Bandai VF-31AX Kairos Plus - Hayate Type

[Scyla]

On 1/13/2022 at 11:02 PM, sqidd said:

The design of something is only half the job. Production is a whole different deal.

There is a big problem worldwide right now with quality because of COVID. I suspect it's a lot of factors from the quality of raw materials (something I'm having problems with) to lots of new employees to a general ability for the individual to use COVID as an excuse for screwing off. IDK what the situation is in Asia but in the US finding and retaining good employees right now is really hard.

It could also be the case that Bandai did skip a bunch of quality control steps because the thought they had the design down to a T. Like skipping test shots and other procedures because they are so similar.

In the end the only thing we could check for ourselves would be the country of origin. 

 

 

[last_raven]

34 minutes ago, Scyla said:

It could also be the case that Bandai did skip a bunch of quality control steps because the thought they had the design down to a T. Like skipping test shots and other procedures because they are so similar.

In the end the only thing we could check for ourselves would be the country of origin. 

 

 

Pretty much. I doubt there's anything wrong with the plastic itself. Even if it was made in China, Vietnam, Philippines, etc there's plenty of quality products and toys out of each of those countries. It's probably exactly as you said and it was a rush job or there were a ton of callouts/sick leaves/staff shortages or they got cocky/greedy and skipped a ton of pre-production QC, especially considering the models from the hobby shows and expo looked super tight.

Seems there's just no getting anything right the first time (or second) in present day. 

[Angesdad]

51 minutes ago, last_raven said:

Seems there's just no getting anything right the first time (or second) in present day. 

I certainly hope Bandai gets it right for the second round ‘cause I finally gave in and preordered a 31AX Mirage..

Edited January 16, 2022 by Angesdad

[Scyla]

3 minutes ago, Angesdad said:

I certainly hope Bandai gets it right for the second round ‘cause I finally gave in and preordered a 31AX Mirage..

I already paid for mine at AE. I really hope they fix all the issues till then.

[Guyffon]

Seeing how the AX super boosters attach to the wing, I think I can put them on the underside hardpoints of a regular VF-31 with supers on and make a 4 booster version, I ‘ll call it a VF-31 super super, haha

[Seto Kaiba]

Random question for anyone who got this one...

Does the manual have the usual info blurb with stats at the front of it?

[last_raven]

9 hours ago, Angesdad said:

I certainly hope Bandai gets it right for the second round ‘cause I finally gave in and preordered a 31AX Mirage..

God I hope so. I didn't buy the Mirage because I was worried the head sculpt would create the sort of issues we have on the Hayate 31AX. I prefer her design and colors by far and large. If it goes well when the rest of you gets yours I may punish myself a second time. The Hayate x Mirage pairing grew on me despite Hayate being a wet blanket and Mirage being underutilized. But if they announce an Arad or Bogue before then I may go for either of those instead. I'm usually not dead set on completing a lineup but with the YF-29s I am and if they can sort the rest of the 31AX lineup out I may be so tempted for these. Fingers crossed for a 1.5 after Mirage.

[last_raven]

54 minutes ago, Seto Kaiba said:

Random question for anyone who got this one...

Does the manual have the usual info blurb with stats at the front of it?

No it does not.

It has the development lineage similar to certain Bandai Gundam kits showing how the YF-30 became the various VF-31s and how the 31A became the 31AX as a graphic and some anecdotes and some character/story blurbs (I can't read runes just based on context)

Edited January 17, 2022 by last_raven

[Chronocidal]

1 hour ago, Guyffon said:

Seeing how the AX super boosters attach to the wing, I think I can put them on the underside hardpoints of a regular VF-31 with supers on and make a 4 booster version, I ‘ll call it a VF-31 super super, haha

Sadly, I don't believe the hardpoints will be the correct size.  The ones in the wing hinges are a different size compared with the usual missile ones.

[Seto Kaiba]

34 minutes ago, last_raven said:

No it does not.

