Kit Review

Straight build + Panel lining + Seals

Size comparison with a cigarette pack

< Battroid mode >

1/72 VF-25F Armoredmessiah Valkyrie Alto Custom - As you can see, this kit needs a stand to stay upright. (1/7)

1/72 VF-25F Armoredmessiah Valkyrie Alto Custom - As you can see, this kit needs a stand to stay upright. (2/7)

1/72 VF-25F Armoredmessiah Valkyrie Alto Custom - As you can see, this kit needs a stand to stay upright. (3/7)

1/72 VF-25F Armoredmessiah Valkyrie Alto Custom - As you can see, this kit needs a stand to stay upright. (4/7)

1/72 VF-25F Armoredmessiah Valkyrie Alto Custom - As you can see, this kit needs a stand to stay upright. (5/7)

As you can see, this kit needs a stand to stay upright.

Upper body front and back

Arms and backpack side sections.

Backpack section.

1/72 VF-25F Armoredmessiah Valkyrie Alto Custom - Those chunky legs.. (1/3)

Those chunky legs..

1/72 VF-25F Armoredmessiah Valkyrie Alto Custom - In addition to the gunpod, the Alto Custom Armored Pack also includes

The Alto Custom Armored Pack
also includes the Sniper rifle from the Michel unit as a bonus, in addition to the gunpod.

1/72 VF-25F Armoredmessiah Valkyrie Alto Custom - The groin area is designed to have the armored cover attached only in

The groin area is designed to have the armored cover attached only in Battroid mode.

1/72 VF-25F Armoredmessiah Valkyrie Alto Custom - The Armored Pack comes loaded with all sorts of uniquely designed lock

The Armored Pack comes loaded with all sorts of uniquely designed locking gimmicks.
Looks like they put some real thought into addressing the stability complaints from the original and Super Pack releases..

In Battroid mode, two special locking gimmicks come into play.

1/72 VF-25F Armoredmessiah Valkyrie Alto Custom - First, there's a gimmick added at the groin area that slightly pulls t

First, there's a gimmick added at the groin area that slightly pulls the legs forward and locks them in place.
It's not really about stability though.. it's more to fix the proportions of the overall bulked-up unit.

1/72 VF-25F Armoredmessiah Valkyrie Alto Custom - The most important back locking part attaches to the rear of the neck,

The most important back locking part attaches to the rear of the neck,
and locks onto the stand while supporting the wings at a fixed angle.

1/72 VF-25F Armoredmessiah Valkyrie Alto Custom - Fist hands added with the Armored Pack. They're a bit smaller and the

Fist hands added with the Armored Pack.
They're a bit smaller and the detail is better.. but you kind of have to wonder why they bothered including them?

1/72 VF-25F Armoredmessiah Valkyrie Alto Custom - Missile pod full open! The Armored Pack letting everything fly at once

Missile pod full open!
The Armored Pack letting everything fly at once is just..

1/72 VF-25F Armoredmessiah Valkyrie Alto Custom - Full armament shot. (1/4)

1/72 VF-25F Armoredmessiah Valkyrie Alto Custom - Full armament shot. (2/4)

Full armament shot.

A total of 8 missile pods on the shoulders, chest, and legs.

1/72 VF-25F Armoredmessiah Valkyrie Alto Custom - Double fire action. (1/6)

1/72 VF-25F Armoredmessiah Valkyrie Alto Custom - Double fire action. (2/6)

1/72 VF-25F Armoredmessiah Valkyrie Alto Custom - Double fire action. (3/6)

1/72 VF-25F Armoredmessiah Valkyrie Alto Custom - Double fire action. (4/6)

Double fire action.

1/72 VF-25F Armoredmessiah Valkyrie Alto Custom - Sniper action. (1/6)

1/72 VF-25F Armoredmessiah Valkyrie Alto Custom - Sniper action. (2/6)

1/72 VF-25F Armoredmessiah Valkyrie Alto Custom - Sniper action. (3/6)

1/72 VF-25F Armoredmessiah Valkyrie Alto Custom - Sniper action. (4/6)

Sniper action.

