mechaninac Posted July 10, 2012 Posted July 10, 2012 Got my VF-171EX from HLJ today, along with a Yamato VF-22S Miria type from their sale (just couldn't pass on the awesome discount on the last Macross sale; I'm so weak...), and FedEx did it one day early and for less than EMS!... take that, postal service. What a great looking,complex, toy the VF-171 is; Bandai has hit another one out of the park. One of the things that struck me upon opening the box was just how creamy the white is on this piece... it almost looks like it is slightly yellowed right out of the box. QC on my sample seems to be spot on: Paint apps and Tampo decorations seem flawless, surfaces were devoid of oily mold release residue, and I can't identify any missing parts. I must agree with everyone's complaints regarding the wing pivot pins not being the best design in the world, but they get the job done and I haven't had them pop out on me, yet; it's definitely something one should pay close attention to while handling the toy as the parts are so small there is a hazard of losing them to the carpet monster, and it's a shame Bandai did not see fit to include an extra set for just such a contingency (tiny screws with decorative caps would have done a better job IMHO). This is certainly a great, albeit expensive, time to be a Macross collector, what with two companies releasing such wonderful high-end products in the same scale and at such high quality... I'm downright giddy! Quote
Sebastian Posted July 10, 2012 Posted July 10, 2012 Got mine... and HMG, it was a pain in the a$$ to transform!! In mine the QC was Ok. Pins where also a problem. Chest piece ion mine is loose... is this normal? Quote
jenius Posted July 10, 2012 Posted July 10, 2012 Got mine... and HMG, it was a pain in the a$$ to transform!! In mine the QC was Ok. Pins where also a problem. Chest piece ion mine is loose... is this normal? No, but the chest is an absolute bear to transform, you sure you have it all locked together right? Quote
Loop Posted July 10, 2012 Posted July 10, 2012 (edited) Is it really fair to compare the VF-17 and the VF-171? I mean they are descendants of each other. The Vf-171 is a craft from the future in the comparison. I own both and like both, I know that they are similar but it's really funny that it took Yamato to actually gamble and take a stab at a craft that never had a cg to work with and had anime magic built in and get it right as far as I am concerned. The VF-171 was designed in what 2007-2008? vs early 90's? I think both craft are represented well by both mfg's. Now, what if both Yamato and Bandai made the same craft? Then we would have a fair comparison imho. It's always easier to pick the streamlined craft over the chunky one, but the VF-17 was meant to be chunky and sometimes I like chunky designs. Edited July 10, 2012 by Loop Quote
Lolicon Posted July 10, 2012 Posted July 10, 2012 Do you have an issue with people preferring the 171 and comparing it to the 17? You know there are peeps who prefer the 17 over the 171 in their comparisons. I don't see anyone bitching about that. Quote
anubis20 Posted July 10, 2012 Posted July 10, 2012 I've transformed mine twice and the wings have yet to fall off. Quote
Sebastian Posted July 10, 2012 Posted July 10, 2012 No, but the chest is an absolute bear to transform, you sure you have it all locked together right? It was user´s problem or course. After another 25 minutes I finally managed to put this thing together right... honestly this should come with a DVD explaining how to transform the Damn fighter... This thing is totally awesome!!!... when transformed right. Quote
jenius Posted July 10, 2012 Posted July 10, 2012 I've transformed mine twice and the wings have yet to fall off. You're very lucky, I didn't even get mine to GERWALK before the first wing fell out. Quote
Graham Posted July 10, 2012 Posted July 10, 2012 I've never had a wing fall off. But the wing pivot pins pop out frequently during transformation and I've also knocket out the chest cannons a few times as well. Graham Quote
Loop Posted July 10, 2012 Posted July 10, 2012 Do you have an issue with people preferring the 171 and comparing it to the 17? You know there are peeps who prefer the 17 over the 171 in their comparisons. I don't see anyone bitching about that. No, not at all. I like both, I was just looking at it from another angle. I don't really see them as a direct comparison is all. Quote
MacrossJunkie Posted July 10, 2012 Posted July 10, 2012 Got mine today. Had a hell of a time trying to figure out how to transform it as it was hard trying to tell what the instructions were trying to illustrate. Despite all that, the wings on mine stayed in place from fighter to battroid and back. I did manage to knock off the left chest gun and one of the landing gear bay doors... and the head.. during the process of trying to figure out how to transform it. It's definitely a lot trickier than the Yamato VF-17 is. Quote
