mickyg Posted July 8, 2015 Posted July 8, 2015 Definitely want to see this, especially from a fellow Melbournian! I've almost finished the weathering on my (just a little bit of dry brushing in some areas) and I'll be applying some Mr Topcoat flat, but weather is Melbourne is too cold right now. I was planning on doing it over the weekend, but forecast is rain rain and more rain.... I haven't had any tampo/paint rubbing/flaking off yet, and I handled it a lot while panel lining and weather it. Quote
spanner Posted July 8, 2015 Posted July 8, 2015 (edited) you know what would be cool? armor parts for this 19.. you know what else would be cool? an Isamu VF-30.. you know what would be even cooler? winning the lotto! oh sorry I went off topic.. Edited July 8, 2015 by spanner76 Quote
eggy99 Posted July 8, 2015 Posted July 8, 2015 Okay here is a WIP photo i took earlier in the week. 1 leg untouched, 1 mostly weathered and panelled. No dry brushing. This is pretty much the finished work, but missing mr topcoat flat. Once the weekend weather is a bit better, I'll topcoat it and it'll be displayed proudly at work in a "super dynamic" pose Next job is to do the same to my Arcadia YF-19, but display it in fighter along side the VF-19 Adv. Hopefully the weathering evens out the different colour between the 2 toys. Quote
spanner Posted July 8, 2015 Posted July 8, 2015 Great work! It that looks really great! Certainly has an "operational deployment" look about it! Quote
mickyg Posted July 8, 2015 Posted July 8, 2015 Dude, where do you work? I'll have to drop by and admire up close. Quote
eggy99 Posted July 8, 2015 Posted July 8, 2015 Thanks guys. It was a little scary to do it, but happy how it came out. I just started on the Arcadia YF-19, and the panel lines are so shallow and there is just so much less detail. Mickyg, once it's on display at work I'll PM you and you can come check it out up close Quote
no3Ljm Posted July 8, 2015 Posted July 8, 2015 That looks cool, eggy99. Though I have to check those videos later on. Busy at work. Hehehe. Quote
Actar Posted July 8, 2015 Posted July 8, 2015 you know what would be cool? armor parts for this 19.. you know what else would be cool? an Isamu VF-30.. you know what would be even cooler? winning the lotto! oh sorry I went off topic.. Nah, we need something in Gamlin colors. I'd pay big bucks for anything related to him. Quote
VF5SS Posted July 8, 2015 Posted July 8, 2015 Here is the first part of my video review, where I focus on the Valkyrie itself. The second part will cover the armor and all the other accessories. Quote
no3Ljm Posted July 8, 2015 Posted July 8, 2015 Great review Veef. Can't wait for your next review. Quote
Moosey Posted July 9, 2015 Posted July 9, 2015 Great work on the review. Well done for not swearing! (I would have but that's in my Irish DNA!) Looking forward to part 2 Quote
VF5SS Posted July 9, 2015 Posted July 9, 2015 Thank you all. The real triumph was avoiding slicing my finger open on the landing gear doors. Quote
Guest davidwhangchoi Posted July 9, 2015 Posted July 9, 2015 Here is the first part of my video review, where I focus on the Valkyrie itself. The second part will cover the armor and all the other accessories. bump! nice review Quote
derex3592 Posted July 9, 2015 Posted July 9, 2015 Good review! I'll pick one up if they do a different paint scheme somewhere down the road. Quote
abbadon Posted July 9, 2015 Posted July 9, 2015 Just watched it, excellent review as usual, Veef! Waiting for the 2nd part as well. Quote
SuperHobo Posted July 9, 2015 Posted July 9, 2015 Whew transformed the 19 back to fighter from battroid mode. This figure sure likes to fight with you before everything lines up. Transforming the Arcadia 19 is more fun, but Bandai's looks a bit better. Good effort from Bandai. Quote
calubin_175 Posted July 9, 2015 Posted July 9, 2015 (edited) Is it possible to attach onto each wing up to two hardpoint missiles from the VF-171, with one being the reaction missile? Edited July 9, 2015 by calubin_175 Quote
mickyg Posted July 9, 2015 Posted July 9, 2015 (edited) Got mine to gerwalk yesterday and battroid today. It was a lot more fun than I was anticipating, actually. Glad it went that way and not the reverse. The cockpit/fuselage fold up puzzle is incredibly well engineered and I found it to be very sturdy, once everything was tabbed and pegged in properly. The chest guns are a mystery to me. Why do they extend, only to retract again? And the flaps on them were constantly trying to fold back up on me. I also got a bit worried about the various surfaces that fold up inside the body. They look like they could get some wear and tear. The legs are very cool, but like some others, that hip swing bar on one side was crazy tight, so I did the "loosen screw" trick and I think it sort of helped. Overall, this is a very well done effort by Bandai. I didn't think I'd like it much but it's easily my favourite valk! Edited July 9, 2015 by mickyg Quote
chyll2 Posted July 9, 2015 Posted July 9, 2015 All I can do is watch this videos. I made a Pre-order in YAJ via fromjapan and it seems that the yahoo seller has not yet contacted them. While the thought if they can get the money back is another issue, my other issue is the price of this toy has already increased a lot. Quote
