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Official Bandai 1/72 Scale Macross Frontier Model Kit Thread Ver.2


Graham

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I've gotta ask--how'd you paint the canopy?

Yeah, I've noticed a lot of people are trying to get the canopy color just right. I wanted something much darker than what other people are looking for, though, so this probably won't work if you're trying to just lightly tint it. But anyway what I did was painted it with the Citadel Paint's Leviathan Purple wash. While it was drying it was pretty much the exact shade I was looking for, but when it dried it gave it a slightly of milky, opaque color to it. I was fine with that, since I wanted it dark anyway. After that I coated it with the Citadel gloss varnish. When I did that, though, the varnish did something to smooth out the appearance of the wash, and it dried into that glossy, transparent color, which was back to exactly what I wanted. I suppose you could give thinning the wash down even further, but the wash was a bit tricky to get an even coat on it to begin with, so on the smooth canopy plastic something even thinner might not coat well enough to work.

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Now this question I have to ask, is there going to be a brown cannon fodder VF-25 version? :huh:

I am also wondering if the Macross Frontier movie will have different color schemes for their valks, just like how the DYRL version is different than the TV show's.

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I like it, but I might just wait for the Armor Pack...

Same here, basically its the same like VF-25F with the only difference is in the head. But if its Michel or Luca's valk, I'll buy it since it got new gimmick (Sniper rifle and radar dome). I better wait for the Super Pack or Armored pack version.

Edited by Morpheus
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Hmm... notice that they made 3 models - each dedicated to one mode. I guess this is the only way to protect a precious paint job is by not transforming it between the modes - I can't think of a paint job that will last through many transformations, its just too hard on rubbing the various surfaces.

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Hmm... notice that they made 3 models - each dedicated to one mode. I guess this is the only way to protect a precious paint job is by not transforming it between the modes - I can't think of a paint job that will last through many transformations, its just too hard on rubbing the various surfaces.

I was thinking that's how I may have to build mine, would be expensive though If I wanted to display all of them in all three modes.

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Same here, basically its the same like VF-25F with the only difference is in the head.

Not entirely true, there are also subtle differences to the chestplate (slight reshaping and a couple of small blisters added). David also thinks there is a difference with the backplate as well, in that it has different shaped slots for the head lasers to rest in fighter mode.

Graham

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The backplate should also be different in shape for the head too, not just the laser slots---the backplate touches the "forehead" of Alto's, but the back of the head of Ozma's---Alto's head rotates 180 when it transforms, but Ozma's doesn't. (the blisters on the chesplate meet the blisters on Ozma's forehead)

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At least they're being honest, showing actual decal application and how opaque(not) the yellow is.

They've obviously never heard of double-printing white and yellow inks.

Well, maybe it's not cost effective to double-print. And you have to count on the printer getting it perfectly aligned with each layer - even a fraction of a millimeter can throw off an entire print (trust me, I'm a screenprinter). Ever try running the same piece of paper through a printer twice? And how many misaligned newspaper pages have you seen in your life? I'm sure industrial printers can keep things lined up fairly well, but they need to be constantly maintained so they can keep things lined up for double printing.

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Bandai has above-average registration for a kit maker, but below average for a decal maker. Aftermarket decal makers (which are 99% made by Microscale or Cartograph) can have some insanely accurate stuff done. 4-5 colors, individually printed over each other, not even .2 mm off from from first to last color.

In short---it could be done, and well. But not by Bandai.

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bandai could do it if they wanted to put the extra effort in, but they don't. and even if for some reason bandai couldn't do double printing well. they could at least give us a second set of stripes in all white to layer under the color decals.

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Yup! My VF-25F just got mailed off to me from HLJ. And I also got a payment notice from them for the VF-25S. The only problem is that 4500 Yen is costing me more now than 2 or 3 months ago. The American dollar seems a lot weaker against the Japanese yen in these rough economic times.

Then again, I loss money in my General Motors stocks and that hurt even more. I should have invested in more VF-25s. <_<

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Yup! My VF-25F just got mailed off to me from HLJ. And I also got a payment notice from them for the VF-25S. The only problem is that 4500 Yen is costing me more now than 2 or 3 months ago. The American dollar seems a lot weaker against the Japanese yen in these rough economic times.

basically the Japanese yen is one of the few currencies that hasn't taken a huge hit in recent months. the exchange rate between the US Dollar and both euro and British pound is closer than it's been in quite some time. it's mostly that the value of the yen hasn't fallen nearly as much.

I lucked out and ended up paying for mine about 2 or 3 days before the dollar dropped below 100 yen. (I've got some other stuff on preorder that are coming at the end of December though, hopefully the dollar will pick back up in the next month and a half)

oh yeah, and mine finally arrived. I got 2 VF-25F's from the restock, hopefully I'll be able to start mine soon, though with school and all it may take a while.

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AAGH! With the currency rate changing, the VF-25 cost a lot more than I expected (with other kits in mind).

ToT I think I'll wait longer till the pricing it right before I make any other orders from HLJ.

Ooooh wait for me VF-25 X3

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I just finished putting togehter my Ozma.

DECULTURE!

Well, those wing root lazers now stay in place much better than before. The left one still pops out a little, but it's a much better fit on this.

The overall feel of the kit is much better. Maybe it's just the plastic being darker and hance feeling sturdier. The overall transformation of the kit is the same as the Alto except the head does not rotate as we knew and the face moves up itno the helmet for the transformation. The cheek-guards also move so that's three seperete pieces that move for the transformation on the head alone. Five if you count the head lasers.

The stickers are much nicer in design. The colours are not as brash as the Alto (in my opinion). The Skull Squadron sticker is very nice but a tiny bit too big. The horns touch the hinges for the wings so they crinkle. It shows them touching in the sticker guide so that's annoying. DECAL-TURE!

The overall colour scheme feels more military than the Alto. Much more sinister. Even the head has the appearance of a skull in some angles. Speaking of which, very nice that they cast the eye piece in green as opposed to the Alto's clear plastic. Pity that they didn't colour the canopy piece, but since there are a few different interpretations of the colour for thet piece, not a surprise I guess.

Something I noticed was that the neck collar was reproduced twice on the sprue. Anyone know why?

Apart from that, it's all much the same as the Alto.

YUCK! DECULTURE!

I'm still having a problem with the left landing gear door popping off the chest in battroid mode as I did with the Alto. Everytime I put a little too much pressure on it, it pops off across the room.

The head lazers loosened as quickly on this as they did on my Alto. One hour after putting them on they tend to pop off quite easily.

The hands still fall off at the slightest touch.

That piece that basically holds everything together at the hips is still a tiny piece that I see breaking off as it did on my Alto. Time for my rare-earth magnets, me thinks.

That's it for the annoying stuff. Overall a much better attempt at a 25 than the first (for me at least). Much better parts fitting, more coloured parts. Some of the previous bugs but far outweighed by the good.

Edited by Alex
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Alto and Ozma have different "collars", and due to the design of the sprue, I think giving Ozma a unique one was a last-minute addition.

They're different? I didn't even notice. Though I only casually inspected the "extra". Which one is the Ozma. The one all by its lonesome at the edge of the sprue?

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