Scyla

I feel metal should only be applied to the structure of a toy (i.e. joints and internal workings) and the feet to give it a solid stand. All other parts should be cast in plastic. Painted die-cast looks terrible and is lacking the sharp edges of casted plastic (see the VF-25 renewal intakes). In addition if something breaks gluing plastic together is way easier then gluing (haven't tried soldering and welding) metal parts. All this talk from Shaorin about how bad the Plamo VF-1 is makes me wanna buy it. I have a delivery from hlj in August maybe I should add a 1/72 VF-1 Kit into the box. I'm searching for something that brings me back into model building and painting so maybe that will do instead of a PG Gundam. Although that 00 Raiser looks good To get back to the Hi Metal line. Do we know where the name originated from? Maybe in Japanese it means something different then for the rest of the world.

No, he is low.....

If I understand the tos of NY correctly you will only get a penalty when an invoice for a preordered item was already send. If you didn't receive an invoice for the VF-25F you should be fine. Since this information is not proven it might be wrong but I'm sure that you can send NY an email asking if a cancellation would be problematic.

I assume the triangle pieces can be stressed when you use the shoulders to rotate the metal shoulder joint underneath when transforming the Valkyrie back to Fighter-Mode. You know when you try to align the arms so that they fit onto the back plate. Then a shearing force would be applied to the shoulders and since the shoulder pauldrons are mounted to the shoulder via the black tirangle pieces the applied force would be transfered to the triangle pieces them self. I don't know how to describe it better. I have the feeling that much more force can be applied trying to align the arm joints during the transformation then rotating the arm for posing.

Iirc the VF-171CF Super Parts will be released in September so I don't know if Bandai will release another Valkyrie in the same slot.

I assume that are the M&M paint schemes for the YF-19. Is there any plane that they haven't piloted? Do those Fast Packs attach to the shoulders in Battroid-/Gerwalk-Mode like the packs on the VF-19?

Nope it's August the 10th 2013. Either that or my budget is out of sync.

Maybe they are looking for inspiration how to do good box art.

I will go with reissuing the old Yamato product line so I can buy a new VF-1 from a retailer. As for crazy wishes I would love to see a VF-9 Cutlass. Not because I like the design but I want to see the transformation happen on a real object.

Why do we have three topics open for basically the same question?

The most iconic Valkyrie really is the VF-1 that's why it is in almost every Macross show. Also the VF-1S (with Fast Packs) was brought over to the states as G1 Jetfire. So I would say a VF-1S is a great way to link your Transformers collection to a Macross collection if you are familiar with G1 Jetfire and like the design. The problem is that Yamato went out of business so Yamato toys can be more expensive than they should be. If you like hunting stuff down you might get a good deal. They are out there you just have to be patient. In addition the VF-1S comes in several variants. There are three with a light gray color and yellow/red/blue trim (from DYRL?) one is white with yellow trim (from SDFM) and there is a low viz variant that has a dark gray color with yellow trim. Also be aware that there are version 1 and 2 VF-1 toys. The version 2 toys are the ones to track down but they also come in various types and some have a shoulder assembly that is prone to breakage. Check out jenius site for more information. http://anymoon.com/blog/?p=4599 If you like the stealth fighter design (i.e. the F-117/F-22) the there are three toys you can get: As said the VF-17S/F from Yamato are available at a discount but they have some shortcomings (like a gappy side profile in Battroid-mode) and cartoonish proportions that you have to like. The design is very reminiscent of the F-117 The VF-171 from Bandai is similar in design to the VF-17. They come in two variants one is white with red and black trim the other is a dark teal color. In my opinion they look more like a real piece of military hardware and less like an anime superhero so if realism is your thing check them out. The white one might be a little hard to get since they released it a while back. The teal one is available but has durability problems mainly in the shoulder assembly. Also they are kinda fiddly to transform even if you know the steps very well. The VF-17 is the more solid option here but you have to like the design. The YF-21/VF-22S is based on the YF-23 from the fighter competition against the Raptor from Lockheed Martin. It has an great and sleek fighter mode but the Gerwalk- and Battroid-Mode have some odd proportions that you can only appreciate if you know the pilots and the story behind the design. The VF-22S has also a strange canopy. They where also made by Yamato and are sold out pretty much everywhere in normal online stores but you can find them if you look in the right spots. The YF-21 is only available in blue with yellow markings and the VF-22S where made as a black plane with yellow markings, a blue plane with white markings or a red one with white markings. Be aware that Yamato also made a YF-21 in the 1/72 scale but those are not the one you should buy if you like that mold. No check the sources given to you in this thread and see what you like the most. If you want the best Macross toy buy the 1/60 VF-19/S/F/K/P from Yamato. Keep us updated if you buy one and share your impressions here on MW.

