Kit Review

Straight build

Zoid HMM EZ-015 Iron Kong Schwarz Ver. - Size comparison with a cigarette pack. It really lives up to its title as the bigges

Size comparison with a cigarette pack.
It really lives up to its title as the biggest Zoid.

Zoid HMM EZ-015 Iron Kong Schwarz Ver. (1/6)

Zoid HMM EZ-015 Iron Kong Schwarz Ver. (2/6)

Zoid HMM EZ-015 Iron Kong Schwarz Ver. (3/6)

Zoid HMM EZ-015 Iron Kong Schwarz Ver. (4/6)

Zoid HMM EZ-015 Iron Kong Schwarz Ver. (5/6)

Zoid HMM EZ-015 Iron Kong Schwarz Ver. (6/6)

Zoid HMM EZ-015 Iron Kong Schwarz Ver. - Head and body detail shots (1/4)

Zoid HMM EZ-015 Iron Kong Schwarz Ver. - Head and body detail shots (2/4)

Head and body detail shots

Zoid HMM EZ-015 Iron Kong Schwarz Ver. - Arm and leg detail shots (1/4)

Zoid HMM EZ-015 Iron Kong Schwarz Ver. - Arm and leg detail shots (2/4)

Arm and leg detail shots

Zoid HMM EZ-015 Iron Kong Schwarz Ver. - The generous array of weapons added in the Schwarz Ver. (1/4)

Zoid HMM EZ-015 Iron Kong Schwarz Ver. - The generous array of weapons added in the Schwarz Ver. (2/4)

The generous array of weapons added in the Schwarz Ver.

As befitting a giant Zoid, the full-body frame is very well reproduced.

Zoid HMM EZ-015 Iron Kong Schwarz Ver. - With armor removed from one side only (1/3)

With armor removed from one side only

Zoid HMM EZ-015 Iron Kong Schwarz Ver. - Frame detail shots. The main body is completely identical to the normal version anyw

Frame detail shots.
The main body is completely identical to the normal version anyway.

Cockpit hatch open

Shoulder missile pod opened

With the armor panels opened up

Painted pilot figure.

The molded color changes and leftover weapon parts yield quite a few leftover parts.

Zoid HMM EZ-015 Iron Kong Schwarz Ver. - Striking a roar~ pose! (1/5)

Zoid HMM EZ-015 Iron Kong Schwarz Ver. - Striking a roar~ pose! (2/5)

Zoid HMM EZ-015 Iron Kong Schwarz Ver. - Striking a roar~ pose! (3/5)

Striking a roar~ pose!

Zoid HMM EZ-015 Iron Kong Schwarz Ver. - Iron Kong's signature pointing pose (1/4)

Zoid HMM EZ-015 Iron Kong Schwarz Ver. - Iron Kong's signature pointing pose (2/4)

Iron Kong's signature pointing pose

Zoid HMM EZ-015 Iron Kong Schwarz Ver. - ROAR~~ The signature chest-beating pose (1/7)

Zoid HMM EZ-015 Iron Kong Schwarz Ver. - ROAR~~ The signature chest-beating pose (2/7)

Zoid HMM EZ-015 Iron Kong Schwarz Ver. - ROAR~~ The signature chest-beating pose (3/7)

Zoid HMM EZ-015 Iron Kong Schwarz Ver. - ROAR~~ The signature chest-beating pose (4/7)

Zoid HMM EZ-015 Iron Kong Schwarz Ver. - ROAR~~ The signature chest-beating pose (5/7)

ROAR~~
The signature chest-beating pose

Zoid HMM EZ-015 Iron Kong Schwarz Ver. - Together with the normal version Iron Kong. The main body is the same, but the molde

Together with the normal version Iron Kong.
The main body is the same, but the molded color combination is different.

The weapons have become far more complex and plentiful.

Together with the Saber Tiger Schwarz Ver.

Zoid HMM EZ-015 Iron Kong Schwarz Ver. - Together with the Dark Horn. In fact, most of the weapons on the Iron Kong Schwarz V

Together with the Dark Horn.
In fact, most of the weapons on the Iron Kong Schwarz Ver. are directly repurposed from the Dark Horn's armaments.

The Iron Kong — which could be called the PG of Kotobukiya's Zoid lineup — has gotten a Schwarz Ver. color variant. Until the Gojulas came along, this was the most expensive, largest, and most complex Zoid around. And now they've piled on even more Schwarz Ver. weapons on top of that already parts-heavy, complex Iron Kong, giving us something even bigger and pricier. ^^; With all those extra weapon runners added, the price jumped significantly from ¥9,800 to ¥12,000. ;;

The main body is 100% identical in structure to the normal version with only the molded colors changed, and the only thing that's different is the weapons mounted on the back... but even most of those changed weapons are repurposed from the Dark Horn, so this is essentially a straightforward color variant with little in the way of anything genuinely new. For info on the basic frame structure, joint characteristics, and so on, please refer to the normal version Iron Kong review.

The base kit alone is a masterpiece from Kotobukiya — the frame packed densely all the way inside is really something to behold. It's made up of an enormous number of parts, so it takes quite a while to build, but once you finish that big completed model, the sense of accomplishment is just as massive.

Just like the normal version, the articulation structure itself isn't bad, but the sheer size and weight means joint strength is lacking. It's already a challenge just to keep it standing still, and whenever you try to pose it, things keep popping off or the body loses its balance and topples over — it's a real headache T_T. On top of that, the backpack weapons have gotten even more complex and heavy, making it even harder to pose than the normal version.

The changed molded colors do give it a distinctly different feel from the normal version, but the body ends up so dark overall that the fine details get lost — which is a bit of a shame. Sure, you could paint it up nicely to make it pop, but judging by the straight build alone, the finished look feels a little flat compared to the normal version. If anything, the normal version's frame and armor in their mix of different molded colors actually give a stronger sense of having completed something complex.

All in all, this is a color variant kit that's tricky to recommend for various reasons. The price has gone up considerably, the build is even more of a grind, and the color combination isn't really any better than the normal version — so it's hard to give it an enthusiastic thumbs-up. If you've already built the Iron Kong, there's probably no real need to build it again. But if you haven't built one yet and you're drawn to the bold color scheme of the Schwarz Ver. or you're itching for those intricate, complex weapons, it's worth giving it a shot. The joint strength after completion is still a letdown, but getting to build a giant kit this large, complex, and detail-packed isn't an opportunity that comes along every day. :-)

Zoid HMM EZ-015 Iron Kong Schwarz Ver. | 2012. 6 | ¥12,000

AIThis page was translated by Claude Sonnet.