Well it only took 28 years but I finally got a BETA fighter to add to my Robotech collection and I am happy to report it is as awesome as you we have been led to believe.

Robotech was a multi-generational animated saga that documented the “Robotech Wars” and originally aired in 1985. Robotech used three different and un-related Japanese animated series re-edited and re-purposed for American audiences at the time. The Beta Fighter shown here is from the final arc, The New Generation, also known as Mospeada in Japan.

From Robotech.com:

“The Veritech Beta Fighter was developed as a heavily armed and armored booster system for the Alpha fighter to extend its range in space, as well providing the ability to reach orbit from the surface. The fighter can operate from the Horizon dropship when joined with an Alpha fighter. Besides operating as a large fuel tank for the space Alpha-Beta combination, it allows for high thrust capabilities for an Alpha Battloid for high maneuverability in close combat, in addition to augmenting the Alpha's missile load, and carrying a formidable weapons capability when operating independently.

Without the attached Alpha fighter, the Beta fighter relies on its excessive thrust to overcome its non-aerodynamic shape in an atmosphere. Its true power comes in Battloid mode, where an impressive amount of firepower is available for heavy assault.”

Robotech and Mospeada fans have been wanting a Beta fighter for a very, very long time. Matchbox imported many of the original Japanese toys from the various shows (as well as producing original pieces) under the Robotech banner and the Gakeen-made Alpha fighters where released stateside. Disappointingly no Beta ever showed up on shelves in 1985/1986. I found out years later as an Adult collector Gakeen designed a BETA fighter and even produced a handful of test pieces but they went belly-up before they could produce it.

Flash forward to now and Toynami has made our fan-boy dreams come true with a 1/55 scale Beta to attach their previously released 1/55 scale Alpha fighters. The Blue and Red have already been reviewed by Dan and Josh and now I finally get my hands on one.

The Beta fighter or the VFB-91 (in nerdspeak) is the third release in the Beta Masterpiece Collection. Which means it comes in Toynami's book-style packaging. This allows you to take the piece out and keep the Mint-In-Box look when you store it. Just like the toy the box is huge!

The first thing you notice when you get it out of the box is the sheer size and weight of the piece. It's enormous. In Battloid mode it stands over 12 inches tall and weighs over 2 pounds.

All the arm and leg joints are ratcheted and so "click" when moved. Us toy-nerds do love us some "clickity-click."

Since the red and green Beta fighters never transformed into Battloid mode in the show, Toynami had to design original heads for these releases and they opted to design them to match their Alpha counterpart. The shape of the Alpha's 'eye" is retained but there is no head fin.

Paint detail is fantastic with no under or over-spray anywhere and the chest compartments open to reveal banks of missiles. It doesn't do much else but with a piece like this, it's more about the sheer size and presence on the shelf than gimmicks.

Guardian Mode is probably my least favorite on the Beta fighter. See the Beta fighter was not part of the original design and was thought up as an afterthought and kind of mashed together late in the design stages. And so, while it looks good in Fighter and Battloid mode, Guardian just seems a bit of an afterthought.

But with that said it holds this form just fine on the shelf. However if you pick it up and try to fly it around the room (Don't roll your eyes- we know you do it...) the weight of the lower legs makes the legs droop down as these are die cast metal where the rest is plastic.

It is not a big deal as I really won't be displaying it in this mode. Plus it's more of a nitpick then a genuine complaint.

Fighter mode is where it looks best in my opinion. I don't know why but I really like the flying brick aesthetic of the fighter. Everything locks in and sits where it is supposed too. No loose, dangling or floppy parts here.

My one complaint about Toynami's release is the landing gear. Instead of the landing ear folding into the fighter when not used you have to remove them. Yep the landing gear just plugs into the fighter when you need it. It's not a big deal but I am finding that having to keep track of parts keeps me from wanting to pick it up and fiddle with it more.

It's not a huge deal but if Toynami where taking a pole I would have voted for gear that folds into the fighter instead of part swapping.

Toynami also includes a removable pilot figure but like many tiny pilot figures the paint and sculpt detail doesn't really hold up to close inspection. It's all a bit “soft' and sloppy. From a distance it's not a problem.

So as huge and impressive the stand alone Beta fighter is, we as fans of Robotech are more interested in how well it docks to the Alpha fighter. Well I'm happy to report, it's all good.

While again this involves part swapping, it doesn't bother me as much as swapping out the landing gear. There is a white arm that cups the fighter and then slides into the beta fighter. Once in you can attach the combined form to the provided stand.

