STAR WARS Merchandise Episode - 2

[Negotiator]

[Dobber]

MAFEX to be he rescue!

Chris

[Fatalist]

That doesn't really matter since they are clearly wrong. Only my version of Revan is the correct one!

I just played through one of the stories on SW:TOR over the last few weeks for the first time, and at the beginning they say they didn't know if Revan was male/female. However, later in the game they always portray Revan as male. Still, I'll be looking for that figure everywhere till I have it in hand.

[electric indigo]

Bandai shows off their huge Star Destroyer again:

http://www.taghobby.com/1-0/1-2/2016年2月19日至21日-《c3日本動玩博覽2016》-bandai-hobby部展品/

Still no info what they'll do with it.

[David Hingtgen]

They're trolling us, that's what they're doing with it.

[Jefuemon]

Maybe that big "Exhibition Only" sign means they made just one copy to show off, not to sell.

[Sildani]

It could be a short-run kit. Bandai engineered it to see how big a deal it would be to design and produce, and they used a low-pressure mold, made of aluminium, and a softer version of styrene. Aluminum molds are much cheaper than normal stainless steel molds, but can't tolerate the heat or pressure of normal molding processes. So this exists, and probably five or ten more, as a proof of concept.

Like a concept car, they may be using it to gauge interest. Or its a massive troll as David said.

[Major Focker]

long shot: anyone know anything close to 1:350 X-wings and TIE's? Micro-machines? Titaniums? X-wing/ Armada game pieces? Shapeways?

[calubin_175]

Still can't tell how long that Bandai Star Destroyer is.

Their Mecha Colle version will be nowhere close to that in terms of detail.

[Chronocidal]

long shot: anyone know anything close to 1:350 X-wings and TIE's? Micro-machines? Titaniums? X-wing/ Armada game pieces? Shapeways?

That would put them at about 1.5 inches, which I think is pretty close to the original Micro Machines from the mid 90s. The X-Wing game miniatures might be pretty close as well.

In my case though, anything that small is below my personal "give a flying crap" threshold.

See... part of me really wonders about whether Bandai's own strategy is skewing the numbers to make them think bigger kits won't sell. They released the only large scale kit as a super-deluxe, overly expensive, and overly complicated electronic motorized monstrosity. I don't know how well it's been selling, but at that price, I have to wonder if they're going to assume no one wants larger kits, when the real killing feature is that no one wants to pay for all the extra electronic crap they're probably going to strip out and throw away anyway.

Edited February 21, 2016 by Chronocidal

[Warmaker]

Bandai keeps pimping out that Star Destroyer but says nothing about it

[Hikuro]

Was at a convention this weekend, hanging with my cosplay buddies at the 405th and while roaming the show I catch this baby at the corner of my eye and spent 30 minutes thinking about it. Do I want it? Should I pass on it? I mean, it's official, it's a replica of the real film prop, and it's wearable!

My friends wife acted like that little voice in your head going noooooooo nooooo you don't need that. While he's going DUDE! BUY IT! BUY IT NOW! REGRET ABOUT IT LATER!

I bought it. I now fully understand why they can't hit anything. Like 2 inches to see thru and it's fairly blurred.

[electric indigo]

[Jefuemon]

He's not just waving the toothpick around, that's a a toothpick dispenser. Hmmm, and less than ￥3000.....

[anime52k8]

kind of want...

[Sildani]

Use red toothpicks. They exist.

[Kelsain]

So wait, the toothpick extends from the saber hilt, and then another takes it's place?

[Scyla]

If I understand the images correctly there is a trap-door in the cape of Darth Vader. When you push the button the door opens and behind the door is a toothpick. If the saber hilt is empty the hilt will pick up the toothpick and present it to the user. If there is still a toothpick attached to the hilt nothing happens.

[Dobber]

These are now available for pre-order at HLJ.

Chris

[sh9000]

Hasbro's TVC was one of the best lines. Versatile 3.75" scale, nice detailing, great poseability, and cool retro packaging.

[calubin_175]

Bandai 1/72 A-Wing announced - 2400 yen. Also comes with Death Star turbo laser turret to be attached onto previous display stands. We are assuming that they will properly scale the A-Wing to be much smaller than other fighters hence the compensation in kit volume with the turret.

TIE Interceptor and Bomber better be next. I am also hoping for a 1/72 B-Wing rather than 1/144. Otherwise, I will wait for 1/144 scale of everything thing to be available in the 600 yen Vehicle Model line before I decide.

Edited March 2, 2016 by calubin_175

[Dobber]

Holy crap! That is awesome! Too bad they didn't just do the A and B together though.

