Recently, a new Gundam series has been announced for 2022 called Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch From Mercury. It is the first new Gundam series since Mobile Suit Gundam Iron-Blooded Orphans (IBO) first aired in 2015. That makes now as good a time as ever to look back at an IBO model kit before models start coming out for the new show. Today I’ll be taking a look at the HG Gundam Bael. In-universe, it is the first of the 72 Gundam frames produced to combat threats to humanity’s existence in the Calamity War. In the box of the HG Gundam Bael you get four plastic runners, one runner of polycaps, and a sticker sheet.

Aesthetics

The Gundam Bael is a relatively simple-looking mobile suit compared to many others in the IBO universe. It has some cool design elements, like the wing binders and rear-mounted sword holsters, but otherwise looks a bit plain. In terms of color accuracy, the kit does a pretty good job of replicating the look from the anime. There are a few color-correcting stickers like in many other IBO kits, but there aren’t too many. However, some of those stickers are not on flat surfaces, and don’t look the best when applied, particularly the ones on the v-fin. If you’re willing to do a little bit of paining, this kit will look much better than it does with just the provided stickers.

Articulation

This model shares the same internal Gundam frame as the other IBO Gundam kits, so the main body’s articulation is similar. Overall, the articulation is solid and you can get some good dynamic action poses, but the single-jointed elbows and very short upper legs may be a bit limiting depending on the pose you want to pull off. The wing binders and sword holsters are articulated as well, providing you with more options. The kit can hold poses pretty well out of the box, but it is worth mentioning that I have one other HG IBO kit, and it has loosened a lot over time, making it harder to hold poses.

Accessories

Because the Gundam Bael is a relatively simple and unspecialized mobile suit, it doesn’t have too many weapons and accessories. You get two swords and two holding hands, but that’s it. The swords are molded in gold and look pretty good (gold-molded plastic does not always look the best on Gundam kits), and the hands will be compatible with most HG IBO weapons and many weapons from other HG lines if you have some extra weapons from other kits lying around, but otherwise your options are very limited and the kit would really benefit from some more expressive open hands.

Comparison

With an in-universe height of 18 meters and a real-world height of about 5.5 inches, the Gundam Bael is a very average sized mobile suit, and won’t look out of place next to other HG kits. Here it is compared to an HG IBO Astaroth Origin, HG Origin RX-78-02, and HG Gundam F91.

Final Thoughts

Overall, the HG Gundam Bael is a very solid kit. It looks good out of the box, has very good articulation, and plays a major role in the show it appears in. Its weakest points are its lack of accessories, somewhat plain appearance, and reliance on stickers to be color accurate, although that is a weak point shared by almost all IBO kits. I would really only recommend getting this kit if it looks cool and interesting to you, otherwise if you’re looking to get an IBO kit there are probably other options out there that will look better and more interesting to you, and as I mentioned before most IBO models will have more or less the same articulation and quality as each other.