DX Chogokin VF-17S

[Graham]

49 minutes ago, cheemingwan1234 said:

Well, if they decide to retool the legs of the VF-17S, I don't think it can do the gun pod ejection gimmick properly since Yamato had to split the gunpod in half and store it in the backs of the legs.

 

I don't mind if the DX VF-17S lacks the gunpod internal storage/ejection gimmick.

I just want the toy to:

1. Be slightly beefier in Battroid mode, especially the lower legs.
2. Have all the correct panel lines according to the VF-17 lineart. At the moment, the legs, backplate and shoulders are completely wrong detailwise.
3. Resculpt the head to get of that raised cowling at the top of the head.
4. Get rid of the hardpoints on the wings.
5. Adjust the crotch peice in batroid mode so that it points down instead of being angled forward.

 

[BlueMax]

3 hours ago, Graham said:

Get rid of the hardpoints on the wings.

 

The 171s' wings did not come with hardpoints by default on the original releases, the hardpoint versions came with the FP sets. If the 17 is a non FP release, I believe they will have no hard points.

[jenius]

16 minutes ago, BlueMax said:

The 171s' wings did not come with hardpoints by default on the original releases, the hardpoint versions came with the FP sets. If the 17 is a non FP release, I believe they will have no hard points.

I disagree, the revival added the hard points and dropped the wings without them and made the wings permanently attached (which is a huge improvement). I suspect the 17 will have permanently attached wings and they will have hard points. While it may not have been canon to have weapons on the wings, it's more fun to have the hard points and give us options so I hope they're on there. That particular sin feels like a feature, not a bug, while everything else is bugs. 

[Chronocidal]

If they ever get around to making the super packs, the hardpoints will also work as a ready-made attachment point for them under the wings.

Which.. boy I'll be really curious if Bandai even bothers with those, or whether they function at all.  All of the packs in Macross7 were pretty janky in their implementation (except for the VF-11, which came from Plus).

[BlueMax]

I see. I don't own any of the revivals, just the original versions, so my information is obselete. Personally, hard points to me is just there as an option. we can certainly choose to ignore it, and if we want a "custom" so to speak, the option is there for a non conventional loadout.

[PointBlankSniper]

8 hours ago, cheemingwan1234 said:

Well, if they decide to retool the legs of the VF-17S, I don't think it can do the gun pod ejection gimmick properly since Yamato had to split the gunpod in half and store it in the backs of the legs.

Think the buttstock is supposed to be a skeleton underfolder, so it was always supposed to shorten to the same length, just without spitting... They should have done a new gunpod mold, not just for that, but also the ammo gimmick and add the beam ammo.

3 hours ago, jenius said:

While it may not have been canon to have weapons on the wings, it's more fun to have the hard points and give us options so I hope they're on there. That particular sin feels like a feature, not a bug, while everything else is bugs. 

That is definitely an intentional feature. The wings are different shaped, so definitely new parts. They put them there on purpose like the new wings on the 19Kai. I agree that it's a cool play option and I wish the frontier valks also got, and bandai should release more missiles to actually use the feature. Wanting them removed is kind of being the no fun police...

2 hours ago, Chronocidal said:

If they ever get around to making the super packs, the hardpoints will also work as a ready-made attachment point for them under the wings.

Which.. boy I'll be really curious if Bandai even bothers with those, or whether they function at all.  All of the packs in Macross7 were pretty janky in their implementation (except for the VF-11, which came from Plus).

I don't see how it's possible to mount the back pack guns. The piece it goes on has no ports on the surface, and all of its edges are blocked by something, so they can't even hook anything around. They either have to dremel some tab slots in before packing it in the box, or give you double sided tape with the pack. I feel like the way they announced this is a declaration that they won't do a super pack for it. Not even the 19Kai looks like it has plugs for the sound booster. I feel like bandai killed the idea of add ons as separate purchases, that's why anything that was going to have a pack had their packs included since WWM started. I'm still huffing my hoping for the arm cannon, but I honestly don't think it's ever happening.

