Salamander (Zoids)

The Salamander is a type of Zoid, a race of mechanical lifeforms from the fictional "Zoids" universe.Zoids
Zoid_name = Salamander
ImageName =
Caption = "New Japanese Release" Salamander
Model_number = RZ-045
Faction = Helic Republic
Zoid_type = Pterosaur
Crew = 2
Weight = 100
Length = 24.1
Height = 17.1
Wingspan = 33.0
Speed = Mach 2.0
Weapons = Plasma Flamethrower, Vulcan Phalanx (2), Double Hyper Laser Guns (2), Small Bore Lasers (4), Dual Tactical missiles
Equipment = Magnesser Falcon Wings, Multi-Blade Radar

Overview

The Salamander is a Pterosaur-type Zoid (originally classified as Dragon-type), created by the Helic Republic, and used during the various wars on Zi.

The second largest flying Zoid ever, the Salamander possesses a very high service ceiling and an unmatched range (a fully loaded Salamander could easily fly from Tokyo to London). The Zoid is designed for use as a bomber or attack aircraft, and carries a large arsenal. Its main weapons are a pair of long-range tactical missiles, capable of unleashing devastation from great distance.

The Zoid is also very heavily armoured, resulting in greater protection than that available to almost all other aerial Zoids. However, the Salamander is relatively clumsy, and finds itself lacking in maneuverability when compared to smaller, more agile airborne Zoids.

The Republic countered some of these drawbacks with the Salamander F2, a massively improved version. Lighter and more advanced, the F2 boasted a maximum speed of Mach 3.5.

Battle Story appearances

The Salamander was first fielded by the Helic Republic in ZAC 2030, serving alongside other early Zoids like the Gojulas and Gordos. Due to the lack of Zenebas airpower at the time, the Salamander was initially very successful. However, the Zenebas Empire eventually developed aerial capability, which in turn prompted the Republic to develop a smaller, lightweight variant of the Salamander. These efforts resulted in the Pteras.

The Salamander continued to be effective throughout the war. In ZAC 2035, the Salamander was upgraded to use the Republic Supercannons. Known as Mercury, this version was very successful.

In ZAC 2053, the reformed Helic Army unveiled a new model of the Salamander, known as the Salamander F2, which was equipped with the latest technology. A squadron of F2s were sent to the Dark Continent of Nyx to battle the Guylos Empire's forces. In ZAC 2055, the Salamander F2s, flown by Republic's best pilots, managed to break through the Guylos defences and penetrate deep into their territory. This breakthrough had been orchestrated as a trap; placing the Republican Zoids in direct contact with the Guylos Gilvader. The heavy aerial war machine wiped out the Salamanders, and provided the Guylos Empire an opportunity to annihilate the rest of the Republic’s forces on Nyx, which were now devoid of air cover.

The meteor disaster of ZAC 2056 nearly wiped out the Salamander design. All the surviving Salamander F2s were destroyed by the cataclysm, along with the wild Zoid that the Salamander was based on. The Republic lost the ability to manufacture the Salamander and its variants, and the few remaining Salamander units were carefully preserved for future use. In ZAC 2101, the Republic reactivated the Salamanders for use against the Guylos Empire's forces. The Zoids were vital in not only driving back the Guylos army, but also in disrupting the enemy’s attempts to resupply and reinforce Guylos ground forces.

Media appearances

UK Zoids Comic

Uniquely amongst the Red Mutants, Krark (known as the Prince of Darkness) did not follow Redhorn's lead. He believed that, rather than fighting over the devastated remains of Zoidstar, the Zoids, both red and blue, should join forces under his lead and conquer the galaxy. While his goals were somewhat idealistic, he was also undeniably evil and ruthless.

Krark saw Redhorn and Zoidzilla as the two biggest obstacles to his aims. Redhorn saw himself as too independent to follow anyone's lead, while Zoidzilla simply wanted to fight Krark rather than follow him. Despite this, he and Krark worked together to destroy Redhorn.

