Bandai DX Chogokin 1/48 VF-1

[Chronocidal]

Ugh.. trouble with the "full skull squad" idea is that, for me, that means Roy, plus Hikaru, Max, and Kakizaki 1As, all in packs, in fighter formation.  The strike-packed Hikaru 1S is the kind of thing you pose in battroid mode, weapons all aimed, standing in front of an LCD display of Minmay dancing.   

Think I'm going to have to just make the call and stick with four.  That will at least give me enough to rotate displays of the group, assuming I can even get the other three.

At least Bandai showed their hand for their DYRL release roadmap a little.  I'm still hoping we get a VF-1D and VT-1 out of this series, but I'm not holding my breath.  If I can walk away from this line with 10 DX VF-1s, I'll call it a day.

Although.. I remember saying the same thing about the Yamato v.2 back in the day.   I picked up so many of those on clearance over the years, I probably have closer to 30 by now.  On the bright side, I probably won't have that problem with the DX releases.. 

[gerwookie]

How does one use loyalty points/vouchers from nin-nin? I’m wondering if it’s worth using for the strike pack. It says I have 1349pts waiting for validation

[Ridden001]

If you are even remotely considering the possibility of a DX with strike parts in your future, buy a set now.  They will skyrocket.  If you think the days when Yamato strike parts  were expensive and hard to get were a challenging time, you can’t imagine what these will be like.

[DYRL VF-1S]

Just now, Ridden001 said:

If you are even remotely considering the possibility of a DX with strike parts in your future, buy a set now.  They will skyrocket.  If you think the days when Yamato strike parts  were expensive and hard to get were a challenging time, you can’t imagine what these will be like.

Word.  I got 4... and I have no idea if I'll be able to land any of the Valks based on the 1A and 1S experience thus far. 

[Ridden001]

2 hours ago, Atomski said:

Little did I realize Bandai would force me to do some soul searching… over preordering toys.

 

A few years back I had to sell my entire collection before moving to the west coast, only got back into collecting the last couple of years. What has been fantastic is that much of what I had sold has been reissued (Arcadia's SDF-1 as an example) and often with improvements or remade better than previously done (Masterpiece Optimus Prime).

 

I had begun to recollect Valkyries obviously as well. When Bandai announced they where doing the new 1/48th scale series I was overjoyed. A chance to rebuild the collection bigger and better than before. But with the way Bandai has been handling these preorders has been a nightmare. 

 

And now I have to decide how many I am getting from DYRL now to buys  strike parts... UGH. Can't help but wonder would I be better off buying used Yamato and Arcadia releases instead?

 

Bandai, why you make this so hard?

I’m selling a premium finish max for $250 shipped if you go with Arcadia.   It comes with a free launch arm stand also.  Just saying...

Edited June 6, 2019 by Ridden001

[Chronocidal]

As an oddball addendum.. how hard would it be to set up a scrolling lenticular animation of Minmay's dancing from the end of DYRL?  Instead of having an actual LCD/tablet/etc behind Hikaru's valk, could you actually just have a setup involving a bunch of rotating cylinders that would give you a moving image?

[Slave IV]

I'm late to the conversation but @canklebreaker, I did not see that post as someone rubbing it in to you. They were just simply stating that they contemplated getting one but decided to pass. Honestly, I don't remember seeing a post specifically from you asking anyone to help you get one so you can't expect evoryone here to be on the lookout to buy figures they don't want just to help others. Sure, if you ask someone specifically and that person responds that they will try to help you, which happens often, and then that person comes on to say they could have helped you but didn't, that would be a dick move but that's not what happened.

As for the Super/Strike Packs, I'll order in a couple months and hope the exchange rate is better. Not worried about it at all.

[Ipsquitch]

Any guesses which VF they'll release next? I'm guessing a Max or Milia -1J, since they don't seem to be following any particular order.  I think they're trying to get us hooked on the different teams with the hope that if you buy 1, you'll want to complete the set.

