Kit Review

Straight build

Tomy RPZ-03 Shield Liger - Size comparison with a cigarette pack. 1/144 Zoids are quite a bit smaller than you'd expect.. Pre

Size comparison with a cigarette pack.
1/144 Zoids are quite a bit smaller than you'd expect.. Pretty much exactly D-Style size.

Tomy RPZ-03 Shield Liger - The metallic-painted cylinders/pipes scattered across the body really stand out. (1/8)

Tomy RPZ-03 Shield Liger - The metallic-painted cylinders/pipes scattered across the body really stand out. (2/8)

Tomy RPZ-03 Shield Liger - The metallic-painted cylinders/pipes scattered across the body really stand out. (3/8)

Tomy RPZ-03 Shield Liger - The metallic-painted cylinders/pipes scattered across the body really stand out. (4/8)

Tomy RPZ-03 Shield Liger - The metallic-painted cylinders/pipes scattered across the body really stand out. (5/8)

Tomy RPZ-03 Shield Liger - The metallic-painted cylinders/pipes scattered across the body really stand out. (6/8)

The metallic-painted cylinders/pipes scattered across the body really stand out.

Bottom view.

Cockpit hatch open

The covers on top and bottom of the head open up.

Tomy RPZ-03 Shield Liger - The side weapon gimmick opening is also reproduced. However, these parts are pretty loose, so it's

The side weapon gimmick opening is also reproduced.
However, these parts are pretty loose, so it's not easy to keep them flush against the body.

The beam cannon gimmick on the back is properly reproduced too.
Impressive for such a small size~

The mouth can open about this far at maximum.

Range of motion for the leg joints.

Tomy RPZ-03 Shield Liger - The waist is quite flexible in all directions — actually better than the Zoids HMM in that regard

The waist is quite flexible in all directions — actually better than the Zoids HMM in that regard ^^

Head vertical range of motion.

The tail, made up of ball joints, moves around nice and freely.

Tomy RPZ-03 Shield Liger - The hip joints on each leg can extend outward in a Y-shape, allowing the legs to spread wide like

The hip joints on each leg can extend outward in a Y-shape,
allowing the legs to spread wide like shown above.

A few leftover parts remain.

The Tomy MSS Zoids series comes with a dedicated diorama base like this.

The texture and paint quality are pretty good.

Two connector pins are included so you can link it up with bases from other kits down the line.

Tomy RPZ-03 Shield Liger - Action poses using the diorama base. (1/7)

Tomy RPZ-03 Shield Liger - Action poses using the diorama base. (2/7)

Tomy RPZ-03 Shield Liger - Action poses using the diorama base. (3/7)

Tomy RPZ-03 Shield Liger - Action poses using the diorama base. (4/7)

Tomy RPZ-03 Shield Liger - Action poses using the diorama base. (5/7)

Action poses using the diorama base.

Tomy RPZ-03 Shield Liger - Grrrr~ Action poses. (1/4)

Tomy RPZ-03 Shield Liger - Grrrr~ Action poses. (2/4)

Grrrr~ Action poses.

Tomy RPZ-03 Shield Liger - Running pose. (1/3)

Running pose.

Tomy RPZ-03 Shield Liger - Alongside Kotobukiya's HMM Zoids Shield Liger. The size difference between 1/72 and 1/144 is prett

Alongside Kotobukiya's HMM Zoids Shield Liger.
The size difference between 1/72 and 1/144 is pretty significant.

Father and so~n~

As you can see, it's about the same volume as the SD-style D-Style Shield Liger.

While Kotobukiya's 1/72 HMM series has emerged as the new wave in Zoids, the original Zoids were Tomy's motorized plastic model kits. Compared to the more intricate mecha model kits, the detail wasn't quite there, but the whole point of the series was the wind-up and motor-driven movement. So it's quite something that Tomy — who had always made Zoids with that distinctly toy-like feel — has now launched a 100% plastic model Zoids lineup at the small 1/144 scale with a focus on precision. It's called the MSS (Modeler Spirit Series). Officially, it's released by Tomytec, a subsidiary under the Takara Tomy group that develops high-tech toys like model trains.

It came as a bit of a surprise that Tomy would suddenly put out a mecha model kit-style Zoids — and at the tiny 1/144 scale no less. I was genuinely curious how it would turn out, and if I had to sum up my impressions after finishing it in one phrase, it'd be: "RG Zoids" That's the vibe I got. ^^;

At first, the box feels a bit sparse for its size — and at ¥3,200 it's on the pricier side, so it almost feels like they just made the box bigger to justify it.. ^^; Then once you actually finish building it, the sheer smallness of the thing catches you a little off guard. The building experience sits somewhere between Kotobukiya (smoother) and Bandai (stiffer) — right in the middle — and what really impressed me was how well the straight build is done; you barely need any glue at all.

The parts are small but efficiently divided, and many of them come pre-painted in metallic colors right on the runners, with some decals also printed on the runners — so after the straight build, the overall look is surprisingly polished. The pipes and cylinders painted in metallic colors throughout are especially great accent points. One interesting thing compared to Kotobukiya is that there are runners where every single part on the runner is painted... it seems like it'd cost a lot more to produce, but either way the paint quality is excellent.

The articulation is also better than expected — the three-section body has a pretty wide range of motion in all directions, and the hip joints where the legs connect splay outward in a Y-shape, giving the legs more range of motion than you'd expect too. On top of that, despite the small size, they've managed to include the beam cannon gimmick on the back, the side weapon gimmick, and even the opening cover feature on the top and bottom of the head — it really gives off the vibe of an RG for the Zoids line.

One of the signature features of this Tomytec MSS Zoids series is that each kit comes with its own dedicated diorama base. The texture and paint quality are quite good, and honestly the base alone is enough to make you want to buy it. That said, the diorama base seems to be a big factor in the price bump, so I do wish it had been sold separately instead.

And of course, comparisons with Kotobukiya's HMM Zoids series are inevitable — as a plastic model kit, the overall quality feels a notch above Kotobukiya. I think it comes down to their years of experience developing injection molds for motorized Zoids, which gave them a serious edge in know-how. The snap-fit that clicks together just right, the skill of packing in all sorts of gimmicks even at a small scale, the efficient parts breakdown where only the necessary parts are designed in, the frame being a bit chunky but the exterior detail being very sharp, and the overall clean molded colors and paint quality — it's all better than expected. Of course, Kotobukiya is Kotobukiya and Tomy is Tomy, each with their own strong personality. If Kotobukiya shows the developer's grind-it-out spirit and big-hearted generosity, Tomy feels like they're competing with precision engineering that comes close to Bandai. ^^

As for the downsides... the kit feels small for the price so the value-for-money feels poor, the side weapon bay's opening gimmick is loose and doesn't sit flush against the body, and the polycap depth at the hip joints is shallow so the legs tend to pop off — little gripes like that. These points do make it clear that it's a step below Bandai's meticulous engineering. The assembly feel is also ever so slightly stiffer than Bandai, to be honest.

To wrap it all up — this is a great mecha plastic model that gives a fresh, unique feel unlike anything else I've built so far. It's almost like a subtle blend of Kotobukiya and Bandai's strengths. There's some debate about the value-for-money, but if you're a Zoids fan, this is definitely something I'd recommend building at least once. I personally had been planning to only review Bandai/Kotobukiya kits, but after building this out of curiosity I was genuinely impressed enough to add it to the review lineup. :-)

RPZ-03 Shield Liger | 2013. 1 | ¥3,200

AIThis page was translated by Claude Sonnet.