Macross -> Battletech Models

[Freehb]

Hello all,

After plenty of eBay'ing, I was finally able to pick up a few of the Macross models, with the intent of having some sort of a Battletech diorama. I snagged the Glaug (Marauder), Defender (Rifleman), and the Tomahawk (Warhammer), all in 1/100 scale.

The question I have for everyone here, has anyone had any experience with these models, and have any hints / tips about them. What kind of quality are they? I'm assuming either they are great quality, or have some serious collectors going for them, because I got them for less than 1/4 of the top selling price I've seen for them.

Also, are they big differences between the models and what would be expected from a B-tech point of view.

I'd love to finish out a lance of these, but not sure what 'Mech to go with.

Anyway, thanks in advance!

Adios,

Freehb

[MarkW]

You probably got a deal because they most were re-released recently. If you are familiar with recent Bandai Gundam kits, these older kits are nothing like them. They tend to have plastic on plastic joints, which is fine if you plan to put one in a permanent fixed pose. If you plan to make the kit posable, you probably need to consider replacing the joints with polyvinyl parts. If you are familiar with more regular models, these are not too different.

Overall, they are decent kits--lots of room to make better. Don't expect Ma K quality, though. Be careful with the seams--they can tend to have lots of recessed detail that is a pain to clean up. The kits you picked up were direct B Tech ripoffs of the original anime designs from Macross.

[ikar]

Who made these kits? There were more than one company producing Macross kits including Takara and Arii. The scales at that time ranged from 1/144th to 1/72nd for the most part with the exception being the ships. Those were into the area of 1/50,000 at times. depending of who made them and what ship the subject was. Those kits were originally released back in the early 1980s, and some years later were used for the Battletech universe along with kits from Crusher Joe and Dougram.

You should have the typical white or black vinl rings that were used for the joints. It would be best to work in sub assemblies, filling the seams and then going on to the next section of the arm or leg until it's finished.

[Skull Leader]

I can't speak to the *quality* of these per-say (I never got into any of the non-transformable battroid models from Macross, and I still have plenty lead miniatures of the "macross" B-tech mechs,) but from a design standpoint they should be pretty well similar.

On the Marauder and the Rifleman, you might cut out spent-casing ejection ports for the autocannons (the dorsal-slung long barreled weapon on the Marauder, and the lower weapon on each arm of the Rifleman). Obviously you'll have to source your own markings, since battletech decals don't exist (so far as I know) want a 1/100 mech to round out your lance? check ebay for a Bandai or ARII 1/100 scale VF-1A or 1S valkyrie (the VF-1A could be made into a "Stinger" battlemech easily, a VF-1S battroid without FAST packs is "Wasp", and add the FAST gear and you have a "Phoenix Hawk". On the off chance you can find GBU-1P Armored Valkyrie, you just netted yourself a "Crusader"

From a Battletech standpoint, a Phoenix Hawk would round out your lance nicely, making a typical 3rd or 4th succession war Fire Lance. The Warhammer and Marauder would provide the heavy-hitting firepower, the Phoenix Hawk would provide the quick initial strike/harassing operations, while the Rifleman kept his eyes out for any incoming fighters, acting in a fire-support/AAA role.

-Jeremy

(who has played Battletech and Mechwarrior since the late 1980s and still loves it to this day)

Edited June 16, 2009 by Skull Leader

[ikar]

It's a fun game on the board and even better on line.

If you want to paint you machines in a secific color pattern for a particular house or unit, you can go here: http://www.camospecs.com/

If you want decals, go here: http://www.fightingpirannhagraphics.com/

They make decals for almmost anyone in the Battletech universe. Normally they are for the miniatures but you can request a larger scale sheet. You don't get as many markings of course but they provide various sizes that can be used on models.

These decals come on a single sheet so you will have to cut each marking out to use them. They are thin and settle on the figure with very little coaxing. I have been using them for years with no problems.

[Skull Leader]

hmmm, my unit isn't on there yet (it's a legit one)... I'll have to talk to them about that

[madmike]

I built a Testors 1:200 Glaug (Marauder) a while back and finished it in the markings of House Davion's 1st Federated Suns Armoured Cavalry, circa 3028. Seams all needed to be treated as the kit was the "snap together" type, but once all that was done and the recessed detail cleaned up, it looked great under a coat of paint. All the joins start off articulated so it is best to fix those in the pose you require straight away.

HLJ have a few of the 1:100 kits still for sale, so you might be able to get a few more while they are still in stock.

MikeJ

Edited June 21, 2009 by madmike

[ikar]

What unit are you looking for?

[Skull Leader]

What unit are you looking for?

The Crescent Hawks.

*sigh* besides two video games and one minute reference in the Blood of Kerensky trillogy, little is known about these guys.

[ikar]

I have the old video game around here somewhere. I painted a model of the Locust in the spotty colors they used on the cover. I'll have to post a couple shots.

[jwest21]

I just clicked here on a lark and remember those! Where can you get them now?

[ikar]

The Locust from Crusher Joe? I haven't seen one for years. Not even on Ebay.