[technoblue]

Ordered one set of strike parts from AE and another set from NY (along with the new SH Figuarts Bulma).

That'll do it for me until we get more news on Macross TV style Valkyries, or Bandai announces Roy's DYRL 1S. 

 

[Atomski]

54 minutes ago, Ridden001 said:

I’m selling a premium finish max for $250 shipped if you go with Arcadia.   It comes with a free launch arm stand also.  Just saying...

Ironically, already got that one and the Miria premium finish

[Toonz]

decided to order 2 sets from nyp for hikaru and roy.

sorry max and kaki, not much love for 1A...

[F360]

1 hour ago, gerwookie said:

How does one use loyalty points/vouchers from nin-nin? I’m wondering if it’s worth using for the strike pack. It says I have 1349pts waiting for validation

you will have to go into your account and request the loyalty points to be turn in to a voucher/coupon.  

Then you can use the coupon on your orders.  1 pt is 1 yen off. 

[gerwookie]

So weird. Nin-nin has the vf-1a max for $285.86 up for pre-order again.

edit: maybe it’s always been there and for that price and I haven’t noticed, unlike mykombini.

Edited June 6, 2019 by gerwookie

[General Rasp]

I have to watch the movie again and decide how many packs I want. Definitely two for Hikaru and Roy. But I don't remember Max using the packs in the movie, only in the TV series. And I don't remember the whole skull squadron in the movie with packs either. Personally I going toward DYRL for Hikaru and Roy, and TV for Max and Milia. Then calling it good after that.  

And to add my two cents to the "buy now or wait" discussion, I imagine Bandai re-releasing variants. At roughly $190 per figure they are priced to sell. Plus the different variations of the VF-1 are heads and paint. Most of the tampo would be the same also. With the exception of the brownies they could easily re-release the current figures later on. It might be three or five years from now, but they could do it. 

If they re-released SOC Voltron what is stopping them from re-releasing VF-1. With a basebody the makes up 90% of the VF-1 and all three figure selling out, they are printing money at this point.  

Edited June 6, 2019 by General Rasp
Adding two cents

[DYRL VF-1S]

42 minutes ago, gerwookie said:

So weird. Nin-nin has the vf-1a max for $285.86 up for pre-order again.

edit: maybe it’s always been there and for that price and I haven’t noticed, unlike mykombini.

Yeah, N-Y has it up still for around $277 as well.  Neither of those shops sold out of the markup stock like they have for periods of time with the 1S.

[F360]

8 hours ago, canklebreaker said:

I’m relaxed. Meh, I simply asked and someone responded saying he was able to but didn’t. So yea it sucks. That’s all. Yet since I’ve joined all I hear how great this community is. It’s the same with all groups not just here, unless you’re a regular no one gives a crap.

Edit: I understand these valid points...

 

Iirc , play-Asia is not well known for delivering on Macross preorders .  Did anyone here received their preorder of the dx vf-1j?  They fail to fulfill my Macross frontier preorder back then.  

@canklebreaker Getting a preorder for someone you do not know can get very complicated,  there are many factors to considered , reputation, money , availability time of the item along with possible multiple preorders if somehow 2 guys placed the preorder for you.  Are ready to pay for booth?  .   Did you plan out how you are going to pay them ? .  Are you giving them your account and password so they can order and pay under you ?  

 

Then theres also the time when the preorder is posted in the middle of the night when many are sleeping.

 

What I’m saying is , it’s not that no one give a crap , it’s just complicated unless you have all those thing planned out and worked out and agreed opon.   The link itself is a big help already. 

[jenius]

19 minutes ago, General Rasp said:

I have to watch the movie again and decide how many packs I want. Definitely two for Hikaru and Roy. But I don't remember Max using the packs in the movie, only in the TV series. And I don't remember the whole skull squadron in the movie with packs either. Personally I going toward DYRL for Hikaru and Roy, and TV for Max and Milia. Then calling it good after that.  