It has the development lineage similar to certain Bandai Gundam kits showing how the YF-30 became the various VF-31s and how the 31A became the 31AX as a graphic and some anecdotes and some character/story blurbs (I can't read runes just based on context)

Thanks for taking the time to look for me.  

Shame, I was really hoping to get some actual specs for this damnable thing... because it is one of the prettiest of the VF-31s.

[Master Dex]

34 minutes ago, Seto Kaiba said:

Thanks for taking the time to look for me.  

Shame, I was really hoping to get some actual specs for this damnable thing... because it is one of the prettiest of the VF-31s.

I could take a photo of mine for you if it will help, but what they say seems accurate. I doubt it will have what you want.

[last_raven]

3 hours ago, Seto Kaiba said:

Thanks for taking the time to look for me.  

Shame, I was really hoping to get some actual specs for this damnable thing... because it is one of the prettiest of the VF-31s.

It is rather good looking. Part of why I am so beat up about fighter mode. Even just to have both guns leveled with each other and one side looking good as far as gaps go and I would be happy. Maybe it's just my OCD but still it does very well in battroid mode and gerwalk so overall I am pleased.

[Guyffon]

8 hours ago, Chronocidal said:

Sadly, I don't believe the hardpoints will be the correct size.  The ones in the wing hinges are a different size compared with the usual missile ones.

After your comments I went to test fit some other stuff, It seems that the lik drakens and the missles mountings from the VF-19 will not fit on the mountings where the boosters go but they fit on the hardpoints under the wing of the AX, weird, then I tried the 3rd party 3 missle mount and single missle mount that were made from the molds of the EX-171 missles and those have no problems fitting while the others from the same set like the huge MDE, reaction missle and missle pods could not fit.

But from what I see, the booster might fit the underside hardpoints abeit loose as the hardpoints on the wing fold seem too small for those I mentioned that could not fit.

[Seto Kaiba]

15 hours ago, Master Dex said:

I could take a photo of mine for you if it will help, but what they say seems accurate. I doubt it will have what you want.

If it's not inconvenient, sure, I'd appreciate that.   Obviously no rush, I'll have my nose to the grindstone until a week from Tuesday anyway.

[last_raven]

Cautionary statement for anybody with pre-orders through Nin-Nin Game.

 

While I have done a bunch of business with them in the past my first experience with them was pretty raw. It took them over 2 weeks to ship and it took about over a month for that tracking ID to move at all and about another two for it to arrive. It came in pristine condition and was still sealed (YF-19 Full Set) and was packaged very very well from NNG. I was hesitant but eventually I ordered from them again and have a few times since and they almost always shipped instantly or the week of. I have also ordered from them during the pandemic/lockdowns etc and it was still pretty fast. 

 

I am reading a TON of reviews and tweets and trustpilots about preorders not shipped since they moved to their new location in October and them relisting said items for double price. I recently ordered the 31J Fold Projector Unit and Lil Draken Set from them both marked as in stock and the second it didn't ship within that week (Today would have been 5 business days) I contacted them requesting a status update and basically stating I'm familiar with the pattern/flow of their orders and was curious what was going on. I have no experience with Nippon Yassan but I am aware of their reputation. There is some speculation about them being composed of former NY employees but I cannot claim to know this firsthand.

 

I urge any of you with PO for your 31AX from Nin Nin to stay on top of them via their support site and keep screenshots and receipts should you need to contest the charges with paybox, paypal, your bank etc. I hate to stir the pot on the already pretty narrow market for getting these items in the west but based on what we are seeing lately I think it's safe to say Nin-Nin and Luna Park are hit or miss at best and outright scammers at worst. Luna Park fulfilled my 31AX PO quickly(ish) and it didn't have an Amazon.co.jp receipt in the box/sleeve but I was also within the first hour or two of the PO going live with them, also why I have kept my super pack PO with them because same story there.

 

I've got no business relationship with any importers or resellers and I'm not trying to attack anybody unjustly, I've just been the victim of a scam before and I want to make sure that's not going to happen to anyone else. Slightly censored NNG order history for proof of having bought from them prior.

