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Bandai all the way (except for its ridiculous pre-order madness). Bandai Pros: -great sleek long angular proportions -lots of tampo printing (looks great out of the box!) -great panel lines throughout and details inside panels -great articulation (amazing poses in Battroid - and that's my least favourite mode) -nice light tint on the canopy -sleek recessed forward intake lip in aircraft mode -knee joint completely hidden in leg/engine and creates a sleek smooth line -proper articulation for the forward canards for transformation -collapsible central spine for transformation -loved the way the head is covered/integrated so its sleek from front to tail of the top -satisfying transformation (no scary parts of thinking I'm going to break something) -great hidden/well integrated wing root hinge that practically disappears when in aircraft mode -great internal detailing in the leg missile compartment (both are kind of hard to open when in flight though) -beefier metal wing arms with some detent indications -gunpod attaches to hands firmly in Battroid mode -cool folding panel system to cover up the indent for the arms on the legs -stand -reasonable price Cons: -more gappy than Arcadia (however with proper transformation & massaging, this can be minimized) -hard to attach fast/super packs -unrealistic landing gears -bending gun when attached looks odd -wished the canards can be locked at specific angles (too easily bumped to weird angles) -stupid pre-order madness Arcadia (keep in mind I'm an aircraft guy, so that's my preferred mode of display) Pros: -decent/realistic landing gear -choice of 2 versions of pilots (with and without helmet) -good investment Cons: -first big disappointment from Arcadia for me / underwhelming first un-boxing experience (after paying so much I was expecting a whole lot more!) -bare bones markings (not even the intake markings WTF?!) make it really old-school toy-like -no waterslide decals to make up for the fact there were next to no TAMPO -shallow minimal panel line details and inconsistent depths throughout -2wks of extra work in weathering, panel lining, making and scrunging extra decals to make it look more than just a cheap toy -a lot of extra/useless weaponry that you can't really use unless you setup for that one TIA shot -super thin shield boat tail armor piece that looks ridiculously thin/unbelieveable in aircraft mode from behind -big fat glaring wing root pivot hinge that screams TOY! -chunky fat legged squat proportions that are true to 80s design style for Battroid but doesn't work for aircraft mode -exposed leg knee joint and black slide up piece when in aircraft mode (visually breaks leg/engines) -overly complicated tailfin joints that makes it hard for the fins to extend fully and remain planar -crappy foot ball joint that isn't strong enough to keep the Gerwalk in A-Stance -big step down for the forward intake ramp that screams TOY! -leg missile compartment that is near useless to open up (hardly any detail inside - bunch of circles? really?!) -head not integrated into the back of the aircraft -stupid canards that you have to pull out and put back in (how's that "perfect transformation"?!) - no angle adjustment -not satisfying transformation (too many scary parts of thinking I'm going to break something) -thin metal swing wing arms (worried I'm going to break it) that doesn't keep the wings in any position (no swoosh factor!) -canopy blue tint is way too dark (for a convincing aircraft) -stupid way to have to open the front canopy (dropping the black portion of the nose? - how is that lineart accurate?) -finicky way to bring the black forward portion of the nosecone back up after closing the canopy -ugly dents on the insides of the legs (for the arms to fold into in aircraft mode) -nose landing gear too short -no stand -way too expensive for you get

Beautiful work MJ (as always!) Love it, you know it was you that made me spend money to get the VF-27. I didn't know you had two! I do love all the tampo on a dark valkyrie. I do like the subtlety.

THANKS! Just ordered it from HLJ. Looks amazing.

I just love all the molded in details everywhere especially at all the joints and even the inside of the shell where you can't see it normally, only while you're transforming it. The more I play with it, the more I love all the details at the shoulder round joint, it just makes it all so much more mechanical. I love the details on the inside of the pieces - it just makes the Arcadia seem like the inside of cheap plastic (although it was far from being cheap!), where the Bandai one seems like its the inside of machinery, often there are multiple layers with the tan outer shell with a grey inner molded detail added.

