Cyclone Trooper

In recent years, I've limited myself to the Vintage Collection figures. I purchased the $150 "supersized" Millennium Falcon back in 2008, and decided that I was going to only purchase ESB-era figures to crew the ship with. It's taken two years, but with Bespin Luke, Hoth Leia and the new C-3PO, I'm finally done. Of all the new Vintage figures, I'm most impressed with Threepio. FINALLY we get a fully-posable protocol droid with elbow joints! I also like how most of his "gold plating" can be removed to reveal his "Episode I endoskeleton" underneath. I mostly like the fact that we now have a Threepio that can assume the proper stance, both with his arms and legs.

Here are the pics of the Emergency Booster set. It includes the thruster assembly, the launch catapult base, 2 footpads, 2 adjustable handrails, 2 back adapters for the ARX-7, 2 alternate hands for the ARX-7, and a clear plastic "in-flight" pose arm that attaches to the base. The rear shot of the Arbalest shows how the back adapters plug in where the Lambda Driver attachments would normally be. The M9 mecha don't require the plug-in adapters to use the booster. The catapult base closely resembles the deckplates of Mechanical Chain Bases 004, 005, and 006. All in all, a really nice addition to the Side AS lineup. I used my old Nikon D50 with the busted lens, so the pics aren't all that great, so apologies all around for that. I also included a pic of one of the gray Savages I was able to snag from www.tisinc.com...possibly the only online store in the US that still had them in stock.

Since Chogokin has it's own dedicated thread, I thought I'd start one for Robot Spirits figures so we don't have dozens of related threads scattered all over the forums. Here, we can discuss our Robot Spirits collections, upcoming releases, and anything else pertaining to this awesome line of mecha figures. I started my RT (Robot Tamashii, not to be confused with Robotech) love affair with the Full Metal Panic figures, and have been extremely impressed with each and every one of them. I have all of the FMP mecha, including two next-to-impossible-to-find Savages. I just received the web-exclusive MITHRIL Emergency Booster set in the mail today and was surprised at how much it's launch catapult resembles some of the MSG Mechanical Chain Base sets. The booster itself is a nice one-size-fits-all design for all versions of the M9 and the ARX-7. In launch mode, the catapult footpads raise up between 45 and 50 degrees, resembling "starting blocks" that track runners use. Overall, it's an awesome accessory for the Side AS figures...which makes me even more excited for the Gray/White Arbalest and Weapon Set in November. I know some people hate the way Bandai releases add-ons like this as aftermarket sets, but I like being able to expand on the figures I already have in my collection. (Photos coming soon) I haven't ventured beyond the FMP series with these figures, but as time goes on, and Bandai adds new series to its lineup, I'm sure I'll branch out...

BA-ZING!

...and just got a response from tisinc99.com about the eBay auction. It was indeed a mistake and is being edited.

This seller is apparently tisinc99.com. Upon enlarging the photo of the figure on the eBay auction, it gave me the direct link to Treasure Island Sports, Inc.'s website. On a whim, I went to the website...and guess what? Savages in stock! I just ordered two gray versions for $30 each plus got UPS 2nd Day Air shipping...so my grand total was still under $84.00 US. The auction HAS to be a misprint. I'm a happy camper now!

eriku, I've checked all the usual haunts (AmiAmi, Hobby Search, HLJ, Angolz, HKCollectibles, etc.) with no luck. The FMP hero mecha are in stock with relative abundance. I have no problem finding the Arbalest, the Melissa Mao M9, the Kurtz M9, or the M9 Faulk. But I already have all of those figures. But tracking down a Savage has proved to be next to impossible. I'm on more than one "email me when they're back in stock" email list for the Savage. I found only one site located in Spain that still has them in stock, but they're going for around $110.00 each after the currency exchange...and that's before shipping! The most I've paid for a RT figure has been around $60, including shipping.

I left a question with the seller about the price of the figure out of sheer morbid curiosity, just to see what kind of pull-it-out-of-his-ass answer I get about how uber-rare it is to justify the $1k price point. Can't wait to see what kind of answer I get. Hopefully you're right, Vifam7...this is an input error on the seller's part. But if not, then good luck to the seller with unloading it! This single RT figure could buy 5 Yammie VF-1s!

Anyone who's seen my thread in the Wanted forum knows that I've been searching around for a Robot Tamashii Savage figure. These particular enemy mecha have been nonexistent on nearly all online e-tailer sites, so, as a last resort, I went on eBay this morning and found this... Robot Spirits FMP Savage Apparently frogs wearing medieval armor are ridiculously popular among collectors to be fetching prices that high. Oh...wait...its on SALE!

I stopped doing business with Overdrive a while ago for this very same reason. Two separate orders were "completely ignored" (for lack of a better term) by Overdrive after getting my money. The first was for a GPB-1S/Hikaru VF-1J. I paid around $230 for it and after many weeks, I still hadn't gotten any shipping notice. No responses to my emails, no updates to my order history, no nothing. I finally contacted Paypal to get a refund...and miraculously, Overdrive responded to the refund request. In good faith, I ordered a much cheaper item a few months later...a Revoltech Queen's Blade figure. Not nearly as expensive as a Yamato VF-1, but nonetheless I met with the same "thanks for your money, but we'll get around to your order sometime before the end of the decade" lack of response. Twice burned, I'll never order from Overdrive again. I have no idea what's happened with that particular online store. Many others here on MW have had no problems whatsoever with Overdrive, while others of us have only gotten horrible customer service (if by CS, I mean a complete lack of it).

I used a total of 10 MCBs to make a hanger measuring 3 squares long x 2 squares wide. I got the majority of them through HLJ and HobbySearch for about $10 each. As far as which ones I used, it was built using the following: 001 x 1 002 x 1 003 x 1 004 x 4 007 x 1 008 x 1 009 x 1

And here's an M9 Gernsback being brought out of Storage Bay 1 and going through a pre-mission maintenance check.

