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Scyla

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  1. Scyla
    I think their Bodolzaa-Class Mobile Fortress that they sold on a Wonder Fest was 3D printed.
  2. Scyla
    The most I have are 5 VF-25 Messiahs (F/S/G/R/A all Bandai DX Chogokin Renewals). The next would probably be the VF-1 with three versions since Arcadia refuses to release any more variants. At least they should do a VF-1S Max Custom and a VF-1A Kakizaki Custom from DYRL (with Strike Packs).
  3. Scyla
    So bought.... Could have a bit more teal for me though.
  4. Scyla
    That is a good question. So far Arcadia released the two VF-1S from DYRL, the VF-19 Kai with gold highlights from M7, the VF-1J GBP from SDF:M and the VF-0D/A from M0 so at some point Arcadia held all the 1/60th licenses Yamato did with the exception of the license from the games (so no VF-4G) and the license that allowed for the 1/3000 SDF-1. At the moment we can only be sure about the Macross Zero license.
  5. Scyla
    I think we should differentiate between qc issues that can occur in all mass manufactured items, issues that stem from bad design, and issues from cost (cutting). Acracdia products have their fair share of all the three issues The issue with the glued in leg ball joint of the VF-0 is to me a qc problem because this could be fixed by testing the finished product The ball joints on the YF-19 ankles is an issue of bad design The missing paint markings on all the releases so far is an issue of cost cutting. As said the first type of issues can occur in all products in varying degrees and I think Arcadia is on the better end of the scale but I think it could be better. Takara is clearly worse in that regard imho. The second type happens seldom with Arcadia products and is far more prevalent on other toy lines. Here I would put most of my complaints with the Masterpiece line (why has MP-10 no double-jointed elbows. etc.) The third type is a conscious decision and here I don't understand why Arcadia expose themselves to criticism because that could be easily avoided. Stuff like missing paint apps and, wrong color, the VF-19 gun-pod on the YF-19 etc are issues that severely impact my enjoyment of the toy in regards to its price. If I pay $300 for a toy it should not have these kinds of problems and I think I figured out why this is such a big problem for me. If I pay that amount of money I don't want to rebuy a more refined version of the toy later on. If stuff like this is missing there is a chance this will happen and this results in an ever nagging doubt in the back of my head that let me question if my decision to buy Arcadia products was the right one. Also the third type is nothing I can do do about. I can try to reduce the gate marks on my MP-22 I can try to fix the joints and I can try to avoid stressing the ankles on my YF-19. What I can't to is apply a paint app that blends in nicely with the rest (waters slide decals might be ok but the stickers don't cut it). I can't sculpt in the muzzles vents on the YF-19 gun-pod. I can't paint the whole VF-0D in a more accurate blue (for the record I like the color it has). I can deal whit these issues much more when the toy was only $150 because there I can see where the cost cutting was necessary for the price point. Sure I would have paid $50 more for MP Star Saber if he had no hollow lower legs and painted plastic parts but I can understand why a toy that is that big and has that many features had to have some corners cut for the price point it was sold. On a $300 toy I'm far less willing to cope with these issues. I can understand that additional paint apps might have pushed the MSRP into regions where even the hard core fans would have problems justifying a purchase but I'm also far less willing to accept the omission of it.
  6. Scyla
    *Takara MP rant on* I think Takaras QA is far worse than the one Arcadia has in place. Just think about the gate marks on Ultra Magnus forearms or the paint issues on MP Lambor. Aside from that I have many other issues with my Masterpiece Transformers: inconsistent white paint, ugly gate marks cheap feeling red plastic, missing paint apps (I could go on and on and on). I own one of each mold of the Takara Masterpieces and I can at least find one quality/build/design issue on each and everyone. I don't own MP-05 but I don't think he is a good example of a great toy with no QC issues is he? Which is ok in my book because they are fairly cheap. I would go so far and say that the Takara Masterpiece toys could use a $20 to $50 budget increase for the Carbots and bigger Masterpieces respectively. If you want to compare the Arcadia Valkyries you should compare them with the Bandai Metal Build and SoC line because they have a much better finish and quality feel to them than Takara collectibles. *Takara MP rant over*
  7. Scyla
    Yes you're right. I fixed the typo.
  8. Scyla
    MMCs Feral Rex repaint looks super cool and would be right down my alley with the black and purple (Skywarp yay). However I can't justify buying another one. Maybe someday.... the good news is that there might be a possibility that their IDW Lockdown called Jaegertron might come with a trophy locker that includes 5 IDW Predacons heads that could also fit on the Feral Rex members: [edit:] fixed stupid typo.
