While Stand River as an event has already passed and its contents already known to the public, it is only recently that we've seen the video of the event! For easier viewing they've split the event stream up into two videos, with the second following soon. The first part is already up, so take a look to see what all went on!

- Air Stand River Battle - Part 1

 With Wild Liger releasing any time now, Kotobukiya has posted a tweet showing off the Kotobukiya Direct exclusive benefit, the Z Cap "Freedom Blue" Version. The actual product looks like a much richer blue than the CG images, so it'll be cool to see them used on kits!

 Now that Stand River has concluded, we'll be covering all of the new product details that were published during the stream. It was an amazing event, and it was so cool to see everyone's customs! You can view the entire gallery here. Definitely give it a look!

 In the meantime, this post will be organized by the order that things were revealed during the event. If you missed the livestream, no worries, Kotobukiya is arranging to post videos to youtube soon! So don't mind the livestream link being broken.

- Zoids Key Charms!

 Just before Stand River, Kotobukiya announced their decision to release a set of Zoids Key Charms. The full set of metal charms consists of Wild Liger/Arashi, Gannontoise/Onigiri, Scorpear/Penne, Triceradogos/Gyoza, Hunter Wolf/Salt, and Spideath/Youkan. The set is scheduled for a January 2021 release as a Kotobukiya Direct Exclusive, for 2,000 yen each. It is not sold as a set! We have pre-order links down at the bottom of the page. Be sure to place your pre-orders by October 28th, as after that, they'll only be selling the remaining unsold stock before closing pre-orders.

- HMM Box Art Reveals

 Stand River also featured a reveal of several box arts, including the digital version for the HMM Wild Liger, the Pteras Bomber, and the Geno Breaker Repackage Ver., featuring a beautiful scene from Official Fan Book 2.

- HMM Revamps!

 Kotobukiya started off with a couple of new rerelease announcements. A new release of the HMM Panzer CAS, now in Marking Plus version, and a new Shadow Fox Marking Plus Version! So for all those who've been waiting for Fox, now's your chance!

- Wild Liger Guren Chrome Reveal!

 The final Wild Liger Guren was shown off in the event, complete with its chrome parts, clear caps, and clear purple eyes and Wild Blast parts. The camera's white balance caused most of the details to be washed out, so please excuse the lower detail.

- HMM Fangtiger Prototype Reveal!

 We got our first look at the Fangtiger model kit tonight! While we saw concept art earlier, I never would have guessed how many movable parts this Zoid has. It's really impressive. During the Wild Blast, the Panthera Armor folds out (like the moto kit) and the blades come forward. The blades are articulated so that they can take that 'spread out' pose that's used in the anime, and the pits of the blades (the lines) are also separate pieces! In other words, the blades can stretch slightly for the Wild Blast. The armor on the upper rear legs opens up to reveal some vents, a feature new and exclusive to the HMM verson of the kit.

 Like the HMM Wild Liger, the Fangtiger comes with a pilot figure. Bacon looks highly detailed. The reveal of Wild Liger's box art noted that the Zoids Wild kits will have their own designation, with Wild Liger being "W001".

- Rev Raptor Prototype Reveal!

 Fangtiger isn't the only prototype shown off. Rev Raptor's prototype was also revealed! There's a lot of detail crammed into this tiny kit, and it sports the same amount of articulation we've come to appreciate from Kotobukiya. The claws and blades also look quite sharp.

- HMM Customize Parts Pile Bunker Unit!

 The Rev Raptor is going to coincide with a release of a new HMM Customize Parts set, the Pile Bunker Unit! The unit has a movable pilebunker that can slide quite far forwards and backwards, as well as a mount that lets it tip up and down, and small movable panels on the top of the unit that can stand up or tuck back.

- HMM Raven Raptor!

 Kotobukiya also posted on Twitter that we'll be getting an HMM Raven Raptor! Many of you may recognize this as a Yuji Kaida variant. We've had several others appear in the HMM line, so this is an expected (and welcome) update. The Raven Raptor will be packaged with the Pile Bunker, just like the original motorized release.

