Command Wolf (NJR, Irvine, AC, LC, Leoshop black/gold)

I originally reviewed the three non-limited Command Wolves together. This was pre-LC, and me being new to the concept of variant collecting it made sense. It still does make some sense with how many of the darn things there are, so I'll do a general approach followed by details on each. Behold the power of properly styled headers to motivate me...

The Command Wolf is an unavoidable standby of Zoids these days, but wasn't anything special before: the OJR had the original and upgraded Mk.II, the OER had the pretty much identical Zarwolf, and that was it. Something in Tomy's new marketing plan went POP, however, and the early to mid NJR saw a veritable swarm of the critters, with three regular variations (each with different guns) and a number of limiteds. Leoshop got in on the action during their vacuum metalizing days, making gold/silver and gold/black runs of the standard Wolf. Despite a bit of a lull near the end of the battle story, Fuzors and Genesis saw Command Wolves again wandering onto shelves, complete with a limited edition.

Just how many are there? Regular releases include the plain Wolf, Irvine's custom, AC, Fuzors AC, Command Striker, and Genesis LC. Limiteds are the Blue (which saw two releases), GBC Red (Imperial), GBC Midnight (not to be confused with Blue!), and Holotech. Old ones would be the aforementioned OJR/OER original and the Mk.II. Unofficial/dodgily official ones include the Leoshop chromes, a convention gold chrome, and likely a number of other unofficial vacuum metalizing runs (I know I've seen other variations on Japanese sites). Bootlegs are too many to name.

In other words? If you want all the Command Wolves, you're gonna be here a while. If you just want a Command Wolf, it's easy as pie to find one to suit your tastes. The kit itself is pretty inexpensive unless you're going in for the limited ones, and includes Command Wolf bits on five frames (two for legs and body, two for armor and head/neck/tail/feet, one for guns and other bits), a motor, a gear, a cockpit, instructions...the usual, in a smallish box with no real frills. Colors and additional accessories/frames vary, though all Command Wolves come with the original guns regardless of whether they use them.

Assembly is a pretty easy affair: this is a good model for a beginner to get a feel for the construction process with, as there's nothing that can't be easily fixed with patient prying-apart if bungled. For those of us who are used to the critters, it's still pretty fun in a familiar Zoidy way. I can build them from memory now, even if I have a habit of sticking the body together and then realizing I've left the tail out. We won't speak of the time I left the motor out of a Shadow Fox this way...

Once your Command Wolf is together and armed how you choose to arm it (aside from the included guns, one can fork on the Viking Lance or Bomber Unit and pretty much anything that'll fit on the CW's regular-size back pegs. And neck pegs. And tail pegs. For something so light, it sure has a lot of hardpoints), it can be set free on any flat surface in one of two speeds. With its head down, it will creep along as if tracking or stalking things. With its head up or level, it will take off at a rather surprising pace for a windup. Since it's got one-piece legs and doesn't have the slower movement of a gradeup, "surprising pace" means shuffling along madly until running out of spring. Aside from moving as if overly caffeinated, Command Wolves can be posed slightly-the head and neck are movable, of course, though some of mine the head droops and others the jaws are tight. The tail's jointed at the base, the back guns can turn, and that's about it.

Now for some variations!

NJR

The first and most neglected of the Command Wolf rereleases (and the only one of the main three to never hit the US or UK), the regular CW sports off-white armor of a grey shade, grey underbody and legs, black trim and guns, and black caps. The box features a Command Wolf running through a forest, looking more stark white and black than the finished product-prototype? Lighting?

There are no added guns, but OJR stat geeks will note that this Wolf has the upgraded speed of the original Mk.II, as if the improvements were carried on to future runs. It's a nice touch.

While its color scheme isn't that exciting and 50mm cannons seem less fearsome these days, this Wolf's got simplicity going for it and is the closest to the original (even if it isn't the same). For those looking to upgrade, the limited CP-04 apparently is a matching off-white, though I prefer the dark grey one on it if anything.

Irvine Custom

One of the first Zoids to feature non-rerelease parts, the Command Wolf Irvine was quite cool in its day. As its name implies, it's an anime tie-in. Molded entirely in grey, it sports white caps and a lot of painted black, red, and silver details to get it to look like Irvine's Command Wolf. There's also an additional sprue, consisting of the long-range gun later added on to the CW (it fits over the original one, so no leftover parts for you) and two unpainted Irvine figures-one sitting for the cockpit, and another standing to tower over all those regular small-for-1/72-scale guys.

