STAR WARS Merchandise Episode - 2

[Big s]

At least they're still doing character kits. Anyway has bandai become more loose with their restrictions. I just saw some of the newer vehicle kits at the local hobby shop.

[Black Valkyrie]

 

SW 40th Anniversary. 

[Hikuro]

I picked up a Rogue One re-issue of the old Republic Star Destroyer from the clone wars era. Actually....I snagged two cause I thought I had lost some parts to the first one. This is technically my first glue together kit and I generally try to avoid them as I don't have that kind of time. But after a while and some patients I've been getting closer and closer to finishing it. Plus now that I have a proper work station in my garage it makes it soooooooo much easier to build. Mostly of my painting is free hand, that's how I generally prefer it for some areas it gives it a dirty look imo. But right now I'm at a point where I'm doing patch work on the panels in random locations to give it a battle worn look and been enjoying it. Depending on the overall results this may go to a competition in Seattle next month.

[Dobber]

Good work Hikuro.

[derex3592]

Looking good! Working on that same kit myself as we speak!

[Kelsain]

Looks like P-Bandai is giving us a battle droid 2-pack!

http://p-bandai.jp/item/item-1000113854/

This appeals to me, because I have no need for a STAP. What sources do you guys use for P-Bandai?

[sh9000]

Just need a preorder for Black Series 6" OT Royal Guard and I don't need to collect anything else Star Wars.

[Big s]

Nippon yasan is usually a good one for exclusives, but this may be more complicated due to the fact that they may not be able to sell these outside of Japan. I usually wait a couple of months after release to get the Starwars character kits from Amazon because the price usually drops to about $20 for most kits. I just got 2 shore troopers for that price. But the web exclusive thing may complicate this. Waiting may bring up the price instead of lowering it. You could check BigBad toy store or another site that has bandai Starwars kits and also deals with web exclusives.

It may end up cheaper to buy the standard version with the stap and repainting the droid unfortunately, but keep up the hope.

 

[Scyla]

Does anyone has experience with taking Black Series figures apart. I've got a replacement for my Darth Revan that has a missing paint app from BBTS. Sadly the replacement figure has other paint blemishes so I need to transplant one leg. I'm afraid that I will rip the figure apart while trying to do so. Any tips on how to get it out without damaging the toy?

I thought maybe heating it up with a hairdryer or hot water might do the trick but I'm unsure how the soft goods on the figure will react to that. 

[Kelsain]

I used hot water to pop apart a clone trooper. I was able to get the head and arms off, but not the legs or waist.

[Hikuro]

Just finished work on the Bandai Millennium Falcon. Really simple build even with the small pieces I was surprised how fast this went....I was essentially done with the assembly in 3 hours and then just kind of spent the next couple days painting the panels, the cockpit, airbrushing scorch marks and weathering the hell out of it. So yeah it went well.

[derex3592]

looks great! 

[sh9000]

http://www.jeditemplearchives.com/content/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=20111

3.75" vintage collection returns.  Whoa.

[seti88]

start saving your imperial credits!

falcon chogokin seems to be the first...

[Chronocidal]

I'll be curious what scale they'll use for those.. The falcon I can't imagine will be that big, but I wouldn't want an X-Wing in anything less than 1/48.  Will be interesting to see if they make them mostly out of metal, but would also be easier on my wallet, since I'd much rather have them continue their 1/72 kit line.

I'm also really curious about the licensing regions for something like this though.  There's absolutely nothing even remotely similar marketed in the US, so I'd hope the embargo on the models doesn't carry over.

Edited April 16, 2017 by Chronocidal

[technoblue]

Ooo, these could be tempting. I wonder how they will compare to the old Kenner diecast toys? 

[seti88]

I don't think there would be any embargo, after all abe is good friends with trump. 

*ahem*, this debuted at the star wars celebration in orlando with disney's full approval and appreciation, so in that sense, there shouldn't be any problems stateside.

Being chogokin tho, weight could definately be an issue. Be prepared for added shipping costs as even the R2 chogokin weighs abv 1 kg. http://tamashii.jp/special/sw/12pm_r2d2/

Its gonna be pricey, and expect lights and sounds to spice up the package.
Whether that is important is another matter, i prefer realism and model styling over lights and sounds, but hey just roll with it.

[Hikuro]

Truthfully I'm sitting and waiting for the 1/2 BB8 to release.

[Chronocidal]

16 hours ago, seti88 said:

*ahem*, this debuted at the star wars celebration in orlando with disney's full approval and appreciation, so in that sense, there shouldn't be any problems stateside.

