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Looks like we got the whole set list a bit early.* So here’s our customary pocket checklist:

NextPhaseCHECKLIST

Four to a sheet!

*UPDATE 1: Oh wait, it appears there’s still the Release Day OP LE to see. (It’s Madisynn. I haven’t see her stats or point cost(s) yet, so can’t add her to the checklist. And she’s set no. 100, which suggests a number 099 piece we haven’t seen yet, either. So I maybe jumped the gun here. WATCH THIS SPACE!)

 

Black Panthers

It’s Black History Month and I decided to do this.

A definitive list. Most are obvious. Some are surprising.

In alphabetical order. [Specific set numbers] are given where necessary to distinguish from other, same-named characters.

Aaron Cash
Aaron Davis
Alexis
Alex Wilder
Algrim
Amanda Waller
Ambrose Chase
Anarchist
Aneka
Angstrom Levy
Annihilation
Aqualad [Rebirth 012]
Ashley Barton
Augustus Cole
Ayo
Azrael [Batman 104]
Azzuri
Balrog
Batman [Streets of Gotham 052]
Battlestar
Batwing [Batman 042]
Baxter Stockman [TMNT 013]
Bedlam
Bishop
Bishop of XSE
Black Death
Black Leopard
Black Lightning
Black Manta
Black Manta Goon
Black Panther
Black Panther 2099
Black Talon
Black Vulcan
Blade
Blink
Blue Marvel
Bronze Tiger
Brother Voodoo
Bumblebee
Bushmaster
Calypso
Calypso Ezili
Captain America [Secret Invasion 019, Nick Fury Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. 049, Marvel Studios Disney Plus 005, Avengers Defenders War 069, Captain America & The Avengers 039, Avengers Infinity 033, and Marvel Studios Disney Plus 056]
Captain Kirk and Lt. Uhura
Captain Marvel [Sinister 058]
Captain Universe [Avengers Assemble 036]
Cardiac
Catwoman [Batman Classic TV 009 and Unleashed 222]
Centurius
Clarice Ferguson
Cloak
Cloak and Dagger
Coldcast
Colleen Wing and Misty Knight
Cottonmouth
Coyote Tango*
Crimson Avenger [Collateral Damage 087]
Crispus Allen
Cyborg
Daisy Fitzroy
Darwin
Deathlok [Wolverine and the X-Men 011a, Wolverine and the X-Men 011b, Spider-Man Venom: Absolute Carnage 008, Sinister 053, Sinister 054]
Deathurge
Dee Jay
Devil Dinosaur & Moon Girl
Diggle
Doctor Spectrum [Guardians of the Galaxy 059a]
Doctor Voodoo
Doorman
Dora Milaje
Dora Milaje Midnight Angel
Dr. Cecilia Reyes
Dr. Claire Finn
Dr. Gravity
Dr. Voodoo
Duane Freeman (bystander)
Duke Thomas
Easy Company Soldier (but not the LE version, Little Sure Shot)
Eliot Franklin
Empress
Erik Killmonger
Falcon [except Avengers Black Panther Illuminati 041a]
Fatality
Firestorm [Justice League 018, Justice League New 52 010]
Frenzy
Gabe Jones
Gabriel Jones
Gateway
GCPD [Batman Alpha 015]
GCPD Detective [Streets of Gotham 004]
Genesis [except Deadpool 045]
Ghost Panther
Goliath [Civil War 029, Secret Invasion 022]
Goodness and Mercy
Gotham City Detective
Gotham Policeman
Green Lantern [Justice League Unlimited 002, Justice League Unlimited 036, Justice League Unlimited 104, Batman The Animated Series 039, Cosmic Justice 082-084, Cosmic Justice 221]
Green Priestess
Guardian [Collateral Damage 086]
The Guardian [Assassins Creed 004]
G.W. Bridge
Hammer [X-Force+Deadpool 059a]
Hatut Zeraze
Heimdall [Avengers Movie 210, Thor The Dark World 010, Thor: Ragnarok 004, Thor: Ragnarok 009]
Hooded Justice
Hope
Hope Taya
Hunter B-15
The Hydra (Falcon)
Intergang Medic
Iron Heart
Ironheart
Iron Man [Invincible Iron Man 038]
Iron Man and Iron Patriot
Iron Man / War Machine
Iron Man and War Machine
Iron Patriot [TabApp M-002, Iron Man 3 003, Iron Man 3 102]
Iron Spider [Spider-Man Venom: Absolute Carnage 044, Spider-Man Beyond Amazing 043b)
Isaiah Bradley
Isca The Unbeaten
Jakeem Thunder
James Rhodes
Jefferson Pierce
John Stewart
Jo Mullein
Josiah X
Kid Flash [Rebirth 005, Rebirth 021]
Kid Quantum
Killer Croc* [except Batman The Animated Series 047a]
Killmonger
King Killmonger
Korath [Captain Marvel Movie 019]
Korath The Pursuer [Guardians of the Galaxy Movie 015]
Knuckles
Kurse [Thor The Dark World 008, Thor The Dark World 106]
Lex Corp Security
Living Mummy
Lt. Commander Geordi La Forge
Lt. Commander John Lamaar
Lt. Geordi La Forge
Lt. Marcus Stone
Lt. Nyota Uhura
Lt. Uhura
Lucius Fox
Luke Cage
M
Maggott
Makkari [Eternals Movie 005, Eternals Movie 016]
Malice [Avengers Black Panther Illuminati 025]
Man-Ape
The Man Without Fear [Avengers Defenders War 101]
Manifold
Maxam
M’Baku
Menace
Mettle
Michael Roth
Micron
Miles and Gwen
Miles Miles West
Miles Morales
Mirror Geordi La Forge
Miss America [WizKids M17-009, Avengers Forever 050]
Misty Knight
Monica Rambeau
Mr. Bones
Mr. Terrific [except DC75th Anniversary 011]
Muhammad Ali
Nakia
Nick Fury [Captain Marvel Movie 004, Captain Marvel Movie 013, Avengers Infinity 017, Avengers Forever 026, Avengers: Age of Ultron 015, Chaos War 040, Avengers Movie 035, Avengers Movie 203, Classics 2-11, Sinister 091]
Nick Fury, Jr.
Nightmask
Nightshade
Night Thrasher
Nightwatch
N’Kantu
Nubia
Okoye
Onome
Oya
Patriot
Pawn 502
Peace Machine
Penance
Perry White [Batman V Superman 015]
Phastos
Phillipus
Photon [all except Supernova 081]
Power Girl [Rebirth 006, Rebirth 022]
Power Man [except Captain America & The Avengers 014]
Power Man and Iron Fist
Prodigy [Avengers Forever 033, X-Men Xavier’s School 047]
Professor [Infinity Challenge B009]
Prowler
Puff Adder
Pulsar
Queen Shuri
Rage
Ravonna Renslayer
Researcher
Robbie Robertson
Rocket Racer
Ronin [Avengers Assemble 052]
Sam Wilson
Sgt. Johnson
Shard
S.H.I.E.L.D. Agent [Infinity Challenge 001-003]
S.H.I.E.L.D. Section Chief
Shuri
The Signal
Silhouette
Skitter
Snap Wilson
Soldier [Superman/Wonder Woman 008]
Spectre [War of Light 050a, War of Light 050b]
Spectrum
Spider-Carnage
Spider-Man [War of the Realms 008, WizKids M20-104, Superior Foes of Spider-Man 031, Earth X 037b]
Spider-Punk
Spiders Man
Static
Steel [except Rebirth 023a]
Storm
Sunspot
Superman II
Synch
Tattooed Man
T’Chaka II
T’Challa Star-Lord
Technocrat
Teen Lantern
Tempo
3-D Man
Throg
Thug [Infinity Challenge 013-015]
Thunder [Batman 021]
Thunderball
Titan
Tombstone
Triathlon
Turk Barrett
Tyroc
Tyrone Johnson
Uhura
Valkyrie [Thor: Ragnarok 012, Thor: Ragnarok 005, War of the Realms 049]
Venom Black Panther
Vermin
Vixen
Voodoo
Wakandan Scientist
Wakandan Warrior
Warhawk
War Machine
The Watcher
White Tiger [Avengers Black Panther Illuminati 026, Avengers Black Panther Illuminati 004]
Witch [Worlds Finest 015]
W’Kabi
Wonder Woman [WizKids D23-005]
Xandressan Windsman
XS
Yrra Cynril

