I'm not saying this isn’t a good toy – in some respects it’s a great toy. The engineering on each individual piece is marvelous. It is only in the connection of the two that the toy fails horribly. Oh yeah, and the fact that its about 300 bucks.

I’ve been kind of dreading doing this review for a number of reasons. There are so many expectations for this toy and I don’t know if I can accurately portray all that is good and bad with this without being a little biased. The fact that a Tread toy has been made sort of makes the set worth it for me, but for others, not so much.

The CM’s Brave Gokin EX-01 Legioss & Tread (Eta) (レギオスwithトレッド ブレイブ合金EX (エータ)) is the first Brave Gokin toy to get the EX designation. EX must stand for Extra Deceiving, because a Gokin toy this is not. In fact, the only metal in this toy is in the joints of the Legioss, the landing gear, and the large cradle that connects the Legioss and Tread. If you are expecting metal, you will be disappointed.

That’s not to say this isn’t a good toy – in some respects it’s a great toy. The engineering on each individual piece is marvelous. It is only in the connection of the two that the toy fails horribly.

Another point of contention with this toy is the price. At a Japanese retail price of 28,000 yen (figure about $350 USD once you factor in shipping), this thing is horribly overpriced. It’s cool but not $300 cool. So when I mention that something is really great about this toy, remember - $300 for the set, and almost no metal.

Packaging

Nothing special here with this packaging. The box features nice product shots and inside is a large clear plastic tray that holds the Legioss and Tread. There are very few accessories as most of the play value is in the units themselves. Included are a stand, gun, fists, sword, small ride armors in various modes, and a sticker sheet.

Legioss

Jump to the Legioss video >

The Legioss comes packaged in Armo-Soldier mode. It’s about 6.5 inches tall and weighs about 6 ounces. That’s pretty light, considering Toynami’s Alpha fighter weighs in at 15 ounces. Both the Toynami and CM’s Legioss are about the same size, but have drastically different proportions.

The engineering and QC are fantastic on the Legioss. Each part fits perfectly, the joints are tight, and nothing about it feels half-assed. Although the toy is light, it is extremely durable due to its use of POM plastic and diecast metal in the connecting joints. Articulation is great with some standouts being a waist joint and innovative elbow joints that allow for an amazing array of movement. One notable omission is the lack of any kind of head articulation.

The toy is molded in color with small amounts of tampo printing for the finer details. The paint is clean and sharp, with no visible over spray. Included with the toy is a sticker sheet that serves all three versions of the toy, but I think the toy looks great as-is. CM’s has also included a bunch of screw hole covers, but once again, I think it looks just fine, screw holes and all. It reminds me that it is a toy I guess, albeit an expensive one. The mold detail is crisp and clean, with etched panel lines, vents with interior detail, and few sprue marks.

One thing you may want to watch - there are two holes in the chest where the front fuselage locks into the body - those seem to be showing some stress marks

In Armo-Soldier mode, the Legioss can make use of several weapons. The EP-13 80mm 3-barrel Gatling beam gun features a moveable stock, and a removable armor clip. The hands of the Legioss have articulated trigger fingers, but there is no peg in the handle or hand to secure the gun to, making a weak connection. The Legioss also includes a sword, of all things. In episode 13 of Mospeada, Ley has a dream that he is fighting off monsters with the Legioss, brandishing a sword. I think it’s cool that CM’s included this as a sign of respect to the series.

In addition to the hand held weapons, the Legioss features two snap-on missile banks that attach to the underside of the chest, and a third, auxiliary missile bank that attaches to the left shoulder. And if the Legioss was not already armed to the teeth, it is covered with opening doors that reveal missile banks all over the figure – I count 14 of them. Not too shabby.

The Legioss is fully transformable into all three modes – Armo-Soldier, Armo-Diver, and Armo-Fighter. The Armo-Diver mode is similar to a Gerwalk mode from Macross – it sits somewhere in between fighter and soldier mode.

