Macross newbie...

[jtaylo20214]

good day to every macross collectors!

first of all, kudos to all those with superb collections! i'm not very familiar with this series and figures but im very impressed with the stuff you have guys. so i have a question (or questions), i plan on getting familiar with this toys so what do you guys suggest on how to do so: what series to watch, what things to look for and all the basic stuff to know.

i know that they cost a lot more than the ones im collecting so far. is it safe to say 5x to 7x more expensive? ;D so for my first figure, what do you guys suggest to get? im into bad-a** looking figures, meaning cool looking designs, playability is superb, and of course the value for money.

hope you guys can help, i really want to test this things out.

[kamadoma]

I think the best ones to watch first would be the roots of the franchise themselves.

The Super Dimension Fortress Macross (the first series) is a good one but if you want a quick watch, go for Macross: Do You Remember Love. It's basically a movie version of the SDFM series (with some changes). That is how I started (just last year).

Macross Frontier is the latest one and probably one (if not) of the best. This one has a lot of references to the past Macross series so even if you watch this first you would like to go back to the older series.

Macross Plus is also good, while Macross 7 and Zero are more on the weird side but still good enough. I haven't seen Macross 2, but it's not a direct sequel (not considered canon too).

In short my recommendations in order would be:

Macross: Do You Remember Love
Macross Frontier
Super Dimension Fortress Macross
Macross Plus
Macross Zero
Macross 7
Macross 2

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As for the toys, nothing beats Yamato. If you would only get a few ones then Yamato is the brand to go. They are all worth the saving up and effort. The best I can recommend would be the 1/48 scale or the newer "1/60 ver. 2" scale. Here's a good list of pros and cons:

For the 1/48 scale:

BIG - depends on you of this is a pro or con. We all know that big bots kick ass, but then some consider them too big to handle, so up to you, do check them out in stores to see your size preference.

Perfect Transformation - the 1/60 version 1 required legs to be detached to transform to Battroid mode, this one can transform without any parts removal.

Aesthetics/detail - this is as close as you get to a fully detail Valkyrie. Most of the details are stickers though, but it's good enough on its own IMHO (only placed a few logos on mine)

These would cost around 6k+ for a single 1/48 fighter, and you have to buy the Super/Strike parts to make them look more kickass.

For the 1/60 ver. 2 scale:

Improved tidbits on the 1/48 - any loose parts on the 1/48 model were addressed here, so you retain that perfect transformation and get a more solid Valkyrie. The attachment of the Super Parts were also updated to make it more solid.

Tampo prints - most of the details have been tampo printed so you don't worry about placing a lot of stickers.

These would usually cost around 7k for the ones that already include the Super/Strike parts.

As for the unit, you can't go wrong with the VF-1. Try seeing the shows first and see which ones matter to you. But most likely Roy or Hikaru's units would get your attention.

Good luck and enjoy the Macross experience!

[kamadoma]

These are good comparison videos among the 2 scales:

[jtaylo20214]

wow that was helpful! thanks kamadoma! i'll try to better understand everything you've just said... Yamato is it? hmmm.. is that a common figure? does every collector has it? i'm looking for something darker, more mean looking and has lots of stuff that shoot! ala dark kiva for a kiva counterpart hehe..

i seem to notice that there are separate "expansion" packs that you attach to your regular macross... interesting... do you have to buy it separately or does it come with other figures?

[kamadoma]

Okay I'll write some terms for you to read:

Macross - the name of the main battleship and also the name of the series/franchise.
Valkyrie - the transforming mecha. It has 3 modes: Fighter (jet), Gerwalk (jet with arms/legs) and Battroid (robot).
Yamato - the BRAND that makes the 1/48 and 1/60 Valkyries.

The "expansion packs" are called Super/Strike Parts or we usually call them "Fast Packs". There are some Valkyries that already come with them, and there are also separately sold ones.

There are also the Armored Parts which is basically a whole set of missile launchers for the whole Valkyrie.

If you want something that has a lot to shoot, that would be the VF-1J with Armor Parts. However, the sad part is that you cannot transform it with the Armor Parts on. And it doesn't feel that "dark" because it is the lead guy's mecha. If you want a fully transforming one with a whole load of gunpowder goodness, that would be a different unit (but still from the Macross series). The Yamato 1/100 Koenig Monster.

This would be a good resource for the Koenig Monster.
www.macrossworld.com/macross/toys/koenig/_koenig_review.htm

I suggest you trying watching the series first so you can really see for yourself which unit you'd like.

One more thing, don't rush. Yamato Valkyries stay on shelves for years and Yamato is very generous in making reissues. And furthermore, reissues usually mean that Yamato has made some improvements over the past releases.

An example of this would be the 1/60 ver. 2 VF-1S Roy Focker. There were reports of cracking in the shoulders, and with this Yamato made some changes in the future releases. Just a few months ago I think they re-released the VF-1S Roy with changes in the shoulders, which is a good thing. They ensure that they note the problems and make changes as they go on.