General Information
Release Date: March 2021
Price Point: $19.99 (depending on retailer)
Retailer: General Release (Amazon, Entertainment Earth, Target, Walmart etc.)
Accessories: Blaster, Claw, Shield
Official images and text in italics are from Amazon.com
Beastify the battlefield! Worlds collide when the Maximals and Predacons join the fight, coming together with the Autobots and Decepticons in an epic battle that will alter their destiny forever. With the ancient and highly advanced F.O.S.S.I.L. (Fossilized Osteo-Skeletal Shield Integration Loadout) technology, Fossilizer bots, infused with primordial energy, break apart to weaponize their allies. Use Deluxe Fossilizer figures to beastify the Huffer figure with bone armor! (Sold separately, subject to availability.) This G1-inspired toy converts into Earth truck mode in 14 steps. Truck bed converts to shield and Energon blaster accessories. Figure can attach to WFC-K11 Optimus Prime trailer so fans can recreate the G1 scene from the Heavy Metal War episode where Huffer must tow the trailer after Optimus Prime is badly injured in a battle with Megatron. Includes a Golden Disk card that reveals a possible destiny of a key character. Collect other Kingdom figures to reveal all 3 alternate destiny variants for each character! (Each sold separately. Subject to availability.)
Accessories:
Huffer is similar to Earthrise Cliffjumper in that he was a Mini-Bot in G1 who normally would be made into a smaller figure in past lines but was mixed into the Deluxe Class for Earthrise. Like Cliffjumper, Huffer is smaller than your typical Deluxe Class figure but includes extra accessories to help bolster the value of the figure. Huffer includes two accessories: a claw/shield and a blaster.
Huffer's blaster is an interesting piece. Thanks to the TFwiki we know that this weapon is actually based on an existing scifi weapon: The M6 Spartan Laser from the popular game series Halo! Specifically the blaster is based on concept art for the weapon which you can see here. This piece is cast in orange plastic with gunmetal grey paint covering most of it. The weapon has a 5mm peg on it and the front has an attachment for Blast Effects. As part of the transformation you can split the weapon into two halves. You can use your imagination and give Huffer two weapons with them split like this.
The other accessory is a shield with claws on one side. On one side there are three 5mm pegs, allowing for different kinds of connections to other accessories or figures. the other side has two pegs for Blast effects. This piece is made up of orange plastic with gunmetal grey and silver paint.
Robot Mode:
Calling back to his G1 origins as a Mini-Bot, Huffer stands at about 4.5 in (around 11.43 cm) tall, about half an inch or so shorter than most modern day Deluxe Class figures. His design is largely based on his G1 animated appearance, complete with details like the boxy cab section on his back and over his head, tube-shaped arms and a raised area on his chest that is roughly shaped like a "W". The legs also feature some G1 inspired details including an indentation in the middle of the feet that call all the way back to the G1 toy. That said, there are some differences from the G1 design including raised sections that flank the head, extra detailing on the hip area and raised details on his thighs.
Huffer is made up of orange, blue, silver, black and translucent blue plastic. On top of that is silver, light blue and blue paint. Huffer was never really choc full of deco to begin with, so these colors give him more than enough detailing to look good. The finishing touch is a tampographed Autobot symbol on his chest.
There are twenty points of articulation in this mode. This includes five in each arm (I'm counting the ability of the fist to swing in) and four in each leg. All the joints on my copy of this figure are nice and tight. In addition to the 5mm ports in his fists, he has two on the sides of his arms and two on the sides of the knee area. He also has two on the heel pieces under his feet and one on his back. This allows a lot of possibilities when attaching accessories to Huffer and "powering" him up. I am very happy that this play pattern started three plus years ago continues to the current line of figures but I am kind of sad that there are no attachment points for Blast Effects to make it look like Huffer is being hit with firepower.
Transformation to Vehicle Mode:
- Detach the accessories and set them aside for now.
- Turn the robot head around.
- Swing the wheels on the chest piece out.
- Swing the chest up, and connect the robot arms to the tabs on the sides of the hips.
- Rotate each of the forearms.
- Push the cab cover section down and clip the tabs on it into the corresponding slots on the robot forearms.
- Swing each fist down.
- Push the legs together.
- Swing the silver heel pieces and up.
- Swing the lower legs over the back of the thighs.
- Attach the shield/claw piece to the back of the truck.
- Split the blaster into two halves.
- Attach the blaster halves to the sides of the vehicle's rear section.
Vehicle Mode:
Huffer's vehicle mode is really interesting. In G1 he transformed into a truck cab who was clearly designed to allow a trailer to be attached. This vehicle mode also does this, but if you attach all the accessories to the back of the truck he winds up looking like a pickup truck. Indeed, the side panels of the back section (formed from the halves of the blasters) even have sculpted lines that look like hazard stripes! I really appreciate this design as I had not expected it from the early preview images.
Like his G1 predecessor, Huffer mostly shows off orange plastic in this mode. Silver is used on the panels in the back and translucent blue is used for the windows in front. There is a lot of silver paint here, enough that I was surprised. That includes the top of the cab, the grille section, the smokestacks and the sides of the wheels. If you were concerned the robot mode lacked deco (which I personally don't) this mode more than makes up for it.
With the shield attached, Huffer has five 5mm ports to attach accessories. Without it he gains one more in the back. This same port can be used to attach the trailer from Earthrise (or Kingdom) Leader Class Optimus Prime. This is meant to call back to the scene in the G1 episode "Heavy Metal War" where Huffer helps an injured Optimus Prime take on the burden of carrying the trailer. I love this extra touch as it really adds to the G1 feel of this figure. Technically you could also use his robot fists since they show here so get creative!
Final Thoughts:
Huffer is a fantastic figure. I love the homage to his G1 animated design and the transformation is nice and intuitive. The play features are also fun including the ability to attach accessories. Highly recommended!
Pros:
- Excellent sculpt/design in both modes.
- Great homage to the G1 figure.
- Good articulation.
- Fun play value.
- Good deco.
Cons:
- Some fans may not be happy about the robot fists showing in vehicle mode.
- The robot mode could use a smidge more deco on the lower body, but I'm personally okay with it.
