JediDefender.com Forums
Collectibles => Other Collectibles => Topic started by: Jeff on November 21, 2014, 01:28 PM
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Starting a separate thread for these...
The Darth Vader kit has been released in Japan. Gunjap (http://www.gunjap.net/site/?p=219626) has a great photoreview of what comes in the kit for those that are curious to see.
The Stormtrooper kit should be out in December.
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Separate colors molded in-sprue? That's pretty spiffy higher-end stuff. Neat to see it here. :)
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Gunjap has a nice look at the sprues for the Stormtrooper (http://www.gunjap.net/site/?p=223864) kit.
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I may pick this up after Xmas. The kit looks very nice and I like all the extra gear and hands. It is pretty inexpensive too at HLJ.
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(http://www.jedidefender.com/news/images/1-08/014BD_R2R5Kits01_TN.jpg) (http://www.hlj.com/product/ban995963)
Clicky!
The R2-D2 and R5-D4 kit set are up... $16.07 too, for two droid kits. Look at all the lil extra bits you get too. Pretty slick! I hope they match up well to the Hasbro 6" figures so people are encouraged to mix them in.
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To go with the R2 that Jesse linked above, now there's a 1/12 Star Wars C-3PO kit (http://www.hlj.com/product/ban996418) up for pre-order too.
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Check out the pistons on the bicep/forearm... They appear to actually function. Outside of a 1/6 figure, maybe a first?
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1/12 Scale R2-D2 and R5-D4 Plastic Model Update (http://www.collectiondx.com/news_item/31015/112_scale_r2d2_and_r5d4_plastic_model_updated)
The R2/R5 Astromech set should be shipping at the end of this month...
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1/12 Scale C-3PO Model Kit Update (http://www.collectiondx.com/news_item/33015/112_scale_c3po_model_kit_updated)
3PO should be shipping in the next few weeks...
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Up next - Scout Trooper with Speeder Bike (http://www.hlj.com/product/BAN996693/Sci)
Look for more pics soon...
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Hobby Link had some new pics of the Scout Trooper with Bike (https://twitter.com/hobbylink/status/598660126799634432) and newly announced Sandtrooper (https://twitter.com/hobbylink/status/598657634435080192) figure model kits from a recent hobby show in Japan.
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Gunjap (http://www.gunjap.net/site/?p=254941) has nice new pics of the upcoming 1/12 Sandtrooper and 1/12 Scout/Bike figure model kits.
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Got Stormie and R5/R2 in the mail today...
Do yourself a favor and order these. Dare I say, skip getting R2 from Hasbro, get this one. It looks pretty in-scale to me to the Hasbro figures, and the crispness and details are just vastly superior even if all you do is apply the stickers after you snap the kit together.
I'm going to slap R5 together this week and see how he looks though, but I think I'm 100% hooked here.
I need 3PO, and I've got the Sandtrooper on order. The Scout I'll pick up when it's in stock on HLJ.
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Do yourself a favor and order these. Dare I say, skip getting R2 from Hasbro, get this one. It looks pretty in-scale to me to the Hasbro figures, and the crispness and details are just vastly superior even if all you do is apply the stickers after you snap the kit together.
R2 is the only Hasbro 6" figure I'm missing from my OT collection, so this could be a great way to go. The aftermarket prices for R2 are ridiculous right now.
edit -- The Bandai 1/12 version comes with a ton of accessories too, I'm seriously considering this...
(http://d2ev13g7cze5ka.cloudfront.net/ban/ban995963box.jpg?v=1420694716)
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Jesse, I just built R5-D4 the other day, and swore I took a pic on Twitter but now don't see it so I'll do that and link it in here when I get some time. I compared it to Bossk, as that's my only 6" guy, so I just thought I'd say it may not be exactly like the R2 from Hasbro.
The figures require a little more than just slap em together, if you want perfection.
There ARE stickers, which are quality stickers not thick paper ones, but there are waterslide decals too which would look more professional but need "sealed" ultimately for any kind of durability. Waterslide decals can get pretty complex with model builds as there is setting solutions and stuff you can get into. R5's look pretty crazy complex too. But then there's stickers too so whatever.