 

List will certainly grow.

2023 is finally back to normal. Like, EXTRA-normal, because:

Screen Shot 2023-12-28 at 11.53.45 PM

…it wasn’t just Marvel clix! There were not just two but SEVERAL DC clix across the year.

So it’s again time for my list of my top 10 to 20 HeroClix of the year.

But with actual map time still somewhat at a premium in 2022 even, there’s always one fig that could’ve made the previous year’s favorite list but didn’t stand out immediately until it got play this past year — potential “late bloomer” faves.

So I introduce this year’s list with an addition, again asking

  • “Is this figure Fair, Useful and Nerdcore?”

and

  • “When I see this figure, do I immediately wish I had a team to fit it on?”

There’s actually two this time:

SHANG CHI (War of the Realms 027) 50 points

wotr027

I always want to run him. Well-priced with traited Flurry but not overbearing. He’s best up close vs. 2-3 people, which opens him to a lot of counterattacks — a very fair fig.

POGG UR-POGG (X of Swords Storyline 208) 270 or 170 or 70 points

Pogg Ur-Pogg

He’s just kinda hilarious (that ability to jack targets of their equipment — plus the sheer POGG UR-POGGness of his flavor text) and dangerous (Giant Reach+Charge+Flurry) all at once. But never terribly scary and a big target.

In alphabetical order, let’s look at 2023’s F.U.N. selections: What’s Fair about them, how they’re still Useful and what I find Nifty or Nerdcore about each.