You don't really have to watch the various Macross anime shows to start collecting. For me it helps to get a more personal relationship with the toys. For example I think the VF-22S has a horrid Gerwalk- (to speak in Transformers therms: an in between mode from aircraft to robot) and Battroid-mode (the robot mode) but since It is piloted by the best Valkyrie (the jets) pilot ever Captain Maximilian Jenius I really like it beyond my appreciation for it's engineering and the sleek Fighter- (alt mode) Mode. However if you like realistic looking jets that transform into sometimes bulky sometimes lanky looking mechas with almost no gabs that don't have a robot hanging on the underside of the plane (like say RotF Jetfire or G1 Dreadwing) there is something to find for you here. My advice would be to go over to http://www.macross2.net/m3/m3.html look up the links for the various incarnations of Macross-mechas (skip Games, Macross 2 and For Fans Only because it is unlikely to find toys of the Valkyries listed there) and see if you like any of the designs. Then go out on ebay and hunt them down or ask in the forum where you can buy on of those because some are still available even with a discount. Be aware that Valkyries are a little bit more delicate collectibles than Transformers. Think of a collection of MP Rodimus version 1 without the chance of ever getting a replacement part ever. Also some toys that are white get yellow pretty easily and some disintegrate even if they are stored in boxes. It's not like the Transformers line where most of the stuff you can buy are kids toys and therefore are pretty durable and cheap. In my Masterpiece and third party collection there is nothing like my Valkyries (Masterpiece Rodimus and MMC Cyclops come close). I'm not saying you can't play with them but you have to be careful. Some people shed blood while handling their toys. If you are a anime fan and like j-pop than I would recommend to watch some Macross anime. If you don't like long series I would start with Macross Plus (available as movie or OVA) or Macross Frontier (25 episodes and two movies where the first movie is a compilation of the tv-show). Macross Frontier is the newest show so you have good animation (if the 80s style is not your thing). Many forum members will tell you that you have to have in depth knowledge of the Macross universe to enjoy the show but I say it is a great show without any background information. If you are more familiar with Macross down the road you can always come back and watch it again. So go find a Macross toy that you think looks cool, track it down and see if you enjoy it. Be aware it can be addictive! Oh and you should watch a transformation video of your first Valkyrie very very closely. You don't want to break your first high end collectible Macross toy don't you. Check out the video reviews and transformation guides from some of the fellow board members: VF5SS at: http://collectiondx.com jenius at: http://anymoon.com UN Spacy at: http://www.youtube.com/user/pinoi78 If you know peaugh from the TFW2005 boards he also did a few Macross reviews. Happy collecting! [edit: ] Oh and be prepared to import toys to you since you can't buy them in stores.

Well you could transform it back when you but the shoulders back into place without sliding the parts under the chest plate outwards. Then you should be able to get to the screw. Of course then you have to move the shoulders which could cause damage to the part. So it's your call. I'm not telling you to do one or the other because I don't want to be the one to blame if something goes wrong.

What he said!

My VF-171CF has a crack on the "U" of NUNS on the left shoulder. The crack is on the middle part of the shoulder filler piece. To prevent further damage I unscrewed the assembly and lowered the pressure that way. Hope nothing breaks *knock on wood*

Great job on the weathering and panel lining MacrossJunkie and pretty cool pictures. Does are not the worst pictures of different shades of green plastic on the RVF-25 V1. I really liked the toys when I first saw them but in comparison with the Renewals they made me realize how hideous they are.