Also, there IS some painting required for "perfection". It's minor but I believe those tools are just molded silver, no paint on them. Not much painting, but if you want it perfect there is some. And weathering of course but these days Hasbro doesn't weather stuff either.
The figures are great though when they're built. Not complex, all snap together (though I recommend good nippers and a good X-acto to do quality part removable/clean up). They are poseable, come with a black base (each) and are generally cool.
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Sandtrooper model kit is shipping now... and the 1/12 Boba Fett (http://www.hlj.com/product/BANN01305/Sci=) model kit (and the 1/144 Slave I kit) is up for pre-order at HLJ!
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I barely, and boy do I mean BARELY, got my order in for the Fett kit... It requested payment today. Whew. Dodged a bullet on that.
Does anyone have any advice on 3rd party buying services in Japan? Anyone do that stuff ever?
I definitely want to keep up on these kits. I'd happily pay more for them, just don't wanna get into Figuarts territory or I'd maybe just go that route instead. :-\
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Jesse, I've used Amazon Japan to buy the SH Figuarts Luke... you have to create a separate Amazon account and use a courier/forwarding service for address purposes, but they let you bill to an American address, and they have English translations. They appear to still be selling the Bandai kits too.
It's at least worth trying to do some digging around on there. I've been trying to find other hobby sites to get all of the SH Figuarts figures so I'll let you know if I find anything.
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There have been so many new announcements since Force Friday, it's hard to keep up with everything - Jesse, have you seen the new TFA kits yet?
GunJap (http://www.gunjap.net/site/?p=275515) has a ton of pics from the recent hobby show:
- 1/12 TFA Captain Phasma Figure Model Kit
- 1/12 TFA C-3PO Figure Model Kit (based on the OT version, now with red arm)
- 1/12 TFA R2-D2 & BB-8 2-pack
- 1/12 First Order Stormtrooper Figure Model Kit
Does anyone have any advice on 3rd party buying services in Japan? Anyone do that stuff ever?
I buy a lot of my Gundam kits on eBay, US Amazon.com (from Japan sellers), or Amazon Japan.
Another good place to check is Rakuten Global Market (http://global.rakuten.com/en/search/?k=bandai+star+wars&l-id=search_regular/). It has links to a ton of places that ship to US - AmiAmi, Hobbyzone, denethhobby.
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What courier service should I use? I only found Tenso. :/
And no I handnt seen those Jeff thank you! I need these. I feel lucky HLJ put my Boba order through. I was literally the last order before it went order stop. Whew. :x
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Interesting to note in those pics that the elite TIE is very different to a regular TIE which appears to be just like TIEs of the OT. I was curious. Also the XWing model should put to bed the theories that the new XWings are smaller than the OT ships. Looks pretty beefy imo.
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What courier service should I use? I only found Tenso. :/
I use Tenso, but I have also heard of White Rabbit Express (http://www.whiterabbitexpress.com/), which supposedly offers cheaper shipping options. I haven't tried them yet since I'm lazy and don't order stuff from Japan THAT frequently. Tenso is usually around $20-25 to ship stuff to the US (since they only offer express shipping) but they will consolidate your packages if you have a bunch of stuff from different places. Here's a good guide that explains how Tenso works (http://strawberry.neverlasting.net/blog/tenso-shopping-service-in-japan/).
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My biggest question about Tenso I guess, is do they let you pile up stuff and ship at once, ala the Private Warehouse on HLJ? I was hoping for that, however I couldn't seem to find anything definitive on that question.
I just know, especially after Jeff's links, that I have to find a way to order this stuff for reasonable prices haha.
Read the Fett reviews that are popping up too, and sooooooo glad I got off the pot on that. Wish I'd gotten two really. What an awesome looking figure. Gonna be a bit of a b to paint, but that's fine.
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Yes, you can stockpile stuff on Tenso. Basically what happens is when a package arrives you get an email, then you go to their site and pay for shipping. Or you can let it sit there if you're waiting for other stuff, then when it all gets there you can consolidate it into one package and they ship it all out together. Very similar, if not the same, as HLJ's private warehouse. I just don't know if there is a time limit they have for holding stuff before they automatically ship it out.
