Entry Grade Gunpla Explained: EG vs HG and Who Each Is For

Entry Grade (EG) is Bandai's beginner Gunpla line: 1/144 scale kits whose parts snap off the runner by hand, so you can build one without nippers. High Grade (HG) is the same 1/144 scale but the full-size catalog, with more mobile suits, more extras and the traditional cut-from-the-runner build.

What Is Entry Grade?

Bandai's Japanese site describes Entry Grade as a plastic model kit that anyone can build easily and have fun with, like a puzzle. On its English product pages, Bandai sums up the line as "easy assembly × high quality."

The key feature is the gate. Bandai calls it a "touch gate specification that can be easily removed by hand without using pliers": each part is joined to the runner by a gate thin enough to snap with your fingers. That means you do not need nippers to build an EG kit. Bandai lists the EG Wing Gundam and Strike Rouge for ages 8 and up.

The Gundam kits are all 1/144 scale, the same scale as HG and RG, so a finished EG fits on the same shelf as the rest of your 1/144 kits.

The 2011 Entry Grade and the 2020 reboot

There have been two Entry Grade lines. The first came out in 2011 and was sold in parts of Asia. These were very simple kits made in China, with three plastic colors, no polycaps and a parts separator so you did not need nippers. Articulation was limited to the neck, shoulders, hips and ankles. Only four were made: 00 Gundam, Gundam Exia, RX-78-2 Gundam and Strike Gundam.

In 2020 Bandai rebooted Entry Grade as a global line, no longer limited to Asia. The RX-78-2 Gundam was the first Gundam in the new line, and Wikipedia describes it as having "articulation and proportions similar to the High Grade kits," with color-separated parts and no stickers or tools needed. The new kits dropped the parts separator; the gates themselves were redesigned so parts come off by hand. When people say "EG" today, they mean the 2020 line.

How EG gets the colors right without paint

EG does its colors with separate plastic parts rather than stickers. For the EG Wing Gundam, Bandai says "No stickers required! By refined parts division, it is possible to reproduce by color coding just by assembling." On the RX-78-2 Gundam, Wikipedia points out that the dark shape inside the eye, which would normally be a sticker, is sculpted as a shadow.

That does not mean every EG has no stickers. The EG Strike Rouge includes a sticker sheet with markings such as Cagalli's personal mark. Bandai describes that kit as having "excellent color-coding reproduction with a small number of parts." The low part count is the point: EG gets the colors and the silhouette right with fewer parts.

The Entry Grade Gundam lineup

The regular-release Entry Grade Gundam kits so far are the RX-78-2 Gundam, Strike Gundam, ν Gundam, Strike Rouge and Wing Gundam. Bandai has also released the Lah Gundam and Build Strike Exceed Galaxy from Gundam Build Metaverse, and the RX-78F00/E Gundam for Expo 2025 in Osaka. In August 2026 Bandai released "Ukiyo-e Package" versions of the RX-78-2, Strike and Wing.

Some kits have extra versions, like an RX-78-2 Full Weapon Set that adds a beam saber, Hyper Bazooka, beam javelin and Gundam Hammer. On top of those, Bandai makes a long list of limited color variants for The Gundam Base, events and lottery prizes.

EG kits can be upgraded. Bandai's Option Parts Sets are sold separately and add gear: the EG Strike Rouge takes Option Parts Set Gunpla 01 (Aile Striker) and Option Parts Set Gunpla 15 (Cavalier Aifrid), and the ν Gundam's Fin Funnels come as Option Parts Set 19. Browse the whole line in our Entry Grade collection.

Entry Grade beyond Gundam

Entry Grade is not only Gundam. The reboot started with character kits, and Bandai has put the EG name on kits from Kamen Rider, Dragon Ball, Doraemon, Ultraman, Pac-Man, My Hero Academia, Detective Conan and Kirby. Releases include Kamen Rider Saber, Kamen Rider Zero-One Rising Hopper, Doraemon, Ultraman Zero, Ultraman from Ultraman: Rising, Kirby, Conan Edogawa, Super Saiyan God Super Saiyan Son Goku and Vegeta, and Naruto Uzumaki and Sasuke Uchiha from Naruto. These character kits do not carry a 1/144 scale. They use the same build-by-hand idea, which makes them an easy first kit for someone who has never built a model.

What Is High Grade?

High Grade arrived in 1990 and is the main 1/144 Gunpla line. The Gundam fandom wiki notes that "almost every new mobile suit that enters retail is produced under the High Grade line," which is why HG has by far the largest choice of suits. HG is not Gundam-only either: Bandai has made HG kits for Mazinger, Kyoukai Senki and Evangelion.

An HG is built the traditional way: each part is cut off the runner with side cutters, then the leftover gate nub is cleaned up. Color separation is good, but HG uses more color-correcting stickers than the higher grades, and a few kits use water-slide decals. Most HG kits use polycaps for their joints. The Gunpla article on Wikipedia notes that Bandai has started moving away from polycaps on Witch from Mercury and Gundam SEED Freedom kits.

HG kits often include more than an EG. For example, HG Red Gundam from Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX comes with two Bits and a Gundam Hammer, and HG GQuuuuuuX includes a closed head and a Core Fighter attachment for the backpack. Browse the full line in our HG collection.

EG vs HG: The Differences That Matter

• Tools. EG parts come off by hand. HG needs side cutters, and a clean finish usually means trimming the gate marks.
• Part count. EG is designed around a reduced part count. HG kits more often add gimmicks and extras in the box.
• Stickers. EG leans on color-separated plastic, and some kits need no stickers at all. HG makes more use of color-correcting stickers.
• Lineup. EG has a handful of Gundam suits. HG covers almost every new mobile suit, so if you want a particular suit it will usually be an HG.
• Price. EG is the cheapest way in. HG is a step up.
• Scale. Both are 1/144, so EG and HG kits stand side by side on the same shelf.

Which Should You Buy?

• You have never built a model kit: an EG. With no tools to buy, the only question is whether you enjoy building.
• You are buying for a younger builder: an EG. Bandai lists recent EG kits for ages 8 and up, and there are no blades or cutters involved.
• The kit you want is not in the EG lineup: an HG. With only a handful of EG Gundams, most suits will be HG.
• You built an EG and want more: an HG, plus a pair of side cutters. HG is the natural next step at the same scale.
• You want a fan of a non-Gundam series to try the hobby: one of the character EGs, such as Naruto, Sasuke or Ultraman.

For how HG compares with RG, MG and PG, see our Gunpla grade guide. For specific starter kits, see our beginner kit list, or browse every grade in the Gunpla collection.

FAQ

What are entry grade Gundams?

They are Bandai's beginner-focused 1/144 Gunpla kits. The parts snap off the runner by hand, the colors come from separate plastic parts, and you can build one with no tools. The current Gundam kits started in 2020 with the RX-78-2 Gundam.

What is the best Gundam grade for a beginner?

For a first build with no tools, Entry Grade. If the suit you want is not in the EG lineup, an HG is the usual starting point, and you will need a pair of side cutters for it.

Is entry grade Gundam worth it?

For a first kit, yes. It is the cheapest way in, and you get proper 1/144 Gunpla without having to buy any tools. Experienced builders who want more extras and a wider lineup will get more out of HG.

What are the differences between Entry Grade and High Grade Gundam kits?

Both are 1/144. EG parts come off by hand, it is designed around a reduced part count with few or no stickers, and it is cheaper. HG needs side cutters, often has more extras, uses more stickers, and covers almost every new mobile suit.