You can't come on here and say someone will or won't put on weight with their first var cycle. Come on man. Let's get real here.
Var for a first cycle would be an excellent choice. 50mg/day for 8 weeks would really make a big difference in someone's body comp. He might not put on a whole lot of weight, but if he eats right, and hits the iron hard, he will look like a completely different person after 8 weeks.
Everyone reacts differently to a broad spectrum of anabolics. Some people react well to Test/high androgens. Others respond better to more anabolic/less androgenic compounds. I am one of the latter. I get more out of Primo/Var than I do Test/Tren.
Anavar would be a great 1st cycle choice. It's probably the best. After that, jump on some test.