Krark's charisma and grandiose vision attracted followers from both the Red and Blue factions, especially those dissatisfied with Mammoth's lead. He later joined forces with the Blue Zoids to fight the Black Zoid. While the Zoid was destroyed, most of Krark's army was also lost. Instead, he began work on reconstructing his army with three new Zoid types - Hellcat, Scarab and Znakes.

Unlike the other large Zoids, Krark wasn't a unique design. At least three other Krarks existed in hibernation on the Blue Moon. However, they were all destroyed before they could be activated.

Other

Krark was featured in a speech given by Terry Pratchett in 1987 on the subject of the commercialisation of Christmas, where he likened its appearance to "a chicken that's been dead for maybe three months." [cite news | first = Terry | last = Pratchett | authorlink =Terry Pratchett | title = Alien Christmas: Beccon '87 After-Dinner Speech | url = http://news.ansible.co.uk/alienxms.html | work = Ansible 50 (fanzine edited by David Langford) | date = August 1987 | accessdate =2007-01-08]

Models

Original Japanese Release

*Assembly required. (Snap-together, no glue needed. Scissors or X-acto knife recommended for trimming off excess plastic bits.)
*The model's colours are moulded into the plastic, and it does not need any paint.

The Salamander kit comes on five frames, along with a battery-powered motor, a clear orange canopy cover, sixteen rubber caps, three small springs (two different sizes), two small chromed gold pilots and label sheets. The Salamander is moulded in blue and light grey, with black missiles and an orange canopy.

The Salamander’s construction is rather complicated for a Zoid of its size, especially the wing mechanism. The Salamander uses a pair of "AA" sized batteries for motion. Once activated, the Zoid walks forwards, raises its head, opens its mouth, flaps its wings and waves its tail. Rather unusually for a bipedal Zoid, the Salamander can remain balanced on only a single foot. The Zoid also features a pair of spring-loaded missile launchers on the back.

Like several other Zoids of the time, the Salamander could use a number of different optional weapons that were included in the Republic Customise Set. The Salamander was released in 1984, and was produced up until about 1986.

Original European Release

The Salamander was released in the UK and Europe in 1985-1986, under the name Krark the Prince of Darkness. The model was recoloured in dull red and silver, and included a new label sheet with Zenebas logos. The missile launchers were removed, and replaced with non-functional missiles.

Robostrux

The Salamander was released in the U.S. circa 1985, under the name Radox. The Zoid was recoloured in dull red, dull grey and tan with a green canopy, In addition, it also included a chrome gold version of the weapons frame originally included with the Red Horn. It shared the same missile launchers as the "OJR" version but the springs were not included.

There were two packaging versions of Radox; the first was a re-labelled version of the "OER" box, complete with photographs of the "OER" version. The second version was similar in design to the other "Robostrux" packages, and depicted the "Robostrux" version.

alamander F2

In 1989, TOMY introduced a new version of the Salamander, replacing the existing one in production. This version had a new colour scheme, being silver and navy blue with chrome gold wings and a blue canopy. There were no moulding changes to the model, however. The Salamander F2 was only produced in limited numbers, and is one of the rarest "OJR" Zoids.

New Japanese Release

The Salamander was re-released as a part of the "New Japanese Release" in 2001. The new version retained the same colours as the OJR version, as well as the chrome gold pilots; however, the motor was changed to work off a single “AA” battery with no loss of performance. The battery lid was also modified to have a screw-down cover, rather than the clip-down one of the original. The Zoid came with two label sheets; one sheet of new-style labels and one with a replica of the "OJR" label sheet.

New American Release

The Salamander was re-released in North America by Hasbro in 2001 under the name Pteramander. The missile launchers were retained, but for safety reasons, the springs were removed, preventing them from firing.

alamander Bombvern

This version was released in Japan as a limited edition model in 2004, a part of the 'Yuji Kaida' series. This version was recoloured in light grey and mint-green, and included two frames originally from the Republic Custom Set.

References