HardlyNever

Mandarake is like the most anal-retentive otaku out there about boxes, in a good way (for us). A smudge and a little dent and it's like a C- to them. I'm glad you're liking the Spartan. It just adds to the credo that the non-transforming mechs really are the stars of this line.

It's really up to you. The VF-4 kind of stands alone thematically; it only appears briefly in an animation that is essentially an epilogue to DYRL, and looks fairly unique compared to most every other valk. I have mine with a YF-19 and VF-2SS as sort of the "next chapter" shelf, under a DYLR shelf. But it could thematically fit with the DYRL stuff, imo. Or just put it wherever it looks good to you.

The majority of people seem to not want it, at least on these forums. I'm in that camp as well. Unfortunately, I think we're going to end up with it. There seems to be a precedent that once a company incorporates a gimmick fairly successfully, most of the following releases have to try to replicate that gimmick, even if no one really wanted it. The face plate coming off the yf-19 comes to mind (who really cares about that?). Interior detail on VF-1 super parts seems similar (although it looks like Bandai might be finally getting rid of that, or at least greatly reducing it). But I kind of like that one Anyhow, I hope they don't, but I think they will. But even with the gimmick, I think it will still be a good toy that is worth the purchase. So I'm still excited.

Mine has also been in battroid mode for about a month (I haven't even tried the other modes with the armor). It seems fine, but I don't really handle it. Maybe I'll check it this weekend. I do have it on the reinforced display stand, with the support arms attached. I even added another set of support arms (from a different display stand) to hold up the boosters.

Good Ol' MMM says it has 4 micro missile launchers standard, where @Shizuka the Cat highlighted. The stuff about the FAST packs is a little hard to parse, but what I'm understanding is that they are saying there are 4 hardpoints to mount the four fast packs. which have more missiles, but doesn't say exactly how many ports: "all-environment FAST Pack weapon packs with micro-missiles (mounted on arm/tail and hip/underside panels) each capable of equipping 4,000 kg."

The quote I copied is in purple, which means it's from the Macross Chronicle (or at least is supposed to be). Haven't read any of them myself, so I can't vouch for the authenticity personally. It could be a loose translation; I guess you'd have to track down that particular issue and see for yourself. I doubt they would put it in the MMM if they weren't too sure about it, though. Like I said, I'm no expert, so you'd have to take it up with the MMM and/or the Macross Chronicle, I suppose.

I'm not enough of a YF-21 (or Macross) buff to know the correct answer, but I can see the confusion if in fact delimiter mode != ejecting the arms and legs, since I believe it is mentioned only once (from what I recall), and it is around the same time he ejects the arms and legs. Either way, I don't know of any other valk, at least that has been animated, that has the ability to jettison the arms and legs, for whatever reason. You see lots of armor popping off, but I can't recall any other valk being able to deliberately remove parts from itself (voluntarily) in case they are damaged. Regardless, I'm kind of hoping Bandai doesn't bother with the gimmick, as I think it will be detrimental to the structural integrity as a whole. Oh, and then there is this from the Macross Mecha Manual: While most VFs have traditionally situated the main engines within the legs of the Battroid, the YF-21 arranged the engine block in the main body with independent legs. By discarding the mostly dead weight of the arms and legs, the limiter-release mode can attain performance reaching the fuselage design limits and attain high manueverability combat performance exceeding other VFs. However, the pilot operating the limit-release mode bears the effect of dangerous G-forces which exceed the limits of the human body.

This is where I'm at. I don't want a gimmick I'll basically never use to compromise the toy's integrity in the standard modes. If they can get it to work without any other issues, great, but I don't want them to try to force it just because it's been done before.

Yeah, that's why I said rarely. There are always exceptions. Even the regular regult took a while to catch on, though; it wasn't a top seller immediately. I know I got mine below MSRP several months after release. Seems like it took almost two years for it to really become a hot item.

That would be a great thematic pack. I wonder if they consider the TV Max 1A to be desirable enough to be the seller in a double pack. But maybe the theme alone would carry it. I'd definitely be in for one, maybe more, and just customize the extra 1As to be cannon fodder.