It sound like it wouldn't work it does. The fighter sits nice and tight but I wouldn't recommend doing barrel rolls with it.

You can do the same with the Alpha fighter in Battloid mode. Toynami includes a second arm to attach it int his mode. The arm cups the bottom of the crotch and leaves a hole for the nosecone to fit in. Once again you can attach this combined form to the provided stand

Again, it hold the Alpha part in well but I wouldn't recommend doing a barrel role with it.

Despite a couple of nitpicks it is a really nice piece and a fan boy's dream made real. While many know the Alpha fighters where plagued with QC issues the Beta makes it all worth while. The fit and finish is fantastic and the materials all feel top notch. Toynami has done a real nice job delivering a solid, long-desired collectible.

Get one while you still can because when these are gone they are GONE. If you where ever a Robotech or Mospeada fan you will kick yourself for missing out.

The Masterpiece Beta Fighter Vol. 2 - Red is the second Masterpiece Beta released, and is essentially the same toy as the first release, save for different colors and a different head.

The Masterpiece Beta Fighter Vol. 2 - Red is the second Masterpiece Beta released, and is essentially the same toy as the first release, save for different colors and a different head.

The box is the typical masterpiece quality. I used to have some hang-ups about these big boxes, but they are what they are. The packaging really adds to the feel of Masterpiece, and the toy really lives up to that title.

Included in the box is one red Beta Fighter and accessories, certificate of authenticity, instructions, and sticker sheet.

The box features the character Annie LaBelle prominently. Annie acts as moral support for the group of freedom fighters, but participates in little combat. I haven't watched either Mospeada or Robotech recently, but I don't remember Annie ever donning a flight suit and piloting a beta fighter.

Either way, the toy is very very cool.

First thing you notice is how heavy the toy is. The Beta fighter weighs about 2 pounds, most of that due to the heavy diecast lower legs. The Beta comes ready to play right out of the box.

The Beta fighter, despite its size, is surprisingly poseable. The knees and legs go click when they move and while the shoulders don't, they are nice and firm.

The head is new to this model, and is seen for the first time with this release. We never got to see what the heads of the red and green beta fighter looked like in the show, so all new heads were designed for this release. Each head is designed to mimmick the look of its corresponding alpha fighter. In this case, the head retains the square eye and large fin on the back.

It is worth noting that there is very visible touch-up paint on this head from the factory.

Transformation to fighter mode is simple and intuitive. Once in fighter mode you can attach diecast metal landing gear to the front and rear. The front gear actually attaches to the connecting rod that connects the beta to the alpha.

The cockpit opens and you can place the pilot figure inside.

Like chocolate and peanut butter, the alpha and the beta are made to go together. I've had my red alpha for years, and it has seen better days, but when the two of them are together they look like they were made to go together from the start.

The Beta fighter features two connecting rods. One is for fighter mode, the other for the alpha in robot mode.

In Fighter mode, the end of the rod cups the underside of the alpha creating a nice, tight connection.

In Robot mode, the toy uses a different rod to connect the two together. In this mode the nosecone and crotch fit into a special groove on the connector, making for another fantastic fit.

In either mode, the whole toy can be suspended by the included display stand. The stand has a bit of spring to it, meaning that if you move the whole fighter and stand assembly, the thing will wobble back and forth for a bit.

Like the prior release, It's amazing. If you have a red alpha, you need to get one of these.

Robotech to the rescue! in more ways than one. Like rescuing your wallet! We are going to have to name George Sohn the "Home Run Kid" if this keeps up.

I want to start this review by stating to you, the reader, that I don't want to be repetitive in my review of Toynami's Masterpiece Cyclone Volume 1. It is exactly like Beagle's Mospeada ride armor that was reviewed by fellow CollectionDX member, Atom a couple weeks ago. You can check out his brilliantly written full review with video HERE. Or you can scroll down the page to the attached video of the Beagle/Toynami ride armor.

In this review I am going to show mostly pictures as well as briefly discuss the differences between Toynami's and Beagle's versions. I hate to disappoint people but......the only difference is the packaging and the head sculpt. Yup, that's it folks.

Now, I know what your thinking, you may think that Toynami just took the Beagle ride armor and changed the head, repackaged it and called it a day. Well, you would be wrong! Let me explain. The toy is actually a joint venture between Beagle and Toynami. George Sohn, the president of Toynami actually helped with the design and production costs. So you see, this is an actual Toynami product as well as a Beagle product.