- HMM Gilraptor 3D Model!

 Kotobukiya showed off the HMM Gilraptor's 3D Rig, in place of a prototype (as it's not quite ready yet). Although it's awesome to see, it's hard to see some of the details. So, for those who may have forgotten, here is the artwork for it that was posted at the last Stand River! It'll be full of beautiful details. You can see the X-style zig zags on the armor in the 3D model, a custom detail of the HMM.

- HMM Death Rex Reveal!

 As fans have pondered for many months, Kotobukiya has now announced an HMM Death Rex! The initial artwork looks amazing, and you can see that this kit is full of anime-accurate details. This includes the brown on the large Jaws and even the anime accurate sharp claws! It also looks like it'll have a rather intricate Uvula Drill, which, if the kit matches the artwork, can completely retract and also extend quite far past the jaws like in the show.

 The Death Rex Purple Dragon Form was also confirmed as a store exclusive, though there were no images shown for it during the event.

- HMM Liger Zero X!

 As Kotobukiya wrapped up their live build of the HMM Wild Liger, they dropped a final surprise reveal on us! The HMM Liger Zero X! This kit looks amazing, and it's one that people have been wanting for a long, long time. It was great to see a prototype, and it looks to really honor all of the X's design scheme.

 Kotobukiya has made a blog post announcing some upcoming releases. This includes a Liger Zero Dedicated Schneider Unit Marking Plus Version (which lacks clear coloress parts), which features a new decal sheet, different from the complete version of Schneider Marking Plus. For example, including the Ray Force insignias. It's scheduled to release in March 2021. In February, there'll be releases for the Liger Zero Jager Marking Plus Ver., Saber Tiger Marking Plus Ver., and the Zoids Customize Parts "Beam Gatling Set."

 The pre-order table at the bottom of this page has been updated to include all upcoming preorders, including Hobby Search, which still has orders open for the Hagane Works Blade Liger.

 A month before the Wild Liger is scheduled for release, Kotobukiya has already announced a Kotobukiya Direct exclusive of the kit! The Wild Liger Guren, based on the CoroCoro 100 Limited of the motorized kit, is scheduled to release in December for 10,800 yen. Because it's a Koto Exclusive, we won't be seeing any discounted prices from AmiAmi, HLJ, etc. who won't be getting the kit. You'll need to order through another service like White Rabbit Express or From Japan to get this elusive beauty.

 A blog article from LABO goes over some specifics about the kit. The Liger will have a purple Wild Blast flame, translucent purple Zoid Key, and a custom painted Arashi based on his runaway state in the Zoids Wild anime. The kit will also include clear purple eyes. Although there are not yet photos on the blog, the Guren will come with gold chrome claws, fangs, and mane claws. These can be mixed with the basic Wild Liger to create the "Awakened Wild Liger"!

 Kotobukiya has posted a blog entry for the HMM Lightning Saix Marking Plus Ver. Although the kit uses the original box art, the blog does go on to say that Mercy's next original artworks will include the Pteras Bomber, Geno Breaker, Wild Liger Guren, and Gun Sniper Wild Weasel Spec. This kit will be released on September 17th, for 5,200 yen.

 The blog also announced rereleased for the HMM Command Wolf Repackage Ver., Dark Horn, and Death Stinger. A twitter post following soon after announced that the Liger Zero Jager Unit "Marking Plus" would be released.

 Kotobukiya has announced their next recolor kit, the HMM Gun Sniper Wild Weasel Spec.! It's scheduled for a January 2021 release, for 4,800 yen. This recolor kit will include a new blue color combined with silver armor, providing a color scheme much more accurate to the NJR release of the kit. The legs will come in multiple sprue colors, meaning you can have blue legs, silver legs, or a mix of the two, as illustrated in the LABO article.