———

AQUAMAN (Batman Team-Up 043)

100 or 50 points

btu043

Aquaman is my favorite DC hero and clix versions have come a long way since the original in the Hypertime set 20 years ago. Not only is he more mobile and invulnerable now, but he also has the ability to spawn kraken tentacles to represent his command of sea life.

Fair-finned friend: Spawning tentacles require a lot (range, water, Leadership rolls) to actually work. You have to build a team of swimmers around him, which limits the amount of abuse he can do.

What’s Useful (under the surface): But of course he’s quite good on a swim team. Him being able to Empower fellow Dolphin symbol allies map-wide is strong. And unlike many earlier versions of the king of the sea, he will never be beached because he brings his own water terrain.

What’s Nerdcore: I need to update my occasional series on Atlantis figures.

OHHHHHHHHHH WHO’S THE KING OF THE SEA

———

BANE (Iconix 002)

75 points

Bane

I have a box of Banes. But this is the peak Bane because he plays just like the character in the original Knightfall storyline. He starts on click #7 with Outwit (through other characters!) but at any time he can pump himself with Venom and become a beater. It’s really well-designed.

All’s Fair…: He doesn’t start bonkers and is full of self-harm. There’s a definite risk vs. reward consideration when playing him.

…And Useful for Breaking the Bat…: BUT HE GETS BONKERS DESPITE THE SELF-HARM, with massive stat boosts, Impervious Super Strength and Close Combat Expert.

… Like A Skinny Nerd: I like playing him with his “bane chant makes everything epic” or “Gotham’s Reckoning” music from The Dark Knight Rises..

BECAUSE THE BANE CHANT MAKES EVERYTHING EPIC.

———

BLACK ADAM (Notorious 046)

200 or 100 points

not046

Not the first Adam to make this annual list, and I’m unsure if I like it better than 2019’s Rebirth version. But this one’s punishing Mystics-related “Lightning” trait really encourages enemies to attack him one-on-one — with HONOR, not ganging up on him. Immune to Outwit as well and packs a reverse Mastermind SP to force fire on him.

What’s Fair? This Justice: This may be the least F.U.N. fig on the list. But because he encourages focused fire upon himself, the bold (especially if they reduce penetrating damage) can take him down.

What’s Useful? This JUDGMENT: This is a tentpole who can hold together a team, taking the hits for weaker teammates — which is what I like best.

What’s Nerdcore? THIS JUSTICE: YOU MUST FACE HIM — ALONE.

———

BROTHER VOODOO (Wheels of Vengeance 043b)

45 points

wov043b

Another entry into the Black Box of Black-themed characters. Like his earlier prime version back nearly 11 years ago, this is a strong, potentially meta-shifting figure, able to deal free no-roll damage or free no-roll healing or get out of KO free once. On top of that, he’s got Mind Control, TK and Smoke Cloud all dial long (SP) and Prob and Support on either dial half.

Fair Price: “The Monkey’s Paw Curls” is a nice balance to a couple of very powerful effects. And those effects are limited per game.

Useful Magic: But FREE DAMAGE? No-roll healing? Prob? And more? Yes please.

Nerdcore Cred: I aim to collect every Black character so here he is.

VOOOODOOOOO

———

CLOAK & DAGGER (Spider-Man Beyond Amazing L039)

65 points

si039

Though technically legacies aren’t NEW figures, they count as releases this year. So here’s this duo/no longer duo fig. Aside from liking the characters, I like the way they get defensive boosts and healing when they’re in the open and offense boosts when attacking targets in hindering. They’re interesting to play!

Light of Hope: Their modest old combat values aren’t terrifying any opponent, even with their stat pumps.

Useful Dark Justice: Wild card, flier, and that weird SP where if they target and hit a solo enemy in hindering, that target gets essentially isolated from their team for a turn are all worth running.

Nifty Nerdcore: C’mon, they’re Cloak and Dagger.

EBONY … AND IIIIVORYYYYYYY

———

ELASTI-GIRL (Batman Team-Up 027)

60 points

btu027

I knew I’d be excited for the return of the Doom Patrol in clix. But I thought 2016 fave Crazy Jane’s legacy card version would take the cake. Rita here was the real F.U.N. fig here. If I were still ranking this list, she’d be No. 1.

Fair Lady:  Relatively modest stats make her more an annoyance than a terror.

Useful Annoyance Though: Shape Change, Giant Reach 4 and FREE Regen if she took damage last turn make her a tough KO. Also Outsiders TA.

Doomed to be Nerdcore: The only downside for me is that she’s not actually a giant like previous versions have been. But she’s the chief reason for me to try a Doom Patrol team. (Even more so than Chief and, yes, Crazy Jane.)

I just wanna see her be a giant woman. A GIANT WOMAN!!!

———

Every Expendable Goon  (Notorious 012, 004, 008, 009, 011, 017, 014, 015)

50 or 15 points

not004

By far my favorite mechanic this year was the Expendable Goon trait.

