| Model Number: ASW-G-08 | Pilot: Mikazuki Augus |
| Cost: 3000 Hp: 650 Transform: X Form Change: O | |
After its devastating battle with the Mobile Armor Hashmal that left the Barbatos Lupus in a near-ruined state, the Barbatos was repaired and upgraded with parts from Hashmal itself to become the Gundam Barbatos Lupus Rex. The unit’s most distinctive feature was its Tail Blade, that Mikazuki Augus could control naturally as if it were one of his own limbs.
Ability Summary
| Ranged | Armament | Ammo | DMG | Notes |
| Main | 200mm Gun | 6 | 75 | Physical projectile BR |
| Charged Main | Tail Blade (Deploy) | – | 70 | An all-range attack that pierces the enemy |
| Charged Melee | Tail Blade (Sentry) | 100 | 50 | The Tail Blade attacks enemies within range of Lupus Rex for the duration of the countdown timer |
| Sub |
Railgun(Snipe) | 2 |
120 | 5AB: Snipe |
| Railgun(Slide) | 100 | 4/6AB: Sliding Shot | ||
| Special Shooting | Gundam Gusion Rebake Full City Summon | 2 | 40~136 | Gusion fires 4 physical projectiles |
| 92 | Gusion charges at the enemy with its scissors | |||
| Ultra Large Mace (Throw) | – | 90 | Usable when AC ammo is reloading | |
| Special Melee | Dash | – | – | Dash motion affected by directional input |
| Variable Mace (Throw) | 50~100 60 |
~A derivative from the Dash. Rex throws a total of four battle axes | ||
| Burst Attack | Rex Rush | – | 351(F)/309(E & S) |
| Melee | Input | DMG | Notes |
| 5B | 5BBBB | 235 | Bounce Down |
| 5B(BB)~8B | 261~289 | The signature Barbatos katana combo | |
| 5B(BB)~2B | 147~233 | Can be canceled into AB or BC. Dust Downs | |
| 5B(BB)~BC~B | 215~268 | Heavy proration. Untechable Down | |
| 8B | 8BBB | 221 | Not Rex’s best melee combo |
| 4/6B | 4/6BBB | 175 | Quick combo |
| 4/6B(B)~8BB | 258~267 | Same combo as 5B~8B | |
| 4/6B(B)~2B | 144~185 | Same combo as 5B~2B | |
| 4/6B(B)~BC~B | 212~235 | Same combo as 5B~BC~B | |
| 2B | 2B | 100 | Pyonkaku |
| CC8B | CC8BB | 142 | Good cut resistance and movement |
| BC~8B | BC~8BBB | 186 | Derivative from Dash |
Cancel Routes:
A: AB, AC, no-ammo AC, BC, 2B
AB: BC
AC: BC
No-ammo AC: BC
BC: 5AB, AC, all melee except 8B (derivative will be performed instead) and CC8B
BC~A: BC
4/6B and 5B~2B: AB, BC
4/6B and 5B~BC: BC
Overview
Rex is the natural next stage in evolution for the Barbatos line, which are known for their pyonkakus and command dashes. It’s an all-rounder unit that uses physical rounds instead of beam-type weaponry. Its signature ability is its Tail Blade which is not only a powerful tool for offense and defense, but can also be used to move with great agility through inheriting a large amount of inertia prior to releasing the Tail Blade.
The Tail Blade itself can also become an incessant, constant threat that pressures enemies. Both CSB and Burst makes the Tail Blade enter its Sentry Mode, where it will automatically attack enemies who come close to Rex, regardless of whether it locks on to them or not. However, this also prohibits Rex from utilizing its CSA for movement and freefalls.
With its pyonkaku, command dash, and CSA, Rex can move with an insane degree of freedom. However if it were to have one weakness, it would be that all of its shots are physical projectiles that can be erased by beams, gerobis, machine gun shots, missile barrages, etc. That aside, Rex has everything it needs to live up to its name, ruling the battlefield with an iron nail, mace, and tail.