1/72 VF-25F Armoredmessiah Valkyrie Alto Custom - Comparison with the Alto Custom Super Pack. The Super Pack had its own

Comparison with the Alto Custom Super Pack.
The Super Pack had its own cool factor.. but compared to the Armored Pack~

1/72 VF-25F Armoredmessiah Valkyrie Alto Custom - As you can see, the Armored Pack's stand locking gimmick can also be u

As you can see, the Armored Pack's stand locking gimmick can also be used with the Super Pack.
Finally, the Super Pack can be displayed standing with proper proportions too T_T

Using the Armored Pack's locking gimmick.

1/72 VF-25F Armoredmessiah Valkyrie Alto Custom - Missile pod comparison between the Armored Pack and Super Pack. The si

Missile pod comparison between the Armored Pack and Super Pack.
The size difference is pretty striking.

Together with the standard Alto Custom and Super Pack.

< Gerwalk mode >

The two locking gimmicks added for the Armored Pack GERWALK mode.

1/72 VF-25F Armoredmessiah Valkyrie Alto Custom - First, you attach the part that firmly locks the rear of the neck and

First, you attach the part that firmly locks the rear of the neck and the hip joint together..

then insert and lock the T-shaped locking gimmick between the wings,

1/72 VF-25F Armoredmessiah Valkyrie Alto Custom - and plug the front of the T into the hole under the nose — it locks in

and plug the front of the T into the hole under the nose — it locks in at a really solid angle.

1/72 VF-25F Armoredmessiah Valkyrie Alto Custom - Thanks to the GERWALK-dedicated locking gimmicks, it stands rock-solid

Thanks to the GERWALK-dedicated locking gimmicks, it stands rock-solid in GERWALK mode despite that massive load on its back!

1/72 VF-25F Armoredmessiah Valkyrie Alto Custom - Makes you wish those parts had been included with the Super Pack too..

Makes you wish those parts had been included with the Super Pack too..
Either way, stability is great!!!

1/72 VF-25F Armoredmessiah Valkyrie Alto Custom - This time, mounted on the dedicated stand. Again, thanks to the dedica

This time, mounted on the dedicated stand.
Again, thanks to the dedicated locking gimmicks, it holds its pose without any slipping.

1/72 VF-25F Armoredmessiah Valkyrie Alto Custom - Missile pod open action. Oh man.. the coolness factor is off the chart

Missile pod open action.
Oh man.. the coolness factor is off the charts..

Comparison with the Super Pack GERWALK.

The volume difference between the weapon packs is huge...

1/72 VF-25F Armoredmessiah Valkyrie Alto Custom - For reference, the GERWALK locking gimmick included with the Armored P

For reference, the GERWALK locking gimmick included with the Armored Pack can be used with the Super Pack too..
but the upper locking gimmick is missing so it's not a perfect fix.
Still better than nothing though..
honestly, making a support out of a long piece of leftover parts ends up being sturdier. -.-; (see the Super Pack review)

Together with the standard Alto Custom in GERWALK mode.

1/72 VF-25F Armoredmessiah Valkyrie Alto Custom - Comparison of the standard, Super Pack, and Armored Pack GERWALK modes

Comparison of the standard, Super Pack, and Armored Pack GERWALK modes.
(Easier said than done — getting all three in one shot is a real pain..;)

< Fighter mode >

Finally, Fighter mode transformation!
The transformation method is the same as the standard version.. but the locking gimmicks are completely different.

1/72 VF-25F Armoredmessiah Valkyrie Alto Custom - First, the locking switch for the foot retraction gimmick is the missi

First, the locking switch for the foot retraction gimmick is the missile pod on the lower leg.
Pulling the missile pod outward lets you slide the foot in and out,
and pushing it back in locks it in that position.