  9. Scyla
    Well there is the Millennium Falcon: You can buy it here: http://www.amazon.com/Lego-Ultimate-Collectors-Millennium-Falcon/dp/B0017V21EY/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1442157063&sr=8-3&keywords=lego+ucs+millenium+falcon I hope the do a UCS Ep7 Falcon once the new movie is out.
  10. Scyla
    Since I don't own the toys I can say for sure. Maybe you get a better response if you ask on a Transformers centric message board. Here is a link where you can find more comparison shots: http://www.seibertron.com/transformers/news/video-review-transformers-generations-combiner-wars-breakdown/32351/ With Menasor keep in mind that there is an alternate hip transformation that allows for a sleeker silhouette (and I think hip movement) that makes him an inch or so taller.
  11. Scyla
    MMC just can't do anything wrong apparently. At least to me: Those luscious lips I'm such a a fanboy . Here are more images from STGCC 2015: http://www.tfw2005.com/boards/transformers-3rd-party-discussion/1051234-stgcc-2015-pictures.html
  12. Scyla
    So is this ban of Japanese Star Wars products only for model-kits or also all other stuff of merchandise like action figures and so on? I don't think that Hasbro wants to pass out on this to ensure more SW Black Series sales.
  13. Scyla
    Anubis has a great fix for that where he inserted a piece of rubber into the ball coup resulting in a much better tension of the joint. I'm not looking for a replacement because the friction is not good but because the piece is broken on one of the struts for the hip ball.
  14. Scyla
    I think we have to differentiate two things. CGI designs that transform from one mode to another in a burst of polygons like the TF4 Optimus Prime where it is hard to find any elements from the truck in robot mode and designs where the transformation follows a logical transition from one mode to another (aka the transformations in the Macross series). I think that Kawamori tries to follow the second approach to create a design that has at least a plausible transformation. In combination with the refined production methods and progress in engineering I think that the combination will produce better representations of the on screen models. However It think it is actual the other way round. Because the Valkyries in Macross have a plausible transformation it is harder to cheat on screen. For example the proportions of the VF-1 in SDF-1 change from mode to mode to have a sleek jet and a bulky robot. With CG models as a baseline you probably won't try to cheat too much because it will look unrealistic and I think Kawamori is shooting for more realism. I also believe that this is the reason for the Armored VF-25 to have a bulky robot (with armor) and a sleek jet (without armor). So my idea is that because the shows has plausible design the resulting toys are also more accurate because the don't cheat that much to begin with. Of course the show can still cheat in some areas like collision detection and exact placement and size of the parts to get a better look. For example placement and movement of the hips that magically are not limited by the wing backpack, etc. I think this is one of the reasons why the VF VF-25 Valkyries failed so massively because they where to reliant on the 3D model (I posted this somewhere else on the boards). My idea was that they took the model from the show and literally translated it in a toy without taking into account that the animators in the show cheated a bit to get more heroic and lanky proportions for Battroid-Mode. Thus resulting in a design that looks like a Messiah Homunculus. With the Renewal versions Bandai introduced stuff like the hip joint that has an additional transformation step to recreate a better looking Battroid-Mode. The question that is more interesting to me is if this is actually a good thing. For me as an engineering enthusiast I really like all the mechanisms and designs the toy designers came up over the years to recreate the look of handdrawn Japanese robots as screen accurate as possible. Stuff like pull out joints to allow for more movement or spring-loaded flaps in the forearms to allow for a double jointed elbow are great feats of engineering. Also the ROTF leader Optimus Prime or DotM Leader Sentinel Prime have done an awesome job to recreate a physical impossible transformation and are a better (but also complex and maybe not for kids) toy for it. On the other hand the VF-25 and VF-0 toys are actually pretty simple. all the limps don't need to transform much because they are all solid blocks attached to the toy resulting in a much more standard (i.e. boring) transformation while the VF-19ADVANCE has many built in mechanism to cover for the anime magic of the YF-19 design. Prime example would be the flip out lower leg plates that cover the gaps that are necessary for Fighter-Mode.
  15. Scyla
    It is also worth mentioning that the half metal half plastic ball-joint is also present on all the Bandai Valkyries from the YF-29 onwards and I never heard of a problem with them other than they are too loose. Here is an image of the VF-25F Renewal hip joint (hint hint I'm still looking for a replacement part ) and you can see that the design of the hip joint is similar: I think the reason why it is implemented that way is to increase the tension of the joint. The way the parts are coated probably would lead to less friction on a metal on metal connection.
