Ultimate Gundam - Gunpla Guide to Sizes and Grades 2024

What do the different Gunpla/Gundam grades mean?

Here's a guide for a quick glance!
Read along if you're interested in more details

Grade	Scale	Stickers	Polycaps	Difficulty	Detail Level
EG	1/144	❌	❌	🟢 Easy	⚪ Basic
HG	1/144	🟢 Color correction	🟢 Yes	🟢 Moderate	🟡 Good
RG	1/144	🟢 Foil + Clear	❌	🔴 Complex	🟢 High
MG	1/100	🟠 Mixed	🟠 Mixed	🔵 Advanced	🔵 Very High
PG	1/60	🟢 Premium	❌	🔴 Expert	🟣 Ultimate

Size estimates:

1/144 scale - usually around 13 cm tall

1/100 scale - usually around 18 cm tall

1/60 scale - usually around 30 cm tall

MEGA SIZE - usually around 37.5 cm tall

Each Gunpla kit is loosely based on its canonical height in each of their respective shows.

You'll find that kits in the same grade will differ slightly in height.

Entry Grade (EG)

• Perfect for beginners!

• 1/144 scale

• Tool-free builds with minimal parts and no stickers.

• Great introduction to Gunpla without overwhelming steps.

Best for: Kids, casual fans, or quick builds

Example: EG RX-78-2 Gundam

High Grade (HG)

• Most popular and affordable kits

• 1/144 scale

• Quick builds with good articulation and wide variety across the Gundam series

• Ideal for beginners and casual builders

• Often includes color correcting stickers

Best for: People who want quality and speed.

Example: HGUC RX-78-2 Gundam (Revive)

Real Grade (RG)

• Compact kits with premium detail

• 1/144 scale like HG, but with complex inner frame and realistic mechanics

• Small parts and complex builds – more challenging than HG

• Comes with lots of detailed stickers (both foil and clear)
• Requires careful construction; parts are tiny and precise

Best for: Builders with experience or patience.

Example: RG RX-78-2 Gundam VER 2.0

Master's Degree (MG)

• Larger and more sophisticated builds

• 1/100 scale – more presence on display

• Includes inner frame, detailed articulation, and customizable features

• Often comes with a mix of dry transfer, waterslide, and foil stickers

• Often includes cockpit details and pilot figures

Best for: Hobbyists who enjoy the craft.
Can still be built by beginners, but we recommend having experience.

Example: MG RX-78-2 Gundam VER 3.0

You can also encounter MGEX kits which are generally known as "MG EXTREME".
The consensus is that these can be somewhat considered smaller Perfect Grades.

🔥 1/100 No Grade/Full Mechanics (RE/100)

• MG-size kits made simpler

• 1/100 scale like MG, but easier to build

• Often no inner frame — perfect for obscure suits not yet in MG form

• Can be considered large HG kits

Best for: Collectors looking for variety

Example: FULL MECHANICS AERIAL GUNDAM

🎯 Perfect Grade (PG)

• The ultimate Gunpla experience

• 1/60 scale – large, highly detailed kits

• Includes LED units, opening hatches, and tons of parts

• Expensive but incredibly rewarding

• Takes many hours to build — more like constructing a high-end display piece

Best for: Advanced builders and serious collectors

Example: PG RX-78-2 UNLEASHED

🧸 Super Deformed (SD)

• Chibi-style models with a playful look

• Oversized heads, short limbs – very cute!

• Easy assembly, low part count

• Great for kids or collectors of stylized Gundams

🎨 Variants: SD, BB Senshi, SD Cross Silhouette (CS)

• 1/48 scale – huge and easy to build

• Few parts despite size; meant for display impact

• Limited selection of mobile suits

Best for: dramatic shelf presence

Example: Mega Size RX-78-2

Gunpla isn't about chasing perfection

It's about having a good time and doing something that makes you feel free. Whether you're snipping runners for the first time or customizing your hundredth kit, there's no right or wrong way to build. It's your journey, and it should be fun.

Take your time, mess up, paint outside the lines if you want. The process is the real reward. That quiet satisfaction of bringing a Mobile Suit to life with your own hands? There's nothing like it.

So build the way you want to. Enjoy the moment, and let your creativity run wild. This is your freedom. This is Gunpla.

If you have any questions regarding a build or maybe just seek a recommendation, feel free to reach out to me on mail!

I'd love to assist with any inquiry you might have.

Casper Kieffer
Owner
hello@gundam-box.dk