Kotobukiya Zoid HMM

Command Wolf

Kit Review

Straight build

Zoid HMM Command Wolf - Size comparison with a cigarette pack. It's a little on the compact side for a Zoid.

Size comparison with a cigarette pack.
It's a little on the compact side for a Zoid.

Zoid HMM Command Wolf (1/6) Zoid HMM Command Wolf (2/6) Zoid HMM Command Wolf (3/6) Zoid HMM Command Wolf (4/6) Zoid HMM Command Wolf (5/6) Zoid HMM Command Wolf (6/6)

Zoid HMM Command Wolf - Head and body (1/4) Zoid HMM Command Wolf - Head and body (2/4) Zoid HMM Command Wolf - Head and body (3/4) Zoid HMM Command Wolf - Head and body (4/4)

Head and body

Zoid HMM Command Wolf - Front legs (1/2) Zoid HMM Command Wolf - Front legs (2/2)

Front legs

Zoid HMM Command Wolf - Rear legs (1/2) Zoid HMM Command Wolf - Rear legs (2/2)

Rear legs

Zoid HMM Command Wolf - Back weapons and tail (1/2) Zoid HMM Command Wolf - Back weapons and tail (2/2)

Back weapons and tail

Zoid HMM Command Wolf - Underside of the back weapons and the back with weapons removed (1/2) Zoid HMM Command Wolf - Underside of the back weapons and the back with weapons removed (2/2)

Underside of the back weapons and the back with weapons removed

Zoid HMM Command Wolf - Underside (1/2) Zoid HMM Command Wolf - Underside (2/2)

Underside

Zoid HMM Command Wolf - Cockpit hatch open on the head and back (1/2) Zoid HMM Command Wolf - Cockpit hatch open on the head and back (2/2)

Cockpit hatch open on the head and back

Zoid HMM Command Wolf - Lift the neck and open the cover to remove the Zoid Core.

Lift the neck and open the cover to remove the Zoid Core.

Zoid HMM Command Wolf - Legs fully folded vs. fully extended. Surprisingly, the difference between the two isn't all that dra

Legs fully folded vs. fully extended.
Surprisingly, the difference between the two isn't all that dramatic.

Zoid HMM Command Wolf - Leg spread range

Leg spread range

Zoid HMM Command Wolf - The waist, as expected, has a three-section bending structure.

The waist, as expected, has a three-section bending structure.

Zoid HMM Command Wolf - The neck has a pretty wide range of up-and-down movement.

The neck has a pretty wide range of up-and-down movement.

Zoid HMM Command Wolf - Grrrr~ threatening action pose (1/5) Zoid HMM Command Wolf - Grrrr~ threatening action pose (2/5) Zoid HMM Command Wolf - Grrrr~ threatening action pose (3/5) Zoid HMM Command Wolf - Grrrr~ threatening action pose (4/5) Zoid HMM Command Wolf - Grrrr~ threatening action pose (5/5)

Grrrr~ threatening action pose

Zoid HMM Command Wolf - Pouncing pose using a cigarette pack as a prop (1/4) Zoid HMM Command Wolf - Pouncing pose using a cigarette pack as a prop (2/4) Zoid HMM Command Wolf - Pouncing pose using a cigarette pack as a prop (3/4) Zoid HMM Command Wolf - Pouncing pose using a cigarette pack as a prop (4/4)

Pouncing pose using a cigarette pack as a prop

Zoid HMM Command Wolf - Standing it up in a bipedal pose (-_-;) (1/4) Zoid HMM Command Wolf - Standing it up in a bipedal pose (-_-;) (2/4) Zoid HMM Command Wolf - Standing it up in a bipedal pose (-_-;) (3/4) Zoid HMM Command Wolf - Standing it up in a bipedal pose (-_-;) (4/4)

Standing it up in a bipedal pose (-_-;)

Zoid HMM Command Wolf - Together with the Shield Liger. (1/3) Zoid HMM Command Wolf - Together with the Shield Liger. (2/3) Zoid HMM Command Wolf - Together with the Shield Liger. (3/3)

Together with the Shield Liger.

Zoid HMM Command Wolf - The Command Wolf is small and compact compared to the Shield Liger's bulk.

The Command Wolf is small and compact compared to the Shield Liger's bulk.

The second HMM Zoid kit is the compact Command Wolf.
It's a relatively small, wolf-type light Zoid.

The first HMM Zoid, the Shield Liger, felt like an early experiment — the kind of kit that overwhelms you with a massive part count born of excessive ambition. Apparently there was a lot of feedback on that point, because the Command Wolf has a much more efficient overall layout and the part count has been cut down significantly. Sure, part of that is just because the kit itself is smaller, but if you look at the parts for the body and limbs, it's clear there's a lot fewer pieces compared to the Shield Liger.

As a result, the build process is much more comfortable and straightforward than the Shield Liger — it feels like a pretty normal mecha kit. Compared to Bandai kits it still has a lot of parts for its size, but next to your typical Kotobukiya kit it actually feels somewhat simpler.

The blue body color and white armor molded color work together quite nicely, and while the overall molding isn't razor-sharp, it has a more composed and clean feel compared to the Shield Liger. Thanks to that, even a straight build comes out looking neat, detailed, and pretty.

The limbs' range of motion is surprisingly a bit limited, so articulation takes a small step back compared to the Shield Liger — but since the poses you can realistically expect from a Zoid are limited to begin with, it doesn't really matter all that much. The overall joint strength isn't super tight, but since the kit is small and light, it holds up just fine.

In many ways this kit is vastly different from its predecessor the Shield Liger — different enough to make you wonder if they're really in the same lineup. It's much easier and simpler to build while still nailing the mechanical detail, and it genuinely feels like the quality jumped up several notches all at once.

Even if the Shield Liger's relentless part count left you feeling overwhelmed, the Command Wolf is something you can approach without any hesitation. Highly recommended as the perfect entry point into the HMM Zoid series!

Zoid HMM Command Wolf | 2007. 6 | ¥3,000

AIThis page was translated by Claude Sonnet.