DX Chogokin YF-29 (Alto) Durandal Valkyrie - Reissue

[David Hingtgen]

Yeah, it seems odd that they went to the effort to even make them adjustable with click-hinges, but only let them move like 3 degrees in either direction...

[rdrunner]

Not sure if this has been posted but just saw on Facebook posted by Stone Cheung of Toys Daily HK

YF-29 Durandal Valkyrie (Alto Custom) Full Set Pack, Oct reissue, 23,000 yen

Edited May 26, 2020 by rdrunner

[twich]

well, now.  I wonder if there will be any improvements?  I does not appear so based on the images shown here.  Strange that this is being released more than 13 years after Frontier came out.

Twich

[rdrunner]

They mentioned a few minor tweaks in this version (someone please verify my subpar translation) 

1. The head lasers are now made with ABS plastic 

2. The “winglet” on the head is now detachable and a spare is included

3. Improvements to the hip and ankle joints for added stability 

 

Edited May 26, 2020 by rdrunner

[rdrunner]

15 minutes ago, twich said:

well, now.  I wonder if there will be any improvements?  I does not appear so based on the images shown here.  Strange that this is being released more than 13 years after Frontier came out.

Twich

I’m still on the fence about this one,but I might join the PO madness party anyway, just because I haven’t tried POs for a while (I heard they are now impossibly difficult compared with a few years ago, the last being the VF-1S DX preorder). 

I have the YF-29 Ozma and Focker but the full set and the mold tweaks are tempting. 

Edited May 26, 2020 by rdrunner

[twich]

I have a used 30th anniversary edition coming in from Mandarake, so I will see if that sates my YF-29 toy hunger or not. Improvements are always good, hope this isn’t as stupid hard to find like the VF-31A Kairos or As expensive

Twich

[chyll2]

anything about the finish? it was shared before that it supposed to have non-glossy finish.

[Sildani]

That. Is. So. Odd. Why a Frontier mecha so long after anything Frontier-related was made?

[jeniusornome]

Because it’s a really popular design? It’s had like four reissues so far. 
 

I’ll probably pick up one. I Like that they made some tweaks and haven’t been interested in getting a second hand one due to my experience with the mold. But some stability tweaks and the minor head improvements could be just what it needs. 

[derex3592]

If it was the Ozma, I'd be ALL IN. This one though...mehh.

[SuperHobo]

Sweet to read about those improvements. Ratchets on the hips and ankles are must especially with the super packs on. A matte finish would be sweet too. It would be cool if Bandai did a little video to highlight the improvements. While they're it, I could totally go for a few more tabs and slots to lock in the chest + backplate like the VF-31 does. 

[HardlyNever]

I don't have any YF-29s, so I'd probably buy this one.  Seems like they've been teasing this one for a while.

Will be interesting to see what the PO madness looks like on this, since it is a reissue(more or less) of a pretty old mold.

[DYRL VF-1S]

46 minutes ago, HardlyNever said:

I don't have any YF-29s, so I'd probably buy this one.  Seems like they've been teasing this one for a while.

Will be interesting to see what the PO madness looks like on this, since it is a reissue(more or less) of a pretty old mold.

I do not own one either due to the problems I heard about.  Excited to pick this one up.  I wonder if this will be a TWE since it has the Full Set Pack too.

[jenius]

I'm super stoked. My Alto is a first release with the smaller GERWALK support so I'm totally in. The one improvement they are missing is ratcheting for the shoulder mechanism though. 

[Alex GS]

FINALLY!!! , somebody knows if this is a Tamashi Exclusive ?, I hope is not  

[Mechapilot77]

i haven't handled my frontier era dx chogokins in a long time (they're back in their boxes and stored safely offsite from where i usually am).  how are they holding up?  wonder if it really needs those improvements.  hmm

[Sildani]

My Isamu has really floppy shoulders and the hips needed tightening; so I’d say those improvements at least are needed. 

[chyll2]

Are the improvements, really improvement or just tightening of joints? Let's see.

 

 

[jenius]

2 minutes ago, chyll2 said:

Are the improvements, really improvement or just tightening of joints? Let's see.

 

 

If all these toys didn't sell out instantly, a wait and see strategy might be prudent.

[SuperHobo]

1 hour ago, chyll2 said:

Are the improvements, really improvement or just tightening of joints? Let's see.

 

 

Hopefully, Bandai really will add some stiff ratchet joints instead of just a tighter friction joints. To mention it in the magazine I'm thinking it will probably be a new joint design over the crap they had before. 

