- HMM-032 Liger Zero Panzer

Release Date: July 5th, 2012 Retail Price: 7,300 yen Length: Roughly 320 mm Parts: Roughly 565

- Stock Images

- Introduction

Liger Zero Installation System Call, Panzer!!

The Changing Armor Systems of the Liger Zero, which appeared in Zoids New Century /ZERO, is now fully loaded with the final Heavy Ammunitions mode!

A total of 22 missile hatches, which are on the legs, fuselage, etc. can all be deployed. The missile parts are molded in color, so you can enjoy the coolness of it even in an unassembled state, thanks to it being color coded like the original setting. The heavy cannon / Hybrid Cannon has a built-in sliding gimmick that recreates the firing state.
A folding gimmick has been added, which is original to the HMM Zoid, so that the head sensors don't interfere with the Hybrid Cannon when it's deployed.
In addition, the heels of the rear legs come with an anchor to recreate the moment of bombardment.
It's even possible to carry the included Bit Cloud figure in the cockpit.

It's compatible with Kotobukiya MSG Mechanical Flying Base 3, which you can use to display it in your favorite pose.

- Technical Data

Stats:
Length: 23.3 m
Height: 9.7 m
Weight: 145.0 tons
Maximum Speed: 285 km/h

[Weapons]
2-Shot AZ Homing Missile x2 (White Shoulder Missiles)
2-Shot AZ Homing Missile x2 (x2) (Top of Shoulders)
2-Shot AZ Micro Homing Missiles x2 (Front of Rear Legs)
3-Shot AZ Micro Homing Missiles x2 (Front of Shoulders)
4-Shot AZ Micro Homing Missiles x2 (Top of Rear Legs)
5-Shot AZ Micro Homing Missiles x2 (Lower Front Legs)
6-Shot AZ Micro Homing Missiles (Tail)
6-Shot AZ Micro Homing Missiles x2 (x2) (Side of Upper Legs)
7-Shot AZ Micro Homing Missiles x2 (Sides)
Grenade Launcher (Chest)
Hybrid Cannon (Back)
- AZ 216mm Railguns (Top Barrel)
AZ 108mm Beam Guns (Bottom Barrel)
Missile Pod (Upper back)
Vulcan Pods (Sides of Tail)

[Equipment]
Micro Homing Missile Pod (Tail, the pod itself)
Clairvoyance System (Sides of Missile Pod)
Head Aero Fairings (Top of Mane)
Retractable Outrigger x2 (Brown Piece On Rear Legs)

[Features]
Leg Cowls (Leg Armor)
Shoulder Cowls (Shoulder Armor)
Zoid Core (Chest, Internal)

- Release Notes

- Rereleased in April 2014
- - Rereleased in October 2017
- MPV Released in May 2019
- MPV Rereleased in April 2021

- Bonus Parts

Just like with the Jager, buyers who purchased the Liger Zero Panzer from Kotobukiya's stores during its initial release would receive pre-painted Strike Laser Claw & Laser Fang parts, giving their Zoids some extra flare. It's extremely rare to find these parts today.

- Marking Plus Version

The Liger Zero Panzer was rereleased in 2019, as a new Marking Plus version. It was one of the first MPVs ever released.

Differences From The Original:
- Includes a general pilot figure, instead of Bit Cloud
- New decals that include various emblems, including the Leo Master crests are included.

Release Date: May 27th, 2019
Length: Roughly 320mm
Price: 8,400 Yen

- History of Liger Zero Panzer

- The Origin of CAS

At the end of the Western Continent War, the Guylos Empire began developing two new Zoids based on a brand new concept, that should've put an end to the endless arms race to develop the strongest combat Zoids. These units were created using the Zoid cores of purely wild form Zoids from the Western Continent, which hadn't been artificially manipulated. They used "naked forms" that would ensure that the Zoid could retain its original fighting power. The Zoids were made with the ability to swap to the latest equipment over time so that it could respond to the developing combat situations for several generations to come. This was the "Changing Armor System (CAS)", the next generation Zoid concept developed by the Guylos Empire Army.

- The Birth of the Liger Zero

In ZAC 2100, the Republican Army succeeded in capturing the Guylos Empire's lion-type prototype fully intact during the Battle for Nixie Base, an Imperial Army base in northern Europa. Later, the Republican Army took notice of this excellent unit, and put it into production in very limited numbers under the name of "Liger Zero", which was to be a replacement as the much-needed next-generation Liger. Like the prototype, it was equipped with the Imperial Army's new "CAS" function, only, the Republican Army's captured production model was also equipped with a standard CAS. However, unlike the original concept of the CAS that was created by the Imperial Army, which was a "function that could respond to technological developments over generations", the Republican Army used it as an armament exchange system that could respond to various tactics, specializing the Liger Zero for each battle.