Ranged Weapons
Main: 200mm Gun
Rex fires a single physical projectile. The projectile itself is thicker than the physical projectiles fired by Gusion and Lupus. The reload time is average for a BR-type weapon (3-seconds/shot, continuous reload), but you only have 6 ammo total which is slightly low, and Rex’s playstyle requires you to use your Main often, so try to conserve ammo where possible.
Because it’s a physical projectile it can easily be erased by other attacks, which is a big weak point of this and all of Rex’s ranged attacks. Just bear in mind that your shot can be eaten especially easily by the likes of large gerobis, and be prepared for the worst-case scenario.
On the flipside, this cancels into many moves and is a versatile start to your offense. You can also use it in zusakyans from the 2B pyonkaku.
Charged Main: Tail Blade (Deploy)
Rex’s signature move. Rex deploys its Tail Blade to chase down the enemy, which stabs the enemy and applies a weak stun effect. 2-second charge time.
The damage on the move is average, but the proration on this move is poor meaning that follow-up combos deal less damage. The charge speed on this move is fast but you can only charge it up again when the tail returns to Rex, so you can’t use this as often as you might think.
However, this move causes no vernier and even removes vernier, which means you can cancel into this move from your weapons or melee attacks to enter a very quick freefall. This move also inherits a lot of inertia, so if you cancel from moves like your command dash BC you can slide a great distance while freefalling. You can apply this technique to escape from enemies in tight situations or quickly travel great distances to save a partner. Naturally it’s also great for gaining the boost advantage over opponents by landing quickly to refill your boost.
This move can actually pierce through shooting barriers with a HP that is less than the damage the Tail Blade deals (70). For example, Qan[T] with its BC Sword Bits active at under 70HP will take full damage and get stunned if hit by the Tail Blade. The Tail Blade cannot be destroyed and can actually destroy physical projectiles it comes into contact with.
You can think of this move as being primarily for movement, with actually hitting the Tail Blade being a nice bonus.
When using Tail Blade as an attack
- Like all all-range attacks, if Rex is stunned or downed the Tail Blade will return and stop attacking the enemy. Stagger will not interrupt the attack— the tail can hit enemies who are hitting Rex in a melee combo.
- The tail can attack enemies in a 360-degree radius around Rex. The maximum range it can travel is roughly 70% of Rex’s max red lock range.
- While most all-range attacks must first surround the enemy or position around the enemy before attacking, Rex’s Tail Blade skips that phase entirely and can attack an enemy as soon as it’s deployed. Thanks to this property, Rex can stay directly above or below enemies and release the Tail Blade at an angle where the enemy cannot see its position clearly, making it harder to dodge.
- Tracking on the Tail Blade can be cut the moment it is released, which can make it hard to hit on attentive opponents. To get around this, you can release the Tail Blade in closer ranges to give the enemy less time to react to it. Alternatively, switch targets and use BC to dash to your target’s partner to make your original target drop their guard, then can switch target back to your original target and release the Tail Blade. Doing so will let you freefall while facing away from the target, and the tail situated on the back of Rex will reach your target faster.
When using Tail Blade as a movement tool
If you cancel into the Tail Blade from any motion, you will inherit a lot of inertia while freefalling. When timed correctly you can inherit a huge amount of inertia, and performing a short hop afterwards allows you to travel even further. Canceling from BC, CC8B, and certain other attacks and then hopping is an extremely boost efficient way to travel large distances quickly.
When canceled from CC8B at the right timing you can travel a great distance. Switch targets and use your 2B pyonkaku in green lock two times or so to gain height, then input CC8B~CSA to escape from pretty much anyone or anything. If you’re finding it hard to get the right timing for CC8B~CSA (the cancel has to be immediate) then you can use 8BC~CSA as a substitute, but you won’t travel nearly as fast.
You may get mixed results from using the Tail Blade as an offensive tool, but as a movement tool the Tail Blade is an extremely strong option. If you use the freefall techniques correctly Rex can become one of the most evasive and difficult units to pin down in the game.
