Kit Review

Straight build

Size comparison with a cigarette pack

Zoid HMM Shield Liger Bang Ver. - Body detail shots. (1/4)

Zoid HMM Shield Liger Bang Ver. - Body detail shots. (2/4)

Body detail shots.

In the Bang Ver., the teeth and claws have an Extra Finish-style coating applied.

The tail has also been changed exclusively for the Bang Ver.

Zoid HMM Shield Liger Bang Ver. - The cockpit has been updated to a two-seat layout, and includes pilot figures of Ban and Fi

The cockpit has been updated to a two-seat layout,
and includes pilot figures of Ban and Fiona.

The articulation of the various ducts and weapons is the same as the original.

Zoid Core removal and attachment.

The pre-painted Zeke figure.
It's the same one that came with the Blade Liger AB Bang Ver.

Zoid HMM Shield Liger Bang Ver. - The paint quality on the figures is... pretty mediocre. ^^; The faces aren't even painted i

The paint quality on the figures is... pretty mediocre. ^^;
The faces aren't even painted in.

Zoid HMM Shield Liger Bang Ver. - Crouching action pose (1/3)

Crouching action pose

Zoid HMM Shield Liger Bang Ver. - Roarrr~~ (1/4)

Zoid HMM Shield Liger Bang Ver. - Roarrr~~ (2/4)

Roarrr~~

Zoid HMM Shield Liger Bang Ver. - Full open action pose (1/7)

Zoid HMM Shield Liger Bang Ver. - Full open action pose (2/7)

Zoid HMM Shield Liger Bang Ver. - Full open action pose (3/7)

Zoid HMM Shield Liger Bang Ver. - Full open action pose (4/7)

Zoid HMM Shield Liger Bang Ver. - Full open action pose (5/7)

Full open action pose

Together with the original Shield Liger.

Zoid HMM Shield Liger Bang Ver. - Not only has the molded color changed, but the cockpit parts have been swapped from a singl

Not only has the molded color changed, but the cockpit parts have been swapped from a single-seat to a two-seat layout.

The tail shape is different between the normal version and the Bang Ver. too.

Together with the Blade Liger AB Bang Ver.

The Shield Liger Bang Ver. — a color variant of the Shield Liger, which was Kotobukiya's very first Zoids kit — has been released. It's quite the rehash (?) after all this time... but it's not a pure color variant, as there are quite a few extra service options thrown in.

First off, there are parts that have been changed or added for the Bang Ver. — the cockpit in the head has been switched from a single-seat to a two-seat layout, with the related parts updated accordingly, and the tail weapon has been replaced with new parts. On top of that, the teeth and claws come with a semi-gloss coating as a kind of bonus option, and several pre-painted figures are included as the usual freebie you'd expect with a rehash kit. There are enough small changes and additions that even the box shape has been changed — from a small, tall box to a wide, flat one.

The problem is the price has jumped from ¥4,000 to ¥5,800 — a whopping ¥1,800 increase. ㅡ_ㅡ; Looking at what's actually been added, there's no way that justifies a price hike of that size... Whether it's reflecting general inflation or not, this is one pretty merciless price increase. T_T)/

The basic kit composition and features are the same as the normal Shield Liger, but the polycaps seem to have been improved somewhat over the years, and joint strength is noticeably better. There are well over ten open gimmicks across the body, and striking a full-open action pose really does look impressive. The molded colors are also a bit fresher compared to the normal version, and the overall molding quality has improved too — so despite being a color variant, it somehow gives off a vibe of being a brand-new kit.

If you're a Zoids fan and a Ban fan, this is definitely a welcome item — but the fact that the price has gone up nearly 1.5x despite relatively minor changes is still a bit hard to swallow. It's probably best suited for people who want to build a Shield Liger but missed out on the normal version when it sold out. Still, the overall quality has improved a little to go along with that price increase, so I guess that's something to take comfort in. :-)

Zoid HMM Shield Liger Bang Ver. | 2011. 12 | ¥5,800

AIThis page was translated by Claude Sonnet.