Wave 1/72 Tomahawk and Defender restock

[Big s]

Was on hobby search and noticed that the Tomahawk and Defender kits by wave are up on a restock and in stock. Doesn’t look like the Missile Phalanx is available unfortunately, but for anyone that missed out on these two and need some great looking 1/72 destroids to go with their 1/72 Valkyries and regults, then here’s your chance. I haven’t noticed these kits getting rereleased in a while and not sure how often it happens. I’m also not sure if they’re on other sites like hlj, but it might be worth checking 

[Vintage Macross]

Hey, yes they have been re-released on the Macross 40th.  

[Big s]

3 hours ago, Vintage Macross said:

Hey, yes they have been re-released on the Macross 40th.  

I really didn’t know until I saw them yesterday. I had missed out on the first run due to budget issues way back when they came out and didn’t want to pay an up charge through eBay. I kept telling myself that they’re model kits, they’re gonna do a rerelease soon, just like Bandai. That rerelease took quite a while longer than I expected and didn’t even think to search them out. At least I got the Defender and Tomahawk on the way. I hope one day there’s a newer Spartan

[Bolt]

47 minutes ago, Big s said:

I hope one day there’s a newer Spartan

The Spartan seems to be the most difficult, of the SDFM Destroids, to translate into model form, IMO. I have yet to see one that actually looks good.

[Big s]

33 minutes ago, Bolt said:

The Spartan seems to be the most difficult, of the SDFM Destroids, to translate into model form, IMO. I have yet to see one that actually looks good.

Honestly they mostly came out in the early 80’s and tech has come a long way since then. I had the Arii and have seen the imai and they weren’t too bad for the time, but the best of them was the little nichimo in my opinion. The hmr from Bandai is pretty good and nothing a modern kit couldn’t do. If wave or maxfactory or Bandai did a new one, I’d expect it would look pretty great and move fairly well depending on the company.

[Bolt]

10 minutes ago, Big s said:

If wave or maxfactory or Bandai did a new one, I’d expect it would look pretty great and move fairly well depending on the company.

I would hope so. I have a few of the older 1/72 Bandai Spartans. They're horrible. I built one with my kid sometime ago. I was looking at it the other day, trying to figure out how to improve it. And it would require so much work, I would go crazy.!

[Big s]

12 minutes ago, Bolt said:

I would hope so. I have a few of the older 1/72 Bandai Spartans. They're horrible. I built one with my kid sometime ago. I was looking at it the other day, trying to figure out how to improve it. And it would require so much work, I would go crazy.!

The Bandai one is still just a reissue of the super old imai one and a lot has changed since those days where the best thing about the model sometimes was just the box art

[VF-1A Grunt]

I would love to see a Wave Spartan to go with their other Destroids. I would probably be in for two or three of them. I can understand why they’d be reluctant to invest in that model though, since it doesn’t share any parts like the others.

I was fortunate to get two Wave Tomahawks, a Defender, and a Phalanx when they were first released. I discovered them on a trip to Japan in 2015 that rekindled my interest in Macross models. I picked the Tomahawk as the one kit I could fit in my suitcase to bring home. I haven’t gotten around to building them yet - life has been too busy, and I want to get my painting skills up to snuff before tackling these more expensive kits. But I want to get another Defender, at least, now that they’re available again. I have a grand plan to build a diorama of an airfield on Earth with a VF-1 in a revetment and a Defender nearby providing air cover. 

Edited January 28, 2023 by VF-1A Grunt

[Big s]

15 minutes ago, VF-1A Grunt said:

I would love to see a Wave Spartan to go with their other Destroids. I would probably be in for two or three of them. I can understand why they’d be reluctant to invest in that model though, since it doesn’t share any parts like the others.

I was fortunate to get two Wave Tomahawks, a Defender, and a Phalanx when they were first released. I discovered them on a trip to Japan in 2015 that rekindled my interest in Macross models. I picked the Tomahawk as the one kit I could fit in my suitcase to bring home. I haven’t gotten around to building them yet - life has been too busy, and I want to get my painting skills up to snuff before tackling these more expensive kits. But I want to get another Defender, at least, now that they’re available again. I have a grand plan to build a diorama of an airfield on Earth with a VF-1 in a revetment and a Defender nearby providing air cover. 

I’d love to see that diorama 

[captain america]

On 1/27/2023 at 4:10 PM, Bolt said:

The Spartan seems to be the most difficult, of the SDFM Destroids, to translate into model form, IMO. I have yet to see one that actually looks good.

[tekering]

Nicely played. 

We NEED one of these in 1:60!

[Bolt]

3 hours ago, captain america said:

Well played indeed. And now i see the proof in the pudding. 

[VF-1A Grunt]

I’d love to see the Spartan reissued! As much as I’d like to see Wave add it to their Destroid line, I doubt they’ll produce it. I don’t think it has any components that a common to the other models, which I’m sure is what made the Tomahawk, Defender, and Phalanx logical to make.