If the Scout and Roy VF-1S do in fact end up being sold exclusively as a double pack, it will basically confirm what we've been realizing for the past few years: non-valks rarely sell well on their own. It could be the new reality that in order to get a non-valk release, we're going to have to buy it bundled with a popular valk (either as a re-issue, or something they haven't made, but think will sell well). The GBP set is a prime candidate for something like this. Probably the Hikaru VF-1S DYRL. The Max VF-1J sold well enough, but maybe not well enough to serve as a bundle seller. I would think the TV VF-1S would be a good match as well, but maybe we'll get that later? Or we could be jumping way ahead of ourselves and this won't be a bundle at all. It's fun to speculate, though.

The box confuses me. It says battroid, but also "kanzen henkei." Which is it? Cool box, either way.

When they get to that DYRL section... すごい indeed. Would have loved to see that in person. The Macross Plus section was nice too

We're all caught up in the Tamashii Nations event news, and this guy necros a thread and drops the hottest release of 2019 on us. Never saw it coming.

This is what I thought they were going to do with the Focker release, but since we're seeing the black emblem, I guess that is out. So maybe it is really Hikaru 1A that will be the bundle, instead. It would also be funny if we're doing all this guessing and scheming, and the red 011 emblems are in a baggy taped under the tray when we get the super/strike parts. But we're also missing the UN Spacy kite emblem for the packs. Does that mean we're getting a separate TV super part release, with TV-accurate arm armor and UN Spacy kite emblem? Who knows?

I'm already sold, but I don't have a Yamato yf-19. If they want to continue to tweak it, more power to them, but I'd be a buyer just based on what I see. The fact that it doesn't seem to have any accessories on display with it makes me think it is still a pre-production mold to some degree or another. I'd be interested to see what kind of accessories they are planning, though. They set the bar pretty high with the YF-19, I hope they can do something similar with this. I know it won't have quite that level of a load-out, but I would expect at least fast packs and a gunpod.

Uhh... do my eyes deceive me or is the booster pack mostly hollow? I see a little bit of engine detail right next to the nozzle, but then a whole lot of nothing where more engine should be. I'm really starting to think Bandai skimped out on internal detail on these parts. And they are a separate accessory even...

Had the same thought. We've seen the fast packs displayed what feels like half a dozen times now, and not once have we seen any internal detail displayed. And yet, with the whole swap-out emblem thing, it seems like at least the top booster cover comes off. But they refuse to show it. Such a weird situation. Maybe it comes off but has no engine detail? Would they really do something that dumb? Don't forget VF-1A Max (DYRL ver)!

That's just the official release date. Like all other Bandai release dates, they tend to start to trickle out a day or two before.

It looks like this might not be the final production product. But as always when we get a new mold revealed:

This has been the top of my wish list for a while. Super excited Based on our collective reaction, the pre-order madness will be rough on this...

Great to see the scout regult. Still not sure if it will actually be a double pack, but it sure looks that way with the way it is labeled. If so, I think it is pretty clever marketing by Bandai. I don't have an HMR Roy, so I'd definitely buy the pack. But Bandai knows most of the hardcore collectors will still buy the pack, even if they already have multiple HM/HMR Roys, just for the scout regult. And how do you move less-popular enemy mecha for the "casual" collector? Pack it in with arguably the most popular valk in the franchise. They might also be seeing the secondary prices on the HMR Roy, and want to get in on the action. Bandai might be learning... Of course, we can't ignore that "display only." But I think it will get an actual release.

It lists Hi Metal R on that page if you click on the "Robot Center" tab... It could just be the Focker VF-4 we've already seen, but I'm holding out hope for at least one more announcement.

Unfortunately, this is where I'm at with Arcadia, as well. I want to like them, but their prices are getting so high I can't keep supporting them, especially when they put out products with QC issues at the level we've been seeing. I'll keep looking at the stuff they make, but everything they make now is basically a no, with a possibility that they could change my mind in the future. And while I enjoy their vf-4g, the loose ankles aren't exactly confidence-inspiring. And I know they're going to want even more for this release. So... no thanks.

My friend and I were really into Z's back in high school. I bought his 280Z from him when he got a 300ZX from the 80s. Then he sold that and got a white 300ZX from the 90s that looked just like that. Then he rammed that into the back of a pick up truck, and no more Z's for him (he was fine, but his parents wouldn't let him buy another one). Sometimes I think about getting one of the new 370Zs, but they don't seem all that great tbh.