Repacking some of my Renewals and I came up with a theory why the wings are bend upwards. It's due to the packaging! So the Yamato toys being stored in plastic trays only with foil on the parts that are in danger of being damaged (like the position lights). On Bandai toys you have the whole toy packaged in a plastic bag that is then stored in a styrofoam tray. If you are not careful about it when you press the toy inside the tray the plastic bag will apply force upward when rubbing against the styrofoam. Since the wings are wide and light this force will bend the wings upward. An extended amount of time in this position will bend the wings permanently. I thought of this because my RVF-25 was packaged in a way that forced one wing to separate from the legs and was bend more then all my other wings on the Renewals. What do you think? Does it sound plausible?

With this big head I'm eager to see a VF-1J model since on the Yamato onces the chin of the the J looks always to small, I really like the head that wee see in the show after the commercial break. Like in this scene where you can't see the chin but I'm sure you know what I mean. And I'm sure that someone had to point that out it's the same thing with Star Wars. When you constantly in contact with stuff that finished you feel the urge to improve it even if it's perfect. Maybe Kawamori is constantly fiddling around with his past designs (due to requests from toy and model companies) so he tries something different every time. That might happened here if Kawamori was involved in this kit.

As I said in another thread the good thing about the ankle design of the Frontier Valkyries from Bandai is that the hide the ball joint pretty well. The VF-171 has a beefy metal bar that slides in and out of the legs so when the legs are fully extended it still looks decent. Every time I pose the toy I extend the angles as far as they need do be to hold the pose. On the VF-25/YF-29 line I extend the ankles all the way. Since the renewals don't have that Urkel pants look of the V1s they look pretty good. On my VF-19/17 from Yamato I generally try to push the ankles as far as possible since their ankles are really skinny and for me makes it apparent that they are toys since a "real" Valkyrie would have a massive jet engine where the Yamato ones have two small die-cast rods with a ball in the middle. In general I feel that the angles should be pushed in as far as possible to give the Valkyrie a more beefy look especially for the stylized Valks from Macross 7 which have those super hero proportions.

Well I transformed mine back to Battroid today and know the damn thing won't lock together. Sometimes I wish I am a Fighter-Mode only guy but no, I have to play with those damn toys. Curse you inner child!

I would've felt the same way if the ELINT-fin could swing all the way back but the parts hinders the movement a bit. As I said those issues are no deal breakers but nitpicks. However I just get the feeling Bandai was lazy. This might sound like I have major problems with the toy but I don't. Its just... the potential for a great toy is there but someone at Bandai decided not to go the way to awesomeness but stop an inch before it.

Handling my RVF-25 for the first time it still baffles me why they felt the need to include the extra parts for the gun-pod. I managed to get the Gerwalk support strut with the gun attachment slit through the bicep and was able to clip in the gun. It is a bit to large to sit on the landing gear or in the stand but you can swoosh around with it. There had to be away to include a folding part or a slider to attach the gun without any extra parts. The same goes for the shield and the ELINT-fin. I feel Bandai was lazy with this one. The positive thing is it came with all the parts is in pristine condition and has tight joints. I think this is QC wise the best of the last 5 Renewal releases I own (counting the YF-29) with the YF-29 30th Anniversary addition being by far the worst. It has a small paint scruff on the underside of the radome but that is easily fixed. The intake clips that clip the legs into the main body are not as rigid as on the others but I don't think this is a problem if it stays that way. As it is it makes the toy easier to transform. Great toy! Love my complete Skull Squadron now bring the drones Bandai!

I think both a glossy and a matte finish can look good but the should be consistent. I don't like that my VF-19S is glossy and the other Macross 7 toys are matte. Why does the VF-19 have to be the odd man out all the time. I always thought that all the Valkyries have a rotating cockpit so that they don't get confused when the VF is facing a different direction than they do. In space it is not that big of a deal if you can't see whats happening outside and only have monitors showing you whats happening but when fighting on something with an atmosphere the gravity pulls you towards the ground and the ear is telling the body where the directions are. Don't know if you feel acceleration forces in space but it must be really disturbing if you feel the applied force in one direction and look in the other. That the VF-19 toys cannot close their cockpit is due to limitations I guess but in fiction the cockpit should rotate with opening the canopy. If I get that wrong with my limited Macross knowledge let me know.

Did this happen to any unit of the previous release? I changed mine from Battroid to Gerwalk and it seems fine. I need to check out the hinge.

The black gun-pod is still sparkling so not really an improvement.