And to add my two cents to the "buy now or wait" discussion, I imagine Bandai re-releasing variants. At roughly $190 per figure they are priced to sell. Plus the different variations of the VF-1 are heads and paint. Most of the tampo would be the same also. With the exception of the brownies they could easily re-release the current figures later on. It might be three or five years from now, but they could do it. 

If they re-released SOC Voltron what is stopping them from re-releasing VF-1. With a basebody the makes up 90% of the VF-1 and all three figure selling out, they are printing money at this point.  

I believe the intro battle shows Max ruthlessly slaying Zentrans with supers attached. I think they will re-release the VF-1 toys and may some day do bundled sets (like they're doing right now with Alto's YF-29)... the wait may be very long though.

[Chronocidal]

Yep, the intro scene has the whole squad in formation dumping reaction missiles into the Zentraedi fleet, fully outfitted in super packs, with Roy getting the strike version.  Every member gets a bit of focus I think, but Max gets the lion's share of visible kills, before they highlight Hikaru's sloppy attempt to match him.

Are they actually re-releasing the YF-29 though?  I mean, the packs for that are so insignificant that they should have always been packed in, in my opinion... but I thought that display was Bandai's typical "Here's the thing you could have bought several years ago; Neener-neener-neener" showcase, like they always pull with the armored VF-25S.

[jenius]

6 minutes ago, Chronocidal said:

Yep, the intro scene has the whole squad in formation dumping reaction missiles into the Zentraedi fleet, fully outfitted in super packs, with Roy getting the strike version.  Every member gets a bit of focus I think, but Max gets the lion's share of visible kills, before they highlight Hikaru's sloppy attempt to match him.

Are they actually re-releasing the YF-29 though?  I mean, the packs for that are so insignificant that they should have always been packed in, in my opinion... but I thought that display was Bandai's typical "Here's the thing you could have bought several years ago; Neener-neener-neener" showcase, like they always pull with the armored VF-25S.

Maybe, there was no date and price so that very well could be the case. It has been reissue on its own like 4 times though.

[treatment]

1 hour ago, General Rasp said:

I have to watch the movie again and decide how many packs I want. Definitely two for Hikaru and Roy. But I don't remember Max using the packs in the movie, only in the TV series. And I don't remember the whole skull squadron in the movie with packs either. Personally I going toward DYRL for Hikaru and Roy, and TV for Max and Milia. Then calling it good after that.  

 

 

In DYRL, Max 1A has the Super-FP on since they were in space, but his Max-1S did not have it on since they were on earth.

There was a goofy-looking "Strike Max VF-1S" having the FPs on in M7, tho...

 

 

 

[Shin Densetsu Kai 7.0]

1 hour ago, General Rasp said:

I have to watch the movie again and decide how many packs I want. Definitely two for Hikaru and Roy. But I don't remember Max using the packs in the movie, only in the TV series. And I don't remember the whole skull squadron in the movie with packs either. Personally I going toward DYRL for Hikaru and Roy, and TV for Max and Milia. Then calling it good after that.  

And to add my two cents to the "buy now or wait" discussion, I imagine Bandai re-releasing variants. At roughly $190 per figure they are priced to sell. Plus the different variations of the VF-1 are heads and paint. Most of the tampo would be the same also. With the exception of the brownies they could easily re-release the current figures later on. It might be three or five years from now, but they could do it. 

If they re-released SOC Voltron what is stopping them from re-releasing VF-1. With a basebody the makes up 90% of the VF-1 and all three figure selling out, they are printing money at this point.  

Max and Kakizaki both had the packs in the beginning of the movie, each Skull Team member onscreen in the beginning had them. You can see them when they get in formation; Hikaru was the only one seen jettisoning the armor.

Oddly enough, the skull roundels in the DX super/strike parts for Hikaru only have his "001" modex number for his VF-1S. This leads me to believe a DX VF-1A Hikaru Super Valkyrie is planned down the line.

