Gundam Assemble Instructions: How to Paint and Play the Tabletop Game

Gundam Assemble is Bandai Spirits’ new tabletop miniature game that combines model painting with tactical gameplay. Whether you’re painting your first mobile suit or learning the combat system, these Gundam Assemble instructions will help you get started with both aspects of the game.

Getting Started with Gundam Assemble Painting

The painting experience forms an essential part of Gundam Assemble. The game uses specialized Gundam Assemble Colors, which are water-based paints designed specifically for these miniatures. A key feature of these paints is that they can be thinned with water, produce no smell, and dry quickly enough that you can apply multiple coats during a single painting session.

When painting a Zaku miniature holding a Heat Hawk, you’ll find detailed instructions on the back of the packaging showing which colors to apply to each section. The miniatures typically come in gray plastic, providing a neutral base for your custom color scheme.

The quick-drying property of Gundam Assemble Colors means that while you’re painting one section, previously painted parts are already dry and ready for a second coat. This allows for smooth, efficient painting even within a 30-minute time limit. The paints offer excellent coverage, transforming gray plastic into vibrant colored mobile suits with just a few applications.

For detail work, a Creos brush works well with these paints, making it easier to handle small areas and fine details on the miniatures. Once you’ve finished painting and the pieces have dried, you’ll need to cut them from the risers and assemble the miniature by snapping the parts together.

Basic Gundam Assemble Game Mechanics

Gundam Assemble instructions for gameplay center on a turn-based tactical system where players control miniature mobile suits on a gridded battlefield. The game divides players into two factions: the Earth Federation Forces and the Principality of Zeon, typically in 3-on-3 matches.

Each turn follows a simple structure documented on the rule sheet: move and then attack. Units can move up to 3 squares per turn across the game board. Movement is straightforward—count out your squares and position your miniature accordingly. This movement system applies to all units, from standard Zaku units to special characters like Char’s Zaku II.

Beyond basic movement, units have a Dash action option that allows them to climb terrain features or reach elevated positions. This action appears next to the attack command and serves a dual purpose: positioning and accessing special tokens scattered across the battlefield.

Understanding Combat and Weapons

Combat in Gundam Assemble uses a dice-based resolution system. Each weapon card shows three key pieces of information: the weapon name, its range, and its attack power. The range number indicates how many squares away a target can be. A range of 1 means adjacent only, while a range of 2 allows you to attack targets two spaces away.

The Zaku Machine Gun, for example, has a range of 2, making it effective at medium distance. The Heat Hawk requires you to be adjacent to the target. The attack power icon (which looks like a punch) doesn’t represent direct damage—instead, it indicates how many dice you roll for that attack.

When you declare an attack with the Zaku Machine Gun showing an attack power of 5, you grab 5 dice and roll them. Any die showing a 4 or higher counts as a hit. If you roll three dice at 4 or higher out of those five dice, that’s 3 confirmed damage that you place on the target unit.

Line of sight matters for ranged attacks. Before rolling dice, you need to verify that your attacking unit has a clear line of sight to the target.

Tactic Cards and Special Abilities

Tactic cards add strategic depth to Gundam Assemble gameplay. These cards are placed face-down during setup and revealed when you choose to use their effects. The “Char is Coming” tactic card demonstrates how these abilities can recreate iconic anime scenes while providing powerful in-game effects.

When activated, “Char is Coming” allows multiple actions in sequence. First, it lets you close the distance to an enemy unit, moving Char’s Zaku adjacent to an opponent without using your normal movement. Upon reaching the target, the Char Kick automatically inflicts 1 damage as Char becomes adjacent to the enemy—a recreation of the famous scene from the anime.

The card’s effects don’t stop there. At timeline 0, without additional movement, you can immediately follow up with a Heat Hawk attack. This chains three actions together: the dash, the automatic kick damage, and a weapon attack. Each requires its own dice roll for the weapon attacks, with the Heat Hawk typically using 3 dice.

Victory Points and Win Conditions

The Gundam Assemble instructions establish Victory Points (VP) as the core win condition. When you destroy an enemy unit, you earn VP based on that unit’s value. A standard Gundam is worth 5 VP when destroyed, and special character units like Char also have their own VP values.

The game runs on a timeline system that completes after two full cycles. At the end of the timeline, the player with the most accumulated VP wins. This creates interesting tactical decisions—sometimes it’s better to focus on high-value targets rather than trying to destroy every enemy unit.

