Zoids EPZ-003 Great Saber Marking Plus Ver. 1/72

The Black Lightning of the Jungle returns.

The HMM ZOIDS EPZ-003 Great Saber Marking Plus Ver. 1/72 from Kotobukiya takes the already formidable Saber Tiger and transforms it into the heavily armed Great Saber, one of the Zenebas Empire’s most imposing high-speed combat Zoids.

At approximately 290mm long and containing between 401 and 600 parts, this is a substantial HMM project packed with weaponry, movable equipment, an opening cockpit, removable Zoid Core and an extensive new decal sheet.

EPZ-003 Great Saber

The Great Saber is an upgraded version of the Saber Tiger, taking the basic high-speed feline Zoid and loading it with additional equipment designed to increase its combat capabilities.

The result retains the unmistakable sabre-toothed tiger silhouette but looks considerably more aggressive thanks to the additional armour, weapons and equipment mounted across its body.

And then there’s the colour scheme.

The predominantly black armour gives Great Saber a menacing appearance that perfectly suits its famous nickname:

The Black Lightning of the Jungle.

Highend Master Model Treatment

Kotobukiya’s HMM – Highend Master Model range takes classic ZOIDS designs and completely re-engineers them as highly detailed, articulated plastic model kits.

These aren’t the traditional motorised ZOIDS many builders may remember.

Instead, HMM concentrates on:

• Detailed mechanical construction
• Extensive articulation
• Layered armour
• Opening components
• Weapon gimmicks
• Display possibilities
• Painting and customisation

The result is a much more involved model-building experience.

And with 401–600 parts, Great Saber certainly isn’t a quick afternoon build.

Approximately 290mm Long

Once assembled, Great Saber measures approximately 290mm in total length.

That’s almost 30 centimetres of heavily armed mechanical sabre-toothed tiger.

Its low four-legged stance makes the model look particularly substantial, while the additional Great Saber equipment gives the upper body and rear sections considerably more visual mass than the basic Saber Tiger.

High Mobility Flight Wings

One of the Great Saber’s standout additions is its High Mobility Flight Wings.

Kotobukiya has mounted these using multi-axis joints, allowing the wings to be flexibly deployed and repositioned.

Fold them into a more restrained configuration or spread everything out to give Great Saber a much larger, more aggressive silhouette.

It’s a perfect example of what the HMM treatment does particularly well: equipment that could simply have been static decoration becomes another part of the posing experience.

Reversible 8-Shot Missile Pod

Great Saber isn’t relying exclusively on speed and enormous teeth.

The model includes a distinctive 8-Shot Missile Pod featuring a reversible deployment mechanism.

Combined with the rest of its Imperial equipment, this transforms Great Saber into a considerably more heavily armed machine than the standard Saber Tiger.

It’s still a mechanical tiger.

It’s just now a mechanical tiger carrying enough weaponry to make running away seem like an entirely reasonable response.

Imperial Weapon Equipment

Kotobukiya includes a variety of Imperial common weapons that can be fitted around the machine according to your preferred configuration.

This gives builders additional freedom beyond simply following the standard Great Saber layout.

Keep everything faithful to the official design or start moving components around and create your own specialised Zenebas Empire machine.

Opening Cockpit

The cockpit hatch located in Great Saber’s head can be opened and closed.

A small generic pilot figure is included and can be placed inside the cockpit.

It’s a small feature compared with the huge external weapons, but it helps reinforce the sense that the completed Zoid is an actual piloted combat machine rather than simply a robotic animal.

Clear Red Cockpit Parts

The standard appearance uses clear red components for the cockpit and associated transparent sections.

That deep red works brilliantly against the predominantly black armour, giving the finished Great Saber an unmistakably Imperial appearance.

But Kotobukiya gives custom builders another option.

Colourless Clear Parts Included

In addition to the standard clear-red pieces, the Marking Plus Ver. includes colourless clear alternatives for the cockpit and other transparent components.

Why does that matter?

Because you can paint them using your preferred transparent colours.

Want the traditional red?

Use the standard components.

Want blue, green, yellow or something completely custom?

Paint the colourless set.

It’s a simple bonus that gives custom builders considerably more freedom.

