Fiveboyz model-building guide
Gundam Grades Explained
HG vs RG vs MG vs MGEX vs PG — which one should you build?
1. Start here: “grade” is about size and build time, not bragging rights
If you have ever stared at a wall of Gundam boxes wondering why one costs about as much as lunch and the next costs as much as a car payment, you are not missing some secret code. The letters on the box — HG, RG, MG, MGEX, PG — mostly tell you three practical things: how big the finished model will be, roughly how many parts you will handle, and how long it will sit on your desk before it is done.
They do not rank how “good” a kit is. A well-built HG can look fantastic on a shelf, and a PG built in a hurry can still show nub marks. Grade is a fit question, not a status question. Pick the grade that matches your time, your space, and how fiddly you like your builds, and you will enjoy it more than the “best” kit built out of obligation.
One more thing before the breakdown: every grade below is snap-fit. You do not need glue to finish any of them. Cement, panel liner, and paint are upgrades — they make a kit look better and fix small mistakes, but the kit itself is designed to push together and pose.
The 30-second comparison
| Grade | Scale | Typical build | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| HG — High Grade | 1/144 (~5 in) | 1–3 hours | First kit, gifts, army-building |
| RG — Real Grade | 1/144 (~5 in) | 3–6 hours | Detail lovers, small shelves |
| MG — Master Grade | 1/100 (~7–8 in) | 6–12 hours | Weekend project, display piece |
| MGEX — Master Grade Extreme | 1/100 (~7–8 in) | Long, multi-session build | Extreme detail, showcase features |
| PG — Perfect Grade | 1/60 (~12 in) | 15–30+ hours | Experienced builders, centerpiece |
Prices move around by character and release year, so think in tiers rather than exact dollars: HG is the entry tier, RG sits above it, MG is the mid-to-premium tier, MGEX is Bandai’s premium MG line, and PG is the large-scale showcase tier. Check the live price on the kit page — that is the number that matters.
2. High Grade (HG): the best first kit for almost everyone
High Grade is where most builders should start, and plenty never leave. At 1/144 scale, a finished HG stands about five inches tall — big enough to pose and enjoy, small enough to fit on a desk, a bookshelf, or the top of a PC case without rearranging your room.
Builds are forgiving. Parts are chunkier, the instructions move quickly, and most kits go together in one to three relaxed hours. Modern HG kits use clever color separation, so the model looks right straight out of the box without paint. If a part fights you, it is usually a five-minute fix, not an evening gone.
HG is also the widest range. Because the scale is cheap to produce, you will find far more characters, suits, and variants in HG than in any other grade. If you care about a specific suit from a series you love, there is a good chance it only exists as an HG — or exists there first.
Watch-out. Who should skip HG for now:
If you already know you love long, mechanical builds with an inner frame you can admire before the armour goes on, HG may feel a little quick. That is not a flaw — it is just a shorter book. Start with one anyway. It is the cheapest way to learn clean nub removal, and those skills carry straight up to every other grade.
Shop the range: Fiveboyz Gundam collection — filter by HG / 1/144 • Bandai HGUC Kampfer 1/144 • Bandai HGUC Narrative Gundam A-Pack #218
Starter pairing. Pair it with:
A decent pair of nippers and ten minutes spent learning the two-cut method will make an HG look twice the price. You do not need paint on day one.
3. Real Grade (RG): HG size, MG-level detail
Real Grade keeps the 1/144 footprint but packs in the kind of engineering you would expect from a larger kit: a pre-assembled inner frame on many releases, especially earlier ones, fine color separation, and lots of small moving parts. The result is a five-inch model that photographs like something much bigger.
The trade-off is patience. RG parts run small — sometimes very small — and early RG kits in particular reward builders who work slowly, keep parts organised, and do not force joints. If you enjoy careful, almost watchmaker-style assembly, RG is deeply satisfying. If you want a kit to relax with after work without squinting, an HG will treat you better that evening.
Display-wise, RG is the shelf-space cheat code. You get the presence and poseability of a premium kit in the footprint of an HG, which matters when the shelf is already full — and if you are reading this, the shelf is already full.
Watch-out. Who should skip RG for now:
Brand-new builders whose only tools are their hands, and anyone who hates handling tiny parts. Build one or two HGs first, get comfortable cutting close without whitening the plastic, then come back. Your first RG will go noticeably better for it.