[ArchieNov]

On 9/25/2025 at 10:07 AM, treatment said:

from https://x.com/simsim5479/status/1971020441360937452

 

web-translated:

 

It's kinda weird how the proportions look perfectly fine to me with the 171, but it looks off with the 17. And it's not because I'm comparing it to the line art. Just looking at these 2 images side by side makes the 17 look awkward. Maybe it's because of the head design? Seeing a Frankenstein's monster head makes you expect that the rest of the body should be stocky?

[aurance]

I hate this

[Chronocidal]

7 hours ago, ArchieNov said:

It's kinda weird how the proportions look perfectly fine to me with the 171, but it looks off with the 17. And it's not because I'm comparing it to the line art. Just looking at these 2 images side by side makes the 17 look awkward. Maybe it's because of the head design? Seeing a Frankenstein's monster head makes you expect that the rest of the body should be stocky?

I think a significant portion of the weirdness comes from the fact that the nose of the 171 makes up a significant portion of the torso, which is just completely absent on this "17" version.  There's just nothing there to look like it even connects to itself, and the legs are just left floating around the nosecone.

[Graham]

I wonder if a lot of Japanese Macross fans are complaining about the DX VF-17S design?

[PsYcHoDyNaMiX]

46 minutes ago, Graham said:

I wonder if a lot of Japanese Macross fans are complaining about the DX VF-17S design?

I'm wondering if Japanese local stores still have it available (PO sales reflecting demand). (I'm aware the following ship internationally*) I checked Hobbysearch and the PO is sold out (while the VF19K is available), hlj still has the VF17S available, so does AmiAmi. 

Edited yesterday at 01:50 AM by PsYcHoDyNaMiX

[Chronocidal]

The relative lack of demand doesn't surprise me.  Between the 171's terrible history, and the Yamato VF-17 just existing, I can't imagine anyone really attached to that design is scrambling to pick one up.

[PointBlankSniper]

15 hours ago, ArchieNov said:

It's kinda weird how the proportions look perfectly fine to me with the 171, but it looks off with the 17. And it's not because I'm comparing it to the line art. Just looking at these 2 images side by side makes the 17 look awkward. Maybe it's because of the head design? Seeing a Frankenstein's monster head makes you expect that the rest of the body should be stocky?

I think it's the camera angle, and the head design.

171 is taken slightly top down, so it's proportions are squatted, and the chest looks lower than it really is. The head and its colors are blended into the ear lasers, which gives it a photogenic V shaped silhouette that follows how the chest also tapers together towards the front.

17S is taken level with the waist. That makes the chest look as wide and thin as it really is, and looks like it hangs high up on the skinny torso. The legs' full lankiness are exposed by the direct flat angle. The head is cylindrical and silver, which stands out like a soda can, while the lasers are dark with no highlights so they blend in to the back side parts and main body, making them contribute little to the silhouette and proportions of the head. Overall it it makes the head look too narrow for how wide the chest is, and the chest too wide for those legs.

It's basically a "V" shape vs a "t" shaped silhouette. Only one of them looks like an angry robot.

[treatment]

6 hours ago, Graham said:

I wonder if a lot of Japanese Macross fans are complaining about the DX VF-17S design?

 

Some of the translated comments on this Tamashii-Nations' own tweet were at least just a bit salty...

https://twitter.com/t_features/status/1973245276841533522

 

 

[ArchieNov]

1 hour ago, PointBlankSniper said:

I think it's the camera angle, and the head design.

171 is taken slightly top down, so it's proportions are squatted, and the chest looks lower than it really is. The head and its colors are blended into the ear lasers, which gives it a photogenic V shaped silhouette that follows how the chest also tapers together towards the front.

17S is taken level with the waist. That makes the chest look as wide and thin as it really is, and looks like it hangs high up on the skinny torso. The legs' full lankiness are exposed by the direct flat angle. The head is cylindrical and silver, which stands out like a soda can, while the lasers are dark with no highlights so they blend in to the back side parts and main body, making them contribute little to the silhouette and proportions of the head. Overall it it makes the head look too narrow for how wide the chest is, and the chest too wide for those legs.

It's basically a "V" shape vs a "t" shaped silhouette. Only one of them looks like an angry robot.

I suspected it had something to do with the patterns and colors as well. Thanks for explaining it better.

But I also agree with Chronocidal's comment about the nosecone hips. Having the additional bulk in that area makes the legs look shorter and thus, not as long and lanky.