Kit Review

Straight build +
panel lining

Size comparison with a cigarette pack

Full Mechanics Gundam Barbatos Lupus (1/6)

Full Mechanics Gundam Barbatos Lupus (2/6)

Full Mechanics Gundam Barbatos Lupus (3/6)

Full Mechanics Gundam Barbatos Lupus (4/6)

Full Mechanics Gundam Barbatos Lupus (5/6)

Full Mechanics Gundam Barbatos Lupus (6/6)

Full Mechanics Gundam Barbatos Lupus - Detail shots (1/4)

Full Mechanics Gundam Barbatos Lupus - Detail shots (2/4)

Detail shots

Left armor removed shot

The inner frame is slightly different from the original Barbatos.

Full Mechanics Gundam Barbatos Lupus - A frame cover has been added at the elbow, and the arm is longer due to additional fra

A frame cover has been added at the elbow, and the arm is longer due to additional frame at the wrist.

Full Mechanics Gundam Barbatos Lupus - New frame pieces have been added to the front and back of the knee, and the overall st

New frame pieces have been added to the front and back of the knee, and the overall structure of the foot has been redesigned.

Full Mechanics Gundam Barbatos Lupus - Like the Barbatos, you can attach sub-arms to the backpack, but it's a bit of a hassle

Like the Barbatos, you can attach sub-arms to the backpack,
but it's a bit of a hassle since you have to completely remove the cover and reassemble it.
On top of that, this kit doesn't include any weapons that actually use the sub-arms, so they'll probably come into play with a future weapon pack or another version.

Articulation of the center section of the backpack.

The 200mm cannon added to the forearm can rotate and move up and down.

The red part of the shoulder armor can be pulled out and bent outward.

Full Mechanics Gundam Barbatos Lupus - Two full sets of hands are included, and even the large Sword Mace locks in securely u

Two full sets of hands are included, and even the large Sword Mace locks in securely using the peg on the grip.

Leftover parts.

The articulation feels slightly worse than the original Barbatos.

Full Mechanics Gundam Barbatos Lupus - Sword Mace action (1/3)

Sword Mace action

Full Mechanics Gundam Barbatos Lupus - Sword Mace aerial action. The solid joint strength and secure weapon grip make poses l

Sword Mace aerial action.
The solid joint strength and secure weapon grip make poses like this easy to pull off.

Full Mechanics Gundam Barbatos Lupus - 200mm cannon firing pose (1/3)

200mm cannon firing pose

Together with the HG Gundam Barbatos Lupus.

Together with the 1/100 Gundam Barbatos / 6th Form kit.

Straight build shot before panel lining

The mechs from season 2 of Iron-Blooded Orphans have started getting 1/100 releases, and the first one out of the gate is Gundam Barbatos Lupus. The 1/100 scale line has been restarted from number 1 under a new lineup name called "Full Mechanics" — but when you actually open the box, the packaging is no different from the old 1/100 kits, so it's a bit puzzling why they bothered changing the name. Maybe they just wanted to give it a proper title since "no grade" sounds a bit underwhelming... ^^;

I wondered if they had renewed the frame from scratch and relaunched the lineup, but it turns out about 90% of the frame uses the exact same runners from the original 1/100 Gundam Barbatos. Compared to the Barbatos, there are added frame structures at the forearms, wrists, and front and back of the knees, and the entire foot structure has been redesigned — but since most of the frame is unchanged, the articulation characteristics are pretty much the same as before.

That said, the increased height and thicker armor do make the articulation feel slightly worse. On the flip side, the joint strength is clearly a step up from the original 1/100. The 1/100 Barbatos had a fantastic frame structure, but the joints were a bit loose compared to MG-level kits, which made posing a bit nerve-wracking. The Full Mechanics Barbatos Lupus is noticeably sturdier — whatever pose you put it in, it holds.

The large Sword Mace in particular locks in firmly thanks to the peg connection with the palm, and even when you raise that heavy weapon high up, the elbow and shoulder joints hold it in place without any trouble, so there's almost no limit to what poses you can pull off. That kind of posing was tough with the 1/100 Barbatos, and I suspect they tightened up the polycap tolerances across the board to reinforce the basic skeleton — which might be exactly why they felt the lineup deserved a new name.

There's also a sub-arm attachment gimmick for the backpack, just like on the Barbatos, but it requires completely disassembling three parts and putting them back together, which makes it a bit of a chore. More to the point, just like with the HG, there are no weapons included in this kit that actually use the sub-arms, so they'll probably be put to use in a future version.

Anyway, the packaging isn't much different from before, so it's a new lineup in name only — but the dramatically improved joint strength alone makes this a kit I'd happily give high marks to. The satisfying feel of snapping together those chunky frame pieces and armor panels, combined with a great overall look, makes this a solidly enjoyable build for anyone. It really does feel like a reborn kit with reliable quality. :-)

Full Mechanics Gundam Barbatos Lupus | 2016. 11 | ¥3,000

AIThis page was translated by Claude Sonnet.