ASW-G-08 Gundam Barbatos (Cross Contrast Colors)
The same brilliant Barbatos frame, dipped in ink and lit from within.
MechaGrade Score
Barbatos · 1/100 · 2024
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This is the 2016 MG Barbatos engineering I already love, wearing a genuinely striking dark polarized colorway that makes the exposed frame the whole point.
I built the original grey release years ago and this Cross Contrast Colors P-Bandai reissue does not change a single joint or panel, it just reworks the plastic tones so the skeletal Ahab reactor guts and hydraulic pistons read as design features instead of background noise. If you already own a Barbatos, this is a re-skin, not a reason to buy a second one. If you do not, this might be the best-looking way to get one.
Best for: IBO fans and frame nerds who want Barbatos's exposed mechanical guts to actually pop instead of blending into a beige and blue color scheme
What it is
Barbatos is a Master Grade built around the idea that the inner frame is not something you hide, it is something you show off, and this variant leans hard into that by molding the frame in near-black plastic with sharp, high-contrast highlights instead of the original's more muted palette. The hydraulic pistons at the shoulders, the exposed joint work at the hips and knees, the skeletal chest all suddenly look like they belong on a display shelf rather than under armor. I remember being surprised the first time by how good this kit looks with zero panel lining, and this colorway pushes that even further because the contrast is baked into the runners themselves.
The catch
Nothing engineering-wise changed, so the same quirks from the 2016 mold carry over: a handful of parts are undergated and need careful nub cleanup, the waist and hip joints can feel a little looser than you'd want after repeated posing, and the sticker sheet is still there for cockpit and sensor details even though the color separation elsewhere is excellent. This is also a limited P-Bandai release, meaning it comes and goes in availability and typically costs more than the standard-release MG Barbatos, so you're paying a premium for the color scheme, not new parts or articulation.
Who it's for
Buy this one if you specifically want the moodier, high-contrast look on your shelf, if you're building a red-versus-blue Iron-Blooded Orphans display, or if you missed the original run and don't mind paying P-Bandai pricing for a fresh colorway. Skip it if you already have a standard MG Barbatos built and painted, since the frame and articulation are identical and you'd just be buying the same kit twice. First-time IBO builders who don't care about the specific palette are better served hunting down the cheaper standard release if it's still in stock.
The build story
What the build is actually like, and the engineering worth knowing about.
The build itself follows the well-worn MG Barbatos path: frame first, then armor over it, with most joints going together cleanly and only a small handful of undergated parts asking for patience during nub removal. The snap-lock pegs with notched canals in the frame are there to keep joints steady, so resist the urge to sand them smooth, that's a known gotcha builders flag repeatedly.
Where this kit earns its reputation is articulation and shelf presence together. There are no polycaps in the traditional sense, yet the joints hold tension like there are, and the piston-driven shoulder gimmick extends the arm's range well past what the armor silhouette suggests it should allow. Color separation on this variant is the standout upgrade over the base release, since the dark frame plastic reads as intentional design rather than something a painter needs to fix, even though the sticker sheet still handles the smaller cockpit and sensor details.
Lore & trivia
- 01Barbatos is the eighth of 72 Gundam Frames built by Gjallarhorn near the end of the Calamity War, three centuries before the events of Iron-Blooded Orphans
- 02Protagonist Mikazuki Augus pilots Barbatos through several upgraded forms across the series, including Barbatos Lupus and Barbatos Lupus Rex, all traceable back to this original frame
- 03The Cross Contrast Colors release pairs Barbatos in dark, high-contrast plastic with a red counterpart kit, playing on a red-versus-blue display theme rather than changing any parts
What other builders say
This write-up is grounded in real reviews and builder discussion, not just one opinion. A few worth reading:
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