Starting off, we have Toynami's phenomenal packaging shown below. The really cool thing is that like the Masterpiece Beta, what is inside the package is actually worthy of the elaborate packaging! It's really hard not to appreciate Toynami's great packaging. Check out the artwork that's expertly done by Tommy Yune on the outside of the book style case. I also really love the certificate of authenticity, its a very nice touch. The certificate gives you a sense of pride knowing that you have a very limited edition toy, 1 of only 3,000 to be exact.

I can hardly contain myself. This is it.... This is the Beta that all fans of Robotech or Mospeada must have!

Video review included!

At the turn of the millennium, the human race discovered that we were not alone in the universe when an abandoned alien vessel (SDF-1) crashed into the Earth. Anticipating extra-terrestrial invasion, the United Earth Government quickly appropriated the ship's advanced alien technology, known as ROBOTECH, and constructed transforming Veritech Fighters to defend the planet.

Nevertheless, war against the giant alien Zentraedi and their Robotech Masters exhausted the Robotech Defense Forces. Decades of fighting made Earth easy prey for the great invasion by the mysterious Invid. Determined to reclaim the Earth, Admiral Rick Hunter's Expeditionary Force developed the awesome new Veritech Beta Fighter to match the firepower of the Invid menace. Introduced during the 3rd Robotech war, the blue "H" variant was typically assigned to senior officers.

Today I will be reviewing Toynami's highly anticipated, long awaited, Robotech Next Generation Beta Fighter. I assure you that it has been worth the long wait.

To start off with the box is the now familiar Toynami book style "forever mint" Masterpiece packaging. The packaging is beautiful as you would expect and it will look fantastic displayed with other Masterpiece collectibles.

OK, enough about the box! On to the good stuff. After removing the Beta from is packaging you are rewarded with a quality, hefty chunk of ratcheting die cast metal and plastic goodness. When I say hefty, I mean HEFTY! 24 ounces worth of heft. You read correctly, 2 lbs. of chogokin goodness for you to behold. Oh, did I forget to mention that this thing is large? Standing a full 9.5 inches in Battloid mode and a wingspan of just over 16.5 inches in fighter mode.

The next six photo's give you a quick walk around the Beta in Battloid mode. Notice the detail all the way around. Also note that the figure has some pretty nice articulation for such a large and heavy toy. All joints have a nice click or ratcheting sound. Ah, the sound every Gokin collector loves to hear...

Boo-Yah! Check out the opening missile bays. This Beta is armed to the teeth! Yup, that's 10 chest mounted missiles. Great for trashing Invid Shock Troopers.

You can open up the Beta's cockpit to view the nicely detailed removable miniature Rand figure seated at the controls. You can also see the production number on the lower half of the cockpit beneath the pilots chair.

Close up of the Beta's detailed, articulated hand and the swiveling head with missile pods located behind it. The plastic quality of the hand is stellar compared to the brittle hands on the Alpha Fighter.

The next 3 photos's show you the Beta in Guardian mode. This particular mode has a certain funky coolness to it. I've always liked the Guardian/Odd looking Ostrich mode of most of the Robotech Veritechs.

The last 8 photo's show you the Beta in Fighter mode. I gotta say that I feel this toy looks great in all modes, including fighter. Check out the chrome die cast landing gear and the hip bar for holding the Alpha sturdily in place. Not shown in photos is the included hip bar for holding the Alpha in Battloid mode. I apologize for this, I did not have an Alpha for the photo shoot. However, we did include it in the above video.

In conclusion, Toynami has truly arrived at being a premium chogokin manufacturer. If you are a fan of Robotech or Mospeada you have to go out and get one of these awesome collectors pieces. Kudos Toynami!

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Many Macross, Mospeada, Southern Cross, and Robotech collectors have mixed feelings about the non Bandai and Takatoku Robotech toys produced by Matchbox, specifically its 3 3.4 scale figures and their accessories.

Many Macross, Mospeada, Southern Cross, and Robotech collectors have mixed feelings about the non Bandai and Takatoku Robotech toys produced by Matchbox, specifically its 3 3.4 scale figures and their accessories.

The more difficult figures to locate are Scott Bernard, Roy Fokker, Lunk, Rook Bartley, Mirya in black, large Miriya and Lynn Minmei. A special note must go out the Lynn Minmei figure as it is the Holy Grail of the line as only a handful were made and were extremely rare to locate even back in the 1980’s.

