- VF-1S Roy
- VF-1J Rick
- VF-1J Miriya
- VF-1J Max
- VF-1A Standard
- VF-1D Trainer
- 6 piece boxed set w/ exclusive VF-1A Ben recolor
- 6 piece translucent boxed set Comic-con Exclusive
- Super VF-1S Skull Leader
- Super VF-1J Miriya
- Super VF-1J Max
- Chrome VF-1S Roy w/ tin (Previews Exclusive)
- Chrome VF-1J Rick w/ tin (Gamestop.com Exclusive)
- Chrome VF-1J Miriya w/ tin (Yes Anime/Musicland Exclusive)
- Chrome VF-1J Max w/ tin (Yes Anime/AAA Anime exclusive)
Comments: With the release of the first transformable Veritech fighters on the US market, I had imagined they'd at the very least make even on them. I never expected them to sell as well as they did. They're nothing to break into a store for, but they are a lot of fun to have as a toy and a piece of Robotech notalgia. A welcome addition to your collection and a must for any completist.
Super poseables Series 1: This series was the first real shot (or at least the first one I've encountered thus far) that aimed to go for the same quality and poseability with Veritech Battloids that the Japanese company Kaiyodo is notorious for. Profuse with articulation, the biggest problems were the legs. All 5 of the Veritechs were well... bow legged. I watched my VF-1S droop further and further into the splits, t'was quite tragic and limited their poses to mostly kneeling. Each figure comes with 5 variant hands and a gunpod w/ a shoulder strap, the figures available were:
- Roy Fokker's VF-1S
- Rick Hunter's VF-1J
- Max Sterling's VF-1J
- Miriya Parino's VF-1J
- Ben Dixon's VF-1A
- Toyfare Exclusive VF-1S w/ Battle Damage, "Goodbye Big Brother"
- Comic-con Exclusive VF-1D Training Veritech
Comments: These were a wonderful addition to my collection, unfortunately the bow legged nature made them a royal pain so eventually they were all crouching and kneeling before I eventually put them all (except for Roy) into storage. Decent buys, all of them, unfortunately, poor Ben doesn't get any lovin' as I STILL to this day see a few VF-1As hanging around in Game stores. Not as good as any of the Kaiyodo Evas, but easily the best Robotech related buy you can make. Anyone even remotely interested should not hesitate to snag one.
Super poseables Series 2: Instead of making it merely a 2nd installment, this series was titled ROBOTECH: BATTLECRY in a nod to the recent multi-platform, action shooter released of by same name. The veritechs this time, are equipped for space with their booster engines and armor, Super Veritechs abound in this series! As usual, each figure comes with 5 variant hands and the normal gunpod w/ strap. The packaging is dramatically different which might as well be noted! It was rumored that each figure would include a piece of the SDF-1 which would be combined when you collected all five, but that sadly never came to pass. This series introduced the NEWEST model of Veritech, the YF-1R, an experimental stealth fighter. The distinctive black/white paint job makes it stand out along with its head. The head unit makes it look like the lovechild of a VF-1J and a VF-1A because it possesses the cycloptic eye with the one moving antennae atop its head like a VF-1A, along with the twin antennae along the sides like that of a VF-1J. This series consists of:
- Skull Leader Super VF-1S
- Max's Super VF-1J
- Miriya's Super VF-1J
- Super VF-1A
- Super YF-1R
Comments: While the lack of the SDF-1 parts was a big disappointment, the figures are exceptional! They fixed the leg problem and now they're spectacular! The armor doesn't hurt in the least, either. There's not much that ties them directly to the game save for the YF-1R, but any one of these are worth the money. As usual, I jumped on the VF-1S the second I saw it, along with a YF-1R. Skull Leader went the fastest though so be wary of this. Might be wise to snag the whole set online. Like their predecessors though, they don't bend well around the waist making for somewhat limited movement and the heads can only turn around, they cannot look up for down which is a shame and their final problem is that they all seem to experience some problems with holding their gunpods. Other than that I say get them without second thought!
