How to Build Gunpla: Your First Kit, Step by Step

To build Gunpla, check the parts against the manual, cut each part from its runner with plastic model nippers, clean the leftover nub, and snap the parts together step by step. No glue or paint is needed. Finish with the stickers or decals, using tweezers for small ones, then pose the kit.

Bandai’s own beginner guide lists the same steps, and the only tool it says you need is a modeling nipper; tweezers and files help. Everything after that, from panel lining to top coat, is optional finishing that you can add one kit at a time.

What you need for a first build

• The kit. Bandai’s Entry Grade line can be built by hand; other grades need nippers. Read the best Gunpla for beginners to choose one.
• Nippers. Bandai recommends nippers made for plastic models or single-blade nippers, which cut cleanly without crushing parts. See our nippers guide.
• Tweezers and a file or sanding stick. Bandai suggests both. Tweezers place small stickers; a file smooths the nub mark.
• A clear table. Small parts roll; a tray keeps them together.

The build, step by step

Set up your work space

A small, clear space is all a first kit needs. A few things make it easier:

• A cutting mat. Airfix lists one among its useful extras: it protects the table and extends blade life when you use a hobby knife.
• A tray or shallow box for cut parts, so small pieces do not roll away.
• Good light over the table, since part numbers on runners are small.
• A bag for the runners you have finished with, which keeps the remaining ones easy to search.

First-build mistakes to avoid

Most problems on a first kit come from rushing. The manual breaks the kit into small sub-assemblies, such as a foot, a lower leg or a forearm, and finishing each one before starting the next keeps parts from mixing up:

1. Parts facing the wrong way. Bandai’s guide says to check each part’s direction as you assemble. Compare it with the manual before pressing it home.
2. Cutting too close. Cut a little away from the part first, then trim the nub, so the part is not marked.
3. Cutting everything at once. Loose parts lose their runner numbers. Cut only what the current step needs.
4. Crooked stickers. Bandai suggests tweezers for small ones; place one edge, check it, then press down.
5. Forcing a tight fit. If a part will not seat, check for a leftover nub on the peg or in the hole before you push harder.

How long does a first build take?

Bandai does not publish build times, and it varies with the kit and the builder. As a guide, an Entry Grade or simple High Grade kit is the shortest build, because it has the fewest parts, while Real Grade and Master Grade kits, with their inner frames and higher part counts, are usually spread over several sessions. There is no prize for speed: a slower build with clean cuts looks better.

What to do with the empty runners

Once the kit is built, you are left with a pile of empty runners. Bandai Spirits runs a Gunpla Recycling Project for them as part of its sustainability work, and Wikipedia notes Bandai has made kits from recycled runners. If there is no collection point near you, check your local recycling rules for hard plastic.

Posing your finished kit

Bandai’s posing tips for a natural standing pose: pull the chin down, keep the shoulders level, give the body a slight S curve rather than a straight line, bend the arms a little and turn the toes outward. For action poses, keep the overall balance in mind and use weapons to add movement.

Starter tool sets for Gunpla

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Finishing steps to try next

Once a straight build feels easy, each of these steps makes a kit look less like plastic:

Guides in this section

Start with the best Gunpla for beginners, then add panel lining, water slide decals, a top coat and painting as you go. For the tools behind each step, see Gunpla tools.