In fighter mode the Legioss looks good, but there are a few things that could have been done better, especially for the price. Once transformed into Armo-Fighter mode the parts just kind of sit there – there aren’t any pegs to lock parts into place. For example, it would have been great to have some kind of connector on the back of the legs to lock them together, or pegs on the bottom of the arm assemblies to attach them to the legs. As it is, you just have to put it in the position that looks best. Granted, the parts stay where they should pretty well, but it is not precise. Just look at the placement of the arms in fighter mode – things just don’t line up as well as they should.

The extra missiles and gun can all be attached to the Legioss in Fighter mode. The gun can be stored either under the wing, or in the back of the optional third missile bank. The gun slides into the back of the part by using a replacement gun clip.

The landing gear is all metal, and the wheels spin freely. Each landing gear is hidden behind a panel that is easily opened. The cockpit can also be opened, as well as a storage door on the underside for the Mospeada Ride Armor.

Tread

Jump to the Tread video >

Those of you not intimately familiar with Mospeada or Robotech: The Next Generation may not understand the big deal about the Tread. The Tread fighter (or Beta Fighter) is a support mecha that “docks” with the back of the Legioss for added firepower. Back in the day when Gakken came out with the original Legioss toy, they had planned on a Tread, but it was only released in limited numbers in Europe, and only for the smaller version of the toy. The toy has become a thing of legend, and when a specimen appears, it fetches a LOT of money. Fans have been clamoring for a Tread toy for years, and while Toynami announced theirs first, CM’s beat them to market with the first Tread toy since 1985.

The AB-01 Tread is a fantastic toy. It also fully transforms into three modes: Armo-Soldier, Armo-Bomber and Armo-Diver mode.

In Armo-Soldier mode the Tread is about 8 inches tall and weighs 10 ounces. It is extremely toy-like in its construction and articulation. In fact, I might go so far as to say the Tread is MORE articulated than the Legioss. The Tread has clicky joints all over the place, fantastic elbow joints, articulated fingers, a waist joint, and even head articulation. The toy is the same quality as the Legioss, but this time with almost no metal connector joints (the only one I can see is in the neck).

In terms of armament the Tread has 2 missile banks that open up on the chest and 2 that pop up on the shoulder, as well as cannons molded into the arms. The Tread can hold the Legioss’ gun, but the same issues occur. It’s really really great, and this makes the set for me. It ALMOST convinces me that it’s worth the money.

Transformation has an almost playskool-like simplicity. Fold up the legs, fold in the arms, and fold out the cockpit and the wings. That’s pretty much it. The wingspan in Armo-Bomber mode is a fantastic 14 inches. The cockpit can open and reveal a small pilot – a nice touch.

In Armo-Bomber mode, the Tread has no built-in landing gear, so it relies on the metal cradle to rest on. The cradle is secured to the Tread by way of 2 spring loaded ball connectors in the tail section. Unfortunately, the Tread is a little back-heavy and there is no way to connect it to the front, so it tends to tilt to the back. This is an example of one of many little things that CM’s could have done to go the extra mile. Why not also make connectors for the front to make this mode stable?

Legioss + Tread = FAIL

Jump to the FAIL video >

Here is where it all goes horribly wrong. Each toy on its own is pretty awesome, and if CM’s could have nailed the connection of the two it might, MIGHT have justified the price. But it is as if someone simply gave up when trying to engineer this. A little background information may be helpful here as I explain what went wrong. See, the Legioss was designed as a stand alone toy by Shinji Aramaki.. Gakken decided that they needed more transforming mecha in Mospeada so they had another designer, Hideki Kakinuma design the Tread, with no set means to connect them. In the show, animators relied on “Anime Magic” to make the transformation work. Unfortunately, that left today’s toymakers in the dark as to how they connected, and each maker has to come up with their own solution. Both CM’s and Toynami have come up with a connector bar solution, but CM’s is the first one we have seen in production.

Essentially, the connector bar is a solid metal cradle that attaches to the Tread in the rear and the Legioss in the front. The connection to the tread is reasonably secure aside from it being back-heavy (see above). The connection to the Legioss seems like a total afterthought.