ultraman zoffy Posted July 10, 2012 Posted July 10, 2012 Only two more slots to go for the 25G and RVF... not digging having to pop the 171's hand covers off, so I leave those chilling in the box and just tuck the hands in nice and good. The wing pins... without even moving the wings, they manage to loosen enough for me to be able to reach around and push them in a bit. I'll probably just thicken them a bit with clear polish or stick a piece of earthquake putty in the pin holes to keep them in check. Quote
Lolicon Posted July 10, 2012 Posted July 10, 2012 No, not at all. I like both, I was just looking at it from another angle. I don't really see them as a direct comparison is all. Well, any comparison is going to be "unfair" in one manner or another when comparing different VFs from different shows made years apart. Engineering challenges aren't relevant to my preference since I don't own a 17. Actually, they're never relevant to me because I don't care what engineering challenges Yamato or Bandai or whoever has to overcome to produce a valkyrie toy. As the consumer, the only question I care about is: Is it a good toy? Same with video games, movies, etc. But I'm going way off there. Some people love the chunky 17, and that's cool. I never really liked any of the M7 designs so I think it's amazing Kawamori took the old 17 and redesigned it into something that I really dig and prefer over most other valkyries now. Quote
Hikuro Posted July 10, 2012 Posted July 10, 2012 I gotta say, fighter mode is the best. But I'd sure like to be able to put it back into that mode. I can't get the damn thing to close. I must be screwing up. but illustrations really don't cut it. Quote
Loop Posted July 10, 2012 Posted July 10, 2012 Well, any comparison is going to be "unfair" in one manner or another when comparing different VFs from different shows made years apart. Engineering challenges aren't relevant to my preference since I don't own a 17. Actually, they're never relevant to me because I don't care what engineering challenges Yamato or Bandai or whoever has to overcome to produce a valkyrie toy. As the consumer, the only question I care about is: Is it a good toy? Same with video games, movies, etc. But I'm going way off there. Some people love the chunky 17, and that's cool. I never really liked any of the M7 designs so I think it's amazing Kawamori took the old 17 and redesigned it into something that I really dig and prefer over most other valkyries now. I used to feel the same way about M7 designs and actually preferred the 171 in the past. I had seen MacF before I ever watched 7, I tried to watch 7 a long time ago and could not do it. Upon the second try I decided to man up and chew through the series, and actually really enjoyed it. Once I saw the 17 in action though I was hooked lol. I bought the Yamato when it was available and also loved it. I wasn't even going to buy any of the new Bandai valks until I saw the 171 and it struck a chord I guess you can say. I wanted to have a "generations" style display with both so I pre-ordered it. As far as the shows go though I have more of an emotional? attachment to the VF-17D/S. Quote
Hikuro Posted July 10, 2012 Posted July 10, 2012 AHA! I got it figured out. Man, that's hard stuff....toughest transformation I've ever had to do in many years. Quote
aurance Posted July 10, 2012 Posted July 10, 2012 Only two more slots to go for the 25G and RVF... not digging having to pop the 171's hand covers off, so I leave those chilling in the box and just tuck the hands in nice and good. The wing pins... without even moving the wings, they manage to loosen enough for me to be able to reach around and push them in a bit. I'll probably just thicken them a bit with clear polish or stick a piece of earthquake putty in the pin holes to keep them in check. What are those clear shelf things? Looks very nice in the case. Quote
Chronocidal Posted July 10, 2012 Posted July 10, 2012 (edited) Ok, having received both my VF-17 and VF-171 on the same day, I think I can compare them in one word each.. VF-17: Beefy. VF-171: Overcomplicated. They're both beautiful, but in terms of the 171.. I have never been so worried I would snap a piece of metal in half. If Bandai has any flaws in the metal on the hip bar, the legs will snap off. Midway through the transformation to battroid, you have to rotate the hips 180... mine wouldn't budge. I had to force them to move at all, and that was horribly stressful to do. I've transformed them both a couple times now, and while I like the shape of the 171 better, the 17 definitely wins out on simplicity. In particular.. the little streamlining plates on the underside of the shoulders. Both the 17 and 171 do them, but in completely different ways. And Bandai decided to make them ridiculously over-engineered, and a royal pain to move around. On the Yamato, I just popped the panels off to transform it, and saved myself the hassle. One thing I do plan to do eventually.. when I get the super packs? I'm swapping in the hardpointed wings, and gluing those stupid pins in permanently. I can't believe Bandai was so.. I don't even know a good