 The kit of course comes with the WW unit, as its name implies. Parts for the normal Gun Sniper are included, if you prefer just the booster look. Like most other kit revamps, it comes with a greatly expanded decal sheet. For those who are wondering about the jump in price, Kotobukiya has been quite honest about the price being impacted by the current state of the world. They specified that even if they removed the WW unit, the price would only be different by a few hundred yen, so they felt going with the complete item was the best choice.

 The Art of HMM has been released, and is already arriving at buyers homes! To recap some of content posted recently, the official twitter account mentioned that the book includes a discussion corner with the creators of HMM and a checklist. They also posted the some zoomed in photos, so you can get a better look at some of the art digitally. They've posted Death Stinger, Gun Sniper LS, Iron Kong SS, Liger Zero, Sturm Tyrann Set, Shadow Fox, Liger Zero EM, and Lightning Saix.

 Kotobukiya announced that the next Stand River Battle will be held online, and livestreamed on youtube! This comes with a ton of exciting announcements, and will take place on October 3rd, 2020, streamed live to Youtube at 13:00! Aside from a live assembly of the HMM Wild Liger, we'll also be seeing announcements of new MPV versions of Zoids. Even more exciting, prototypes for the HMM Gilraptor, HMM Fangtiger, and HMM Rev Raptor will be shown for the very first time! These are Zoids that have previously only been shown off as illustrations. If that weren't enough, they're planning to announce another brand new HMM Zoid during the live broadcast!

 What is Stand River? It's an event held in Japan, where typically people bring in customs that they align with the Empire or the Republic, and set them up on the appropriate tables. Each Zoid is judged for a certain number of points, and at the end of the event, the side with the most points wins! However, since they are holding the event virtually in respect for the ongoing pandemic, there are no participation prizes or rewards for entering. Still, it will be exciting to see!

 Kotobukiya has a page discussing the details of the event. This will likely still be limited to residents of Japan, but we're posting the details for archiving purposes.

 - Submission date is September 1st, 2020 ~ September 13th, 11:59 PM. The results will be announced on Oct 3rd.
 Participation Regulations:
 - The completed custom must be based on an HMM Zoid.
 - It must be a 1/72 scale piece.
 - Works such as Zoids Girls and other military-model based works, such as AFVs or other copyrighted works are prohibited.
 - You can only enter a single Zoid, and only to one side. You cannot participate in both armies.
 - You can only use HMM Zoids, TT Zoids Products (including older Tomy products), MSG goods, or unlicensed / scratch built materials. The decals must also be based on this content. Basically, it must be appropriate to the series and not step on any trademark toes.
 - Works that infringe on other intellectual properties won't be permitted. Although this is unlikely to cause problems, any consequences of evading this rule will be carried out at the expense of the person who entered the work.
 - They also reserve the right to disqualify entries that: Violate public order and morals, have visible personal information that can be read, slander a specific person or group, imitate or plagiarize, or works that do not fit the purpose of the contest.

Required Application:
 - Affiliation: (Republic or Empire)
 - Unit Name: (Name of the custom)
 - Pilot Name: (Name of the customizer, not the lore pilot)
 - Comment: (Any description, etc. you want to include)
 - Image: (Main image, as well as standing from the front, back, and top)
 - Used Kits and Materials: (Including things like spare parts, putty, plastic board, etc.)

Points Alotted For Each Class: (As a reference)
 - Flying Class (1 Point): Armored vehicles (cockpits, etc.)
 - Feather Class (3 Points): Cannon Tortoise, Gun Sniper, Pteras, Godos, Molga, Iguan
 - Light Class (4 Points): Command Wolf, Shadow Fox, Lightning Saix
 - Welter Class (6 Points): Shield Liger, Blade Liger, Liger Zero, Geno Saurer, Saber Tiger, Red Horn
 - Middle Class (8 Points): Dibison, Storm Sworder, Geno Breaker, Berserk Furher
 - Heavy Class (12 Points): Gojulas, Iron Kong, Death Stinger

 Kotobukiya posted a blog entry on the HMM Dibison Marking Plus Version. It goes over a lot of nice photos, including what a Dibison might look like with Gojulas Cannons!