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Due to the Bandai ban I was wondering if others are jumping into these still? The Phasma looks insane, and the FO Stormie is out. Think I'm still in and may pick up another Sandie to make the other rank(s). Ebay prices even with shipping aren't horrid.
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I've gotten a few of them (Vader, the astromechs, Threepio) through Amazon and, although they wind up being a tad more expensive than going directly through other sellers, if you have Prime shipping it does kind of offset that end of things since many are fulfilled by/ship from Amazon warehouses. I have zero skills as a model builder and even less as a painter (my nerves are shot all to hell, so my hand shakes when trying to paint, making detailing impossible), so a friend's brother does that for me, but the building is incredibly fun and rewarding. I managed to slice my finger open with an Exacto knife while building Threepio, but no stitches so it was all worth it. :)
I mainly got into these because I was so disappointed in the Black Series Vader and R2-D2 (Vader looking so "off" and R2 being small). Even though they didn't have the "heft" of the BS figures, they look the part and fit right in. When I heard there was a crackdown coming, my first thought was that Hasbro was somehow involved because of them being seen as a competing product line. Whether or not that's true, I don't know, but I can say for me personally, it is definitely why I did it. I'm still buying the Black Series figures, but the Bandai kits are to supplement the BS figures, not replace them. I still plan on getting Boba Fett (just because he's been my favorite since I was a kid and he's my character focus), and I may get Phasma, but it's not a line I'm all in on. But, boy, it is rewarding to look at them when you're finished putting them together.
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Doc, I had a similar thought on the "ban". Disney kind of came out of the blue with it... Revel immediately put out even a press release denying they said anything, and that they welcomed Bandai on the shelves in the US (more the merrier kind of thought). I think they took some serious flak right away. People just assumed and it's tough to argue.
Hasbro's taken shots at Lego over the years, so I'd not be shocked in the slightest if it were they who actively asked Disney to step in and enforce this. These 1/12 kits are still kits though, but either way Bandai isn't a US property and so on. They make one HELL of a figure though and ultimately they require very little painting (sorry about your hands... My mother's shake now a good bit, and I've been dealing with an issue since August that has impacted my ability to simply build a kit actually. I have to take baby steps now because of focusing issues).
I've really taken to these though. I didn't buy any 6" Hasbro offering but Bossk... Bandai's kits though, they were so cheap on HLJ I figured why not? So I got the droids and Stormie, and it just rolled forward from there as I really didn't want to buy 6", and I don't feel compelled to support Hasbro pushing 6" as a format... Kind of my lame political stance, haha.
But yeah, I mean these kits are insane, they're detailed (more so than Hasbro's figs), they're poseable, they're infinitely more customizable IMO as they're designed to be painted unlike Hasbro's plastic type. Just all around I prefer them. I wish they'd do less armored or droid characters and look at "real" characters. I think they have the ability, even eye decals are a thing, so painting shouldn't be much of an issue there.
That said, I've contemplated Figuarts figures as a means of staying away from Hasbro but still filling out some of this scale with main heroes like Jedi Luke and so forth. Not sure how the two compare to one another. Kinda curious really.
I've seen comparisons done with Hasbro's stuff, and gotta say, their Vader and R2 are laughable. X-Wing LUke though looks great WITH the droids. Just perfect. Bespin Luke as well.
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When I heard there was a crackdown coming, my first thought was that Hasbro was somehow involved because of them being seen as a competing product line.
If it was Hasbro, why would they want Bandai to stop selling the 1/12 model kits but then still allow Bandai to sell actual 6" Star Wars action figures under their Tamashii Nations S.H.Figuarts line? Or allow any of the other Japanese companies to keep selling their competing 6" Star Wars figures (Medicom MAFEX, Kaiyodo Revoltech, etc)?
I guess it's possible that they tried to get all that stuff banned and the model kit stuff was the only one they were able to get canned.
And LOL at that Revell press release if it's true. If it was Revell who was responsible, what else were they going to say about it? "Hey model builders, we know you're pissed at us for having the Bandai kits shut down, but please buy our model kits anyway?" :P
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1/12 Model Kit Shadow Stormie (http://p-bandai.jp/chara/c2289/item-1000101590)
(http://bandai-a.akamaihd.net/bc/img/model/b/1000101590_1.jpg)
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Now that is too cool!
