IXTL

Roy's 1S is getting reissued yet again in Feb according to Hobbystock and Amiami. It just got reissued last Dec. That's fast. Maybe demand is high because people are buying duplicates to replace their broken ones. I jest. The big question is: Is anything going to be done to make the shoulders on the 3rd release more break resistant? http://www.hobbystock.jp/item/view/HBY-ACF-00001390 http://www.amiami.com/shop/ProductInfo/product_id/94774

The v2 1/60 VF-1 figures seem to be released in order of pilot. Roy's 1S first, followed by all the VFs piloted by Hikaru (1A, 1J, 1D, 1S except VT-1 Ostrich), then Max (1S, TV 1A). If this release pattern is deliberate on Yamato's part and not just coincidental, then Max's 1J and DYRL 1A should be next in line.

So far it's just those four. Next one is the 1D in Feb followed by the Max 1S.

Which v2 1/60 figure is yours?

I guess the shoulder breakage on the 1J means that no release so far (except Hikaru 1S, but not many have it yet) is actually "safe", with the 1st run Roy 1S the most likely victim of breakage due to its tighter tolerances. I suppose that as more people get their hands on the Hikaru 1S, we'll probably hear some (hopefully few) incidences of breakage on that as well.

No worries. The SMS stand for the 1/72 plamo looks good but the DX stand does indeed look like it will suck.

That's the Bandai Action Base display stand meant for plamos and light weight plastic figures like those from Bandai's Robot Tamashii line). I don't think it can support the weight of the DX properly over long periods. The SMS display stand for the DX figures will be out with the exclusive alto super pack and DX VF-25G and RVF-25. Unfortunately, it does not appear to be articulated.

Here's a closer pic. Can fluent Japanese readers make out if it says the colored parts are decals or cast in colored plastic?

Bandai definitely want the consumer to know they consider the DX to be PT. The words 完全変形 (Perfect Transformation) are printed nice and large on the front of the box. No way a Japanese reader could miss it.

It's a shame about the head lasers on Ozma's valk. I've yet to see a single photo of a retail piece with straight lasers. Has anyone with a DX VF-25S tried straightening the head lasers on their's?

You do know Tamashii and Bandai are one and the same right? Tamashii is just a sort of sub-branding/grouping of Bandai's high end collector's toys (e.g. SOC, SIC, DX Chogokin, Saint Seiya etc.) under one umbrella. The Tamashii Web Shop being an outlet for Bandai to sell exclusive items from their various collector's lines. Also, it doesn't look like the Web Shop is going to produce on demand anymore. The are re-opening orders for the exclusive super pack and will continue accepting orders until stock runs out. So like I mentioned in my original post about the second order period for the super packs, it looks like they will now produce them in larger quantities. The first order period was likely to gauge demand and produce just enough to meet it but by the looks of it, demand has exceeded their expectations so they're accepting more orders. Mass release stand alone super packs don't look likely at the moment. Bundled sets and exclusive stand alone packs seem the more likely sales route.

They will be just as detailed. Most photos have been of the prototypes/test shots which are not fully detailed. Check out the official stock pics of the DX 25G and RVF with super packs below. Markings will be tampoed on on the final product. Pics originally posted here:http://www.macrossworld.com/mwf/index.php?...st&p=695891

If so then there would have to be an error in the listing since it states スーパーパーツ(Super Pack) not アーマーパーツ (Armor Pack).

None. Tamashii Web shop has the materials listed as ABS and PVC.

Tamashii Web Shop are re-opening orders for the exclusive Super Pack for Alto's VF-25 on 10 Jan. Orders will close once stock are sold out. http://store.shopping.yahoo.co.jp/tamashii...en/jh0010.html# It looks like the first order period was for Bandai to gauge the numbers they needed to produce and since response seems good, they're accepting orders again but instead of pegging the the number of units produced to the number of orders received, they're producing more now and closing orders once the numbers are met. It is also mentioned that parts swapping of the machine gun/hip mounts are needed when attaching the super pack.

Thanks for the update Graham. Any idea about the recent reissue Roy 1S and if it's plagued by the same problem as the first production run?

Clearly the DX. The shopping cart landing gear, low engine nacelle placement in fighter mode, out of shape head lasers (on 25S) and small plug holes points all over the place for super pack attachment are dead giveaways.

That's what the S.M.S. action base display stand is for. Feb release, 840yen btw.

VF-25F with super pack set as non-exclusive definitely won't be happening anytime soon since that would take away the exclusivity of the web shop super pack release. If Bandai does it then it would be quite some time away. I could, however see Bandai releasing a bundled set if say the upcoming movie edition of Frontier has VF-25s with a different appearance to their TV counterparts (i.e. SDF vs DYRL). Then there would be some difference between this and the web shop exclusive "TV" super pack. As for the full armor for VF-25S (and VF-25F), it will likely be as a web shop exclusive but that's just speculation on my part since Bandai hasn't announced anything yet.

Yamato 1/24 Ingram Unit 1 lightbar feature http://www.yamato-toys.com/dev/cont_067/in...l?infolnk=index

I don't believe a date has been officially stated but I'm guessing shortly after the RVF-25 kit is released in Feb, so probably March or April.

New images of the super pack set. It's mentioned in the fifth attached pic that it will be possible to do all the variant colors for the super pack. Not sure if that means the set comes with plastic parts cast in all the appropriate colors (and you choose which color variant you want to build) or if there will just be decals in the 4 trim colors. Note the opening micro missile hatch in image 3. ***The super pack will be available stand alone for 2,000yen or as a bundled set with the VF-25F kit for 6,500yen. March release for both.***

Not to mention more fragile as well.

Saw the 2 DX figures in person today (albeit in a very poorly lit display) and they do look much better than in photos. The glossy plastic parts look alright and not as cheap looking as in most photos I've seen. Unfortunately (or fortunately depending on one's POV), they're still not nice enough to justify the ridiculously inflated prices the DXs are going for at the moment. That and the whole slew of perceived "flaws" of the figure's design (shopping cart landing gear, under-scaled glued in pilot etc.).

3x LR44 batteries.