#bultrak

Welcome to Infinity Review, a blog where I review new Infinity miniatures releases. I’ve been playing Infinity and collecting and painting the miniatures for about 10 years, and I love talking about them! I started this blog both to share my thoughts and encourage more discussion about this great miniatures line. I've been away for a few years, but now I’m back!

If you’re interested you can find my review criteria here.

Today I’m looking at the Bultrak, a new TAG for the recently reimagined Morat Aggression Forces. The first images of this model (above) were released about a month ago, and if you’ve been hanging around the Infinity community you may have seen some very negative comments about it. Including mine. I usually  try to save my criticism for my reviews, but I was struck by how much I REALLY disliked this design, despite some very compelling elements. In fact, I think its probably the worst Infinity design in recent memory. Debate over this model has been fierce, and there are certainly people who seem to like it quite a bit. With that in mind I want to once again say that taste is always subjective, and just because I give something a poor review doesn’t mean you’re wrong to like it. Now that painted photos are available and the model’s release is imminent lets dig in for a full review!

Bultrak Mobile Armored Regiment (Combined Army/Morat Aggression Force) Sculpted by: ??? Painted by: ??? Design (2): I have a lot to say about the Bultrak’s design, so lets start with what I like. First, I really want to congratulate Corvus Belli on trying something very different with this design. CB has a history of taking design risks and trying new things, but when it comes to TAGs they often stick with relatively conservative designs. Infinity TAGs nearly all look fantastic, so why deviate much from the formula? Especially when there's so much to explore within that formula. The Bultrak is one of the few TAGs that strays away from they typical humanoid form, which gives it an immediately distinctive silhouette. Its STILL a humanoid shape, but its clearly not meant to be just a big human (or in the case of the original Raicho, a big Morat). What the Bultrak does resemble is a very large Hungry (the Alien species composed of Gakis and Pretas), and this resemblance gives the TAG both an immediately distinctive identity and suggests an obvious role on the battlefield (although that suggestion is misleading). The Bultrak LOOKS like an Alien machine, a feat that the otherwise excellent two previous Morat TAGs were unable to accomplish. It’s most distinctive features are the two enormous mantis-like close combat blades mounted to the TAG’s arms, but the distinctly hunched posture, low set head and thick legs all lend to the image that this is an enormous mechanical Hungry. The arms and legs of the Bultrak are especially nicely realized. I've noticed that many of the new Morat designs have an almost industrial look, and while the Bultrak is explicitly a military weapon it’s limbs have a clear mechanical functionality that makes it easy to imagine how they work.  Unfortunately, there are several elements that sabotage what could have been a really great design.  First and most obviously, the pilot harness. The pilot harness is ridiculous! A number of people have compared the Bultrak with the Nomad Lizard, since both TAGs feature a pilot harness that is very visible. However, the Lizard’s harness is a full enclosure that forms the body of the TAG, with limbs connected to it. The harness makes the operator’s shape plain, but the pilot is fully protected and inside the TAG.  In contrast, The Bultrak’s pilot isn't located in the center of the TAG. Instead he’s hanging off the front. The pilot’s head is lodged inside the TAG’s chest, and because of the model’s hunched over posture the harness hangs straight down from the chest between the TAG’s legs. This creates a bizarre appearance where the pilot looks like its hanging from the TAG’s chest like a partially detached baby carrier*. The harness has the unfortunate side effect of making the TAGs head look like its actually the pilot’s head. I mean, it obviously isn’t, and I don’t think anyone would think so, but because of the position the pilot looks like he’s wearing an enormous bobble-head helmet. It just looks silly. So does the harness itself. The pilot’s head is the only part that’s actually inside the TAG, and he’s gripping a pair of control bars that very much make him look like he’s using a periscope. That would be an interesting idea if the pilot wasn’t hanging out of the TAG. Unfortunately the harness’ foot rests and the column that connects them to the rest of the harness makes the pilot look like he’s riding on a Segway scooter or a giant mechanical pogo stick. The combination of the dangling pilot and the periscope pogo stick looks incredibly silly. What's even more jarring is that this is a TAG that leaves it’s pilot completely exposed. Unlike the Lizard, the the Bultrak’s pilot is totally unprotected by the TAG, except for his head. TAGs are described as mobile armored weapon platforms, but as far as I know this is the only one that doesn’t let the pilot benefit from that armor. In another army that might not seem so strange, but in MAF where every Morat looks like they’re wearing armor stripped from a tank having an exposed pilot seems incredibly out of character. Especially for what appears to be a close combat oriented TAG**. Its not hard to imagine a Shaolin Monk, Knight or Morlock easily stabbing the exposed pilot to death the moment it got anywhere near them. What good is armor if you’re not actually inside it? Several other small details stand out as weird or unsatisfying. The TAG’s main gun looks like a prop from a low budget 60′s sci-fi movie or an 80′s GI Joe toy. It’s overly simply boxy design bears no resemblance to any other Morat weapon, and the way it’s mounted onto the TAG’s back seems extremely awkward, as if it were an afterthought to the design. The gun is accompanied by an interesting looking ammo cannister. Or at least that’s what I assume it is. It’s also very awkwardly mounted to the TAG’s back, and the two elements are connected by a somewhat primitive looking hose. The hose is kind of novel and unique, but the combination of the three elements looks like a random pile of discarded home appliances stacked on the TAGs back. While I do like the overall design of the Bultrak’s arms, the built-in pistols and their ammo cylinders seem really silly to me. The positioning makes it look like they’d be difficult to actually aim, and difficult to use along with the giant blades. The blades themselves are very cool, but they also seem awkward to use. The Bultrak LOOKS like a Hungry, but it doesn’t really have the body shape of a Hungry that would allow these weapons to really work. Or that’s how it seems to me. I’d be curious to see how this TAG actually moves and fights. Speaking of moving... The biggest problem with this TAG’s design may not be obvious at first, and you’d probably have to look at all three of the photos I’ve posted here to notice. The TAG doesn’t appear to be able to walk. You’ll notice that its legs are spread out very wide in a pretty cool action pose. That's because it can’t actually close its legs since the pilot harness is in the way. Looking at the model from all angles, its clear that the upper thighs would knock into the pilot every time it took a step.  Its hips aren’t wide enough to walk with the pilot between its legs. I don’t even think it can waddle.