Removable Zoid Core

Hidden inside the torso is the Zoid Core, and Kotobukiya has designed the model so it can actually be removed from the body.

This is one of those details that separates HMM ZOIDS from simpler external representations of the machines.

You aren’t just assembling armour around a hollow body.

There are internal mechanical features and franchise-specific details waiting underneath.

New Marking Plus Decals

The major attraction of the Marking Plus Ver. is naturally the expanded decal sheet.

Kotobukiya includes newly designed Zenebas Empire emblems and caution markings, allowing builders to add significantly more detail across the finished model.

You can keep the markings relatively restrained for something closer to the classic appearance or apply the full selection for a much more technical HMM finish.

Against the black armour, those smaller caution markings can make a huge visual difference.

A Brilliant Painting Project

Great Saber’s dark armour and exposed mechanical components make this an excellent kit for builders who enjoy additional finishing work.

Try adding metallic detailing to the internal mechanisms, subtle edge highlighting across the black armour, heat staining around weapon components, weathering around the paws and lower legs, or additional Imperial markings.

You could keep the finished model pristine and intimidating or turn it into a heavily weathered machine that looks like it’s spent months hunting through hostile territory.

1/72 Scale Presence

At 1/72 scale, Great Saber fits alongside Kotobukiya’s wider HMM ZOIDS collection.

That opens up some fantastic display possibilities.

Pair it with other Zenebas Empire machines for an Imperial force or put it opposite Republic Zoids for a full battlefield display.

The low feline silhouette also provides a brilliant contrast against larger bipedal HMM machines.

A Serious Build

The official specification puts the parts count somewhere between 401 and 600 pieces.

So don’t mistake this for a simple snap-together toy.

Great Saber is a proper modelling project.

There’s plenty of mechanical construction underneath the armour, numerous weapon components and a lot of small details to work through before the Black Lightning is ready for display.

For experienced Gunpla builders looking to try HMM ZOIDS, this is exactly the sort of kit that demonstrates how different the building experience can be.

Marking Plus Ver. Reproduction

Kotobukiya lists the current ZD135R Great Saber Marking Plus Ver. as a reproduction, released in Japan in December 2025. The earlier Marking Plus version originally appeared in 2020.

The current reproduction retains the expanded decal package and bonus clear components that distinguish the Marking Plus release.

Product Features

• Manufacturer: Kotobukiya
• Franchise: ZOIDS
• Range: HMM – Highend Master Model
• Model: EPZ-003 Great Saber
• Version: Marking Plus Ver.
• Scale: 1/72
• Approximately 290mm long
• 401–600 parts
• Upgraded Saber Tiger configuration
• Black Zenebas Empire colour scheme
• High Mobility Flight Wings
• Multi-axis wing articulation
• Reversible 8-Shot Missile Pod
• Multiple Imperial weapon components
• Opening and closing cockpit hatch
• Pilot figure included
• Removable Zoid Core
• Clear-red cockpit components
• Bonus colourless clear components
• New Zenebas Empire emblem decals
• New caution-mark decals
• PS, PE, ABS, PVC and synthetic-rubber construction
• Recommended age: 15+
• Current product code: ZD135R
• Japanese reproduction release: December 2025

Why Add HMM Great Saber Marking Plus Ver. to Your Collection?

Because the Great Saber looks absolutely vicious.

The black armour already gives it one of the most intimidating appearances in the HMM ZOIDS range, but the additional flight wings, missile pod and Imperial weapon equipment transform the Saber Tiger platform into something much more substantial.

Then there’s the modelling experience itself.

At almost 30cm long with up to 600 parts, this isn’t a quick build. The opening cockpit, removable Zoid Core, movable wings, reversible missile pod, alternative clear components and extensive Marking Plus decals give you plenty to work with long after the basic assembly is finished.

For ZOIDS collectors, Zenebas Empire fans or experienced builders looking for a large and detailed alternative to humanoid mecha, Great Saber is exactly the sort of machine that makes the HMM range special.

Black armour. High Mobility Wings. Eight-shot missile pod. Sabre teeth that need absolutely no introduction. The HMM EPZ-003 Great Saber Marking Plus Ver. brings the Black Lightning of the Jungle to your collection in a seriously impressive 1/72 scale build.