- Bio Tricera Pyrite


 In late 2021 another Zoids Fan sold me a Bio Tricera for a good price since it had a busted neck joint. Unfortunately the thin pegs of some Bio Zoids are pretty easy to break, as they support fairly large parts (in this case, the entire head supported on a single thin peg). Luckily, it turns out that there was enough of the peg left to drill out the socket and attach it normally, even if it turned out a bit shorter.

 I decided to go ahead and paint this guy up as a test for working with silvers. I wanted to go with a pyrite/fools gold theme, since as a kid, we used to collect rocks from a family friend's driveway which were filled with tiny flecks of pyrite. That aesthetic was the goal here. For small bits of gold to blend into the silver armor, and small bits of silver to blend into the larger gold segments. This is the final result! It'll be a short and sweet review since this is mostly a straight repaint.

- Specific Details

- Head


 This was my first Bio Tricera, and I was surprised how difficult the head is to make work. The pegs are almost a detriment, with how the rubbery material warps over time. I ultimately couldn't get it to sit perfectly flat, but it seems almost all online photos are the same way, so I went with it.

 The horns' color separation was something I wasn't sure on. Originally I wanted it to have all silver with small bits of gold, but it turned out decently enough. The horns were sharpened with a knife, though might need additional sanding later. The points of the frill and the beak are painted with FolkArt's Charcoal Black. All silver armor used the molotow chrome pens to trace along sharper edges, giving the base silver a slightly shinier look than it has naturally without taking away from the weathering of the black undercoat showing through.

 Much to my surprise, I realized that I could get a capillary action effect (think pour-type gundam markers) by using sufficiently watered down acrylics, so used that for the horns and teeth. It dries a little thin, but this added to the weathered look. Some paint got on the eyes in the process, but I love how it makes them look almost crystalized in photos!

- Core


 I don't have the batteries to show it, but the core does still light up! The veins were painted with gold, which created an interesting solar look.

- Spine


 The point on the curve of each rib, and the top of each spinal column is painted with metallic gold over chrome silver. As a result, the spine shimmers depending on the light.

- Feet


 Oops, forgot a good photo of this! The toes are painted black with gold claws, and silver paint chipping on the edges. The paint went on rather rough, but it was a learning experience for sure.

- Final Thoughts

 One issue I have with painting is always impatience, which leads to sloppy results. It's no different in this case, but I had a lot of fun just creating a quick custom. The silver was a challenge to work with, and originally I had planned to do the base using a metallic red, but ultimately couldn't acquire one in the time frame that I wanted to get started. Instead I went with red over a black semi-metallic paint, but this turned out to have a cool effect under the silver armor.

 I'd also just like to take a moment to rave about the Bio Zoids model kits. The armor, being a rubbery material, can be hard to work with, but at their core these kits look amazing. During the painting process I was shocked by how much articulation just the tricera had, and were I a more patient person, I would have taken more measures to preserve this articulation. Some additional paint and detailing makes them truly stand out, and I'd recommend people give at least one medium-large scale Bio Zoid a shot in their collection, even if they don't like their depiction in the Zoids Genesis anime.

- Final Product Photos

- Credits

 Painting Methods: Handpainting / Dry Brushing

 Products Used:
  - Gorilla Glue Gel
  - Dremel 3000
  - Hobby Knife

 Paints Used:
  - FolkArt Metallics Sequin Black (Basecoat for the red)
  - FolkArt Metallics Silver Sterling (Armor)
  - FolkArt Charcoal Black (Basecoat for the silver armor)
  - DecoArt Dazzling Metallics Emperor's Gold (Details)
  - Molotow Liquid Chrome Pens (Details)