RiD Landfill, Is the set any good? Options

[Demovere Xeno]

So I've been looking through reviews on this guy, and the ones I've read are pretty polarized. Some say that you should buy them for the individual robot modes, while others say that the innovative combining style offsets the mostly-simple individual modes.

What about you guys who own the set? I've been eyeing the four being sold on BBTS, but I'm not sure yet if I do want to nab them. I already have Rail Racer from the same series - who is one of my favorite combiners, loose knees aside - so I'm hoping to get this guy to compliment Racer's unique combination sequence.

[Esser-Z]

I love both the individuals and the combiner.

[Bass X0]

It was decent enough at the time but I couldn't really recommend them now. If you like the general aesthetic from the line itself them go ahead. But there are better toys about now.

[Alpha Omega Trio...]

So I've been looking through reviews on this guy, and the ones I've read are pretty polarized. Some say that you should buy them for the individual robot modes, while others say that the innovative combining style offsets the mostly-simple individual modes.

What about you guys who own the set? I've been eyeing the four being sold on BBTS, but I'm not sure yet if I do want to nab them. I already have Rail Racer from the same series - who is one of my favorite combiners, loose knees aside - so I'm hoping to get this guy to compliment Racer's unique combination sequence.

Don't expect the same quality of aesthetics and engineering that you experienced with Rail Racer. Landfill is something of a Frankenstein monster. This has pros and cons. The cool part is that three of the four components can be either the arms or a leg. I personally think Heavy Load and Hightower pull this off better than Grimlock because they connect more solidly with the chest component, Wedge. Although you're more likely to see Grimlock as the arms because they generally look better, even if they're not as solid. The con is that if you're not careful it is *very* easy to turn Landfill into bUiLDthInG, a mess of robot parts and construction equipment. His legs really don't have any useful articulation, but you can get some nice poses with any of the available arm styles, but placing the shovel, crane gun, and dumptruck bed so they look useful is tricky.

Some people have come up with different chest configurations like this one: http://www.oafe.net/yo/tfrid_land.php Some of them work pretty well, some not so much. Grimlock as arms does allow you to be a bit more creative. I always liked the RiD deco for Landfill, but I sold him off after acquiring the Target Devastator set. The Frankenstein construction equipment motiff works better as a yellowgreen Decepticon, imho. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/icon-hotrod.gif)

[Cabooceratops]

You can get leg articulation lots of ways, actually, I can take some pics of my preferred combo when I get home if you'd like.

[LV!]

I like Landfill a lot. The individuals vary from interesting-but-iffy (Grimlock) to perfectly-good-but-a-little-dull-and-also-really-small (Wedge).

However, he's from a pretty significantly different design aesthetic than Rail Racer, both superficially and engineering-wise. So I wouldn't assume that just because you like Rail Racer (I do, although man Midnight Express sucks) that you'll also like Landfill. My guess is, the bigger a fan you are of combining Transformers as a general concept, the more you'll like him. If your thing is beautiful display pieces, maybe not.

[Dudefella]

Full disclaimer: I was not thrilled with most of RiD, but Landfill really floats the old proverbial boat for me. I think it probably helps that I actually have the Devastator repaint and he's not a horrible Lego-like build-a-bot like the Magnus Prime contraption.

[Nutjob R/T]

I miss bUiLdThInG.

[Scottimus Prime]

The con is that if you're not careful it is *very* easy to turn Landfill into bUiLDthInG, a mess of robot parts and construction equipment.

Hell, even if you ARE careful... (IMG:style_emoticons/default/icon-wildride.gif)

[Octavius Prime]

It's a very fun combiner, even if it has some drawbacks. It's also unique, using a combination not seen anywhere else which allows him to have 3 different combined modes.

As for the individual bots, I rank RiD BumblebeeWedge as the best, Grimlock second (if only for how weird he is and his pretty neat scorpion mode I came up with), with Hightower (great weapons and head sculpt) leading ahead of Wideload (great headsculpt full of character, but his weapon is uninspiring). Aesthetically, they feel more like true G1 update-toys than some of the other RiD new molds (like the Car Bros, which are really Beast Wars toys wearing car kibble).

Also, you might consider going for either repaint of the set, as they're probably easier to get complete (the Wm version has all four in one box, and the Devastator splits them into two boxes) and they have unified schemes, which avoids the whole "bUIlDthINg" look. Devastator in particular looks great, although I want the even more Bumblebee-looking Wedge from the WM set.

This post has been edited by Octavius Prime: Nov 2 2010, 07:34 PM

[crazyjw18]

I like the molds pretty well. I've got both the yellow and Devastator versions, and have had a lot of fun over the years fidgeting with them. The individual modes seemed a lot more awesome compared to Armada toys than to more recent ones, but they are still pretty solid. I've never been really crazy about Grimlock, but the other 3 are definitely solid, as is the combined form. The combining method really is unique and interesting.

This post has been edited by crazyjw18: Nov 2 2010, 07:40 PM

[Chip]

The individual robots are very good if you go for blocky, simple construction robots. The combiner is great as a fun, innovative combination scheme, and less great as an actual robot.

