Shun, get the dx chogokin vf-31F, if you can find a pre-order =) it looks so rad!
I'll try but I was really surprised and satisfied with the 1/72 Bandai kit, I enjoyed building it and owning a figure wouldn't be the same.
I'd recommend you picking up one of the Siegfried or the Draken if you have time to build it.
Ty Shun for the macross advice, glad to have you around.
Most transforming kits at this size and scale have flaws with articulation, strength, and parts falling off because of how heavy they are with their frame and how the gimmicks are designed.
MG Full Armor Unicorn is one of the worst because of how heavy it is and how easy it is for parts to fall off.
This VF-31J Siegfried from Macross is actually designed and engineered really well and it doesn't suffer from as many of the same issues that most transforming kits have. This is because it has a locking mechanism and a lot of the moving parts are strong and not too loose together, making transforming the kit pretty smooth. The only issue I really had is that the hands and arm can be slightly weak because of the size of the joint and the size of the gun, but that can be fixed by reinforcing it with some more paint.
The entire transformation for this kit in particular is all in one go, so no need to really remove anything you can change from Fighter to Gerwalk to Battroid without much issue because the kit itself is designed really well with all the details it has. However the transforming process is complex with all the hidden arms and the multiple steps it takes to transform from mode to mode. I remember how to do it without having the manual.
I've only transformed the kit ~3 times in each for so far and it's still pretty sturdy, but I wouldn't continue to keep doing it just so that it stays strong.
Here's a video review to get a better idea of what I'm talking about for this kit. I would really recommend it if you have experience with waterslides and you're confident with complex kits. MG Gundam-esque, lightly taller, just without an inner frame but the transformation more than makes up for it.
Really take your time with the waterslides and paneling detail as this kit is less forgiving than a modern MG kit with messing up the markings. It won't look as good since it relies on masking and waterslides for a lot of the color separation. There are so many hidden details and lines that you should be careful, but you will have a lot of fun building it.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ym0IM_n29L8
