Blog entry showing how they really aren't phoning in their TLJ releases (really!):
http://bandaihobby.hatenablog.com/entry/2017/11/08/190000
http://bandaihobby.hatenablog.com/entry/2017/11/08/190000
Bandai release schedule
- Thread starter TazMan2000
- Start date
Galactican
Sr Member
Although I somwhat like the look and the towering size difference to the classic AT-AT, on the other side I also think THIS would perfectly fit better into any Cylon Invasion army
YES! Finally someone who looks at that thing exactly like I do! Let's put in a roving red eye and stomp those pitiful humans!!!
Yes they are. Everything is a re-pop with a different color scheme except for the ugly gorilla walker.
Definitely agree that the bandai releases for TLJ aren't very exciting. Also, its really weird that they took the time to change the droid in the mini x wing kit to the new BB unit
You can't blame them because Lucasfilm didn't design anything exciting so far!
Hunk a Junk
Sr Member
Well, here's the deal regarding the TLJ releases. There's something to be said when their initial releases are another trooper and the same X-wing kit with a "booster" add-on while they're NOT offering new (and, frankly, more interesting) ships like the Silencer and the Resistance bomber. I also think it's a missed opportunity that they only released the U-Wing as a mini kit and not 1/72 (which would've been a nice size). It's possible they sunk a ton of resources into developing the PG Falcon, so maybe that explains it.
But it's hard to complain (at least for me) when I'm finally getting the ultimate Falcon kit and Bandai's releases so far have been amazing. Feels like nitpicking.
But it's hard to complain (at least for me) when I'm finally getting the ultimate Falcon kit and Bandai's releases so far have been amazing. Feels like nitpicking.
Short blog entry about the changes to the Falcon beak for TLJ:
http://bandaihobby.hatenablog.com/entry/2017/11/09/190000
http://bandaihobby.hatenablog.com/entry/2017/11/09/190000
I wonder if it has to do with a licensing issue?
I've noticed that Bandai won't make a U-Wing except in 1/144 and bundled with other vehicles, while Revel makes a U-Wing by itself. Bandai makes a tie striker by itself, but Revel does not. Revel has made Kylo's TIE, so I'm assuming Bandai won't. *shrugs*
I doubt it. Both Revell and Band had the T-70 X-wings, Millennium Falcons and Gorilla Walkers
I believe Bandai is simply sticking with what they are confident will sell. Also they seem to adhere to a strict sliding scale. i.e. things that deem are just a bit too large for their 1/72 boxes wind up in the 1/144 range, likewise, things too small like the speeder and AT-ST get bumped up to 1/48. The Gorilla Walker is huge compared to a regular AT-AT, so the bumped that down to 1/350 etc...
Although I think the lack of subjects for The Last Jedi speaks volumes as to what they think of the designs.
Pure speculation, but I think it has more to do with them being gun shy after the Rogue One release of the Tie Striker kind of tanked.
It was a ship barely even glimpsed in the movie. I suspect it may have initially had a larger role before the re-shoots.
They could just waiting to see how much interest there is after the movie has been out a few weeks before going into production on it.
It may also be that they simply did not have access to a final design early enough to start production either (again being burnt by the early production U-wing and Falcon which wound up having changes by the time the movies came out)
I think if the movie does well we will probably at least see a Kylo tie fighter
Galactican
Sr Member
That is true and it seems that this fact is sometimes overlooked by people complaining about the product lines since TFA, whether it is models or Hasbro figures in particular. Most of the models and figures look pretty lame because the source material IS lame.
Hunk a Junk
Sr Member
Revell also made the AT-ACT and Bandai did not. It this is really how Disney/Lucasfilm is going to run this railroad, it's sad. Insert painfully obvious anti-Revell rant here. :sick
The box size thing makes sense in context of Bandai. (doesn't make any common sense, though). It would be a sad loss if the U-Wing was not put out simply because it was deemed too big for packaging.
Hunk a Junk
Sr Member
It tanked? How so? Is there a place for actual sales figures?
I wouldn't say the Striker was 'barely glimpsed" in the movie. I see it quite a bit. It was the primary TIE variant in the skies over Skariff. It gets at least as much screentime as the TIE bomber (in both TESB and R1) and even the TIE Interceptor in ROTJ.