 EXPENDABLE GOON: When [this goon] is KO’d by an opposing character, after resolutions you may roll a D6.

[1-3]: [some kinda consolation effect]. 

[4-6]: Generate a character with an Expendable Goon trait on its 15 point starting line adjacent to a friendly character.

Already a fan of generics, I glommed on this ability to respawn new goons of any type: Black Manta Goon, G.O.O.N., Gorilla City Warrior, Joker Goon, Polar Bear, Qwardian Thunderer, Riddler Goon, and White Rabbit Goon.

Fair Felons: At 50 points, each goon might feel just a little overcosted while the 15-pointers are just 2 easy-to-KO clicks long.

Useful Idiots: But YO. Each has at least a little utility on either line. Too many ways to briefly discuss here. So I discussed HERE in a separate article.

Nerdcore Knuckleheads: If I had to rank them from least to most favorite? Well, I wouldn’t.

GOONIES NEVER SAY DIE AND NEITHER DO GOONS

———

FALCON (Avengers 60th 030)

50 points

a60030

Falcon makes a lot these year-end lists of mine (2014, 2019, 2022) so I kinda hesitated to add yet another. But the sculpt is pretty cool and, as noted, I have an affinity for the character.

High-Flying Fairness: Like most Falcons, he’s not an especially hard hitter. And his “Aerial Extraction” only works for his shared keywords.

Useful Deployment: But that trait is really strong! It’s like a better TK for fellow Avengers or Soldiers. He also has IM:Characters for him to stay mobile.

Nerdcore Role: It’s time for another Atlanta Falcons build!

AN ACTUAL WINNING ATLANTA FALCON HERE

———

JO MULLEIN (Batman Team-Up 054)

75 points

btu054

Though I’m the world’s least biggest Green Lantern fan, Sojourner Mullein is a cool new member I was super glad to see her debut in clix.

Fair Sector: She’s a fairly hefty 75 points but is missing reducers for the vast majority of her dial. She also has a trait requiring Willpower but lacks it at first — which can occasionally cause her problems. But that means she is not a huge problem for folks to see on-map.

Space Cop Utility: But her Invincible-bearing STOP clicks tho. That SP gives her colossal size and its associated Willpower, which makes her heal on a 6 roll. (And possibly off the STOP. Which is kinda OK.) Before that, she’s about the hands: Charge+Flurry. Also  has a lot of Outwit on the early run of her dial and some Hypersonic in the mid- to late game. She qualifies for the Green Lantern Ring, too.

What Part of “Nerd Fight” Didn’t You Get?: As seen in the miniseries Far Sector. As I said: Super glad to see her clixed.

READY FOR THIS NERD FIGHT

———

THE KINGPIN (Spider-Man Beyond Amazing 037a)

45 points

smba037a

Every once in a while, WizKids makes a dial that captures a character PERFECTLY. This is real close. Flipping between two dials, one of him as Outwitting mastermind (with the powers, natch) and the other for fisticuffs, Wilson Fisk is ready for anything

A Legit and Fair Businessman: OK, so maybe he shouldn’t have TWO clicks of Invulnerability. But nothing else about him seems overtuned.

Useful To His City: In addition to the dial flipping, he also extends the range of Sinister Syndicate TA from adjacent to 6. But the best thing is he can generate Police Officer (Spider-Man Beyond Amazing 003) instead of normal Leadership.

Nerdcore? HARDCORE:  While not all cops are bad, he’s got them all either in his pocket or neutralized. It’s such a perfect look for Kingpin that he makes the list.

A LEGITIMATE BUSINESSMAN

———

OMAC PRIME (Notorious 019b) 175 or 100 points

OMAC (Notorious 019a) 25 points

not019bnot019a

OK, so yeah 019a OMAC deservedly made the worst list. Individually, it’s terrible. But with 3 or more gathered together? Or with their boss OMAC Prime in the lead? Wow, is it F.U.N.

Fair Programming: We covered how unintimidating OMAC is. The prime is a lot scarier. But he’s fair because for best results, he’ll be right in the opponent’s face, giving them great opportunity to deal with him.

Useful Protocols: CAN they, though? He gets to use any and all displayed standard powers — that’s any colored box currently showing — of adjacent opponents. With IT:Adjacent, he could Psychic Blast your own psychic blaster. He also KOs adjacent pogs for FREE. And if he or any other Robot pal KOs a target, he generates another OMAC, maybe leading to an endless flood of them.

Nerdcore Code: That’s so reminiscent of DC’s mid-2000s Infinite Crisis and I love it.

UNDER HIS BROTHER EYE

———

THE PHANTASM (Notorious L051)

50 points

btas051

I reviewed her along with other legacies here. But she was a lot more F.U.N. than I expected.

Fair…: Although she’s good at hiding (FREE Smoke Cloud and Stealth), she will eventually be able to be fought — and her defenses are a bit weak.

