DarrinG

Oh - but my eyes tell me in .0003 seconds that Gundam is NOT from the 80s. However is would probably go well in the Armarauders world . . .

Feel like we'll see Layzner's plot line of a half alien, half-human -- being our 'savior' again someday (in real life). But that would take us off in the deep weeds. Where is the SPEC Zakaal? Wonder if the MkII and V-Max editions did not sell well enough to justify it . . .

That Tread is a one-of-a-kind custom creation I believe -- and a sweet one. #16 above is Iczer ROBO -- a WF resin kit I cannot locate. But to stay on topic with the thread, I greatly admire the effort that went into creating that comic world and that awesome toy. Superb offering. If it was say -- $79.99 -- I would grab it. But it's not likely ever to reach that stage . . .

Whoa - that is BAD. So is the Battroid IMO. But I would like a FB version for the fighter...

Yep. If they do that one - I might be in...

Yep - here's my top 30...

I had the SPEC L-Gaim - and it was a very nice piece. Outstanding packaging, and all the plastic and die-cast were great. Made the whole thing feel high-end. With the SPECs, its not just the metal, its the PLASTICS THEY CHOSE. Much nicer than RS. I got out of L-Gaim so I sold him and the RS I had in the line. What baffles me now with the Dragonar RSs coming out, the RS Falguan for example is going for MORE than NEW SPECS! My goodness people confused. The SPEC Falguen is perfect - total, full die-cast endo-skeleton with all high quality materials. Funny. Folks are doing just what Bandai hoped; Buy the MUCH cheaper to make RS and doubling their profits. As I said - If the Dunbine and Drumlo had SPEC versions I would be all over them . . .

This is everything I want; High quality, superb packaging, fantastic art and extras, lots of bits and a diorama or two. Except - I don't like the design. It is not from the 80s, too modern I guess, and its not designed in Japan. Looks very American -Robocop-ish. Which it WAS designed in America, and not in the 80s, so this all makes sense. If I was rich I would get it for one of my kids just so I could un-box it and click through the joints...

Sold my Zwarth because he could not stand up - and his joints were overall too loose. Sold my Billbine too. Really like high-end collectables, and while the RS have nice sculpts, their size and quality are sub-par IMO. So I'm sticking with just the Dunbine, FOW and standard Drumlo in the RS line. And I wish those were SPEC versions - with Die-cast. The Bandai SPEC Dragonar and Layzner figs are small but outstanding, wish Dunbine had been done that way...

So the huge vinyl Dunbine is out for pre-order. Bit pricey to me. (maybe the destroid monster is not far behind) One thing that's a bit confusing, you have to remove the head to see the pilot? Why not just have the cockpit doors open on hinges? http://www.bigbadtoystore.com/bbts/product.aspx?product=XPL10173&mode=retail

Here's her link I believe: http://www.ebay.com/itm/Animation-cel-painting-commission-original-custom-fan-art-Anime-Cell-1-Character-/121772659906?hash=item1c5a3754c2

nah... I like the authenticity thing . . .

$35 for having a custom artist from eBay re-create that Millia cel. She would not be able to re-create this though. I tried for it on YahooJapan - went up to 15,000 yen but it ended up going for 19,500. It's from Patlabor 2 the Movie. Or a book from that movie - not sure. I only go after 'framers' and this was a framer. It tells a cool story in itself. I like the contrast between the cheering, innocent kindergarteners and the towering death machine. I should have went higher...

Thanks for posting. The stuff about the anti-grav feel of the mechs that was lost between the original designers and final production was the most intriguing part . . .

Not making them anymore - & highly doubt there will be a 2.0 version . . .

This might have been posted already - but check out this Hellhound diorama. Loves the dusty, swirl marks! Genius . . .

I kinda want the Olson - but doubt I will be able to manage it...

Why isn't anyone picking up the TV Millia cel? Its a fair price . . . http://www.ebay.com/itm/Original-Robotech-Macross-Production-Cel-of-Miriya-/331660069113?hash=item4d387b08f9

But once this stuff gets in your veins, its hard to give up...

Yes, but what is that Godfather quote? "Just when I think I'm out - THEY pull me BACK in . . ."

