Bandai Macross Δ Mecha Collection Small Scale Plastic Model Kits

[Kelsain]

Man, the white labeling is gonna make it a pain in the ass to paint that 171 in Frontier colors...

[Graham]

I'm kinda disappointed that Bandai can't even get something as simple as this released in time for the start of the show.

[Duymon]

I'm dissapointed Bandai can't give us clear plastic canopies. Solid painted / decal canopies drive me nuts.

Heck, Even the Mecha Cole Cosmo Falcon Freebie I got with Dengeki Hobby way back had a clear canopy!

[sketchley]

I'm dissapointed Bandai can't give us clear plastic canopies. Solid painted / decal canopies drive me nuts.

Heck, Even the Mecha Cole Cosmo Falcon Freebie I got with Dengeki Hobby way back had a clear canopy!

I think it's a little bit more complicated than adding a clear canopy. Two factors to take into account are:

1) additional molding (or molding complexity) because of the inclusion of a cockpit and pilot figure

2) they want to stick to a low price point, which inhibits additional gimmicks like clear canopies, because...

- short version: people have less money to spend, and products cost more to produce.

- long version: Japan is experiencing a money crunch because of the so-called Abenomics (akin to Reaganomics and the trickle-down theory - with the big companies getting richer, and employee incomes not rising) coupled with an increased consumption tax rate (meaning real income value is dropping), along with imports getting more expensive (at the very least, they need petroleum products for both the plastics, and the national power plants are using more overseas fuels).

So... you could always try to swap over a clear canopy and cockpit from one of the 1/144 Bandai Macross 7 kits from '95.

Edited April 14, 2016 by sketchley

[Duymon]

Ah ahha...haha...haha.a... *cry*

Want it to look this good? Airbrush ur 500 yen kit el-cheapo kit

[seti88]

ohhh thats some precise decaling involved!

However if done well it might look real nice too....non-transparent cockpit notwithstanding

[Jefuemon]

ohhh thats some precise decaling involved!

However if done well it might look real nice too....non-transparent cockpit notwithstanding

Decals? $10 says those are stickers.

[seti88]

Decals? $10 says those are stickers.

Am not a betting man so am out 😁 Yea the kit price is more in sticker territory

[Duymon]

Decals? $10 says those are stickers.

Am not a betting man so am out Yea the kit price is more in sticker territory

It says "Sticker" in the lower left corner of the sheet ya know

[seti88]

It says "Sticker" in the lower left corner of the sheet ya know

Viewing thru the phone so everything's a lil bit more tiny 🤓 Edited April 14, 2016 by seti88

[kajnrig]

Definitely stickers. The backing sheet gives it away. Anyone who's built a HGUC kit knows what those look like.

[electric indigo]

At least you can use the separated numbers if you paint your kit, but not the text ("Aether"?) and you have to cut the flash logos free.

[Graham]

Oh dear. Think I'm gonna pass and wait for the Tomy Tech instead.

[mechaninac]

It says "Sticker" in the lower left corner of the sheet ya know

The obvious die-cut edges are a dead giveaway even if one can't ready Japanese...

[Graham]

Or even if one can't read the English word "Sticker"

[mickyg]

I expected as much...

I was hoping we'd get something for the "Aether" though. Bummer.

[mechaninac]

Or even if one can't read the English word "Sticker"

You know what? I must've stared at that picture for a good 2 minutes, twice, and never saw that word printed on the lower left... weird. Senior moment? Selective blindness? Jumpingthegunitis?

[seti88]

Its so cheap I might get one or 2 just to practise painting🎨😝

Edited April 15, 2016 by seti88

[Graham]

Forgot I'd actually ordered these, just received a payment request from HLJ.

Oh well, they are cheap enough that even though they look really shitty, might as well keep them to tide me over until the TomyTecs and Bandai DXs come out.

Graham

[d3v]

Definitely stickers. The backing sheet gives it away. Anyone who's built a HGUC kit knows what those look like.

Going through my HGUC kits, that green backing sheet seems to be the same one used for decal sheets. Sticker sheets usually have reflective chrome on the sheet (and yellow backing).

EDIT:

Phone cam shot of the decal sheet from my ver. GFT RX-78-2.

Edited April 16, 2016 by d3v

[Jefuemon]

From Twitter, that's a 171 next to a Bandai 1/144 VF-17, so they're guessing at around 1/200 scale.

[Graham]

Mine have shipped from HLJ.

[areaseven]

Coming from someone who collects Gunpla, 500 yen is a reasonable price for a no-grade snap kit. Might pick up two of them to show the differences between using black and gray paint for panel lining.

In the meantime, here's a build video.

[seti88]

whoa thats not half bad! am sure someone will come up with a transaparent canopy hack too...

btw if u do have the difference on black vs grey lining on the kit, would be most happy to see it...

Edited April 17, 2016 by seti88

[chyll2]

The problem with using gray will probably the mismatch of lining on the stickers. The panel lines are parts of the sticker sheer as well.

Damn bandai. Even at that scale there are lots of layer of parts separation. That thing looks like they can easily be painted or even the oob looks really good.

Edited April 17, 2016 by chyll2

[MechTech]

I was afraid they'd go the sticker route... But it does look "easy" in the video. - MT

Edited April 17, 2016 by MechTech

[Dash]

Forgot I'd actually ordered these, just received a payment request from HLJ.

Graham

Haha, same happened to me, I forgot I pre-ordered them from amiami until I checked my e-mail yesterday.

I was a bit worried that these would look really bad going from some pictures online and I'd be forced to pay them anyway, but after watching that video I'm relieved, it doesn't look too bad, I will even try to paint some parts for the first time ever.

[mickyg]

Yep, definitely looks much better than I'd expected from that little vid.

[kajnrig]

I'm sure third-party decals will pop up soon enough. Right? Right?

No, but more seriously, I suppose an alternative would be to cut up the stickers along the panel lines. Lots of tedious work, but then so would be applying the stickers/decals in the first place.

[Kelsain]

From Twitter, that's a 171 next to a Bandai 1/144 VF-17, so they're guessing at around 1/200 scale.

Boo!

[Sandman]

Damn didn't know these were going to be unpainted or at least molded in color. My hands are way too big to handle something so small. Wish i hadn't preordered all of them.

[Duymon]

Size comparison vs DX yf-29 and 1/100 F-15

gaaah, BANDAI, Y U STILL USE CRAPPY PRINTER

Edited April 19, 2016 by Duymon

[mickyg]

Can't say I'm surprised. BUt to be fair, that's a pretty close up shot and it's probably nowhere near the sort of scrutiny you'd get if looking at it on a desk. I've got lots of ideas for painting this thing whilst also using the stickers...

[sketchley]

I don't get some of the complaints that are being made at these things. They're not premium grade kits. They cost the same as a Big Mac (just the burger, not the set).

For what you pay, you get something that is nice and cleanly molded, with a surprising amount of detail - for those people who like to spend the time masking, painting, and adding washes. The stickers are there for the people who don't have the skills/supplies, or can't be bothered with painting/washes.

Aside from the models themselves, I really like the stands that come with them - the pivot on them allows for some dynamic positioning (posing quite doesn't sound right) when on display (a step above the VF-25/29 sets released for the MF movies). And the stands come with a plug in the back for the cover of the plug in the underside of the kit. Handy!

Damn didn't know these were going to be unpainted or at least molded in color. My hands are way too big to handle something so small. Wish i hadn't preordered all of them.

But they are molded in colour. The VF-31 is two-tone.

[David Hingtgen]

So is the underside pure white with no stickers? Reminds me of how most LEGO planes etc are done----with no concern for looks/completeness on the underside.