Botcon Huffer (Games of Deception)

Allegiance: Autobots
Toyline: Botcon Custom
Year: 2009

Yeah, I can build it, but I don't see the point. 'Cons'll just blow it up anyway.
When Huffer finally returned home to Cybertron, most Autobots figured he would never again venture any further than the construction mines of Iacon. When it was revealed that he had agreed to join the crew of the Graviton, nobody was more surprised, or impressed, than Optimus Prime. Maybe it was because there was little work for him to do on his newly rebuilt homeworld, or maybe he had been accustomed to having what he built destroyed. Regardless, he had decided to leave Cybertron again and to use his skills in a new venture.

Prelude: Back in my review of Cybertron Armorhide, the figure this toy was repainted from, I wrote that he strongly reminded me of G1 Huffer. And what do you know, just a short while later Armorhide is repainted to serve as Huffer in the 2007 Botcon line-up. Now I never owned the original Botcon Huffer, but Limewire was kind enough to customize one for my birthday. Many thanks, Limey.

Robot Mode: In robot mode Huffer here doesn't have that strong a resemblance to G1 Huffer (who in turn barely resembled his cartoon counterpart, either). Most of the resemblance hails from the body shape and the colouring. Seeing as this figure is a straight repaint of Cybertron Armorhide, it does feature the same gimmick, of course. Huffer's torso opens up to reveal a big missile launcher that makes up a good-sized portion of his body. As a weapon he carries the crane-arm from his truck mode, which converts into a rifle. His posability is quite good, so no complaints on that front.

Limewire did a pretty good job painting this little robot here. You can see the edges a bit here and there, especially near the joints, but apart from that he did quite good. The head looks especially good, a very close likeness to how Huffer looked in the 2007 Botcon comic book. So really, nothing to complain about in robot mode. A very good-looking little Huffer.

Alternate Mode: The strong resemblance to G1 Huffer appears in vehicle mode, of course. Both transform into small orange trucks. Okay, G1 Huffer didn't have a towing crane in the back, but apart from that: Very close. The detailing on the figure is also quite good for a figure this size and the new paint job brings it out better than the old blue and grey of Armorhide did. I especially like the little decal Limewire added, reading "Cybertron Wrecker Service". The missile launcher gimmick can be used in vehicle mode as well, of course, and the towing crane can detach if you don't like it. So all in all, a very decent little truck mode.

Remarks: I don't remember exactly how it came about, but one day I asked Limewire whether he'd repaint an Armorhide for me so I could have my own Botcon Huffer (who goes for 90 dollars and more on ebay). Limewire made a birthday present out of it and here he is, my own little Huffer. Looking back at the rating I gave Armorhide about two years ago I must say that the different paint job and added character (Armorhide never appeared in any cartoon or comic, after all) makes quite a difference for this little figure here. I still wouldn't rate it among the top ten best Transformers ever (not even close), but he graduates from decent to good and gets an added bonus for being a birthday present. So to sum it up: I love my little Huffer here. A definite keeper.

Rating: B+