Despy Posted November 21, 2014 Share Posted November 21, 2014 I don't know how they are compared to Fine Mold ones but they are now available at hlj.com. I especially liked those proton torpidoes... It calls for a diorama for sure Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Madmonk Posted November 21, 2014 Share Posted November 21, 2014 Looking at the photos they appear to be of Bandai's usual good quality, the construction looks a bit chunky, almost snap-fit but looking forward to receiving mine soon! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Madmonk Posted November 21, 2014 Share Posted November 21, 2014 Hobby Search have details of sprues and instructions. http://www.1999.co.jp/eng/10295172 Cheers, Warren Edit: Looking through the X-Wing & TIE kits they are nicely detailed, the X-Wing only has one set of markings for Red 5 in a clean state, worryingly though they look like they may be stickers rather than decals, though the TIE appears to have both stickers and decals. Like the green laser fire on the TIE and the pre constructed wings Lighting them up could be fun!! 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Smiffy Posted November 21, 2014 Share Posted November 21, 2014 Like the look of the X-Wing. The nose (in particular) on the Finemolds kits always looked a bit off, to me. This new Bandai one looks much better. Plus it seems as if they supply 2 optional nose cones, depending on which X-Wing you want to do. Kewl. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jessica Posted November 24, 2014 Share Posted November 24, 2014 I'm not going to say what those proton torpedos look like, but it's definitely not anything Star Wars related... 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Despy Posted November 24, 2014 Author Share Posted November 24, 2014 You can make the diorama and call it "I am your father" which will make it totally Star Wars related 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jockster Posted November 24, 2014 Share Posted November 24, 2014 Nice but looks a bit milliput-ish rather than something from a machined mold. The instruction sheet has waterslide decal instructions using the wing markings as an example. Need to get myself a squadron of these. I didn't see any mention of Y-wings though, has anyone seen anything of those? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jessica Posted November 25, 2014 Share Posted November 25, 2014 You can make the diorama and call it "I am your father" which will make it totally Star Wars related Well perhaps you could. I'd have a bit more difficulty... 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Will Vale Posted November 25, 2014 Share Posted November 25, 2014 I'm not convinced by the very deep panel lines on the X-Wing, but the TIE looks nice. As does the Stormtrooper figure - for once having it poseable isn't a problem because the real armour is largely made from rigid pieces. Will Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrew March Posted November 26, 2014 Share Posted November 26, 2014 I'm loving the Star Destroyer Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Smiffy Posted December 2, 2014 Share Posted December 2, 2014 My X-wing arrived from HLJ, yesterday. Initial impressions are favourable. Looks to be a lovely little kit. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Esposito Posted December 5, 2014 Share Posted December 5, 2014 Which do you guys think is better, higher quality: the Bandai or Fine molds? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vinnie the panda Posted December 14, 2014 Share Posted December 14, 2014 That X-Wing is very tempting I must admit Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Esposito Posted December 18, 2014 Share Posted December 18, 2014 Are the 1/72 kits snap together? That would indeed be a turn off.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Madmonk Posted December 18, 2014 Share Posted December 18, 2014 Mike, Bandai kits tend to look snap-fix but are usually not. As for which is best once I get hold of both kits (currently in transit!) I will let you know. From the photos the Bandai kits look a bit more chuncky with FM having a finer finish to the details. Cheers, Warren Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Smiffy Posted December 18, 2014 Share Posted December 18, 2014 The Bandai kits are snap together jobs, but there's nothing to stop you using glue, of course. Given the choice, I think I'd lean towards the Bandai over the FM kit. They seem to have captured the look and shape really well. Like I mentioned, the nose of the FM kit has always bothered me. The wing opening is something else. The Bandai kit has the big wide open X-wing look,that I like, where as the open wing angle on the FM always looked a bit shallow. However, I am a SW nut, so I really notice little things like this. If you aren't that bothered and just want a nice X-Wing model to build, the FM is a very nice kit. If I get a chance at the weekend, I'll post up some comparison shots of the 2 kits, if you like. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Esposito Posted December 19, 2014 Share Posted December 19, 2014 Madmonk, Smiffy, You guys are great. Thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Will Vale Posted December 19, 2014 Share Posted December 19, 2014 A Flickr contact of mine has posted some really good sprue shots, including a comparison of the Bandai and Fine Molds TIE Advanced: https://www.flickr.com/photos/neinnunb From what I can see, the detail is generally finer on the Bandai kits, and while the panel lines are quite wide they're about the same as FM. Honestly I don't think there's much in it. The one thing to watch with the snap kits is that if you're gluing them, the snap pin friction can make it hard to seat parts fully home sometimes. It helps to cut the pin ends off on the diagonal, which will make them less stiff and also allow you to test fit and then take the pieces apart again. You don't want to cut the pins fully off since they're also the alignment mechanism. Like Warren says, the Bandai snap-ness doesn't stop them being good