Kit Review

Straight build + Panel lining + Seals

Size comparison with a cigarette pack.

Detail shots

Rear view with weapons removed

Outer armor removed

Internal frame

MG Gundam Barbatos - Detailed frame shots. This is MG-level framing on a completely different level from the 1/100. (1/4)

MG Gundam Barbatos - Detailed frame shots. This is MG-level framing on a completely different level from the 1/100. (2/4)

MG Gundam Barbatos - Detailed frame shots. This is MG-level framing on a completely different level from the 1/100. (3/4)

MG Gundam Barbatos - Detailed frame shots. This is MG-level framing on a completely different level from the 1/100. (4/4)

Frame detail shots.
This is MG-level framing on a completely different level from the 1/100.

MG Gundam Barbatos - Articulated cylinders all over the body. The cylinders have a chrome finish, move smoothly, and the gimm

Articulated cylinders all over the body.
The cylinders have a chrome finish, move smoothly, and the gimmick execution is top-notch.

Articulation on the frame

MG Gundam Barbatos - The hip joint gimmick uses the classic method of pulling the locking pin downward to expand the range of

The hip joint gimmick uses the classic method of pulling the locking pin downward to expand the range of motion.

The waist articulation has a surprisingly narrow range of motion despite how flexible it looks.

Shoulder articulation.
The double cylinder gimmick on the shoulders is pretty impressive.

Getting into a kneeling pose is no problem at all.

Cockpit hatch open.
Both the top and bottom open, though the top only reveals the pilot's head slightly.

The booster on the side of the calf rotates to a certain angle.

Three weapons are included: the Smoothbore Gun, Mace, and Tachi.

MG Gundam Barbatos - The Smoothbore Gun folds up neatly as you'd expect from an MG, with extending/retracting and slide gimmi

The Smoothbore Gun folds up neatly as you'd expect from an MG, with extending/retracting and slide gimmicks all working together.

MG Gundam Barbatos - The head and handle of the Mace can both extend and retract, though the handle connection feels a bit lo

The head and handle of the Mace can both extend and retract,
though the handle connection feels a bit loose.

A new gimmick exclusive to the MG.
Two small blades can be detached from the Mace.

The weapon mounting section on Gundam Barbatos's backpack can be slid in and out.

Not just the Smoothbore Gun — the Tachi and Mace can also be mounted using the included support parts.

The backpack's expansion and extension gimmick is nicely executed, though it does feel a little wobbly.

The verniers in the center of the backpack are also articulated.

Three types of interchangeable hands are included.

1/100 Orga figure

Action base joint parts.
The horizontal slide-lock mechanism makes for a solid connection.

Leftover parts

Excellent limb articulation

The rear knee armor can be lowered to increase the knee's range of motion.

Forward/backward shoulder articulation

Fully armed pose

MG Gundam Barbatos - Smoothbore Gun firing pose (1/4)

MG Gundam Barbatos - Smoothbore Gun firing pose (2/4)

Smoothbore Gun firing pose

Mace attack pose

MG Gundam Barbatos - Signature (box art) pose. Looks great even sitting on the ground. (1/3)

Signature (box art) pose.
Looks great even sitting on the ground.

MG Gundam Barbatos - Tachi (sword) pose (1/3)

Tachi (sword) pose

Small sword drawn from the Mace pose

Together with the 1/100 Gundam Barbatos.

Together with the Hi-Resolution Model Gundam Barbatos.

Straight build

Gundam Barbatos from Iron-Blooded Orphans has been released as an MG. The 1/100 Gundam Barbatos that came out back in 2015 made waves for having a full inner frame, but it took a lot of heat for its poor joint strength. Then the later 1/100 Hi-Resolution Model also let people down with its floppy joints.

