Only problems I've had with Bandai Macross toys in general: DX VF-25F (first one) - joints got excessively loose after a while with minimal handling and the main peg that holds the torso together kept failing. VF-171 Nightmare - black triangles that hold the shoulder pads on cracked, broke and fell apart. That's it. Everything else I've handled (Monster, VF100 VF-25, Hi Metal VF-1, Hi Metal VF-19, Macross Quarter, SD Infinity VF-25, VF-27 Grace, VF-25 Renewal, VF-171 Alto) has been excellent overall.
I still think the best valk toy design is the 1/55. Also did one of you buy the 1/65 VF-17D off Mandarake?
I avoid Bandai valkyries. I don't care that much about paint chipping, but the fact that the joints get really loose on their own frustrates me to no end. Best valkyrie toy design [at least for me] is either the VF19 from Yamato or a latest, revised VF1 V2.0 from Yamato.
Which joints got loose on the Quarter? Mine have stayed pretty tight, especially the shoulders which were so tight when it was new that I remember people (myself included) thinking that there was no articulation there.
Yeah I don't have much experience with the previous Bandai efforts, but they all looked pretty terrible.
I don't know, I guess one could say the old M7 1/65 VF-17 and 19 look terrible by today's standards, but back when they came out almost twenty years ago they were great! Compare them to any other transforming toy in 1995 and they were pretty amazing. Actually the 17 is still one of my favorite Macross toys. Those exceptions allowed I think Bandai's Macross toys look pretty spectacular by and large. The Renewal 25 is a definite improvement over the original, but I still didn't mind how the original looked.
The elbows on mine make it near impossible to hold up the gun. I guess part of it is because the gun and the carrier are so damned heavy. Oh, I forgot to mention the alt mode blows.
I've always thought all the 7 and + valks were pretty ugly/silly in Robot mode except for the VF-11. The new Arcadia 19 looks really clean and tight though, so I'll give it a shot - uniboob design or not.
Yo, just letting you guys that I'm selling my Yamato 1/72 VF-11B with Fast Packs for $50. Need to get it sell quick for some extra cash.
The DX VF-25F VS DX YF-29 I've actually started drifting towards the YF-29's now- the only real differences I can find between them and the 25's are their back packs/wings and head sculpts- their bodies look identical. I wouldn't mind a 29 over the 25, because from what I've read (and trust me, I don't know s--- about Macross- at all- I have no idea who the "coolest" characters are or the most badass mechs are or who kicked whose butt in the final battles or any of that stuff- I haven't watched a single episode since I was a kid and Robotech aired in the US- that's all I remember)- the 29 is the most powerful Valkyrie yet. It's basically a modified and totally pimped out 25- from what my research told me. I wouldn't mind having the most powerful fighter in the series to date, but if the figure is filled with tons of flaws then I'll pass- but I don't know- are the 29's full of problems like the 171's?
No, all of the Frontier valks that have come out in the last two years are safe aside from the 171CF. Even the other 171, the Alto version, is totally fine.
Hmmm, thankfully there are official specs on all the valkyries, so questions of "which one is the fastest/best" etc can get resolved. I'm not sure if the YF29 is the best though, isn't it made specifically for Anti Varja warfare? Do the VF25 valkyries actually top the VF19?
Some people report their 171's are fine. I think it's just a case of they made so many, their were more issues. You might luck out.
I'm stuck between the VF-25F Alto and VF-171 Alto I think they're both very beautiful products- and what amazes me about these macross planes the most, because usually I prefer to keep my robot collectibles in robot mode for displays, is how they just look darn great in fighter mode. I mean, as awesome as the robot mode is, regardless of which one I buy, I could really see myself displaying them more in fighter mode than robot mode a majority of the time because they look so dang legitimate as planes- the detail and shaping are fantastic. I could see myself displaying these as fighters in my office and a co-worker walking in completely curious like, "Woa- nice plane." ^_^ My thoughts on the VF-25F at this point: It's a very posable bot- which is what I like about it. I also like that it's wings don't appear to be heavy at all- giving it great balance. It looks like a tradition jet, but also has some neat sci-fi design elements that I think my friends, family, and anyone else would be curious to ask on and explore. It has a ton of upgrade armor available- which is a big plus. However, it's hips have been said to typically cause scratching on the fuselage during posing- which is a red-flag turn off to me. My thoughts on the VF-171 EX: It frankly looks incredibly badass. It's articulation is good, but it doesn't appear to have a waist joint- which worries and turns me off. It's covered in black markings, making it very prone to rub-offs and cosmetic wear. It's also been known, like the other 171 Plus, to arrive in the box pre-damaged and pre-scratched. It's hip armor, like the 25's, is a piece of s---. But, I DO like how sleek it is and how simplified it's wing configuration is in robot mode- it's a mighty cosmetic plus. The armor is a bit minimalist and not exactly a step-up in intimidation- but a nice add-on nonetheless. Both of these have good and bad- but for those of you who own both- if you had to choose just 1 one them- after everything you've heard and know about them: Which would you choose?
That's not even a concern at all, if you know how to pose toy in anyway you would never have that happen on the renewal 25, unless you want your toy in a crazy spray leg stance that is. I can understand not having a waist joint would turn you off, but why would it worry you? The 1/60 Ver 2. VF-1s from Yamato doesn't really have a waist joint either, nor does the original mold, but they are great toys nonetheless, BTW, the VF-25 Renewal doesn't really have a waist joint either. Do you mean the armor parts? because the VF-171 EX by it self doesn't come with a hip armor. The hip armors from the add on set are fine, if you don't play with them on a daily basis, and I can tell you this right now. The Bandai Frontier toys are not toys to be played with on a daily basis, that's the sad truth, because the joints would start to loosen, hell, on the V1 you don't play with it and the joints get loose Ultimately I think I still would have gone with the VF-171, just because how bad ass it looks, especially with all the armor parts, but I am glad that I don't have to choose, because the VF-25F renewal is just friggin' awesome.
I don't have exact numbers.. but it was never sold out and the current going rate is like $130 bucks. I think they made more for army builders who bought 3 or 4. I see them all over the place.
Possibly, but even still that shouldn't equate to what appears to be over a 50% failure rate with the shoulder parts. With so many people reporting the same breakages I would never, ever recommend this toy to someone based on the slim possibility that they might get lucky. My advice to anyone considering the 171CF is the same as my advice for the Toynami and Aoshima Legioss toys: It's not worth the gamble. Incidentally one of the reasons there are so many 171CFs still sitting around is because the shoulders started blowing out from the very beginning and people are afraid to buy them.
