Zoids Art Book
Continuing the first book, Concept Art II explains the progression of the war, including the second ship to crash on Zi; the Globally III. This ship was not forgotten- and it goes on to explain that the scientists of the G3 were completely unaware of the ship ever having existed on Earth.
With the introduction of present-day Zoids, the art has definitely improved. I'm still a little iffy about the style, and the human art style definitely leaves something to be desired (Especially with the Imperial Emperor looking like Megamind-), but the Zoids are looking much better. Some people were irritated by the lack of concept art in the first book- the second book doesn't have any sketches, but it does include the 3D renders used for the Zoids and their pilots, many on separate pages, similar to the first.
Title: ZOIDS concept art II
Release Date: July 15th, 2011
ISBN: 978-4-7986-0253-0 C0076
- Chapter 1 Visitors
Prologue
I am an observer. My ancestors and I have been recording the history of this planet on which we live, called "Planet Zoid."
Long ago, refugees from a dying Earth drifted to this planet and created a metal life form called ZOIDS.
Zoids evolved from metal life form to mechanical life form to mechanical battle beast.
As the Battle Zoids appeared, a conflict arose between two factions over their relations with Zoids.
And in the middle of the ongoing battles, visitors came suddenly, cutting through the skies.
The gigantic object emerged suddenly above the hard-fought Zoids battlefield. It was a planet exploration ship called "GIII" that had traveled from Earth.
Soon after GIII crash landed on a seemingly deserted wasteland, soldiers assigned as guardsmen for the ship emerged to begin exploration of the planet.
Attacked by Zoids, the soldiers were surprised to find that "humans" whose appearance and language were common to them were controlling the Zoids. The Military Regime Zoidians who captured the soldiers were also amazed to learn the visitors were Earthlines. They had been told that "Zoid-Noa" which had brought their ancestors to this planet had been the last exodus ship from Earth.
Recognizing the Military Regime could gain hegemony over the planet, the soldiers from the Earth ship agreed to offer their military technology if they were granted status and privilege.
Although the soldiers took the side of the Military Regime, a group of scientists aboard GIII believed they should repair GIII and report their discovery of an inhabitable planet to their follow explorers seeking new worlds. They contacted the Democratic Republic Zoidians and asked for support.
To deal with the unexpected situation caused by the emergence of GIII, the Military Regime and the Democratic Republic concluded a truce. But both sides were aware that it was just a preparatory period before the next war.
The Democratic Republic took advantage of the truce to elect a President and formally establish their nation. The President then guaranteed the safety of the Earthline scientist group upon their request.
While starting repairs on GIII, the Earthling scientist group offered the Republic its electromagnetic shield technology it used for hull protection of its ships.
Meanwhile the Military Regime declared their leader to be Emperor and founded "The Empire." The Imperial Forces armed their Zoids with a variety of new weapons offered by the Earthling soldiers including quantum beam cannons.
To demonstrate their intention to live in harmony with the Zoids, the Republican Forces worked quickly to salvage the Zoids wounded in the recent battles and provided treatment and repairs. The Earthling scientist group was astounded when they learned the origin of these modern Zoids, which had been genetically enhanced by the crew of Zoic-Noa who had traveled from Earth to this planet.
With the cooperation of the Earthling scientists, the recovered Zoids were equipped with electromagnetic shields which was a major improvement of their defenses. Meanwhile the scientists were interested in Zoic-Noa which they had never heard of before so they started a thorough investigation.
The Imperial Forces conducted a field exercise with their Zoids armed with beam weapons and the senior officers were very pleased with the result which far surpassed their expectations. Optical weapon technology, including beam technology, had been lost on this planet with the crash of Zoic-Noa. Possessing it would be a tremendous advantage on the battlefield.
A small group of Earthling scientists who had broken rank with other Earthling scientists by siding with the Earthling soldiers, were working in a laboratory in the Imperial fortress, cooperating on research of the Zoids ecosystem and analysis of their biofunctions, intent on creation of more powerful Battle Zoids.
The Imperial Forces weapons factory rigged caterpillar-type "Molga" Zoids with super-hard rock drills provided by the Earthling soldiers, in preparation for the forthcoming war.
Thanks to the Earthlings, the Imperial Forces were now equipped with powerful Zoids units which were unprecedented, and countdown to the second war began.
- Chapter 2 Visitors
The Imperial Forces finally started the blitzkrieg! Drill-armed Molgas dug through the bedrock of the Central Mountains and invaded Republican territory.
The Republican reconnaissance unit was raided by Imperial troops which emerged suddenly out of the ground. Thus, the truce was broken and the two nations launched into war once again.
The Imperial mobile troops made a surprise attack on the border guards of the Republic and established their bridgehead.
Using their overwhelming firepower and mobility the remodeled and rearmed Imperial Zoids smashed supply units of the Republic entirely.
Even Imperial assault troops, equipped with formidable body armor and armaments for hand-to-hand combat, preyed on Republican Zoids one after another.
The most spectacular military gains were made by the Earthling soldiers who demonstrated masterful skill in their control of Zoids. Their ace skills were heralded throughout the Imperial forces.
The Imperial Forces advanced unresisted, breaking through the final defense line of the Republic and began to march on its capital.