Well, here it is... My finished MITHRIL hanger from Full Metal Panic. I know its technically in the wrong forum, but it's mostly just to show off my modeling skills (or lack thereof, depending how you look at it). It's nowhere near the professional-level that some here on MW are capable of (the SDF-1 comes to mind), but it suits my purpose. I'm actually proud of how it turned out. It looks like a functioning mecha staging bay, complete with an armory along the outer bulkhead, human-sized access doors, mecha-sized bulkhead hatches that lead to other parts of the base/starship, floor and wall markings, etc. The equipment and robotic vehicles have a very "used" industrial look to them that says they've seen quite a bit of action. I used leftover Yamato VF-1 decals, which gave it a nice bit of detailing, IMHO. I finally found a use for the Electrical Shock Hazard stickers!

VF-1S, you've even moved die-hard TV version SDF-1 fans to tears with this. Amazing job, my friend...

Here's something new in the M.S.G. diorama series. Mecha transports (wheeled and treaded) using the same designs as the Mechanical Chain Bases. No idea if they're prepainted or not, but I preordered the beige one from Angolz.com

This is a work-in-progress, so it's not nearly finished yet. I still have to track down two more 004 bases (which seem to be out of stock every place I check) to complete the hanger. I'm trying to go for a true industrial/mecha hanger feel with lots of yellows, steel and reds. My old Nikon camera lens literally came apart while shooting this, so you'll have to excuse the blurriness of the Arbalest. But I was able to capture the detailing of the hanger itself...

I ordered a Robot Tamashii M9D Falke and a few more Mechanical Chain Bases from HLJ the day the Paypal free shipping offer started, and didn't even realize I wasn't charged for EMS shipping until I got my order confirmation email.

"Battle Stations" by Winger is a good all-purpose heroic "fight" theme that can be used for everything from Macross to Gundam.

Nah...if you want a true cheap hamburger experience on the DYRL SDF-1 that'd be Humburger Po Po (actual spelling; look it up). All the pop idols eat there!

Yeah, that Arbalest in M9 colors looks pretty sweet. I also like the weapon set, as it lends to a lot of customizing. Alas, I'll just have to wait until October when all this stuff actually comes out to see if I can snag any of it. I'm not holding my breath though, since all of them are web exclusives inside Japan only...

YES! PLEASE!

I kind of figured that was the case, considering there was no indication anywhere online that this thing even existed for the FMP figures. I'll try your advice and see if Save can possibly track down a lead on one of these.

The Arbalest came yesterday and I've been playing around with both it and the M9 a bit. Thus far, I'm so impressed with the RT line that I ordered the M9 Mao Custom from Hobby Search and a few mechanical chain bases from BBTS yesterday evening. There is one thing that maybe someone here on MW can help me out with. And if this post belongs in the Wanted thread, then so be it (mods, please move it accordingly). A second insert came with the M9's instruction sheet that shows a separate piece of equipment available from Tamashii Nation/Bandai. It's a torso-mounted rocket booster jetpack assembly (see below). Apparently it also includes a display base that doubles as a launch platform, according to the few photos I have of it. Anyone know how or where I could get ahold of one of these? Or is this a web exclusive type of thing? I haven't seen this offered on any of the site's I've visited that sell RT figures.

I officially denounce Revoltechs (except the Queen's Blade figures)! Got my hands on the M9 Gernsback today and it honestly puts any of my MSiAs and Revs to shame. You all were right. The plastics used in this figure are much better than the PVC that MSiA Gundams are made of, and capture detail much better. There isn't a single amount of "gumminess" to the figure whatsoever. The M9 doesn't just use ball-joints, but a combination of hinges, ball-joints and old-school style elbow and knee joints. While this sounds like an odd thing for Bandai to do, it actually lends to the mecha's "mechanical" detail while still allowing an amazing amount of posability, especially around the mecha's waist, which is usually where most humanoid mecha figures have limited posability because of some sort of armored skirting. I've been able to put the M9 in many poses that the Revoltech ARX-7 can do with no problems...even the wide-legged hero stances. The paint scheme of the M9 is predominantly matte gray with a few bits of black, white, and dull yellow...but its supposed to be FMP's answer to a cannon fodder/low-vis VF-1A (for lack of a better comparison), so no flashy hero color scheme is needed. It's a grunt unit, plain and simple. But what IS painted is done so with sharp, clean lines and just puts the Revoltech Arbalest to shame in this area. The M9 comes with quite a few accessories, like the Revoltechs did. 4 sets of interchangable ball-jointed hands, a rear-mounted rifle rack, an assault rifle with a power cable that attaches to the mecha's hip (similar to the Gundam GM Sniper's rifle), and a collapsible sniper rifle and a large cargo box for storing the sniper rifle. The cargo box can be opened/closed and can attach to the M9's left or right hip to carry into battle. While I wasn't planning to turn this into a review, I am just amazed at the quality of this figure. If this much effort was put into a cannon-fodder figure, I can imagine that the Arbalest had just as much, if not more effort put into its design, since it's FMP's hero mecha. Kudos, Bandai. I'm officially a fan of Robot Tamashii... Of course, I'm sure (as someone said) QC issues also plague RT, depending on the particular figure you're talking about...but fortunately, I've had a good first impression with the FMP figures.

Thanks for clearing that up for me, guys. My M9 shipped yesterday and is already in New York, so it should reach Maryland sometime tonight. My Arbalest shipped today and should be here sometime before Friday (hopefully). I'm afraid I may have stumbled upon another potential treasure trove of affordable collectibles with RT...much to my wife's chagrin!