Kit Review

Straight build

Zoid HMM Salamander - Size comparison with a cigarette pack. With the wings fully spread, this is a massive model kit measuri

Size comparison with a cigarette pack.
With the wings fully spread, this is a massive model kit measuring 63cm wide.

Size comparison with an MG Gundam to give you a sense of scale.

Zoid HMM Salamander - Various angles (1/6)

Zoid HMM Salamander - Various angles (2/6)

Zoid HMM Salamander - Various angles (3/6)

Zoid HMM Salamander - Various angles (4/6)

Various angles

Zoid HMM Salamander - Various angles (3/9)

Zoid HMM Salamander - Various angles (4/9)

Zoid HMM Salamander - Various angles (5/9)

Zoid HMM Salamander - Various angles (6/9)

Zoid HMM Salamander - Various angles (7/9)

Various angles

Sole detail

Opening the mouth reveals the AZ High-Temperature Flamethrower.

Two cockpit hatches open

Zoid Core mounted in the chest

The twin tactical missiles on the back can be detached and displayed on a separate stand.

You can remove the two belly covers and swap them out with parts for the stand joint.

The stand can be secured in any of three holes.

Zoid HMM Salamander - For aerial display, you'll need two separately sold Kotobukiya Flying Base Neo stands. Given the kit's

For aerial display, you'll need two separately sold Kotobukiya Flying Base Neo stands.
Given the kit's size and weight, one stand probably wouldn't be enough to hold it securely.
Bandai Action Bases won't work due to the different peg size.

There are also two parts included for attaching the separately sold Long-Range Buster Cannon.

Leg articulation range

Toe articulation

Zoid HMM Salamander - Body segment articulation (1/3)

Body segment articulation

Head articulation

The wings can be fully spread open.

The wings can move up and down in two stages.

Zoid HMM Salamander - Weapon articulation (1/3)

Weapon articulation

Zoid HMM Salamander - Wings and body tucked in storage mode (1/4)

Zoid HMM Salamander - Wings and body tucked in storage mode (2/4)

Wings and body tucked in storage mode

Zoid HMM Salamander - Ground poses (1/5)

Zoid HMM Salamander - Ground poses (2/5)

Zoid HMM Salamander - Ground poses (3/5)

Ground poses

Zoid HMM Salamander - Wings spread wide upward, just before takeoff (1/3)

Wings spread wide upward, just before takeoff

Zoid HMM Salamander - Aerial display poses (1/7)

Zoid HMM Salamander - Aerial display poses (2/7)

Zoid HMM Salamander - Aerial display poses (3/7)

Zoid HMM Salamander - Aerial display poses (4/7)

Zoid HMM Salamander - Aerial display poses (5/7)

Aerial display poses

Zoid HMM Salamander - Aerial display poses 2 (3/5)

Aerial display poses 2

Zoid HMM Salamander - Flight pose with wings fully spread (1/3)

Flight pose with wings fully spread

Zoid HMM Salamander - Together with the HMM Pteras Bomber. They're both pterosaur-types, but the size difference is pretty in

Together with the HMM Pteras Bomber.
They're both pterosaur-types, but the size difference is pretty incredible..

Together with the Storm Sworder, which already had a fairly large 40cm wingspan.

Zoid HMM Salamander - Together with the HMM Gojulas, the quintessential large Zoid. The Salamander has more overall volume, b

Together with the HMM Gojulas, the quintessential large Zoid.
The Salamander has more overall volume, but when it comes to sheer body bulk, nothing beats the Gojulas.

This kit is the Salamander, released as number 63 in Kotobukiya's Zoids HMM series. It's a large Zoid that's been a long time coming, boasting an incredible wingspan of 63cm. Technically the correct English pronunciation would be "Salamander," but the familiar Japanese pronunciation "Saramanda" has a certain charm that's hard to shake after all these years.

First off, befitting its large size, this thing comes in at a hefty ¥27,000. The actual box is noticeably smaller than the ¥23,000 Gojulas, and even smaller than the Iron Kong box that came out at ¥9,800. To be fair, it's a big kit because of the wings — the body itself isn't all that massive. The runner volume isn't huge for the price either, so you can really feel the inflation that's crept in over the years.

That said, there are quite a few runners packed inside, but the parts are large so it actually goes together faster than you'd expect — felt like about half the work of the Gojulas. Thanks to improvements in engineering, the overall build quality is clean and satisfying. The snap-fit is spot-on and everything goes together smoothly, giving you that great feeling while building.

The finished volume is every bit as impressive as you'd expect. With wings fully spread it's 63cm, and the body is around 43cm — it's got the presence of a proper large-scale model kit. What's especially impressive is that despite being this big and heavy, the joint strength is very well tuned throughout. The joints are smooth yet sturdy, making it easy to pose and hold positions well. The outermost section of the three-stage wing unfolds a bit loosely compared to the rest, but it's not floppy enough to be a real problem — just takes a little care.

Gimmick-wise, you can open two cockpit hatches and detach the Zoid Core. Opening the mouth reveals the AZ High-Temperature Flamethrower, and the twin tactical missiles on the back can be detached and displayed on a separate stand. When mounting on a stand, you'll need to swap out the two belly covers for the stand-compatible belly armor. For aerial display you'll need two separately sold Flying Base Neo stands — Bandai Action Bases won't work since the peg sizes are different. There are also two parts included for attaching the separately sold Long-Range Buster Cannon.

So here it is — the Salamander, the large Zoid that so many fans have been waiting for, finally released in glorious HMM form. The sheer wingspan makes it a bit daunting to display with the wings fully spread, but the sense of presence it commands is undeniable. Most importantly, the stability is excellent for its size, and the build quality is as clean as Bandai's, so the overall satisfaction is high. The ¥27,000 price tag is definitely a barrier to entry, but for Zoid fans, this is absolutely a premium kit worth going for :-)

Zoid HMM Salamander | 2025. 12 | ¥27,000

AIThis page was translated by Claude Sonnet.