word.. that they didn't include the wings to begin with. It's needless excess, it serves no purpose, and all it does is add a few bucks to the cost of the parts. On the other hand, I prefer the nose gear on the Bandai, because it doesn't need that third front door the Yamato uses... it might be line-art correct, but it doesn't work well with the catapult bar. Bandai still haven't figured out that landing gear are supposed to be white, but they're getting better about making them reasonable shapes.. they even included the shock scissors on them this time. Call me satisfied with both for now, I just need to master transforming them. One trick I discovered though.. if your pins tend to fall out on the 171, swap them. I did, and both wings actually got tighter somehow. Also, I've never appreciated gummy head lasers as much as on the 171.. my first transformation back to fighter, I managed to catch one of the head lasers under the arm when I snapped it down. It was only bent for a few minutes before going back to its correct shape. Oh, one last thing.. Bandai? LEARN HOW TO MOLD WINGS THAT DON'T WARP ALREADY. Both mine are definitely curled up. Not a lot, but enough to make it obvious they still don't know how to avoid that. Edited July 10, 2012 by Chronocidal Quote
MacrossJunkie Posted July 10, 2012 Posted July 10, 2012 AHA! I got it figured out. Man, that's hard stuff....toughest transformation I've ever had to do in many years. Was it the little flap that you had to slide into the back of the head when you try to move the chest back into place for fighter mode? That part stumped me until I took a close look at where it was getting stuck and where pieces could go. I did some initial panel lining and detailing on mine. Trying to decide if weathering and clear coating it is a good idea. Unlike the VF-17, it seems like a lot of things scrape together due to the tight tolerances which would be bad for any clear coating. On the other hand, I want to try to protect the existing paint applications from rubbing off... decisions, decisions... Quote
Lolicon Posted July 10, 2012 Posted July 10, 2012 Bandai? LEARN HOW TO MOLD WINGS THAT DON'T WARP ALREADY. Both mine are definitely curled up. Not a lot, but enough to make it obvious they still don't know how to avoid that. I see I'm not the only one who noticed the warping. Instead of one long continuous curve like the 25, the warping (at least on mine) seems to be most pronounced towards the tips of the wings. It's really noticeable in a front profile view, like some Zentradi tried to pull the wingtips upward. Quote
ultraman zoffy Posted July 10, 2012 Posted July 10, 2012 What are those clear shelf things? Looks very nice in the case. Made them myself from some cut acrylic sheets and rods... just find a plastic shop in your area and give them the dimensions you have in mind. Tons cheaper than buying ready formed acrylic risers. Quote
Lolicon Posted July 10, 2012 Posted July 10, 2012 I used to feel the same way about M7 designs and actually preferred the 171 in the past. I had seen MacF before I ever watched 7, I tried to watch 7 a long time ago and could not do it. Upon the second try I decided to man up and chew through the series, and actually really enjoyed it. Okay, I will admit that if they ever release Mylene's valkyrie w/boobs, I'll be all over that preorder like stink on cheese. Quote
EXO Posted July 10, 2012 Posted July 10, 2012 Okay, I will admit that if they ever release Mylene's valkyrie w/boobs, I'll be all over that preorder like stink on cheese. Perv! But then again, your screen name IS Lolicon... Quote
mechaninac Posted July 10, 2012 Posted July 10, 2012 >snip< Bandai? LEARN HOW TO MOLD WINGS THAT DON'T WARP ALREADY. Both mine are definitely curled up. Not a lot, but enough to make it obvious they still don't know how to avoid that. Damn, you're right. The wings on my 171 also exibit noticeable curling when viewed from the front or rear. Thanks soooo much for bringing this to my attention... This is a definite demerit on Bandai, but not enough to dampen my enthusiasm for their new DX line of Macross transformables. Would it be too much to hope for that the replacement wings that will come with the super packs will be dead straight? Quote
Lolicon Posted July 10, 2012 Posted July 10, 2012 Perv! But then again, your screen name IS Lolicon... われらロリコンだ！ Quote
Lolicon Posted July 10, 2012 Posted July 10, 2012 I think paint scratching is just a fact of life with this particular toy, what with all the markings. My worst part is the bottom back of the head. That area gets scratched up pretty good; I've had to touch it up with a black Gundam marker after every transformation. Other noticeable areas I had to touch up were the wings being scraped by the backpack and the tips of the feet. Quote
