Storch!

I first saw pictures of Storch ages ago, went 'oooh, cool', but didn't expect to get one, being as it was an OR Zoid and always went for too much. I was happy to hear of a re-release, and I went a bit nuts when they first started appearing on eBay (STORCH!). I almost ordered two. And I still want a second one. But anyway...

Storch is another Zenebas-y Zoid, even though its rather plain decal sheet has not a Zenebas logo in sight. Neo Zenebas is still in drastic need of some more Zoids, their strongest current asset being the limited Sturm Tyrann...but at least now they've got some air support. Storch's box shows a bunch of Storch firing what's labeled as a SAM Bird Missle (redundant as that is)...from the air. It also comes with a Fan Book Ex full of Japanese that taunts me with my inability to read it...it looks to be a story, but I don't know if it's related to the main Battle Story or not.

The red bits on Storch are a nice color...a bit lighter and oranger than Saber Tiger's brick red. The grey is a darker silvery sort, the caps a muted orangey yellow, and the little sensor/windshield bit the typical NR Empire green. I like the old bright red/black, but this looks good too.

Storch was pretty easy to put together, like most small wind-ups, although one side of the body kept trying to escape while I got the other on. One of the wing-moving bits was really tight and hard to get on, too, but the rest went together smoothly.

Together, Storch was smaller than I expected...while the wings make it look bigger overall, Raven Raptor was easily the bigger of the two in terms of mass. But that means less weight to carry-Storch walks smoothly and for a good distance, and its wing-flapping is well done, reminding me of Redler's, sans foldy bits. The outer wing bits (and the tail) can be moved up and down some, though you have to move them yourself. Oddly enough, Storch has no 'glass' in the bit of the cockpit that's like a 'mouth'...just the green piece in the front of the head.

Easily tying with the also small and relatively simple Helcat as my favorite small wind-up, Storch is one of the Zoids I'd definately recommend to get if you could only have a few, along with ones like Shield Liger, Salamander, Death Saurer...