The Imperial bomber units had closed in from the sky over the capital. The Republican Forces intercepted them with their flying corps including pterosaur-type Zoids.
Outnumbered, the Republican Forces called on the "Trap Commandos," elite, verean soldiers, to launch a counterattack campaign.
Using Guerrilla tactics, the elusive Trap Commandos appeared out of nowhere to attack again and again, throwing the Imperial Forces into confusion.
In fierce pursuit of the Commandos, the main force of the Empire surged into the heart of the Republican capital.
The main force of the Empire thought they had cornered the Trap Commandos in a citadel but, true to their name, the "Trap" Commandos had actually planned an ambush and it was the Imperial forces who were trapped. The diversionary tactics of the Republican Forces had succeeded perfectly.
Awaiting eagerly, the Republic main forces began an assault on the Imperial Forces. The Imperial Forces fired back with their beam weapons but they had no effect on the Republic Zoids, equipped with electromagnetic shields.
With technology brought by the Earthling visitors, the battles between the Zoids became extremely fierce, foreboding an eteranl war as the battlefield spread out over the entire Central Continent.
The newest and the most powerful Republican Zoid, the tyrannosaurus-type "Gojulas," had firepower and mobility matching the heavily armed Zoids of the Empire. Under the control of its dynamic pilot, it single-handedly routed the Imperial troops.
With Gojulas closing in, a frontline base comander of the Empire called on its own elite unit for reinforcement.
Gojulas fought fiercely against the elite unit of the Empire but it was no match for their skills and suffered defeat.
- Chapter 3 Encounter
Severely wounded, the Gojulas pilot escaped into a dense forest where he was saved by a geologist and his assistant.
The geologist lectured the pilot on the vastness of the universe, the grandeur of nature and the folly of wars.
The pilot hiked into the back country along with the geologists and observed a long and deep rift in the earth that had been carved out by a huge plasma belt which passed by the planet periodically.
Walking along the rift they came upon a pile of dead, primitive metal life forms that seemed to be huddled together as if they were defending themselves before they died. Off in the distant sky, they saw an aurora emitting a mysterious light.
Meanwhile, on the war front, Republican landing units were about to start their invasion of Imperial territory from the sea.
The Imperial coast guard intercepted the Republican Forces with amphibious Zoids, preventing them from landing.
During their movement to next battlefield, the elite unit of the Empire caught sight of Republican flyers heading for Imperial airspace.
The flying aces of the Republic swooped in on the Imperial research laboratories.
Imperial air defense units fought back but they were ineffective against the flying aces of the Republic and the research laboratories were destroyed by the bombardment.
The commander of the research laboratories evacuated to the aerial fortress carrying important research data.
At that point, the Gojulas pilot and the others were exploring along the rift and encountered a herd of fleeing wild Zoids, many of which had been wounded by stray fire in the war.
They followed the herd and found countless corpses of wild Zoids lying rusted. The area was a veritable Zoids graveyard and some of the Zoids in the herd also perished then and there.
But some other Zoids kept plodding ahead, in spite of extensive wounds, as if they were heading somewhere.
- Chapter 4 Awakening
Under the growing light of auroras in the sky, the Gojulas pilot and the others continued to follow the herd of wild Zoids through a gorge blanketed in fog.
They went deeper but before long the view opened up to a vast lake of liquid metal. It was there, in the middle of the lake, that part of an enormous and majestic artifact peeked out. There was no doubt that it was the bow of the wrecked spaceship Zoic-Noa which had brought the ancestors of the Zoidians to this planet.
The group continued to follow the herd into the shallow waters of the lake of liquid metal, where suddenly, the beasts which were injured and dying were miraculously transformed to the perfect condition of their birth. The group realized what they had discovered: the lake was the birthplace of the mechanical life form.
Upon diving into the lake, on the lake bottom the group found a giant Zoid with jet-black armor. They were astounded to see that the Zoid was connected to the bow of the Zoic-Noa by a mass of cables and the ancient ship seemed to be drawing energy from Zoid.
The jet-black Zoid seemed to be asleep but its internal organs were stirring quietly. It was obviously different from other Zoids and seeing the entire ominous figure, the Gojulas pilot and the others could not help but be afraid.
On the back of the jet-black Zoid, there was a giant propeller emitting light and rotating slowly.
Meanwhile, in space, the plasma energy belt was about to pass by the surface of the planet once again.
As the energy belt passed by, the giant propeller on the back of the jet-black Zoid rotated faster and began to absorb the stream of plasma energy into its body.
In turn, Zoic-Noa also sucked up plasma energy from the jet-black Zoid and began to rise slightly from the lake.
But at that moment the jet-black Zoid, engorged with a great quantity of plasma energy, was roused from its sleep and plasma energy began to shoot out from its body.
With a thunderous screaming sound, a charged particle beam shot out from the jet-black Zoid like a lightning bolt into the sky and on its way it pierced the rising Zoic-Noa, seperating its bow.
The blast of energy along with the charged particle beam was released from the jet black Zoid created an energy shockwave which instantly vaporized the lake of liquid metal.
Caught in the rushing stream of energy, the Gojulas pilot and the others lost consciousness. The jet-black Zoid also ceased to function and fell silent.