  16. Scyla

    Hi-Metal R

    Scyla replied to joppewo's topic in Toys

    That looks pretty cool. And it has the "1" printed on the chest armor.
  17. Scyla
    And Roadrage is pushed back from October to December. I don't mind because it gives me more budget for FansToys and MMC releases. I'm still super excited about MP Tracks and can't wait to get him.
  18. Scyla
    I think most of the shoes out there look exactly the same. Oh and I received my VF-27BETA today after some time in DHL Limbo. The delivery guy thought that the $30 value that was put there by NY was the customs fee I had to pay and since this wasn't in his system he couldn't hand me the package he already brought to my door step and took it away where it vanished into the void for 5 days. HLJ should pay and train their employees better but instead the outsource it to poor sods who untrained and underpayed. Everything is ok with the Valkyrie. No missing parts, nothing broken and no scratched paint. Only the main wing hinges are loose. I put on the CF head so it is different from the VF-27GAMMA. You know they look identical do you? So my Macross Frontier Collection is almost finished. Someday I need to get a RVF-171 and a YF-25.
  19. Scyla
    Oh well, that would be a bummer if this is true. On the other hand I only had the Darth Vader reissue preordered so no harm there. One less line of toys to take care off (and fundings toward it). Maybe I should buy a SoC Gunbuster instead.
  20. Scyla
    I need some advice. After building some RGs and MGs I want to try out a PG next year. The question is what should I build. Now I have set up some rules for the selection process: I don't want to build a suit that I already own in some form or another. This would exclude the PG Unicorn/Banshee Norn, Strike Freedom, Aile Strike/Strike Rouge, Red Frame (this will hopefully be covered by the Metal Build) and Skygrasper. I don't like the design of the RX-78-2 and Zaku II (enough) to warrant a PG buy. I like complicated intricate and complex builds. The more mechanisms and electronic bits the better. Different Materials; yes please, pistons and ratchet joints hell yeah. Because of that I would prefer to build one of the more modern kits I prefer complete sets where everything that is associated with the Gundam is included in the box. No need to buy additional decals or weapon sets or something I don't want to paint parts And I don't want stickers. Dry transfers or water-slide decals are a must. Stickers to whole areas on the kit are also ok (like the dark red stickers on the MG Sazabi Ver. Ka) With all these rules applied I came to the conclusion that the PG 00 Raiser is probably a good fit. I watched rrobbert184s review of the kit. However there are some issues so why not to built it: I don't like the black frame because you cannot panel line it with black panel lines and I don't like to highlight it with dark gray instead of it. The 00 Raiser is not my preferred kind of the suit (that would probably the Avalanche, Quan[t] or Seven Sword) The 0 Raiser looks pretty simplistic to me and I don't know if I get much enjoyment out of building it The unpainted/unstickered suit looks a bit bland. No multiple shades of white/blue/red like on the RG and MGs I built so far and that I really like The GN Sword 2 is not the best design I probably would display him all the time with the GN Sword 3 The Shoulder bit from the 0 Raiser are also not my favorite design Now that are a lot of cons. What are the pros: I love the mechanisms they built into the GN Condensers to lock the joints into position The GN Drives look great and have that extra techy detail I would like to have on something like a PG While not my preferred suit the 00 with only the two Condensers and the GN Sword 3 looks still badass The mechanisms for transforming the GN Swords 2/3 are great. The included effect parts are also a bonus. The areas with the clear disks and crown jewel look great and break up the material mix The whole kit is a massive accumulation of parts and would look great with the right panel linings an applied markings The suit is contained. There are no other PGs from 00 Gundam so one PG would be enough to complete the line There are other alternatives: From the pictures on HLJs site the PG Gundam MK-II looks like it would have an awesome frame to build and I also like the design of this Gundam. The Wing Gundam from EW looks ok but I think I would prefer to have it as an RG with the other four EW suits I could get a Unicorn Gundam. While I have the Robot Spirits version of it I don't have a representation of it in Unicorn mode. It would be the most recent kit. There is a huge con however. I hate (hate hate hate) the translucent bits inside the frame My preferred PG would be the Astray Red Frame. However I will eventually have the MB one and I don't want to have a duplicated Gundam especially since they are both high-priced items. Can you give me some advice on what PG kit I should build? Maybe alternatives. What can you think of to soften the cons or boost the pros (and vice versa). Are there alternatives that fit into my description of what I want to built better than the ones listed in this thread. I'm looking forward on hearing your thoughts.
