Build Saga- Zoids Command Wolf RMZ-003 Mission Complete! [Realize Model]

Picking up after last week’s beginning, this is the conclusion of assembling RMZ-003 Command Wolf from the Realize Model Zoids range. I did notice on the box that the full designation is RMZ-003 RZ-009 Command Wolf… but I think you get the picture.

Today’s post, we’ve completed the kit and now have the full wolf-type Zoid to enjoy.

The bulk of my work finishing the kit was assembling the legs, which wasn’t difficult, but was time-consuming. Since I usually reserve Sunday evenings for building, I actually had to finish up Monday morning after getting a late start. We’d watched Dracula: A Love Story while enjoying some Olive Garden takeout. Good movie, if a little silly in spots, but I like my Dracula a little absurd.

Like the other body parts, there were some grommet pieces to work into the insides of the legs, made of a pleasantly rubbery material that I admittedly enjoyed bending on the sprue a little too much. A couple of them were a bit tricky to fit into place, though. There was also an ankle joint on each leg that took a little extra effort to assemble. A rod from one piece had to fit through a tight opening in another that connects to the wolf’s foot. It was a snug fit, and by the last one, I was pretty much over it.

Thankfully, the white armor pieces didn’t require much cleanup, but the grey parts did. One rear leg shoulder area, in particular, separated from the sprue in a weird way, leaving a mark I couldn’t completely shave down. I think some sanding is in my future. Without decals, the Command Wolf would definitely benefit from some panel lining as well — something I may tackle later, which would also be a good time to fix that sprue scar.

There were polycaps used in the leg construction, which did my heart good. However, as I mentioned in the first post, they’re not made of that classic, satisfying polycap material. It makes sense for the construction, but man, I just wanted to squeeze them.

Once the legs were assembled, it was just a matter of attaching everything to the torso. This part was pretty straightforward, though some joints were tighter than others. That tightness does pay off, though, as it allows Command Wolf to hold just about any dramatic pose you’d want.

All that was left was attaching some hoses to the sides and placing the tiny pilots into their cockpits. The hoses will attach backward if you’re not paying attention — something I realized after they didn’t look quite right and I double-checked the instructions. The pilots are incredibly small, and each cockpit has a specific one. I ended up using a pair of bent tweezers to get them into place. Thankfully, there’s a connection point to keep them from rattling around, which is something I’ve grown used to with older Zoids.

Once fully assembled, Command Wolf is awesome. It’s packed with articulation and ready for action. The detailing is great, and I’m definitely planning to do some additional work on it in the future. This is my first Realize Model Zoid, and it definitely won’t be my last.

ToyLanta 2026!

It’s time once again for ToyLanta!

I’ll be attending the convention all weekend and, as usual, doing a daily report right here! I’ll also be hosting the annual Transformers panel with Dusty — if you’re at the show, please come by and join in! The panel will be Sunday at 2pm!

Be sure to check out my Instagram for photos from the show, and don’t forget to check back here daily for updates as the weekend unfolds!

Friday – I got a late start heading to the show for the first day thanks to traffic (ug, driving through Atlanta) arriving just before 7pm. This left me a little time to check in (Hi Brett!) and and check out the Friday preview. ToyLanta has really grown to a HUGE show, so I hardly had time to check out around 1/4th of the lower show floor before it was time to leave. Fortunately I made the most of that time and enjoyed myself greatly.

There were many cool toy companies on hand and I found myself having some great conversations. While checking out things, I ran into Jerry. Jerry is a great guy and it's always good to see him. We chatted some about Transformers Cybertron before heading about to check out more of the show. I look forward to seeing him more later. I also made a new friend Garry who was setting up one really awesome booth. He had a ton of Transformers including a plentiful amount of Blokees and a great Unicron display. Speaking of Blokees, there was SO MANY! I was in heaven... will be buying so many.

One thing that absolutely floored me was the amount of people enjoying my stickers. The Mrs had gotten me a thermal printer at Christmas and I designed a new sticker to hand out for Zone Base. Well, I brought a little over 60 (in multiple colors) in my Shin-Chan pouch to hand out and... they were gone in minutes! I saw people sticking them on their bags, their phones, everywhere! Talk about flattering.

After roaming around after the dealer preview closed for a little bit I headed home for the night. I had stopped by Kroger to pick the Mrs up a few things before heading home and parked next to an SUV completely full of trash. Well, it looked like trash. Tons of crap.. and boxes of pho. Weird. After heading home I enjoyed some pizza and TV with the Mrs before printing out more stickers for Saturday.

I printed out 120-130 more (in various colors) while the Mrs cut them out. The Shin-Chan pouch is full again! Well, it's late as I'm writing this on my phone in bed with MXC on in the background. Time to get some sleep, there's a whole weekend of Toylanta ahead of me... and I'm excited.

My haul for Friday is was a Servo from Super Human Samurai Cyber Squad/Gridman and a purle keshi of the Last Seeker that comes with a mini-comic. It was originally a BotCon 2022 exclusive, so that's neat to own. The Last Seeker had a booth with the main toy available in multiple colors. I'm deciding which one to get as it's pretty tempting in each option. Also Warlords of Wor have an excellent booth (as usual) and I've got my work cut out for me picking what I want. Decisions, decisions.

