Your enjoyment of a Gunpla kit doesn’t need to end when it’s finally finished and posed. In the Philippines, a tabletop game is catching on that makes use of your completed kits. Gunpla 101 contributor John Carlo Rayas explains the ins and outs of this exciting Gunpla pastime.
Most people think that after you build your Gunpla, the only thing left for it to do is sit in a cabinet and collect dust. However, some Gunpla owners in the Philippines thought, “Hey, why don’t we do something about these plastic model kits?”
Enter Gunpla Battle: War on the Table.
Called “Gunpla Battle” or GBWOT for short, it’s a tabletop game in which Gunpla model kits battle to see who is the strongest. The game is now in its fifth edition, with a dedicated fanbase who regularly play at certain venues. This game was the brainchild of card game enthusiast Keith Quirong. While he enjoys collecting and building Gunpla, one question he kept asking himself is:
“What am I collecting Gundam for?”
This was enough for Keith to combine the two hobbies. With this idea, he started developing a game involving card game mechanics and Gunpla kits. The game took time to fully develop as it was first released in 2013 as a one-on-one fighting game. This format would not last as something happened during playtesting that made him decide to change the game.
While looking for players to test this idea, he met Arvin Tan. Arvin then introduced Keith to the world of tabletop gaming, as he did not like the initial idea of one-on-one Gunpla battles. It took three years for GBWOT to achieve its current form.
Arvin introduced Keith to games like Gundam Collection Tactical Combat, Warhammer 40K, Dust Tactics, and Star Wars X-Wing Miniatures. These became the template for GBWOT’s core gameplay. Exposure to such games changed the core mechanics from one-on-one slugfests to a much more strategy-laden game more people could play the game at the same time.
So what changed?
While the game’s current setup has specific classifications for each unit, (e.g. Gundams have their unit class separate between grunt and ace mobile suits) the first version did not have such unit assignments. Players back then used cards, specifically edited Gundam EXA ones, to indicate the stats of each player’s unit. That all changed when the format was retooled to make the gameplay more similar to Gunpla fights in the Build Fighters universe.
Adapting the mechanics of Gunpla Build Fighters necessitated stat sheets and unit upgrades. This opened the gates for players to customize their units to their liking. It would also lead to more intense, and sometimes quick, fights. This might become a problem with newer players but we will talk about that later.
Cards do still exist in the game but they serve another purpose now. Back then, people used unit cards to learn more about your unit’s stats and equipment. Now, they are indicators of actions players can call on the battlefield.
When Keith introduced GBWOT in its current format in 2016, 8-12 people were actively playing it. The player count remained the same in 2025. Keith states that one of the reasons is that the results of some matches traumatize new players. Some upgrades and tactics can eliminate one’s unit in seconds.
Aside from upgrades, the organizers added other modes to the base game. Tournament organizers can initiate missions for players to accomplish while they destroy each other. There are also last-pilot standing battles where players duke it out onto an all-out battle royale. Team matches are a thing too if they feel like putting people into teams of three.
This led Keith, together with the help of players and tournament organizers, to revise and retool the game to make it fair to beginners. He started working on these revisions after a major tournament ends. The revisions are continuous, making sure that everyone can enjoy the game for years to come.
While the game still has some kinks to work on, the concept of something like “Gunpla Battle: War on the Table” should breathe a new life on all the plastic model kits on your shelves. Maybe you can adapt this game to a game club or make another game using your model kits.
Interested in learning more about GBWOT? Join the game’s Facebook group to get started.
John Carlo Rayas is an anime fan that dabbles in Gunpla. He also has a website that talks about Philippine otaku culture.