The box has the CW hanging out in the desert and mentions a bit about Irvine and his adventures in the anime in lieu of the battle story (never mind they later worked him into it later). Stickers include a custom squiggly thing identifying the Wolf as Irvine's, and his handwriting as terrible.

Since it was released in Japan, the US, and the UK, the Irvine-Wolf is likely the most well-traveled of its lot. The grey could do with a bit of contrast (it looks excellent panel lined), and anime purists will probably find it too light while the careful type get annoyed at not being able to hide trimmarks on the armor without paint. The look is otherwise a good one, and it's a very nice variation with a suitably smitey gun included. I'm a huge fan of the little pilot figures these days, too, even if half of mine end up Gul Tiger food.

Attack Custom, aka AC

Metal flake Prussian Blue. Does more need to be said? I suppose so.

The Command Wolf AC is a mid-story upgrade-this time going for guns instead of more speed. Guns are in the form of a pair of hefty 250mm cannons (and assistance boosters to match), previously released as CP-04. The AC gets them in a dark grey, complimenting its black/shiny blue/silver color scheme well. This is a Wolf that's here to explode things and look classy doing it.

Adding to the classy are some custom stickers: red roses with a B. These may be a unit or they may be a bit of anime nod (B for Ballad, aka Brad). I'm not sure, but if you dig stickers, they're cool. The box is great as well if you're buying the Japanese version-blue Command Wolves against a bright gold moon. The Hasbro release has a plain box and just goes by "Command Wolf", but for a while was a lot easier to find.

If forced to pick a favorite Command Wolf, I'd probably go for this guy. I'm a sucker for blue and a sucker for shiny. It's also got big freakin' guns, which can be moved to pretty much any other Zoid with a small peg and spare room on its back-assuming the AC will share. It just looks better overgunned...

Genesis LC

Essentially a recolored Irvine without the painted bits, the LC seems to have been released as padding in the Genesis line. Unlike the Houndsoldier and Cannonfort, it actually made appearances in the anime-mostly to get exploded, as is the fate of any Command Wolf that isn't Helmut's. It's molded in what usually gets called desert colors, but I personally find too caramel to qualify. The cockpit is still orange, but the underbody and guns get to be dark grey and the caps a nice brick red.

Even if it's the shape of an Irvine CW, the LC looks completely different. In spirit it's more like the white CW, often forgotten for not seeing a wider release or anime stardom. It's not a bad little Zoid despite its bland box and its not-quite-desert-ness, and probably is the only Command Wolf that the Viking Lance even remotely matches (even if it's not the same colors).

It will also make you want caramel candy.

Leoshop Black/Gold "chrome"

You may have seen chrome Zoids on eBay and elsewhere. Most of these are vacuum metalizing (far as I know) jobs done by Leoshop using regular Tomy Zoids. They've stopped making them, custom or otherwise, so most of them are pretty impossible to find. The Command Wolves occasionally visit eBay, though mine is from a combined order in the direct-from-Leoshop days.

On the black/gold Wolf, all the bits that were grey or black are gold, and the off-white ones black. The black on mine is a warm black with definite reddish-gold tinges, not the cold silver of the ZoidFans Fox run, and thus compliments the gold very well.

Getting together an entirely chromey Zoid like this takes effort: careful trimming, touching up of the black trim points with Sharpie, and stripping of the chrome on a number of pegs and holes. The cockpit, especially, needs careful removal of chrome in the hole its hinge goes in if you want it to close properly. Other bits of the head are similarly picky. All and all, it's a chore compared to the Zoids2 (which place their chrome so as not to interfere with movement and assembly), but well worth it if you like shiny things.

Really, you shouldn't bother with this thing if you don't like shiny things. If you do and you can find it for a reasonable price, grab it while you can. <

Final conclusion? Command Wolves come in plenty of colors and can be easily built, modded, and displayed. They're not the greatest Zoid mechanically or any other way, but they have their own indescribable appeal. Unless you have some pressing reason to avoid them (allergies?), you should buy yourself one or two or ten.

Rewritten September 13th, 2006
Old review