The Matchbox’s Scott Bernard figures is one of more difficult figures to locate and never seem to appear on pegs at the department stores. I managed to locate the figure through the Sears catalog around 1986. Sears known for having exclusive toys only available through their catalog must have got the only catch of the Scott Bernard figures. Scott was available through mail order in a set of three figures along with Rand and Corg for $15.00. Even though it was available in their catalog I was rightly concerned that the figure would be substituted for unavailability or the order cancelled all together as another company from New York The Robot Store had done to me around the same time with some of the other Robotech action figures. Two weeks later arriving at my door was a set of three Robotech figures and in that package was one Scott Bernard. There was no special packaging just an envelope in mail that had the three figures on their respected cards.

Being a huge GI Joe 3 3.4 scale figures fan, the Matchbox line had so much potential but delivered so poorly. For whatever reason a second series of figures were never produced which was unfortunate. With Scott, Lunk, Rook and Rand produced only two more figures, Lancer and Annie, needed to be produced to create the main cast of the series. And trust me at the time I dreamed about those figure releases often. It is a shame that Hasbro or Kenner did not produce this line, as I am sure they would have handled the line better.

Matchbox’s Scott Bernard represents the worst of their Robotech line with unavailbity and a lack of basic knowledge of the subject. Trying to locate all 22 of Matchbox’s Robotech 3 3.4 line of action figures is quite a daring feat due to the extreme rarity of a handful of figures not to mentioning trying to locate an original Matchbox Minmei as opposed to the recent Harmony Gold reissues from a few years back. Unless you are trying to make a run for the Matchbox Robotech series or you are a Mospeada completest, or you come across the figure for cheap at the marketplace I would pass on this one. And I am sure you already have.

Leonardo Flores “ModCineaste”

I'm not saying this isn’t a good toy – in some respects it’s a great toy. The engineering on each individual piece is marvelous. It is only in the connection of the two that the toy fails horribly. Oh yeah, and the fact that its about 300 bucks.

I’ve been kind of dreading doing this review for a number of reasons. There are so many expectations for this toy and I don’t know if I can accurately portray all that is good and bad with this without being a little biased. The fact that a Tread toy has been made sort of makes the set worth it for me, but for others, not so much.

The CM’s Brave Gokin EX-01 Legioss & Tread (Eta) (レギオスwithトレッド ブレイブ合金EX (エータ)) is the first Brave Gokin toy to get the EX designation. EX must stand for Extra Deceiving, because a Gokin toy this is not. In fact, the only metal in this toy is in the joints of the Legioss, the landing gear, and the large cradle that connects the Legioss and Tread. If you are expecting metal, you will be disappointed.

That’s not to say this isn’t a good toy – in some respects it’s a great toy. The engineering on each individual piece is marvelous. It is only in the connection of the two that the toy fails horribly.

Another point of contention with this toy is the price. At a Japanese retail price of 28,000 yen (figure about $350 USD once you factor in shipping), this thing is horribly overpriced. It’s cool but not $300 cool. So when I mention that something is really great about this toy, remember - $300 for the set, and almost no metal.

Packaging

Nothing special here with this packaging. The box features nice product shots and inside is a large clear plastic tray that holds the Legioss and Tread. There are very few accessories as most of the play value is in the units themselves. Included are a stand, gun, fists, sword, small ride armors in various modes, and a sticker sheet.

Legioss

Jump to the Legioss video >

The Legioss comes packaged in Armo-Soldier mode. It’s about 6.5 inches tall and weighs about 6 ounces. That’s pretty light, considering Toynami’s Alpha fighter weighs in at 15 ounces. Both the Toynami and CM’s Legioss are about the same size, but have drastically different proportions.

The engineering and QC are fantastic on the Legioss. Each part fits perfectly, the joints are tight, and nothing about it feels half-assed. Although the toy is light, it is extremely durable due to its use of POM plastic and diecast metal in the connecting joints. Articulation is great with some standouts being a waist joint and innovative elbow joints that allow for an amazing array of movement. One notable omission is the lack of any kind of head articulation.

The toy is molded in color with small amounts of tampo printing for the finer details. The paint is clean and sharp, with no visible over spray. Included with the toy is a sticker sheet that serves all three versions of the toy, but I think the toy looks great as-is. CM’s has also included a bunch of screw hole covers, but once again, I think it looks just fine, screw holes and all. It reminds me that it is a toy I guess, albeit an expensive one. The mold detail is crisp and clean, with etched panel lines, vents with interior detail, and few sprue marks.