Shop the range: Fiveboyz Gundam collection — filter by RG • Bandai #05 Freedom Gundam 1/144 Real Grade
Detail pairing. Pair it with:
Panel liner is the single biggest visual upgrade for RG. The moulded detail is already there — liner just makes it visible. A fine applicator and a cotton swab for clean-up will carry you through dozens of kits.
4. Master Grade (MG): the sweet spot for a real project
Master Grade, at 1/100 scale, is where Gunpla turns into a weekend project in the best sense. You get a full inner frame to build and admire, armour that layers over it, opening hatches and cockpit details on many kits, and a finished model around seven to eight inches tall that holds a pose and holds a shelf.
Expect six to twelve hours spread over a few sessions. Parts are a comfortable size, the engineering is mature, and the build teaches you how the machine is supposed to work — pistons, vents, and frame detail you will never see again once the armour clicks on, which is somehow part of the fun.
MG is also where most long-term builders quietly settle. The catalogue is deep, the aftermarket waterslides and detail parts are plentiful, and the finished size hits a sweet spot: substantial without needing its own zip code. If you have built a couple of HGs and caught yourself thinking “I wish this lasted longer,” that thought is the MG signal.
Watch-out. Who should skip MG for now:
Anyone buying their very first kit as a gift for a young builder. An MG is a wonderful second or third kit; as a first, the part count can turn a fun afternoon into homework. Gift an HG, let them finish it in a day, and let them ask for the bigger box themselves.
Project pairing. Pair it with:
Thin cement earns its keep at MG scale — not for the snap-fit itself, but for seam lines, stress-whitened joints that need a quiet repair, and keeping small armour pieces honest. A little goes a very long way.
5. Master Grade Extreme (MGEX): the premium MG line
MGEX stands for Master Grade Extreme. It is Bandai’s premium 1/100 Master Grade line, built around extreme detail and one showcase feature pushed beyond a standard MG. The scale stays familiar, but the engineering, layered parts, finishes, and presentation move into destination-kit territory.
The MGEX Unicorn Gundam Ver.Ka introduced the line with an illuminated psycho-frame: a flexible LED sheet runs through the body so the transformation and light-up effect become part of the build itself. It is the clearest example of what “Extreme” means here — the signature feature is not an accessory added at the end; it shapes the whole kit.
The MGEX Strike Freedom Gundam takes a different route. Its centerpiece is the highly detailed metallic inner frame, designed so the gold structure remains visible through gaps in the armour and moving sections. It trades the Unicorn’s light show for finish, layering, and mechanical presence.
The third entry is the MGEX Mighty Strike Freedom Gundam. Bandai announced it in August 2026 for a March 2027 release in Japan, making it the newest addition to watch rather than a kit already sitting alongside the first two.
Watch-out. Who should skip MGEX for now:
First-time builders and anyone who wants a forgiving weekend build. MGEX adds delicate parts, dense instructions, premium finishes, and — on the Unicorn — integrated LED work. Build a standard MG first so the extra complexity feels exciting instead of expensive and stressful.
Shop the range: Fiveboyz Gundam collection — look for MGEX / 1/100
Showcase pairing. Pair it with:
A clean cutting setup: sharp nippers, fine sanding tools, tweezers, and a parts tray. MGEX kits already supply the visual spectacle; careful nub removal and organised sub-assemblies protect the finishes and keep the complex build under control.
6. Perfect Grade (PG): the showcase build
Perfect Grade is the flagship. At 1/60 scale, a finished PG stands around twelve inches tall, and everything scales up with it: part counts in the high hundreds, layered frames, light-up features on many releases, and instructions that feel less like a leaflet and more like a manual.
Budget fifteen to thirty hours or more, spread over weeks. This is not a criticism — a PG is meant to be savoured, sub-assembly by sub-assembly. Builders display a PG the way other people display an instrument: one piece, well lit, with room to breathe.
Because of the price tier, a PG is rarely a first kit and almost never an impulse buy. It is the kit you buy when you already know your habits: that you finish what you start, that you have the shelf (and the shelf depth) for it, and that you will enjoy the fiddly middle sections as much as the final pose.
Watch-out. Who should skip PG for now:
If you have not finished an MG yet, build the MG first. You will learn everything a PG demands — frame assembly, patience with sub-assemblies, nub discipline — at a fraction of the cost, and your PG will come out cleaner for the practice run.
7. Which grade should you build? Answer three questions
Forget the spec sheets for a second. These three questions sort almost every buyer correctly:
1. Time. How much uninterrupted build time do I actually have?
One evening points to HG. A few focused sessions point to RG or MG. A longer showcase project points to MGEX. A large-scale build you are happy to leave on the desk for weeks points to PG.