So it depends? If you like what he sets out to do, he does those things well.

[ChessPieceFace]

Dunno the names, but the bulldozer is one of my favorite Transformers of the last ten years. He fits right in on my Classics shelf, with his blocky proportions and simple yet satisfying transformation.

The others have been in a storage box for quite some time now. The green steam shovel is interesting, but the other two are pretty dull (aside from the pistol that came with the red crane, which is currently wielded by Classics Bumblebee), and the combined mode has some pretty crazy proportions no matter which order they go in.

So, I'd say the bulldozer is absolutely worth getting. If the others have to come along too, fine, but they're not necessary in my book.

This post has been edited by ChessPieceFace: Nov 2 2010, 08:07 PM

[Wingus]

What sort of witchcraft do you do to keep Wedge from falling backwards, CPF? (IMG:style_emoticons/default/icon-fire.gif)

[ChessPieceFace]

I don't remember that being an issue.

I guess he's usually holding his gun-thingy, which may be a counterbalance. But I don't immediately think of it as one of the robots that can't stand on its own. He doesn't have heelspurs, but he also has a big chest and no backpack, so there shouldn't be much weight to pull him backwards.

This post has been edited by ChessPieceFace: Nov 2 2010, 08:25 PM

[Aberration]

I bought him in his original colors recently, and I really like him. (It seems like I'm one of the few who likes the original colors... I enjoy a unified team color scheme as much as the next guy, but part of me also likes a giant robot who's made out of a bunch of different little robots to LOOK like a giant robot who's made out of a bunch of different little robots.)

The tri-combination gimmick is pretty clever, although I pretty much stick to Hightower and Heavy Load as legs. In "chest mode", I angle Wedge's shovel pieces back, just because I don't like how they look sticking straight out.

[Rhinox]

Build King is one of my favorite gestalts. Tons of play value, especially if you like being creative with your transformers.

[NightViper]

I have four versions of these toys (Car Robots, RiD, yellow Landfill, and Conctructicons), so...you probably know my answer (IMG:style_emoticons/default/icon-hotrod.gif)

Here's the thing though...don't expect the typical Transformer combiner at all. Heck, for the dump truck and crane, don't expect typical Transformers. There's just something about them that is kinda missing that Transformers-vibe, almost making them feel like they were designed for some other Japanese transforming robot toy line. It's tough to explain.

Personally, I like them for it. Even with four sets of them, they still manage to make themselves feel unique amongst my collection. Will you like them because/despite it? Well, that's all personal opinion, so I can't really tell you what to think...

Other than "Wedge is great. I should buy Wedge." (IMG:style_emoticons/default/icon-hotrod.gif) He really is a "tiny God" before the phrase was coined (IMG:style_emoticons/default/icon-ironhide.gif)

[Demovere Xeno]

Thanks for the opinions, guys. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/icon-hotrod.gif)

You can get leg articulation lots of ways, actually, I can take some pics of my preferred combo when I get home if you'd like.

If it's not too much trouble, thanks. I was wondering about that; some of the reviews I read say that Landfill has quite limited articulation in his combined mode legs.

Also, you might consider going for either repaint of the set, as they're probably easier to get complete (the Wm version has all four in one box, and the Devastator splits them into two boxes) and they have unified schemes, which avoids the whole "bUIlDthINg" look. Devastator in particular looks great, although I want the even more Bumblebee-looking Wedge from the WM set.

I have been looking for either of those sets for a while now; I alas ignored the all-yellow team and Constructicon repaints when I saw them several years ago. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/icon-wildride.gif) Sadly, the ones I've seen online these days are way over my budget. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/icon-screamer.gif) The Car Robots versions I found on BBTS are much closer to how much I'm willing to pay for these guys. Plus, I agree with Abberation - it's more interesting to see them in different colors, making it more obvious that they're several robots that combine into a much-larger robot.

The green steam shovel is interesting, but the other two are pretty dull (aside from the pistol that came with the red crane, which is currently wielded by Classics Bumblebee)...

That's actually another one of the reasons I want this set. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/icon-fire.gif) I have the G3 trailer with comes with the spare gun for Bumblebee, but like someone posted on the TF image thread a long time ago, Hightower's tiny gun can fit inside Bee's vehicle mode.

So...... I may save up for all four of these guys, after all. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/icon-hotrod.gif) I have been wanting these guys for quite a while now, and it'll be a shame to let that chance slip by now. Just...... nobody else buy them off BBTS first, alright? (IMG:style_emoticons/default/icon-waspy.gif)

[Jeremy]

It's a good set and I think it mostly holds up going back and playing with it again, but I really wish that Grimlock/Build Hurricane wasn't so crappy and awkward compared to the other team members. Even if it meant he ended up being similar to Heavy Load and Hightower.

Despite the fact that I use Wal-Mart Classics Devastator (Energon redeco) in my display, I actually still kind of like the Universe 1 recolor of the Build Team as Devastator as well, just because I find the blocky bodies and cartoony faces to work really well with Classics. Again, the crappiness of the Grimlock mold kind of holds me back from wanting to display the set.

This post has been edited by J Gargoyle220: Nov 2 2010, 10:08 PM