It seemed less like a simple design mistake and more like an inherent issue with the design itself — all those cylinders and the exposed frame look. I went into this build with plenty of concerns, but MG is MG! It came out as a solid kit with excellent joint strength even without polycaps. The articulation is great too, making it easy to pose and hold positions — it's a complete transformation into an A-grade action model kit.

The frame gimmicks are especially impressive — a lot of effort clearly went into recreating the articulated cylinders scattered throughout the body. The chrome finish on the cylinders looks fantastic, and they move without popping out. The double cylinder gimmick on the shoulder joints in particular is just gorgeous. And despite having so many cylinders working the joints, the joint rigidity itself is excellent and doesn't suffer for it at all. On top of that, the precision and detail of the frame itself feels like a clear step up from the 1/100, and in terms of overall frame quality alone, this has to be among the best even within the MG lineup.

Weapons include the Smoothbore Gun, Mace, and Tachi (sword), each with their own gimmicks faithfully reproduced. The 1/100 No Grade was missing the Mace, but the MG comes fully loaded, and there's even a new gimmick where two small blades can be detached from the Mace. All three weapons can be mounted on the backpack using support parts, and the backpack's mounting section is also faithfully reproduced to MG standards.

When the 1/100 No Grade came out with a full inner frame, a lot of people thought the gap between it and the MG had narrowed — but the actual difference in quality you feel in hand is enormous. It's not just the most obvious issue of joint strength; in terms of overall build quality, this is a kit that keeps reminding you that MG is MG.

Overall it's a great-feeling kit, but there are a few minor gripes. The joint rigidity is good, but maybe because there are no polycaps, each joint has a slight looseness to it. It's a bit hard to put into words... it's not that the joints lock firmly into place when you bend them — there's a kind of play or wobble you can feel. In the end, once you get a pose set it holds fine, but the feel of the joints is somewhere in between smooth and stiff.

On top of that, the Mace's handle extension gimmick feels a bit loose, and while the interchangeable hands aren't bad, they're not super secure either — if you grab a weapon at a bad angle, they can pop off. The backpack's weapon-mounting expansion gimmick also has slightly iffy retention, and when you try to push it back flush and lock it in place, it's hard to get it to sit perfectly flat.

So it's not quite perfect, but there are enough strengths here that the overall quality is more than satisfying. It's clearly on a whole different level from the 1/100 No Grade, so if you're a Barbatos fan, this is definitely a kit worth welcoming. :-)

MG ASW-G-08 Gundam Barbatos
Category	Rating	Analysis
Seam Lines	★★★★★	That's long gone... only a little bit on some of the weapons.
Molding Color / Color Separation	★★★★★	It's an MG — color separation should be perfect, and it is.
Proportions	★★★★★	Looks slightly more stocky, but no major change.
Articulation	★★★★★★	Articulation right at the level you'd hope for. Easy and fun to pose.
Joint Strength	★★★★★★	Rock-solid rigidity on a completely different level from the 1/100 and HiRM.
Internal Frame	★★★★★★★	The 1/100 was good, but the MG is so much better. MG is MG!
Detail	★★★★★	Clean without being overdone. The frame detail exceeds expectations.
Weapons / Accessories	★★★★★	Weapon selection and gimmicks are fully up to MG standards.
Parts Count / Price	★★★★★★	332 parts total. Parts per ¥1,000: 73.8. Value for money is top-tier.
Uniqueness	★★★★★★★	Finally, a "proper" Barbatos that isn't floppy.
Dalong's Point : 114 pts.

* The scoring system used only for MG has been carried over from First 1.0 twenty years ago,
so applying it uniformly even to the latest kits — whose quality has leveled up across the board — is honestly a bit ambiguous.
Since it's just my personal take and can't clearly capture the differences in kit quality over the years,
please don't read too much into it and just use it as a loose reference.
(For kits scoring above 100, take it to mean the quality is much better than kits of the past.)

MG Gundam Barbatos | 2019. 12 | ¥4,900

AIThis page was translated by Claude Sonnet.