit shift up to three hexes and costs relatively little timeline, while heavier actions delay that unit’s next activation accordingly. The timeline itself divides into 10 rounds, and once those rounds finish, the first phase ends and a second phase begins, giving every match a built-in two-act structure.

When a player activates a unit, that unit can perform actions labeled A through D, each usable once per activation in any order. However, every activation also requires exactly one primary action per round, drawn from a narrower subset labeled B1 through B4. This structure gives players flexibility in sequencing while maintaining clear constraints on what any single unit can accomplish in one turn.

Reviewers who accessed the version 1.0 rulebook released as a free PDF in August 2026 described the overall feel as closer to Warhammer Underworlds than a mainline Warhammer army game. Every miniature functions as a fixed character with a set loadout, so strategic depth comes from sequencing activations correctly and reading the timeline rather than from deep unit customization.

Combat, Range, and Victory Conditions

Combat resolves with the 10-sided dice included in the starter set. An attack begins with the unit card itself, which lists a timeline cost, effective range, and strength value in one place. Reading a suit’s card top to bottom tells a player almost everything about how it fights before rolling any dice.

Many abilities are range restricted, meaning a card’s effect only triggers if the target sits within the specified distance measured across the hex grid. Any ability that cares about range also requires line of sight to the target. Players cannot shoot through terrain or other mobile suits standing in the way, even if the numbers on the card would otherwise allow the attack.

Victory conditions vary scenario by scenario rather than being fixed across the whole system. Some scenarios end when one squad is completely wiped out, while others hinge on holding a specific objective marker on the board for a set number of rounds. Because every scenario objective card spells out its own win condition up front, two players can read a single card and know exactly what they’re playing toward before the first unit activates.

The hex board and cardboard terrain pieces included in Starter Set 01 proved sufficient to run genuinely complete matches in early hands-on coverage, with reviewers repeatedly praising how little additional terrain investment the game demands compared to larger tabletop wargames.

Building Custom Squads After the Starter

Once players move past the teaching scenarios, Gundam Assemble opens into building custom squads pulled from across available Gundam series. Each side is simply designated red or blue for the match rather than being locked into faction identities.

Beginner guides distill squad construction down to a simple three-job framework: pick one unit that creates threat and forces opponent reactions, one unit that maintains formation and positioning control, and one unit that provides flexible options to cover mistakes or support plays in motion.

Because the format’s baseline is a minimum of three units per side rather than the dozens common in bigger miniature games, every single model in a Gundam Assemble squad carries real tactical weight. Losing one unit represents a far bigger swing than losing one model out of 30 in a larger-scale wargame.

This smaller footprint is framed as the format’s core beginner hook. Fewer models to learn, fewer models to paint before a game becomes playable, and a squad that can realistically go from sealed box to finished tabletop army in a single weekend rather than becoming a season-long painting project.

How Starter Set 01 Fits Into the Broader Product Line

Gundam Assemble launched with five items simultaneously in October 2026, and Bandai committed to a release cadence closer to a trading card game than a typical model line. More than 30 total items are planned worldwide within the first year, including expansion packs at $40, deluxe sets at $100-$170, and scenario packs at $55.

Expansion packs are explicitly designed to plug straight into an existing pool. A player who owns Starter Set 01 can add Expansion Pack 01 (featuring Mobile Suit Gundam Unicorn suits) or Expansion Pack 02 (featuring suits from The Witch from Mercury) to immediately expand both tactical options on the table and the wider roster available for cross-series scenario play.

Deluxe Set 01 scales the game up to full 5-on-5 battles with 13 total miniatures and four scenarios including the Battle of A Baoa Qu, positioning it as the next step for players who have outgrown the starter’s teaching scenarios but are not yet ready to build fully custom squads from scratch.

The progression path Bandai designed starts with Starter Set 01 to learn the game with a ready-made squad, then branches into expansion packs to personalize that squad pool, and eventually into deluxe sets and scenario packs for larger-scale narrative battles.

Assembly, Painting, and Hobby Expectations

All miniatures in Gundam Assemble ship unpainted and unassembled, following the same construction process as standard Gunpla. Players are expected to cut parts from runners, clean mold lines, snap or glue pieces together, and paint the miniatures before playing matches.

Early reviews flagged real mold lines on releases like the Zaku II that demand cleanup work, and recommended sanding sticks over standard hobby knives for the best results. The plastic quality sits noticeably below premium Games Workshop miniatures according to coverage, though the price reflects that difference.

The consistent thread across early hands-on impressions is that cleanup and painting represents genuinely rewarding hobby work, and that Gunpla veterans in particular will feel instantly at home with the build process even as the drastically smaller scale takes adjusting to.

The small scale itself sparked debate among Gunpla purists. Critics argued that shrinking flagship suits down to 2-inch skirmish pieces for competitive play sacrifices the spectacle and physical presence that traditionally defined Gunpla’s appeal. Supporters countered that the tactical gameplay underneath justifies the compromise.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the MSRP of Gundam Assemble Starter Set 01?
The starter set launched at a $35 MSRP, undercutting most comparable miniature wargames on the market.

Do I need to buy anything else to play Gundam Assemble?
No. Starter Set 01 includes everything needed for two players to learn and play the game, including miniatures, cards, dice, game board, terrain, tokens, rulebook, and quick reference sheet.

Are the miniatures pre-assembled or pre-painted?
No. All miniatures ship unpainted and unassembled on runners, requiring hobby work before play just like standard Gunpla kits.

How many players can use Starter Set 01?
The set supports two players or two teams in 3-on-3 battles using the six included mobile suits.

Can I mix suits from different Gundam series in my squad?
Yes. Cross-series squad building is a core design feature. The starter set itself includes suits from Universal Century, Wing, and Iron-Blooded Orphans.

What scale are the miniatures?
All units finish at roughly 5 cm or 2 inches tall when assembled, sized for competitive skirmish play rather than display.

Where can I find the official rulebook?
Bandai released the core rulebook version 1.0 as a free PDF on the Bandai Hobby site on August 28, 2026.

How long does a typical game take?
The timeline system divides matches into 10 rounds across two phases, creating games with a defined endpoint rather than open-ended play. Early coverage suggests matches complete in reasonable timeframes for casual play, though specific duration was not detailed in the reference material.