Bandai Spirits is muscling into tabletop wargaming this October, and they have brought Gundam with them. Gundam Assemble, the first wargame from the brand-new Bandai Tabletop Games imprint, launches worldwide in October 2026 with a five-product opening slate built around snap-together Gunpla miniatures on a hex map.
Run game nights? Backseat Gamer handles RSVPs, waitlists, date polling, and game voting so you can focus on playing.
Start organising for freeThe Starter Set 01 lands at $35 with six mobile suits drawn from across the franchise: the original RX-78-2, Char's Zaku, Wing Gundam Zero EW, Gundam Epyon, Gundam Barbatos Lupus Rex and Gundam Vidar. Bandai is also dropping a Deluxe Set 01 at $100 with 13 units (including a head-only Zeong, which is appropriately unhinged), two themed Expansion Packs at $40 each covering Unicorn and Witch from Mercury, and a $50 Paint Pack for hobbyists. Plans call for more than 30 SKUs within the first year across multiple regions.
The system was designed by Justin Gary, the man behind deck-builder Ascension and dice-pusher Oshi Push. Models stand roughly 5cm tall, snap together without glue and are designed to be painted, giving Bandai an obvious crossover between its 50-year Gunpla business and the wargaming hobby it is now chasing. Combat runs on a Timeline activation system rather than IGO-UGO: each unit's actions push its token along a 10-round track, so faster manoeuvres get more turns and bigger weapons cost more time. Attacks roll D10s with 4+ to hit and 9-10 as critical hits, with damage based on hit count.
Looking for board gamers near you? Browse local communities and find your next game night.
Find events near youFor Western wargamers used to BattleTech and Star Wars Legion, this is a serious new entrant. Gundam Wing alone built a UK fan generation, and Bandai has distribution most plastic-soldier startups can only dream of. If your group fancies giving it a punt when October rolls around, start a community and book in some learn-to-play nights.
Sources: Bandai Hobby | Toy People | Spikey Bits | Bandai Press Release