Lolicon Posted July 9, 2015 Posted July 9, 2015 So I finally had time today to sit down with my VF-19 and (partially) transform it. That was pretty irritating. I didn't even do a full transform. I just wanted to pull out the wings and legs out so I could attach the super parts. The wing roots were tabbed in so tightly that I needed to use a mini flathead screwdriver to pry them out. The joint that attaches the wings to the legs was so damned tight I was genuinely afraid I was going to snap the whole thing off trying to swing them out. By far the most frustrating part for me was tucking the legs back into fighter position after attaching the little filler part on the back of the legs. That damn piece would pop right off each time I attempted to put the legs back into position. It was far more frustrating than the pop-off shoulders of the YF-29. Think I spent the better part of an hour just on that part. In general, trying to get everything positioned right was liking playing the world's crappiest game of whack-a-mole. Push one thing into position, another would move or pop out. "Beautiful over-engineered mess" is how I would describe Bandai's VF-19. It looks spectacular, but god help you if you expect to get any enjoyment out of transforming the thing. Maybe if I spent more time with it, I might soften my stance some. Not bloody likely though, because now that mine's back in fighter mode with super parts attached, it's staying that way. If I want to transform to battroid, I'll just open one of my extra copies, because I don't feel like dealing with that crap again. Quote
Actar Posted July 9, 2015 Posted July 9, 2015 (edited) By far the most frustrating part for me was tucking the legs back into fighter position after attaching the little filler part on the back of the legs. That damn piece would pop right off each time I attempted to put the legs back into position. It was far more frustrating than the pop-off shoulders of the YF-29. Think I spent the better part of an hour just on that part. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7dF4pix00Yk http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u_4fpwjaGI4 Those pieces are also specific to the left and right legs, as they have cut-outs to allow for the arms to fit. Edited July 9, 2015 by Actar Quote
Benbot Posted July 9, 2015 Posted July 9, 2015 You guys are starting to make me glad I didn't manage to get one. Quote
Actar Posted July 9, 2015 Posted July 9, 2015 (edited) The joint that attaches the wings to the legs was so damned tight I was genuinely afraid I was going to snap the whole thing off trying to swing them out. You have to pull them upwards first before swinging them out, allowing them enough room to do so... You guys are starting to make me glad I didn't manage to get one. I approach transforming toys the same way I approach puzzles. I don't blame the Rubik's Cube if I'm not able to solve it. (^.^') Once you understand the mechanics of the toy, transforming it will be a breeze. Edited July 9, 2015 by Actar Quote
Guest davidwhangchoi Posted July 9, 2015 Posted July 9, 2015 I approach transforming toys the same way I approach puzzles. I don't blame the Rubik's Cube if I'm not able to solve it. (^.^') Once you understand the mechanics of the toy, transforming it will be a breeze. that's so inaccurate and inflammatory. lol Quote
Actar Posted July 9, 2015 Posted July 9, 2015 that's so inaccurate and inflammatory. lol As I said, that's my personal opinion and approach. If you don't agree, please feel free to point out why you believe I'm wrong or offer an alternative to challenge mine. I just feel that some toys get unfairly bashed - you see this a lot in reviews where the reviewer gets upset with a toy or paints it in bad light for their own mishandling of it. Quote
technoblue Posted July 9, 2015 Posted July 9, 2015 Not to speak for david, but the rubik's cube has a solution, and it is well-documented. In contrast, making excuses for over-engineering in manufacturing (whether one is talking about a toy or something else) is not a solution. There are parts of the VF-19 Advanced that could have been better thought out. However, because Bandai chose to make it the way that they did, it requires more effort on behalf of the user. It's fine if you think that is fun, Actar. I'm just wondering how many who have it in hand agree with you. For full disclosure, I do think it is challenging to transform. But fun? I guess that depends on how my day is going. LoL! Quote
jenius Posted July 9, 2015 Posted July 9, 2015 Shameless plug but I also put a video up of transforming the YF-29 which shows you how to not have issues with the shoulders popping off. I will say this, the pinnacle (to me) of a good transformation design is that everything has an easily identifiable point of "right". When you have rotated a part to that point you know you have it in the proper spot and then when all the parts are in their proper place everything seats correctly and there aren't any gaps and everything holds together without feeling like anything is under pressure. That is the apex that all toy designers should strive for. I would even extend this to things like tailfins.. they should have spots where they are in their proper position if they then fold down for transformation. The next step below that is to have a toy where everything can line up correctly and seat properly but there is no clear indicator for the user that everything is absolutely in the right spot. This may lead a user to initially complete transformation only to realize one part isn't quite perfect so they have to back track a step or two, tweak some things, and then everything comes back together as it should with things locking in place without gaps or pressure. Then you have worse design/builds where no matter what you do there are gaps in the lines and certain parts feel forced. Quote
