Some pointers!

[vidtracey]

Hi y'all

New to the forums and zoids as an adult but as a 80's child, I remember them fondly from the first(?) uk tomy releases

Have been collecting toys from my childhood for the past several years; he-man, thundercats, visionaries, star wars Lego but have became slighty bored with action figures in general so I've been on the lookout for a new hobby. Was thinking about starting miniature painting however stumbled onto a retro 80 toyline page which had zoids listed and am now thinking that zoids could be a perfect mixture of all my loves

So being new, and after a few hours of research which has and hasn't answered my questions, I was wondering if anyone here could help?

So, zoids are a snap together mecha model kits which may be painted but don't have to be? Are they all motorised in some way or are some just models? Do they all include little pilots ? Should I buy a little model making toolkit before purchasing my first model? If so, what should it include? Are there any zoid lines which are good for beginners?

A local comic/toys shop has a Ptera striker zoid brand new for £9 and I'm itching to buy it. Any help would be appreciated everyone! Hope to speak to you some more

David

[Maethius]

Hello, Vidtracey,

Lemme give this a shot....

Takara-Tomy, Hasbro, Academy, Toy Dream Project, and a few others are all toy kits. The majority of the toy kits are slip-n-cap together and are motorized, either through batteries for bigger kits or small spring motors. Some of the smaller toy kits (Macurits, Demantis, etc.) and most modular Blox kits are toys with no motors. There are also many action figures which are smaller than the standard 1/72 scale kits, and these have no motors. Some look nearly identical, so be careful when you shop for them! All of the 1/72 kits have pilots; several kits have more than one.

For a first model, you could start with a mid-range kit (large windup or small batter kit). Most Zoids are fairly easy to build with the step-by-step instructions. I would recommend something like Command Wolf (or one of its variants) to get you into the practice, but virtually any kit is a good start. In general, the larger the kit, the more complex. If you can grab that Ptera Striker, go get it!

Tools! This depends a bit on how meticulous you want to be. I use sprue cutters and an X-acto or a snap blade almost entirely. Sometimes I use fine files to smooth bits. I also tend to paint my kits and detail them before I assemble them.

[vidtracey]

Cheers Maethius,

Found a good thread with regards to painting and tools on this forum and picked up the ptera striker a hour ago. When i go to work tomorrow, ill be able to pick up a stanley knife, xacto knife, side cutters and some files. ill build up a few models plain and then think about painting some later

Thanks for the reply

Thanks for the help

[zodd]

Now you need to understand that Maethius is a Zoid building beast. He's like MacGuyver meets Bob Ross. For a second example of "necessary" tools see below.

My Zoid building kit includes:

1 standard american made coffee table

A six pack of whoever's micro-brew caught my eye that day

A cuticle cutter

A clean pair of toe-nail clippers(not the small fingernail style)

And one of my carpenters knives from back in my construction working days.

It doesn't take much, just go out and get some kits and start Zoiding! Cheers. ;D

[vidtracey]

Completed the Petra striker, took my time and savoured every second of it. Will definitely need to get a bigger kit

[Tilly]

If you want its bigger (and more complex) cousin, how about Salamander/Pteramander? They're still pretty findable.

I used to not like the idea of sidecutters until I got a smaller one that fit my hands (and small parts) better, now I wouldn't go back. I use a knife and my fingernails over a file for smoothing/buffing the leftover marks, though. Regular Zoids aren't as picky as more complex and less toylike models, so they don't need much fuss to look at least good!

[Maethius]

Oct 26, 2011 8:56:48 GMT -5 zodd said:

Now you need to understand that Maethius is a Zoid building beast. He's like MacGuyver meets Bob Ross.

Now, now... I'm hardly MacGuyver! If I were, I would make a Zoid from a stack of rubber bands and an olive jar.

I did get the gift of some very compact beading tools from my wife.... 3 kinds of pliers (including side-cutters, threaded wire bender, and needle-nose) all in miniature, two kinds of tweezers, and a box with very small dividers for tiny bits... that's been a very worthwhile kit, and it only cost about $15 USD at a not-so-cheap store.

[zodd]

Nov 1, 2011 10:08:15 GMT -5 Maethius said:

Oct 26, 2011 8:56:48 GMT -5 zodd said:

Now you need to understand that Maethius is a Zoid building beast. He's like MacGuyver meets Bob Ross.

Now, now... I'm hardly MacGuyver! If I were, I would make a Zoid from a stack of rubber bands and an olive jar.

I did get the gift of some very compact beading tools from my wife.... 3 kinds of pliers (including side-cutters, threaded wire bender, and needle-nose) all in miniature, two kinds of tweezers, and a box with very small dividers for tiny bits... that's been a very worthwhile kit, and it only cost about $15 USD at a not-so-cheap store.

Well can we at least keep the Bob Ross in the equation???

Pretty trees....pretty pretty trees........ZZzzZzZZzzzZzZZzzz

[Maethius]

Bob Ross Zoids interpretation?

Laughing particle cannons... happy claws... let's draw some smiling concussive mass drivers.