Yeah, Arcadia/Yamato is always forgiven, but if its Bandai... there be heads to roll! I just don't get why Arcadia can screw up, but no one admits to it and they can do no wrong! (sorry it just really bugs me that Arcadia seems to always get a free ride - ok, I'm getting off my soapbox now...) I'm getting less and less satisfied with Arcadia with every release - especially the prices they want to charge.

Oh thanks! Yes, I can just see a little bit of it, maybe 1/3 of the divit, so I thought it should all be hidden under the fast pack as I thought the peg isn't right at the edge. Good to know that its properly engaged even though you can see a bit of the divit. Thanks!

I doubt we'd get more markings... in fact, my Yamato VF-0 didn't even have the UN Kite symbols on it, just a lousy space in the lines with bare plastic showing.

Is there a trick to getting the fast packs to click into the top round peg/divit? I've got it in the rectangular bottom connection and the round peg into the weapons holes in the underside of the wings - and its pretty study, but I'd like to get it into the top round peg/divit - is there a trick to this? BTW - I'm really enjoying this toy! Its fantastic and really fun to play and transform. I haven't even touched my Arcadia since I had to find all the decals for it and I've never even transformed that one since I've gotten it.

Nope, it was as smooth as a baby's bottom, all the salt washed away completely, including the paint on top of the salt (its very thin light coats). I didn't have a clear idea either when I started - I just followed that instructions each step of the way and hoped for the best. http://www.arcforums.com/forums/air/index.php?showtopic=171765 It's the different shade of coats that does the mottling. I used the base colour as one coat, then an additional salt/spray that was a shade darker and another that was a shade lighter, and another one that was greyer/bluer to "colour-correct" the original base coat to a blue that was more to my liking. It's an amazing process and I highly recommend it. I used the Tamiya acrylic directly onto the bare plastic as my first coat because if it went badly, I could just use windex to take it back down to the bare plastic (windex doesn't harm what little Tampo there is nor the painted metal parts). Don't worry, the VF-0D plastic is pretty durable (more so than a styrene plastic kit). My only thing is that I wished I went further (I was a bit timid being my first attempt at the salt weathering) - after the gloss coat to prep for the waterslide decals, the gloss future really toned down the entire effect and made everything darker (I think the blue is too dark to begin with). So in direct sunlight, I love the colour and effect - but when its indoors in dim lighting, I still find it too subtle and too dark.

Can't wait to see your VF-0D MJ! Yes, I've cleaned out dried up Tamiya acrylics with Mr. Color lacquer thinner (as well as Aclad metalizers). Lacquer thinners are so hot that it will strip just about anything and I use that to clean up dried gunk. Tamiya acrylics are quite durable under the Future clear coat - I've found the Future clear coat to be the most durable top coat, more durable than any of the "model" clear coats I've found.

But it would be the wrong shade of grey!

Exact same feeling here... I was so hyped for it and when I got it I was thoroughly unimpressed. The bare bones presentation carried through with the VF-0D and took a week of my hard work to bring it back to the point where I could look at it. So I'm not that excited about these VF-0 (they are just too expensive for what you get - I don't mind paying premium for a premium product, but IMHO, they are not) and I swore off Arcadia until something changes. But the Reactive Armour has me thinking as I never did get a VF-0S in the past. I'm just not sure and sitting on the fence for now - but definitely not getting too excited as I've been burned by Arcadia twice now in two toy issues.

All I know is the Alclad gloss black primer is enamel - or reactive to mineral spirits (even though it says lacquer like the Alclad) - remember my Cosmo Zero that was distroyed when I tried an oil panel line wash and the turpentine when through the Alclad lacquer (which I guess was too thin) and attacked the gloss black primer beneath. That's when I switched to the Flory Pro Modeller's wash which is just inert clay and water - so its safe for every base coat. My guess is its enamel as its supposed to cover over lacquer, if it was as hot as lacquer, wouldn't you think it might attack the metalized lacquer base coat which is super thin and delicate? I really have no idea though - just my 2 cents.