2. Space. Where will it live when it is done?
A crowded desk or dorm shelf points to HG or RG. A dedicated display shelf points to MG or MGEX. A single centrepiece spot with extra depth to spare points to PG.
3. Fiddliness. How do I feel about tiny parts?
Honest answer only. Love them: RG will thrill you. Tolerate them: MG keeps them comfortable-sized. Avoid them: HG keeps the build chunky and cheerful.
Still torn between two grades? Buy the smaller one first. Finishing a kit teaches you more about what you want next than any guide can, and a finished HG on the shelf beats an unfinished anything in a box, every time.
The short version
When in doubt, start one grade lower than your ego suggests and enjoy finishing it. |
8. Tools that make every grade look better
Here is the part nobody tells beginners: two builders can build the exact same kit and end up with noticeably different models, and the difference is rarely talent. It is clean cuts, a little patience at the nub, and ten minutes of panel lining at the end. The grade gets the credit; the tools do the work.
Cut clean, skip the white marks. Nippers first.
Cut a little away from the part first, then trim the remaining nub flush. That two-cut habit is the difference between a part that looks moulded clean and one with pale stress marks you will notice forever. A sharp, single-blade-style nipper makes the second cut almost disappear.
Shop: GeekRx / Fiveboyz nippers and hobby tools collection • For first builds, look for durable double-blade nippers with comfortable handles • For cleaner finish cuts, look for a sharp single-blade nipper with an adjustable stop
Make the detail you already paid for visible. Panel liner second.
Run liner into the moulded panel lines and watch flat armour turn mechanical. Work in small sections, let it settle, then clean the excess with a lightly dampened cotton swab. Go gently over bare plastic and always test on a spare runner first — a little patience here saves a cracked part later.
The quiet repair kit. Thin cement third.
Snap-fit kits do not need glue to stay together, but thin cement is the tool experienced builders reach for constantly: closing a seam, rescuing a joint, or settling a part that will not sit flush. The brush-in-cap format makes it easy to apply exactly where you want it and nowhere else.
Shop: Tamiya Extra Thin Cement 40ml — Tamiya 87038 product page • Tamiya Extra Thin Cement 2-pack
Small fixes, big finish. Sanding and clean-up, as needed.
A set of sanding sticks in a few grits, tweezers for stickers and tiny parts, and a hobby knife for careful nub work will cover 95% of builds. Add tools when a build asks for them, not before — your kit shelf will thank you, and so will your wallet.
9. Common first-build mistakes, by grade
HG. HG trap: rushing the nub.
The kit goes together so fast that it is tempting to twist parts off the runner. Twist, and you will wear the white stress marks forever. Cut, then trim. Two minutes of care, zero regrets.
RG. RG trap: losing the tiny part to the carpet dimension.
Work over a tray or an upturned box lid, open one bag at a time, and never — ever — cut a tiny part over an open floor. Ask any RG builder. We have all paid the carpet tax.
MG. MG trap: forcing the frame.
If a frame joint resists, stop and check the orientation in the manual before adding pressure. MG engineering is precise; resistance usually means a part is a quarter-turn off, not that it needs muscle.
MGEX. MGEX trap: treating it like a standard MG.
Plan the build around its showcase system. Sort sub-assemblies, protect metallic finishes from rough trimming, and test the Unicorn’s LED routing exactly as the instructions show before closing the armour.
PG. PG trap: building in a hurry to “get to the display.”
The middle sub-assemblies are the build. Light them, enjoy them, photograph them before the armour hides them. A PG rushed is a PG whose best engineering nobody ever saw — including you.
10. Keep learning
Beyond the big five
You will also run into SD, super-deformed chibi kits; Entry Grade, the cheapest and simplest starter kits; RE/100, 1/100 kits without full inner frames; and Mega Size, jumbo 1/48 kits. They are not a ladder to climb — just different ways to get the size, style, and build you want.
11. Ready when you are
Pick the grade that matches the builder you are this month, not the builder you feel you ought to be. Start with an HG tonight and you will know more about what you want next weekend than a month of reading reviews will teach you — including this one.
Browse the full range: Fiveboyz Gundam collection • Fiveboyz model kits and tools • Fiveboyz Bundles collection
Questions about a specific kit? Check the product page for scale, release details, and what is in the box — and if you are stuck mid-build, the tools section above fixes most first-build problems.