Charged Melee: Tail Blade (Sentry)
1-second charge time. The Tail Blade is deployed as a timer-based powerup instead of a one-time attack like CSA. While the powerup is active (lasts for 15 seconds), the Tail Blade will autonomously attack any enemies that come within a certain AOE of Rex, regardless of whether Rex is locked on to the enemy or not.
Unlike the CSA Tail Blade, the CSB version does not immediately attack the enemy— instead, it behaves like a normal Funnel-type weapon, where it will first position itself in an orbiting position around the enemy before attacking. The CSB Tail Blade has the same maximum range and projectile speed as the CSA version.
The time taken for the Tail Blade to be redeployed after returning is longer than you might expect. If the enemy is close to you but the Tail Blade is not attacking it, this time lag is the reason why. Also, if your target is destroyed while the Tail Blade has been deployed but has not yet stabbed the enemy, it will end up loitering in the area where the enemy was destroyed for a long period of time before returning. These two areas are important to note when using this move.
While CSB is active you cannot use CSA. However while CSA is being used the CSB ammo indicator will turn red, meaning you can still charge CSB while the CSA Tail Blade is deployed but you can only activate CSB once the Tail Blade has returned.
Regardless of whichever Burst you use, Rex has the CSB powerup active for the duration of the Burst. This is counted as a separate powerup and will not deplete your CSB gauge. However if you enter Burst with an empty CSB gauge, it will fully reload after your Burst ends.
While this does 20 less damage than the CSA Tail Blade, it has 15% less damage proration so follow up combos with a CSB Tail Blade starter usually end up doing more damage. This can be a useful tool for interrupting enemy combos on yourself, because as long as you are not stunned or downed the Tail Blade can still attack the enemy, even for a long time after you’ve first been hit.
Note that the CSB Tail Blade will continue attacking the enemy even in the midst of your melee combos, which can mess up your combo or reduce the total damage done. On the flipside, the Tail Blade might actually attack and stun your target’s teammate while you are performing your combo.
Of course, perhaps one of the biggest downsides of this move is that you cannot use CSA for freefall movement while it is active. However, this move comes with a lot of plus sides. It’s great for chasing down naturally slow enemies, and it can be a powerful ally when going up against an aggressive melee fighter. While losing the freefall stings, Rex still has great movement in its BC dash and 2B pyonkaku. Depending on the situation and the matchup, this move can serve you well.
Sub: Railgun
A physical railgun projectile that can be fired in one of two ways, depending on your directional input. Reloads on empty in 7 seconds.
The speed and tracking on the projectile are excellent, making this one of your main tools. The vertical tracking is especially good, and at max red lock range the shot can curve towards the enemy in an almost unnatural manner. If you cancel from BC then cancel proration is applied, causing the move to deal less damage. Even taking that into account this move has great synergy with BC, allowing you to inherit inertia prior to firing.
5AB: Rex snipes the enemy with the railgun. Causes vernier. The startup and projectile speed are very good, and it causes a one-hit down even in Burst.
Compared to the 4/6AB this does 20 more damage, has a faster startup, and causes vernier, so this is best used as a hit confirm or combo part. This is best used to down enemies quickly, and it can be a great tool when going up against enemies with super armor.
4/6AB: Rex slides towards the input direction before firing the railgun. The tracking on this shot is superior to 5AB, but the down value is lower and the startup speed is slower. The sliding distance is rather far, so you can use it as a well-timed evasion and attack. Risky, but potentially very cool.
Special Shooting: Gundam Gusion Rebake Full City Summon
Rex calls upon the Gusion Rebake Full City to attack the enemy. Depending on the directional input it will perform one of two actions. Reloads in 12 seconds on empty. The reload starts after Gusion disappears off the field. Gusion always appears on Rex’s left side. Both attack types are very useful for set play, but summoning Gusion will cause Rex to vernier.
-5AC: Gusion fires 4 consecutive shots from its 300mm smoothbore guns. The shots stagger on hit, and cause a hard knockdown if all 4 shots hit. Each hit does 40 damage. The tracking on the projectiles is good, and the active time on the attacks is long so it’s a great cancel from Main. Canceling from this move into your BC dash is also a great way to provide yourself with some cover fire while you advance on the enemy. If an enemy guards this attack in the close range, you can dash around it and punish it from behind even in Overheat.