First, you have to move the arm assemblies on the back of the fighter together, and push the tail wings down. These parts have no kind of peg or connector to keep them rigid, so they just mash together. The legs need to be splayed out to the sides so that they look like frog legs. To connect the Legioss to the metal cradle, you have to line up the hip connectors with the U-shaped connectors on the cradle. There is virtually no tension in this connection, so it just rests there. From there you have to “tuck” the Legioss in behind the front of the Tread.

Don’t let the pictures fool you – it’s a floppy mess.  Nothing really connects to anything, and if you pick it up it’s just going to separate. This is a real disappointment – shame on you CM’s. For $300 you couldn’t have figured this out? Added a couple extra clips to lock it together? It feels like you didn’t even try. How can you put so much love into one facet of the toy and completely ignore something like this?

You can also put the dock the Legioss and Tread when the Legioss is in Armo-Soldier mode, but this too suffers from the same issue. The included stand is more like a crutch to hold the unit up. While the pictures on the box show the combined unit floating up off the ground, the stand is not tall enough, nor is the toy balanced properly, to get its feet off up of the ground.

In Conclusion

Taken as individual toys, the Legioss and Tread are great. Not $300 great, but as well engineered toys they succeed. These should probably be priced around $60 each. Look at what $300 gets you for other toys – Soul of Chogokin, Fewture EX gokin – no other toy gives you so little for so much. It’s like an Otaku tax – we pay the premium to get these short run toys of obscure mecha, and even though we are disappointed, we come back for more. It’s like its some kind of sick game at the CM’s head office to see just how ridiculously priced these things can get. The upcoming CM’s Dancougar Nova will be around SIX HUNDRED DOLLARS.  Well, here is where I throw in my towel with CM’s. I’m done with toys like this. If you are going to charge me over $100 for a toy, it better be worth it. For this price I demand that the quality and detail and engineering are nothing but the best.

It just kills me that this was the price I had to pay to get a Tread toy.

So obviously I have mixed feelings about this. I don’t think it is worth it, but maybe you are a bigger Mospeada fan than me. I can still say though I would recommend this one over the Toynami version. Hell, I would recommend something my 3 year old son made out of Lego before I recommend one of those. What the hell were they thinking? But I digress…

You can get your Legioss & Tread at HobbyLink Japan if you are so inclined, but you will not be able to get the Red or Green version there. Those are going to be magazine and convention exclusives, which will undoubtedly drive up the already high price, even higher.

Good luck with that.

VIDEO

The Mospeada Trilogy

Legioss

Tread

Combination

http://www.hlj.com/product/CMS65132

This is the same review I did for the Stick Type. If you've read that, there's nothing different here. It still kind of stinks.

The VR-052T MOSPEADA Ride Armor hails from the anime series Genesis Climber Mospeada, better known as Robotech: The Next Generation here in the states. In Mospeada, the VR-052T ride armor is used by Ley. In Robotech he was renamed Rand and the Ride Armor was renamed the Cyclone.

The last transformable Mospeada Ride Armor toy was made by Gakken in 1983. I got that toy for my 10th birthday, and I still have it to this day. I love that toy and that design.

Last year, no less than FOUR companies announced that they were making new Ride Armor toys. Twenty five years with no ride armor toys then BOOM, 4 toys. These are crazy times we live in.

The first of the four companies to hit the shelves is CM’s Corporation. They released 2 versions of the Ride Armor – a Stick type and a Ley type. I got them both from HobbyLink Japan about a week ago.

I can’t remember the last time a toy filled me with such internal confusion. I want to love this toy. I really do. I just love the ride armor design, and I love CM’s toys. It sounds like a match made in heaven. Unfortunately, it seems like someone at CM’s dropped the ball here, because this toy is kind of crap.

LET’S BREAK IT DOWN SHALL WE?

Ley

The Ley figure is about the size of a Microman or GI Joe figure. This figure is actually really nicely done, with great articulation and paint detail. The translucent visor flips up and down, the arms are double jointed and pretty much everything moves where it should. The feet have the pull down action to accommodate the ride armor and they pop out just like the old Gakken toy did.

