VOTOMS

[treatment]

Until we get the actual 165mm HM-R RSC Scopedog in hand around March/2024, this could be considered some sort of a scaling preview...

a 1/20 RSC (bare) side by side with a 165mm HM-R Soltic H8 Roundfacer pic-link below:

www.tfw2005.com/boards/attachments/1-20-scopedog-hmr-soltich8-jpg.30142202/

[mpchi]

Some magazine scans. Impressive arm joints and ab crunch waist joint that Scopedog figures usually don't have.

[treatment]

moar HM-R VOTOMS!!!

hobby.dengeki.com/event/2147450/

check hobby-dengeki link for more details on the Turbo Customs and the Blood Suckers!!!

[mpchi]

Turbo Custom is a given, but nice to see Bloodsucker as a surprise. But still waiting for more obscure variants, before they convinced me to commit to collect this line. Red Shoulder Leeman, Gregory, Strong Baccuss, Burglary...there are many cool ones that rarely seen in toy form.

[treatment]

ThreeZero's Robo-Dou: Rabidly Dog

[treatment]

upcoming HG Burglary Dog from Bandai:

hobby.dengeki.com/news/2187202/

[mpchi]

Finally got this Rabidly Dog in hand, and it is AWESOME!

Joints super solid with not even the flaps and skirts move around when you shake the whole thing. Almost all the main joints are diecast, and the figure is heavy for its size at about 350g. It has the same height as the HMR Dougram, but with every limb, head, and body a lot beefier. Weathering is also very nice, though funny that some of the black dirt marks on my photo is actually silver in person, so the actual figure is not as dirty looking as this photo may imply. However, mine did get a more dirty round shoulder with more black smudge on the right arm, almost can call this "The Dark Blue Shoulder" LOL. This is a well made figure, and very satisfying to handle. Everything is snug, figure stands very well with crazy multi-jointed ankles, but joints are not too tight to a point you worry about breaking anything just by posing. If you like Votoms, you need to get this one!

Here are a few small things I wish it was better or to look out for:

- No thigh swivel joints from what I can tell. What seems to be very standard in action figures but they omitted it, probably to keep the Down Form less fiddly with legs always line up straight. But it does detract a bit on the legs posing.

- The cockpit controlling console handles (the two that Chirico's hands need to grab onto) are way too fragile. I accidentally snapped one of them crooked just try to have Chirico hold onto one, need to use some superglue to keep it from breaking off completely. Be SUPER careful when you are putting Chirico in the cockpit when it comes to those handles. Very small and thin, yet the cockpit hatch won't close completely if those aren't sitting properly and in the pilot's hands.

- Pilot figure is non-poseable, made of softer PVC with arms that flex a little to fit/grab the console handles. But it is very nicely made and painted, looks better than some of the bigger poseable pilots I have from other line. If we mix and match with the Bandai's HMR Scopedogs (size close enough) with their poseable pilots, I suppose we can over look this issue with the Bandai pilots hanging out outside.

- Weathering is very nice, but a bit inconsistent, and I would say a tad too much in some areas (aka my Dark Blue Shoulder squad )

- Expect the smelly Threezero paint when you open this thing. It got a lot better than some of their older toys, but you still get a bit of that paint smell, and my fingers still feel a bit funny/tacky after handling it the first time. After airing it overnight, the smell is very subtle now.

- They are really stingy on the backpack bomb, giving you just one...should be two at least. 4 or 5 would be more like it.

- The upper claw (the part that slides up and down the arm with 2 claw digits) wiggles a bit, as if it is sitting on a circular peg and can get misaligned a little. They should have designed it with a square or rectangular peg to avoid that issue.

- A number of reviewers have an issue with the butt flap popping off. But I avoid grabbing the figure at that flap, with the flap lifted a little instead so I am holding the figure at the inner crotch/hip under it, and seem to work out fine without the flap coming off even once.

All in all, this is an awesome release. One of the best Votoms figure I have handled. Small little nitpicks aside, this is easily a 9/10. If only they add thigh swivels, not so stingy on some of the accessories, improved on some of the things I pointed out, and add painted markings on it, it would be the perfect Rabidly Dog we ever need. As of now, it is still the best Rabidly Dog in the market. I still have the older Takara DMZ Rabidly Dog release, and thought I didn't need this. I was very wrong, and I am glad that I changed my mind and bought this after all. Very happy with this. Now go get one!



Compare to the Takara DMZ 1/18, which was awesome at its time and has the advantage of size and functionality (backpack can house 6 bombs and activate by push of a button, spring-loaded punches and claw, rubber tracks under the feet...etc.) But while still look the part, the joints are just not sturdy enough with the legs and all flaps flopping around. Overall a much less stable figure to handle. Plastic also got brittle after all these years with my backpack hinges cracked and PVC fingers disintegrating. The gun is now permanently glued to the otherwise shattered trigger hand. DMZs are really nice, but think twice about backtracking them nowadays as the material just didn't age well.

[greengetterguy]

congrats!!

he looks amazing and sounds like he's a real hand candy.

but I want to thank you for the heads up on the smell of the figure for some of us who are more sensitive to it. I appreciate it.