-*AC: Gusion charges at the enemy with its Giant Scissors. On hit it grabs the enemy, and after a short while crushes the enemy so hard that it explodes, rocketing upwards in a Spinning Down state. This does not cause the enemy to get knocked down (unless you combo’d into it), and the enemy can actually tech after a short duration so be sure to follow up properly and score your Down.
The dash-in speed of Gusion is average but it tracks really well, and the hitbox is very big. This is the better assist version to use in close range both to start your offense, and also to defend yourself. Out of all your “poke” attacks this one leads to the biggest returns, so use it wisely and often.
Special Shooting (no ammo): Ultra Large Mace (Throw)
When you input AC even when you are out of AC ammo, Rex will throw its Ultra Large Mace at the enemy. You have unlimited uses of this move until AC reloads, and the muzzle correction, tracking, and projectile speed are not bad, plus the projectile is ultra large with an ultra large hitbox. However this move has a slow startup, and there’s not much of a reason to use this move in ordinary circumstances. Hitting this move puts the enemy in an untechable state, but it can be hard to follow up afterwards.
Special Melee: Dash
Rex dashes quickly in various patterns, depending on the directional input. All of your moves aside from BC cancel into this move, and you can even do so freely while in Overheat. A lot of your moves can also be canceled into from BC, so you can chain many attacks together. New moves are available when canceling from BC into Main and 8B.
You can also cancel from BC into CSA to inherit a lot of inertia and travel quickly. BC~2B is also a strong cancel route to go into your zusakyan. Such movements can be very confusing for enemies to deal with.
-5BC: Rex dashes straight as an arrow towards the enemy. This move works well when used with CSA to advance towards the enemy. However CC8B is a better version of the same movement.
-8BC: Rex leaps at the enemy in a parabolic arc. 5BC has a faster dash speed than 8BC, but 8BC is better at catching enemies above you. Canceling into CSA doesn’t do much because this movement is pretty sluggish compared to some of Rex’s other movements. This travels pretty far in general, but once again if your intention is to move far and fast in green lock, CC8B is a better option.
-4/6BC: Rex dashes towards the diagonal left or right of the enemy. This is an efficient way to cut off an enemy or dash towards it faster, but you are quite susceptible to eating defensive shots from the enemy. This has the same dash speed as 5BC, but the horizontal vector movement is useful so it’s typical to use this dash over 5BC. This is a great move to use after a 2B zusakyan, or as part of a CSA freefall. Overall this is a very useful command dash.
-2BC: Rex backdashes and then comes to a complete standstill. As you might expect this is useful for evasion or putting distance between you and a foe.
Special Melee~A Derivative: Variable Mace (Throw)
Rex throws two sets of two variable maces at the enemy. This is originally a Barbatos Lupus weapon, but let’s not get hung up over small details. This has a 7-second cooldown, and inflicts Kneel Stagger (the longest-lasting kind of stagger).
The first set of maces are thrown straight at the enemy, with each mace hitting for 50 damage. The second set are thrown outwards in a V-shape that hits for 60 damage each. Both sets of maces are great when going on the offensive, and are great tools for asserting dominance over the enemy.
The maces seem to travel an infinite distance. You can cancel these maces back into BC, something that Lupus cannot do with its own BC~A. Overall this is a great move in Rex’s kit and it is often the nail in the coffin that can lead you to the melee combo your heart so desires.
Melee Set
Out of all of Rex’s melee moves, 5B leads to the best damage. During Burst or with CSB active your Tail Blade is likely to interrupt any long combos you perform, so be mindful of that.
5B: Mace Bash
A 4-stage combo with the Ultra Large Mace. The startup on the first hit is excellent, and the hitbox size is also very large. The damage dealt by this attack is also high and you get a nice Bounce Down at the end of the combo, so even if you don’t use any of the derivatives this is a great melee combo. The only caveat is that the 3rd hit of the combo is kind of slow.
