- Zoids Collection DX: Dragoon Nest

Dragoon Nest was the third item released for Zoids Collection DX, a figure line that featured transport Zoids with small gachapon add-ons to really enhance the scale of the Zoids. Dragoon Nest is one of those kits that doesn't photograph well, but is deceptively cool and fun to play with.

Box Images

- Lore

Information:	Technical Data:	Equipment:
Released: Nov 8th, 2001 Cost: 2980 Yen Motor: None Pieces: 6	Length: 136.0 m Height: 40.0 m Weight: 3650.0 t Max Speed: 120 km/h (Land) 50 Knots (Water)	Assault Landing Boat: First Boat "Poseidon" (Right) Assault Landing Boat: Second Boat "Neptune" (Left) Catapult E-Shield Generator x6 (Main Body: 2, Landing Boats: 2) Enemy Search Radar x2 Homing Torpedo x10 Horned Stabilizer x2 Large Hydro Jet Booster x2 Main Catapult Top Catapult

Fuselage Explanation

Dragoon Nest was developed as a transport unit for the Eisen Dragoons by Regent Prozen, who aimed to invade the Central Continent. Its left and right claws are high-speed landing crafts that can be detached from the main body during landing operations, making it a super-aggressive marine mobile base type Zoid. It can also operate on land, albeit at a slow speed, and after a successful landing operation, it'll continue to support the attacking unit from behind as a supply base.

- Review

Dragoon Nest is a fascinating Zoid. In online photos it never looked like much to me, but in person, it has so many nice little gimmicks and a surprising amount of articulation. More than you'd expect from a play set for sure.

This particular Dragoon Nest is also a special addition to the collection. I had been in negotiations to purchase it from a friend shortly before they passed away. A couple weeks after their passing, it arrived in the mail. It was a real shock, and a bit of an emotional one. His family had been kind enough to send it, so it is now a cherished momento of a fellow Zoider who contributed so much to the fandom. This is a Zoid I'll always keep in my collection.

The Dragoon Nest is a solid play set, and decently large. It may also grow on those of you who are reading through the battle story as the transport of the Eisen Dragoons. There's a lot of articulation, and to be frank, I really didn't see any downsides about this kit. I would've expected the antennas to be fragile, but they feel fine, even being bumped around a bit during the course of this review.

- Images

Rundown

Pros:
    Great articulation.
    Several hidden storage compartments.
    The printed labels in various areas look great.

Cons:
    Canopy parts are painted, would've been much cooler cast in transparent.

- Gimmicks

- Miniature Zoids

The play sets come with some gachapons to emphasize their scale. Dragoon Nest comes with Berserk Führer (unpictured, my apologies!), Demantis, Maccurtis, and Wardick. The figures are pretty well paited for their tiny scale, without much color bleed, and I think they add a lot of charm to the kit.

- Claws

Each of the Dragoon Nest's claws are detachable pods that you can remove from the main figure, to act as independent landing vehicles. The red part flips up so you can see the Zoids ready to mobilize inside. The claws themselves are attached to a ball joint, which hooks into a bar that runs up the Dragoon Nest's side to a peg. This means the claws can tuck inwards or outwards as well as move up and down.

- Main Catapult

I always thought Dragoon Nest had a distinct profile, with its incredibly high neck/chest area. This section includes a massive hangar door, which has a little tab you can grab to open it more easily. There's a decal on the inside reading "MOVE OUT".

- Legs

The leg articulation is quite interesting. They're on swivels that allow them to move forwards and backwards for a range of natural poses, but the legs can also curl completely under the Zoid. They don't have any traction with the folding under bit, but it still works great.

- Top Catapult

The Top Catapult is hidden in the red shell on the upper back. Lifting up on the shell reveals a hangar with an extendable catapult. The catapult is attached to a mechanism that links it to the shell, so it extends further as the shell lifts up. As you can see, it's lined with details.

- Tail

Like the legs, the Dragoon Nest's tail is completely articulated to be able to tuck up underneath of the body. This is to simulate the realistic swimming motion which is uhh... not what you'd expect, but incredibly fun to learn about when put into the context of a Zoid. Especially when you pair this absurdity with the fact that every single hangar on the thing is a catapult. Thankfully, given the tip of the tail has boosters, it's likely that it swims less naturally for an animal and more naturally for a machine. Otherwise the incredibly dazed Eisen Dragoons might be rolling into battle like Leena's Gun Sniper.