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Premium Bandai and Gundam Base Exclusive Kits Explained

What Premium Bandai and Gundam Base exclusive Gunpla kits are, how Bandai sells limited releases, and examples of plated and clear special finishes.

By Gundam Models editorial teamUpdated 3 min readHow we research

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A white and red Unicorn Gundam model with a golden horn, seen close up

Premium Bandai and Gundam Base exclusive kits are Gunpla that Bandai sells only through its own channels instead of general retail. Premium Bandai (P-Bandai) kits come from Bandai’s official web store, while Gundam Base limited kits are sold at The Gundam Base stores and their online shop. Many use special finishes such as clear plastic, plating or coatings.

The grade does not change. A Gundam Base limited RG is still a Real Grade kit, and a Premium Bandai PG is still a Perfect Grade, so the size and build style match the general line.

How Bandai sells limited Gunpla kits

Bandai’s own product lists split kits by where they are sold. On Bandai’s global hobby site, the Real Grade and Perfect Grade lists can be filtered by five sales channels:

  • General sales: regular kits sold through shops and retailers everywhere.
  • Bandai Hobby Online Shop limited: kits sold through Premium Bandai’s hobby shop.
  • Events: kits sold at Bandai events.
  • The Gundam Base limited: kits sold through The Gundam Base.
  • Gundam Side-F limited: kits sold through Gundam Side-F.

Wikipedia adds that limited editions are often prizes, event items or region-specific releases, and that some are plated.

Tip

Premium Bandai is often shortened to “P-Bandai,” as Gunpla 101 notes. A Gundam Base kit carries “The Gundam Base Limited” in its full name in Bandai’s own listings, which helps when you compare a resale listing with the original.

Premium Bandai exclusive kits

Premium Bandai grew out of Bandai’s online web store in the late 2000s, according to Gunpla 101, and the first U.S. Premium Bandai store opened in 2014. Today Bandai’s page for buyers outside Japan links to regional Premium Bandai stores for Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau, Singapore, the U.S., Australia and New Zealand.

Online Shop limited kits on Bandai’s Perfect Grade list include:

  • PG Unicorn Gundam Perfectibility and its Divine Expansion Set
  • PG Unicorn Gundam 03 Phenex (Narrative Ver.)
  • PG Banshee Norn
  • A clear color body for PG Unleashed RX-78-2

The Real Grade list has Online Shop kits too, such as RG Blast Impulse Gundam Spec II and a weapon set for the RG RX-78-2 Ver.2.0. Gunpla 101 notes that Premium Bandai sometimes re-releases kits, which gives a second chance at some past exclusives.

Gundam Base exclusive kits and finishes

The Gundam Base is Bandai’s official Gunpla store brand. Bandai Namco Amusement America says there are 31 stores worldwide, and the Japanese site lists stores in Tokyo, Fukuoka and Shibuya plus satellite shops in other cities.

A built Gundam Exia plastic model in blue, white and red
Limited versions usually reuse a general kit's parts with a new finish.

Gundam Base limited kits are usually known general kits in a new finish. Examples from Bandai’s own lists:

Kit Grade Special finish
RX-78-2 Gundam [Titanium Finish] PG 1/60 Titanium finish
Sazabi [Mechanical Core Plating] RG 1/144 Mechanical core plating
Zeong [Special Coating] RG 1/144 Special coating
Wing Gundam Zero EW [Clear Color] RG 1/144 Clear plastic
Gundam Kyrios (Trans-Am Mode) [Metallic Gloss Injection] MG 1/100 Metallic molded plastic

The examples run from 1/144 Real Grade up to 1/60 Perfect Grade, so a limited finish is not tied to one size. The Gundam Base site also has an event-limited section, and its online shop is hosted on Premium Bandai, which means buyers who cannot reach a store can still order some Gundam Base kits while they are on sale.

Premium Bandai and Gundam Base limited kits

Shop premium Bandai and Gundam Base kits

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Buying limited kits after release

Once a limited release has ended at Premium Bandai or The Gundam Base, resellers and online marketplaces are the usual way to find it. Popular limited kits attract bootleg copies, so our guide on where to buy Gunpla covers how to check a listing before you pay.

Plated and coated parts call for extra care when you cut and handle them. Sharp Gunpla nippers and a light touch help keep the finish clean.

To compare the grades behind these kits, see Real Grade, Perfect Grade and the full grades guide.

Frequently asked questions

What does P-Bandai mean on a Gunpla kit?

P-Bandai is short for Premium Bandai, Bandai's official online store. A P-Bandai kit was sold through that web store rather than through general retail.

Can I buy Gundam Base exclusive kits outside the stores?

Some, yes. The Gundam Base has an online shop hosted on Premium Bandai, and Bandai's product pages send buyers there when a kit is open for order. Once a release ends, the resale market is the usual route.

Do Premium Bandai kits come back?

Sometimes. Gunpla 101 notes that Premium Bandai re-releases some kits, but there is no fixed schedule, so a past exclusive may or may not return.

Are limited kits harder to build?

Not by default. A limited kit uses the same grade as its general version, such as RG or PG, so the build is similar. Plated or coated parts need extra care when you cut and handle them.

Filed under GradesStart with Gunpla Grades Explained: HG, RG, MG, PG, SD and Entry Grade

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