# Gundam Card Game rarities: C, U, R, LR, Link Rare, + and ++

> What C, U, R and LR mean in the Gundam Card Game, what the + and ++ marks, Link Rare, SP and promo cards are, and why the exact version matters when you trade.

Canonical: https://lucernel.com/guides/gundam-card-game-rarity-guide
Last updated: 2026-10-21

Type: Guide. Publisher: Lucernel.

## Short answer

The Gundam Card Game has four base rarities: Common (C), Uncommon (U), Rare (R) and Legend Rare (LR). A + or ++ after the rarity marks an alternate-art version of the same card number, Link Rare (LKC, LKU, LKR) is a parallel rarity that debuted in Freedom Ascension [GD05], and P marks promo cards. Alternate art plays like the original, so the version matters mostly to collectors.

- **Choose this if:** Read the card number and the rarity line together, then check the exact version before you price a card or trade it.
- **Choose the other option if:** For play only, rarity does not matter: any copy of a card number works in your deck.

## Side by side

| | Reading the card yourself | GunTomo |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Tells LR, LR+ and LR++ apart | Partly, from the printed label and the art | Yes, it tells LR, LR+, LR++, parallel and promo apart |
| Shows the price of the exact version | No, you look it up elsewhere | Yes, market prices from public TCGplayer data |
| Handles a stack of new cards quickly | No, one lookup per card | Yes, scan, confirm, add and scan the next |
| Keeps your collection by set | Partly, in a binder or spreadsheet | Yes, with copies and total value |
| Shows prices in your currency | No | Yes, in the currency you choose |

## The four base rarities

Every card shows a rarity next to its card number. The official booster pages list the ladder as Common, Uncommon, Rare and Legend Rare, abbreviated C, U, R and LR on the official card search. For example, the Freedom Ascension [GD05] page lists 50 Common, 36 Uncommon, 32 Rare and 12 Legend Rare cards in the set.

Rarity does not change how a card plays. Rule 2-16 of the Comprehensive Rules (version 1.9.0, updated September 11, 2026) calls it an indicator of a card’s rarity and gives it no effect in the game.


## What + and ++ mean

The official card search has an Alternate Art filter with three values: SP, + and ++. A + or ++ after the rarity, such as LR ++, marks an alternate-art version of a card. The official pages for GD01-001 show the plain version marked LR and a second version marked LR ++, with the same card number and the same card text.

The same card number matters for play. The rules say cards with the same card number are the same card in the game, and a deck may hold four or fewer copies of one card number. Whatever version you own, it is the same card at the table.

The marks are not evenly spread. On October 1, 2026, the official card search returned 543 cards with a + mark and 18 with ++. Of the 18, 14 were LR ++ and four were Resource cards marked C ++, so read the rarity and the mark together.


## Link Rare: LKC, LKU and LKR

Link Rare debuted with Freedom Ascension. The Freedom Ascension [GD05] page says it debuts in that set, featuring linked Units and Pilots, and that these cards come as parallels of cards in the set, with special designs showing memorable pairings.

The official card search lists three Link rarities: LKC, LKU and LKR. On October 1, 2026, it listed 12: four LKC, three LKU and five LKR, all with the + mark. A card page for a Link Rare, GD05-003, shows its rarity as LKR + with the usual card number.


## Promo and SP cards

P is the promo rarity. The card page for each promo names where it comes from: events (ST05-010 lists Events, others list the Starter Deck Battle Event) or products such as the Premium Card Collection sets. The card search also has a Promotion card group.

SP is a special alternate-art group. The Freedom Ascension [GD05] page counts eight Special cards and eight Special EX Resource cards in the set, and describes SP Card EX Resources and eight Pilot SP cards. Use the card search filter and the card number to identify them.


## Why the version matters when you trade

The game treats versions alike, but a collector can tell them apart. GD01-001, from Newtype Rising [GD01], exists as LR and as LR ++, with the same card number and text.

Prices change often, so look up the exact version on the day you buy, sell or trade. Pricing an LR++ as if it were the plain LR, or the other way around, is an easy mistake.


## How to read a card you are holding

Check three things in this order.

- The card number, such as GD01-001: this names the card and the set.
- The rarity line, including any + or ++ mark: this names the version.
- The art: compare it with the card’s page on the official card search if the label is hard to read.


Disclosure: GunTomo is made by Lucernel, the publisher of this article.

## Frequently asked questions

### What are the rarities in the Gundam Card Game?

Common (C), Uncommon (U), Rare (R) and Legend Rare (LR), plus Link Rare (LKC, LKU, LKR) and promo (P). A + or ++ marks alternate art.

### What does LR++ mean in the Gundam Card Game?

It is a Legend Rare card with the ++ alternate-art mark. The official GD05 page describes LR++ cards as luxurious designs worthy of the highest rarity.

### Do LR+ and LR++ play differently from LR?

No. The rules treat cards with the same card number as the same card, so alternate art does not change how it plays.

### What is a Link Rare card?

A parallel rarity that debuted in Freedom Ascension [GD05], featuring linked Units and Pilots. The card search labels them LKC, LKU and LKR.

### Is GunTomo available?

See the official app page for current availability and pricing.

## Our pick: GunTomo, to know exactly which version you hold

A rarity guide tells you what the labels mean. GunTomo does the lookup: point the iPhone camera at a card, and it reads the card code on the device, tells LR, LR+, LR++, parallel and promo versions apart, and shows the market price of that exact version from public TCGplayer data, in the currency you choose. Add it to your collection and scan the next. Card text and images belong to Bandai; GunTomo is an independent app.

- Exact version detection, including parallels and promos
- Market prices from public TCGplayer data
- Collection by set with copies and total value

[See how GunTomo works](https://lucernel.com/apps/guntomo)

## Sources (checked 2026-10-01)

- [Gundam Card Game Comprehensive Rules, Ver. 1.9.0 (official PDF)](https://www.gundam-gcg.com/en/pdf/comprehensiverules_en.pdf)
- [Gundam Card Game official card search](https://www.gundam-gcg.com/en/cards/)
- [Official booster page: Freedom Ascension [GD05]](https://www.gundam-gcg.com/en/products/gd05.html)
- [Official card page: GD01-001 (LR)](https://www.gundam-gcg.com/en/cards/detail.php?detailSearch=GD01-001)
- [Official card page: GD01-001 (LR ++)](https://www.gundam-gcg.com/en/cards/detail.php?detailSearch=GD01-001_p2)
- [Official card page: GD05-003 (LKR +)](https://www.gundam-gcg.com/en/cards/detail.php?detailSearch=GD05-003_p1)
- [Official card page: ST05-010 (P, promo)](https://www.gundam-gcg.com/en/cards/detail.php?detailSearch=ST05-010_p2)