Three types of armors were prepared. The development team was greatly influenced by the unimaginable success of the Blade Liger, Lightning Saix, and Dibison, the favorite machines of three pilots who belonged to the Guardian Force, a special task force jointly established by the Republic and the Empire, and it's assumed that their intention was to give the characteristics of these three units to the Liger Zero itself. Therefore, the three units developed for the CAS were: "Schneider" for melee combat with characteristics from the Blade Liger, the Jager for high-speed combat with characteristics from the Lightning Saix, and the Panzer for bombardment warfare, with characteristics from the Dibison.

At the same time, a dedicated ground-based mothership, the Hover Cargo, was developed to allow instant swapping of these CAS units on the battlefield, especially on the frontlines. With all of these things completed, the first multi-purpose high-speed combat Zoid, the Liger Zero, was sent into battle.

The special operational form of Liger Zero was entrusted to the special task force, the "Ray Force", which was composed of professional liger pilots known as the Leomasters. They were deployed as an advance unit to the Guylos Empire's headquarters on the continent of Nyx, which was to be the site of the decisive battle. It was given the role of clearing the way for the landing of the Republican Army's main force.

- Liger Zero Panzer

In this form, the bombardment warfare CAS, the Panzer Unit, is installed to the Liger Zero. Just as the close-range combat CAS Zero Schneider and high-speed combat CAS Zero Jager were both used for specialized combat, the Zero Panzer CAS is designed with artillery capabilities on the premise of suppression fire in combat. For its armaments, it's equipped with a Hybrid Cannon, which is a combination of the AZ 108mm Beam Gun that fires long-range energy light bullets, and the AZ 216mm Railgun, which fires super-heavy and super-hard specialized bullets. Each part of the fuselage is equipped with Micro Homing Missile Pods, which fire missiles that can automatically track any objects it detects, and Missile Pods that carry mid-size homing missiles. It's also equipped with close-range armaments, like the grenade launcher on its chest that can fire a variety of projectiles, from missiles to rockets to smoke bombs, and Vulcan Pods on its tail that are added in addition to the Micro Missiles. The entire fuselage is fully armed.

These armaments are controlled by the "Clairvoyance System", which works by directly connecting the radar and fire control systems on the back to the Zoid Core of the Liger Zero itself, as well as the avionics within the cockpit. This function analyzes the combat situation, such as the location of enemies and the natural environment, such as air flow, temperature, humidity, etc., and makes its own predictions, such as the size and speed of the target. Using this, it can usually target 50 enemies, but depending on the situation, this function allows it to use its armaments with extreme efficiency by selecting the optimum armament for more than 100 targets.

In addition, thorough consideration has been given to its defense functions, and the exterior of the unit is coated with a special High Conductivity Heat Dissipation Paint, which covers the new metal, Elwatium Zero, which has the same lightweight yet durable, heat-dissipating functions as the main body of the Liger Zero. It gives high elasticity to all weapons, from optical weaponry to real bullets. At the same time the armor has excellent cooling performance, which functions as a countermeasure against overheating by naturally exhausting excess heat generated by the base unit and CAS.

Simultaneous use of these weapons and functions has made it possible to perform the simultaneous firing move, the Burning Big Bang, which fires all on-board armaments, resulting in the Liger Zero's greatest special move. Even after all of the artillery weapons have been used up, the Liger Zero's inherent fighting abilities and heavily armored body are more than sufficient enough for it to continue to operate as a conventional high-speed combat Zoid.

By installing the Panzer unit with all of these functions, the Liger Zero will be transformed into the unprecedented Zoid, the Liger Zero Panzer, known as the "High-Speed Combat Zoid Equipped With Heavy Artillery".

- Zero Panzer's First Battle

The withdrawal of the Guylos Empire's army from the continent ended the second war, the Western Continent War. In March of ZAC 2101, things began to shift towards the Dark Continent War with the development of the Imperial Army and their pursuit of the Helic Republic. The Imperial Army's counterattack operation, using ten Death Stinger KFDs (Killer From the Dark) was launched in order to stop the Republican Army's invasion of the Dark Continent. In response, an order to sortie was issued to the newly-founded Ray Force, and the pre-mass-production Liger Zeros, including the originally captured Type Zero, formed into a unit of Jager, Schneider, and Panzer units, and sortied.

In the fight against the ten KFDs, which had such immense fighting power that they were able to wipe out the Republican Guard's Defense Forces, the Liger Zero troops drove the KFDs back with a combination of tactics and making use of the unique characteristics of their respective equipment. The Zero Panzer Corps used a wave of missiles and the Hybrid Cannons to degrade the KFD's defenses, providing support to the Zero Schneiders who were entering close range combat.