Scyla Posted July 9, 2015 Posted July 9, 2015 Shameless plug but I also put a video up of transforming the YF-29 which shows you how to not have issues with the shoulders popping off. I will say this, the pinnacle (to me) of a good transformation design is that everything has an easily identifiable point of "right". When you have rotated a part to that point you know you have it in the proper spot and then when all the parts are in their proper place everything seats correctly and there aren't any gaps and everything holds together without feeling like anything is under pressure. That is the apex that all toy designers should strive for. I would even extend this to things like tailfins.. they should have spots where they are in their proper position if they then fold down for transformation. The next step below that is to have a toy where everything can line up correctly and seat properly but there is no clear indicator for the user that everything is absolutely in the right spot. This may lead a user to initially complete transformation only to realize one part isn't quite perfect so they have to back track a step or two, tweak some things, and then everything comes back together as it should with things locking in place without gaps or pressure. Then you have worse design/builds where no matter what you do there are gaps in the lines and certain parts feel forced. That is the reason why I don't like ball-joints for the most part. You can never tell if they are in the right position. Worst example in my collection is the stealth bomber Megatron and his hips. I always have a problem getting his legs aligned in alt-mode because the hip joint has no distinct locking point. Quote
Wallas Posted July 9, 2015 Posted July 9, 2015 I got my VF-19 Advance too, but I think I will need some time to learn it before creating a review. For now, I prepared an unboxing of my piece and I hope some of you will find it useful To be continued Quote
Roanstalker Posted July 9, 2015 Posted July 9, 2015 All I can do is watch this videos. I made a Pre-order in YAJ via fromjapan and it seems that the yahoo seller has not yet contacted them. While the thought if they can get the money back is another issue, my other issue is the price of this toy has already increased a lot. That sucks. I ordered through fj as well but mine got to the warehouse 5 days after release date... I'd say those chest flaps seem rather superfluous. Whats the point. Those and the chest guns moving just serve to make the transformation more annoying. Though do prefer thme way bandai did the back pack. Quote
valhary Posted July 9, 2015 Posted July 9, 2015 (edited) ok officially jaw down! In general is superior than arcadia although I prefer this last for fighter mode bandai is better in gerwalk and battroid I love the proportions and transformation mechanism once you become familiar with the instructions are very easy and intuitive and the poses hands are gorgeous probably the best made for macross valks until now also the head and neck give better look than arcadias I cant wait for repaints bad points -pilot -gunpod -cockpit Edited July 9, 2015 by valhary Quote
Scyla Posted July 9, 2015 Posted July 9, 2015 (edited) *snip* Here is the first part of my video review, where I focus on the Valkyrie itself. The second part will cover the armor and all the other accessories. Are you planning to do a Battroid to Fighter transformation video. Somehow I find them much more useful. Especially the one you did for the VF-22S. Now seeing the full transformation in a commented, high resolution video I think Bandai tried deliberately to differentiate the VF-19Advanced from Yamatos/Arcadias design which resulted in some over engineered albeit cool bits. One question. Can the shield be placed only in an off-center position? I'm looking forward for part 2. Good job on the review. Edited July 9, 2015 by Scyla Quote
Actar Posted July 9, 2015 Posted July 9, 2015 (edited) Shameless plug but I also put a video up of transforming the YF-29 which shows you how to not have issues with the shoulders popping off. I will say this, the pinnacle (to me) of a good transformation design is that everything has an easily identifiable point of "right". When you have rotated a part to that point you know you have it in the proper spot and then when all the parts are in their proper place everything seats correctly and there aren't any gaps and everything holds together without feeling like anything is under pressure. That is the apex that all toy designers should strive for. I would even extend this to things like tailfins.. they should have spots where they are in their proper position if they then fold down for transformation. The next step below that is to have a toy where everything can line up correctly and seat properly but there is no clear indicator for the user that everything is absolutely in the right spot. This may lead a user to initially complete transformation only to realize one part isn't quite perfect so they have to back track a step or two, tweak some things, and then everything comes back together as it should with things locking in place without gaps or pressure. Then you have worse design/builds where no matter what you do there are gaps in the lines and certain parts feel forced. This is definitely a very interesting take on design philosophy. However, I am of a different opinion. In most cases, I would argue that the lack of proper, clear, understandable instructions is the main cause of transformation agony, not complex design or lack of points of right on the toy itself. Many times, the user is unaware of how to go about doing something and is unaware of the points of right to begin with due to not being made privy by the instructions (and the language barrier doesn't help). For instance, there is a correct way in which the YF-21's legs transform, but without clear instructions, the user has no way of knowing that there is an extra click to the knee to enable that black screw to be hidden. With my Rubik's Cube analogy, you can solve it because there are good instructions to guide you though the process. But without those instructions, there is only frustration to be had with the toy. That's where experimentation and the finding of alternate ways of solving come in. I argue that there are indeed points of right on the VF-19 to ensure that you can get a very clean-looking Valkyrie (lining up is in and of itself a point of right), but the instructions just aren't explicit enough, so you'll have to discover those for yourselves. Edited July 9, 2015 by Actar Quote
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