1/72 VF-25F Armoredmessiah Valkyrie Alto Custom - The Armored Pack Fighter mode also adds a new rifle mounting part that

The Armored Pack Fighter mode also adds a new rifle mounting part that wasn't there before.
(The reason two types are included is to accommodate both the Sniper rifle and the gunpod.)
Along with this new locking part, Fighter mode features a total of four new locking gimmicks.

1/72 VF-25F Armoredmessiah Valkyrie Alto Custom - Fighter locking gimmick #1 added with the Armored Pack — There were ca

Fighter locking gimmick #1 added with the Armored Pack.
There were cases where the two legs wouldn't line up straight and the kit would sit crooked,
but now the gunpod mount and stand connector part locks into holes on both sides between the legs, two pegs per side.
This keeps the legs perfectly aligned and makes the stand connection much more secure.

1/72 VF-25F Armoredmessiah Valkyrie Alto Custom - Fighter locking gimmick #2 added with the Armored Pack — The shield th

Fighter locking gimmick #2 added with the Armored Pack.
The shield that slots onto the hands tucked neatly at the back was a bit loose before..
but now there's a peg on the body structure that fits right into the hole on the shield,
so it snaps on cleanly and stays put. Nice.

1/72 VF-25F Armoredmessiah Valkyrie Alto Custom - Fighter locking gimmick #3 added with the Armored Pack — When folding

Fighter locking gimmick #3 added with the Armored Pack.
When folding the legs all the way in flush against the body, they often wouldn't sit completely flat against the back..
..which happened quite a lot.
But with the Armored Pack, the rear leg holes peg onto the body's protruding tabs,
so both legs lock firmly onto the fuselage with a clean line.
Combined with the gunpod mount part introduced in #1, this makes the leg attachment absolutely solid.

1/72 VF-25F Armoredmessiah Valkyrie Alto Custom - Fighter mode locking mechanism added to the Armored Pack #4 Finally, t

Fighter mode locking mechanism added to the Armored Pack #4
Finally, to keep the massive backpack on the wings locked horizontally,
you insert the backpack's pegs into the holes on the outside of the legs.
With these 4 locking mechanisms, the Armored Pack achieves excellent stability that surpasses
not only the Super Pack but the standard kit as well.

You can attach 2 additional missiles to each Armored Pack.

Armored Pack Fighter mode with missiles added.

1/72 VF-25F Armoredmessiah Valkyrie Alto Custom - Detail shots of various parts. (1/6)

1/72 VF-25F Armoredmessiah Valkyrie Alto Custom - Detail shots of various parts. (2/6)

1/72 VF-25F Armoredmessiah Valkyrie Alto Custom - Detail shots of various parts. (3/6)

1/72 VF-25F Armoredmessiah Valkyrie Alto Custom - Detail shots of various parts. (4/6)

Detail shots of various parts.

1/72 VF-25F Armoredmessiah Valkyrie Alto Custom - Bottom view. (1/2)

1/72 VF-25F Armoredmessiah Valkyrie Alto Custom - Bottom view. (2/2)

Underside view.

1/72 VF-25F Armoredmessiah Valkyrie Alto Custom - For the rear landing gear, the shin armor is split into two pieces tha

For the rear landing gear, the shin armor is split into two pieces that you swap out to make it look open,
then plug them back in.
(It's not a slide mechanism — you have to remove the pieces, reposition them, and plug them back in.)

1/72 VF-25F Armoredmessiah Valkyrie Alto Custom - Is this a fighter jet or just a big lump... it's a bit chunky, isn't i

Is this a fighter jet or just a big lump... it's a bit chunky, isn't it?

On the stand!

That S-curve on the body is a work of art..

1/72 VF-25F Armoredmessiah Valkyrie Alto Custom - Stunning look from various angles. (1/5)

1/72 VF-25F Armoredmessiah Valkyrie Alto Custom - Stunning look from various angles. (2/5)

1/72 VF-25F Armoredmessiah Valkyrie Alto Custom - Stunning look from various angles. (3/5)

Stunning look from various angles.

Center missile pod open.

The leg missile pods open too.

The Armored Pack really has to be fully opened to look its best.

