DX VF-171EX from Macross Frontier

[505thAirborne]

5 hours ago, slide said:

On the model side of Macross collecting, we've been drooling for one since it hit the screen! 

Maybe one of these days, I'd easily own a 1/72 fleet of the VF-171. 

However, if it were Hasegawa they to build a Fighter & Battroid mode kit. 

Edited May 4, 2018 by 505thAirborne

[Sandman]

2 hours ago, kajnrig said:

IIRC, the extra wings have hardpoints for the various extra munitions. Also IIRC, the wings are designed for easy swapping, which has the side effect of making them prone to falling off.

Someone who actually has one, feel free to correct me on this.

Honestly the wings swapping kind of wrecks the toy for me. There is just too much frustration with them falling off. Then there are the pegs holding the wings in place breaking. ARghhh.

[Duymon]

Cleaning Complete O_o

[rdrunner]

7 hours ago, kajnrig said:

IIRC, the extra wings have hardpoints for the various extra munitions. Also IIRC, the wings are designed for easy swapping, which has the side effect of making them prone to falling off.

Someone who actually has one, feel free to correct me on this.

 

7 hours ago, Duymon said:

IF you don't care about the box you can nab them on Mandarake for like 40 bucks before shipping

 

https://order.mandarake.co.jp/order/detailPage/item?itemCode=1032159023&ref=dos

 

The wings have the ordinance mounts on them so you can mount the missiles. Just make sure you buy the Alto version. (the other version is the regular VF-171 CF version)

Guys - thanks very much for your replies, this is all very helpful info.  I can't wait to get my hands on the 171EX Alto (never watched Macross F but will probably get to it at some point). Also ordered the 25F renewal and armour set, used, which was not cheap but would be a nice addition to my new collection beyond VF-1's.

I think I will also get that super parts set for Alto's 171EX soon if they still have it in stock at that price.

[Xigfrid]

8 hours ago, Duymon said:

Cleaning Complete O_o

That’s Truly an amazing 171 collection! 

[borgified]

Sigh... I guess that Bandai will not do the tan coloured NUNs 171 from Delta I take it after taking in consideration of all the notable flaws that happened to the 171 valks.

[Sandman]

It would be nice if they did a renewal. The Cf 171 from frontier was one of the valks I wanted the most and the whole run ended up being defective. Bandai never even acknowledged the problem. 

That being said they’ll probably release the tan version soon. They like milking this mold. There’s been 4 recolours so far I believe.

[Duymon]

On ‎5‎/‎4‎/‎2018 at 3:15 PM, Mechapilot77 said:

lol and i thought i had a lot of 171s.  i've got a few non CF (alto, rvf, and maruyama custom) but I have 3 CFs only...that was my "troop building".  IIRC I got one of them from you?  We met up once I think if i'm remembering correctly.  you taking it to a whole other level there.  i count a dozen CF versions!

Omg i remember that. One of the two Mworld dudes I have met IRL lol

[Mommar]

21 hours ago, Duymon said:

Cleaning Complete O_o

So were any of them disintegrating?

[physioguy]

I love this valk so much I had to do one in stealthy-colors

[Shizuka the Cat]

22 hours ago, Duymon said:

Cleaning Complete O_o

 

OMG.... I love how long and thick the head and shaft of that payload the VF-171 is packing! I wish that would fit on the underbelly of my chassis!

[Shizuka the Cat]

So... out of curiosity, which is the better toy, between the Bandai DX VF-171 and the Yamato 1/60 VF-17, in terms of line art accuracy, build quality/durability, and transformation?

As I understand it, the VF-17 is like handling a porcupine, whereas the VF-171 is likely to have wing tabs pop off and plastic triangles exploding?

[Mommar]

Neither is better.  The 171 is closer in “lineart” because it was based on a 3D model but it’s overengineered and isn’t fun to transform at all.  The green cf ones have the auto-exploding shoulders.

The Yamato is fatter than the lineart in fighter and the backpack sticks out from the back too far in Battroid (though this does make posing better).  And it can be pokey when transforming thought if you can think ahead about where each part is going to go it’s manageable.

Edited May 5, 2018 by Mommar

[borgified]

Nice to see you drop by into the 171 thread @Shizuka the Cat.

2 minutes ago, Mommar said:

Neither is better.  The 171 is closer in “lineart” because it was based on a 3D model but it’s over engineered and isn’t fun to transform at all. 

All the 171 valks are nerve wracking to transform regardless even though the design of the 171 is the based on the 17. Even the SV-262 (from Delta) is also not fun to transform as well. It's an acquired taste to see if all valks are subjected to your own liking. 

