Leoshop: Black & Gold Chrome Command Wolf
This black and chrome Command Wolf was produced by Leoshop, though under what order and how many were produced I am unsure. It was quite common back in the day, implying a wider release than most, and had a counterpart that was silver and gold instead of black and gold.
Such shiny colors are gorgeous, but there are some quality issues to be expected with this kit. The gold is very nice, albeit a bit lighter yellow than it appears here (very similar to older antique hotwheels and the like).
The black is silver plated, but to maintain the dark appearance it has many, many layers of black high-gloss enamel paint applied over top of that silver base. This creates a rather poor quality custom painted look for the black pieces. The paint is uneven in a lot of parts, and you can see around edges especially where it leaked down a bit exposing more silver trim. You will also have horrible scarring from the plastic underneath, but again that can't be helped.
With any chrome kit you can expect some extra trimming to be necessary, as the chrome (and paint) add an extra layer of thickness. Trim pegs carefully, and be sure not to put too much stress on them.
* I forgot to add a couple of caps on the right side when taking review photos. Don't worry, it comes with all the caps!
Pros:
- Beautiful gold plating and excellent color scheme
- Motor still works, although it is weaker from tighter joints and age
Cons:
- The black is very poorly painted, with uneven paint
- Extra trimming required on pegs for assembly
- Terrible scarring due to underlying plastic being different colors
- Box and Inserts
Leoshop's chrome Command Wolf contains all the same inserts as the NJR Command Wolf, including the Fan Book Vol. 2, so please see that page for more information. The only distinction on the box is the holo foil sticker designating it as a Leo Shop Special Edition.
- Gimmicks
Cockpit:
The cockpit opens and closes very easily, but you may need to do a tiny bit of triming for it to sit completely flat. Mine doesn't, just barely. The control panel still flips up too. I'd be careful, just because it is so small, but I had no breaking issues.
Head and Neck:
The head is actually a little more secure than usual (without the floppy-ness) thanks to the extra layer of chrome, and everything here still moves easily. The only issue I had was that the jaws would not open or close, but that's my fault for not properly trimming them down before assembly.
Beam Guns:
The back gun of the Command Wolf can still move, but if you didn't trim carefully it doesn't move easily. I feel like the stress is a little too much, so I wouldn't push it too far.
Tail:
Command Wolf's tail still moves up and down, but it is a little stiff for obvious reasons.