models, and it also means they have to be engineered to fit really well Will 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScootyPuffJunior Posted December 19, 2014 Share Posted December 19, 2014 (edited) Don't let the snap together aspect of the Bandai model fool you, these aren't anything like the shoddy Revell kits you find in arts & crafts stores. Overall, it's a very nice kit with a couple of cool features and a few "interesting" design choices. The thing I really like is the droid socket behind the cockpit. Unlike the Fine Molds version, a fully assembled astromech droid slides into the socket, instead of just the dome. You remove the butt plate and slide the power generator trench back and out comes the droid. It also comes with two droid bodies so you can build both an R2 and R5 series droid. The detail is really crisp and quite impressive. Also, the S-foils lock together better than the Fine Molds version making it easier to display the craft in a landed position.The thing I dislike the most is the addition of the red panels on the fuselage; it's pointless and adds unneeded complexity. The fuselage goes together sort of like a Lego kit with various small pieces plugged into various openings, some of which leave slight gaps. The finished product looks fine, but I prefer Fine Molds method of keeping the fuselage in two main pieces to eliminate most seam lines and gaps. Outside of the gaps in the fuselage, the only other areas I've had issues with is the laser cannons staying on the wingtips, but this will be solved by gluing the kit (which I intend to do). As to which I prefer... it's a toss up to me. The Fine Molds kit is what I am most familar with (I have 5 or 6 of them, both in 1/72 and 1/48) but they aren't without their faults. That being said, neither is the Bandai kit (as previously mentioned). There are lots of areas that have different proportions and different detail and the Bandai version is certainly more "busy," especially along the fuselage. I am a huge Star Wars fan, but regarding which model is a more accurate resemblence to the "real" X-wing, I don't really care. Despite their differences, they both look like X-wings to me, which is all I'm really interested in. Here are some side-by-sides I took of a painted Fine Molds kit next to an unpainted Bandai kit: Edited December 20, 2014 by ScootyPuffJunior 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Madmonk Posted December 19, 2014 Share Posted December 19, 2014 That Bandai X-Wing does look nice. My 1/12 Darth Vader kit arrive from Japan today and I have to admit I'm very impressed. Cheers, Warren Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScootyPuffJunior Posted December 20, 2014 Share Posted December 20, 2014 That Bandai X-Wing does look nice. My 1/12 Darth Vader kit arrive from Japan today and I have to admit I'm very impressed. Cheers, Warren I too have the Darth Vader kit and I've built it already as well... it's a very nice kit. The joints are pretty well hidden and the seam lines are not very noticeable, making the kit look prefectly fine being built OOB with the use of the supplied stickers or decals. I plan on filling seams and painting my kit so I didn't use anything on it, but it still looks cool in my display case as is. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Madmonk Posted January 6, 2015 Share Posted January 6, 2015 The Stormtrooper figure was waiting for me when I got home from work last night so all other plans went out of the window! Great looking box. And after a little over 60 minutes of snipping, cleaning up and push fitting I ended up with this. I have to admit that initially I was a bit sceptical about the figures, wasn't sure how good they would look or how articulate the would be but I have to admit I am very pleased with the finished article. In my rush to build I forgot to take any pictures of the sprues, there are 4 in total, the white has a very nice shiny gloss finish, the black is semi-gloss and also incorporates clear dark green for the helmet lenses, and soft white for the ammo pouches. There is a sprue of black vinyl parts and a second black plastic sprue for the base, which includes a clip to connect it to the Darth Vader figure base. Finally there are 2 sets of decals, one water slide and one stickers, these are mainly for the helmet. The kit also comes with choice of 3 blasters and 3 sets of hands, all in all a great kit. Cheers, Warren 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
roymattblack Posted January 6, 2015 Share Posted January 6, 2015 (edited) I'm not hugely into Star Wars, but I did build a few of the kits from many, many years ago. The Speederbike kit from Airfix was astounding. I remember cutting the legs off the figure, making new ones with Plasticine, and wrapping them with real fabric. I also made a fabric 'roll' to go on the back of the bike. I made the diorama from Plasticine, card tubes, bits of twig, moss, all sorts of outdoor stuff. Sadly, the model is no more.... It was pinched from a cupboard in my classroom when I was a teacher. Awful pictures, but it was back in the days of 35mm film and a mediocre camera. Roy. Edited January 6, 2015 by roymattblack 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SMD70 Posted January 6, 2015 Share Posted January 6, 2015 (edited) The new Stormtrooper looks OK… I've wanted a decent trooper for years. With a little paint to fill in the details in his helmet he should look good on my bookshelf. To me though the proportions don't look right although that may be the pose or photography? He seems to have a short neck, long chest, huge belt and short legs? Perhaps he's a "little short for a Stormtrooper" Edited January 6, 2015 by SMD70 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Madmonk Posted January 6, 2015 Share Posted January 6, 2015 Must admit the proportions do look strange, the belt is too thick but needs to be to be snap fix. There are decals and stickers for the helmet detail just ran out of time last night to add them. Cheers, Warren 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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