Chris

[Chronocidal]

If I remember sizes correctly, the B-wing's about the same size as a Y-wing, at least in terms of longest dimension. Shouldn't need to go to 1/144 for that.

But... yeah. A-wings are a bit smaller, but not as small as I remembered (about 3/4 the size of an X-wing), so pretty small, but not bad. Just means I can buy more of them. Fortunately, once you get rid of the sprue, these kits are all really compact with a little disassembly, and you can easily fit 4 or more of the kits in a single box.

The turbolaser's a nice addition too, so I'll probably pick up a few of them, and I'm going to have to grab a bunch of Interceptors and bombers.

Any release dates listed?

Edited March 2, 2016 by Chronocidal

[calubin_175]

A-Wing is due May, along with the recently announced Gundam kits.

http://www.taghobby.com/1-0/1-2/bandai-2016年5月發售-模型-172-《star-wars》-a-wing-starfighter-2400yen/

I recently completed my Bandai 1/48 line with the Moving X-Wing, and have a few Mecha Colles on order. Planning to a get all the 1/72s in the future.

I am sure they will have plenty of reissues when Rogue One comes out and Amazon.co.jp still has them for 30% off.

The good thing about the original trilogy releases is that their description always emphasises on recreating the prop model, but the ones from the Force Awakens omit that comment.

Edited March 2, 2016 by calubin_175

[Kelsain]

Alright! Still haven't bought any yet, but alright!

[wm cheng]

Nice!!! The A-Wing and Bomber are definite for me, planning on even getting the 1/144 MF even though I already have the FM 1/72 (good to practice on). Too bad there aren't enough aftermarket stuff for the smaller 1/144 kit yet (especially a lighting kit)

[mechaninac]

...Too bad there aren't enough aftermarket stuff for the smaller 1/144 kit yet (especially a lighting kit)

Actually, at least as far as the Millennium Falcon is concerned, although not aftermarket, here you go...

[wm cheng]

Actually, at least as far as the Millennium Falcon is concerned, although not aftermarket, here you go...

Thanks, I knew about this one, kinda pricey for only 4 LEDs - there's a UK one that has more lights, but nothing that includes the cockpit, gunwells, front mandibles, landing lights, red marker lights, ramp and engines (is that too much to ask for in 1/144 )

[Chronocidal]

I doubt it would be too hard to splice a few more lights in, or just repurpose the ramp or cockpit ones to run some fiber optic strands. The lighting from those big lights is a little much for the interior.

Also, just out of curiosity, does the Bandai kit include the original style rounded sensor dish?

Edited March 3, 2016 by Chronocidal

[mechaninac]

Also, just out of curiosity, does the Bandai kit include the original style rounded sensor dish?

AFAIK It's strictly a TFA version... rectangular sensor only. I wouldn't be surprised if an aftermaket round dish resin replacement is released at some point- maybe directly based off FM's 1/144 Falcon.

[wm cheng]

I think 308bits has done some 1/144 Falcon replacement parts including a original Trilogy round dish for this kit. I just don't know if I can just add LEDs to the existing system of 2 watch batteries, there are some resistors wired in too - I guess it wouldn't hurt to find out - I'd like to use the fiber optics to run the red marker lights...

[electric indigo]

Build your own Death Star

[calubin_175]

Is the Turbolaser out of scale?

[Chronocidal]

Looks like it's way too small based on what I remember, but I'll have to find some comparison shots. I know there's concept art showing the proper scale.

A-wing looks really pretty though, I can't wait to build up a few.

What I'd love to see are a few pure death star tile sets of different styles, mainly the under construction types from the second death star, with cranes and support structures all over.

Edit: After a little research, Bandai may have worked themselves into a corner with the turrets. The version they're trying to replicate is supposed to be pretty huge.

It goes further than that though... you kind of have to forget scale entirely when replicating bits of the death star, since nothing was actually constructed in the same scale, and I don't know if canon dimensions for things we've seen even exist.

Here's a shot of the trench, with a few things highlighted. Those circled elements are bits of the surface that have been replicated in the tiles included in the X-Wing and Tie fighter kits.

The tiny pegs with the orange arrows pointing to them? THOSE are the turbolaser turrets. Basically, the stand tiles are nowhere near 1/72 scale. If the turbolasers were molded into those tiles, they'd be so tiny the 1/72 pilots could hop out of their cockpits, and kick them over.

I think the best option would be for them to only model the top-most section of the turret design they have, and scale it to the same footprint as a single tile. That would get the turret itself in about the proper scale to the fighters at least, but it would also make the turret big enough to be its own kit.

Edited March 4, 2016 by Chronocidal

[calubin_175]

So this is definitely different from the one for the X-wing miniatures then, provided that the miniatures one is to scale.

Edited March 4, 2016 by calubin_175