jenius

Matchbox was just a distributor for Bandai, they never made their own SDF-1.

Sometimes all ya gotta do is look up

For some reason, it seems to me like your YF-19 is gettin' ready to pistol whip that Ride Armor for being a glory hog.

I think no one would disagree with the following assertion: You COULD make a VT-1 combat worthy. The question is, did they? There doesn't seem to be any evidence of that. Obviously, before adapting trainers into fighters you'd send your fighters out first and there doesn't seem to be evidence from Macross that they had to resort to arming VTs. Now, onto the price thing. Let's say upon building the VE-1 they found the frame perfect for a trainer do to the seating arrangement and slightly greater space for sensory equipment or something like that. Now, having additional VT-1s may also mean they can be converted at a later date to VE-1s as well. Now say they only planned to make 100 VE-1s at a cost of $10. They now choose to make 200 at a cost of $17. The average cost of a VF-1D may be $16 but the VT-1 is better-suited and has upgradeable features the VF-1D does not. Eh, basically, who knows on the price issue, we could make a billion hypotheses there (unless the compendium actually covers that). The other consideration is that humans are so proficient at producing valks by the point the VT-1 comes around price isn't even an issue and the common thought is that students should have the best available equipment to train in.

That depends on what you're doing with the backpack overall. If you're planning on having the fins folded rather than splayed than yes, that would be incorrect. Again though, do what you want. You could always rationalize it by saying your's is a custom VT-1 with something specific in mind. Completely white without a hint of tan. I'm inclined to say that on all matters defering to the Yamato is the proper way to go (paint and arm armors). The Bandai toys are great and all but the chunky was never known for its anime-accurate-ness.

I don't believe it actually has arm parts. Bandai included a gun and arm parts but Yamato did not.

I'm a little confused why anyone has a problem thinking the VT is a dedicated trainer. The airframe exists for more than one vehicle (the VE-1). Maybe it was purpose built for the VE-1 to replace the cat's eye and then they realized "Hey, this air frame makes a heck of a lot better trainer than the VF-1D" and so they made some stripped Elintseekers, outfitted them with training equipment, and voila! dedicated trainer! It actually makes a lot of sense that way too as it makes building the VE-1 frame more cost efficient. Now, could you mount weapons on a VT-1? Sure, but why would you ever do that? If you wanted to get into a fight the more sensible vehicle would be a standard VF-1, if you wanted a fight with two people in the cockpit you'd grab a VF-1D. I wouldn't let any of that stop you though if you're making a model. Let canonicity be a "who friggin' cares" deal and do what you want.

So are you saying trainers in general seem stupid? Theoretically it could carry a gun pod, instead it carries a dummy gunpod for training purposes. A VT-1 will never see combat (unless some idiot on a date steals one) so it'd seem stupid to give it live ammo, no?

And you call yourself an addict!

Here's my understanding of it: I would presume the VF-1D still would exist as a two-seater fighter and would still have training variants as the VF-1D likely has some purpose beyond that of a 1-seater VF-1. The VT-1 is a strictly built training platform. It might work something like everyone gets their taste for the VF-1 in a VT-1 and then may move on to additional training in a VF-1D for eventually assignment to a VF-1D or that pilot then goes directly to a 1-seater VF-1 (like the VF-1J Hik trains in in the original series) or a VE-1. Yes Position of the instructor. Beyond that I would defer to the compendium. Seems like anywhere there's an active force that may require new recruits there would be VT-1s. I imagine if any Valk lends itself to non-military (in an agressive sense at least) applications it's the VT-1. As such, the trainers could be painted for whatever that other purpose would be. Are there squadrons of VT-1s with their own paint schemes? It wouldn't seem likely. EDIT - it also seems like the VT-1 is the same platform as the VE-1 so you could just consider it a repaint with different internals/externals. There may be other applications using the same frame as well where a two person crew would be appropriate. These other applications could eschew whatever training devices are present for combat devices or something like that.

Crap, I forgot the Mac+ 1/72 series and the 1/60 Q-Raus... Quote modified For the love of God, no one remind me of any other Yammy toys I may not have included...