5B, 4/6B~8B Derivative: Long Sword and Rex Nail Combo
Rex swings its Long Sword and Rex Nails with reckless abandonment at the enemy. Similar to both the original Barbatos’ and Lupus’ own ~8B derivative, you move forward a good distance while slashing away. The last hit deals a hard knockdown and the whole combo deals a lot of damage. If you use this combo when you are in Overheat and your target’s teammate is eyeing you, he can hit you with pretty much anything he wants. Don’t use this unless you’re certain you won’t get interrupted, or if you have enough boost to get out if things look bad.
5B, 4/6B~2B Derivative: Spear Hand and Kick
Rex stabs the enemy with its bare hand. This move has 0 cut resistance but ends very quickly. The damage dealt by this move is not fantastic but the proration is good so it can be used as a combo part. Causes a Dust Down on hit. This is neither a great nor terrible derivative. Refrain from using this during CSB or Burst as the Tail Blade can easily end this combo prematurely.
5B, 4/6B~BC Derivative: Long Sword Slash-through to Smoothbore Gun
A combo that ends with a shot from the smoothbore gun. You cannot rainbow step the smoothbore gun shot because it’s a shooting attack. If you stop after the first attack the enemy will be left stunned, which can be useful for down value reset shenanigans. The last hit puts the enemy in an untechable state. You can end the combo with 2BC~AB. As usual, be aware of Barriers on your target when using this as the Smoothbore Gun shot will be blocked.
8B: Heel Bunker Combo
4-stage, 6-hit kick combo. Bounce down on hit. Rex moves a lot during this combo, but the enemy stays in pretty much the same position. But due to how each hit has long animation, it has bad cut resistance and it is inferior to 5B in every area so you won’t find many situations to use this.
4/6B: Rex Nail Combo
A 3-stage, 4-hit combo. The reach and dash-in speed on the attack are good but the max range on this move is short. The damage on this combo is average but the combo is very quick, and it has the same 8B, 2B, and BC derivatives as 5B. Unlike 5B which ends with a bounce down this combo does not end by putting the enemy in an untechable state, so either extend the combo or cancel into a derivative. This is overall a good melee attack that is suitable for many situations, and can serve you well in rainbow step wars.
2B: Pyonkaku
It wouldn’t be a Barbatos unit without a pyonkaku. You can cancel into this move from your Main. This is one of Rex’s lifelines and most important moves. This move consumes boost throughout the animation, although the consumed amount of boost is little.
Due to the speed on this move, the size of the mace, and the ability to cancel from Main, this is one of the best pyonkakus in the game. Just watch out for attacks with strong muzzle correction in the close range, and attacks with fast projectile speed at the mid to long range. You can sidestep after this and fire a Main to zusakyan.
CC8B: Slash-through
A 2-stage slash-through combo. Rex moves about a lot during the combo. The startup on this attack is very fast. You can even use this intentionally on whiff to move around the map.
While many slash-through attacks tend to whiff even in the middle of the combo when hitting an enemy at the edge of the map or against a wall, that does not happen with this attack. The reach on this move is also very good, making it useful for chasing down enemies. Following up with a simple 5AB after the combo is your best option due to this move’s high down value. This is also a key move for canceling into CSA.
BC~8B Derivative: Stab
This is an attack you can only access through this command. Rex stabs into the enemy with the Ultra Long Mace before hitting the enemy another 2 times.
The first hit has very high priority and a disjoint on the mace (basically, the mace has no hurtbox). After the last hit, it is possible to follow up if the enemy is against a wall or high up in the air. If you’re on the ground, the only way to continue the combo is to boost dash forward as quickly as possible and hit a CC8B.
This has a similar performance to Gabthley’s feared 2B melee, chasing the enemy down with an active hitbox. This is very good as a surprise attack, and if you’re looking to hit an enemy raw with a melee attack this is your best bet.
Burst Attack
Rex Rush
A long combo consisting of both shooting and melee attacks. Super armor on startup. This has good cut resistance in certain parts of the combo, but it’s not something you should be using unless you’re certain you won’t be interrupted. The combo is very long but the damage dealt is very good. The return matches the risk overall, just be careful of enemies that have active shooting guards that can block your ranged shots.