But Deadly Useful: Her offense is dang terrifying, amounting to full move Blades attack. She can attack every turn for free under most circumstances.

’90s Nerdcore: I loved the movie this was based on. So yeah…

… YOUR ANGEL OF DEATH AWAITS

———

RAWHIDE KID (Wheels of Vengeance 045)

50 points

wov045

REGULATOR … MOUNT UP! This cowboy is a doggone menace, able to hurt two targets at once by only hitting one.

A Fair Shot: He’s pretty soft with no upfront armor and average defense

Useful With The Steel: But his Super Senses deals his printed damage, representing him outdrawing his opponents and blasting first. Awesome! (But overtuned because it should require the attacker be in range and LOF.) Police and wild card TAs round out the package.

Nifty Style: I have a theme of Old West-themed figs with the Past keyword that he’ll be riding with.

———

SPACE GHOST (WizKids DC23-002)

80 or 60 or 30 points

wkD23-002

This con exclusive is loved by most players for his ultra-efficient 30-point line offering massive utility, but I like his higher costs for actual fighting because cost to cost he’s a fave.

Fair Playing Hero: He has to trade that utility for either fighting or defenses, so he never quite feels like he’s overtuned in a game.

Useful Coast to Coast: SO MUCH UTILITY THO. Leadership or Empower or CCE on dial. Perplex on trait —TWICE if he’s untokened — and a friendly target can’t be Probbed by enemies. And his FREE “Power Bands” SP giving him the choice each turn of blasting or blocking or moving friends or foes.

Nerdcore? Come on. IT’S SPACE GHOST. Even if he was bad, he was almost instantly shortlisted.

COAST TO COAST A FAVE.

———

WASP  (Avengers 60th L030)

40 points

cw030

Last legacy card of the roster. The original may have been a contender for my Top 10 years ago but I used to be a lot more selective in these lists. Have always liked this piece a lot, but I was surprised how much I enjoyed running it this year.

Fair Wasp: Her stats have not aged well and unlike many of the oldest figs that got legacies, she did not receive any stat boosting or healing or other defensive abilities. So her 10 or lower AV is thoroughly unscary.

Useful Wasp: Incap is barely useful. It always takes something extra to make it worthwhile. 1 to 2 penetrating damage to each hit character is a good extra.

Nifty Wasp: I love the Wasp so it’s great to get her again.

SHE’S ALL THE BUZZ.

———

ZOD (Notorious 032)

90 points

not032

Actor Terence Stamp’s iconic portrayal of the megalomaniacal General Zod has echoed across the decades and this, finally, is a version in clix worth kneeling before.

“What is ‘Fair?’ Just kneel”: With a modest 5 range and no Outwit protection, Zod feels like a pretty fair-powered piece.

“Are you Useful to me?”: That is, until you consider his anti-Stealth eyes and his Superman Enemy TA and, most of all, “Kneel Before Zod,” a truly F.U.N. trait that can force a nearby foe to, well, kneel (by taking a token or a damage).

Kneel, Nerd: I cannot wait to play this when someone exclaims “Oh my god” so I can calmly reply “Zod.”

KNEEL.

———

Annnnd there’s another year of HeroClix in the books! As I have been doing since the pandemic, I’ll be constructing a team of ALL these pieces (yes, even both primes) to battle the previous year’s faves in a kitchen table match sometime in 2024.

2022

150 AV4E031 Blue Marvel
125 MSDP056 Captain America
95 MSDP041A Captain Carter + her shield 5
50 AV4E006 Falcon
200 AV4E045 Hulk
45 XMXS031B Isca the Unbeaten + Mercy (defensive) 5
60 WOTR035 Kurse
40 AV4E030 Mindful One
50 AV4E050 Miss America
35 MSDP029 Miss Minutes
45 XMXS001 Storm + Skybreaker 5
40 MSDP101B The Watcher
70 WOTR042 Valkyrie

Shang-Chi 50
Pogg Ur-Pogg 270

= 1335 points

versus

2023
50 BTU043V Aquaman
75 DICN002 Bane
200 NOT046 Black Adam
15 NOT012V Black Manta Goon
65 SMBAL039A Cloak & Dagger
60 BTU027 Elasti-Girl
50 AV60030 Falcon
15 NOT004V G.O.O.N.
15 NOT008V Gorilla City Warrior
75 BTU054 Jo Mullein + GL Ring 0
15 NOT009V Joker Goon
25 NOT019A OMAC
25 NOT019A OMAC
25 NOT019A OMAC
25 NOT019A OMAC
175 NOT019B OMAC Prime
15 NOT011V Polar Bear
15 NOT017V Qwardian Thunderer + Sinestro Corps Ring 0
50 WOV045 Rawhide Kid
15 NOT014V Riddler Goon
80 WKD23-002 Space Ghost
45 SMBA037A The Kingpin
50 NOTL051 The Phantasm
40 AV60L030 Wasp
15 NOT015V White Rabbit Goon
90 NOT032 Zod
= 1330 points.