Guns Akimbo
Sr Member
Huh. Maybe I should keep mine unbuilt and boxed, lol.
I got my Striker almost immediately after release. *shrug* Plus multiples of the Fighter, Interceptor, and x1, for variants and conversions. Meanwhile, only other Bandai SW kit for me so far is the Y-Wing. I plan to get the Falcon when an ESB version is released in 1:72, and I plan to get a 1:72 X-Wing to build up as the cannibalized yellow one so many panels on the ANH fighters apparently came from... Meanwhile, there's at least one person buying up many 1:72 X-Wings to do a full ANH Red Group. I figure the various kits various people gravitate toward all roughly average out, and no one can be pointed to as an absolute, unmitigated flop.
--Jonah
--Jonah
As stated, it is "Pure speculation"
I was basing it mostly on seeing what kits people seem to be building and Amazon stock/price drops.
I see tons of X-wings, Y-wings etc... I have barely ever seen a 1/72 tie striker being built by someone
also there was this from Greg aka TurkeyVolumeGuessingMan on the StarshipModeler forum from a conversation with Mr. Nagasawa
http://www.starshipmodeler.net/talk/viewtopic.php?f=7&t=111832&start=4740#p1707359
"I attended the event only on Friday. But since it was closed to the general public, it was a rather productive day and I had some great conversations. I spoke with someone responsible for the SW products, Mr. Nagasawa. I could tell he was a true Star Wars fan, and we ended up talking about a lot of other stuff. As far as the topic at hand, he assured me that he has heard a lot of requests for a 1:72 TIE Bomber and B-Wing. I suggested that it may be possible that they could re-use the molds for the Darth Vader TIE, because I do know that the movie prop was made from the old MPC Vader TIE model. He said he'd have to check on the actual proportions though. It's my opinion that this subject would be more well-received than the TIE Striker. Maybe that is why they seem a bit more hesitant about the Last Jedi models. We're getting a slightly retooled version of Poe's X-Wing, a slightly retooled Stormtrooper, a Vehicle Collection nu-AT-AT (which looks better than the considerably larger Revell one I built recently), etc.
As far as the B-Wing, he said that he's already given thought about how to make the S-foils lock for attack position, the swiveling cockpit, etc. He said that because it is so large, it would have to be a bit more expensive than the other 1:72 kits, and would be priced and packaged similarly to the 1:144 Falcon and Slave I and their larger boxes. He liked the idea of doing a shuttle, and I said that a Snowtrooper would look great along the other Stormtroopers they have come out with. (Not a fan of the prequels, I do think that the Greivous kit is cool and I do think the character looks cool, but doing a Yoda figure, IMHO, wasn't a good idea. But that's just me.) And as we talked about the droids, I mentioned that there are so many more than just Gonk and the Probe Droid, such as the cone-headed astromechs and such. He mentioned the Mouse Droid too. I said that such things would go well as a set.
And as for 1:48 scale, I asked him if they'd consider releasing the X-Wing without the motorized gimmick. I told him that I would be more likely to get one because I'd rather do the lighting myself, and that others would like the larger scale but not bother with lights. I suggested that if they do a Y that they could skip all the sound and light gimmick.
We also talked about the Star Destroyer. I know Brian had talked with them about the same thing, speaking with the head Star Wars guy at Bandai (I cannot recall his name). Zvezda certainly jumped their train with that one, but I told him that Bandai's high level of intricacy could produce a kit that's even more faithful to the movie. Perhaps even having optional parts to build it as either the Devastator or the Avenger.
So on the subject of the Corellian Corvette, I got him to agree that at least a Vehicle Collection version would be a good idea, at least to start with. He asked me if there's much interest in models of the larger ships from my circles and I said yes."
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Hunk a Junk
Sr Member
I've got one in mid-assembly. I don't see a lot of TIE builds in general (Keiko's brilliant scratch TIE bomber notwithstanding), maybe because they don't demand as much weathering and there aren't customizable paint schemes, unlike X-Wings.
Richard Baker
Sr Member
A 1:72 TIE/Striker is definitely on my list to buy, It is a nice looking variant IMO.