Several KFDs were rendered immobile by the Zero Panzer's Burning Big Bang, a special move that was unveiled for the first time during this battle. As a result, the ten KFDs were silenced, and the Imperial Army's campaign of defiance was foiled by the Liger Zero unit. The existence of the new "High-Speed Combat Zoid Equipped With Heavy Artillery" was questioned by most front-line officers as some half-baked operation, but the victory of this first battle, which showed their tremendous support potential, swept away the concerns of all of those around it.

- Zero Panzer On The Frontlines

July, ZAC 2101. The fleets of the Helic Republic were approaching Entrance Bay on the Dark Continent of Nyx. As originally planned, the Hover Cargo fleet which doubled as the operational mothership of the Liger Zeros of the Ray Force had begun landing. The Liger Zero unit sortied. However, there weren't many Zero Panzers to be seen.

The Hover Cargos were equipped with three types of CAS for each Liger Zero, but the use of each CAS was left up to the pilot, and most of the Leomasters seemed to prefer the Jager and Schneider for their missions. The pilots who chose to use the Zero Panzer had previously piloted Shield Liger DCS or Blade Ligers, both of which were equipped with large beam cannons, and were thought of as leaders who had a good grasp of the entire unit's combat situation, able to guide the battle. The Zero Panzers in the front lines seemed to be units that played the role of the Captain's machine, in addition to support.

- Installation System Call, Panzer!

In an era when warfare had disappeared from Planet Zi, Liger Zero's activities continued to be seen in Zoids Battles, combat competitions between Zoids. The Zoid Warrior Bit Cloud from Team Blitz was said to have freely used all three types of CAS. However, the Panzer Unit was believed to be a replica recreated by the team's owner, Dr. Steve Toros. Initially, the Liger Zero itself rejected the unit, and even when it was installed, the weight of the CAS made it difficult to move. Even then, it would overheat after firing the Burning Big Bang.

It has been speculated that this was due to the armor not using the rare special alloy "Elwatium Zero". Regardless of the situation, it seemed that Bit Cloud had no intention of using the Zero Panzer much. The firepower of the Zero Panzer was far too powerful for a competition like the Zoid Battles. It was dangerous, with enormous firepower that even the pilot felt was foul play. A "Running Powder Keg". That's what the Liger Zero Panzer was.

- Fuselage Commentary

- Disclaimer

Please note! While the stats and equipment list on this page is properly translated by Falcarius, the remainder of the info on this page (including the story) relies on automatic translation done by this site. It likely contains errors, and exists only to give users the gist of what is being said, where better translations are currently unavailable.

032 Liger Zero Panzer Instructions

Review

- HMM-032 Liger Zero Panzer

Panzer was the very last of the three CAS units to be released; following the order that they were released in the New Japanese Release. The kit has changed its color scheme just a bit, to a more militaristic shade of green. Although it is still light, and a little faded, I found this to be quite a step up from the NJR's ... "happier" shade of green, which seemed much less "realistic" to me.

Although there may appear to be some aesthetic issues with this Zoid online, I can assure you that it is so worth the build in person. Something about actually having it in front of me completely changed my view of how it looked. There are so many hidden gimmicks and weapons that the Panzer rapidly shot up the favorite Zoids list. They have greatly expanded on the original design and made it even MORE over gunned, something I never thought would be possible!

The kit is sold without the basic Zero armor. It also only has the basic Liger Zero waterslide decal, which is kind of disappointing. None of the CAS units seem to have a real decal sheet. While I don't use them, decals can make a big difference in the overall appearance of a Zoid.

Pros:
-Extreme number of hidden weapons
-Strong joints capable of holding unbalanced poses
-Additional articulation on weapons such as the Hybrid Cannons
-Custom Bit Cloud pilot

Cons:
-Shoulder armor can come off easily
-Internal shoulder missiles (side) are very easily damaged
-Anchors on back legs won't settle in most leg positions
-Upper back missile pod has difficult access to open

Gimmicks:

- Jaws

Panzer's jaws open, just like any other Liger Zero. He's got some nice stabby teeth, so trick someone to stick their finger in there.

- Cockpit

The cockpit opens on a hinge joint in the nose. The Liger Zero Panzer comes with a custom painted pilot figure for Bit Cloud.

- Face Fins

The side fins of the mane can rotate forward, but stop at the point that they are facing directly outwards, due to the armor in front of them. I like Panzer's over all armor design, but found the fins a little stubby.

- Antenna

His mane 3d radar antennas are collapsable; a first for the Liger Zero Panzer design. The ends fold up into the bottom to create a boxier look, then are extended when necessary.

- Mane

The top portion of his mane rotates upwards, starting with the gray piece. It would have been much better to find a way for the green pieces to rotate, in my opinion, since the gray piece doesn't look like something that should rotate.

