Choose GUNDAM ASSEMBLE STARTER SET 01 for the standalone miniature game, or a GUNDAM CARD GAME starter deck for card battles. The code ST01 appears in both product lines. Heroic Beginnings ST01A is the card-game bundle with miniatures; it is not the standalone miniature game’s starter.
Checked October 17, 2026. This is a guide based on official product information, not a hands-on assembly or play review. Japanese yen prices below include Japanese consumption tax and exclude shipping.
Decide what you want to play before choosing the box
If you want to place small mobile suits on a battlefield and make movement and attack decisions, start with the miniature game. If you want battles organised around a deck and a hand of cards, choose the card game. Painting and displaying small models is a third purpose: look for the machines you want, then check exactly which game materials accompany them.
Miniatures in a photograph do not establish which rules the box supports. Equally, the presence of cards does not identify a trading card game: the standalone Assemble game uses unit and tactic cards too. Read the brand name and contents, rather than relying on a seller’s shortened title.
Three products that are easy to confuse
| Full product name | Purpose | Japanese reference price |
|---|---|---|
| GUNDAM ASSEMBLE STARTER SET 01 [ST01] | Standalone miniature game; six models and battlefield equipment | ¥3,850 |
| GUNDAM CARD GAME Heroic Beginnings [ST01] | Ready-made card deck; no miniatures | ¥1,320 |
| GUNDAM CARD GAME Heroic Beginnings [ST01A] | Card-game deck with three miniatures | ¥3,300 |
The standalone starter is announced for October 31, 2026. The Japanese Heroic Beginnings products were listed for July 12, 2025. A matching number does not mean a matching product or release. Compare the manufacturer’s miniature-game announcement with the Japanese card-game product page when checking a listing.
Start with the game equipment, then choose expansions
The manufacturer introduces Assemble through a minimum three-against-three format. Its starter brings battlefield materials together with the models. This makes it a more useful first reference than an expansion chosen only because a favourite mobile suit appears on the cover. An expansion can add options without replacing every shared component.
Owning older miniatures from a card-game bundle also does not establish that you own the standalone game’s unit information, map and other equipment. Check what the current rules require for the specific models you want to field. A familiar sculpt and a complete playable force are different things.
Separate model preparation from learning the rules
The card-game bundle’s miniatures require assembly and come unpainted and non-articulated. Painting is needed to reproduce the coloured examples. That does not make every paint and scenic accessory shown in promotional photography part of the necessary first purchase.
Prepare a clear work surface and somewhere to keep small parts. Follow the actual kit instructions when deciding on cutting tools, adhesive and compatible paint. Our beginner Gunpla tool guide explains the difference between an entry tool set and a nipper, but miniature parts should not automatically be handled like those of a larger kit.
Keep cards away from the area where you are cutting or painting. It is also helpful to allow separate time for construction and for the first game, so that drying paint does not compete with a planned match. We have not measured assembly time or paint consumption for these products.
Use the appropriate official rules and region
The manufacturer links a Japanese quick-play guide and an English Learn to Play video. These are useful starting points for understanding the intended experience before shopping. For detailed rulings or event requirements, use the current official materials for the game you actually chose.
The October announcement describes a simultaneous worldwide launch with some regions excluded. Do not turn that into a promise about every country’s shop date. The card-game website also separates English US and English Asia. The US Heroic Beginnings page lists its own dollar price and July 11, 2025 date; the Japanese listing is not a universal regional schedule.
Let a favourite series guide the enjoyable part
A model you want to paint can be a good reason to begin, even before you have an opinion about competitive strength. Revisit Heero’s Gundam Wing declaration or Orga’s Iron-Blooded Orphans quote if the starter’s series bring back particular characters. Attachment to a machine and its performance in a rules system need not be the same judgment.
Before ordering, match the full game name, model contents, shared equipment, language and delivery region. Those checks turn three similar-looking product labels into a much clearer choice.
References: BANDAI SPIRITS release, manufacturer’s product announcement and the linked regional card-game pages. Published specifications and dates may change.
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