SD Sangoku Soketsuden Ma Chao Gundam Barbatos

Release 2019.6

Price ¥900First release price: ¥700

BANDAI BANDAI Japan product info

Runners

Parts diagram

SD Ma Chao Gundam Barbatos - Manual (1/5)

SD Ma Chao Gundam Barbatos - Manual (2/5)

SD Ma Chao Gundam Barbatos - Manual (3/5)

Manual

Straight build + Stickers

Size comparison with a cigarette pack

Straight build before applying seals

SD Ma Chao Gundam Barbatos - After applying seals (1/2)

SD Ma Chao Gundam Barbatos - After applying seals (2/2)

After applying stickers

A shared frame runner is included.

There's quite a lot of hollow areas visible on the inside of the legs.

The horn from the Ryukakusho on the shoulder can be moved and attached to the mace.

You can fold the back part of the Ryukakusho and put it on like a shoe.

The Hose Memory is stored inside the Ryukakusho.

SD Ma Chao Gundam Barbatos - Articulation covers the head, waist, shoulders, and hip joints, with the shoulders able to swing

Articulation covers the head, waist, shoulders, and hip joints, with the shoulders able to swing slightly forward and back.

SD Ma Chao Gundam Barbatos - Action Pose (1/3)

Action pose

Together with BB Senshi Gundam Barbatos

Together with SD Yubi Unicorn Gundam.

Together with SD Macho Blue Destiny.

Collab shot with the separately sold Trinity Bike

You can mix in the weapons from Zhao Yun 00 Gundam.

* This series follows a standardized lineup format where most kits share the same basic traits, so I'll cover the common points first and then get into what makes this one unique. ^^

--- SD Sangoku Soketsuden common notes -----------------
In 2019, the SD Sangoku Soketsuden project kicked off to celebrate Gundam's 40th anniversary. The plastic models in this series are made at Bandai's Chinese factory rather than the Shizuoka plant, so the molded colors are a touch duller and the plastic feels a bit harder compared to Shizuoka-made kits. That said, the color separation is really impressive, keeping seal usage to a minimum while still delivering a striking look. The detail is a little soft in places, but the sculpting and sense of volume are excellent, and small gates are used throughout, making assembly a breeze. The proportions have also shifted compared to older SD kits — the head is smaller and the overall silhouette is more slender, which seems to be the direction SD-scale kits are heading these days. The hollow areas that are a classic SD trait show up mainly on the inner sides of the arms and legs, but they're positioned where they're not too noticeable, so it doesn't really stand out.

In terms of construction, a shared frame runner is included, though it only covers the torso and thighs. It feels like they were trying to follow the SD Cross Silhouette frame concept but deliberately simplified it. Even so, this frame is a step up from older SD kits in terms of articulation — knee joints have been added where there were none before, the shoulders can swing slightly forward and back, and the waist can rotate on all of them as standard. The frame structure also allows the upper body to lean forward slightly, which gives you more expressive poses than previous SD kits.

Accessories are kept to a minimum — most kits come with just one unique weapon. So while the contents are simple, the visual impact is impressive, and perhaps because it's made in China, the value for money feels pretty good relative to what you get. It's also worth noting that the character names are written in Chinese pronunciation rather than Japanese when spelled out in English, which is a nice touch. Overall, I'd call the quality "better than expected" — if the style is your thing, this is a seriously addictive lineup that's a lot of fun to build.
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The 10th kit in the SD Sangoku Soketsuden lineup is Ma Chao Gundam Barbatos. The design stays very faithful to Gundam Barbatos, and the signature oversized mace is included as a weapon. Structurally, the hollow areas are mainly visible on the inner sides of the legs and are a bit prominent there, while the Hose Memory is stored inside the Ryukakusho on the shoulder. The horn on the Ryukakusho can be detached and plugged onto the mace, and you can also fold the Ryukakusho and put it on the feet like shoes.

On top of that, you can also seat the figure on the separately sold Trinity Bike, and borrow the weapons from Zhao Yun 00 Gundam to combine with the mace. Overall, the quality is on par with the previous kits in the series — solid and dependable — and it does a great job of capturing the original design's character while reimagining it in a Musha Gundam style. :-)

AIThis page was translated by Claude Sonnet.