Bull Tank - WiKirby: it's a wiki, about Kirby!
From WiKirby, your independent source of Kirby knowledge.
| ||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||
| “ | A bulky tank with thick plates of armor. Charges forward without worrying about damage! | ” | — Bull Tank's flavor text in Kirby Air Riders. |
The Bull Tank is a tank-type Air Ride Machine that appears in Kirby Air Riders. Like the Tank Star, it has a unique method of driving forward as it charges a Boost.
Appearance[edit]
The Bull Tank is one of the largest machines in the game. It takes on a black, metallic appearance and hovers slightly above the ground when driving. On top of the machine is a swiveling seat for the Rider with a dark slit in the middle. In in front of the machine is a large, silver guard plate adorned with four massive spikes and a red line going down its middle that glows when a boost is being charged. The innermost two spikes are thick, angular, and face forward, whilst the outer two are more conical and point away from the center of the machine. Just behind the guard are two plates that retract to surround the central seat when the machine is boost charging. The back has a mechanical apparatus on it that covers a red taillight and has an exhaust pipe on its righthand side that expels dark fumes while the machine is in regular motion. When boost charging, it will split in two, revealing the large taillight within, which will glow red and produce a red trail behind itself. When Boost Dashing, the exhaust pipe at the back will visually emit fire.
The two large tank treads on the sides have their back halves folded inwards when the machine is moving normally. Contained within each of these back halves is a thruster that emits large blue and orange flames behind the vehicle as it travels forward. If the Bull Tank is moving particularly fast (a good example being after using a Dash Panel, the flames change coloration to be primarily blue with hints of magenta. During ordinary motion, each thruster emits a whispy orange trail behind it, too. When charging a boost, these back halves will connect back to the rest of the treads, and the machine will drive on the ground. The treads themselves extend downwards to enable this grounded motion. When the boost is released, a large amount of fire bursts from the two thrusters in the treads, and fiery trails can be observed from underneath said treads temporarily. After a short amount of time, the treads will return to their original position. In the air, thin streams can be observed from the back of each of the Bull Tank's treads.
Mechanics[edit]
The Bull Tank is a heavyweight machine with a high top speed, but low acceleration. With Kirby, it reaches a grounded top speed of 31 mph (51 km/h), gains speed upon leaving ramps, and falls at speeds up to 70 mph (113 km/h). Like the other tank-type machine, the Bull Tank has special mechanics relating to turning. While Boost Charging, the machine will continue to drive straight forward, while the rider on top will quickly swivel and turn independently. When releasing the Boost, it will quickly redirect to whatever direction the rider is facing. It has a powerful Boost Dash, but it charges quite slowly and turns poorly outside of its aforementioned functionality. Unlike the Tank Star, the Bull Tank possesses another unique ability; instead of instantly depleting all Boost Charge during a dash, the gauge will take a few moments to fully drain. This allows it to reach full charge much faster when Boosting multiple times in quick succession, letting the Bull Tank take tighter turns than the other heavyweight machines. Additionally, the Bull Tank has very noteworthy combat abilities. Its defense, HP, and weight are all high. Its offense is also quite high, especially with ramming attacks, due to its high weight. It has no gliding ability whatsoever, but will perform a decently sized jump when entering the air.
In Air Ride, the combination of high speed and quick turning ability make the Bull Tank a powerful threat in most courses. However, it struggles in matches with many racers, as being hit will cause it to lose steering control and its saved Charge. As such, narrow tracks can prove somewhat problematic. In City Trial, its combat abilities make it a dangerous machine to fight against, allowing it to destroy other machines with ease. It is not recommended generally to pick this machine up early due to its lackluster acceleration, but it does much better later on. Its combat statistics make it adept at handling Stadiums like Big Battle and Dustup Derby, and its top speed allows it to perform well in Drag Race and Beam Gauntlet. However, it will almost invariably lose in gliding stadiums, and while it handles better than most heavy machines, it can still be somewhat tricky to use in Stadiums like Gourmet Race. That said, like the Battle Chariot, a reasonable strategy can be to join certain Stadiums and aim to win by causing the other riders to retire.
How to unlock[edit]
The Bull Tank can be purchased with 10,800 Miles in the Miles Shop. It can also be unlocked in the Checklist. Once unlocked, it can be used in any game mode besides Road Trip. Before being unlocked, it can still appear and be used during certain City Trial events, or during online City Trial matches.
- City Trial: Dustup Derby - Win without being defeated at all
In Road Trip, the Bull Tank has to be unlocked separately within the mode. It can be obtained by finding and jumping onto one that is found on the road, or via purchase from a shop if it is missed. It can be located in Digital Superhighway.
Update history[edit]
| Version | Adjustment details |
|---|---|
| Version 1.2.0 |
|
Gallery[edit]
-
Bull Tank's icon in Kirby Air Riders
-
Artwork of the Bull Tank Gummy
-
My Machine decal of the Bull Tank's icon, from Kirby Air Riders
-
The Bull Tank's idle animation from Kirby Air Riders
-
The Bull Tank in the Retirement screen in Kirby Air Riders
Names in other languages[edit]
| Language | Name | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Japanese | ブルタンク Buru Tanku |
Bull Tank |
| Chinese | 公牛坦克 gōngniú tǎnkè |
Bull Tank |
| Dutch | Stiertank | Bull tank |
| French | Tank taureau | Bull tank |
| German | Stier-Panzer | Bull Tank |
| Italian | Cornarmato | From "corno" (horn) and "carro armato" (tank) |
| Korean | 황소탱크 hwangso taenkeu |
Bull Tank |
| Portuguese | Tanque Devastador | Devastating Tank |
| Spanish | Tanque astado | Horned tank |