[rdrunner]

19 minutes ago, SuperHobo said:

Hopefully, Bandai really will add some stiff ratchet joints instead of just a tighter friction joints. To mention it in the magazine I'm thinking it will probably be a new joint design over the crap they had before. 

I hope they are changing the joints - the captions say “structure renewal”. Here is that part from google translate:

 

[Rogueload]

Sold my Alto 29 a while ago.  I think I’m in on this reissue.  Looks awesome with the supers on it

[Kanedas Bike]

So I'm in for this, the Alto 29 was, in my opinion, second only to the VF-171 Nightmare Plus as the worst of the Frontier releases. 

If the hips are significantly improved that alone will be worth the dive.

-b.

[Jetreo]

Was just browsing YJ auctions for a good deal on a YF-29 Alto and then see this, I'm stoked!

[Sanity is Optional]

Cool, I'll be in for one. I have the Alto and Anniversary releases, but keep them in fighter due to aforementioned joint issues.

[Slave IV]

12 hours ago, twich said:

Strange that this is being released more than 13 years after Frontier came out.

 

9 hours ago, Sildani said:

That. Is. So. Odd. Why a Frontier mecha so long after anything Frontier-related was made?

Not really strange or odd...We are still getting plenty of VF-1 toys released currently and that was over 35 years ago. There are new Mazinger and Gatchaman toys coming out that I buy and those came out over 40 years ago...

7 hours ago, DYRL VF-1S said:

I do not own one either due to the problems I heard about.  Excited to pick this one up.  I wonder if this will be a TWE since it has the Full Set Pack too.

Same here and I'm glad I skipped all the issue prone Valks of the time. I'll definitely be grabbing this (if I can get a preorder in) and any others. If they don't make others, money saved and I still get to enjoy looking at pictures of old ones that people have.

[Anasazi37]

They had this on display last year at a Tamashii Nations event, so I figured it was probably in the release pipeline. It's pretty random, though. It was popular enough to go through a few versions the first time around, so maybe that's the reason. I picked up the latest version (with incorrectly-printed SMS shoulder marking and corrected part) and the armor for...more than ¥23,000 early last year on Mandarake. Kicking myself a little bit, but at the time there was no way to know that this was coming.

[DYRL VF-1S]

1 hour ago, Anasazi37 said:

They had this on display last year at a Tamashii Nations event, so I figured it was probably in the release pipeline. It's pretty random, though. It was popular enough to go through a few versions the first time around, so maybe that's the reason. I picked up the latest version (with incorrectly-printed SMS shoulder marking and corrected part) and the armor for...more than ¥23,000 early last year on Mandarake. Kicking myself a little bit, but at the time there was no way to know that this was coming.

Yeah I’d prefer some Guld over this but not going to pass by it!

[Falcon]

Any word on the pre-order date? Hope it's not the same as the MB Gold Astray Hana!

[Anasazi37]

4 minutes ago, Falcon said:

Any word on the pre-order date? Hope it's not the same as the MB Gold Astray Hana!

If Bandai sticks to a roughly four-month lead time on Macross releases, I'm assuming within the next few weeks. They usually don't wait too long after news breaks to post an entry on the Tamashii site and the PO date is usually not far behind that....

[seti88]

how is the SMS tampo on the shoulder looking? this scan is a bit low res to tell....

[VF-Zer0S]

Pumped for this release. Looking forward to those new joints

[jenius]

The only thing that worries me is the detachable head winglet... that didn't work out well on the VF-31F Messer.

[aurance]

2 minutes ago, jenius said:

The only thing that worries me is the detachable head winglet... that didn't work out well on the VF-31F Messer.

The head fin? What happened to yours?

[twich]

Today, I just got delivered a used YF-29 Focker 30th Anniversary edition.  Paint seems pretty good, legs seem a bit loose, especially the kneecaps.  Is that a common issue with the YF-29 mold?  

I had an original VF-25F Messiah that I gave to my 11 year old so that he could have a Macross Jet too, so when I got the YF-29, he got his out and I noticed that the kneecaps on his VF-25F are not loose at all.  

I have yet to transform the YF-29, as I had limited time before having to go to work to admire it, but for hope Mandarake listed the item and the cost, I was expecting a lot worse condition.  All in all, I am pretty happy with the purchase.

 

I would love to get this YF-29 Alto, especially with it coming packaged with the superparts set.  I hope that I can convince my wife to allow me to get this "investment".  With the changes that they seem to have made to the mold, I wonder if they are looking to milk the mold again and release all the variants with the sculpt updates?  Might mean we see a superparts set for the YF-29B Rod custom if that is the case.

Twich