By far my favorite mechanic this year was the Expendable Goon trait.

 EXPENDABLE GOON: When [this goon] is KO’d by an opposing character, after resolutions you may roll a D6.

[1-3]: [some kinda consolation effect]. 

[4-6]: Generate a character with an Expendable Goon trait on its 15 point starting line adjacent to a friendly character.

Already a fan of generics, I glommed on this ability to respawn new goons of any type: Black Manta Goon, G.O.O.N., Gorilla City Warrior, Joker Goon, Polar Bear, Qwardian Thunderer, Riddler Goon, and White Rabbit Goon. And most have a consolation effect even if they don’t get the 50/50 respawn.

Here’s a flash F.U.N. review of the pieces, in alphabetical order.

Black Manta Goon (Notorious 012)

not012

At 50 or 15 points, this goon in the employ of sea pirate Black Manta is mega-Useful with Enhancement all dial long. High level has Running Shot and Invulnerability, too, with Willpower elsewhere. Leaves water terrain on KO, which is fine for swimmers like him.

It loses a bit on my F.U.N. scale because when played as a pure force with their natural boss, it’s a team full of wild cards with no team ability to copy. But oh well ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

——

G.O.O.N. (Notorious 004)

not004

Like a melee version of Manta men, 50 or 15 points gives full life of Empower here. Charge+Blades (with Bat Enemy TA) characterizes the top dial while Plasticity+Poison is the low one’s strength. Willpower and Underworld TA is really useful, too.

Unlike all the rest of the goons, there’s no consolation effect if you don’t respawn. But it’s a 3-6 roll instead, so you’re more likely to activate it anyway. This might be my favorite of the goon squad.

——

Gorilla City Warrior (Notorious 008)

not008

These apes are a little unwieldy, starting with Stealth at 50 points (meaning they’re kinda stationary) but missing it at 15, where moving attack is less important. The hindering terrain they leave on KO isn’t super, either. But plenty of Super Strength, Close Combat Expert, and Invulnerability on both lines is welcome.  I’m loving them as extra bodies for a Gorilla Warfare team led by, say, Grodd.

——

Joker Goon (Notorious 009)

not009

Charge+Precision+Exploit is his 50-point power. 15 points grants Flurry+Blades but his 9 AV is weak — he needs Batman Enemy help.

Most other goons, it’s just cute to play them with their respective boss. But this one’s consolation respawn that generates Smoke instead keys directly into The Joker (Notorious 047a) and his “Poison via Smoke” trait.

——

Polar Bear (Notorious 011)

not011

The pets of Mr. Freeze, these Battle Furious animals are Super Strong, Impervious tie-up at 50 points. 15 buys a still-angry Quaking Charging Tough bear. They leave behind blocking pieces that force breakaways — making them excellent employees for Mr. Freeze (Notorious 040), their natural boss. Not my favorite goon but a good goon.

——

Qwardian Thunderer (Notorious 017)

not017

50 points is a Perplexing Running Shooter while the budget version has Sidestep, Willpower and Shape Change. Both start lines boast Pulse Wave. KO consolation is generated objects. Also not my favorite, but I’ve already had great fun running them with their boss, Sinestro (Notorious 025). Note: This is one of the rare goons lacking the Brute keyword.

——

Riddler Goon (Notorious 014)

not014

At 50, the Riddler’s minions are Close Combat Expert thugs. But thanks to Toughness, they might see their smarter Perplex on clicks 2, 3 or 5. 15 points also starts with CCE. Sidestep for movement pairs very well with Underworld. And their consolation KO effect to token up their attacker is pretty OK.

——

White Rabbit Goon (Notorious 015)

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The 50-point minion of the Mad Hatter (Jervis Tetch in this set) is underwhelming with Charge+Incap, though Shape Change and Toughness makes him survivable at least. 15 points is the sweet spot: He’s a Mind Controlling medic with Willpower. On KO, if he doesn’t respawn he shunts the attacker 2 squares away. One of the better goons, but missing the Brute keyword. HE’S TOO REFINED AND LATE FOR TEA

——

If you came to this page from the 2023 Favorites post, here’s your way back.

Merry Clixmas! I hope none of these pieces of coal end up in your stockings. Because while clix design is really good these days, pieces that aren’t still exist.

In alphabetical order of badness, the 10 worst dials of 2023!

DCS24002

Batman (DC Starter 2024 002a) 50 points

This is a trainer dial, so it lacks the frills and power a Batman piece usually brings to the table. But bearing only two clicks of Stealth, and with a special power allowing him to FREE move after using Smoke Cloud means he’s not much in the fight, just trying to Outwit for his teammates. Outwit’s super-short 4 range these days means he’s got to get too close to the action.

BOTTOM LINE: Not exactly the world’s finest anything.

———

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Mas (Batman Team-Up 007) 25 points

He’s designed to pair up with his twin bro Menos, who has both the upfront Precision Strike for offense and the defensive Super Senses he lacks. But that means you have to play both to get even their individual 25 points’ worth, and I don’t know that’s good value for 50 points. Mas needs … well … más.

