RID 2001 Landfill

Robot Modes: The Build Team is comprised of four robots. The leader is Wedge, the smallest of them. He looks a bit misshapen with the short legs yet big shovels hanging off his arms, but he looks nice and the detailling is good, so no complaints. The remaining three robots are roughly the same size. Heavyload and Hightower are pretty similar design-wise, coloured yellow and red respectively. Both are pretty posable and offer few things to complain about. I really like the smart-ass grin they put on Heavyload's face, but I don't like his weapon, basically the back of his dump truck mode. Finally there is Grimlock. Not sure why they named him after the G1 Dinobot, he looks nothing like him, but he does look grim. His arms take some getting used to and are a little hard to pose, but apart from that, nothing to complain. All in all the four Build Team robots are good figures with nice detailing and individual characters.

Alternate Modes: Not too much of a stretch, all four Build Team robots transform into construction vehicles. Wedge becomes a bulldozer, Heavyload is a dumb truck, Grimlock a power shovel and Hightower a crane. They all look good in these modes and though I wonder whether construction vehicles actually come in bright, primary colours, I have nothing to complain about here.

Gestalt Mode: All four robots combine to form Landfill. Wedge forms the head, chest, and shoulders while the other three can each become either a leg or the arms. This makes for three possible variations (or more if you count switching the right and left leg around) and I really can't say which of them looks the best. The one with Grimlock as the arms looks the most wholesome and has the best posability, but is also the most fragile of the three. So I guess it's really a matter of taste. Landfill is a good gestalt robot with decent posability. If they'd made the connections just a bit sturdier he'd be great, as it is I'll stay with good.

Remarks: The Build Team played a background role in the RID cartoon, being responsible for building the space bridge network that allowed the Autobots to go anywhere on Earth in a hurry. Their leader Wedge came over as a young punk a little too eager to prove himself, but all in all they were a likeable bunch (especially Heavyload) and their toys don't disappoint, either. They were reissued as part of a collected set with all of them coloured yellow, but I think I like them better in these varying colours. Anyway, a good set of toys. Nice individually and good together.

Rating: B+

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