Bandai DX VF-31

[in2seconds]

+1 True that. That's why I love this forum.

Yesterday: "Sample looks like it's made from one piece of plastic."

Today: "Sample shows too much gaps and hinges."

Tomorrow: "When does the preorder starts?!"

MW is such a tsundere

[seti88]

No...tomorrow: that's not blue/it's too pink/y are the packs not grey/missiles aren't red.

Next week: pre-ordered!

Next month: joints are loose it can't stand.

[no3Ljm]

No...tomorrow: that's not blue/it's too pink/y are the packs not grey/missiles aren't red.

Next week: pre-ordered!

Next month: joints are loose it can't stand.

Your 'Tomorrow' is case to case basis, Seti. Depends on who's making it. Hahaha!

Next few months: I will sell all my extra ones even if it can't stand on its own whether its a loose set or misb.

[UN Spacy]

Nice to see the arguing about an early prototype is still alive and well....good ol' Macrossworld.

[seti88]

I knew you would say that noel, so I threw in the packs and missiles for hmr. It's not all Arcadia heheh!

But yeah it's these that make MW, well.. MW!

[Muzaffar]

It sucks that Macross doesn't have third party support like the Transformers. I would love to see custom afterburner effect pieces for each Valkyrie.

[UN Spacy]

One thing I'm seeing animation inconsistencies with are the sensors in front of the cockpit.

In photos 1 thru 3 the sensor is below a groove...but in the photos 4 and 5 it's just a flat sensor.

The 1/72 plamo and DX versions have gone with the latter.

[no3Ljm]

One thing I'm seeing animation inconsistencies with are the sensors in front of the cockpit.

In photos 1 thru 3 the sensor is below a groove...but in the photos 4 and 5 it's just a flat sensor.

The 1/72 plamo and DX versions have gone with the latter.

In-universe upgrades perhaps?

But kidding aside, I prefer the ones with the grooves.

[Graham]

Just a test shot, I'm sure tolerances will be tightened up and gaps reduced before the December release. That's usual how things work.

[David Hingtgen]

We all saw how the 19 advance turned out though, with its wing root/shield gaps.

[Kanedas Bike]

We all saw how the 19 advance turned out though, with its wing root/shield gaps.

Not sure about that, the two VF-19 Advance's I opened were both pretty solid in Fighter mode. I will concede that the shield area has gaps, but nothing at all to get anxious about.

If I do any complaining, if warranted, it will be immediately after I have a 31 in-hand and then again if the toy has any joint or other issues.

Prototypes and test runs always look like this, it's pretty funny to see the same nitpicks release after release after release.

Sure do hope the box art is to everyone's liking, I'd hate to go through 3 pages about that.

-b.

[Chronocidal]

Hey, long as they don't blatantly photoshop out some sort of hideous feature that doesn't look how they want it to, I'm all good. I don't display the boxes anyway.

[Kanedas Bike]

Hey, long as they don't blatantly photoshop out some sort of hideous feature that doesn't look how they want it to, I'm all good. I don't display the boxes anyway.

Was about to say I don't display the boxes either, but that's not entirely true. Lol

*looks over at the Arcadia 30th Anniversary VF-1J

-b.

[seti88]

Those fast packs are made for battroid mode Liking the beefy looking legs and shoulder parts...

Now if only those junks in hand were badass BFG's/rocket launcher's ..

Edited July 4, 2016 by seti88

[no3Ljm]

Those fast packs are made for battroid mode Liking the beefy looking legs and shoulder parts...

CmgiXEDVUAEOlzQ.jpg

Now if only those junks in hand were badass BFG's/rocket launcher's ..

Those are there to cover the chest area. Coz even with Super Packs, the chest still looks thin. lol

Hey, long as they don't blatantly photoshop out some sort of hideous feature that doesn't look how they want it to, I'm all good. I don't display the boxes anyway.

I like displaying my VF-19 Advance boxes coz they blatantly photoshop out some sort of hideous feature that doesn't look how they want it to. Hehehe.

[seti88]

Those are there to cover the chest area. Coz even with Super Packs, the chest still looks thin. lol

I like displaying my VF-19 Advance boxes coz they blatantly photoshop out some sort of hideous feature that doesn't look how they want it to. Hehehe.

I am ok with the thin chest, i would feel conflicted if it was a maki-maki vf-31 haha....and no chest gun pls

back to the BFG tho..A big plasma gun would come in handy included in an armored pack! I hope my wish for an armored pack comes thru!!

[aurance]

That video is for the 1/72 model, but I love how the chest plate locks into the nosecone, and the back plate locks into the back, as well as how pieces slide out and unlock before bending. I really hope that is carried over into the DX.

[zaino]

but how good will the 31J be at dancing!?!

if it cant do immelman dance i dunno if i want to buy it

[Mommar]

I wonder how the hands will work going from Fighter to Gerwalk on the DX version.

[Lolicon]

Oh please let there be some kind of locking mechanism for the chest. That was one of the biggest drawbacks of the VF-25.

Edited July 6, 2016 by Lolicon

[kajnrig]

Oh please let there be some kind of locking mechanism for the chest. That was one of the biggest drawbacks of the VF-25.

On the -31 model kit at least, there's a small hole on the underside of the nose for the chest armor to peg into.

As evidenced here: https://youtu.be/Ym0IM_n29L8?t=11m41s

[Negotiator]

the model looks sturdier than i thought...unlike the vf-25 kits. Might pick up more kits for delta then.

[no3Ljm]

Oh please let there be some kind of locking mechanism for the chest. That was one of the biggest drawbacks of the VF-25.