Thanks Tochiro so much for relaying your conversation. I love this MacII design so much - it was the thing that got me back into Macross after all those years! I really love the VF-2SS... but the aircraft mode is everything too me and the reason I love the VF-2SS is the sleekness and the unique nose. I'm finding it really hard to like this toy (even thought I'm really trying!), the aircraft proportions are just so wrong, the nose needs to be wider, more "sculpted", the heat-shield needs to blend better, instead of making a "double" hump from the canopy and the leg/intakes are just so chunky. I've followed this thread with so much interest but just couldn't get myself to pre-order or even contribute anything till now. Sorry, its not really a contribution, just my personal gripes with the current design. The Battriod mode is looking better the more I see the pictures though. When the toys first came out, my fantasy wish was for a VF-4 and a VF-2SS - but I secretly knew it would never happen! Well, 50% of it just proved me wrong, so now I'll never say never when it comes to Macross Toys.

YES!

So is it released as a separate add-on or will there be a bundle with a VF-0S included?

Well, If they are decals, where are these waterslide decals in the box then?! Are you referring to the wing root tabs over the leg fastpacks? That's small potatoes IMHO... or is there something else I'm missing.

Beautifully done eggy!

I don't get why Acadia keeps teasing us with toys with all these markings on the prototypes, but give us just bare plastic toys with maybe a UN Kite symbol is all Why don't people cry foul and complain about mis-representation on Acadia's part - or is it just Bandai is evil and Acadia-can-do-no-wrong! - argh

Gorgeous as always! Like the new BG.

Yeah, I don't think that's saying much - he's an artist, not an aircraft mechanic (hopefully an aircraft enthusiast). I deal with concept artists all the time that are amazing painters, but nothing makes sense because the creedo is; "...as long as it looks cool!" In fact, most of these markings are jibberish for their main audience who are Japanese, its just some interesting gak that makes it look a little more "complicated". I'm just glad Bandai spent the effort, it really makes the Arcadia offerings so bare and sparse.

Sorry to hear that MJ! I would second Chronocidal's suggestion and make one yourself, its just the end tip, you can sand yourself a piece of styrene - layer it up to the right thickness, sand the edges a little bit round. Use a pin-vise and drill a little hole in both the existing piece and the newly made replacement and stick a piece of paper-clip wire inside and crazy glue it on so the paper-clip is like a re-inforcement (used to do that all the time when "pining" resin kits) it will greatly increase the strength of the glue joint on such a small area. Take the $40 and buy yourself something nice! I'm keeping quiet till I get the toy in my hands, luckily its paid for and sitting in my Private Warehouse - but I'm leaving for vacation for 2wks, so I get them to ship it when I get back. It looks real good though, I can't wait!

WoW!!! What a great kit!, I love it, I guess I'll have to get one too (my wallet doesn't thank you Great work on it so far.

Woohoo!!! So excited I just got payment for HLJ! I just love this interpretation, so sleek, all the proportions are to my personal preference and all that nice Tampo - it just puts the Arcadia to shame (and cheaper to boot!). I think I'll keep my chunky Arcadia in Battroid and display this proudly in the sleek aircraft mode or dump that Arcadia crap (especially hard after all that work I had to do it to get it looking acceptable) and get a second Bandai for all the cool extreme Battroid poses too?! Hmm decisions, decisions...

Thanks for all the kudos! It certainly was a learning experience. The hardest part to judge was how much effect you need to go, only to be toned down by the gloss coat (glossy clear coats tend to darken the finish) and how much would come back when you flat/matte clear coat it all in the end again (flat clear coats tend to lighten the finish). I was a bit timid being the first time trying this method and I think I error-ed on the subtle side - now looking at how much I liked the effect, I wished it was a bit stronger to see all the effort went into it and I wished it was overall a bit lighter. It looks great under strong lighting or outside, but inside in dim lighting, I'd wish it was a bit lighter. At least I know exactly what to do with my Hasegawa VF-0s and F-14s when I finally do get around to them.