Points aren’t only earned through combat. The battlefield contains capture points marked by flags. When a unit moves adjacent to a flag, that position becomes occupied by that player. At the end of each timeline, occupied positions award points. However, opponents can contest these positions by moving their own units adjacent to the flag, making position control a dynamic aspect of gameplay.

Special Tokens and Unit Upgrades

Question mark tokens scattered across the battlefield provide another tactical element. When a unit uses the Dash action to reach a question mark token, they can claim it. These tokens remain with that specific unit for the rest of the battle and provide various bonuses.

One token type grants a +1 attack bonus, which translates to rolling one additional die whenever that unit attacks. If a Zaku normally rolls 5 dice for its machine gun attack, claiming this token increases it to 6 dice for the remainder of the game. Strategic token collection can significantly boost your army’s effectiveness.

The positioning of these tokens creates interesting choices. Do you spend actions claiming upgrades, or do you press the attack immediately? Since tokens can be placed on elevated terrain or near capture points, reaching them often requires using the Dash action instead of a direct attack.

HP and Unit Destruction

Each unit card displays its Hit Points (HP) in the top left corner. Damage accumulates on units as combat progresses, and when total damage meets or exceeds a unit’s HP, that unit is destroyed and removed from the battlefield. The opponent immediately scores the destroyed unit’s VP value.

The HP system means that even heavily damaged units remain functional until the final point of damage. A unit at 1 HP remaining can still move and attack with full effectiveness. This creates dramatic moments where badly damaged units can still contribute meaningfully to your strategy.

Customization and Personalization

One major appeal of Gundam Assemble is the ability to customize your miniatures. You can paint mobile suits in any color scheme you prefer, from canon-accurate recreations to completely original designs. The shoulder colors, panel lines, and detail work all offer opportunities for personalization.

The game’s international release means you can play with friends abroad once you learn the official rules. The miniatures themselves serve as a universal language, and the standardized cards make gameplay consistent regardless of language.

Available Sets and Content

The starter set provides everything needed to begin playing, including multiple mobile suits and the necessary game components. Deluxe Set 01 expands your collection with iconic units like White Base and Zeong, including the independently poseable Zeong head.

Specialized sets focus on specific series from the Gundam franchise. The G Gundam set includes the massive Devil Gundam, Death Army units, and the Shuffle Alliance members. These sets allow players to recreate specific battles or mix units from different timelines for varied gameplay.

Event Participation and Promotional Items

Official Gundam Assemble events offer hands-on experience and exclusive items. Participants who complete the painting activity take home their custom-painted miniature. The event structure typically includes a 30-minute painting session followed by gameplay demonstrations.

Event-exclusive miniatures come in special molded colors instead of the standard gray. By following official Gundam Assemble social media accounts, you can receive randomly distributed units in yellow plastic, available as Gundam, Guntank, or Guncannon variants.

Demo participants receive promotional cards featuring units like Wing Gundam that function in actual gameplay. These cards include space for recording the date and your name. Successfully defeating an enemy during the demo earns additional promotional cards showing different mobile suits from various Gundam series.

Taking photos at designated photo spots and posting them on social media with the Gundam Assemble hashtag can earn you special stickers, such as the Wing Gundam Zero Endless Waltz version with its rainbow holographic finish.

FAQ

How long does it take to paint a Gundam Assemble miniature? The painting demonstrations allocate 30 minutes for completing a basic color scheme on a single miniature. The quick-drying Gundam Assemble Colors make this timeline achievable even for multiple coats.

What makes Gundam Assemble Colors different from regular model paints? Gundam Assemble Colors are water-based paints that can be thinned with water, produce no odor, and dry quickly enough that previously painted sections are ready for additional coats while you work on other parts.

How many dice do you need to play Gundam Assemble? The game uses multiple six-sided dice for combat resolution. You’ll need at least 5-6 dice available since some attacks require rolling 5 dice simultaneously.

Can you mix mobile suits from different Gundam series in one game? Yes, the various sets include units from different Gundam series, and the game mechanics support combining them in the same battle. The G Gundam set, original series units, and modern designs can all appear on the same battlefield.

Is Gundam Assemble available internationally? Yes, the game is being released internationally with standardized rules, making it possible to play with others worldwide once you learn the official gameplay system.