Saturday – I got to the show around 12pm starting my day not terribly long after the show's start. I ran into Mike and Judy in the parking garage as we were taking pictures of our parking locations to remember for later. The day is actually something of a blurr, so I'll just give highlights.

David Faustino was a con guest for Saturday only, leading to Bud Bundy delivering many of the convention announcements. I stuck around to see his autograph session begin with a guy dressed as Al Bundy who brought a replica of the Bundy couch for the two to sit on for a picture. Later after I had went to put my hoodie in my car, I saw the guy carrying the couch out of the convention center. Dude just brought a couch with him.

Speaking of guests, Daniel Pesnia and Anthony Marquez who were in the original Mortal Kombat games were guests at the show (among other esteemed folks). By chance I was wearing a cool Mortal Kombat t-shirt the Mrs had given me. As I walked past them, Daniel Pesnia stepped to me to tell me he liked my shirt and introduce himself. We totally shook hands and exchanged pleasantries for a bit. Johnny Cage is a very nice guy. 

I ran into Jerry again who had friends in tow whoms names I can't currently remember (sorry guys, it was cool talking with you). I also ran into Matt whom I befriended at the 2024 show and never saw last year. I'm looking forward to catching up with him tomorrow! I also chatted some with 2M3D Prints whom I had bought some cool dragons for the Mrs from in 2023.

I also met Team No Sleep 3D and bought some cute stuff for the Mrs. That was a real treat as they work in special effects for movies and TV. It was cool talking with them, especially as that was something I wanted to do as a kid. Speaking of new friends, I met Rise of the Nexus a husband and wife duo whom were showcasing their new action figure/table top game system. Really cool people whom I enjoyed speaking with.

Of course I made time to chat with Gary some more whom I met Friday. Seriously cool dude. I also enjoyed chatting with others whom were working with him at their booth, an all around great group of people. Of course I made a point to say hi to Brett, the organizer of Toylanta whenever I saw him. He's doing an excellent job with the show and has taken it to all new heights. It's really impressive just how big this convention has gotten.

As for toys I bought today, first I picked up one of the full Last Seeker in Euro G2 colors. It looks fabulous and had a hard time not getting the black version... but me and G2, it's a vibe. I also picked up a great Zombie Sci Fi guy set from Warlords of Wor with plans on getting a few more kits from him before the end of the show. Skeletron had a booth and I picked up the new Red Shadows figure that they debuted at the show.

I picked up a Blokees Shining Edition  blind box from Gary's table. I opened it with some of the cool people at the table and got a Ratchet! I'll definitely pick up a few more from him tomorrow (and open them with my new friends). Speaking of Blokees, there was SO MANY at the show.

Some dealers even selling loose assembled figures, in which I picked up a Bombshell whom I've been looking to get. That completes the Insecticons, leading to a post Ive been wanting to write here for the site. Please look forward to that soon. I also picked up a Gobots Psycho for $15 in decent shape. I've been wanting a Psycho for sometime, so this was exciting. 

I headed home shortly after the dealer room closed for the evening very, very tired. According to my Galaxy Watch I've walked almost 8,000 steps today (cons are WORK). The Mrs had a sandwich from Subway waiting for me as well as a birthday cake and presents! Monday is my birthday and she made a point to celebrate with me today as a way of making the con even more special.

I won't go every gift, but there was Transformers and He-Man toys. A new pair of ramen noodle sandals, a new pair of Hey Dudes (my favorite shoes), a case for my Atari Gamestation Go, a Godzilla sticker, some awesome Jada Godzilla figures, Zoids, and another box of color sticker paper for my sticker printer.

Those stickers were just as popular today and people were proudly representing Zone Base. That's so flattering and amazing for me personally. I don't have the biggest social media presence, but I take notice of the sites views. Several thousands of you come out each week and read my site and it's so flattering and awesome. However actually seeing people happily taking my stickers and proudly displaying them is something I never imagined. Seriously, thank you everyone. Your support means so much to me.

We've got just one more day of Toylanta 2026 left and I'm both excited for another day and sad there's just one day left. This has definitely been one for the history books. I've actually been extremely overwhelmed latley and this weekend being pure exhilaration has been amazing. Just a heads up, the Sunday report may not be published until Monday morning. The Mrs and my Mom will be having my birthday dinner Sunday evening for me when I get home from the show. Seriously, best weekend ever.

There's a guy who looks like Adam the Woo (RIP) whom I keep seeing, I'm probably creeping him out.

Sunday – Sunday started out at home with the Mrs making us breakfast before me heading out to the show. Getting there just before noon, I decided that I wanted to get selfies with friends and the various awesome people at the show. I got to work on that right away and handed put more stickers. Speaking of, if you're new to Zone Base, thanks for checking it out! I bought a Big Bad Beetleborgs Titanium Silver figure that was taped to a jet? The jet connects to the kabuto toy from the same line, so if I ever find that.