One thing you may want to watch - there are two holes in the chest where the front fuselage locks into the body - those seem to be showing some stress marks

In Armo-Soldier mode, the Legioss can make use of several weapons. The EP-13 80mm 3-barrel Gatling beam gun features a moveable stock, and a removable armor clip. The hands of the Legioss have articulated trigger fingers, but there is no peg in the handle or hand to secure the gun to, making a weak connection. The Legioss also includes a sword, of all things. In episode 13 of Mospeada, Ley has a dream that he is fighting off monsters with the Legioss, brandishing a sword. I think it’s cool that CM’s included this as a sign of respect to the series.

In addition to the hand held weapons, the Legioss features two snap-on missile banks that attach to the underside of the chest, and a third, auxiliary missile bank that attaches to the left shoulder. And if the Legioss was not already armed to the teeth, it is covered with opening doors that reveal missile banks all over the figure – I count 14 of them. Not too shabby.

The Legioss is fully transformable into all three modes – Armo-Soldier, Armo-Diver, and Armo-Fighter. The Armo-Diver mode is similar to a Gerwalk mode from Macross – it sits somewhere in between fighter and soldier mode.

In fighter mode the Legioss looks good, but there are a few things that could have been done better, especially for the price. Once transformed into Armo-Fighter mode the parts just kind of sit there – there aren’t any pegs to lock parts into place. For example, it would have been great to have some kind of connector on the back of the legs to lock them together, or pegs on the bottom of the arm assemblies to attach them to the legs. As it is, you just have to put it in the position that looks best. Granted, the parts stay where they should pretty well, but it is not precise. Just look at the placement of the arms in fighter mode – things just don’t line up as well as they should.

The extra missiles and gun can all be attached to the Legioss in Fighter mode. The gun can be stored either under the wing, or in the back of the optional third missile bank. The gun slides into the back of the part by using a replacement gun clip.

The landing gear is all metal, and the wheels spin freely. Each landing gear is hidden behind a panel that is easily opened. The cockpit can also be opened, as well as a storage door on the underside for the Mospeada Ride Armor.

Tread

Jump to the Tread video >

Those of you not intimately familiar with Mospeada or Robotech: The Next Generation may not understand the big deal about the Tread. The Tread fighter (or Beta Fighter) is a support mecha that “docks” with the back of the Legioss for added firepower. Back in the day when Gakken came out with the original Legioss toy, they had planned on a Tread, but it was only released in limited numbers in Europe, and only for the smaller version of the toy. The toy has become a thing of legend, and when a specimen appears, it fetches a LOT of money. Fans have been clamoring for a Tread toy for years, and while Toynami announced theirs first, CM’s beat them to market with the first Tread toy since 1985.

The AB-01 Tread is a fantastic toy. It also fully transforms into three modes: Armo-Soldier, Armo-Bomber and Armo-Diver mode.

In Armo-Soldier mode the Tread is about 8 inches tall and weighs 10 ounces. It is extremely toy-like in its construction and articulation. In fact, I might go so far as to say the Tread is MORE articulated than the Legioss. The Tread has clicky joints all over the place, fantastic elbow joints, articulated fingers, a waist joint, and even head articulation. The toy is the same quality as the Legioss, but this time with almost no metal connector joints (the only one I can see is in the neck).

In terms of armament the Tread has 2 missile banks that open up on the chest and 2 that pop up on the shoulder, as well as cannons molded into the arms. The Tread can hold the Legioss’ gun, but the same issues occur. It’s really really great, and this makes the set for me. It ALMOST convinces me that it’s worth the money.

Transformation has an almost playskool-like simplicity. Fold up the legs, fold in the arms, and fold out the cockpit and the wings. That’s pretty much it. The wingspan in Armo-Bomber mode is a fantastic 14 inches. The cockpit can open and reveal a small pilot – a nice touch.

In Armo-Bomber mode, the Tread has no built-in landing gear, so it relies on the metal cradle to rest on. The cradle is secured to the Tread by way of 2 spring loaded ball connectors in the tail section. Unfortunately, the Tread is a little back-heavy and there is no way to connect it to the front, so it tends to tilt to the back. This is an example of one of many little things that CM’s could have done to go the extra mile. Why not also make connectors for the front to make this mode stable?

