While I am a few years late to the party, I finally got a Grievous buildable figure and am excited to try reviewing it!

Parts: 5/5

I'm not to keen on parts as I normally don't take apart my sets for parts, but from what I gather there is quite a selection from this set if you just want parts. It comes with a wealth of different CCBS bones and lots of tan CCBS shells, several that I think are still unique to this set. Not to mention four lightsaber blades and eight hilt pieces for starting your own collection.

Build: 5/5

The torso was fantastically intriguing, being a structure made almost purely of CCBS ball joint connections. Despite being made of ball joints, the torso is perfectly stable because the angles they are at lock the entire thing in place.

For those that prefer more technic-oriented experience, the legs have you covered. The resulting build is a little skeletal, but it fits Grievous' aesthetic.

Building the arms is simple. Not much to note.

Playability: 4.5/5

Holy cow can this thing move. Double ball joint at the neck. The shoulders flex forward and back, a very rare point of articulation. Each of his four arms have the standard three points of articulation, and both lower arms have an extra ball joint connection at the shoulder for even more movement. Each arm comes with a lightsaber for all your Jedi killing needs. His four well articulated arm are a whole lot of fun to flail around with.

His four arms can combine into two arms using a technic connector. Even combined, the arms maintain an incredible range of poseability thanks to the numerous ball joints.

The hips are supported by a friction adders and hip support like in Hero Factory titan sets, so they are able to hold many poses. The knees are also doubled up, but after a week of having this set, they are already starting to collapse under the weight of the figure, which is disappointing.

The worst part about this set is the ankles. They just swing back and forth, always near parallel to the middle leg. This severely poses with the legs forward or back. Over time, it's become less of a problem as the ankles' ability to twist and pivot allows it to pull off many more unique stances.

Value for Money: 4/5

$34.99 retail. I'm a little out of touch with constraction pricing, since the Bionicle Titans of old were $20. But even when comparing it to with more recent Hero Factory "titan" size sets, 75112 Grieveous feels about $5 too much. Fortunately for me, I got him NISB for $12 at the flea market.

Overall: 5/5

The first thing I and many others noticed once completed: He's massive! Grievous clocked in at 12.5 in/32cm tall at the highest I could get him without falling over. In a more natural hunched look, Grevious is still an imposing 10 in/26cm next to standard 24cm buildable figures. His large torso and four arms give him an enormous amount of shelf presence. Speaking of which, you're gonna need some space to store him.

In terms of looks, Grievous is a little gappy with exposed bones, but it's easily excusable as it perfectly suits his skeletal robot aesthetic. My only criticism in this department is that his thigh armor is a little too high off his leg. This Grievous is a bit taller an bulkier than his canon counterpart, but in this case I think it benefits the figure greatly, making him look stronger and more menacing.

In conclusion, 75112 General Grievous is a fun build that results in a gleefully large, exceptionally well articulated, and overall fantastic rendition of a popular character. A must have for Star Wars and Constraction fans alike.

The Star Wars movies are among the most popular and well received film series ever released, and the Lego sets are just the same. When I heard that Lego was creating a Star Wars "constraction" series, I just had to learn more. So, I went out and bought General Grievous.

When first purchasing this figure, I noticed the box was not that large. Then I began to worry if it actually was as large as advertised, and the answer is yes. This figure is absolutely huge! He is taller than nearly every other "constraction" figures (he's almost as tall as the Witch Doctor!).

When building this figure, you begin with building the body. When doing this you get an idea of how huge this figure is really going to be. It is made up of a large body frame piece one smaller one and multiple limb pieces. His body is very well armored, using three regular Hero Factory/Bionicle torso armor pieces and one new skeletal rib cage piece.

The legs are gigantic and really hold the body up (though it can be hard to get him into the perfect stance). His feet are huge and use a new piece originally created for Hero Factory for the front of the foot and one very much the same but smaller on the back. His uses new claw pieces at the front of his foot too.

Although this figure can snap his arms together like in the movie he definitely looks weird with them snapped together, so I recommend displaying him with all four arms out at all times. The lightsaber hilt pieces are nice but are way too large (as you have to understand that there would be another one where the hand is).

His price may seem abbot daunting but most retail stores will put it on sale from 5 - 10 dollars if you hurry before they're all gone. And if you can't catch a good deal it's fine as this figure is worth the price.

After opening the package building the figure I knew right away that I would definitely recommend this set.

I really avoided "constraction" sets for a long time during my life. I loved Bionicle as a kid, but I stopped buying Bionicle sets in 2007 and I ignored the entire Hero Factory run. The reboot of Bionicle in 2015 was what lead me to "rediscover" Lego's buildable action figures, and I gladly began collecting that theme again.

Of course 2015 rekindled another childhood favorite of mine, Star Wars; with the release of Episode VII. I have always collected Star Wars sets, and I saw the entire Prequel Trilogy in theaters as a kid. I was 11 years old when in 2005, "Revenge of the Sith" was released, and I discovered a new favorite bad guy, General Grievous. He was an alien cyborg who boldly fought with four lightsabers, and commanded an army of battle droids.

