>>6155535>>6155541Sunlight washed out the detail in the above shot, so one more shot of the missile pod for a clearer look at the detail. Pod is fully painted, as well.
Since you owned the original Xi, you have a good idea of what to expect in terms of the basic figure itself. I will note that all the joints on my Xi are nice and tight, so hopefully you shouldn't run into any issues like you did with your standard Xi.
So to actually give an answer, the Marking Plus Xi is a great looking figure that's a big improvement over the standard release. If you love the Xi's design, I think you'll be happy with the money spent.
From a more objective standpoint though, I'd kind of have to lean towards the Marking Plus not being worth the money, especially if you're not particularly enamored with the design. For $30-40 more, you could get a DX Chogokin Macross Valkyrie that is larger, heavier, and transforms between three modes (though that's assuming you're actually able to order one, haha). In terms of mecha bang-for-your-buck, the Marking Plus Xi is a pretty poor value.
Again though, if you love the design I think you'll enjoy the figure. It's a real improvement over the original release. But if you're on a budget, there's definitely better ways to spread out your mecha money.