The chest and waist of the figure is painted but the arm and leg armor are just plastic. I’m not sure why these are different, but the figure would look a whole lot better if it was all the same color.

The Bike comes packaged in bike mode with only a few parts to assemble. It features nice printed-on markings, removable saddlebags with opening hatches, rubber tires. The frame is diecast metal as are the swing bars on the legs. Also included is a small stand that clips onto pegs on the bottom of the frame.

Once you begin to handle the bike, it all begins to go horribly wrong. The two parts of the front cowl never seem to line up right, and the headlights on the front have no locked in position, so they are always pointing the wrong way.

The panels on either side of the front wheel are really awkward. Lets see if I can explain this in a way that makes sense. The struts that come from under the front of the bike are supposed to clip onto the pegs on the inside of the plates. This peg is removable, so each time you try to clip it in, it pops out. The front of the panel is supposed to attach to a peg on the wheel, but the hole isn’t deep enough for it to really grip. The rear wheel armor has a similar problem.

Riding the bike

In theory, Lei should be able to ride on the bike, but it takes an extraordinary amount of patience. This is the worst part of the entire toy. The interface between the bike and the rider is just terrible.

First off, you have to swap fists on Stick so he can grab the handlebars. Then there is a small “hook” on the back of the seat that is supposed to attach to Stick’s rear, but there’s just no way its gonna work, the fit is all wrong.

Beneath the rear wheel armors there are small riding pegs that fold out and you can insert them into the holes in Stick’s feet. Not only are these pegs small and fragile, but they like to fall off for no apparent reason. If by some sheer luck you get both hands on the handlebar and both feet on the pegs, you will notice that you can’t get the Stick figure anywhere near that peg.

Oh, and as you are doing all that, you will be swearing because the other parts keep falling off. The foot pegs just come right off of the armor.

RIDE BABY RIDE

So, next is the Ride Armor. You’ll be happy to know it’s not all that bad, but still there are some glaring flaws.

Transformation is similar to the vintage Gakken toy, just made more complicated. I’m not going to go through all the steps here, you can watch the video for that. Put it this way, CM’s included some spare parts in case you break something.

Once you go through all that to get it together, its not actually half bad. The figure remains poseable and can stand on its own, but is aided by a stand of sorts. The stand is actually just a stick that plugs into the back. 6,000 yen and they couldn’t pack a real stand?

The most noticeable thing wrong with the ride armor is the giant seam right through the center of the metal. I can’t help but think there was a better way to do this. It just looks like crap.

On the good side, there are some nice touches, like the rubber tires, targeting scope, and the pop-out articulated vents on the wheels.

SIZE MATTERS, NO MATTER WHAT SHE SAYS

This thing is SMALL. Disappointingly small. When I held the box in my hand I had this feeling of dread. It felt light like a model kit. In Ride armor mode, the toy is only 12 cm (4.75in) tall. The metal content is almost laughable. Apparently, at CM’s they apply the Brave Gokin label to anything that has ANY metal in it.

I am going to have to recommend that you don’t buy this toy, unless you meet the following criteria:

1. You have a high tolerance for frustration
2. You are good at origami
3. You are a complete and utter Mospeada maniac (and even then…)
4. You plan on never taking it out of the package

It just misses the mark… sorry CM’s. Let’s hope the Legioss is better.

Much debate and speculation has surrounded this particular toy since photos of the prototype started making the rounds on line last year. With no less than 4 different versions of the Mospeada coming to collectors this year; is the Mega House release worth your very hard earned cash? Read on and I’ll let you know.

From Wikipedia:

Genesis Climber Mospeada is an anime science fiction series created by Shinji Aramaki and Hideki Kakinuma. The 25-episode television series ran from late 1983 to early 1984 in Japan. MOSPEADA stands for Military Operation Soldier Protect Emergency Aviation Dive Auto, one of the transformable motorcycle-armors the series features. The other primary mecha featured in the show is the three-form transformable fighter called the Armo-Fighter AFC-01 Legioss, which is very much similar to the VF-1 Valkyrie variable fighter in The Super Dimension Fortress Macross.