BOTTOM LINE: Teen Titan GO! … AWAY

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Mirror Master (Notorious 029) 55 points

Originally, I had Miles Morales (Spider-Man Beyond Amazing 016) here because of all the various Spider-figs in clix, that version feels just mediocre all around. But this Rogue takes the spot for being more points for 1 damage and low range and speed. Sure, he has Precision and he ramps up OK if he can roll Super Senses to spawn dupes to also use Enhancement. But Senses rolls are a good-sized IF just to make him worth running.

BOTTOM LINE: Distorted reflection of what a good piece should be

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Monica Chang (Avengers 60th 003) 25 points

Though she has a potential niche as a keyword cheater to get Robots onto S.H.I.E.L.D. themed teams, her SP requiring her to hit targets with her puny 3 range to benefit the team makes her awful even for just 25 points.

BOTTOM LINE: Lowest level of clearance at S.H.I.E.L.D., obviously

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Morgan Le Fay (Avengers 60th 046) 40 points

It’s her low-point dial that’s kinda terrible. Sure, she can be long-lived with Mastermind, and cheap Leadership is OK, but if she doesn’t churn out Zombie pogs most turns, what’s the point of her?

BOTTOM LINE: Suffer not this witch to be on your teams

———

mysterio

Mysterio (Spider-Man Beyond Amazing 110a) 30 points

They got really good at starter figs by SMBA. Except for this one. Plain Smoke Cloud and Shape Change mean Bubblehead here isn’t doing much of anything early on for even his low 30 points. Late dial Mind Control can’t be counted on.

BOTTOM LINE: Merely an illusion!

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Nightmare (Wheels of Vengeance 013) 115 or 55 points

For way over 100 points, he’s a steeply priced Incap+Mind Control piece. Overpriced, but if you really like those powers, esp. with Stealth and Cosmic Energy, then sure, do you. But his 55-point line is even worse: He loses the MC and the Stealth (both are on the same SP) and trades down Imperv for Mastermind and Plasticity. Not useless but not great either.

BOTTOM LINE: He’s a bad dream.

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OMAC (Notorious 019a) 25 points

So let me get this straight: It’s only one click long unless other identical pieces are getting KO’d? And each is 25 points apiece?? So you’re building AT LEAST 50 points of just some tie-up until you start LOSING points??? Oh wow. If I were still ranking this list, OMAC might’ve topped it easily.

BOTTOM LINE: —system error—

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Simon Garth (Wheels of Vengeance 018) 50 points

Oh man, I want to like this one so much better. He’s a strong puncher (11AV, 4 damage Exploit Weakness) with good Invulnerability. But that trait that allows any adjacent foe to Mind Control him is really problematic to play around. Maybe it would be worth it if the Battle Fury he gets from being MC’d (so that multiple enemies can’t manipulate him this way in a single turn) lasted through his OWN following turn. But no. Nominated by machineman at HCRealms, he’s a(n) (un)worthy addition to my list here.

BOTTOM LINE: Walking dead.

———

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Thor (Avengers 60th 057) 100 or 50 points

He wasn’t on my radar because he’s a chase I don’t own, don’t want and have never faced. But he was nominated by Poison1981 on HCRealms, and looking at him I see why. Unlike the rest of the figs with the “MULTIVERSAL MASTERS OF EVIL” trait, he’s not focused enough to know when to bring him in with it. Depending on the click, he’s either a shooter or a puncher but does neither very well. He’s kinda thoroughly dependent on Dark Phoenix to get any real use from him. He’s only special when he dies, and even there you’re sacrificing at least 50 points for a few clicks of healing on a remaining friendly.

BOTTOM LINE: There’s always a booby prize among the chases. Forsake this one.

———

OK, those are flushed. Next post: Heroclixin’s 10 (or so) Faves of 2023!

In principle, legacy cards are a F.U.N. way to bring some old fan-favorites back into Modern/Silver play and rework some old figs that never really worked right before (or don’t anymore due to rule changes).

In practice? Well, let’s see.

By set number:

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L004 GHOST RIDER
(2099 Collector’s Set, 2006)

2099 GR 004

THEN: “Being a double-based (read: no TK on him) figure with middling range, AV and speed will make Ghost Rider a tough figure to win with. He’s a 3rd-line attacker/taxi best suited for 400 point games behind (or carrying) better fighters, nothing more. Fortunately, he’s not PRICED to be anything more.”

…Is what I wrote about him at the time, long before this blog was even started. 60 points for this was too much even then. Only Future and Robot keywords were retroactively given to him.