Hikuro Posted July 10, 2012 Posted July 10, 2012 I've transformed mine a full set since this morning and I'm scratching my head if I'm doing things right for each mode. I feel the hand transformation is horribly flawed. I thought at first pushing in the upper arm/elbow made the wrists pop out and I was wrong! I practically had to pry them out on first go with a hobby knife. The gunmetal chest pieces you flip down in battroid mode seem to get in the way while transforming back to either gets all or fighter. And I hate the big gaping on the sides and above, it's worse than a vf1! I've had the left wing pivot point pop off 5 times, and the wings don't sit flush in fighter mode, and the soft rubber head turrents are bending so I may have to replace them. I dunno I think I was hoping for a bit more like what I got with the yf29, or maybe I'm to spoiled. Quote
anubis20 Posted July 10, 2012 Posted July 10, 2012 (edited) You're very lucky, I didn't even get mine to GERWALK before the first wing fell out. Not so much I seem to be the only one with a missing shoulder thruster bit Aside from that my copy is dam near perfect Edited July 10, 2012 by anubis20 Quote
Chronocidal Posted July 10, 2012 Posted July 10, 2012 I'm still pretty confused if I'm transforming the chest/head correctly, since nothing actually locks to anything else solidly.. except the backplate to that flap that folds up the back. The head is just resting on that flip up panel from the chest plate, which isn't supported by anything either. That back flap definitely doesn't like to sit in the right place either, so I might be missing some tiny detail somewhere. I have to give them credit though, because fighter mode is rock solid, and I wish the 17's legs were designed more like the 171's. The lower leg twist, and the way they attach just works better. Getting the 17's knees in the right position for fighter mode is a pain (I don't know how many times I've extended or collapsed the knee joints too far trying to hit that middle detent where they fit), and they really don't lock in the up position very well at all. I'll probably have to give the super glue treatment to the long tabs under the backplate that align the legs, because they really don't do anything to hold them up. Quote
valhary Posted July 10, 2012 Posted July 10, 2012 (edited) its true that the transformation is more complicated than the 17 but so that there are no voids on the sides for my totally worth it and I think nobody mention that for the lock the chest have to push until hear a click and you see what solid is the battroid mode I hope this lock system to the future yf 19 Edited July 10, 2012 by valhary Quote
Ignacio Ocamica Posted July 10, 2012 Posted July 10, 2012 Getting the 17's knees in the right position for fighter mode is a pain (I don't know how many times I've extended or collapsed the knee joints too far trying to hit that middle detent where they fit), and they really don't lock in the up position very well at all. I'll probably have to give the super glue treatment to the long tabs under the backplate that align the legs, because they really don't do anything to hold them up. Are you pushing the lower leg sideways one click at the knee? Remember you have to collapse the lower leg but also push the leg mechanism (at the knee) to one side making the lower leg sit higher in fighter mode. Quote
Chronocidal Posted July 10, 2012 Posted July 10, 2012 Not sure what you mean about pushing it one click to the side.. side of the leg, or side of the fighter? I'll have to check later, since it sounds like what you're describing is that the knees have some kind of side to side motion. I'm pretty sure it's all lined up correctly though, because the legs line up just fine with the center belly plate, and they do click into place on the backplate, and with each other.. they just don't like to stay there, because they're too heavy. If I pick up the plane by the wings, the legs unseat themselves and drop down. The locator tabs on the backplate just aren't enough to hold them. Quote
Negotiator Posted July 10, 2012 Posted July 10, 2012 I'm still pretty confused if I'm transforming the chest/head correctly, since nothing actually locks to anything else solidly.. except the backplate to that flap that folds up the back. The head is just resting on that flip up panel from the chest plate, which isn't supported by anything either. That back flap definitely doesn't like to sit in the right place either, so I might be missing some tiny detail somewhere. I have to give them credit though, because fighter mode is rock solid, and I wish the 17's legs were designed more like the 171's. The lower leg twist, and the way they attach just works better. Getting the 17's knees in the right position for fighter mode is a pain (I don't know how many times I've extended or collapsed the knee joints too far trying to hit that middle detent where they fit), and they really don't lock in the up position very well at all. I'll probably have to give the super glue treatment to the long tabs under the backplate that align the legs, because they really don't do anything to hold them up. In battroid... Put both thumbs on the sides of the fusal lodge and push it into the back frame. It will lock. Quote
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