Sculpt (8): As much as I don’t like the Bultrak’s design, I’m fairly impressed by it’s sculpting. There’s a LOT going on here! The Bultrak has several different interesting textures, included smooth rounded mechanical plating, soft flexible tubing and hard edged perforated blades. Nearly every bit of this model is well sculpted! I’m not a fan of the pilot harness, but it’s placement does create an interesting depth and volume that I don’t think I’ve seen in any other TAG. I really do wish the sculptor had been able to do something with the TAG’s main cannon. It’s so generically boxy and dull, and looks so poor compared to the nicely designed range of Morat weaponry. There is an odd omission on the back side of the TAG’s right leg. The left leg has a recess that the cannister protruding from the model’s heel can fit into. The right leg is missing this recess. That's hardly worth mentioning, but its the one flaw in an otherwise nicely sculpted model.

Pose (8): What a nice pose!  A lot of TAGs get stuck with a pretty generic “dude with a  gun” pose, but the Bultrak actually look like its about to jump into action or is in mid swing with one of it’s enormous weapons. The wide stance, with one leg up on the rocky scenery element  looks great, even if it was necessitated by the mode’s inability to close it’s legs. I’m not a fan of the pilot harness at all, but the pilot’s slight body twist, mirrored in the TAG’s head, gives the whole thing a great sense of motion. Just this little detail makes the head look extremely animated, and enhances the idea that this is a giant Hungry. This is a great example of how a good pose can add character to something like an expressionless robot.