Kotobukiya Zoid HMM

RZ-053 Konig Wolf

Kit Review

Straight build

Zoid HMM RZ-053 Konig Wolf - Size comparison with a cigarette pack.

Size comparison with a cigarette pack.

Zoid HMM RZ-053 Konig Wolf - Various angles (1/6) Zoid HMM RZ-053 Konig Wolf - Various angles (2/6) Zoid HMM RZ-053 Konig Wolf - Various angles (3/6) Zoid HMM RZ-053 Konig Wolf - Various angles (4/6) Zoid HMM RZ-053 Konig Wolf - Various angles (5/6) Zoid HMM RZ-053 Konig Wolf - Various angles (6/6)

Various angles

Zoid HMM RZ-053 Konig Wolf - Underside

Underside

Zoid HMM RZ-053 Konig Wolf - Detail shots (1/6) Zoid HMM RZ-053 Konig Wolf - Detail shots (2/6) Zoid HMM RZ-053 Konig Wolf - Detail shots (3/6) Zoid HMM RZ-053 Konig Wolf - Detail shots (4/6) Zoid HMM RZ-053 Konig Wolf - Detail shots (5/6) Zoid HMM RZ-053 Konig Wolf - Detail shots (6/6)

Detail shots

Zoid HMM RZ-053 Konig Wolf - Zoid Core stored in the chest (1/2) Zoid HMM RZ-053 Konig Wolf - Zoid Core stored in the chest (2/2)

Zoid Core stored in the chest

Zoid HMM RZ-053 Konig Wolf - Cockpit hatch open

Cockpit hatch open

Zoid HMM RZ-053 Konig Wolf - Mouth and ear articulation (1/2) Zoid HMM RZ-053 Konig Wolf - Mouth and ear articulation (2/2)

Mouth and ear articulation

Zoid HMM RZ-053 Konig Wolf - Scope from the back of the neck repositioned to the front of the head (1/2) Zoid HMM RZ-053 Konig Wolf - Scope from the back of the neck repositioned to the front of the head (2/2)

Scope from the back of the neck repositioned to the front of the head

Zoid HMM RZ-053 Konig Wolf - Soft belts connect the neck and waist. (1/2) Zoid HMM RZ-053 Konig Wolf - Soft belts connect the neck and waist. (2/2)

Soft belts connect the neck and waist.

Zoid HMM RZ-053 Konig Wolf - Leftover parts

Leftover parts

Zoid HMM RZ-053 Konig Wolf - Leg articulation range — min/max (1/2) Zoid HMM RZ-053 Konig Wolf - Leg articulation range — min/max (2/2)

Leg articulation range — min/max

Zoid HMM RZ-053 Konig Wolf - Waist articulation. Most waists used to move in 3 stages, but this kit keeps it simple with just

Waist articulation.
Most waists used to move in 3 stages, but this kit keeps it simple with just 2 stages.

Zoid HMM RZ-053 Konig Wolf - Flexible shoulder joints (1/2) Zoid HMM RZ-053 Konig Wolf - Flexible shoulder joints (2/2)

Flexible shoulder joints

Zoid HMM RZ-053 Konig Wolf - The ankles are flexible too.

The ankles are flexible too.

Zoid HMM RZ-053 Konig Wolf - Tail articulation (1/2) Zoid HMM RZ-053 Konig Wolf - Tail articulation (2/2)

Tail articulation

Zoid HMM RZ-053 Konig Wolf - The twin multi-dischargers also rotate horizontally.

The twin multi-dischargers also rotate horizontally.

Zoid HMM RZ-053 Konig Wolf - Action pose (1/3) Zoid HMM RZ-053 Konig Wolf - Action pose (2/3) Zoid HMM RZ-053 Konig Wolf - Action pose (3/3)

Action pose

Zoid HMM RZ-053 Konig Wolf - Crouching pose (1/4) Zoid HMM RZ-053 Konig Wolf - Crouching pose (2/4) Zoid HMM RZ-053 Konig Wolf - Crouching pose (3/4) Zoid HMM RZ-053 Konig Wolf - Crouching pose (4/4)

Crouching pose

Zoid HMM RZ-053 Konig Wolf - Scope-deployed pose (1/3) Zoid HMM RZ-053 Konig Wolf - Scope-deployed pose (2/3) Zoid HMM RZ-053 Konig Wolf - Scope-deployed pose (3/3)

Scope-deployed pose

Zoid HMM RZ-053 Konig Wolf - Together with the HMM Liger Zero.

Together with the HMM Liger Zero.

This kit is the Konig Wolf, the 56th release in Kotobukiya's Zoids HMM series. It's a completely new-sculpt quadruped Zoid that's been a long time coming — and true to being a brand-new Wolf after more than a decade, it comes with a massive quality upgrade.

The overall construction is similar to the Liger Zero, but the design is entirely new. Above all, the articulation is smooth yet holds its position beautifully — that's the real highlight here. The shoulder and ankle joints are flexible, making posing easy while still holding poses well. Every joint across the whole body is nice and tight with no slop anywhere, putting it on a completely different level from the quadruped Zoids of the past.

On top of that, the molded colors come out calm and refined, giving it a clean look overall. Unlike the old days where parts were split up unnecessarily and made assembly a pain, the parts here are divided up in large, efficient chunks that make building a breeze. The one disappointment, though, is that all the main weapons are sold as separate kits, so the base kit comes with absolutely no accessories.

The built-in gimmicks include an opening cockpit hatch and a removable Zoid Core, and the signature scope can rotate and be positioned right in front of the eyes. There are also soft belts on both the neck and waist, and they're well-designed so they don't get in the way of the joint articulation.

All in all, this is a kit that's hard to fault in terms of quality, and after such a long wait for a new Wolf, it definitely delivers a satisfaction that sets it apart from anything before it. That said, the ¥12,000 price tag is a bit of a shock. It actually feels like it has fewer parts than the older Wolf kits, so the price hike feels a bit steep — especially since the weapon packs have all been stripped out and sold separately, leaving just the bare body. That makes it sting even more... Anyway, if you can get past the price, the kit itself is a real gem. :-)

Zoid HMM RZ-053 Konig Wolf | 2023. 7 | ¥12,000

AIThis page was translated by Claude Sonnet.