Mr March

So a "New Macross Class" ship is only named such if the Battle 7 and the City 7 are combined? But otherwise they are called Battle Class 7 and City Class 7? Is that correct?

If the VF-171 Nightmare Plus is still a viable main line fighter for deployment in 2059, there's no way the YF-19/VF-19 Excalibur and YF-21/VF-22 Sturmvogel II are outdated. The Macross Compendium specifically says the VF-171 Nightmare Plus is actually a "downgraded" version of the original VF-17 Nightmare. The VF-17 Nightmare, while superior to the VF-11 Thunderbolt, was also significantly below the capabilities of the YF-19/VF-19 Excalibur and YF-21/VF-22 Sturmvogel II. Even with upgrades made over time to extend the service life of the VF-171 Nightmare Plus, there's no way the VF-171 ever exceeded the performance capabilities of the VF-19/VF-22. Granted, variable fighters will eventually become outdated, but comparatively speaking, the YF-19/VF-19 Excalibur and YF-21/VF-22 Sturmvogel II would still be very relevant designs in the 2059 era. Obviously, the VF-25 Messiah is superior to the VF-19/VF-22 when it comes to versatility, engine design and new technologies (ISC, EX-Gear, linear actuators). However, I would bet money that the VF-19/VF-22 still outperform even the enhanced VF-171EX Nightmare Plus. Just look at the statistics for the T-W ratios for all the fighters and compare them. VF-11C Thunderbolt = 6.33 VF-17D Nightmare = 9.28 VF-19F Excalibur = 16.96 VF-22S Sturmvogel II = 13.96 VF-25F Messiah = 39.09 If the VF-171 Nightmare is a "downgraded" version of the VF-17 Nightmare meant for easier mass manufacture, then it's T-W ratio must be somewhere between the VF-11 and VF-17. Over the years, the VF-171 Nightmare Plus received improvements/modifications, so between it's introduction some time after 2047 to the events of Macross Frontier in 2059, the VF-171 may have eventually been upgraded enough to approach performance parity with the original VF-17 Nightmare. Now, if we assume the VF-171EX Nightmare Plus is an improved version of the "current" 2059 VF-171 Nightmare Plus (the Macross Compendium describes the VF-171EX as having "equipment improvements, strengthened armor, adoption of EX-Gear, enhanced engines, and MDE armaments") then it would have a T-W ratio somewhere beyond 9.28. But there is a long way to go before the VF-171EX can approach the T-W ratios of the VF-19F and the VF-22 Sturmvogel II. If I had to guess, I'd say at best the VF-171EX could perhaps MATCH the VF-19F and VF-22S in acceleration. Having said that, this is all just a bunch of fancy guessing until official statistics appear for the VF-171. Weapons, armor strength, power, and everything else would be even more questions open to interpretation. Which is irrelevant, since we're talking a 10 ton giant and the physics that involves. He could flatten a tank with his foot; does that mean a tank is made of tin? Of course not. There's a huge difference (pun intended) between what an 80 kg man can rend apart with his bare hands and what a 10 ton giant can rend apart with his hands. So no, IMO it's not dramatic effect at work in DYRL. There are five holes clearly shown on the torso of the VF-1S Battroid right before Kamjin punches it, including a hole right where his fist falls. If the much more powerful N-Ger Battle Suit could only damage the head of the VF-1S when diving at the Battroid with it's full strength, force and weight, then obviously the beam gun blast is what accounts for the weakened that allowed Kamjin's punch to damage the Valkyrie's chest. Simple. No need to explain away anything with dramatic discrepancy. At least, not for this particular scene.

Macross Always damn hard to choose just one. Keeping in mind that I could choose differently on any given day, today I'd go with the VF-25S Messiah Gundam As everyone is no doubt aware of my endlessly repeated love for Gundam 0080 War In The Pocket, what other Gundam could I possibly choose other than the RX-78NT-1 Gundam Alex? Five Star Stories When I'm in one of those rare moods to go all uber-awesome-psycho-mega-ultra-powerful with my mecha, I suppose the Junchoon would do. An elegant weapon, for a more civilized age

Why would we compare the sequence to a normal sized man tearing apart a tin can? The analogy is in no way relevant to a full sized Zentradi throwing a punch. Speaking of which, can you imagine how devastating a punch from a full sized Zentradi would be? If a professional boxer can dish out nearly a half a ton of force with a single punch, then a 10+ ton Zentradi is dishing out somewhere between 40-50 tons per punch. Also, it might be wise to take into account that Roy's VF-1S Strike Valkyrie had it's torso blasted several times by the Nousjadeul-Ger's beam gun. This occurred before Kamjin got out of his N-Ger Battle Suit and started throwing 50-ton punches at the Battroid's chest.

There's also some stick line art that exists as well. Attached below.

I believe that customized VF-11 was done by Grebo Guru. It's posted in the fan art section somewhere.

The problem with the VF-11MAXL Custom has never been that it was "ugly"; the problem is that it's pretty to the point of inducing sickness.

There is definitely a need for a list or guide to the fleet numbering/designations in the Macross universe. Each new piece of information being translated is further confusing the subject rather than clarifying it. I'm now completely lost on how everything is supposed to fit together.