[mpchi]

UPDATE: Rabidly Dog has thigh swivel joint after all! YAY! (though the range is not a lot, like a 30-40 degree twist)

The joint on both of my thighs are so tight, I didn't know they can move. Nor does the instruction sheet point out there is articulation (it does on other joints). Even a pretty recent video review mentioned it has no thigh swivel, so all those gave me the impression of not having that joint. But after looking through a number of older video reviews and noticed they managed to twist the thighs, I went back and tried on mine multiple times. It didn't budge at first (driving me crazy, wondering if the production copies are different from the earlier review copies LOL). But really gave it a few very firm twist, trusting the diecast hip won't break on me. The joint finally moved.

[mpchi]

After enabled the thigh swivel, it is like unlocking a secret upgrade for the legs. This figure is darn good replicating the leaning and gliding poses as seen in the anime, and I didn't even push it to its max range. Chef's kiss!

[mpchi]

HMR pre-release photos. Glad the colors are tuned more normal now, especially on the head and the scope. But the overall plasticy look is very strong, makes it doesn't feel like a high end product.

hjweb.jp/article/1400590/

[treatment]

welp!

Bandai's being a d1ck again.

from Dengeki-Hobby:  hobby.dengeki.com/news/2270409/

“Armored Trooper Votoms” Scope Dog Turbo Custom action figure “HI-METAL R” is now available! Pre-orders will begin at 16:00 on Friday, March 22, 2024 at Premium Bandai's Tamashii Web Shop.

...

DATA

HI-METAL R Scope Dog Turbo Custom

• ABS & PVC & die-cast painted movable figure
  
  
• Total height: approx. 170mm
  
  
• Product contents: Main body, 3 types of replacement wrist left and right, replacement shoulder armor, replacement short barrel, spare magazine x 4, mission pack, 7 missile pod, 2 rocket launcher, Gatling gun, arm gun, heavy machine gun, solid shooter , hand rocket launcher, spare antenna, pilot figure set (replacement wrist 1 type left, 2 types right, special pedestal)
  
  
• Publisher: BANDAI SPIRITS
  
  
• Price: 25,300 yen (tax included/shipping and handling not included)
  
  
• Scheduled to ship in October 2024

officiial site: p-bandai.jp/item/item-10002075170/

[silver1spider]

Mar 20, 2024 19:53:07 GMT -5 treatment said:

welp!

Bandai's being a d1ck again.

from Dengeki-Hobby:  hobby.dengeki.com/news/2270409/

“Armored Trooper Votoms” Scope Dog Turbo Custom action figure “HI-METAL R” is now available! Pre-orders will begin at 16:00 on Friday, March 22, 2024 at Premium Bandai's Tamashii Web Shop.

...

DATA

HI-METAL R Scope Dog Turbo Custom

• ABS & PVC & die-cast painted movable figure
  
  
• Total height: approx. 170mm
  
  
• Product contents: Main body, 3 types of replacement wrist left and right, replacement shoulder armor, replacement short barrel, spare magazine x 4, mission pack, 7 missile pod, 2 rocket launcher, Gatling gun, arm gun, heavy machine gun, solid shooter , hand rocket launcher, spare antenna, pilot figure set (replacement wrist 1 type left, 2 types right, special pedestal)
  
  
• Publisher: BANDAI SPIRITS
  
  
• Price: 25,300 yen (tax included/shipping and handling not included)
  
  
• Scheduled to ship in October 2024

officiial site: p-bandai.jp/item/item-10002075170/

Damn it- I am kicking myself for buying the first version - (dirty trick Bandai)

[treatment]

Hacchaka just posted up his pictorial review of the HM-R Scopedog RSC:

hacchaka.net/archives/52106974.html

[mpchi]

What I am worried about, is after we bought the green Turbo Custom, then Bandai will put out another release of the cooler Turbo Custom variants.

[treatment]

as posted over at MWF earlier:

add/edit:

No Wotafa nor MarkH, yet, but here's another YT of it:

[treatment]

scaling with other HM-R variants:

scaling Bandai's HM-R RSC with Arcadia's Garland:

add:

web-translated:

Kiriko's size is 6.5cm, so it's 156cm?? According to the settings, it's 175cm, so Kiriko is the only one in 1/26 scale.

[mpchi]

Threezero throwing in the gauntlet to fight for your cash in the Votoms race. Though accessories is very light on this one, a little smaller than the previous Rabidly Dog, yet costing more. Have to see if I need another green regular Scopedog after Bandai's HMR.



www.bigbadtoystore.com/Product/VariationDetails/271881?o=4

[silver1spider]

I was watching Toys TV review of the Hi-Metal R Scope Dog. The reviewers first comment was I am going to take a gundam marker to this thing. LOL.

I am going to pickup the Robo-Dou Scopedog. The paint apps looks great

[treatment]

from TD-Forum: bbs.toysdaily.com/forum.php?mod=redirect&goto=findpost&ptid=470399&pid=8213334

HM-R compared against the ThreeZero RabidlyDog: