jenius

5% isn't the biggest discount in the world but it's still below MSRP. Some retailers might have gone as high as 15% with the discount.

I'm looking forward to the box. Arcadia does the nice flip top lids so it should be an improvement over the Yamato.

I'm guessing all these pics are of a yamato toy since they're not up for order yet, not a mock up of any kind.

Angolz just listed the hmr regult if anyone is still looking.

Just went to order this. It looks like you can order it but it also looks like it's out of stock. I'd assume it's out of stock and they just let you order in case they get more? Not sure I trust that. Does anyone know of a place where it's in stock? Edit - Duh, amazon is all over it.

I don't know, this was a super niche product and they're releasing the same exact paint scheme so of the few that would ever buy this toy (especially at this price) most already have it. I really doubt they'll make a killing off this. It may prove profitable because some will swoop it up expecting it to be an investment piece or to avoid the chance they can't get it later.

Ooh preordered, thanks. Private warehouse may work out for these guys

Vf1, license much more expensive than vf4.

This paint scheme? None. It was in a video game. The vehicle was in "Flashback 2012", a bit of post DYRL animation.

So the problem with the fact that rates are much better now is that China linked its currency to the US economy. Theoretically that would mean that the Yen cost of these toys should go up by the amount the exchange rate has improved so we should still end up paying around $320. It's been a while since I followed this stuff though and I think I read that China devalued their currency in the face of their current economic downturn so hopefully that improves things.

Not saying anything definitively but that was my understanding. They may have won the license again though if Bandai didn't up the ante on them.

For all you people who wonder why we don't get low vis paint schemes, there is your answer. The jet junkies love em, the usual buyers find them boring.

What makes you think they have the license? I had heard otherwise, that it was pulled in advance of Delta for rebidding.

Man, I have some toys to sell you!

All battroids are beautiful, even the ugly ones!

A Konig Monster of any scale was a risk. Like the 1/2000 SDF-1 toy that was never-to-be, the accountants won the fight with the creative types.

Not my custom but looks amazing: http://www.ebay.com/itm/TRANSFORMERS-CUSTOM-MASTERPIECE-STARSCREAM-/321884506047?hash=item4af1cfc7bf

amiami selling the GBP 1J for a good price on ebay: http://www.ebay.com/itm/Bandai-HI-METAL-R-VF-1J-Armored-Valkyrie-Macross-Do-You-Remember-Love-/272006518531?hash=item3f54da1703

I like the art. I think my proclivity toward over-analysis killed the humor for me. I mean, that giant bird is in the background, it hasn't been stopped, and when it is stopped there's not gonna be much of a VF-0A leftover... and even then, it's not the VF-0A that makes things happen, it's a suicidal Shin. Okay yeah, I think I just suck at humor. I'd say that the tough guy award for Zero goes to the 0S though. I don't remember, was Roy still racking up kills after he lost the 0S's head? EDIT - would definitely look forward to seeing more

I've been trying to figure out why Battroid mode doesn't bug me and I think it's 80s nostalgia. I mean, even if battroid mode wasn't fleshed out until the 90s, there's just something about it that screams beefy 80s mech to me and that's impressive since the fighter mode looks like a sleek star fighter.

I might spring for a second though I normally try to own one of each mold... and certainly only one of each paint scheme. Something about this bird though makes me love it... I even like battroid mode though I couldn't tell you why. Super positive note, this might mean full VF-X license for Arcadia (might not). So that means some potential other toys though Arcadia has stated they're sticking to mainstream heroes so... maybe not.

Graham should publish those photos now!

Handling the Yamato is a lot like handling a wet noodle. You find yourself propping it up against itself to make it hold poses. This can work for a static display piece with limited posing but as far as toys go... it's not fun. The Bandai, on the other hand, is a great toy. While I'd agree that in some respects the Yamato toy is truer to the VF-X line art and the Yamato toy has the better size, if you ever plan on touching the thing you want the Bandai. The Yamato should be strictly reserved for a GERWALK pose in the back of a large display.

The VF100 was Bandai's first foray into 1/100 scale Macross toys. The hope was that they would be budget parts-formers allowing Bandai to take more risk on less popular valkyries to create an entire universe. They began with the VF-25 toys but they were terrible. They took parts-forming to the extreme and even with all the parts-forming they weren't great looking in battroid and the joints were questionable. Customers revolted and not all the planned VF100 VF-25 toys made it to market. Bandai had already started designing a VF-19Kai for the line and with the feedback they had received they had drastically reduced the amount of parts-forming. Since the VF100 name was now toxic they decided to sale the Kai as a mid-tier product, rather than a budget offering, and rename it "Hi-Metal" to capitalize on nostalgia and try to get customers to see this line was much more perfect transformation than the dreadful VF100 line. This was before Yamato's Kai so it did alright for a little while. Then we got the VF-1 line of Hi-Metal. Unfortunately for Bandai, Yamato was flooding the market with premium VF-1 toys that were having their prices slashed to the mid-tier level Bandai was hoping to be the only fish in. So, Bandai quit the market, Yamato went out of business, and now that there are no premium VF-1 toys in the mid-tier market, Bandai has renewed the "Hi-Metal" line with apparently very minor tweaks as the "HMR" line. But wait, that means there's now a vacancy in the premium VF-1 market... DX? I keep saying it's going to happen... it keeps not happening.

It's possible Tatsunoko's right to a cut of the SDF Macross merchandising has expired (though it seems odd the domestic rights would expire while the sole international rights would go on in perpetuity) but I think the whole 'major point of contention' likely says enough as to why there is no officially licensed FB2012 items. It doesn't have anything to do with the VF-4 transforming.