The chest on the Renewals does lock. As long that the folding shoulder part is folded all the way down, it made the chest area tight. Most of the guys here post photos before of their VF Renewals with the shoulder aligned on the neck, so I asked what's the correct way of doing it. Because, mine when folded all the way to the back, it's so tight. Whereas when just aligned on the neck, the chest is kind of loose. Can I ask if your 25's shoulder part were folded all the way to the back area?

[Lolicon]

That's not a locking mechanism and the 25 looks stupid with the shoulders pulled down all the way.

Edited July 6, 2016 by Lolicon

[no3Ljm]

That's not a locking mechanism and the 25 looks stupid with the shoulders pulled down all the way.

Stupid or not, I guess it gets the job done on locking my VF-25 Renewal's chest so I'm all good.

[enphily]

That's not a locking mechanism and the 25 looks stupid with the shoulders pulled down all the way.

+1000

[Sandman]

That video is for the 1/72 model, but I love how the chest plate locks into the nosecone, and the back plate locks into the back, as well as how pieces slide out and unlock before bending. I really hope that is carried over into the DX.

Wow that transformation is more interesting than i thought it would be. Liking how the pieces slide out unlock before bending as well. Looks like the arms and head are going to be easier to deal with than the 25. I never care for the way the arms twisted behind with the shoulder joints breaking up the top of the fighter modes's fuselage. Too many bits to smooth out that part. Any misalignment and the seam lines get too noticeable. Hoping most of this makes it to the dx except for the parts swapping.

[ManhattanProject972]

I wonder if the the DX or the 1/72 version will come with a damaged arm seeing how many times Hayate has lost his.

[aurance]

I wonder how the hands will work going from Fighter to Gerwalk on the DX version.

Oh crap. I hope there's enough space in the wing to not have to do the knife hand swap thing. That may be minor for some but for me it's a deal breaker.

[Kanedas Bike]

Stupid or not, I guess it gets the job done on locking my VF-25 Renewal's chest so I'm all good.

You're good Noel, there is a locking mechanism for the Renewal DX 25's. If it's aesthetics that people have an issue with then fine, but it doesn't change the fact that the toy, when correctly transformed, has the chest area locked securely.

Not sure if I'm describing the same thing as you, but the chest, when transformed correctly (pulled, or angled all the way down) causes the chest to lock or hold securely.

Of all the issues the DX's had, most of them involve stupid loosening joints. Hips, shoulders, etc.

To date my 25A is the only 25 that has avoided every single issue - my copies are still as solid as the day I bought them.

Give me a good looking, mostly accurate, solid DX 31 and I'll be happy to throw Bandai more of my money.

-b.

*edit, just checked my 25F and YF-25, the only other 25 Valkyries I have in Battroid and the chest is locked. And I mean locked in the sense that you can literally turn them upside down, shake the Valk, move it, whatever and the chest does not dangle or fall apart a la earlier YF-19s. I don't see why the 25S would be any different because they all use the exact same design iteration after iteration, but mine is in Fighter covered in Armor Parts, no way I'm taking it all apart just for this discussion.

I dunno, maybe someone else can articulate what I'm trying to say better, or they have pictures. But my 25's are good, at least in that one respect.

Edited July 7, 2016 by Kanedas Bike

[aurance]

You're good Noel, there is a locking mechanism for the Renewal DX 25's. If it's aesthetics that people have an issue with then fine, but it doesn't change the fact that the toy, when correctly transformed, has the chest area locked securely.

Not sure if I'm describing the same thing as you, but the chest, when transformed correctly (pulled, or angled all the way down) causes the chest to lock or hold securely.

Of all the issues the DX's had, most of them involve stupid loosening joints. Hips, shoulders, etc.

To date my 25A is the only 25 that has avoided every single issue - my copies are still as solid as the day I bought them.

Give me a good looking, mostly accurate, solid DX 31 and I'll be happy to throw Bandai more of my money.

-b.

Okay well, I don't know what other people were talking about, but I was talking about tabs to hold the chest and back instead of just friction. The -25s definitely don't have that.

[Chronocidal]

That's kinda been the general approach to everything since Frontier though, just having the chest plop down on top of the torso and kinda sorta almost lock down, while the head flops around on a nearly secured sliding/rotating platform that may or may not be grinding paint off the nose of the valk.

I really haven't been impressed with the stability of any of Bandai's valks in battroid. All but the VF-19 Advance and YF-30 have seemed to rely on floppy/sloppy hinged panels that have to be positioned just right, and may never actually lock down in any appreciable manner (shoulder panels on the VF-25s, 27s, and 29s, and sloppy as hell hip bars on the 171s).

[Kanedas Bike]

Okay well, I don't know what other people were talking about, but I was talking about tabs to hold the chest and back instead of just friction. The -25s definitely don't have that.

Edited my post a bit after I checked other 25's I have on display, in Battroid mode but it sounds almost like you don't have the chest pushed down far enough, you'll know because there will be a secure snap.

Anywho - sorry for the OT discussion.

I think we can all agree that we hope that Bandai delivers a solid product in at least 2 of the 3 modes for all of the 31's.

-b.

[Lolicon]

Friction and hopes don't count as a real "locking mechanism" and neither does pushing the shoulders and backplate all the way down and making the 25 battroid look like a kid carrying way too many books in his backpack.

None of my 25 battroids "flop around" but they don't have any chest lock either.

That's like claiming the Yamato YF-19 chest "locks" because of our planet's gravity holding it down.

[Skypoet]

That video is for the 1/72 model, but I love how the chest plate locks into the nosecone, and the back plate locks into the back, as well as how pieces slide out and unlock before bending. I really hope that is carried over into the DX.

I really can't wait to receive my 1/72 VF-31 by mail (why did I take the SAL option? :-( )