MM - I'm glad you mentioned other Gundam mechs because I DO know which mecha would be #31 on my list - HYGOG! He fits right in with my love for Dunbine's Drumlo and Mospeada's Gurab. I would really like this the resin 1/100 kit if I could find it. I did not like the Zeta series (much) for the same reason L-Gaim rubbed me the wrong way. It was just too obvious when they marched out a random mecha design (and random color scheme) for that week's episode -- it smacked too much of a mini toy commercial. Macross, Votoms, Patlabor etc., all seem to have more of a realistic 'robotic assembly line' feel to their mecha. I'll try to check out that FSS story you mentioned . . .

I really do like some of FSS, and L-Gaim Mk I from the same designer probably deserves a spot as well (#31?) But I did not like the L-Gaim series much at all, and that probably cost him...

My TOP 30 Favorite Mecha Designs from the 80's List --- 1-10 Now for the Finaleeeee.... 10. 'Fallen Panzer' from Panzer World Galient (Crest of Iron OVA) WAVE again achieved the perfect likeness for this sinister snake-like mecha. They released it as both a fixed statue (for about $1,000), or a limited resin kit. Someone did a re-cast of that kit that can be had relatively cheap. There have been a slew of other resin kits over the decades, but nothing as terrifying as what WAVE released. Why I Like It - Google IT -- and you'll see. Its beyond the 'Darth Vader' in its iconic evilness - this creepy serpent machine is my top bad-guy of all time mecha bad-guys ... 9. Cyclone Ride Armor from Mospeada Gentleman, we have witnessed a masterpiece. Beagle went bankrupt getting us their ultimate likeness, and Toynami actually improved something with better boxes and head sculpts. Except for Stick's red cloth being brittle, and the weird screw-hole in the neck -- Beagle hit the mark with their 1/10th release. Some Mopeada fans say still prefer the Gakkens, but the Beagles remain the top ride armor 'dogs'. Ha. Why I Like It - After seeing the 'Lost City' - or city in the lake episode 2, and watching the ride armors fly around the ruins and battle the giant purple shock troopers, I was hooked. What kid would not want one of these machines to defeat all your neighborhood enemies into smithereens? The design is just so simple, so straight forward - start the engines and the heroic music ... 8. Dunbine from Aura Battler Dunbine The amount of model kits and toys of this one mecha are too numerous to count. While many resin kits have nailed the design, Bandai's RS recent release is a great likeness with tons of extras. If you are a Dunbine fan, you MUST GET the RS Fow ship to go with your Dunbine. Its excellent. Why I Like It - Nothing else looks like the purple Dunbine. It says classic anime. See the series if you haven't. If a kid imagined a giant robot appearing in his yard to spirit him away from his parents and onto great adventure - this is it .... 7. Garland from Megazone 23 Until recently, the best we had was the fiddly Yamato Garlands that many times were crumbling or breaking apart in your hands. Fewture has announced a pretty smart looking version with bunches of die-cast that has Megazone fans salivating. I hope it turns out as nice as it appears in early pics! Why I Like It - A step more heroic looking than the Cyclones, the Garland is just the right size, just the right cool factor - to climb in and save all your friends, kill the baddies and get the girl just in time... 6. VF-1 with GBP from Macross The V2 from Yamato (and Arcadia) is as darn near close to a masterpiece toy of this iconic design as we'll likely ever see. Then you have lots of great model kits of all types that have pictured this amazing mecha over many years. This might not be high enough on the countdown for a MW forum, but remember this - its the highest TRANSFORMING mecha on my list. The Top 5 have the luxury of avoiding changing modes - giving the designers all the freedom without any modular restrictions. The VF-1 is the chief of all the mode changing mechas - of all time. Why I Like It - If you have to go out on patrol and miss the beauty contest - take this. The episode with the GBP is just an awesome all around story - pulling us into the cockpit to feel all the fear and frustration of its daring pilot. Rocket around, blow out all your missiles and then go on the attack - making millions of fans of the VF-1 and GBP battle armor in the process ... 