MGPost Disaster

ASW-G-08 Gundam Barbatos Lupus

Mikazuki's second suit finally gets the modern MG frame it deserved.

MechaGrade Score

4.3/5

Barbatos · 1/100 · 2025

GradeMG

Scale1/100

Released2025

Runnersn/a

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The verdict

This is the Barbatos kit I wanted a decade ago.

Bandai took everything people loved about the original MG Barbatos and rebuilt it on an updated Gundam Frame with more forward-and-back waist travel and reworked shoulder joints, and the difference shows up the moment you start posing it. It feels less like an IBO nostalgia kit and more like a modern MG that happens to depict a beat-up Calamity War relic.

Best for: IBO fans and MG collectors who want the definitive posable Barbatos Lupus, not just a display statue

The full review

What it is

This kit is Mikazuki Augus's second Gundam, the Lupus-package version of Barbatos with the added arm cannons and beefed-up frame, done as a proper 1/100 Master Grade with a full inner frame under the outer armor. Building it, what struck me first was how buttery the plastic feels coming off the runners and how crisp the panel lines already look before any paint touches it. The backpack has a swing gimmick that lets the mechanical arms deploy without swapping parts, which is exactly the kind of engineering flourish that makes a Master Grade feel worth the price over a cheaper grade.

The catch

The side skirt connection at the hip is genuinely delicate. Several builders flagged it as the one spot on this kit where you need to slow down, because the joint stresses easily if you're rough with hip articulation during posing. Bandai still leans on a handful of small stickers for finer details even with decent molded color separation, so don't expect zero-sticker perfection. The included action base situation is thin too. Reviewers noted the foot and heel design makes some of the more dynamic Rex-style poses tough to hold without a stand, and at roughly 10,550 yen this isn't an impulse-buy price point.

Who it's for

If you already own the older MG Barbatos or Barbatos Lupus Rex and wondered whether this one is worth double-dipping on, it is, the frame upgrade alone justifies it. This is a strong pick for MG-level builders who want an inner-frame kit with real engineering behind the articulation rather than a straightforward snap kit, and for anyone who wants Mikazuki's suit as it actually looked deep into the Gjallarhorn invasion arc, cannons and all. Skip it if you're newer to the hobby and want your first Master Grade to be forgiving, the fragile hip connection rewards a careful hand. HG builders who just want the silhouette on a shelf can get away with a cheaper grade instead.

What works

Reworked Gundam Frame gives noticeably more forward-back waist tilt and shoulder range than the older MG Barbatos kits
Backpack swing gimmick deploys the arm-mounted cannons without part swapping, and the cannons themselves rotate and slide to mimic firing mode
Panel lines and surface detail are crisp straight off the runner, plus a Mikazuki Augus pilot figure that actually sits in the cockpit hatch

Worth knowing

The side skirt joint at the hip is fragile and needs gentle handling during posing
Still relies on some stickers for finer detail work despite good molded color separation
Foot and heel articulation make some of the more dramatic action poses hard to hold without an action base

Sold? Grab it.

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The build story

What the build is actually like, and the engineering worth knowing about.

Runner cleanup is straightforward for an MG at this part count, gates are placed where sink marks won't show once assembled, and the frame goes together in the usual Bandai clip-fit way without needing glue. The one section to build slowly is the waist and hip skirt assembly, since that's where the fragile side skirt connector lives, rush it and you risk stressing the joint before you've even finished the kit.

The standout engineering here is the frame revision itself, the updated forward-back waist articulation and shoulder joints translate directly into better dynamic poses than earlier IBO Master Grades managed. Color separation on the frame and outer armor is solid for the price band, and the arm cannon deploy gimmick plus the Mikazuki pilot figure add real accessory value beyond just the suit and its melee weapon.

Lore & trivia

01Gundam Barbatos is one of 72 Gundam Frames built roughly 300 years earlier during the Calamity War to fight autonomous Mobile Armors, making Mikazuki's suit a genuine ancient relic rather than a new build.
02Mikazuki Augus earned the nickname 'the Devil of Tekkadan' for consistently fighting on the front line of every engagement, a trait this Lupus-package kit's extra firepower loadout was built around in the show.
03The Lupus upgrade adds shoulder-mounted 200mm cannons to the base Barbatos frame, and this MG version lets them rotate and slide to recreate the suit's firing pose rather than just sitting as static armor.