An introduction to Zoids - okay, I want to build some!

Intro
So, what are the kits like?
Okay, I want to build some. What stuff do I need?
Agh! What are all these different releases?

First off? If you have a battery-powered Zoid, you'll need a screwdriver to open the battery compartment. A small philips one is best, as a few of the screws are nigh-impossible to reach with a wide screwdriver.

Beside that, the only thing you need to do is remove your Zoid's pieces from their frames, a far simpler affair than many complicated model kits. Zoids with moving parts may get stuck if you don't cleanly remove the leftover plastic, but beyond that they're not picky beasts. (You could probably build the simpler ones without any tools whatsoever, but they'll look a bit rough.) Recommended tools to use beyond your hands will vary depending on who you talk to.

If you're looking to use things you have around the house, a sharp pair of scissors will cut pieces from frames well enough. (Plastic dulls blades, so don't borrow your sewing friend's thirty-dollar precision pair!) I buy Fiskars kids' scissors, then tighten them with a screwdriver to keep them going until the blades dull. For trimming off the remains with a bit more precision, careful use of a nailclippers may suffice, though be wary of the curved blade gouging things you don't want it to. If you have a pocketknife handy, it may help get a smoother removal of what's left. Smoothing with fingernails also helps hide the inevitable scars on metallic plastic.

If you're looking to invest in stuff specifically for your Zoidy friends, you might want to buy a sidecutter - a tool somewhere between pliers and scissors, they let you both remove and trim pieces easily. I still need one myself and thus cannot recommend any particular type. Buying one that looks like it'll fit your hand is probably the best bet anyway.

My other tool of choice is an Xacto knife, #11 blade (the tapered triangle-y one included by default). Besides trimming, Xactos are useful for shaving off flash (excess plastic on the edges of pieces - rare with Zoids, but sometimes it slips past quality control), widening holes not wide enough, and anything anywhere a very sharp blade is needed. Very sharp is the key word: If the idea of a blade that could remove portions of your fingers makes you nervous, get a sidecutter instead. If you use Xactos, obey basic Pointy Thing Safety: Don't press hard; don't point them at your body; and always replace a dull, chipped, or cracked blade.

Some people use them over a cutting board, but I hold mine like an extension of my fingernail, trimming while holding pieces in my left hand. This lets me apply very light pressure and not risk serious sporking. When I cut with the pieces on some hard surface, I found I actually lost control and tended to break tips off blades. Your own experiences may vary, just be careful and use a light touch.

I have also heard of people using fine metal files to remove the last of the plastic leftovers with mixed success. If you go this route, be sure to get a fine file, not the sort you'd use on your fingernails. Avoid sandpaper.