[mechaninac]

In my personal experience -- haven't handled either very much -- the Bandai DX VF-171 is superior in the accuracy to line art department, but the Yamato VF-17, although bulkier, is pretty close too, specially if you take into account that it attempts to realize in 3D, and 3 modes at that, what was a purely 2D beast with a lot of anime magic in the mix.  In terms of quality and durability the Yamato wins out because it is simpler than Bandai's take on the 171 as they added a lot of, some would argue, unnecessary complexity to their engineering to a toy that has a smaller frame than the 17; and this plays into the ease/enjoyment of transformation between the two as, stabby bits aside, the Yamato 17 shifts from mode to mode with less fuss or chance of something being over-stressed and possibly breaking... patience and practice tend to mitigate any issues someone may have, with either bird.

[blackconvoy_D01]

They both have "the look"; but they're not perfect in their execution. Despite that, the 171 and 17 are still my faves. 

[Shizuka the Cat]

2 hours ago, borgified said:

Nice to see you drop by into the 171 thread @Shizuka the Cat.

All the 171 valks are nerve wracking to transform regardless even though the design of the 171 is the based on the 17. Even the SV-262 (from Delta) is also not fun to transform as well. It's an acquired taste to see if all valks are subjected to your own liking. 

I know that a few weeks ago I swore I would not venture out of the VF-1 realm... that I would avoid M7, M+, etc... 

But YJA did me in with the VF-19 Kai, and it was downhill from there. *sigh*

[Duymon]

6 hours ago, Mommar said:

So were any of them disintegrating?

9 of 12 CF's had parts breakage, mainly the triangle parts (both the shoulder triangle and the under slide-out triangles) and the knee joints. 1 or 2 also had really brittle canopies that had to be glued back in and one of the fighters even had a chest swing bar that broke apart and required the unit to be glued entirely into fighter mode.

All of the CF battroid and Gerwalks have Shapeways shoulder triangle replacements and their slide-out triangles removed. The fighter modes were given all the intact triangles and all the broken knee joints since they don't need knee articulation.

It's been rough but luckily I didn't pay retail for nearly all the CF's.

the 171 Exes are all perfectly fine without any Parts breakage.

Edited May 6, 2018 by Duymon

[blackconvoy_D01]

18 minutes ago, Duymon said:

9 of 12 CF's had parts breakage, mainly the triangle parts (both the shoulder triangle and the under slide-out triangles) and the knee joints. 1 or 2 also had really brittle canopies that had to be glued back in and one of the fighters even had a chest swing bar that broke apart and required the unit to be glued entirely into fighter mode.

All of the CF battroid and Gerwalks have Shapeways shoulder triangle replacements and their slide-out triangles removed. The fighter modes were given all the intact triangles and all the broken knee joints since they don't need knee articulation.

It's been rough but luckily I didn't pay retail for nearly all the CF's.

the 171 Exes are all perfectly fine without any Parts breakage.

Lucky you, my RVF-171EX has chips on the triangles and a broken leg.

[derex3592]

The Yamato VF-17's should have a warning label on the box.."YOU WILL BLEED"  -- in the deep Battfleck voice. because every time I have tried..it draws 1st blood, that being said...it still doesn't make me want to hurl it at high speed into a wall like the Bandai offerings.  

 

[Slave IV]

7 hours ago, Shizuka the Cat said:

OMG.... I love how long and thick the head and shaft of that payload the VF-171 is packing! I wish that would fit on the underbelly of my chassis!

[Chronocidal]

2 hours ago, blackconvoy_D01 said:

Lucky you, my RVF-171EX has chips on the triangles and a broken leg.

I only ever had one leg break, but it was absolutely catastrophic.  That knee shattered into a pile of splinters that is never going to function again.

I actually purchased a pair of broken and battered CFs to use as spare parts on my original pair..  Between the four, I've put together two completely functional ones, and one with replacement shoulder triangles from Shapeways that's good for battroid.

Edited May 6, 2018 by Chronocidal

[blackconvoy_D01]

7 hours ago, Chronocidal said:

I only ever had one leg break, but it was absolutely catastrophic.  That knee shattered into a pile of splinters that is never going to function again.

I actually purchased a pair of broken and battered CFs to use as spare parts on my original pair..  Between the four, I've put together two completely functional ones, and one with replacement shoulder triangles from Shapeways that's good for battroid.

I'm gonna get the triangles, and I'm looking for a spare lose 171EX for parts. The break still allows for gerwalk and battroid, but I eventually want to swap the leg out.

[Shizuka the Cat]

AmiAmi currently has a 171EX for 11,680 yen. It has a cracked right leg, but might be useful for its intact left leg and spare parts.

http://www.amiami.com/top/detail/detail?gcode=TOY-RBT-2281-R

[blackconvoy_D01]

14 minutes ago, Shizuka the Cat said:

AmiAmi currently has a 171EX for 11,680 yen. It has a cracked right leg, but might be useful for its intact left leg and spare parts.

http://www.amiami.com/top/detail/detail?gcode=TOY-RBT-2281-R

Thanks, I'll check it out 

[borgified]

4 hours ago, Shizuka the Cat said:

AmiAmi currently has a 171EX for 11,680 yen. It has a cracked right leg, but might be useful for its intact left leg and spare parts.

http://www.amiami.com/top/detail/detail?gcode=TOY-RBT-2281-R

 

4 hours ago, blackconvoy_D01 said:

Thanks, I'll check it out 

That's actually the Alto 171EX that @Shizuka the Cat mentioned not the Luca version that @blackconvoy_D01 wants. I guess that the triangle hardpoints and the ankle colours don't matter if parts swapping is needed.