1/72 VF-25F Armoredmessiah Valkyrie Alto Custom - Comparison with Super Pack Fighter mode. The Super Pack just can't mat

Comparison with Super Pack Fighter mode.
The Super Pack just can't match the sheer presence of the Armored Pack.

1/72 VF-25F Armoredmessiah Valkyrie Alto Custom - Size comparison. With the Armored Pack on you can't spread the wings,

Size comparison.
With the Armored Pack on you can't spread the wings, but the result is a far more voluminous silhouette than the wings alone.

1/72 VF-25F Armoredmessiah Valkyrie Alto Custom - Comparison with the standard Fighter mode. (1/3)

Comparison with the standard Fighter mode.

Standard — Super Pack — Armored Pack Fighter mode comparison.

Battroid mode straight build photos.

GERWALK mode straight build photos.

Fighter mode straight build photos.

Following the Super Pack, the ultra-cool Armored Pack has now been released as a Macross Frontier kit. The Super Pack is hefty in its own right, but the Armored Pack completely blows it out of the water in terms of size, volume, and sheer number of weapons. Maybe that's why the box is absolutely massive and the price is nearly double. ^^;

The biggest concern before the Armored Pack came out was parts stability. Honestly, the Super Pack's stability was... the worst. (T_T) The Battroid was so back-heavy it could barely stand on its own, the GERWALK was weirdly impossible to level out, and the Fighter — while somewhat better — always felt like it was one touch away from falling apart. In short, it got a pretty bad rep for seemingly ignoring the laws of gravity when it came to all those added weapons.

If the Super Pack was this bad, what on earth were they going to do with the Armored Pack...

Fortunately, the Bandai developers must have gotten an earful about the Super Pack's terrible stability (or hey, maybe they read my review) — because the Armored Pack has been properly improved. And I mean really, truly properly!

When you look at the kit, there are a bunch of oddly shaped locking parts that you can't quite figure out at first glance, but each mode uses its own dedicated special locking pieces to achieve what is nearly perfect stability. Sure, you do need the dedicated stand, but since this kit actually comes bundled with a Macross-specific stand, that's not really a problem.

In Battroid mode, the back locking mechanism combined with the stand lets it stand up nice and straight while keeping the proportions looking great. And the GERWALK mode — which was the biggest problem with the Super Pack (it couldn't even pull off a proper shape) — now uses three large locking pieces to nail the look properly, stand or no stand.

Fighter mode is a bit different — it uses specially designed weapon-locking parts, but on top of that, four separate locking mechanisms have been added to the kit itself, keeping the body-legs-wings line locked in super tight. What's important here is that this improved stability in Fighter mode doesn't just make it more solid — it means all the parts fit together so snugly that the "lines" of the design really come alive.

In the end, I can say that the stability issues that were so worrying about the Armored Pack have been resolved almost perfectly — better than expected, honestly. (Which unfortunately makes the Super Pack look even sadder by comparison... T_T) Thankfully, some of these mechanisms can be borrowed for the Super Pack too, particularly to improve GERWALK mode stability. Either way, the Armored Pack's stability? Excellent.

As you can see in the photos, the whole appeal of the Armored Pack is the sheer cool factor that comes from all those flashy weapons and that massive volume — and now that the stability issues are sorted, you can actually enjoy building it and showing off that presence with a smile. The Super Pack had its own kind of cool, but honestly, now that the Armored Pack is out, there's just no comparison...; No need to say more — sit back and enjoy the stunning looks of the Battroid, GERWALK, and Fighter modes in the photos..

The sheer volume of the kit plus the included stand pushed the price up to ¥8,000, which is pretty steep, but I think it's absolutely worth every yen. The massive parts count and the panel lining and seal work being roughly double the usual amount is a bit daunting, but once you're done, the sense of accomplishment hits you like a tidal wave.

You say you love kits with serious presence? Don't say another word until you've built the Armored Pack... :-)

1/72 VF-25F Armoredmessiah Valkyrie Alto Custom | 2009.6 | ¥8,000

AIThis page was translated by Claude Sonnet.