[Chronocidal]

One note about the 31AX's hardpoint mounts..  I don't think it's consistent, but I may have just gotten a massive tolerancing lemon.  I can't seem to get anything to mount on the arm panel hardpoints.  Things just don't fit on them, and either won't secure at all, or pop off seconds after they seem to stay put.

Edited January 19, 2022 by Chronocidal

[MacrossJunkie]

1 hour ago, Chronocidal said:

One note about the 31AX's hardpoint mounts..  I don't think it's consistent, but I may have just gotten a massive tolerancing lemon.  I can't seem to get anything to mount on the arm panel hardpoints.  Things just don't fit on them, and either won't secure at all, or pop off seconds after they seem to stay put.

You're right about that. Mine are like that too. The outermost hardpoints are fine, but the arm ones do not fit properly because the plastic is thicker around the hole compared to the outer wing hardpoints.

 

Edit: Nevermind, it does fit. The hard points are like this on the previous 31 releases also, where the plastic around the hole is a bit thicker. The part that appears to be making it more difficult to attach things to the hard points seems to be the hole for back rectangular peg. It might be a bit tighter on the 31AX. I just had to push in harder to get it to seat securely. The struts(?) should be able to make contact with the wing.

Edited January 19, 2022 by MacrossJunkie

[Chronocidal]

I was eventually able to get a couple of things to mostly seat in those hardpoints, but one wing is worse than the other, and loves to force things to pop off very quickly.  

Coincidentally, those VF-171 pods were the first thing I found to try as well.  I also wound up trying the gattling guns from the 31 armor set, and maybe those are just beyond what those tight hardpoints will tolerate, because they just refuse to seat at all.  I recall them being fairly tight on the older 31 releases, so those might just be right on the edge of what will fit on the AX without modification.

Edit - Actually might just be the 171 armaments that are an issue?  The YF-19 pylons seem to snap in without too much trouble on the arms.

I can say that I see the plastic around the center block of the hardpoints deforming slightly from trying to get stuff in there though.

Edited January 19, 2022 by Chronocidal

[wm cheng]

Argh... word of warning for those of us unfortunate enough to live in Canada.  I got seduced by all the great photos (especially with the Super Packs) and decided to get one after the pre-order but before all the QC issues cropped up from eBay.  I got a decent price (not MSRP, but not eye-watering gouge), paid $22 for DHL delivery, and got dinged with a $73.68 brokerage, customs & duties bill on top, so I'm paying about $100 in shipping and handling that's taking now over 7-9 days delivery.  The delivery costs are just souring the experience so much that I think its no longer worth it, plus the middle of the night POs - buying toys sure ain't the fun they used to be!  (ah, it's my 50yrs+ bones talking now)

[davidwhangchoi]

Macross is expensive hobby now

[David Hingtgen]

Now?  When was it ever not?

[Angesdad]

4 hours ago, wm cheng said:

Argh... word of warning for those of us unfortunate enough to live in Canada.  I got seduced by all the great photos (especially with the Super Packs) and decided to get one after the pre-order but before all the QC issues cropped up from eBay.  I got a decent price (not MSRP, but not eye-watering gouge), paid $22 for DHL delivery, and got dinged with a $73.68 brokerage, customs & duties bill on top, so I'm paying about $100 in shipping and handling that's taking now over 7-9 days delivery.  The delivery costs are just souring the experience so much that I think its no longer worth it, plus the middle of the night POs - buying toys sure ain't the fun they used to be!  (ah, it's my 50yrs+ bones talking now)

Is it true that stuff shipped via DHL from Luna Park is exempt from customs and duties somehow?- I seem to remember reading about a Canadian fellow member here gotten away with no additional fees at the door.

[davidwhangchoi]

19 minutes ago, David Hingtgen said:

Now?  When was it ever not?

remember the hlj clearance for 75usd a yamato valk?

sal shipping for 12-14 bucks? 

those were the days

11c ,11b and VT-1 were dumpster shelfware that no one wanted. now they're like grails.

