Bandai Namco has unveiled an exciting addition to the Gundam universe: a new Gundam Card Game, set to debut on July 11, 2025. This release will coincide with the launch of the Gundam Assemble miniatures game, creating an engaging duo for fans of the iconic franchise. The card game will be available in English, Japanese, and Simplified Chinese to reach fans worldwide.
Starter Decks and Booster Set
The Gundam Card Game will kick off with four starter decks and the Newtype Rising booster pack. Each starter deck represents a key Gundam series:
- Heroic Beginnings: Featuring iconic mobile suits from the original Mobile Suit Gundam.
- Wings of Advance: Focused on the popular Mobile Suit Gundam Wing.
- Zeon's Rush: Showcasing Zaku units from Mobile Suit Gundam.
- Seed Strike: Highlighting mobile suits from Mobile Suit Gundam SEED.
Starter decks will come in two editions:
A Standard Edition priced at $11.99.
A Crossover Edition, bundled with three unassembled miniatures, available for $34.99.
- The Newtype Rising booster set will expand the gameplay experience, introducing cards from Mobile Suit Gundam Unicorn not included in the starter decks.
Gameplay Mechanics
The game challenges players to build a 50-card deck with cards of up to two different colors. Drawing comparisons to Bandai’s One Piece card game, Gundam Card Game introduces a resource system with strategic depth:
- Players use a separate resource deck to accumulate resources over the course of the game.
- Cards have both a resource cost and a level, adding layers of tactical decision-making.
- For example, a Level 4 card may only require 2 resources to play but cannot be deployed unless 4 resources are in the player's pool.
Gundam Assemble Integration
Bandai is also promoting synergy between the card game and the Gundam Assemble miniatures game. Miniatures can serve as visual tokens placed on corresponding cards during gameplay. While these minis offer no mechanical advantage, their integration emphasizes the cross-promotional potential of both games. Starter deck miniatures include fan-favorite mobile suits such as:
- RX-78-2 Gundam (Heroic Beginnings)
- OZ-00MS Tallgeese (Wings of Advance)
- MS-06S Zaku II Commander Type (Zeon's Rush)
- GAT-X105 Strike Gundam (Seed Strike)
A Landmark Year for Gundam
The release of these games is just one part of an incredible year for the Gundam franchise. 2025 will also feature the debut of the highly anticipated Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX, co-written by Evangelion creator Hideaki Anno.
Bandai has set the stage for a significant expansion of the Gundam universe, providing fans with fresh ways to immerse themselves in the franchise.
Anticipation and Expectations
With Gundam's widespread popularity—from its anime series to the beloved Gunpla model kits—the Gundam Card Game has the potential to become a standout hit in 2025. If Bandai successfully meets the demand for these products (a challenge it faced during the launch of the One Piece Card Game), the Gundam Card Game and Gundam Assemble are poised to thrive in the tabletop gaming community.
"Here's two new Gundam tabletop games with integrated compatibility!"
ReplyDelete"So what does that mean?"
"lol i dunno, look at it while you play i guess"
Truly Bandai thought this one out, a bastion of creativity that one. Still gonna buy it.