STK Command Wolf - Review

Greetings and salutations my fellow plamo nerds! Today I'll be reviewing a rather old release, but something entirely new to me - a Zoid! The STK reporoduction of the HMM Command Wolf to be exact.

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Build

The build took some getting used to, which was a given since this was my first attempt at assembling anything other than a Gundam. The part numbering is a bit confusing, the manual had more line art and fluff than actual building schematics.

The sketches were also small, making part orientation and peg alignment a bit difficult to make out. That said, the runners are logically grouped, so you only pick up 3 to 4 at a time when building each section. Nub placement is average, but part alignment is quite good. Peg fitment is also spot on, so hardly any trimming is required unless intended for paint prep. The joints are a bit loose, which is always better and an easier fix than too tight. I'd say it took me about 10 hours total to put this thing together.


Look and Feel

Right off the bat I was blown away by how much detail this thing had. The plastic is a bit soft compared to Daban's latest releases - but the details are a lot sharper than many of the Gundam kits I've built. I love the tone of gold they used.

The mold is really good, with hardly any flash at all. This kit is about 70% internal frame, 30% armor. I'm a big fan of mechanical detail, and this thing is covered in it. It's practically a Ducati, but with legs, a tail and a wolf head in place of wheels.

Articulation is about 80% where I want it to be. The remaining 20% was deducted because I couldn't get it to sit like a real dog. Click on the smaller images below to view them in full size.

The cables on the neck and on the belly are made of rubber and can't be painted, so I'll probably swap those out for metal chains. The kit comes with a set of plain old stickers, and you have a choice between using clear orange or clear brown canopies. 

Issues 

Aside from my gripes with the manual, some parts have very little clearance from the runner, so you might need a thinner pair of cutters, or resort to your hobby knife. While the parts separation will be appreciated by people who paint their kits, some of the sub assemblies just don't make sense, like the grey bits in the image below, which could have been molded as one solid part.

Lastly, a few parts like to pop out when posing the kit. The head assembly easily disconnects from the neck if you try to swivel the head left or right. The white discs on the shoulders and the leg assemblies themselves also tend to pop out with too much movement. I'd recommend gluing in some of these pieces, but be careful not to glue down anything that is supposed to move.


Verdict

For my first foray into Zoids, I give this a stout 7/10. This kit may test even an experienced modeler's patience - but the level of detail and wallet friendly price are what sells it for me. I've been itching to get this since I thought my Tallgeese Titan needed some company - with Game of Thrones and King Leonidas as my main inspirations for that project, what better way to complete the look than having a giant wolf for a sidekick!

"Project Ghost" - coming soon!

Visit Zeropoint Gundam's facebook page to order yours!

Till next time, keep building plamo!