Build a Figure

"Build a Figure" (or "BAF" for short) is a marketing method for action figures, in which the components of one figure (which cannot be purchased by itself) are packaged along with "standard" individually-sold figures in the same line. The BAF is thus only available for customers who buy all the figures in a wave or consecutive waves. Since the BAF tends to be highly desirable to collectors, the practice can encourage them to buy even the less desirable "normal" figures in an assortment. As a rule, the individually-sold figures will be associated with one consistent BAF part (i.e. figure A always includes the head, figure B the torso, etc.).

While very common in toylines such as Marvel Legends, this practice is comparably less common in Transformers toylines due to the requirement for regular Transformers figures to, well, transform. Thus, it is either limited to toylines that feature non-transforming figures, or the characters chosen for BAFs are those that do not have an alternate mode.

Build a Figure Transformers

Super Collection Figure

An un-earthly Devil Power compels you to buy 36 other guys so you can have this.

Takara's Super Collection Figure (SCF) line of non-transforming PVC miniature figurines featured BAFs of larger characters for Acts 3 through 8. All six BAF figures were available both in normal color versions and some variety of special variant, which varied from wave to wave, as did the methods/ratios by which the parts were added to the cases. In most Acts, not every case of figures would have BAF parts, instead having one of the Act's two "chase figures". As these were all blindpacked figurines, you could spend a lot of money trying to acquire the whole set. Strap in, this is a bit complex.

• Act 3: Fortress Maximus, w/ colorless translucent variant. Packed with normal-colored versions of the figurines in only 2 out of every 10 cases in equal ratio: one case with color parts, one with clear parts.
• Act 4: Metroflex, w/ colorless translucent variant. Packed with pewter-colored versions of the figurines in 8 out of every 10 cases in equal ratio: 4 cases with color parts, 4 with clear parts.
• Act 5: Black Zarak, w/ smoky translucent variant. Packed with pewter-colored versions of the figurines in 8 out of every 10 cases in equal ratio: 4 cases with color parts, 4 with clear parts.
• Act 6: Grand Maximus, w/ pewter-colored variant. Packed with pewter-colored versions of the figurines in 8 out of every 10 cases: 6 cases with color parts, 2 with pewter parts.
• Act 7: Victory Saber upgrade parts for the Star Saber figurines also sold in this act, w/ pewter-colored variants. Packed with pewter-colored versions of the figurines in all cases: 8 cases with color parts, 2 with pewter parts. (How this relates to which cases had chase figures is unknown.)
• Act 8: Mega Zarak, w/ pewter-colored variant. The parts came with the color versions of Cyclonus, Dai Atlas, Meister and Star Convoy, and the pewter versions of Alpha Trin and Fortress; color parts in 6 out of 10 cases, pewter in 4 out of 10 (again, chase figure distribution is unknown).

Act 3 Raiden with Fortress Maximus head & sword Bumble with Fortress Maximus torso Chromedome with Fortress Maximus left arm Soundwave with Fortress Maximus right arm Ironhide with Fortress Maximus left leg Sixshot with Fortress Maximus right leg		Act 4 Ultra Magnus (Early Colors) with Metroflex head & guns Arcee with Metroflex torso Convoy (B) with Metroflex left arm Megatron (B) with Metroflex right arm Thundercracker with Metroflex left leg Rodimus Convoy (B) with Metroflex right leg		Act 5 Ginrai with Black Zarak head and upper torso Devastor with Black Zarak waist & tail Go Shooter with Black Zarak left arm Metalhawk with Black Zarak right arm Omega Supreme with Black Zarak left leg Overlord with Black Zarak right leg		Preparity for rarity.
Act 6 Convoy (C) with Grand Maximus head Hot Rodimus with Grand Maximus torso Ramjet with Grand Maximus right arm Ratchet with Grand Maximus left leg Soundblaster with Grand Maximus right leg Thrust with Grand Maximus left arm		Act 7 Road Ceasar with Victory Saber backpack Deathsaurus with Victory Saber wings Star Saber with Victory Saber V-Lock Rifles Perceptor with Victory Saber rifle Liokaiser with Victory Saber left boot Wheeljack with Victory Saber right boot		Act 8 Fortress with Mega Zarak head & torso Meister with Mega Zarak waist Dai Atlas with Mega Zarak left arm Star Convoy with Mega Zarak right arm Alpha Trin with Mega Zarak left leg Cyclonus with Mega Zarak right leg

Heroes of Cybertron

When Hasbro released the Super Collection Figure line in the United States under the title Heroes of Cybertron, they initially didn't adopt the "Build a Figure" feature for the first three waves, but then did so anyways with waves 4 and 5. These parts were hidden behind the pack-in bio cards. Wave 4's BAF was Fortress Maximus, while wave 5's was Metroplex.										More differences than you'd expect from the SCF version.
Wave 4 Autobot Espionage Team (Bumblebee & Spike) with Fortress Maximus right leg Dirge with Fortress Maximus torso Powermaster Gigatron with Fortress Maximus left arm Autobot Jazz with Fortress Maximus left leg Perceptor with Fortress Maximus head & sword Wheeljack with Fortress Maximus right arm		Wave 5 Constructicon Devastator with Metroplex left arm Megatron with Laserbeak with Metroplex right arm Omega Supreme with Metroplex torso Optimus Prime with Communicator with Metroplex head & weapons Autobot Ratchet with Metroplex right leg Starscream with Crown with Metroplex left leg

Beast Wars 10th Anniversary

Hasbro's Beast Wars 10th Anniversary reissue line featured the first ever official toy of Trans-Mutate as the BAF for its first two waves of Deluxe figures.