Man... I try to avoid thinking about it.. Just using rounded ball park figures, since I don't remember the exact dollar amount spent on each. My prices listed also include shipping so I think this is a pretty fair estimate. 1/48 VF-1 Super Sets: $185 x 3 1/48 VF-1 Valkyries: $135 x 4 1/48 Delux Set Stealth: $200 x 1 1/48 LowVis Version 1: $195 x 2 1/48 Strike Parts: $55 x 2 1/48 GBP: $110 x 2 1/60 VF-1 (first edition): $40 x 2 1/60 VF-1 Super/Strike/GBP: $75 x 4 1/60 VE/VT-1 Elint/Ostrich: $75 x 2 1/60 VF-0S: $140 x 1 Survey says!?!: $2,685

Do they all get fast packs? Seems like some come with reflex missiles but no fast packs. I guess there's nothing really wrong with that... just looks a little different.

I own 4 Detolf cases and I absolutely hate the fact I can't do more valks in fighter mode. I liked Sebastian's modified Detolfs (he had a custom top and base made so that two would be combined into one). Just the same, I really think at some point I'm just going to hunker down and go with the huge custom cabinets.

This is what KK is talking about. It doesn't matter as much on the Yamato 1/60 version since the tail section lies flat even with the fins out.

It looks like Garland 2.0 should be coming out in 2007, it definitely seems best to cut your losses on the Garland 1.0. This thing sounds even worse off than the Toynami MPC Alpha! LOL

It's not a matter of training, it's a matter of rank. Having Max go from fresh recruit to Skull Leader within the timeframe of DYRL would be unreasonable. Having him go from a soldier of unknown rank to Skull Leader is preferable (as absolutely no extra explanations are needed). What year was DYRL made (in real life)? I don't think they were that hip to the uses of CGI just yet. It wouldn't make sense to ask why all sci-fi movies made in the 1980s didn't utilze a technology that is plentiful today... because people in the 1980s wouldn't have seen it coming. Beyond that your kind of nitpicking non-issues. Why is DYRL SDF-1 different from TV version? Because the animators had a bigger budget and wanted it to look cooler or more serious.

That one's all plot with not-so-much humor.

Yeah, Battroid with ghost is fugly. Personally, I find the Ghost in general to be fugly. I'm hoping I'll be more impressed when I have it in hand.

For those of you considering buying the first series still, this store is selling them cheap (be sure to check shipping costs). I've never used this store so this isn't a personal recommendation, just something I noticed while shopping eBay Series 1 1/100 Toynami Valks

No, you NEED those people to be soldiers at the beginning of the film. How could Hikaru go from non-soldier, to rookie, to completely out of action, to Skull Leader within the timeframe of DYRL? No, he needs to be a soldier from the onset. Max also makes Skull Leader during the film... something again that would require him to be experienced more than the timeframe of DYRL supports. Except the SDF-1 is still in service during the filming. Making a fake ship and blowing it up? Yeah, that's easy. Getting permission from the military to physically alter an actual vessel (at a time when more Zents may still be marauding) is likely never going to happen. The SDF-1 had ARMDs attached after it was rebuilt, as such it will have ARMDs attached in all subsequent videos.

Really? Looks to me like the TV version is all white with just a few splashes of beige (it is the beige that makes it a CF in my book). I think they'd look quite different sitting next to each other. I mean, you could say that Max's VF-1J is just like Miria's except for the hue.

Yamato invests enough money in these toys where if they perceive the market exists if only they improved the first edition they will make a second edition even if the first did not do well on its own merits. Besides, I think this is more a case with everyone being angry at the price more than the toy. If this is a $100 toy the little flaws are perceived as little flaws. The moment it became a $175 the expectations shot way up. People don't need to preorder the toy for the first run to be a success either. You can always wait, let other people get their's, and then buy one. If you want one right now they're all over the place, it's not like these toys were preorder only items. The lesson: it never hurts to be a patient buyer... it only hurts when patience turns into procrastination and then runs straight into a supply crunch. Besides, have you seen the discount preorders got? Ouch, it seems like some people actually PAID for the priviledge of preordering. No thanks -

Look, I did research for y'all: Here's Shin's VF-0A from the Ghost thread Here's a proper CF from the VF-0A thread And here's a pic of Focker next to the VF-0A pilot courtesy of Graham (also in the VF-0A thread)

Man, I soooooo need a much bigger display case Oh well, some day!