5. RX-93 ν Gundam from Char's Counterattack OVA The original design of the RX-93 is not nearly as good as what model and toy makers have morphed it into over these many moons. The Bandai 1/100 version ka kit is spectacular. BUT - I would have to say just from the pics I've seen - G-System resin kits have this design squared away with their many releases. Why I Like It - Putting the RX at #5 was tough, I could easily see it as far down as 3rd.Its the hero's hero mecha. Beefy, tough, and dynamic in its design - its the ultimate Gundam (and there are tons of those), and almost the ultimate mecha design of all time ... 4. Scopedog from Votoms Endless variations of the Scopedog have littered the market over and over again. Take your pick and you can find something great to satisfy your want for this robot warrior. The design does not seem that hard to hit right in toy or model form. The Yamato 1/12 turned out a little big for its own britches, and ended up a little fiddly and loose in the joints. The Chirico pilot Yamato made though is a 10 out of 10 in my book, and nearly worth getting one of those giant dogs just to go with him. Why I Like It - If the Patlabor Helldiver is the realistic mecha the army would actually make, the Scopedog was their early prototype they made along the way. I wouldn't want to go to battle in one, but it sure would be fun to get in one and battle my friends in the backyard, spinning around and ripping up the grass. The Scopedog could easily be #1 in anyone top 80s mecha list ... 3. Ingram from Patlabor This one is easy. Yamato won the longest race to get the best ever Ingram likeness with its 1/24th Ingram toy. If you have never held one for yourself - consider yourself cheated. Its truly a work of art - in anime mecha form. They're actually coming down in price and can be had for about $350 these days. make it so. Why I Like It - The design is perfect. No changes. Its the perfect police mecha -- heck, perfect mecha -- in an all time great series ... 2. Tetsukyojin (Galient) from Panzer World Galient (Crest of Iron OVA) WAVE truly created the best figure / collectable I have ever seen, even over the Yamato Ingram. All the joints are super tight, the fit and finish is flawless. These guys still command, used on Yahoo Japan, around $450 to $550 bucks when they come up. They're worth it if you have that kind of scratch laying around. If you don't have that laying around, just Google and ogle the pics. Why I Like It - This amazing robot creation always reminded of Vlad's red armor from the movie Bram Stoker's Dracula. Its the ultimate beefy, bouncer mecha -- medieval in its design -- both heroic and menacing simultaneously. If I had to go into combat with might and muscle, with sword and shield - this is my ride. Defending the free world from ancient centaur mecha and other bad-guys of all sorts, the OVA Galient is at the top of the design heap. I find it interesting he is piloted by the king's true and favored son, appears at the climax in red, wields a double-edged sword and defeats the evil serpent. Just saying ... 1. THE Sazabi from Char's Counterattack G-System and the many resin releases of the Sazabi have not only captured the design, but put it on acid and fueled this mecha to the very top of my all time 80s mecha list. So to be honest, its not just the original design, which is nice, its how its been warped into the pinnacle of all combat mechs, looking every bit the deadliest battle robot ever created. The Bandai 1/100th MG version ka appears to be a pretty awesome kit that can be easily had by the masses - and hopefully will be built by me one day. Why I Like It - "Just climbing into this battlesuit would be enough to intimidate your opponent into submission. Its the very coolest, most amazing mecha design I have ever seen, and it takes my number one spot ... Thanks...

Excellent. Looking forward to watching this come together. Take your time, I'm not sure I can ever afford anything else. This project makes me feel a lot better about (someday) assembling my 1/32 in permanent fighter mode...