You have to just keep checking at contests and conventions and hope. I picked up my two in Japan over 20 years ago.

One thing I did pick up at a contest a couple years ago was a Macross Monster, otherwise know as a Behemoth in Battletech. I just happened to look down at tne base of some vendor's pile and saw it. I took it out and as I was opening the box he came over so I asked him what he was asking for it. He said that since there were no instructions He was selling it for 20.00. I thought about it for a minute as I loooked over the trees in their bags and bought it. I immediately put it in my car's trunk. It came out in two scales, 1.200th and 1.160th, which is the one I have now.

[Skull Leader]

The Locust from Crusher Joe? I haven't seen one for years. Not even on Ebay.

You have to just keep checking at contests and conventions and hope. I picked up my two in Japan over 20 years ago.

One thing I did pick up at a contest a couple years ago was a Macross Monster, otherwise know as a Behemoth in Battletech.

Kinda, but not really. The HWR MKII and the Behemoth are two completely different machines.

The Stone Rhino (Behemoth)

The HWR "Monster"

[madmike]

I just clicked here on a lark and remember those! Where can you get them now?

EBay and HLJ are your best bet as 1:100 Macross destroid kits such as the officer pod glaug (Marauder) have been re-released. I picked up several from HLJ a month or so back.

Otherwise buy, swap and sells.

MikeJ

[ikar]

They are now. I have a friend with some miniatures that go back to the original and the figure was very much like the monster with three guns on top.

[Jay Chladek]

The plastic kits issued "officially" as part of Battletech were simply Japanese kits that Twentieth Century Imports (TCI) simply repacked in new boxes with a Battletech scenario and some other stuff.

I have one of the rare Leopard Class dropship sets and all they did was take the Takara 1/400 Crusher Joe Minerva, stuck in a Nichimo 1/200 Macross Officers Pod Glaug (Marauder) and VF-1J Armored Valkyrie (Crusader) into the box, threw in the Battletech documentation and then put on a new box lid. The Macross based Battletech kits are somewhat easier to find compared to the ones that contained the Dougram based mechs (Shadowhawk, Griffon etc...). I believe the manufacturer of those original plastic kits was Bandai and the scales were about 1/144 if I recall correctly. I had one of those sets, but I don't believe I have it anymore.

The original Battletech series mechs came from three primary anime sources, Dougram, Macross and Crusher Joe. Kit manufacturers for those lines were Bandai (Dougram, Macross using ex-Imai molds), Imai (Macross, 1/72 mainly), Nichimo (1/200 Macross, some Crusher Joe stuff), Arii (1/100 and 1/170 Macross), and Takara (Crusher Joe). Quality of the kits could be all over the map depending on the original kit producer. If you have 1/100 kits, chances are they are Arii kits. Some were good while others weren't so hot.

In terms of kit quality, the Bandai stuff from Dougram were really nice kits. Revell imported these as part of the Robotech Defenders kit line (no relation to Macross based Robotech and it is a long story how Macross became part of Robotech). I had a couple of them in High School and they were nice models for the time. In fact I wish I still had some of these personally as they don't pop up on eBay all that often.

Imai's kit line also tended to be high quality as well and it is a good thing Bandai has repopped many of the Imai Macross kits, now that Imai is dead and buried. Nichimo did the 1/200 scale Macross stuff and these little kits were neat and featured some pretty good detail for their rather small size.

Arii's kit quality tends to be all over the map. Some of their subjects were great while others were bad IMHO. For instance, their 1/100 transforming Valkyries aren't so hot compared to the Imai 1/72 offerings. But the Destroids (Spartan, Gladiator, etc.) were pretty good and so were the Zentraedi subjects. The 1/170 kit line wasn't all that great though.

As for the Takara Crusher Joe kits, they are okay but don't have all the bells and whistles of the Imai and Bandai stuff, mainly because they came out right before the poly-cap joint craze in mecha models began. The Ostall (Battletech Locust) is pretty basic and so are the small scale aerospace fighters (Siren, Harpy, Crusher fighters). I built a 1/400 Minerva in High School and it was an enjoyable build, but it did take a fair amount of filler to build properly (not surprising for a late 1970s kit design). Of course, while the Leopard Class drop ship might have started life as the Minerva, its shape was changed pretty extensively rather early on when FASA began to draw up gaming specs for the drop ships.

[Skull Leader]

They are now. I have a friend with some miniatures that go back to the original and the figure was very much like the monster with three guns on top.

How can that be? The Behemoth is a second-line clan battlemech that was introduced during the 3055 technical readout, which was not released until 1996. The game was introduced in 1985 or so with the Harmony Gold Vs. FASA fiasco starting in 1991.

Edited June 23, 2009 by Skull Leader

[ikar]

The first sign of Battletech was Battledroids. It used many of the original figures, I have the original Maurader. The Behemouth was included, and my friend has at least one in his collection.

The behemouth was originally a Innesphere design the they never got to work properly. Whewn the greast exodus occured, several of the designs went with them, eventually becomming operational in the clans.

Edited June 23, 2009 by ikar