Legioss + Tread = FAIL

Jump to the FAIL video >

Here is where it all goes horribly wrong. Each toy on its own is pretty awesome, and if CM’s could have nailed the connection of the two it might, MIGHT have justified the price. But it is as if someone simply gave up when trying to engineer this. A little background information may be helpful here as I explain what went wrong. See, the Legioss was designed as a stand alone toy by Shinji Aramaki.. Gakken decided that they needed more transforming mecha in Mospeada so they had another designer, Hideki Kakinuma design the Tread, with no set means to connect them. In the show, animators relied on “Anime Magic” to make the transformation work. Unfortunately, that left today’s toymakers in the dark as to how they connected, and each maker has to come up with their own solution. Both CM’s and Toynami have come up with a connector bar solution, but CM’s is the first one we have seen in production.

Essentially, the connector bar is a solid metal cradle that attaches to the Tread in the rear and the Legioss in the front. The connection to the tread is reasonably secure aside from it being back-heavy (see above). The connection to the Legioss seems like a total afterthought.

First, you have to move the arm assemblies on the back of the fighter together, and push the tail wings down. These parts have no kind of peg or connector to keep them rigid, so they just mash together. The legs need to be splayed out to the sides so that they look like frog legs. To connect the Legioss to the metal cradle, you have to line up the hip connectors with the U-shaped connectors on the cradle. There is virtually no tension in this connection, so it just rests there. From there you have to “tuck” the Legioss in behind the front of the Tread.

Don’t let the pictures fool you – it’s a floppy mess.  Nothing really connects to anything, and if you pick it up it’s just going to separate. This is a real disappointment – shame on you CM’s. For $300 you couldn’t have figured this out? Added a couple extra clips to lock it together? It feels like you didn’t even try. How can you put so much love into one facet of the toy and completely ignore something like this?

You can also put the dock the Legioss and Tread when the Legioss is in Armo-Soldier mode, but this too suffers from the same issue. The included stand is more like a crutch to hold the unit up. While the pictures on the box show the combined unit floating up off the ground, the stand is not tall enough, nor is the toy balanced properly, to get its feet off up of the ground.

In Conclusion

Taken as individual toys, the Legioss and Tread are great. Not $300 great, but as well engineered toys they succeed. These should probably be priced around $60 each. Look at what $300 gets you for other toys – Soul of Chogokin, Fewture EX gokin – no other toy gives you so little for so much. It’s like an Otaku tax – we pay the premium to get these short run toys of obscure mecha, and even though we are disappointed, we come back for more. It’s like its some kind of sick game at the CM’s head office to see just how ridiculously priced these things can get. The upcoming CM’s Dancougar Nova will be around SIX HUNDRED DOLLARS.  Well, here is where I throw in my towel with CM’s. I’m done with toys like this. If you are going to charge me over $100 for a toy, it better be worth it. For this price I demand that the quality and detail and engineering are nothing but the best.

It just kills me that this was the price I had to pay to get a Tread toy.

So obviously I have mixed feelings about this. I don’t think it is worth it, but maybe you are a bigger Mospeada fan than me. I can still say though I would recommend this one over the Toynami version. Hell, I would recommend something my 3 year old son made out of Lego before I recommend one of those. What the hell were they thinking? But I digress…

You can get your Legioss & Tread at HobbyLink Japan if you are so inclined, but you will not be able to get the Red or Green version there. Those are going to be magazine and convention exclusives, which will undoubtedly drive up the already high price, even higher.

Good luck with that.

VIDEO

The Mospeada Trilogy

Legioss

Tread

Combination

http://www.hlj.com/product/CMS65132

Those of you who have had concerns about the fragility and durability of Toynami's products really need to check out their Super Poseable line. Not only do these toys look great, but they are durable and fun to play with.

Those of you who have had concerns about the fragility and durability of Toynami's products really need to check out their Super Poseable line. Not only do these toys look great, but they are durable and fun to play with. Personally I like the Alpha Super Poseables better than the Macross ones, because this alpha can maintain a neutral pose.

Lancer's VFA-61 Alpha Fighter is around 7" tall and features an incredible 18 points of articulation. It comes sealed in a blister card, and includes 5 variant hands and a telescoping gunpod. It's constructed of high quality plastic and has fantastic detail. All the small logos and such are all screened on, there are no stickers to apply.

There's a real good range of articulation in this figure, including feet that can tilt for the dynamic poses. There is even a waist joint (a first for an alpha fighter).

My only complaint with this toy is that maybe I would have liked to have seen a wider range of articulation in the hips...and maybe a little metal. Oh, can you imagine what a METAL super poseable toy would be like? Insane.