Robotech: I-men: As if taking their cue from Medicom's stupidly sucessful Kubrick line, which took well known mecha and anime characters and forced small blocky figurines to match their appearances. Toynami followed suit by making multiple original offerings in the USA, the first of which is the Robotech series! These highly detailed, squat blocky figures are extremely articulated and have magnets in their feet. Each of the 5 sets comes complete with two figures w/ magnetic feet, of a pilot and their veritech in battloid mode, the veritech comes with a gunpod that can be held by the pilot and two coins with the RDF insignia engraved on them. The magnets attach to either of the 2 coins included with each set so each coin acts as a weighted base for either figure. This series consists of:
- Skull leader VF-1S w/ Roy Fokker
- VF-1J w/ Rick Hunter
- VF-1A w/ Ben Dixon
- VF-1J w/ Miriya Parino
- VF-1J w/ Max Sterling
Comments: Nauseatingly cute, the faces on each pilot are appropriately cartoony to match their awkward body which I personally prefer to the strange undetailed look of the Kubrick line. The articulation on these puts Kubrick to shame, but the only weakness or possible deterrent I can see is that the lack of accessories. Otherwise pick your favorite or grab as grab can!
Robotech: The Masterpiece Collection: This series got a LOT of hype surrounding it since it's the first time there's been a domestic release of anything even remotely like a scaled transforming Veritech in almost 15 years. Each figure comes packed in a large pseudo book/box which has original art of the pilot along the spine and the RDF insignia decorating the front and back covers with a gold trim around the front cover. Opening the cover reveals a Veritech in Battloid mode floating in a clear plastic tray with all its accessories floating on either side of it (ladder, pilot, heat/cockpit shield for Battloid mode, missiles, antennae for Guardian mode, and gunpod), on in inside of the cover you'll find specs of all three of that veritech's modes and a certificate of authenticity. To remove the veritech you locate the round hole at the bottom of the book and push the tray upward with the veritech and its complete tray coming out in one piece, when out you can more clearly see the instructions hiding behind the veritech which also contains a catalog and decals for the veritech. If you're brave enough to remove your veritech you'll note the awesome light up eye, articulated fingers and joints not available on Bandai's Valkyrie, along with die-cast legs with landing gear that has rolling rubber wheels. A handsome collector's item I'd recommend snatching up because unlike the other Robotech swag, the Masterpiece Veritechs are limited to 15,000 apiece worldwide! At about $80 a pop they're not cheap so I recommend only picking your favorite unless you're extremely hardcore and have the cash to back it up. The figures slated for release in this series are:
- Volume 1: Rick Hunter VF-1J
- Volume 2 : Ben Dixon VF-1A
- Volume 3: Roy Fokker VF-1S Skull Leader
- Volume 4: Max Sterling VF-1J
- Volume 5: Miriya Parino VF-1J
Comments: I skipped Rick, have Ben on hand and Roy is currently in the mail. Ben the (obviously unloved one, picked him up for $50 at Gamestop since he hadn't sold and Roy is now on the shelves) 2nd installment of the series comes in the handsome book they all do with all his accessories. To compare I whipped out my VF-1S Strike Valkyrie from Yamato to compare who better captured the Macross fighters. VF-1A's transformation is identical to that of the Bandai figure, but there's much less die-cast metal involved than the Bandai figure. It has some new joints in the arms and one new swivel joint mid-thigh which is ideal for Guardian mode and a front/back swivel in the ankles like the Yamato valkyries. The first thing I notice about the VF-1A is how small the head is... In fact, all the Masterpiece figures have heads which are too small in comparison to their bodies. When in hand you'll also notice that the quality of metal and plastic is shockingly inferior to both the Bandai & Yamato Valkyries! The plastic is very brittle and nothing seems to hold its place properly making for a shoddy piece of work when stacked next to the comparatively solid imports. The missile clusters don't peg in very well and the pilot is molded oddly so that he won't sit in his seat properly and the Guardian mode backpack antennae and cockpit ladder are so cheaply made that they feel like they'll snap in your hands just touching them. Whilst well articulated, the Veritech's hands don't hold the gunpod as well as I'd hoped, however it DID manage to hold the gunpod better than my VF-1S Strike Valkyrie and unlike the Valkyrie, Ben's VF-1A can move its arms about freely without popping the entire shoulder assembly out of place!
To sum it up, the material that makes up the Masterpiece collection is crap and holds together like room filled with greased monkeys in any mode but battloid. However the size, detail, packaging, and minor aesthetic advantages over the Japanese imports makes these Masterpiece figures stand firmly on their own not so much as toys but as incredible display pieces that urinate briskly all over the Japanese imports, outside the package is a different story... but then no Japanese package has the massive collectible potential of these being that they can be removed for display and popped back in their book just as easily, while the same can sort of be said for the Japanese floating tray, window boxes... it just ISN'T the same. The boxes get dinged and the flaps worn from opening and closing, while the Masterpiece series simply glides in and out of its packaging. A decent buy for a big fan, but for a casual collector I'd suggest shying away from this because $80 is too much.