MOSPEADA - Military Operation Soldier Protect Emergency Aviation Dive Auto, is the actual name of the transformable motorcycle-armors the series features and Mega House has released the first of what is soon to be a full series of all the main characters from Genesis Climber Mospeada this particular one is the VR-052F (Stick Type) AKA “Scott Bernard's Cyclone.”

It all comes in a cardboard box decorated with 4 color art and windows on the front so the bike and the figure are both visible. While I really like the general design of the package, they should have used some classic (or at least classic style) line art instead of using an enhanced image of the toy on the front. It would have been a nice nod to the original Gakken release especially with it being the 25th anniversary of Genesis Climber Mospeada.

Included inside the box:

• Bike
• Figure
• 2 heads (1 helmet on, 1 helmet off)
• 3 pairs of hands (3 right, 3 left)
• Targeting Scope
• Beam Weapon
• Instructions
• Display Stand (1flight attachment, 1 standing attachment

A sticker sheet was not included. Apparently there is a sheet of stickers that where given away when you purchased these in-stores in Japan but those of us importing them appear to be out of luck. Not a huge deal as the Stick figure comes with all the appropriate markings you expect but I would have liked to have gotten it anyway.

The Stick figure features over 30 points of articulation, nice range of motion, excellent poseability and the joints feel nice and tight without being too stiff. There is a big gripe here though; while most of the figure is excellent Mega House decided to not add the ability to swivel below the elbows/above the gauntlets, thus you can not rotate the gauntlets to where there supposed to be. It’s not a deal breaker for me but it definitely goes into the “what where they thinking?” category. The toy features no diecast content whatsoever and is all plastic.

Paint detail is very good and I really like the overall “anime” look of the character. Some folks seem to be disappointed that the “toy” doesn’t have more of a real military paint application which is just fine by me as I really dig an animated cartoon and not a real military vehicle. With that said my Scott has what appears to be a worn panel line across the front of the chest, it's as if the bikes where put into the package before the paint was dry.

The piece is nice and solid in bike mode but the wheels are very tight and do not “roll” very easily. Included in the package is also a very subtle kickstand to help hold the bike up in an upright mode and the figure itself does sit on the bike well, its just not in the same way it is in the cartoon. No foot pegs are built in, so you can not put the feet out to the side but you can get the rider to “hug” the bike nicely.

Transformation is finicky; mainly because some of the plastic pieces stick instead of sliding smoothly and pop off when forced. To Mega Houses credit nothing breaks and can easily be popped back on. I should be able to transform my toy without having to chase parts and pieces across the carpet. As a transforming display piece it’s not bad but it’s not going to fufill any toy craving for playability.

The video below is long so it’s only for the most die hard of the curious about the ins and outs of the items. Both Stick and Ley are included.

For all my criticisms of the actual transformation, again in its final ride armor mode it looks good and feels solid. However any real, dynamic poses with this guy are impossible without the included stand mainly because he’s a bit loose in the waist with all the gear on.

The stand is very nice and holds the ride armor up very well, however the included flying stand attachment is kind of a joke; it has no tension whatsoever in the joint that swivels so holding any sort of flying pose is impossible.

As you can see from the review it’s a real mixed bag. The fit, finish and over all look of this Mega House release is excellent in both modes but getting it there and back is a bit of a pain. However if you want a more palpable toy experience I would wait and see what Beagle or Toynami bring us later this year in a larger 1/10 scale vs this 1/15th scale release. All others that like a display piece, I say go for it - just know what your getting before you buy.

Special thanks to Angolz.com for getting this out to me.

I can’t remember the last time a toy filled me with such internal confusion. I want to love this toy. I really do. I just love the ride armor design, and I love CM’s toys. It sounds like a match made in heaven. Unfortunately, it seems like someone at CM’s dropped the ball here, because this toy is kind of crap.

The VR-52F MOSPEADA Ride Armor hails from the anime series Genesis Climber Mospeada, better known as Robotech: The Next Generation here in the states. In Mospeada, the VR-52F ride armor is used by Stick Bernard. In Robotech he was renamed Scott Bernard and the Ride Armor was renamed the Cyclone.

