The Official Macross Frontier Mecha Thread: The Final

[azrael]

Is this new? A quick glance and I didn't see it in here.

http://img521.imageshack.us/img521/6457/vf25dv3.jpg

It's new art for Mikhail's VF-25G.

[Homeless]

I realize that, I was just wondering if the image itself was new.

[MrMarch]

Yes,. there's new images of both Mikhail's blue Valkyrie (designated VF-25G) and Luca's Valkyrie (designated RVF-25). They are from the official website.

[Ascension]

I'm a bit confused as to why this new knife/dagger thing isn't mounted as a bayonet. It seems like a bayonet would be far more advantageous against these Vajra, with the increased reach you'd be able to get with it. Granted, not increased much, but every little bit counts. Macross has featured bayonets before, so it's not like it's a new innovation... a hand-carried knife seems like a step backwards.

The only thing I can figure is that since it's clearly a desperation weapon it's only intended for use when the gunpod has been lost, and, if mounted as a bayonet, it would be lost with the gunpod. I guess.

In other news, whether railgun or beam weapon, the sniper rifle continues to be awesome.

[MrMarch]

The knife is really an enigma at this point. Yes, Macross has had some few close-combat weapons before, but they've never been used extensively like they are in Macross Frontier. We also don't even know what the knife is as far as technology. It appears to have some kind of energy sheath on the blade, but there's nothing available on it as far as official trivia or in-episode explanation. Likely the knife isn't attached to the gun pod because it's a last resort weapon, to be used when all other weapons have been lost or exhausted.

Plus we have to keep in mind that the Vajra were themselves an enigma. Neither the UNG nor the SMS seemed to know much about the Vajra capabilities and their impressive, near-impenetrable armor. So it's not like they had a chance to design weapons specifically to over come them. Nonetheless, the SMS seems to be holding it's own against the Vajra and have some heavy weapons at their disposal, like the sniper rifle. We've also yet to see the SMS bring out the BIG GUNS We were treated to a fan pleasing glimpse of the VB-6 Konig in episode three, but we've not yet had the chance to see it and it's four big rail guns in action. But it's coming

[Cypher]

hmm, I don't know if anyone's noticed it, but during the last bits of the OP, i couldn't but see the shadow of a VF-14 Hunter/AZ-130A Pantserzorene/ FZ-109 Elgerzorene

I trust the Varuta would not be making a appearance in here, and that its only a modified? VF-14 I might be seeing instead ?

[azrael]

hmm, I don't know if anyone's noticed it, but during the last bits of the OP, i couldn't but see the shadow of a VF-14 Hunter/AZ-130A Pantserzorene/ FZ-109 Elgerzorene

I trust the Varuta would not be making a appearance in here, and that its only a modified? VF-14 I might be seeing instead ?

It's a new fighter we have yet to see. It's not a Varauta fighter or a VF-14.

[MrMarch]

Yeah, I don't think the mystery fighter in the opening is a VF-14 Vampire/Fz-109A Elgerzorene/Az-103A Panzerzorene. The silhouette is all wrong, especially the nose, forward fuselage and engines. The silhouette of the mystery fighter has a nose and foward fuselage very similar to the VF-25, but features some small canards and the rear engines are centralized, not outboard like the Varauta fighters. It's definitely something new and I can't wait to see it

[Cypher]

Oops is all i can say =o

But to me, the silhouette did vaguely resemble one of the 3 to me, hence my assumption.

[MrMarch]

Think nothing of it. The sequence goes by so fast no one can be blamed for guessing. Here's a still shot of the two silhouettes:

http://www.new-un-spacy.com/miscellaneo ... kyries.jpg

It's strange that it has two sets of canards. Perhaps it's a VF-25 variant even. Maybe something like the difference between the VF-0A and the VF-0D from Macross Zero, just as an example. Guess we have to wait to know more.

