Eons later the Zoids Graphics page has been updated to include Volume 2. This covers some profiles of SS Zoids, CP unit information, the Jagd Führer concepts, and a short 1 page model kit comic.

 We've missed some updates for the Liger Zero Phoenix along the way, too. This post from Zoids Official shows off the BLOX joints, which look quite nice. They also included a neat detail that the armor piece on the face is split into two parts, so you can make it into the white-armored version from the anime or the black-frame version from the original model kits. As a reminder, this kit is up for pre-order in late September for 17,600 yen (tax included.)

- Review Video

- PV Video

 The HMM-060 Fire Fox MPV has gotten a LABO Article. The previous version was released as a limited distribution product. Since this a standard release, no longer limited, its designation number has changed.

 In addition, we've got some reissues! The Gun Sniper WW, Zoids Customize Part Dual Sniper Rifle & AZ 5 Launch Missile System Set, and König Wolf are all up for rerelease in November! This is quite a lineup, and I know some people out there lost their pre-orders due to issues with distributors falling through. So, hopefully this upcoming pre-order window provides some peace of mind on being able to obtain this Zoid. The best Zoid. No bias.

 We have three new lore updates for the HMM series! The Liger Zero Schneider, Psycho Geno Saurer, and Shadow Fox. Shadow Fox has the same lore (mostly) as the Fire Fox (which is the same but has a couple extra sentences.) As such, it does not depict the sketch pages at the moment. You can view the lore by visiting their model kit pages.

 So, yesterday morning Kotobukiya held a livestream to introduce the upcoming HMM Guysack. The video is worth a watch because man, the articulation that they managed to squeeze into this tiny little bug is impressive. All of their recent kits have been, really. Aside from that, though, there was a lot of interesting discussion going on during the stream. This is all relying on machine translations, so please take with a huge grain of salt.

 Exhibition!
 Kotobukiya will be holding an exhibition in Japan on February 12th, starting at 1pm. Here, they're showing off displays and all of the recent HMM artwork in beautiful quality. This comes one day after Wonder Festival.

 Upcoming Releases!
 They've announced that the next two kit rereleases will be the Lightning Saix MPV and the Berserk Furher Repackage! As someone who hasn't picked up the standard Saix yet, this is tempting.

 New Releases!
 Aside from that, Kotobukiya announced its intention to release the RMZ-012 Guysack, the original OJR! This is a nice surprise, as the OJR color schemes have always had a classic funkiness to them. Pre-orders are expected to open in July as a Kotobukiya Shop Exclusive with its final release planned sometime in Spring 2025. This kit will include clear colorless parts in addition to the orange pieces. If you want the red canopy pieces you'll need to pick up the upcoming Guysack (the first release) being released in July of this year. It's currently expected to be the same price.

 Updates!
 The Salamander they hope to release sometime around or after Summer of next year. It's about the height of an Iron Kong, but has a huge wingspan.

 Fun Facts!
 Apparently when they chose Guysack, they were choosing between it and Helcat, the top voted small Zoids.
 Death Saurer scored the highest in the end-of-year survey this year! The hype surrounding the AZ is real.
 Apparently Redler and Raynos have roughly tied in votes over the years

 

Economic Decisions For Small Zoids?

 Kotobukiya took a few minutes of the stream to discuss the current economical climate of producing these kits. This weighs in especially hard with small kits like the Guysack. Small kits are harder to produce because the profit is quite small compared to something like a Liger kit. They still have to pay for brand new molds, which are quite expensive, but the kits sell for much less. This leaves Kotobukiya often asking themselves about the feasibility of continuing to release small Zoids. Like the Rev Raptor, they are calling for people to order the Guysack to help them determine if it is a worthwhile endeavor.

 This conversation got pretty in depth. They mentioned that a major factor of current Zoid prices is that the average wage where the kits are produced has doubled in the past 10 years. The kits have been struggling to maintain their current production cost, and are finally reaching the point of inching upwards in price. We've seen this in kits like the Red Horn (6800 yen, tax not included) to the Red Horn MPV (9,240 yen, tax included) and Fire Fox (4800 yen) to MPV (6000 yen ish.) They threw out some calculations of what kits would cost to produce today. While some are reasonable (Command Wolf Repackage from 4800 > 6800 yen) others were surprising. Dark Horn, originally 6800, was estimated at 18000 yen if they had to start from scratch.

 To Molga or to Molgas?
 This line of questioning brought up an interesting question. In the past, Kotobukiya released Molgas in a two pack, with different variations. These Zoids are small, they should be cheap, theoretically, but with production costs climbing, staff asked what people thought of releasing them in a different way. They estimated that the cost of producing the Molga & Molga Canory (formerly 4200 yen) would be around 6800 yen now without tax, so if it were released again, it would be released as an MPV at the new price.