My TOP 30 Favorite Mecha Designs from the 80's List --- 11-20 LET IT CONTINUEEEEEE.... 20. Marasai from Z Gundam This mecha got a recent full fledged 1/100 scale MG kit, but I can't help but like a few other versions better. I have the resin bit upgrade parts that are supposed to be combined with a standard Zaku MG, but I haven't gotten that full kit yet. I'm sure the regular MG is a heck of a lot easier to build - I should just stick with that since I like it so much. Why I Like It - If my empire ever needed a royal guard to keep watch and enforce my will, they would look like this! This mecha design appears like a bruising henchmen, and I like it ... 19. Commander Pod Glaug from Macross Of course Captain Moscato himself wins the title of best Glaug ever with his 1/72 resin kit. Why I Like It - "I - hate - to - loose - a - fight!" Who can forget its infamous pilot pounding the dash in anger on the scorched Martian landscape! Iconic design, ultimate bad-guy bot, forever wedged in our childhood memories... 18. Dragonar 1 - OP Version The series kind of blows, and so does the Dragonar 1 design they actually used in the show -- but the Opening Silhouette version is outstanding and takes its place among the all time best 80s hero mechas. Bandais SPEC version is a must-have (and so is Falguan who almost made my top 30), but the Max Factory version is also nice if you can stand its fiddly-ness. Why I Like It - Gundam RX, Macross VF-1, Dragonar 1 -- These are simply fantastic main hero designs that you just know will end up saving the day in the nick of time... 17. Invid Shocktrooper (aka gurab) from Mospeada Alright - who had the Matchbox toy? I did. Not bad - especially compared to all the rest of the horrific Matchbox line. But since then we've gotten a few 1/48th kit offerings, one at WF, then a Moscato version. Still feel like this amazing guy deserves an ultimate offering in toy form. Why I Like It - ALIEN! The design says not of this world - and horrible tracker / killer at the same time. And who can forget its eerie footsteps clopping by, as you fear for your life... 16. Iczer Robo from Iczer 1 I do have an old Bandai resin kit from a million years ago, but I sure wish I had the WF kit pictured below. Will never find it I'm sure - or afford it if I do. This bot needs a SOC release, as does Iczer Sigma who almost made my top 30. Why I Like It - I think its mostly due to the amazing OVA animation. The brave scenes battling the forces of evil while its arm is severed off are some of my favorite scenes. I wish they didn't use a naked little girl to pilot the thing so I could show my kids!... 15. Destroid Monster from Macross The Monster's memorable design has had many releases in both model and toy. Mike's 1/72 resin kit takes the cake, but here comes Bandai with a Hi-Metal Monster for all the aging Macross fans. Why I Like It - The scene in the final battle alone is enough to drop my jaw every time. I can still remember being a little kid and watching the 3 guys in the cockpit prepare it to move out. There's nothing else like the Macross Monster - but I wouldn't be caught dead in one... (or perhaps that's just where I WOULD BE caught dead) 14. Helldiver from Patlabor WAVE's high complete model is amazing to behold - highly recommended. Why I Like It - Let's be honest - if the military WAS going to actually do mecha this is what it would look like. Why all these hero mechs are bright white is still a mystery to me. The Helldiver is just so darn realistic - and darn cool looking... 13. Dangioh from Dangaioh CROSSFIGHT! The OVAs are written terribly, or worse - and the plots are as thin as paper - but the battle scenes and the assembled mighty Dangaioh is one of my all time favorites. Studio Halfeye released their $1,000 to $2,000 ultimate combining fragile resin toys, and then you can also get the Revoltechs for about $10 bucks. Why I Like It - I can watch him unite and go to battle time and time again - it doesn't get old -- and the music is the best... 12. Wingal from Panzer World Galient (Crest of Iron OVA) I tried to show a pic inside a pic below so you can see his giant wings. WAVE came out with this finished statue, and then a limited release resin kit for a million dollars. But then of course some asian shop managed to re-cast the kit, and I picked that up for some eventual retirement building. The design of this medieval mecha is simply stunning - Google it and take a look: WAVE Wingal Panzer World. Why I Like It - Looking like a true fallen angel (and acting like it too), Lord Hi-Shaltat pilots this evil mecha for only a few scenes, but its looks live on forever in fandom... 11. Alpha Fighter (aka legioss) from Mospeada Moscato's 1/32 Ultimate Legioss must take first prize, but for those on a budget the Toynami MPCs were not THAT bad - except for the oddly crumbling hands. I'm still not sure why WAVE came out with a 1/72 kit - it was far too small - but the box art was amazing! Why I Like It - "What in the blue blazes is that?!?" Ha. What's not to love about the Alpha - and they come with their own ride armors too!... Stay tuned for the TOP 10 in my 80s countdown...