The multiple New Macross Class ships in the Macross 5 fleet could have been an animation mistake. I just included them in the description for completeness. Given that all the other Super-Long-Range Colony Fleets had only a single NMC ship, I think it's safe to say that the multiple NMC's in the Macross 5 fleet were either an animation error OR the rare exception to the rule. Attached below is the picture from the series (Macross 7, Episode 23):

What's the point of wings, intakes, stabilizers, slats and ailerons on a dedicated space fighter, I wonder? Regarding the SV-51, there's cool fugly and then there is just plain fugly. The SV-51 is cool fugly; the VA-3 Invader is just plain fugly. The SV-51 looks menacing and dangerous in Battroid form; almost disturbing in an insect-like fashion. The Battroid mode of the VA-3 Invader looks like a cosmic joke; as if some engineer had the idea of building a variable fighter for their infant named Jeb. There's also over-designed and just plain poorly designed. The VF-2SS is a good example of an over-designed craft drawn with too many faux-futuristic design choices to make it look far more advanced than it actually is. However, the VF-2SS is aesthetically pleasing because it's style is a uniform motif. Each individual part on the VF-2SS is drawn in the same style and these parts beautifully merge with each other to create something that at least looks good as a whole. It doesn't necessarily have to look aerodynamically sound (it should, "as a Macross Valkyrie", but it's not) just as long as it obeys the rule of cool! In contrast, the design of the VA-1SS Metal Siren is all over the place, a good example of poor design. It's not cube-like robotic; it's not round-like robotic; it's not armor-like robotic; it's not spike-like robotic. It's this horrible kit bash of parts assembled from several incompatible styles. It looks like someone took Macross/Gundam/Patlabor/Five Star Stories, mashed all the parts together and called it the Metal Siren. Worst still, it's not even cool fugly. IMO, the thing is an absolute mess.

I think the VF-11 Battroid cockpit monitors were simply multi-paneled. I suppose the VF-11 monitors could be telescoping, but there doesn't appear to be any need for them to have such a feature. Most likely they operate in the same manner as the VF-1 "Block 6" monitors, since both Battroid cockpits have a very similar design. Ditto on the Metal Siren ugly, Zinknowshisstuff. The VF-2SS was already an aerodynamic step backward, but the Metal Siren is a flying brick in comparison. Though I think the SV-51 beats the Metal Siren for downright fugly Battroid. But the Metal Siren picks up more ugly points for the virtue of worst foot design among all the Macross valkyries, including the VA-3 Invader However, the cockpit transformation is kinda unique for Macross. Here's a pic:

Well, russian reversal was never that funny anyway. But here's a something else to boo at

Preach it brotha

Oh, I love that picture from the Chronicle. It shows a screen shot from the anime that depicts the Virgin Road Valkyrie as a VF-1A, but the color scheme is that of Max's VF-1J, yet the text describes it as a VF-1D But yeah, it's supposed to be a 1D

The animation of the Virgin Road Valkyrie is inconsistent. I decided to base the valkyrie off the official model kit, which is a VF-1D variant.

Of that we can be absolutely certain

Very nicely done anime52k8. I'm impressed. I'll have to save these and add them to the site.

I say we all pitch in to buy azrael a VF-1 gift basket for his birthday Kronnang Dunn Possibly. It's a safe bet.

Oh, that's only one of the few scale errors in Macross Frontier. Klan's first appearance inside the Queadluun-Rea in the Macross Quarter docking bay is by far the worst scale error in the series. In defense of the picture posted, the original VF-17 Nightmare is a much larger Battroid than the old VF-1 Valkyrie. If you compare the VF-17 Nightmare to the original Queadluun-Rau, they are not that far apart in size. If we assume the Queadluun-Rea and the VF-171EX Nightmare Plus are similar to the VF-17/Q-Rau, then the picture isn't that far off. Also keep in mind that we lack statistics for the new VF-171 Nightmare Plus. The VF-171 could very well be taller in Battroid mode than the old VF-17. It's certainly slimmer and it has been designed with a longer nose that might transform into a slightly taller torso. Also, the legs look a little longer on the VF-171, but that could be just because they are thinner than the old VF-17.

Sounds like another STAR PRO fiasco to me. They meant to draw Destroid Monsters, but their sub-par animation skills weren't up to the task. I'd write it off as more shoddy animation work by a lousy sub-contracted studio. Just out of curiosity, does HG bleed dry every frame of animation from SDF Macross for possible mecha designs, no matter how "throwaway" the mecha might be? Would it kill them to actually hire an artist to create their own transforming fighters? "But that's just me, I could be wrong, maybe it's a terrible tragedy"

Very nice. Considering you had only the gifs to work with, it looks quite smooth. Well done.

It's OverTechnology. They have anti-mecha missiles no bigger than the size of your sneaker Like Nied has said, given the powerful defensive technologies in Macross like Energy Converting Armor and Pin Point Barriers, the gun pods have to be pumping out some serious muzzle velocity. Mikhail's sniper rifle is a rail gun, so it has to be firing at 3,500 m/s per second, bare minimum.

Not all forums can be everything to everyone. Every forum is an extension of the people that own the site and they set the rules, for better or worse. If MW isn't to your liking, there's a million forums out there. Many of us participate on forums beyond MW and obtain what we want from those sites. Yet we still come back to MW because it does have something to offer. So perhaps you should explore the net the way many of us have.

Kewl stuff. They are looking good.

This might be considered cheating but I think musically Kanno's best Macross work was done in Macross Plus and Kanno is my favorite music maker in the franchise. IMO, the whole mid-to-late 1990's was Kanno's peak (Macross Plus, The Vision of Escaflowne, Cowboy Bebop, etc). So I'd have to go with Sharon Apple as my favorite Songtres/Songster. However, as a character, Sheryl Nome is by far my favorite idol in all of Macross.