ZOIDS - RZ-046 Shadow Fox (Plastic model) by Kotobukiya

This kit was very easy to assemble, with clear instructions, and required minimal tools, just a nipper and/or hobby knife. No glue was needed.It doesn't require any painting but I decided to add a little silver to some vent looking areas that had been black to make them match some similar vents elsewhere on the model and the plastic takes paint very well.Once together the model has incredible range for posing. Anywhere where the shape of the armor would naturally restrict motion there are special joints that can slide the pieces a little further apart allowing you to pose it in ways you otherwise wouldn't be able to. You can tell the designers put a lot of thought and care into making sure it could do more than just stand still. The joints are strong enough to support most poses but I found that a stand might be desirable if you want to really show off some of the most dynamic poses it is capable of.The model feels durable enough that one could lightly play around with it posing it many times without to much worry but fragile enough that It probably wouldn't survive rough play from small children. Combined with the fact that you have to assemble it yourself if you are looking at this as a gift for a child it's probably suitable for middle school aged kids and up.I was very happy with how good this model was for the price, around $50 usd at time of purchase. But looking at the prices as I leave this review I notice they can fluctuate a lot on these models and its currently sitting at around $100 usd which could buy you one of the even bigger Zoid kits. Check the manufacturer's release schedule for when they do a new run of these every few years, the prices go down while supply is up.

for years, this has been my favorite zoid. and now i have it. this also my first kotobukiya kit and i have to say i am very impressed with it. i was correct when i described this kit as being on par with master grade gundam kits. the heavy part count, the exquisite detail, superb posability. yes it has tiny parts, and they can get lost if youre not careful. but even with that, you can't argue that this kit is amazing.the kit as whole is rock solid. minor gluing is needed in certain places, and you dont need to paint this thing, most of the places where youd usually paint are done with plastic. visually this kit is stunning with the gold and silver plastic breaking up the black. the teeth are very sharp, actually pricked myself and drew blood so do be careful when building it. the az 30mm laser vulcan is fantastic. it can move almost any way you want to it. just like in the show, the turret can be removed and have other back mounted weapons be put onto it. the tail opens up showing the net gun, it can also be removed and be fitted with any attachment that will fit itthose who say that this kit is junk never had the patience to just sit down and build it. i had alot of fun piecing this thing together. it was a stark difference from building gundams and quite the refreshing change. i dont plan on buying the other HMM kits because i have no need to. this is all i need. overall i freaking adore this kit. i proudly display it next to my favorite Gundam, the 00 quanta

If you're just looking to get into building Kotobukiya HMM Zoids and you're a bit intimidated by the larger kits, these smaller ones like the Shadow Fox is a perfect fit for beginners just getting into the hobby. If you try to build it in one go like I did it's only a 3-4 hour long build, and it's a surprisingly stable build, I'm not as afraid of it falling apart as I am of the either the Shield Liger or the Green Horn or Gun Sniper.Also the Shadow Fox looks very nice next to the Takara To my Mirage Fox variant I already had, now all that's missing is the Fire Fox HMM kit and I'll have all three.

As many of my other kit reviews, some better than others, I don't paint or touch up. Panel lining on occasion but unsteady hand with paint is not a good combo. The overall size of the Shadow Fox is comparable to a Command Wolf, with similar range of movement. I am a sucker for gimmicks, between the tail cannon, cockpit with pre-painted pilot and adjustable Mini-Gun it holds form very well.Pros:Simple if time is taken to follow the detailed instructions.Cons:Because it is a smaller frame with less accessories, it is fairly limited in what it can do out the box.If you are starting your Zoid kit collection, this is a fun start. Even if you like the Shadow Fox it looks great on the shelf next to Liger Zero.

Bought this as a birthday gift for my boyfriend. He loved it, the molds were high quality, and it snapped together easier (and seems a little sturdier) than his Kotobukiya Liger Zero (the basic white model) which creaks and doesn't stay in poses as easily. He is going to touch up a few spots with a gold paint pen but it's great quality overall!Shipped quickly, came in the original box, all pieces accounted for and the box was in great shape. I can only hope future models we purchase are the same way!