 This brought up the question of what people would think if the MPV were released as a single Molga (not a two set) with the weapons of all three variations included, like the Command Wolf Repackage? The full set would contain the Canory Unit, Anti-Air weapons, and Carrier equipment, and would shake out to roughly 6000 yen. There's still a lot of support for releasing the two Molga sets, even at the increased price, and Kotobukiya was clear that this didn't mean they wouldn't release the two-packs anymore. However, there are still many '1 Molga' releases we could have. Rokurou, what with the other web comic Zoids released over recent years, and the NJR color scheme to name a couple.

 It was an interesting stream, with interesting questions and insights. These dilemmas are also why we haven't gotten Gilraptor yet, which was estimated to cost 20,000 yen to produce in the current climate. I look forward to seeing where Kotobukiya goes, and I hope they can continue to attract good sales through these difficult times.

- Guysack Stream

 The Liger Zero Phoenix has officially gone up for pre-order! This kit is scheduled to release in September for 17,600 yen (tax included.) It's now up on the TakaraTomy Mall and the usual sites, so be sure to check your favorite stores for an order page. They also introduced it with its own special preview (shown below), which exhibits the various weapons (well, most of them-) of the Fire Phoenix.

- Liger Zero Phoenix PV

 The Model Kits section is receiving some updates after a long time. The Yuji Kaida Fire Fox page has had all of the images updated and also gotten some minor tweaks to the review. I've wanted to do this for some of the older motos for a while now. Even after all these years, they're still my favorite kits.

 A review has been added for the MPZ Shield Liger covering the plethora of motorized actions. Joining it is a review for the Tomy Blade Liger, featuring a pre-owned Bladey. Please note, that this review is for the MPZ Shield Liger released in 2016, NOT the upcoming Shield Liger, which features anime colors.

 We continue to receive updates on the Anniversary Zero Phoenix. First on the list is a image showing off the flapping wings. Apparently, when connected to the Liger, the Phoenix's wings will flap up and down. Second, the kit will come with adaptors to attach the Zero armor from the AZ-02 Liger Zero. This includes a white canopy part so that you can recreate RD's Liger Zero from Zoids Fuzors, which had white around the ears instead of black. Last but not least, the separated Fire Phoenix (which, by the way, is looking much snazzier in color) will be able to flap its wings when pressing a button on the neck. This is interesting, as we've not had any mechanical non-motorized features in a while.

 The box art for the Beast Liger Sinister and Sonic Bird Ratha has arrived, and man are they looking fierce! These collaboration kits are releasing in late July.

 Pre-orders for the HMM Guysack are now live! The kit is scheduled for release in July for 5,940 Yen. It's nice having these small kits, and Kotobukiya is urging people to pre-order, so that the company knows these small kits are worth producing.

 A LABO Article has been posted going over the Guysack. For the first time ever, Kotobukiya is testing the waters for a photography backdrop as the Kotobukiya Direct bonus! They released a photo setup product a while back for a premium price, and it's interesting seeing these make their way into the kits as bonus items. The background will feature a desert theme. It's A2 size and measures 297 mm x 420 mm wide, which is large enough for Liger-sized Zoids.

 In the LABO article linked above we also got our first look at the box art for the Redler BC! This one really snuck up on me. It's scheduled to be released this month for 8,030 yen (tax included.) The box art features the Second Full-Scale Battle, in which the Empire attacked Rob Base during a terrible storm. This battle made use of the Redler BC, which were the first Imperial Zoids to fight their way through the Republic's front lines.

 Takara Tomy has released the first image of the AZ-07 Death Saurer, along with a nice little teaser video! This variant looks amazing and the posture leans into its dinosaur class. The kit is scheduled for fall of this year, with pre-orders scheduled for April, sooner than we would've anticipated.

- Teaser Video

 Kotobukiya has posted a LABO article showing off the painted sample of the HMM Guysack! It'll be on display at the Kotobukiya Collection 2024 in their Akihabara store and pre-orders are expected to open on February 8th. The blog shows off the two types, Standard and Heavy Armor, as the kit includes parts for both. The two cockpit types, though similar to the other whitehead Zoids released by Kotobuykiya in the past, are actually new molds with the side pipes lifted up and the overall design brought up to modern standards. This decision was made because it'd have actually been more expensive to use the Godos parts.

 Last but not least, Kotobukiya will be holding a livestream introducing this painted Guysack on February 9th. Subscribe to their Youtube channel to be notified when the stream becomes available.

 The company also posted a reminder that the sequel Art of HMM book is to be released on the 7th.

 The Zoids Wild Biographies section has been updated to include a complete list of all Zoids that were released at the time, although not all have their dedicated pages yet. The fifth story, following Hannah Melville and her Sniptera is also now available to read!