- Upper Back Missile Pods

Every missile pod on the Panzer is made up of multiple pieces, ensuring that the missiles are a different color from the rest. This piece on the upper back has 11 different missiles stationed in it, but because it is behind the mane and ears, and under the hybrid cannons, it can be difficult to access without moving a bunch of other parts before it.

- Radar Dish

Another first for the Panzer design! this radar dish is set into the upper back behind the shoulder missile pods. It can rotate upwards.

- Lower Back Missile Pods

Two missile pods are on the lower back, with doors that rotate on a hinge towards the center of the back. These pods have four missiles each, and fit into the streamlined design of the Panzer. It's worth mentioning that the little armor nub above the tail rotates a little bit too.

- Tail Missile Pod

Liger Zero Panzer's tail-mounted missile pods gain a lot of interest with the Liger's tail being poseable. This makes them seem much more effective, and the pod sports a total of 5 missiles.

- Tail Guns

Another addition to the Panzer design are the two small gattling guns on the tail. Both guns can rotate 360 degrees, boasting the Panzer's already articulated tail design.

- Side Missile Pods

Whoo, even more missiles! The side panels feature 7 missiles in each pod and can rotate straight outwards.

- Shoulder Armor

Oh god. There are so many things to cover about the shoulders that I don't even know where to begin. For now I'm going to exclude the basic leg articulation, since that'll be covered in a future Liger Zero review anyway.
For the Shoulder Armor, I'd like to mention that the shoulder itself is disjointed from the actual upper leg, meaning that the armor when attached can rotate towards and backwards independently of the rest of the leg.

- Shoulder Rocket Launcher

Two doors on the top of the shoulder armor can flip in to reveal some large rockets.

- Shoulder/Thigh (sides) Missile Pod

This missile pod can pull outwards to reveal six more missiles, and is added to the Panzer's whole new weapons list. This is where I'm going to have to complain, though. There is a tiny plastic numb on the back of these pieces that you're supposed to leave on so that you can get a grip to pull these missiles out. I tried shaving them off on one piece, and leaving them alone on another piece. Neither piece functions properly. The missiles stick into the armor too good to be pulled out without risking breakage. The dark green part attaches to the grey missile box on a very fragile hinge joint, and when you try to pull the missiles out, even carefully, that piece will strain and potentially break.
If you were to try it more than once I figure it wouldn't survive the stress. It is extremely frustrating that they would use such a fragile set up for a piece that is intended to have stress put onto it. If you leave the numb as instructed, the green piece will also stick out in the back, making it appear that the piece has not gone in straight, and is crooked. I would recommend not sliding this entirely into the armor, or just never messing with it. Ever.

- Shoulder Grebade Launcher

A panel on the fronts of the shoulder also flips open to reveal 3 grenades. I should clarify that I don't know if these are officially rockets/grenades/missiles, I'm just making it up as I go along to distinguish them.

- Leg Missile Pods

Mooorrreeeee missile pods! The lower leg armor of the Panzer has been converted into a brand new weapon. Instead of just being bulky armor it now houses five missiles in each front leg, with a thin door that can flip open at the bottom to reveal them.

- Rear Leg Armor

Like the shoulder armor, the whole armor piece of the back legs can rotate independantly of the leg.

- Rear Leg Missile Pods

A four-missile pod rests on the top of the back legs, opening at the rear to show the weaponry hidden inside.

- Rear Leg Grenade Launcher

Adding another new addition. It wouldn't make sense for the rear legs to have a forward-firing weapon, so instead they have a door on the front of the leg armor that can rotate open and is pointed upwards.

- Rear Leg Anchores

While this is yet another new equipment item to the Panzer I can't help but feel that it's a little awkward. In a lot of leg positions it can't rest flat on the ground, but it makes sense for such a high powered firing Zoid. Perhaps it was thrown in so that the Panzer isn't hurled backwards every time it fires the Hybrid Cannons. When not in use they fold up over the backs of the legs.

- Hybrid Cannons

The Hybrid Cannons have been reinvisioned to have extra articulation. They are also nice and bulky, which is a huge relief after the customized Panzer seen in Dengeki Hobby Magazine.

The guns can rotate outwards/sideways on a hinge joint where they meet the back. This joint can rotate at another point where it actually connects to the back, allowing these weapons to lie down at the Panzer's sides. The joint where they connect to the small arm mechanism can rotate directly wards, allowing Panzer to fire at his sides, or even behind him if he needs to.

What makes these weapons particularly deadly is that they seem to be reinvisioned to fire from both ends, unless the other end is a booster. It looks like it could be either or, possibly a more energy-based weapon than the large heavy artillery barrels.

- Chest Mounted Missiles

The chest-mounted gun is kinda stationary. It's a lot bulkier than the standard Zero's cannon so it can't really rotate as well as we'd like. It has three missiles, though, so that's ok.