Recommended Combos
| Ranged Weapons | ||
| Input | DMG | Notes |
| A>>A>>A | 158 | BnB #1. Zunda |
| A>>(~)5AB | 159 (134) | BnB #2. Higher damage when BD canceled |
| A>>A>>(~)5AB | 176 (162) | BnB #3 |
| A>>5BBB~8BB | 234 | |
| A>>CC8BB>5AB | 211 | |
| CSA>>5AB | 142 | |
| CSA>>A>>A | 138 | Poor damage, contrary to the header of this section this combo is not recommended |
| CSA>>5BBB~8BB | 201 | Best damage from CSA |
| CSA>>5B~2B~(>)5AB | 173 (183) | Good DPS. |
| CSA>>CC8BB | 148 | Bounce down. Follow up with 5AB for 178, 2B for 173, A for 167, ~AC for 165 |
| 4/6AB>>(~BC~)5AB | 172 (151) | BnB |
| 5AC(3hits)>>5AB | 192 | |
| *AC>>5BBBB>5AB | 269 | |
| *AC>>5BBB~2B>(~)5AB | 265 (259) | |
| *AC>>CC8BB>5AB | 243 | |
| BC~A>>4BBBB>5AB | 247/271 | First damage number is when you hit the first set of maces, second damage number is for when you hit the second set of maces |
| BC~A>>5BBB~8BB | 252/260 | |
| Melee | ||
| 5BBBB>5AB | 287 | |
| 5BBBB>2B>5AB | 306 | |
| 5B~8B>5BBB~8BB | 315 | |
| 5BBB~8B>5BBB~8BB | 335 | High power. Use 5BC instead of > for the cancel to deal less dmg at 325 but you can do it in Overheat |
| 8BBB>2B>5AB | 292 | |
| 4/6BBB>5AB | 243 | |
| 4/6BB~8B>5BBB~8BB | 312 | |
| 2B>2B>5AB | 252 | |
| 2B>5BBBB>5AB | 298 | |
| CC8BB>5BB~8BB | 273 | |
| CC8BB>4/6BBB | 243 | |
| BC~8B>5BBB~8BB | 262 | |
| BC~8BBB>5AB | 250 | |
| BC~8BBB>>CC8BB | 254 | BD cancel at top speed to link |
| 5BBBB>ABC | 369(F) | Burst Combo. Damage varies depending on whether your Tail Blade interrupts |
Strategies
- Rex is more than just a simple upgraded version of Barbatos or Lupus. With its strong movement options with CSA freefalls and its 2B pyonkaku/zusakyan, Rex is very comfortable taking the frontline and moving with complete freedom even when double locked.
- Rex has no shortage of cancel routes. If you’re still learning the unit and are unsure of which cancel routes to use, start off by learning the 4/6BC~CSA cancel route for movement.
- CSB can be a double-edged sword. Losing CSA for freefalls can really hurt, but there are times when it’s worth using. If the enemy team has units that are strong in melee combat, have quick dash-in moves, or whip-type moves, then the automatic defense of CSB can be very useful in the matchup. Experience will help you make the right calls.
- Rex’s ranged kit is overall good enough for it to be comfortable in firefights. Its freefalls and the ability to attack even in Overheat using BC makes it easy to overpower enemies. However, there are many superior shooters in the 3000 cost bracket, and if all you rely on is CSA then you are likely to lose out in the damage race. Use your entire ranged kit and force the enemy to play at its least comfortable range, something you can do easily thanks to your superior mobility. And of course, look for opportunities to land your vicious melee combos.
- As you would expect, F Burst is the best option for Rex, powering up its already good melee potential. E and S Burst are not terrible, but nowhere near as useful as F, which gives Rex the best chance of making a comeback.
- Rex pairs well with most 2500 and 2000 cost partners, but the best synergy comes with partners that can hold their own in 1-on-1 situations, or punish enemies who try to land after being exhausted by Rex. Rex can do relatively well even when cost over’d, thanks to its strong runaway game. Be flexible and ready to move to the rear position when necessary.