 Zoids Official has posted the exciting reveal of Project D! First teased in June, we've been waiting to see what would come of this mysterious project, and here it is! Though we've only got a silhouette to start with, it's exciting to see the A-Z Zoids expanded to something outside of the feline genre. I'm sure we're all excitedly waiting for more news!

 Well, this is one I hadn't expected to see! Zoids Official has announced a collaboration project, celebrating their 40th anniversary and Monster Hunter's 20th! This new collaboration includes the Beast Liger Sinister and the Sonic Bird Ratha, which have lore bits on the page just linked. A huge thanks to Falcarius, who has translated the lore for us!

Both kits are already up on the TakaraTomy Mall for 6,600 yen each with a late July release date. They both have beautiful painted details and include weapons from the Zoids Wild customize part sets to make them better resemble their Monster Hunter counterparts. These collab kits are hitting the usual stores, so keep an eye out on your favorite store websites.

Zoid-Piloting "Hunters"

 21XX AD. A multiversal door suddenly opened, and creatures unknown on Earth... "Monsters" and "Felynes" wandered through.

 The "Monsters" had lost their original habitats and now threatened human living areas, so the people in charge of defending Earth were pressed to find countermeasures. Meanwhile, the cat-like race of "Felynes" were friendly creatures, and were looking for a way to return to their original world. They also said that there were people in their world called "Hunters" who were skilled at hunting Monsters, and that with their hunting technology, it wouldn't be impossible to hunt these Monsters.

 However, in this world without Hunters, they would need to make use of Earth's technology.

 And so, the "Anti-Monster Zoids" were born.

 Just like Hunters in the "Monster Hunter" world, Zoid pilots would confront the Monsters by riding on dedicated Zoids.

Beast Liger Sinister

 A Beast Liger remodelled as an anti-Magnamalo hunting Zoid.

 Zoid researchers gained advice about the Magnamalo's behavioural characteristics from the Felynes and developed appropriate weaponry.

 Its front claws and Wing Tail are equipped with cutting weapons, further increasing its melee abilities.

 With the additional equipment, its tail can deal slashing attacks by swinging around. When using its Evo Blast, its radiator fins and everything from its face to its back is clad in reddish-purple flames. This equipment was thought up based on the Magnamalo's design, but would later be used as anti-Zoid equipment as well.

Sonic Bird Ratha

 A Sonic Bird remodelled as an anti-Rathalos hunting Zoid.

 Zoid researchers gained advice about the Rathalos's behavioural characteristics from the Felynes and developed appropriate weaponry.

 Additional cutting weapons have been equipped on its Wing Swords. By adding three types of weapons to its Stabiliser Tail - shooting, acceleration and close combat - its abilities at both short and long range have been improved. Each part of its body has also been given a fire-resistant coating in preparation for the Rathalos's flame attacks. This equipment was thought up based on the Rathalos's design, but would later be used as anti-Zoid equipment as well.

 Many fans have been wondering what happened to the AZ Liger Zero Phoenix. It was revealed in the first teasers of the AZ line, but Shieldy and Saber jumped the line. Well, Zoids Official finally posted a prototype preview of the AZ Liger Zero Phoenix! We'd heard that it may be complicated to make this Zoid walk in an earlier interview, with all of the added weight, but it seems they've made some good progress. Compared to the original motorized design, the Phoenix armor has been slimmed down a lot, giving it a more streamlined appearance. The kit will also include the option to build the armor into the Fire Phoenix itself!

 Since then we've seen the first full color preview and a look without the armor on. The product info on these images clarifies that the Liger Zero Phoenix has a different gearbox shape from the normal Liger Zero. Because of this change, some connection points differ from the standard Liger Zero. This means that the Phoenix isn't compatible with the AZ-02 Liger Zero. Though this kit doesn't include the base Zero armor (which normally wouldn't be compatible for the same reason), it does include adaptors if you want to transplant armor from an AZ-02 Liger Zero.

 Finally, after so many years, we're getting a Raven specific Saber Tiger! This kit was announced back when the Shield Liger was announced, and we've gotten plenty of images showing off the Raven paint scheme. The kit comes with the same snarling face option parts as the old MPZ, as well as an unpainted Raven and Shadow figure. It's scheduled for release in July for 12,100 yen (tax included.) Its anniversary page can be viewed here.

- Product Review

- PV Video

- Commercial

 The AZ-04 Shield Liger, themed after Bang's Shield Liger from Chaotic Century has been up for pre-order for a while now. It's scheduled for a June release for 11,000 yen (tax included). Like the other A-Z Zoids, it comes with an unpainted pilot figure of Bang, Fine, and Zeke. We've also got some preview videos for it!

- Product Review

- Commercial

 Zoids Official posted a custom of the AZ-01 Blade Liger, based on the Blade Destroy, which featured in Zoids Official Fan Book 2. They did an excellent job with this customization! In addition, the Blade Liger sold so well that it's already up for a rerelease, scheduled to be released again in March.