DX VF-171EX from Macross Frontier

[anime52k8]

different canopy and different visor piece for the head. that's all I can tell.

[xrentonx]

I would be down for a fodder version.

[master of macross]

for me :

YAMATO VF17S is the best but the vf171 Bandai is a good fighter, The Yamato is more poor and massive.

you d 'agreement?

[sketchley]

Are there any physical differences between the VF-171 and VF-171EX, other than the canopy? For some reason I get the impression, when looking at rendered images from the show, that the upper section of the nose fuselage, specially around the cockpit is "flatter-more oval" than the EX.

Visually (and going by the series), aside from the additional external hardware, it's pretty much exactly the same. I don't think they altered the CG model in the cockpit area, either.

The only other major external physical difference was the Anti-Optical Weapon Vaporizing Armour: aka the white paint job. Not sure what the net effect is when it comes to the final surface paint (gloss? Flat?)

Edited July 20, 2012 by sketchley

[Mommar]

What do you mean by "poor" master of macross? It kinda seemed like you were praising the VF17 over the 171, then you used the term poor which is the opposite? Do you mean that it's a cleaner look because it doesn't have so many colors/tampo all over it?

[IXTL]

[Rabidweezil]

picture....too....small...

[Macette]

I agree with Master of Macross. I like the 17S way better than the 171. the difference in price shows like night and day.

[master of macross]

What do you mean by "poor" master of macross? It kinda seemed like you were praising the VF17 over the 171, then you used the term poor which is the opposite? Do you mean that it's a cleaner look because it doesn't have so many colors/tampo all over it?

excuse my friend, but I'm Italian and I use a translator,

I mean that for me is better than the vf17 vf171, as battroid the vf17 is much more massive of vf171, however, the vf171 is much more can be laid with respect to the vf17.

The fact is that yamato bandai 5-1 beats;)

[xrentonx]

So you like Yamato

[Chronocidal]

The cockpits on the two are definitely different shapes. The normal 171 had a much more flat and wide triangular shape to it, with a very different side profile and edge shape. It was much closer to the original streamlined VF-17 shape, instead of the bubble on the 171EX.

The original's canopy was definitely wider at the base, and had a larger cockpit section that folded upwards. I'm not sure the tolerances in the EX are so tight in battroid that they couldn't still fit the bigger cockpit under the chest plate, but they'd need to make a new piece for the upper half of the nose to hold the wider cockpit.

On a side note though... is this a photoshop, or did someone have a purple VF-171?

Edited July 20, 2012 by Chronocidal

[Busted VF1A]

it's probably just the lighting of the scene. if you look at all the pics, none look exactly the same. The first looks greenish, the second a much darker grey green and the third is kinda blueish. Since they were CG rendered, the background lighting has much more of an effect on the color then on standard painted cell animation so it's more likely a fluke than an intentional color variant.

Edited July 20, 2012 by Busted VF1A

[Kelsain]

Hmmm, I like the teal & cockpit of the CF, but I prefer the dual visor of the EX!

I haven't had a chance to bust mine out yet, but it looks like the whole cockpit area is a wider, separate piece. Hopefully that's a good sign that they had the CF in mind from the start.

[mechaninac]

Chronocidal, the images you posted show exactly what I was referring to. The EX's upper nose section is pinched 'in' at the bubble canopy's base, whereas the regular 171 is not... the surface flows form back to front, undisturbed, with the Hex-framed canopy smoothly transitioning from the fuselage. If Bandai goes ahead with releasing grunt units I hope they take this into consideration and design a proper upper nose half and appropriate canopy (the plan and elevation view profiles are the same for both 171 and 171EX with the exception of the canopy, so no other extra parts or changes need to be made to make it work), as well as the single visor face-plate.

[Macette]

what i dislike most about the 171 is that it has VF-171 all over it. no other macross valk advertises itself. i wonder why they did it with the 171.

[typhoon]

It may be a small shot but that looks wicked!

It certainly completes battroid in my mind

[Loop]

Yeah, they made a CF VF-27 so there's hope.

Ha! now it dawns on me that I had this argument in the past. Yes they did make a CF VF-27, but it was marketed as a Grace variant. It seemed to me the only reason they made it was because Grace was attached to the color scheme. So I wonder if they will treat the 171 in the same manner, make a Luca version with ray dome and forget about the variants that don't have a supporting cast member associated with it. Only time will tell.....

[Jasonc]

what i dislike most about the 171 is that it has VF-171 all over it. no other macross valk advertises itself. i wonder why they did it with the 171.

I thought about this myself, and while I don't think there's any "official" reasoning, my best guess would be that the various colonies use different fighters from different companies, and advertising and performance are important in selling weapons to the various colonies? I dunno, just my guess.

[MacrossJunkie]

I really hope they do put out a standard VF-171. My plan is to display the EX version in battroid and use the standard 171 as the fighter mode display.

[ultraman zoffy]

I thought about this myself, and while I don't think there's any "official" reasoning, my best guess would be that the various colonies use different fighters from different companies, and advertising and performance are important in selling weapons to the various colonies? I dunno, just my guess.