[Sanity is Optional]

7 minutes ago, davidwhangchoi said:

remember the hlj clearance for 75usd a yamato valk?

sal shipping for 12-14 bucks? 

those were the days

11c ,11b and VT-1 were dumpster shelfware that no one wanted. now they're like grails.

Now just correct for inflation and exchange rate...

I'm guessing was still like $125-$150 equivalent?

[Chronocidal]

Yeah, I'm not kidding when I say I got most of my old Yamato VF-1s for less than the Bandai HMRs cost.

To say nothing of the deals I got on the VF-11s and YF-21.  In hindsight, I wish I'd bought more.

[kkx]

23 hours ago, last_raven said:

 

I urge any of you with PO for your 31AX from Nin Nin to stay on top of them via their support site and keep screenshots and receipts should you need to contest the charges with paybox, paypal, your bank etc. I hate to stir the pot on the already pretty narrow market for getting these items in the west but based on what we are seeing lately I think it's safe to say Nin-Nin and Luna Park are hit or miss at best and outright scammers at worst. Luna Park fulfilled my 31AX PO quickly(ish) and it didn't have an Amazon.co.jp receipt in the box/sleeve but I was also within the first hour or two of the PO going live with them, also why I have kept my super pack PO with them because same story there.

 

Thanks for the heads up.

They did just send me a notice that my items is now shipped (at least I have a tracking number).

[derex3592]

13 hours ago, Chronocidal said:

Yeah, I'm not kidding when I say I got most of my old Yamato VF-1s for less than the Bandai HMRs cost.

To say nothing of the deals I got on the VF-11s and YF-21.  In hindsight, I wish I'd bought more.

So much this...

[Shukenzero]

Just got one of my 31AXs in. Had to sand down the edges like everyone has mentioned. Otherwise, I think it’s a decent design. Is there a Mass Production version of the AX? Haven’t seen the movie

[no3Ljm]

1 hour ago, Shukenzero said:

Just got one of my 31AXs in. Had to sand down the edges like everyone has mentioned. Otherwise, I think it’s a decent design. Is there a Mass Production version of the AX? Haven’t seen the movie

I haven't seen it yet. But based on what was shown thru scans and whatnot, they were still utilizing Kairos in the movie.

 

[Mechapilot77]

22 hours ago, davidwhangchoi said:

remember the hlj clearance for 75usd a yamato valk?

sal shipping for 12-14 bucks? 

those were the days

11c ,11b and VT-1 were dumpster shelfware that no one wanted. now they're like grails.

yup, thought it was more like 85 but yeah, got a bunch around then.  oh, hi david!  long time no see (i'm not on here as much these days!).  u still in jersey?

[davidwhangchoi]

4 minutes ago, Mechapilot77 said:

yup, thought it was more like 85 but yeah, got a bunch around then.  oh, hi david!  long time no see (i'm not on here as much these days!).  u still in jersey?

hey long time Mecha! I'm closer to Philly, in NJ but moved down from Bergen. Missed going over your place when you were in Jersey City. You still in Queens? 

Yeah, i only recently came on last week bc i finally got out my macross stuff that i had in storage. 

I'm still on the fence for these new AX lines but still waiting to watch the delta movie before going in for a pre-order on a Mirage 

 

[Wally]

Just so folks know. Just got my shipping notice from nin-nin for the vf-31ax. 

[Shukenzero]

7 hours ago, no3Ljm said:

I haven't seen it yet. But based on what was shown thru scans and whatnot, they were still utilizing Kairos in the movie.

 

Thanks man. Guess the best thing to hope for are the armoured parts for the Kairos plus a Kairos rerun.

[ps99042]

3 hours ago, Wally said:

Just so folks know. Just got my shipping notice from nin-nin for the vf-31ax. 

Good to hear!  I just emailed them for an update since mine has been in preparation status for 3 weeks.

[jenius]

Luna Park said they sent mine via DHL but with a note that it may take a while for tracking to reflect this... which is of course, curious. I guess I'll be patient... some more.