The last transformable Mospeada Ride Armor toy was made by Gakken in 1983. I got that toy for my 10th birthday, and I still have it to this day. I love that toy and that design.

Last year, no less than FOUR companies announced that they were making new Ride Armor toys. Twenty five years with no ride armor toys then BOOM, 4 toys. These are crazy times we live in.

The first of the four companies to hit the shelves is CM’s Corporation. They released 2 versions of the Ride Armor – a Stick type and a Ley type. I got them both from HobbyLink Japan about a week ago.

I can’t remember the last time a toy filled me with such internal confusion. I want to love this toy. I really do. I just love the ride armor design, and I love CM’s toys. It sounds like a match made in heaven. Unfortunately, it seems like someone at CM’s dropped the ball here, because this toy is kind of crap.

LET’S BREAK IT DOWN SHALL WE?

Stick Bernard

The Stick figure is about the size of a Microman or GI Joe figure. This figure is actually really nicely done, with great articulation and paint detail. The translucent visor flips up and down, the arms are double jointed and pretty much everything moves where it should. The feet have the pull down action to accommodate the ride armor and they pop out just like the old Gakken toy did.

The chest and waist of the figure is painted but the arm and leg armor are just plastic. I’m not sure why these are different, but the figure would look a whole lot better if it was all the same color.

The Bike comes packaged in bike mode with only a few parts to assemble. It features nice printed-on markings, removable saddlebags with opening hatches, rubber tires. The frame is diecast metal as are the swing bars on the legs. Also included is a small stand that clips onto pegs on the bottom of the frame.

Once you begin to handle the bike, it all begins to go horribly wrong. The two parts of the front cowl never seem to line up right, and the headlights on the front have no locked in position, so they are always pointing the wrong way.

The missile launchers on either side of the front wheel are really awkward. Lets see if I can explain this in a way that makes sense. The struts that come from under the front of the bike are supposed to clip onto the pegs on the inside of the missile launcher plates. This peg is removable, so each time you try to clip it in, it pops out. The front of the panel is supposed to attach to a peg on the wheel, but the hole isn’t deep enough for it to really grip. The rear wheel armor has a similar problem.

Riding the bike

In theory, Stick should be able to ride on the bike, but it takes an extraordinary amount of patience. This is the worst part of the entire toy. The interface between the bike and the rider is just terrible.

First off, you have to swap fists on Stick so he can grab the handlebars. Then there is a small “hook” on the back of the seat that is supposed to attach to Stick’s rear, but there’s just no way its gonna work, the fit is all wrong.

Beneath the rear wheel armors there are small riding pegs that fold out and you can insert them into the holes in Stick’s feet. Not only are these pegs small and fragile, but they like to fall off for no apparent reason. If by some sheer luck you get both hands on the handlebar and both feet on the pegs, you will notice that you can’t get the Stick figure anywhere near that peg.

Oh, and as you are doing all that, you will be swearing because the other parts keep falling off. The foot pegs just come right off of the armor.

RIDE BABY RIDE

So, next is the Ride Armor. You’ll be happy to know it’s not all that bad, but still there are some glaring flaws.

Transformation is similar to the vintage Gakken toy, just made more complicated. I’m not going to go through all the steps here, you can watch the video for that. Put it this way, CM’s included some spare parts in case you break something.

Once you go through all that to get it together, its not actually half bad. The figure remains poseable and can stand on its own, but is aided by a stand of sorts. The stand is actually just a stick that plugs into the back. 6,000 yen and they couldn’t pack a real stand?

The most noticeable thing wrong with the ride armor is the giant seam right through the center of the metal. I can’t help but think there was a better way to do this. It just looks like crap.

Speaking of crap, there’s the gun. The gun comes attached to a hand, but the glue is so weak that it just pops off. The hand doesn’t stay on that well due to the armor, and then get it to try and hold the gun, well, you get the picture.

On the good side, there are some nice touches, like the rubber tires, targeting scope, and the pop-out articulated vents on the wheels.