With all the exploding 171's in frontier, they could advertise it as "the Ford Pinto of valkyries". lol

[MacrossJunkie]

With all the exploding 171's in frontier, they could advertise it as "the Ford Pinto of valkyries". lol

How about the Ford Exploder?

[raptormesh]

Pftt.....CF valks > hero valks forever!

Easier to "visualize" a new squadron and its accompanying make belief missions without all the personalized power ranger colours.

[aurance]

Pftt.....CF valks > hero valks forever!

Easier to "visualize" a new squadron and its accompanying make belief missions without all the personalized power ranger colours.

VF-88S Super Sentai?

[Jasonc]

With all the exploding 171's in frontier, they could advertise it as "the Ford Pinto of valkyries". lol

Well, considering Bandai wanted to sell the VF-25, if they made the 171 too badass, I don't think there'd be a need for the 25 in the series. It's a story designed to sell merchandise, and build the overall franchise. If they do make the CF version, I hope they make the accessories, like the radome.

[ultraman zoffy]

Well, considering Bandai wanted to sell the VF-25, if they made the 171 too badass, I don't think there'd be a need for the 25 in the series. It's a story designed to sell merchandise, and build the overall franchise.

Hmm... I was joking more about how hard it'd be for the "in cartoon" manufacturer of this plane to sell their product given it's lot in life in the series, not Bandai's real world strategy for toy marketing. In any case, the 171 had a shot at being a little more badass, but emo hero pilot guy decided to eject rather than evade like a pro and save his plane (along with Macross Frontier tax payer dollars).

I guess even in-universe, Bandai has no qualms about screwing with peoples' hard earned money...

[Chronocidal]

Honestly, the logos all over the 171 are one thing I have never, and will never understand. It makes no freakin sense to plaster the name of your plane all over it. Public demonstrators sometimes have the name on them (I'm remembering the F-16 demonstrator aircraft), but stuff actually in service should look.. you know.. not like a flying billboard.

As much as I love the attention to detail, I'm tempted to strip half the markings off my 171 because they just look stupid.

[raptormesh]

Honestly, the logos all over the 171 are one thing I have never, and will never understand. It makes no freakin sense to plaster the name of your plane all over it. Public demonstrators sometimes have the name on them (I'm remembering the F-16 demonstrator aircraft), but stuff actually in service should look.. you know.. not like a flying billboard.

As much as I love the attention to detail, I'm tempted to strip half the markings off my 171 because they just look stupid.

Perhaps the bird belongs to squadron VF-171,

[CF18]

Well at least the armor will cover the advertisements / markings.

If they make the CF I hope they use a color 2 step darker than the DX Macross Quarter.

There is no simple logic with how Bandai decide what to make. 3 of the 4 Gundams from Gundam 00 movie never see any toys, but there are 5 limited Robot Damashii releases of the GN-X grunt units already.

[xrentonx]

Perhaps the bird belongs to squadron VF-171,

The two I own are from the 171st and neither are piloted by Alto. They're ultra-rare special editions unlike anyone elses

Edited July 21, 2012 by xrentonx

[Abriel]

Mine arrived yesterday. I was lucky enough to snag one at HLJ

The transformation is a bitch. It took me an hour just now to get it into gerwalk mode. I don't dare to attempt the transformation to battroid until tomorrow.

However, I have one problem... right out of the box one of the wing pins is missing I don't suppose anyone has a spare they'd be willing to part with?

Edited July 21, 2012 by Abriel

[ArchieNov]

To everyone having a problem with the hip swing bar:

Earlier today, I was looking at the manual of the 171 again and the stand adaptor for battroid mode. I've figured out that we're supposed to tilt the swing bar forward while it's extended. You should NOT push them back in. Tilting it forward will make the hips move a little higher and to the front and help lock the swing bars. You'll hear a click once it's in place. The legs will be a lot more secure now. They still swing a little, but nowhere like it did without tilting it forward. With that, I no longer have any issues with the 171. I love it even more now.

So again, do NOT push them swing bar in while in battroid mode and do NOT jam the gear doors between them. Just keep them extended like the instructions say and swing them forward till you hear the click. Hope that helps everyone on this board.

[charger69]

New larger image

Edited July 21, 2012 by charger69

[mechaninac]

That...Is...Bitch'n...! So glad I have that on preorder with NY.

Thanks for posting the larger, clearer, image.

[Kanedas Bike]

Excuse me while I wipe the drool off of my keyboard.

-b.

[Loop]

Thanks for the larger pic, can't wait for my set

To everyone having a problem with the hip swing bar:

Earlier today, I was looking at the manual of the 171 again and the stand adaptor for battroid mode. I've figured out that we're supposed to tilt the swing bar forward while it's extended. You should NOT push them back in. Tilting it forward will make the hips move a little higher and to the front and help lock the swing bars. You'll hear a click once it's in place. The legs will be a lot more secure now. They still swing a little, but nowhere like it did without tilting it forward. With that, I no longer have any issues with the 171. I love it even more now.

So again, do NOT push them swing bar in while in battroid mode and do NOT jam the gear doors between them. Just keep them extended like the instructions say and swing them forward till you hear the click. Hope that helps everyone on this board.

I have not transformed mine yet, but I will think about this when I get there.

Edited July 21, 2012 by Loop