It seems like this recent re-release of the Tomahawk and Defender sold out really fast. I wanted to get another Defender but must have completely missed them at HLJ (never saw it in stock, only the Tomahawk), and I had one saved in my cart at another store but was too slow, and they sold out. Hoping to find one in Japan when I visit this summer.

[Big s]

4 hours ago, VF-1A Grunt said:

I’d love to see the Spartan reissued! As much as I’d like to see Wave add it to their Destroid line, I doubt they’ll produce it. I don’t think it has any components that a common to the other models, which I’m sure is what made the Tomahawk, Defender, and Phalanx logical to make.

It seems like this recent re-release of the Tomahawk and Defender sold out really fast. I wanted to get another Defender but must have completely missed them at HLJ (never saw it in stock, only the Tomahawk), and I had one saved in my cart at another store but was too slow, and they sold out. Hoping to find one in Japan when I visit this summer.

I know they had the Tomahawk and Phalanx at hobbysearch earlier this week, you could check there.

I’d love to see a spartan, but I’m sort of hoping max factory gets that one. Since Hasegawa, Wave and Max Factory are all doing 1/72 classic Macross I personally think Max factory would be the best choice for a Spartan in 1/72 that not only would look like the anime but also have good articulation. I appreciate Hasegawa for their recent Regults, but they do feel a little awkward stability wise and they definitely leave areas where more work is necessary like drilling holes and scribing panel lines that were so shallow that they sometimes don’t exist near the edge of parts. Wave focused really well in the looks department, but the knees could easily have been designed for better bends on their three destroids.

I was thinking that I don’t remember seeing plans for the Spartan from wave back in the day, but I do remember a 1/100 Monster that looked like it would have been pretty great in the looks department. I think the weight may have been an issue for the polycaps, but many kit companies have found great ways to have tougher joints for kits since then.

Edited May 19, 2023 by Big s
Just checked hobbysearch and they do still have the 1/72 tomahawk and Phalanx, but not the defender. I’m bit surprised that’s the missing one everywhere. Maybe try another site or even amazon

[kajnrig]

I was lucky enough to get a Tomahawk and Defender from HLJ, but the Phalanx was and remains listed as Discontinued. I don't shop from HS as often as I used to, but thanks to this topic I was able to place an order yesterday for a Phalanx there. Fingers crossed it's truly in stock.

 

For what it's worth, the Defender seems to be the hardest of the three to get, but its Bandai(/Arii?) equivalent is the same scale and builds up... well, not nearly as well or easily, but it's a solid alternative is what I mean.

 

[VF-1A Grunt]

7 hours ago, Big s said:

I know they had the Tomahawk and Phalanx at hobbysearch earlier this week, you could check there.

Yeah, that’s unfortunately where I had the Defender in my cart, along with two Hasegawa Regult Small Missile Pod kits, but the hobby budget was stretched a little thin, so I hesitated, and it sold out.

[Big s]

21 minutes ago, VF-1A Grunt said:

Yeah, that’s unfortunately where I had the Defender in my cart, along with two Hasegawa Regult Small Missile Pod kits, but the hobby budget was stretched a little thin, so I hesitated, and it sold out.

It sucks too that the Regults are so easy to get, yet I’ve only seen the Defender at Amazon, but At almost double price.

Keep checking and maybe it will turn up at a less common site

[VF-1A Grunt]

I’m in Tokyo this week and mentioned it in another topic but thought I’d update here too. The Tomahawk and Phalanx kits are readily available in several hobby shops in Akihabara. The big Yodobashi store actually had a stack of about eight Phalanx kits up front in a separate display from the main Macross model section, so I’m thinking they may be a recent restock. I’m curious if they corrected the issue with the missing PC parts sprue.

Unfortunately, no Defender kits to be seen yet, but I’m going to check a few more stores.

[VF-1A Grunt]

Success! I found a Destroid Defender, and it’s safely packed for my trip home. I actually found two. The first was at Surugaya, a really excellent hobby shop in Akihabara, which has a fantastic selection of older Macross kits. It was ¥9,500 ($69), a bit more than I hoping for, but I decided to browse some other stores and then buy it on my way back to the station. At the corner of the next block, I decided to look in a small store called Liberty that was mostly figurines and other anime products. They had Defenser buried in a display case for ¥8,000. With tax exemption, it was ¥7,273 ($53). Really glad to find it for about half the price that they’re listed on eBay and Amazon these days.