So with a new job giving me some spare cash, and my upcoming birthday; I decided to buy a set which would embody two of my childhood favorites; Star Wars and Bionicle. The recent wave of Star Wars Constraction figures has built upon the foundation laid by Bionicle and Hero Factory, and has earned the Constraction figures new found respect among many AFOLs.

Box/Instructions

The box is deceivingly small. It doesn't feel much bigger than the box Mask Maker vs. Skull Grinder came in. But the box has a hefty weight to it, a hint of what lies inside. The instructions are well done, with no noticeable flaws.

Parts

Any constraction fan should seriously look into this set just for its parts. Several shells are included in tan, a rare color in CCBS. Grievous also comes with four new lightsaber blade pieces, eight new lightsaber hilts, a dark gun metal colored rib cage shell (similar to those used in Umarak the Hunter and Skull Grinder), and six Skull Spider legs used as his toes. Many of his beams and shells are long, providing any MOCer a large range of CCBS parts.

The build

The build starts of with his torso, and when finished gives a hint at how HUGE this guy is going to be; his finished torso is taller than most Bionicle Protector sets. CCBS beams are used to connect his limbs in fascinating ways, which provide unique angles. Some parts of the build will feel familiar to Bionicle builders, such as the way his feet come together; however plenty of the build is full of unique surprises and new methods.

The completed model

Again I will say this figure is MASSIVE. For a comparison, the $15 USD Skull Warrior which was released as a Bionicle figure the same year as Grievous comes to only half the height of Grievous. Umarak the Hunter, a $20 USD set from 2016; only comes to Grievous's chin by way of Umarak's antlers. Umarak's head is the height of Grievous's chest. I built Grievous at my college dorm, so I don't have my modular buildings to compare in height to the General; however judging by my memory Grievous towers over even those Modular Buildings. He is a beast; a true titan sized figure. Unlike a lot of Star Wars sets which feel small and not worth the asking price; Grievous feels like he delivers for every cent I paid for him.

The one downside to Grievous is that he lacks a built in play feature such as a gearbox that the Bionicle figures or the 2016 Star Wars figures have. That means all of Grievous's poses have to be done statically. This is in some ways a good thing though, as the General's massive body is well supported with the lack of a play feature. It is fun to pose his arms and legs, place him in a menacing battle stance. His arms can click together, allowing him to change between a two armed being, to a four armed monster. His head moves freely allowing him to make more poses.

Overall opinion

I have mentioned in previous reviews about Bionicle's 2015 wave that few of the sets are enough to convince AFOLs about the merits of constraction and the CCBS system. I have now found the set that would do such, 75112-1 General Grievous. This thing is stunning, a must have for Star Wars fans, and a great addition to even a Bionicle collection. This is why Lego's CCBS system is a great building toy. Grievous highlights all of the best aspect of constraction sets, and he gives me high hopes for future Star Wars and Bionicle buildable figures.

I used to have the buildable figures known as Bionicle back in 2001/2002 when LEGO was stepping up the Technic series to appeal to us, kids from the '90s. However, I do think that Bionicle was flawed and most pictures were false advertisement until they improve on the articulation without compromising the complexity of the sets for Hero Factory at the day I was no longer building LEGO sets. Even old Bionicle sets started to break... When I heard about the Star Wars Buildable Figures, my initial reaction was "why" until I see Darth Vader even if I do own the 8010 Technic set from 2002. While the Technic Vader is definitely more limited and quite dated in its design, the Buildable Figure of Vader wasn't too bad looking at first. Of course, they had to announce more of these Buildable Figures and when General Grievous was confirmed, it was automatically logic that this character deserved that treatment. While the 10186 set seemed lifeless and didn't have the menacing impression he deserved to have (the Technic Vader still had the subtlety thanks to the cape but, like I said, is a dated set), the 75112 set is one that you need to see by yourself.

For the Star Wars rookies, General Grievous was the second/third in command during the Clone Wars as he was the leader of the Droid Army for the Separatist Order against the New Republic and the Jedi Order before the Order 66. Trained by Count Dooku/Darth Tyrannus in Jedi Arts, Grievous became a notorious assassin and kept the lightsabers of his victims as trophies for his collection including the one given by his master Tyrannus, one that belonged to Sifo-Dyas, a Jedi Master responsible for the creation of the Clone Army that ultimately led to the extinction of the Republic and the Jedi Order, two organizations he wanted to save from the Dark Lords of the Sith Order and the Republic became the Galactic Empire. In the Expanded Universe, it is known that Grievous was a Kaleesh soldier revived thanks to Sifo-Dyas' blood thanks to Dooku's power. I might be wrong but that may explain Grievous' apparent ability with the physical Jedi Arts. While Episode III has never shown Grievous' violent nature at its apex, the Clone Wars series was where Grievous was able to shine as a character that could be easily upset if one wouldn't care about the orders. Capable of facing not one, not two but almost five or six Jedi Knights at the same time including Ki-Adi-Mundi, Grievous was more than the sadly misused villain in Episode III. However, I liked the overall appearance and his intimidating aspect... especially when he was spinning his lightsabers like a grinder before becoming a mere fighter against Obi-Wan Kenobi, Grievous being killed... leading to the creation of the Galactic Empire and the destruction of the Separatist Order including the Droid Army. I always loved Grievous' design as a whole. He's a violent hunter, someone who doesn't know empathy... he's even more brutal in nature than maybe the Emperor.

