Huffer with Caliburst

[andersonh1]

A basic and a mini-con for $10 is a little steep, but as always I'm in this hobby for nostalgic reasons as much as anything, so an update of Huffer appealed to me. The PCC figure is clearly based off the original, from the orange trailer truck cab to the blue highlights and silver arms, to the fact that he still likes to grumble. Caliburst is a name that sounded familiar as well, and a visit to tfu.info lists him as G1 Slugslinger's Targetmaster. So we've got two homages for the price of one here.

Caliburst - the mini-con that becomes a vehicle weapon, robot weapon and power up armor.

Robot mode - about a half and half mix of silver plastic and clear aqua-blue, with an enormous arm cannon. Meaningful articulation can be found at the shoulders, thighs and knees, so he's got some potential for poses, though balance is an issue. Sculpting is pretty good for a figure this small.

Transformation and alternate modes - all three modes are more or less of the "it's a gun/armor because we say so" variety. Still, all three modes are passable, and the variety of ways in which the figure can interact with Huffer are a part of the appeal. The vehicle weapon mounts on the back of the truck, the hand held weapon mounts under the right arm via a powerlink post (and is configured differently than the vehicle gun), and the armor fits on Huffer's chest, presumably intended to be something like a bulletproof vest. It doesn't cover much, but it's still a nice touch. About the only thing missing from these modes are pegs on the legs to keep them locked in place. The stiffness of the joints does that right now, but a few transformations and that'll be gone.

Huffer
His bio is on the back of the card, but the actual specs are on the bubble insert. They don't really match the original at all, but then he's said to be faster, smarter and stronger, so that's fine.

Vehicle mode - A mustard yellow longnose tractor trailer with an orange hood and black wheels, window and grille. Not all robot parts are hidden away in this mode, but apart from the light blue connectors on the feet, none of them stand out either. The detailing is excellent. It rolls ok, but clearance is close.

Transformation - blissfully simple. The head simply folds up from under the grille, the rear of the truck splits to form the legs, while the black box on the back and the cab split in two and fold forward to form the arms. And there you have it.

Robot mode - dark blue is added to the color scheme. It's definitely Huffer, though the original is used as a basis for this new figure, not copied exactly. And again, the sculpting is excellent with plenty of detail. The hands stand out with extra details on the finger joints and arms. Articulation is a mix of ball joints and swivel hinges. The figure stands easily enough, and can achieve some limited action poses.

Now for the extra features. The connector joints for power core combiners are visible in the shoulders and on the back of the feet, and can be rotated for powerlinking with drones. I don't have any other figures, so I haven't tried it. A powerlink post in the middle of the chest folds out to allow Caliburst to attach as armor. And then there's the second head under the truck hood along with some leg transformation for 'power up mode', as the instructions call it. The larger robot head looks like it would be more appropriate for a Decepticon, with yellow horns and a fierce expression.

Overall - Well, as I said the price is a bit steep, but the set is a quality one overall. Two G1 homages, and the variety of ways in which Caliburst can interact with Huffer make this a good purchase. And after the complexity of the movie figures, the simplicity of Huffer's transformation is appreciated.

I'd recommend this pair of figures. Beneath all the gimmicks, which are pretty good, this is a good basic Transformer that would have worked well even without the combining features.

[andersonh1]

In fact, now that I think about it, the larger head looks a lot like Menasor. I'll bet we're getting a Motormaster repaint down the line somewhere. I'd take some Stunticon inspired drones.

[Onslaught Six]

Pretty sure we are. Well, they're called the Destructicons, I think, but the idea's the same.

[Dominic]

Anderson is right. Huffer is too perfect as Motormaster. If they do not announce one by the end of the year, i will go ahead and make my own.

Dom
-using Rallybots.

[138 Scourge]

Anderson is right. Huffer is too perfect as Motormaster. If they do not announce one by the end of the year, i will go ahead and make my own.

http://www.tfw2005.com/resources/power- ... rons-4806/

It's not officially Motormaster or the Stunticons, but here's a black repaint of Huffer with some mismatched drones. Still, add the Rallybots and you're there.

[Dominic]

I would need to recolor the Rally-drones as well. And, I would probably want a more greyish, more than black, robot.
'
Dom
-wondering if Crankcase's profile references Overlord....

[138 Scourge]

Well, then unless they do another repaint that's very similar, you'll probably be needin' to fire up the custom furnace.

Unless, I wonder. What do y'all figure the odds on PCCs being used at BotCon exclusives are?

[Shockwave]

I most certainly hope not! If they do release a Botcon set with those things in it, it would be easy skip for me.

[BWprowl]

Well, then unless they do another repaint that's very similar, you'll probably be needin' to fire up the custom furnace.

Unless, I wonder. What do y'all figure the odds on PCCs being used at BotCon exclusives are?

Pretty low. I've warmed up to them, but there's still quite a few fans out there who HATE the PCCs (see Shockwave just above me). And even I would be irate if they tried to pass recolored drones off as the actual Stunticon characters.

[Dominic]

I could see a two pack of some kind being a BotCon exclusive, especially as a Target Master reference.


Dom
-still needs to review the wave to Combiners.