[MS] – Gundam Miniatures 1/400 & 1/300

This is an older post, for the updated one please click on this link.

Continuing from our last post this one we’ll look at the Gundam miniatures available. This post will focus on Gundam models at the 1/400 & 1/300 scale. The 1/400 line of Gundam minis that ran from 2004 to 2010 and with an amazing wide array of models released for both Universal Century (UC) and Alternate Universes (AU).

In the UC range it covered everything from the original Mobile Suit Gundam (0079) until Unicorn (0096) with a few units being produced for F91 and Victory Gundam. For AU it had major releases for Gundam SEED and Gundam Wing as well as models for the main mobile suits of G Gundam, Gundam X, Turn A Gundam and Gundam 00. The standard 1/400 has a simple black base the figure stands on, there is also a series called Mini Figure Select or M.F.S. that is also 1/400 scale and is either painted on a white base or metallic on a black base as seen above.

The metallic version of the M.F.S. have some models that were never released for the standard 1/400 line such as the GM Sniper Custom or the Guncannon Heavy, the downside of course being that they are unpainted and thus from a distance don’t always stand out. The painted M.F.S. has a pretty broad range of both UC and AU and also includes some obscure models like the Re-GZ Custom. The downside to the painted line is that some of the colors do not hold up well. Several of the models appear to have the wrong color and a few of the metallic colors do not look great. Compare the Asshimar models shown below, on the left is the M.F.S. and on the right is the 1/400 model which more closely matches the color we see in Zeta Gundam.

Not all of the M.F.S. models are bad, I happen to prefer them when it comes to the Physalis, the Hyaku Shiki as well as grunt units like the Zaku II and the Gouf. Just keep an eye out on coloration if you are considering purchasing a M.F.S. model.

The 1/300 series also known as S.O.G. or Strategy of Gundam ran from 2006 to 2009 primarily features units from UC with a few AU sprinkled in such as Gundam Wing. The 1/300 series has a great deal of detail compared to the 1/400 series but it has far less units. While you could mix and match the two series while playing MechaStellar some units will look very odd standing next to one another in scale. While the Guntank won’t look too out of place with the 1/400s the other models will look huge in comparison as seen in these two photos.

If you’d like to see the full catalong of 1/400 and 1/300 Gundam models I recommend taking a look at the Gundanium Gateway blog which keeps a listing for both series shown here.

https://gundaniumgateway.blogspot.com/p/check-list-collection-1400.html

https://gundaniumgateway.blogspot.com/p/check-list-sog-1300.html

For MechaStellar we primarily use the 1/400 scale models when playing since it has a very wide range of models as well as some fun obscure models you don’t see very often such as units from Mobile Suit Variations (MSV), Gundam Sentinel and one of the few small scale model ranges that contains models from Gundam Unicorn as seen below. If you’re new to MechaStellar the unit profile sheets can be found on the downloads page.

If you’re looking to start collecting small scale Gundam models they can readily be found on eBay with a simple search like “Gundam 1/400” or “Gundam M.F.S.” or “Gundam S.O.G”. I’ve had the pleasure of working with the two sellers below who both keep a wide selection in stock. Hiro has the largest variety of 1/400 scale Gundam models that can be purchased ala carte where each additional model is an extra 0.50 cents in shipping. Takuya prefers to sell models in large batches which is great if you are starting your collection.

https://www.ebay.com/usr/hiro-japan-brand

https://www.ebay.com/usr/ktakuya2012

If you’d like to see some amazing job on detailing and weathering of Gundam models check out the work at ironhands here: http://ironhands.com/gundamsog.htm