Name: Build King (or Landfill, Hasbro's version)
Series: Car Robots (Robots in Disguise)
Allegiance: Cybertron
Function: Steel Sovereign
Alternate Mode: N/A - Gestalt comprising Build Boy (Wedge), Build Cyclone (Hightower), Build Hurricane (Grimlock) & Build Typhoon (Heavy Load).
COMBINED ROBOT MODE
Height: 20cm Width: 21cm
Unusual in that he's a four-member gestalt, Build King's chest and head are the orange Build Boy while the legs are each one of the two deluxe figures and the arms formed from the third deluxe stretched out. This also makes him unusual in that the central piece is smaller than the limbs rather than the other way around. The end result is a toy with smallish arms and huge legs, and a surprisingly well proportioned torso. The limbs can be either red, yellow or green depending on the configuration, and the colours work well as a set.
The main gimmick of this gestalt design is that the deluxes can rotate around Build Boy allowing Build King to change configuration without detaching. The "standard" configuration - if you could call it that, sees the green Build Hurricane stretched out with his treads forming the arms, with the yellow Build Typhoon as the right leg and the red Build Cyclone as the left. Or you can use Build Typhoon as the arms with Build Cyclone as the right leg and Build Hurricane as the left. Or you can use Build Cyclone as the arms with Build Typhoon as the right leg and Build Hurricane as the left. Mirror images also possible, but I wont go on since my brain hurts.
The interchangeability is really quite ingenious and fun, although personally I don't like using Build Hurricane as a leg since he has no foot as such, whereas the others have rear wheels that fold down as feet (and heelspurs). The exact height of the toy will depend on the layout of the limbs, as will the availability of weapons - the weapons are provided by the components forming the legs while the arm component holds onto his weapon. The only part of the set that isn't used is Build Cyclone's handgun (which stows inside his cabin anyway). The claw and cannon weapons are handheld while Build Typhoon's bucketclaw attaches to one side of the forearm.
The poseability here is kind of limited relative to the articulation of the components, since the legs are largely vehicular blocks that attach close to the waist with no knees. The arms are poseable and the head turns, but Build Boy's treads form shoulderpads that get in the way of shoulder movement. Still, the play value is by no means lacking, since you have three weapons and a gestalt that can change form without detaching.
The head has a silver face with black eyes and a simulated engine grille on the front, which looks like it belongs on the front of a truck, and this is in keeping with the theme. The chest sports a large stamped Autobot logo and is flanked by the wide shoulderpads that are Build Boy's treads.
VARIATIONS
The Hasbro versions of this set have some extra paint applications, the only one which makes a notable difference to the combined form is some light grey on Wedge that Build Boy lacks. Otherwise Build King and Landfill are more or less equivalent as combined forms.
OVERALL
While the proportions and poseability might be limited, the versatility gives Build King a lot of play value, and his poseabilty still beats that of the G1 gestalts. All four components are good toys although for some reason Hasbro bumped the basic Build Boy up to a deluxe as Wedge, hurting the value for money of the set. Even for the price of four deluxes, this is still a pretty good set, despite the limitations in the gestalt mode. A fun set that I recommend to anyone who likes gestalts or the Car Robots design style - 9/10
|