  21. Scyla
    I think that the 1/60 scale is a good scale for transforming Valkyries because you need a bit of size so implement the transformation mechanism. Yes it can be done in a smaller scale but there are compromises to achieve this. The transforming Koenig Monster is a exception because it would be uncomfortable huge in 1/60. In addition I think that enemy and unknown soldier mecha will never sell in any scale in Japan. It is questionable that even the teased products from Bandais Hi Metal R line will be released. I also would prefer to complete my 1/60-ish Valkyrie collection instead of re-buying all the ones I already have in a smaller scale. This is the reason why I'm not buying into the Hi Metal R line.
  22. Scyla
    I can totally understand that. I built the RG Strike Freedom after I saw the box of the PG and thought that is a cool pose. Wasn't able to recreate that with the RG though. I think the Freedom Gundam is good looking it is just too similar to the other Gundams I built so far in the RG line and I need something different to keep me interested. The Aile Strike was good but not different enough. I can get him to stay now that I took of the shield and played with him around a bunch. One question. should the wings of the Striker Pack be able to rotate 90 degrees downwards?
  23. Scyla
    My Real Grade adventures continues with more ridiculous size backpacks and the Aile Strike Gundam. Which is actually the worst of the Gundam Seed kits because he is unable to stand on his own. It was a satisfying build though because it was a bit different than the other Seed RG kits I built so far. Next step is panel lining and stickering. Maybe I'm able to clear coat it this year. It is disappointing that there is no place to store the Beam Rifle securely and that the big Armor Schneider is unavailable for this kit. The only Seed kit that is missing is the Freedom Gundam but I really don't want to own it because it is so similar to the Strike Freedom... but on the other hand it is the last one I'm missing... Maybe I can schedule it in before Bandai releases the next EW RG Gundam... which seems to be never... so enough time for the Freedom Gundam.
  24. Scyla
    To answer your questions: Unite Warriors (from Takara) has the combiners from Combiner Wars done as gift-sets. They are not in scale with Masterpieces except for CW Devastator. Some recommendations. For Menasor I would go with the FansProject one because he has the same design than Green Giant. Here is a picture from seibertron.com You see CW Superion is roughly the same size as Giant so should be Menasor and the upcoming Bruticus (made from Hot Spot). If you want to be G1 accurate I would go with the Unite Warriors gift sets from Takara because they have all the G1 bots and not their Hasbro replacements. Also you don't have to hunt them down individually It is also rumored that Unite Warriors Bruticus will have a retooled Blast Off that looks actually like a Shuttle. The Hasbro version will have a brown colored Arialbot. You can buy the gift sets from Japanese import stores like HLJ. The Protectobots will be a Takara Mall exclusive so you have to go through a middle man. Menasor: http://www.hlj.com/product/TKT83172/Sci Superion: http://www.hlj.com/product/TKT83168/Sci There are no information on Bruticus but he should be out soon. Hasbro said at Botcon that they won't do any beast combiners so your out of luck for Predaking. For him you could also go third party and I recommend Feral Rex (easily the best of the three not Predakings) but he is expensive. You can find them at different retailers and they also releasing a Nero Rex gift-set in black and purple. But their Reformatted style is not really compatible with CW and MP (well maybe with CW). Here is a comparison pic with Green Giant from Cybertron.ca: The Unique Toys Warlord is probably available at a discount and it goes well with the Classics style. He is bigger as Green Giant: However he has many parts formery bits like the whole chest and waist area of Predaking where Feral Rex is mostly perfect transformation. He is probably the one with the most QC issues like poor design and bleeding paint apps. The other not-Predaking is TFCs Ares. He is the same size as their Hercules (so he is quite a bit bigger than Green Giant) with the same Unicron trilogy style. I don't like the aesthetic and it seems that TFC has not made any improvements to their toys after Hercules. I haven't found any good comparison pictures. Hope that helps.
  25. Scyla
    While I would like to have a whole new setup of Valkyries for Macross Delta I think a retrofitted YF-29 could be pretty cool. They could keep the major airframe but ditch the fold crystals or the extra missile pods in the shoulders and legs. Keep the turret and change the forward swept wings into a delta configuration and switch the rail gun for a more conservative gun-pod. I imagine a cross between the YF-29, the VF-27 and YF-24. Maybe have a different way to fold the wings to a backpack. I always thought that the wings on the Messiah would be much better if the folded the other direction forming armor for the cockpit. OT: VF-19ADVANCE; still not like the amount of printed details.
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