Box/Instructions

The box is by no mean representative of the size of the set. While some sets have been a major disappointment this year, this set can't be judged by its box. However, it does show the set in some poses... if not the coolest pose of the whole series except for Vader. Having a quadroset of lightsabers and the fact that this set is told to be 32 cm tall which is 12.5 inches, you know you're in for a pleasant result. While the instructions booklet didn't have any mistakes, I expected it to be a little bigger judging the size of the set..

Parts

Don't let the piece count fool you either because even if it's pretty low for such an expansive set, most pieces are big and since there is no sticker, you will enjoy opening the bags and see how big of a set it is. The head is, by far, the most impressive LEGO piece I've seen since the giant tyres from 76023, The Tumbler. The fact that it's all printed (mine didn't have a single misprint which is perfect) adds even more to the prestige. I know the head of Vader from his Buildable Figure is perfectly sculpted, the printing on Grievous is just crazy. I sure wanted something different for the torso but judging the limitations and what LEGO wanted to achieve with the set, I can understand. However, I'm sure a lot of people will make handmade capes because Grievious doesn't come with its famous green/red cape from Episode 3. It's mostly a mix from Clone Wars (mostly) and Episode 3. However, since I'm in Canada, the pricepoint is quite not the positive thing indeed...

The build

Assembling 186 pieces together isn't the most difficult task but as you progress, you understand how big of a set it is... like really, really big! Once you are done with the legs which are the most complicated segments, you really get the idea of the size and the possible poses that you can give him. It's my first Buildable Figure since Bionicle and I'm impressed with the techniques used with the ball joints. I was especially curious on how the armor pieces were going to be connected and it was basically part of that magic to understand how it was done. The build itself wasn't too hard but it was pretty fun discovering how they managed to create the legs and try to make it sturdy. I'm no longer a kid but I can appreciate LEGO sets that are marketed for them and since Grievous is the most expensive and complex of all six (so far), adults can definitely enjoy building it as I did.

The completed model

Holy Force... It is true. As pointed out by Solid Brix Studios and many other reviewers, this set is big. When I said that you don't have to judge it by the size of the box, it's 100% the case. I think it's the first time that I see a LEGO set that is bigger than its box. I didn't see the 10221 Super Star Destroyer (UCS) or 10179 Ultimate Collector's Millenium Falcon by myself but from my personal experience with LEGO, it's quite the thing. It's just so huge that it would crush any minifigures. I was speechless once I was done with the arms... I was like: it's impossible that LEGO was capable of reproducing Grievous in such a way! You can move the arms in many directions but the legs are much more limited. However, the way you can pose this set is up to your imagination which adds to its value for both kids and adults. If you never was someone who had the money for the Grievous Sideshow Figure (those collectable figures), maybe you already had your eyes on Grievous in LEGO Buildable Figure form. None of the minifigures truly captured the menacing aspect of Grievous before but this thing does... and can be improved upon thanks to your creativity by posing him in many ways. It is just impressive. I think the only thing I hate... the four things I hate are the hands. If you look from a good distance, you don't notice it but when you assemble the set, you can't help but notice the CCBS influence that is all over the place. I'll take sturdy pieces and authenticity over pure replica.

Overall opinion

I don't know who are responsible for designing Bionicle sets today... they should take some notes but if they are the same designers, Bionicle now has a successor... a leader known as Grievous. Since Grievous is already a robot in nature (unlike Darth Vader since he looks much bulkier as a Buildable Figure that even David Prowse would laugh at), this character was just asking for the Buildable Figure treatment like... WOW! I thought the original Tahu was my favorite buildable figure (nostalgia)... nah! General Grievous is just a step-up. Even standard action figures don't have the same attention to detail in both articulations and look. As a collector, you should get this set and place it with your most-prized LEGO sets like the UCS. As a kid, you should get this set (if you have the money) for making it posing in a battle stance against Obi-Wan Kenobi and Commander Cody if you have them. Grevious is just perfect as a CCBS product! It just makes sense. It's like getting a collectible figure and assemble it by yourself. Even if I prefer Darth Vader in the Star Wars universe, Grievous is my second in terms of design and this set just amplifies my initial appreciation of the character.

While some can complain for the use of CCBS parts, LEGO was capable of designing Grievous in a way that makes sense with the type of character he is. Sure the hands are completely wrong and the clawtoes are supposed to come in pair in both front and behind for each foot, not three in front and nothing behind... and the fact that he doesn't have the cape... but other than that, this is easily a set that everyone would be happy to get. If they ever make the Magnaguard (the personal guards for Grievous) as a CCBS product, that would be good and that would just makes Grievous even more intimidating.