2 hours ago, Ipsquitch said:

Any guesses which VF they'll release next? I'm guessing a Max or Milia -1J, since they don't seem to be following any particular order.  I think they're trying to get us hooked on the different teams with the hope that if you buy 1, you'll want to complete the set.

Since Bandai is on a Hikaru kick, maybe the VF-1D since:

-it's never been done before in 1/48 scale

-it's the 1st VF-1 Hikaru used

-it's incentive to buy the inevitable VF-1S if Bandai makes the VF-1D cockpit/forward fuselage detachable and arm mountable in gerwalk/battroid modes

[no3Ljm]

4 hours ago, Mechinyun said:

As far as as the strke parts go - are we all just ordering the DYRL versions that are up now for our TV VF-1J and Maxs with the thought that bandai is not going to do a real TV colored release?

Ok. What Tamashii offering now is a DYRL version. Remember that the arm pack for SDFM is different from DYRL. And Bandai already shown a prototype for that before. When they're going to release we never know. All we can do is speculating or buy a lot of DYRL packs in the hopes that you already have it in case Bandai decided not to release the TV version after all. The only downside to that is if you want TV accurate packs then the DYRL is not for you because the TV version also have  different color.

1 hour ago, General Rasp said:

I have to watch the movie again and decide how many packs I want. Definitely two for Hikaru and Roy. But I don't remember Max using the packs in the movie, only in the TV series. And I don't remember the whole skull squadron in the movie with packs either. Personally I going toward DYRL for Hikaru and Roy, and TV for Max and Milia. Then calling it good after that.  

All of them used the packs in the beginning of the movie. Roy's used the Strike Pack and he was designated as 001. The rest of the 3 are using Super Packs. Now if we're going to check again the markings option provided by Bandai via this pic below, it shows Red 001 (Hikaru 1S), Black 001 (Roy 1S), Blue 013 (Max 1A), and Green 012 (Kakizaki 1A). Max wasn't shown with packs when he got promoted to 1S during his battle with Millia. AFAIK, all 1S units have 001 designation.

Seeing that there's no Red Skull marking with 011, would that mean Bandai might release Hikaru's VF-1A bundled with Super Parts? Which in that process will omit the Strike Cannon in the bundle. In other words, if ever Bandai is going to release a Max VF-1S, I don't think they will release a separate pack for it with a Blue Skull with 001 designation, right? Since it wasn't shown in the DYRL movie. However, since Max's VF-1S heatshield was painted in black in the movie, I think you can use Roy's Black Skull 001 marking for it.

What do you guys think?

 

[Slave IV]

All I'm thinking is I hope these insignias are interchangeable plastic parts and Bandai doesn't Bandai us and do something like make them a one time attachement where you have to pry and probably break the part to remove it for switching. I personally don't care what the number designation under the skull is and my hope is if they don't release a full bundle pack with the Valk, at least just include the insignia part with the valk so we can switch them (and hope there isn't the feared issue I mentioned).

Edited June 6, 2019 by Slave IV

[gulan]

Does anyone k ow if these packs have details on the inside like those Tammy ones? 

[HardlyNever]

Ok, so I'm definitely ordering a set or two, but how in the holy **** is there not an official product page up for these yet?  Am I blind or something, or is it not there?

We still don't know:

1) Are the different skull insignias just stickers or actual swap-able plastic parts?  I'm assuming the later, but we don't know for sure.  An official product page should answer that.

2) Do these have any kind of internal detail?  This scale and price should basically guarantee that it is there, but I haven't seen it yet.  Again, an official product page should answer that.

I may order more/less depending on what the details are.  Bandai, please, get it together for this line.

32 minutes ago, Slave IV said:

All I'm thinking is I hope these insignias are interchangeable plastic parts and Bandai doesn't Bandai us and do something like make them a one time attachement where you have to pry and probably break the part to remove it for switching. I personally don't care what the number designation under the skull is and my hope is if they don't release a full bundle pack with the Valk, at least just include the insignia part with the valk so we can switch them (and hope there isn't the feared issue I mentioned).