SIZE MATTERS, NO MATTER WHAT SHE SAYS

This thing is SMALL. Disappointingly small. When I held the box in my hand I had this feeling of dread. It felt light like a model kit. In Ride armor mode, the toy is only 12 cm (4.75in) tall. The metal content is almost laughable. Apparently, at CM’s they apply the Brave Gokin label to anything that has ANY metal in it.

I am going to have to recommend that you don’t buy this toy, unless you meet the following criteria:

1. You have a high tolerance for frustration
2. You are good at origami
3. You are a complete and utter Mospeada maniac (and even then…)
4. You plan on never taking it out of the package

It just misses the mark… sorry CM’s. Let’s hope the Legioss is better.

http://www.hlj.com/product/CMS65185

Those of you who have had concerns about the fragility and durability of Toynami's products really need to check out their Super Poseable line. Not only do these toys look great, but they are durable and fun to play with.

Those of you who have had concerns about the fragility and durability of Toynami's products really need to check out their Super Poseable line. Not only do these toys look great, but they are durable and fun to play with. Personally I like the Alpha Super Poseables better than the Macross ones, because this alpha can maintain a neutral pose.

Lancer's VFA-61 Alpha Fighter is around 7" tall and features an incredible 18 points of articulation. It comes sealed in a blister card, and includes 5 variant hands and a telescoping gunpod. It's constructed of high quality plastic and has fantastic detail. All the small logos and such are all screened on, there are no stickers to apply.

There's a real good range of articulation in this figure, including feet that can tilt for the dynamic poses. There is even a waist joint (a first for an alpha fighter).

My only complaint with this toy is that maybe I would have liked to have seen a wider range of articulation in the hips...and maybe a little metal. Oh, can you imagine what a METAL super poseable toy would be like? Insane.

There have been many versions of the Legioss produced over the years. This version is desirable because it transforms into all three modes, and contains some diecast metal.

The Legioss (レギオス) comes from the show Genesis Climber Mospeada (機甲創世記モスピーダ). This show would later be re-edited and brought to the USA as Robotech: The Next Generation. The Robotech name for this ship was the Alpha Fighter.

There have been many versions of the Legioss produced over the years. This version is desirable because it transforms into all three modes, and contains some diecast metal.

This version of the Legioss, the Triple Change mini. Stands about 5” high. It comes with removable landing gear, a gun, wings and a back assembly. Most versions of this toy have plastic feet, but some (including this one) have metal feet.

The toy can transform into all three modes (Armo Fighter, Armo Diver and Armo Soldier). Although the transformation is not “perfect”, it is still convincing, and it does all that the more expensive 1/55 version does.

Armo Fighter

In Armo Fighter mode, the Legioss is about 6 inches long. This is the weakest mode of the three. Things just don’t click into place, and the arms move around a lot. This mode is supposed to have landing gear, but mine are missing.

Armo Diver

This is the Mospeada equivalent of Gerwalk mode. The Legioss is transformed half way between the Fighter and Soldier  modes. The wings have to be removed, and a replacement part simulating the wings needs to be attached to the back. The Legioss can hold its gun in this mode.

Armo Soldier

The Armo Soldier mode is the Legioss in its humanoid form. It features several points of articulation, and is able to hold its gun in this mode. The metal feet give it a good weight, making it hold poses well.

This is a case of me not reading the auction close enough. When I got this item in the mail it was missing a few things. Most importantly, this toy is missing the landing gear. But I had never had a Legioss toy before, and the the price was right, so I figured what the hell.

Trivia:

The Henshin Robo line was Gakken’s attempt to export their toys to English-speaking markets. The same toy was released in a Japanese Legioss box, as well as a Robotech Box.

This toy is not the Legioss that interfaces with the legendary Tread Fighter, made by Lansay.

In the USA, this toy was known as the Cyclone Ride Armor from Robotech: The Next Generation. Stig Bernard became Scott Bernard.

The Japanese version of this toy is pretty much the same except for missiles that actually fire.

Also pictured is the version of the toy i had as a kid, all broken and worn. I remmber replacing the S with a J (for Josh) because I had the same last name as Scott.....