I'm not surprised that the busted one is not gone yet as I picked up my copy of the 171EX Alto here (Box B/Item B back in February) and was listed with the busted copy and another Alto 171EX (Box A/Item A).

There was a listing of the CF 171 here at 19k Yen (roughly) and gone two weeks later.

    

Edited May 6, 2018 by borgified
Complete write up

[mickyg]

I've got just one of the CF versions and although the shoulder triangles were broken pretty early on in its life, the legs have been no issue.  Well, at least that I can see.

The canopies breaking is a worry though. I'm going to have to have another look at mine to make sure there's no issues there.

I'm still miffed that Bandai never did a properly colored armor set for the CF version. The CF only appeared with armor in the movie and it was a nice gray color.  It was the EX that had armor in the TV series and that purple tone really works better with the white of the EX version.  Nothing that painting couldn't fix but I really wish they'd have just released it with a different plastic shade in the first place.

[borgified]

Am I correct to say that Luca's 171EX didn't have any armoured parts? I believe that his ghost add-ons from his RVF-25 renewal set (and sold individually as well) are most commonly used?  

[Sanity is Optional]

6 minutes ago, borgified said:

Am I correct to say that Luca's 171EX didn't have any armoured parts? I believe that his ghost add-ons from his RVF-25 renewal set (and sold individually as well) are most commonly used?  

Luca's 171 didn't have any armored parts, however the valk itself comes with both the clean wings, and the wings with hardpoints. I just threw some VF-171 Cannon Fodder supers on it. If you want ghosts, you can either get the RVF-25 Renewal supers+ghost set, or the ghost set for the original RVF-25.

[borgified]

Thanks for the clarification @Sanity is Optional. 

Now I have a list of additional valks and add-ons when my copy of Mirage's 31C gets delivered to my house. 

[wmkjr]

9 hours ago, borgified said:

Am I correct to say that Luca's 171EX didn't have any armoured parts? I believe that his ghost add-ons from his RVF-25 renewal set (and sold individually as well) are most commonly used?  

Luca's 171EX was partially equipped with armored parts in Ep24. it's inconsistent in that he's shown without it then with it on.  He had the leg and chest parts installed but not the canon and missile launcher. 

[Shin Densetsu Kai 7.0]

On 5/5/2018 at 6:26 PM, Shizuka the Cat said:

So... out of curiosity, which is the better toy, between the Bandai DX VF-171 and the Yamato 1/60 VF-17, in terms of line art accuracy, build quality/durability, and transformation?

As I understand it, the VF-17 is like handling a porcupine, whereas the VF-171 is likely to have wing tabs pop off and plastic triangles exploding?

Strictly on toy terms(as in handling, transformation, intuitiveness), the Yamato VF-17 is a far better toy.  It's more of a challenge to adhere to the lineart. Whereas the DX VF171 is far more accurate to its animation model but is much more fiddly to handle compared to the Yamato VF-17. 

If the DX VF171 was as solid as the Yamato VF17, not fiddly and with a transformation just as smooth, the DX VF171 would be the better toy in my eyes.

The way the toys turned out, the Yamato VF-17 has similar transformation mechanisms to the DX VF171, it just does those things better and much smoother/simpler.

[borgified]

Anyone need a CF 171 at a slight discount?

http://www.amiami.com/top/detail/detail?gcode=TOY-RBT-2966-R&page=top%2Fsearch%2Flist%3Finc_txt2%3D7%24s_cate3%3D986%24s_originaltitle_id%3D12816%24s_st_condition_flg%3D1%24s_st_list_backorder_available%3D1%24s_st_list_newitem_available%3D1%24s_st_list_preorder_available%3D1%24pagemax%3D40%24getcnt%3D0%24pagecnt%3D2

[rdrunner]

4 hours ago, borgified said:

Anyone need a CF 171 at a slight discount?

http://www.amiami.com/top/detail/detail?gcode=TOY-RBT-2966-R&page=top%2Fsearch%2Flist%3Finc_txt2%3D7%24s_cate3%3D986%24s_originaltitle_id%3D12816%24s_st_condition_flg%3D1%24s_st_list_backorder_available%3D1%24s_st_list_newitem_available%3D1%24s_st_list_preorder_available%3D1%24pagemax%3D40%24getcnt%3D0%24pagecnt%3D2

Looks like the page is gone - just curious, which 171 was it and what was the price? Thanks

[borgified]

29 minutes ago, rdrunner said:

Looks like the page is gone - just curious, which 171 was it and what was the price? Thanks

If the page is gone, then someone picked it up. It was the Cannon Fodder 171 for roughly 17.5K yen