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

Takara's Super Collection Figure (SCF) line of non-transforming PVC miniature figurines featured BAFs of larger characters for Acts 3 through 8:

• Fortress Maximus for Act 3, alternatively in full color or as a colorless translucent version. His BAF parts were limited to the normal-colored versions of the figurines in two out of every ten cases in an equal ratio, with one case containing the parts for a colored Fortress Maximus, while the other contained the parts for the translucent version.
• Metroflex for Act 4, alternatively in full color or as a colorless translucent version. His BAF parts were limited to the pewter-colored versions of the figurines in eight out of every ten cases in an equal ratio, with four cases containing the parts for a colored Metroflex, while the other four contained the parts for the translucent version.
• Black Zarak for Act 5, alternatively in full color or as a smoked translucent version. His BAF parts were limited to the pewter-colored versions of the figurines in eight out of every ten cases in an equal ratio, with four cases containing the parts for a colored Black Zarak, while the other four contained the parts for the translucent version.
• Grand Maximus for Act 6, alternatively in full color or as a pewter-colored version. His BAF parts were limited to the pewter-colored versions of the figurines in eight out of every ten cases, with six cases containined the parts for a colored Grand Maximus, while the other two cointained the parts for the pewter version.
• Add-on parts for upgrading the Star Saber figurine into Victory Saber for Act 7, alternatively in full color or as a pewter-colored version (to be used for the pewter-colored Star Saber figurine). The normal-colored add-on parts were included with the pewter-colored versions of the figurines in eight out of every ten cases, while the remaining two cases would instead contain the pewter-colored add-on parts.
• Mega Zarak for Act 8, alternatively in full color or as a pewter-colored version. His normal-colored BAF parts were included alternatively with the normal-colored (Cyclonus, Dai Atlas, Meister, Star Convoy) or pewter-colored (Alpha Trin, Fortress) versions of the figurines in six out of every ten cases, while the remaining four cases would instead contain the pewter-colored BAF parts.

Act 3 Raiden with Fortress Maximus's head and sword pieces Bumble with Fortress Maximus's torso Chromedome with Fortress Maximus's left arm Soundwave with Fortress Maximus's right arm Ironhide with Fortress Maximus's left leg Sixshot with Fortress Maximus's right leg		Act 4 Ultra Magnus (Early Colors) with Metroflex's head and guns Arcee with Metroflex's torso Convoy (B) with Metroflex's left arm Megatron (B) with Metroflex's right arm Thundercracker with Metroflex's left leg Rodimus Convoy (B) with Metroflex's right leg		Act 5 Ginrai with Black Zarak's head and upper torso Devastor with Black Zarak's waist and tail Go Shooter with Black Zarak's left arm Metalhawk with Black Zarak's right arm Omega Supreme with Black Zarak's left leg Overlord with Black Zarak's right leg		An un-earthly Devil Power compels you to buy 36 other guys so you can have this.
Act 6 Convoy (C) with Grand Maximus's head Hot Rodimus with Grand Maximus's torso Ramjet with Grand Maximus's right arm Ratchet with Grand Maximus's left leg Soundblaster with Grand Maximus's right leg Thrust with Grand Maximus's left arm		Act 7 Road Ceasar with Victory Saber's backpack Deszaras with Victory Saber's wings Star Saber with Victory Saber's V-Lock Rifles Perceptor with Victory Saber's rifle Liokaiser with Victory Saber's left boot Wheeljack with Victory Saber's right boot		Act 8 Fortress with Mega Zarak's head and torso Meister with Mega Zarak's waist Dai Atlas with Mega Zarak's left arm Star Convoy with Mega Zarak's right arm Alpha Trin with Mega Zarak's left leg Cyclonus with Mega Zarak's right 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's head Cheetor with Trans-Mutate's upper torso Rhinox with Trans-Mutate's waist and right leg

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

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

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.

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

EarthSpark

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

Wave 1 Bumblebee with Hardtop's Mandroid's right arm Megatron with Mandroid's left arm Terran Twitch with Mandroid's torso

Wave 2 Optimus Prime with Mandroid's ??? Shockwave with Mandroid's ???

Wave 3 Grimlock with Mandroid's ??? Nightshade with Mandroid's ???

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 piece of background or an accessory.

War for Cybertron Trilogy (Netflix)

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

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)

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)

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.

See also

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