I also picked up a Geodraxus Stealth MK IV from the Warlords of Wor booth. I've been wanting a Geodraxus for some time and they tend to sell out fast. Actually, there was a pleasant amount of Glyos on the sales floor and I kind of wish I would have gotten more. There was one Zeiram figure made from Glyos I was sooo close to buying, but was a little too pricey for comfort. I also grabbed two more Shining Edition Blokees from Gary's table. I got Grimlock and Sideswipe! I'm definitely getting more Shining Edition kits in the future, though Wheels Series 02 and Defender Version series 7 are next on my Blokees buying radar. 

I did my rounds getting selfies and talking with awesome people before Dusty showed up. We chatted a while before heading to start the annual Transformers Panel. While there Dusty gifted me the new Generations Seaspray figure! Thanks Dusty! While we were preparing to start the panel, Dusty set out more repro label faction sticker sheets for guests as well as a print of Gears he had drawn that the art had been pirated for a third party toy. While we waited, Greg Berger walked in and joined us! That's right, Grimlock himself. Which made for the second time I got a Grimlock suprise that day. While Sunday panels tend to have lighter attendance, we had a great group and the panel was a great time.

Heading out, I took the Gears picture with intentions to frame it. It looks like the Mrs and I will be moving soon and I can't wait to put it on the wall of my new toy room. The con was wrapping up and I said my goodbyes to everyone. It's always sad to see it end. Fortunately Brett has recently taken over Ranger Stop and asked me to host a Transformers panel there this summer. After checking with the Mrs (we're moving this summer, so making sure it was an option was really important) I can gladly say I'll be there! 

Traffic on the way home was interesting. The opposite side of the interstate at one point had been shut down. It looked like something serious had happened, but I'm not sure what. Wow. I got home just in time for the Mrs to have my birthday dinner ready for us to eat. Mom joined us and gave me two Masters of the Universe Masterverse toys! We enjoyed dinner with birthday cake before I ended the night playing Doom before watching the 70's Tales from the Darkside movie. 

Today though, we're back to normal. It's actually my birthday today, and I plan on spending it relaxing and getting a nap or two in before work tonight. Of course there's pics for upcoming posts to take and a few household chores to do. Our first big event of the year may be over, but as always it's always robots, monsters, and misadventure here on Zone Base! Thank you all for reading. Please don't forget to share with your friends and be excellent to each other!

Cliffjumper [AMK Mini Series 2]

There's one more Transformers AMK Mini from the Series 2 case I ordered that hasn't been talked about here yet — Cliffjumper, the brash Minibot who'll run headfirst into any situation ready to kick whoever's ass he needs to... no matter how much bigger they might be... which is usually 3/4 of the time.

Cliffjumper's original toy shares a skeleton with the original Bumblebee, making for two very similar-looking characters. In more recent years, Cliffjumper toys are generally direct repaints of Bumblebee toys. Funnily enough, this kit is completely original and doesn't reuse parts from the Mini Bumblebee from Series 1. All things considered, it would have been fair for them to do so... but that's how committed Yolopark seems to be to the improved articulation in Series 2.

Despite the two being so similar, efforts have been made over the years to differentiate their shape in some media. This Cliffjumper has a slightly different torso, for example. The improved articulation really shows here thanks to his admittedly simpler design (compared to the others in the series). He almost feels like an articulation demo, really putting it on display.

I've always liked Cliffjumper's red colors and can't help but enjoy this one quite a bit. He's got his big-ass bazooka that was introduced in the first episode of the original Transformers series — the one he seemingly just pulls out of his ass. All jokes aside, this is a great representation of Cliffjumper from Yolopark's extremely solid line of models.

Ralph X Rodan [TMNT X Godzilla]

So, if anything, the slightly random nature of the TMNT X Godzilla toys is part of the magic. Clearly there was going to be a Rodan, and since Raphael wears red, they’re a match. However, as a fan, I can’t just let it be that simple. See, Raphael (cool, but rude) has that infamous fiery temper. The Rodans not only died in a volcano in their debut movie, but Fire Rodan was introduced in Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla II, complete with the Uranium Heat Beam ability. The MonsterVerse Rodan was discovered in a volcano as well. See? Spiciness is implied… it works.

The merging of Rodan and Raphael also looks absolutely awesome. Admittedly, combining monsters and mutants is already a winning combination, but all of these designs have been great so far. I didn’t mention it in Mikey X King Ghidorah, but these figures have an excellent amount of articulation in addition to the detailed sculpting and strong coloring. Playmates makes awesome toys, and that’s on full display here.

I’ve always had a soft spot for Rodan thanks to that Shogun Warriors version I played with until it literally fell apart. And even though Michelangelo is my favorite turtle, there have been times when Raphael has taken that spot. Sometimes, when life gets hard and you’re mad at the world, you can relate.

I love how the wings are incorporated, and I really enjoy his trademark sai being enhanced with that fiery Uranium Heat Beam energy. This one really nails the concept and is sitting somewhere special in my heart.