Yamato Zoids Shield Liger RZ-007

I can’t remember the last time I was this excited about a toy. I knew it was going to be good, but good would be an understatment! This character for me, has a lot of emotional attachment, I remember as a kid, I would unleash my OJR Sabre Tiger against my friend’s Shield Liger, it was the best fun ever. Hopefully a Yamato version of the Sabre Tiger is on its way!

Background:

The Shield Liger made its initial appearance in the first of five Zoids anime series titled “Zoids: Chaotic Century”. Although making appearances in other Zoids series, but not as Van’s (main protagonist) zoid.

The Shield Liger so got its name due to the distinctive Energy Shield build into its mane, the shield protects the Liger from enemy fire and can also be used for high-speed ramming attacks.

Name: Shield Liger RZ-007
Manufacturer: YAMATO
Line: Die-cast Full Action Model
Sculptor:
Designer:
Scale: Non-scale
Material: ABS, die-cast, ATBC-PVC, POM
Release: Dec 2010
Original Price: ¥17,800 (approx. $217AUD / $216USD)
Height: 160mm / 6.30inches (to top of head in neutral pose)
Length: 250mm / 9.84inches (not including tail)

Packaging:

Firstly, the artwork on the front is simply awesome. Its action packed and well rendered. The back of the packaging shows various photos of the actual toy in different poses as well as features of the toy. Inside, there is a huge 3 layered polystyrene box. The lower layer houses the display stand components while the main compartment houses the toy with its accessories. All accessories are sealed in plastic bags, and the main toy is covered with a waxy paper for protection. The fit is very snug, and takes some careful manoeuvring to get the toy out of the box.

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Accessories:

I really like the accessories that come with this toy. They are all so well made and painted despite the size. You get a nicely painted and sculpted standing Zeke figure, as well as one that has fused with the core, a standing and sitting version of both Van and Fiona, two extra caps for the joints, a set of anime version teeth for the Liger and also a display stand. Enough for hours of fun!

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Form/Sculpt:

Any way you look at it, this is an impressive toy. The size and the weight is the first thing you’ll notice, it is massive and HEAVY. There are a total of 200 parts that make up this toy, 80 of which are die-cast, totalling a whooping 1.77kg. Although this design is based on the anime there are a few discrepancies, such as the guns on the tail and the colouring of the mechanical parts. I’m not too fussed with anime accuracy as long as the toy looks good, and it does.

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Check out Yamato’s website for more Shield Liger design information, material usage, and action pose.

Articulation/Action:

With a toy this size and this heavy, you’d think that the articulation wouldn’t be that great, but it is. This toy is fully articulated, with over 24 points of articulation and well designed joints that hold poses extremely well despite the weight. The tail has a wire core so you can twist and shape it any way you like. I’m not too sure how durable the wire is inside, so I wouldn’t recommend bending it too much.

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Paint/Print:

As impressive as it is already, it gets better. This thing is just chock-a-block full of decals. Not all of them make sense, but they do make the toy look much more realistic. Paint on the toy is also really well applied in the anime colour scheme. As mentioned before, some mechanical parts are painted differently to its anime counterpart, which is a good thing as the toy is much more detailed.

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Unfortunately, the pistons and springs are for show only. They don’t actually move, even though the springs are real.

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Detail/Features:

This toy has quite a lot of gimmicks which makes it really a lot of fun to play with. The head can lift up quite a bit, not only does this change the look of the Liger, it also provides access to the core.

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When opening the canopy, lift it straight up before opening. This makes is heaps easier to open and you won’t run the risk of breaking the thing

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To deploy the gun on the Liger’s back, flip up the back cover, lift the gun, close the cover, rotate the gun 180°, then pull the turret back to extend the barrels. The missile pods on its side simply unfold down and clicks into place, interesting to note is that when deployed it is actually aiming at its own front legs.

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There’s also a folding plate on the front shoulders, not too sure what its for but its there.

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The core is mounted on the bottom of the body, and can slide out to be replaced with the Zeke fused core.

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A few shots to show some size comparisons, the first is the Shield Liger standing beside the Robot Damashii Arbalest, the second standing beside Karas (7” toy). As you can see, it is big!

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Overall:

By no means is this a cheap toy, but it is worth every single cent. The Shield Liger is beautifully designed and made, feels very solid and great fun to play with. This toy may not be for everyone due to the high price, but if you are into Zoids, or mecha’s in general I highly recommend it!

Speaking of price though, it doesn’t actually feel expensive for what you’re getting, if you look at it this way, this toy costs approximately $0.12 per gram, whereas a typical Robot Damashii toy(ie Arbalest) will cost you about $1.30 per gram XD

Thanks again for checking out my website, hope you enjoyed the read!

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Filed under: Featured, Reviews, Anime, Gokin, Japanese, Mecha, Yamato, Zoids