I'm assuming the engine covers come off, and then you can swap the insignias with the cover off, and there would also be engine detail inside.  That is the most obvious, basic, and smartest way to do it.

But it's Bandai,  You never really know what they are going to do.

Edited June 6, 2019 by HardlyNever

[no3Ljm]

13 minutes ago, gulan said:

Does anyone k ow if these packs have details on the inside like those Tammy ones? 

This has been asked a lot of times now and nobody know for certain if there's details underneath it like the Yamato/Arcadia ones and the Hi-Metal R ones.

 

[no3Ljm]

1 minute ago, HardlyNever said:

Ok, so I'm definitely ordering a set or two, but how in the holy **** is there not an official product page up for these yet?  Am I blind or something, or is it not there?

We still don't know:

1) Are the different skull insignias just stickers or actual swap-able plastic parts?  I'm assuming the later, but we don't know for sure.  An official product page should answer that.

2) Do these have any kind of internal detail?  This scale and price should basically guarantee that it is there, but I haven't seen it yet.  Again, an official product page should answer that.

I may order more/less depending on what the details are.  Bandai, please, get it together for this line.

As of now, all we have is the P-Bandai link for this which was been posted by @tjdetweiler a few pages ago. In approximately 10 hours the Tamashii page is going to get updated before or during the actual P-Bandai PO site happens.

21 hours ago, tjdetweiler said:

https://p-bandai.jp/item/item-1000135484/

Link up - looks like swappable Marks - green, black, red, blue (Correct me if I'mr wrong)

Strike/Super pack

 

By then, all we can do is wait.

[jenius]

Think about it, does anyone really think the skulls are stickers? There are literally no stickers at all for these toys yet. I mean, I guess confirmation would be nice but it would be absolutely shocking if they were stickers.

[Bolt]

If the NHK survey is anything to go by,  I would guess Roy’s VF-1S would be next.It was actually #5 while Hikaru’s was #6..And Hikaru’s VF-1J was #10. Of course Bandai released the 1J well before the survey. But I’m sure they have a clue what’s popular.

Then again, who says Bandai cares about the NHK survey..

[no3Ljm]

Besides, on that image above where the lineup of Skull Marking is, it didn't say 'decal' nor 'sticker'. It just only says 'Skull Mark Parts Included' in katakana and kanji. Maybe there's an access like the Yamato/Arcadia that shows the internal parts and at the same time, you can pull that certain circular parts on the side and change it. Basically making it as interchangeable markings(?).

Just a thought and I think it's the practical way to go.

 

[Sanity is Optional]

If it says parts, it ought to be a part. Bandai makes too many model kits to not differentiate part vs sticker.

Edited June 6, 2019 by Sanity is Optional

[ErikElvis]

Well ordered 4 strike packs. Maybe order 2. More later. I’d just really hate to pay a huge markup on these later down the line. 

[rdrunner]

11 minutes ago, Sanity is Optional said:

If it says parts, it ought to be a part. Bandai makes too many model kits to not differentiate part vs sticker.

I have always thought that they would be circular parts with the skull emblems printed on one (or both) side(s), that has a groove of some sort around the edges so that they stay in place when inserted in the side of the booster packs. 

[Slave IV]

This talk of parts is more reassuring to me because again, parts doesn't sound like stickers to me. I seriously doubt the parts will work double sided though. That would be too smart and probably interfere with some complicated locking system engineered into them.

[eggy99]

It's hard to see from the teased parts from Tamashii Nation 2018 if the insignias are separate parts that can be removed or if the outer shell of the packs can be removed to display the internal details. The whole thing looks very solid, but in the CAD they did illustrate the internal parts, so it could swing either way.

We'll all have to wait and see what hidden gimmicks Bandai will include with these packs.

So now: When will we see the TWE TV Hands Option Pack - ¥2000 (my guess)