[quasadra]

anyway i am hoping that it will be a spritual successor of SV-51. with its reverse canard and pointy design. i know the fighter's history will have nothing to do with SV-51, but still... (i like SV-51 a lot, more than any other VF. maybe because its very "Russian" .)

[Ork_dreadnought]

The knife is really an enigma at this point. Yes, Macross has had some few close-combat weapons before, but they've never been used extensively like they are in Macross Frontier.

Ahem, twice is "extensively"? By two characters only out of the dozens of fighters seen on screen? When has only had effect once, so far?

I know what you mean, but "extensively" is the wrong word.

[MrMarch]

A debate over the definition of "extensively"? That's not much of a discussion and I think you know what I meant without debating literal meanings. I'm going to pass on this one.

[jam!]

Does anyone know if the Queadluun-Raus have been upgraded or do they have the same performance as during the original war?

I ask because it's shown to keep up with the VF-25 fairly easily but Klan Klein's comment and the effectiveness of that old Zentraedi cannon leads me to believe that while the general performance such as thrusters and fuel consumption may have been improved, the weapons may have only been slightly tickered with, if at all.

[azrael]

Does anyone know if the Queadluun-Raus have been upgraded or do they have the same performance as during the original war?

No specs have come up on the updated Q-Raus yet.

[MrMarch]

So far I've not come across any official information for the new Queadluun-Rau (which may be designated Lambda, as taken from a magazine article which uses the greek symbol). So it's hard to say what it can do. However, we do know a few things about it just from looking at the design and watching the peformance of the battle suit in episode four.

Here is a comparison picture I made up:
http://www.new-un-spacy.com/miscellaneo ... mpared.jpg

The Q-Rau Lambda appears to be comparable in speed and maneuverability to the VF-25 given the roughly similar levels of "potential performance" during the Klan/Klein/Alto dogfight. The Q-Rau Lambda has similar weapons to the older Q-Rau, but also has an additional rear mounted beam cannon and rear mounted pod of some kind (perhaps a vernier cluster). The two arm mounted guns on the Q-Rau Lambda appear to have extended barrels. We also know the cockpit configuration is different. When the Q-Rau Lambda cockpit opens, we see Klan Klein seated, where as Meltrandi pilots fit their legs into the battle suit legs in the old Q-Rau.

Other than that, there's not much else we can say for sure. I think the Q-Rau Lambda is likely some kind of improved version. It makes sense that the Meltrandi now part of the UNG would continue to develop and improve Zentradi OverTechnology just as the humans continue to develop and improve their own OverTechnology.

[gundamtype0]

Is it just me or is the VF-25 kind of a regression of the valkyrie design. The VF-19 and VF-22 were designed with more powerful thrusters that are capable of leaving a planet's atmosphere on their own. The optional fast packs only added extra missile containers. No additional boosters were included. However, for the VF-25 design, It seems that they re-introduced the boosters on all the fast pack variations (recon, sniper and super). I personally like the VF-25 design, but it seems to be going technologically backwards.

[MrMarch]

Not at all.

Also, the VF-25 is far slimmer and looks designed (so far as we know) to carry all its ordnance externally rather than internally. So it makes sense that the Super Packs and Full Armor would be larger than previous generation fighters.

[gundamtype0]

Thanks for the correction. I forgot that the mass-produced excaliburs had those fast packs equipped for operation stargazer and the last episodes of Macross 7. I do agree though. The slimmer design sacrifices internal weapon bays. Maybe the VF-25s have better stealth capabilities so no internal compartments (F-22 raptor). The new mission specific fast packs might also take this into account. Hopefully they'll explain it more as the show progresses.

[Aegis]

If anything, given the fact that the VF-25 was designed to eventually replace the VF-171 as opposed to the VF-19, the valkyrie itself seems to be designed along a seperate branch from the Excaliburs and Sturmvogels. More than anything, I don't see any regression at all, but simply a different design philosophy behind it. In spite of the bulk, when's the last time you seen a full armour design actually transform with the fighter itself?