Being chogokin tho, weight could definately be an issue. Be prepared for added shipping costs as even the R2 chogokin weighs abv 1 kg. http://tamashii.jp/special/sw/12pm_r2d2/

Its gonna be pricey, and expect lights and sounds to spice up the package.
Whether that is important is another matter, i prefer realism and model styling over lights and sounds, but hey just roll with it.

Oh, interesting, I guess their target market doesn't overlap with anything Hasbro is making then.

If they're producing something more along the lines of the 1/60 Macross DXs, I'll probably bite, but yeah, I'd rather have something more like a completed model than a light-up toy with all kinds of whiz-bang gizmos and whatnot.  At least I can hope that whatever s-foil mechanism they come up with doesn't fail miserably like the old FX-mold X-Wing.

What I'd really love to see is Bandai producing a non-electronic 1/48 X-Wing kit (not to mention the Y-Wing and B-Wing.. just due to silly scale shenanigans, the A-Wing already is 1/48).  I picked up 3 of the electronic ones because they're just beautiful, but I've stripped out the electronic guts in them because being unable to open and close the wings without battery power is just stupid.

 

[Graham]

Oh.........chogokin X-Wing and Falcon.

 

I'm In!

[mechaninac]

Oh goodie, another rabbit hole to fall into...  Who am I kidding?  Bring it on Bandai; show us what you can do; impress us, and we'll be tripping all over each other to buy them.

[sh9000]

http://www.starwars.com/news/star-wars-day-2017-deals?cmp=smc|879238514

May the 4th deals.

[David Hingtgen]

Chogokin ISD?  Either not much metal, or will weigh a ton.  I actually hope it DOESN'T have much metal---can't sculpt that fine in diecast.   I want 50,000 little details in fine plastic...

[Kanedas Bike]

Really curious about the Bandai non-model Millennium Falcon, along with any other detailed ships that they'd like to make.

Fingers crossed for decent availability, price, features and just the right touch of diecast.

-b.

[Sildani]

15 hours ago, Kanedas Bike said:

Really curious about the Bandai non-model Millennium Falcon, along with any other detailed ships that they'd like to make.

Fingers crossed for decent availability, price, features and just the right touch of diecast.

-b.

Bandai? Chogokin?

Pick two of those. 

[Dobber]

On 4/16/2017 at 3:01 PM, seti88 said:

start saving your imperial credits!

falcon chogokin seems to be the first...

Are R2 and 3P0 already being made? Look at the bottom and they are on the silhouette picture too.

Chris

[Kanedas Bike]

8 hours ago, Sildani said:

Bandai? Chogokin?

Pick two of those. 

Ha! Fair.

Let me go with price and features. I'm used to Bandai's issues with making items available for purchase. 

-b.

[Black Valkyrie]

 

 

[derex3592]

that was pure awesomeness! 

[David Hingtgen]

So like a year after getting my Bandai TFA X-Wing, I had a mini-revelation while staring at the sticker sheet---the "unused" portion of the sticker sheet, in the canopy area---would basically be pre-cut masks for the framing.  So I tried it.  And it worked well:

 

It still sucks that they give that stupid "framing with no glass" option, but at least I now have a good way to paint other ones like that.  (God, I hope they don't make a B-Wing canopy like that though, it'd be masking a bulbous cone...)

[Chronocidal]

I've never really minded the glassless frames, but I know they're just Bandai's attempt to appease "studio replica" fans.  I really prefer the way the 1/48 X-wing, snowspeeder, and A-wing are done, with a snap-on frame over a separate window, but in 1/72 that's usually just too fragile.

It's anyone's guess what they'll do on the B-wing (if it ever comes out ).  The glass is round enough that they may do it like the A-wing, but I'm pretty sure the A-wing was the only studio model with a full glass canopy.

[derex3592]

OMG THIS!!!! I WANT freakin windows in my Star Wars cockpits!!They look so STUPID without anything in there! I'm NOT filming a f*cking movie Bandai!!!  I am sick of cutting tiny clear plastic bits to glue in! FineMolds 1:48 Tie had it right!  Snap in clear part behind the frame! DONE! At least they did it for the A-Wing kit. 

[Big s]

Bandai's choices are always interesting. Since some models and mock ups used in film didn't have clear parts, they left out clear parts on the kit. They did a similar odd one with the storm trooper kit. The ones in the og movie had stickers for the rear vents on the helmet and the bandai kit didn't mold the vents either. They did include stickers and waterslides so it can be movie accurate. 

I still say those are odd decisions for a realistic kit.

[sh9000]

[Chronocidal]

That's.... interesting?  Is this just because selling a 1/144 speeder on its own would be too silly, and they didn't think of it in time to include it with the AT-AT kit?