 Kotobukiya has announced a reissue for the original HMM Red Horn! This kit will be rereleased in November for 7,480 yen. If you missed these last time around, now's your chance to grab one.

 Kotobukiya has posted our first look at the box art for the HMM Dibison Marking Plus Ver.! This entirely new art features the Dibison running alongside the Old Republic Godos, with some very cool light and texture effects.

 Kotobukiya has just announced a Repackage Version of the original HMM Geno Breaker! Like the Geno Saurer Repackage, this includes the updated pieces used on the Raven Geno Saurer, meaning it can take a proper CPG stance. It'll also come with new decals based on Ritz' Geno Breaker and colorless clear eye parts in addition to the clear red. The kit will be released in November, for 9,200 yen.

 The blog also mentions that the HMM Death Stinger will be receiving another rerelease soon! Just as a quick note as well, many people were confused about whether the Repackage comes with the Blade Liger blade shown in the photos. No, it does not. It was just included in the review photos as a shoutout to the final chapters of Official Fan Book 2~

 Kotobukiya has announced a new decal campaign! This campaign is planned to span the summer, and if you buy 5,000 yen or more at participating stores during this period you'll receive a special decal sheet. It's based off of the decal sheet that was included in HISTORY OF ZOIDS, an exceptionally rare mail-order item released in 1985, which often sells at auction for hundreds of dollars. It's cool to have a more obtainable release of this sheet!

 Kotobukiya has posted box art photos for the Iron Kong Yeti! The art features a glorious snowstorm battle against an Iron Kong PK.

 The ZOIDS ART OF HMM twitter has made a new post showing off examples of a couple of the HMM Zoids, Shield Liger and Geno Saurer. They've also announced the details of the book! It'll be released September 17th for 3,300 yen, and consist of 176 pages in B5 format. If you buy from Kotobukiya Direct the book will come with an exclusive cover.

 Kotobukiya surprisingly posted a video featuring the build of their recent Blade Liger AB. We get a lot of kit videos for Wild, and it would be wonderful if we saw more of these for HMM in the future!

- Video

 Kotobukiya has announced their next MPV, the Pteras Bomber Marking Plus Ver.! It is scheduled for October 2020, for 4800 yen. This guy gets the usual treatment, with new decals and clear colorless copies of the orange parts, but in a surprising twist the article mentions it may be getting all new box art! This would be the biggest change for an MPV to date. The article also mentions that their next posts will consist of a sample of the Iron Kong Yeti, the next Repackage product announcement, and a Wild Liger test shot introduction.

 The model kit page for the HMM Fire Fox has been updated with an automatic translation of the story segment and concept artwork from its instruction manual. This update was, ironically, done a couple nights ago right before they announced news on how inclusive the Art of HMM would be (read in the below news post). Now that we know we'll be getting this amazing collection of HMM goodness, I'll be holding off on posting anymore of these. Instead I'll focus on expanding the pages for information that's not mentioned on the main product pages, special release notes, etc. A special thanks to Falcarius for this one! While this is an automatic translation and will still have mistakes, it does reference some info he posted a while ago regarding the names, quotes, etc. from this story.

 The twitter for HMMZ_Art has revealed their plans for this twitter account! It was created to advertise the upcoming art book, ZOIDS ART OF HMM 2006~2020, an amazing collection of box art, concept art, and story info, with over 80 pieces of package art from the HMM series. This book is being printed with high-saturation printing technology to maximize its beautiful artwork. Not only will it include the concept sketches seen in the instruction manuals and the art along the side of the box, but it'll also contain the battle stories that were written for each Zoid. Many of these stories have aspects unique to HMM. We're looking forward to hearing more about this project!