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Not sure if I'll get the shadow trooper... I need to draw a line somewhere. That said I ordered the FO stormie and I'm excited for it to arrive. Hearing a tad more painting involved there but I'm ok with that.
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Got the FO Trooper in the mail. Took a while from Japan, but free shipping... It ultimately cost barely anything more than it would've on HLJ I think, so I'm happy.
Great looking kit... I mean really, these figure kits are amazing. My only disappointment is I doubt they do anyone out of a helmet. :-\ I guess there's the other lines for that, but it's still a bummer. I think they could do eye decals, and the rest would be minor painting issues I would think. Washes, or just little things like lip color. Oh well.
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Bandai's 1/12 model kits for Rogue One look insanely cool. Very glad I skipped the Hasbro Death Trooper and K2S0 as I was very tempted... but knowing they're doing the model kits? I'm in!
The troopers include the necessities to make officers, grunts, squad leaders... Lots of hardware too.
Also they're doing Striker and U-Wing models. Looks like the small models of these ships also include the hovertank as a mini-kit or base of some sort kind of like the ships coming with Death Star tiles.
http://bandai-hobby.net/sw/jp/special/rogue1.html
It's not a huge roll-out of models but the troopers and K2S0 will be must-haves.
While they're usually easy snap-together builds, and nothing you have to go bonkers with, the more complex deco characters like Boba Fett tend to look a tad too clean and benefit greatly from a good painter. A figure like a Stormtrooper or Death Trooper appear to just look great out of the gate, as does the Shoretrooper. Their astromechs are, IMHO, unmatched in the scale... for poseability/articulation, accessories, customizability, features (opening panels, etc.), and more.
These are a good way to get into models for kids too. I don't find them to be something an 8-10 year old couldn't handle without a little help/supervision from the big kid in the house.
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Got Stormie and R5/R2 in the mail today...
Do yourself a favor and order these. Dare I say, skip getting R2 from Hasbro, get this one. It looks pretty in-scale to me to the Hasbro figures, and the crispness and details are just vastly superior even if all you do is apply the stickers after you snap the kit together.
I've been debating doing just this in lieu of the Gamestop R5 fiasco... plus these figures are much more in scale with 6 inch figures than Hasbro figures are.
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The upcoming Grievous has insert molded joints made, on the sprue, which is insane. The tech involved with Bandai is quite cool.
Gonna try to get caught up on the kits I want soon I think. Let these go for a while.
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Took me a while but I ordered the K2SO tonight. Gonna get some Death Troopers for with the Centerpiece Vader I got, leave a dead Stormie on the floor maybe. I want to mix that scene up.
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Bandai has just given me a nudge while I was standing on the 6” figure ledge.
(https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DUVHfGMWkAAm533?format=jpg)
Helmetless characters? Ugh. I’m gonna get these for sure.
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They look great. I haven't bought anything from this line yet, but the urge is strong.
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Their troopers are amazing. Simply put they’re more poseable and well designed than Hasbro stuff but do require a touch of paint to set them off. The droids less so, and their inclusion of stickers and water slide decals is nice for differing levels of model builders. The stickers are high quality thin ones too, not typical toy like decals.
I’m curious how the human heads are done and I’m gonna five in and try them but not expect perfection like multi toned hair color and things. Still, this looks to be opening a big door on 6” figures for me that I refused to go through with Hasbro. The figures feel like half hearted efforts from them sometimes. Other times they seem incredible really... I thought their K2SO was great for instance, but then like poncho Jyn’s hat is glued on and stuff, or limbs have limited range... that deters me.
The kits though are all fantastic and I figured it would be mask focused no big deal... but then their Kylo and Fett had nice non armor looks and now they’re doing this? Ugh I’m probably gonna be way too into 6” stuff this year.
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Looks like maybe some more droid sets are on the way. R2-Q5 and the Imperial R5 unit we don't even have in 4" scale which is kind of a bummer haha. Saw what looked like R4-I9 too with R2-D2. These kits are incredibly well done, so I'll pick both up ultimately.
I'm waiting for more Luke/Han Stormtrooper to hit ebay then picking up both.