 

On a related note, I was curious about whether Wave had corrected the Destroid Phalanx kits that were re-released this past spring for the Macross 40th Anniversary (they have a small Macross40 logo in the upper left corner of the box top). The first batch of kits this year apparently mistakenly included the PV sprue for the Tomahawk kit. They were missing the PV parts for the Phalanx head (neck) and two missile cover hinges. Wave sent out a small replacement PV sprue to dealers with just those three parts. One of the very helpful staff at Yodobashi in Akihabara was kind enough to open a Phalanx kit for me, and we confirmed that the small PV sprue with the three parts is now packed in the kit. It’s sealed in a bag that contains the body components. I think Wave must have released a second batch of these kits to restock after the initial release sold out, and they corrected the issue with that run. Of course, it would be hard to confirm which one you’re getting if you order online. I regret that I couldn’t buy one at Yodobashi, as I had run out of room in my luggage by that point. Maybe next trip…

Edited July 18, 2023 by VF-1A Grunt

[Big s]

56 minutes ago, VF-1A Grunt said:

Success! I found a Destroid Defender, and it’s safely packed for my trip home. I actually found two. The first was at Surugaya, a really excellent hobby shop in Akihabara, which has a fantastic selection of older Macross kits. It was ¥9,500 ($69), a bit more than I hoping for, but I decided to browse some other stores and then buy it on my way back to the station. At the corner of the next block, I decided to look in a small store called Liberty that was mostly figurines and other anime products. They had Defenser buried in a display case for ¥8,000. With tax exemption, it was ¥7,273 ($53). Really glad to find it for about half the price that they’re listed on eBay and Amazon these days.

 

On a related note, I was curious about whether Wave had corrected the Destroid Phalanx kits that were re-released this past spring for the Macross 40th Anniversary (they have a small Macross40 logo in the upper left corner of the box top). The first batch of kits this year apparently mistakenly included the PV sprue for the Tomahawk kit. They were missing the PV parts for the Phalanx head (neck) and two missile cover hinges. Wave sent out a small replacement PV sprue to dealers with just those three parts. One of the very helpful staff at Yodobashi in Akihabara was kind enough to open a Phalanx kit for me, and we confirmed that the small PV sprue with the three parts is now packed in the kit. It’s sealed in a bag that contains the body components. I think Wave must have released a second batch of these kits to restock after the initial release sold out, and they corrected the issue with that run. Of course, it would be hard to confirm which one you’re getting if you order online. I regret that I couldn’t buy one at Yodobashi, as I had run out of room in my luggage by that point. Maybe next trip…

I just finished snipping and cleaning up the pets before I get into putty and paint, but I’ll have to double check mine. I don’t think they’re missing anything from what I saw. I didn’t know this was an issue.

[VF-1A Grunt]

34 minutes ago, Big s said:

I just finished snipping and cleaning up the pets before I get into putty and paint, but I’ll have to double check mine. I don’t think they’re missing anything from what I saw. I didn’t know this was an issue.

I’m about to fly home. I’ll post a photo of the parts when I get a chance. If you’ve assembled the Phalanx head and missile covers already, then your kit fortunately had all the required parts. The original release in 2015 was fine, it was the re-released a couple months ago that was missing the parts. Some people on the Facebook Macross Modelers group posted about how HobbySearch and a couple other online dealers had to send them the missing PV parts sprue after the issue was identified. I’m glad that Wave corrected it for at least the latest kits they’ve produced.

[Big s]

1 hour ago, VF-1A Grunt said:

I’m about to fly home. I’ll post a photo of the parts when I get a chance. If you’ve assembled the Phalanx head and missile covers already, then your kit fortunately had all the required parts. The original release in 2015 was fine, it was the re-released a couple months ago that was missing the parts. Some people on the Facebook Macross Modelers group posted about how HobbySearch and a couple other online dealers had to send them the missing PV parts sprue after the issue was identified. I’m glad that Wave corrected it for at least the latest kits they’ve produced.

These were all the rereleases. They were purchased from hobbysearch. 
I’d appreciate the pictures so I know what to look for. I’m pretty sure mine were ok though, but just in case it would be good to see something for reference 

[VF-1A Grunt]

On 7/17/2023 at 11:37 PM, Big s said:

These were all the rereleases. They were purchased from hobbysearch. 
I’d appreciate the pictures so I know what to look for. I’m pretty sure mine were ok though, but just in case it would be good to see something for reference 

Here’s a photo from the Macross Modeler group on Facebook showing the small sprue with the PV parts that were missing from the Phalanx kits released earlier this year. The member posted in June saying that he waited 3 months to get them from Hobby Search, who sent them out to customers who had ordered the kits. He mentioned that he bought two kits but only received one replacement sprue. The top part is for the neck and the two square parts fit inside the missile hatch hinges.

Here’s a photo of the same sprue inside the Phalanx kit that the Yodobashi staff member opened up for me.

[Big s]

1 hour ago, VF-1A Grunt said:

Here’s a photo from the Macross Modeler group on Facebook showing the small sprue with the PV parts that were missing from the Phalanx kits released earlier this year. The member posted in June saying that he waited 3 months to get them from Hobby Search, who sent them out to customers who had ordered the kits. He mentioned that he bought two kits but only received one replacement sprue. The top part is for the neck and the two square parts fit inside the missile hatch hinges.

Here’s a photo of the same sprue inside the Phalanx kit that the Yodobashi staff member opened up for me.

Thanks for posting. I’m pretty sure I got those poly caps. I haven’t put everything together, but I did test fit the hatches so I think everything is fine because I remember an odd part of the hatches that close around those