Wave 1 Waspinator with Trans-Mutate head Cheetor with Trans-Mutate upper torso Rhinox with Trans-Mutate waist and right leg

Wave 2 Dinobot with Trans-Mutate left arm Rattrap with Trans-Mutate right arm Predacon Tarantulus [sic] with Trans-Mutate left leg

Good luck getting this to stand upright after all these years.

Robots in Disguise

Hasbro's 2015 Robots in Disguise line featured an assortment of individually-packed Mini-Cons that included various armor and weapon pieces made of a single color of translucent plastic (though a different color for each figure). For the first two waves, some of these armor and weapon pieces could be combined into a multi-colored animal, a lion for wave 1 and a shark for wave 2. Unusually, this feature was never officially advertised by Hasbro.

Mini-Cons wave 1 Divebomb with lion upper torso and neck Dragonus with lion rear legs Sawback with lion front legs Slipstream with lion head and lower torso

Mini-Cons wave 2 Beastbox with shark pectoral fins Ratbat with shark torso Sandsting with shark head Velocirazor with shark dorsal and caudal fins

Was the fin on your back part of the deal?

Cyberverse

Hasbro's Cyberverse line featured Maccadam as the BAF for the first four waves of Deluxe Class figures. Please note that the package refreshes of those figures sold in the packaging style of the line's final Dinobots Unite subline imprint omitted the BAF parts.

Deluxe Class wave 1 Megatron with Maccadam upper torso Bumblebee with Maccadam waist Optimus Prime with Maccadam left forearm Decepticon Shockwave with Maccadam left leg		Deluxe Class wave 2 Grimlock with Maccadam right forearm Autobot Hot Rod with Maccadam right leg		Wave 3 Arcee with Maccadam shoulders and weapon		No fighting in my Old Oil House!
Wave 4 Thunderhowl with Maccadam head

EarthSpark

Hasbro's EarthSpark line featured Mandroid as the BAF for its Deluxe Class figures.

Wave 1 Bumblebee with Hardtop/Mandroid right arm Megatron with Mandroid left arm Terran Twitch with Mandroid backpack/torso armor and head

Wave 2 Optimus Prime with Mandroid left leg Shockwave with Nova Storm left arm

Wave 3 Grimlock with Mandroid right leg Terran Nightshade with Mandroid torso

Build a cardboard

Similar in concept to "Build a Figures", some exclusive subline imprints feature extra pieces of cardboard included with some or all figures that can be assembled into a background diorama or an accessory.

War for Cybertron Trilogy

The first two waves of the War for Cybertron Trilogy line's Walmart exclusive Netflix subline included cardboard pieces with the first two waves of its Deluxe Class assortment that could be assembled into a Teletraan I backdrop.

Netflix Deluxe Class wave 1 Chromia with Teletraan I back piece (connection points C, D and K) Autobot Hound with Teletraan I back piece (connection points D, E and L) Decepticon Mirage with Teletraan I floor piece (connection points N, I, J and G) Scrapface with Teletraan I floor piece (connection points G, H and K) Sideswipe with Teletraan I back piece (connection points B, C and J)

Netflix Deluxe Class wave 2 Bumblebee with Teletraan I side piece (connection points A and N) Autobot Elita-1 with Teletraan I side/back piece (connection points A, B and I) Autobot Impactor with Teletraan I side/back piece (connection points E, F and M) Red Alert with Teletraan I side piece (connection points F and O) Wheeljack with Teletraan I floor piece (connection points H, L, M and O)

Legacy

The Legacy line's Amazon exclusive Wreck N' Rule Collection subline included cardboard pieces with each figure or two-pack that could be assembled into a Wrecker hammer.

Wreck N' Rule Collection Prime Universe Bulkhead with hammer face (connection point B) Comic Universe Impactor and Spindle with hammer head (connection points A, B and C) G2 Universe Leadfoot and Masterdominus with hammer base (connection point D) Autobot Springer with hammer face (connection point C) Diaclone Universe Twin Twist with hammer handle (connection points A and D)

Notes

• A common misconception is that "Build a Figure" means getting a "free" additional figure when buying all the toys that include the body parts. In reality, the extra parts are factored into the budget for the individual toys, so it's not like the manufacturer is just handing out figures for free as a reward for loyal customers.
• Neo Autobot X is similar to a "Build a Figure", as you do need to purchase multiple different figures to assemble him. However the fact he was created in the Generations Selects Special Comic after all the figures were released means he doesn't quite fit the typical definition of a "Build a Figure".

See also

• Combiner, a practice in which the individual figures are the Build-A-Figure parts.