NOW: Adding Monster, Mystical and Police to his keywords, Kenshiro here can go on a lot more teams. More to the point, he’s gotten a Pilot trait to have access to a Future piece’s or another Ghost Rider on the Sideline’s attack or damage powers — very helpful for him since he has neither to start naturally. Another trait allows him to replace his terrible 9-or-worse AV with the Sideline piece’s AV. And if the Sideline fig’s chosen click has any of the same powers that’s showing on Ghost Rider 2099’s dial, all his stats are boosted. A final trait, Spirit of Vengeance, gives him penetrating damage if a foe triggered Mystics damage. Cost trims to 50 points.

F.U.N.? This is a good choice for a legacy card: taking a fairly terrible piece and making it at least workable.

AM I GETTING THIS? I got this figure in Heroclixin’ board member Tim’s collection. But it’s not a priority for me to find the card.

———

L020a JACK O’LANTERN
(Civil War Storyline, 2016)

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THEN: He was an anti-Stealth Energy Explosion piece with decent 11 AV but poor 16 DV and got Earthbound/Neutralized late in his short 5-click dial, taking away even his targeting. Keywords of Pro-RegistrationSinister Syndicate (and TA)Skeleton Crew and Thunderbolts weren’t enough to make him any good outside of sealed. And not really there, either, if you had anything better.

NOW: His old 52-point cost drops to 40 and he swaps his Pro-Registration keyword for Monster. A new trait makes him effectively respawn instead of getting KO’d AND deal free damage to an enemy in range — no LOF needed.

F.U.N.? As bad as the original was, this new version redeems it a lot without making it too good.

AM I GETTING THIS? I have this figure and will make it my go-to version of the character.

———

L034 SATANA HELLSTROM
(Amazing Spider-Man, 2013)

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THEN: For 82 points, you got a weak Charge fig (8 Speed, 10 AV, 17 DV, 2 damage) whose “Soul Collector” attack SP didn’t work on targets with anything better than Toughness (see the 2 damage) and she could never benefit from her damage SP “Soul Shrivel” that nerfed her hit target’s stats until her next turn. She got Prob Control and her SP’s Steal Energy rider could maybe come in handy (and is probably why she didn’t make my Worst of 2013 list), but she was never much good, not even for her Howling Commandos, Mystical, S.H.I.E.L.D. or Thunderbolts keywords.

NOW: She gets new mostly keywords of Heroes For Hire, Legion of Monsters, Monster, Ruler along with her old Mystical and Thunderbolts. Her attack SP is now Smoke Cloud that deals fire damage after a turn, friend or foe. Steal Energy is traited now; same trait also gives a 50% chance of making her Fire/Smoke token follow an opponent who tries to escape it. Her new damage SP is 4-6 Shape Change.

F.U.N.? Trimmed to a svelte 50 points, this Mystics character has some meta potential with her no-roll damage.

AM I GETTING THIS? I originally cycled her out of my collection in an attempt to purge it of “demonic” pieces. I reacquired the fig. We’ll see if the card finds its way to me.

———

L042 JENNIFER KALE
(Secret Wars Battleworld, 2018)

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THEN: Mystics, Leadership, Support and the ability to give Regen to friendlies with “Man-Thing” in the name was what 40 or 33 points bought you. Well, that and her “Untamed Weirdness” trait that kept foes from getting stat boosts against her.

NOW: She gives the anti-stat boost to all teammates within 3 squares and her keywords (Battleworld: Weirdworld , Midnight SonsMysticalRuler and one new one: Champions) to Man-Things. One of her traits also has this interesting wrinkle: she can effectively quasi-Mastermind to any allied Man-Thing, placing it next her from anywhere on the map and possibly making the whole attack null because unlike MM, it doesn’t make the Man-Thing the HIT target. So an attack that succeeded against her might fail against him/it. Her SP, which used to give her Leadership and Support, now lets her copy enemy bystanders when generated in her 6 range.

F.U.N.? This now 35- or 30-point fig is clearly made to work with Man-Things, which, in Modern, are a single Super Rare and a SR legacy fig. Looks like wild F.U.N. anyway.

AM I GETTING THIS? I own two of this fig. Eventually this card may come to me.

———

L043 BLACK TALON
(Deadpool, 2014)

 dp043

THEN:  Black Talon had friendly Mind Control, a very powerful effect — and one even more potent if he was played with or pitted against Monster keyword figs cheaper than his 60 points, as he could triple target them. In addition to that SP, his trait could first pull a KO’d enemy next to him at full health and try the MC for a single action. Also had Charge+Blades for when MC was not feasible. Keywords: Lethal LegionMasters of EvilMystical.

NOW: His trait and SP essentially swap: He has trait Mind Control (which now works with Charge; it didn’t back in 2014) and his SP can bring any fig, friend or foe, back to life for one move and one attack before dealing Black Talon 1 damage — no dicey MC attack needed. He gains no new keywords and costs just 45 points now.

F.U.N.? This piece is not very survivable — 16 Toughness is trash — so his meta presence may be low. OTOH, that is one hell of a trick.

AM I GETTING THIS? I’ll.be glad to try him in Modern again. And, of course, he’s a Black character, and I’ve aimed to get every single one.

———

L046 GHOST RIDER
(Amazing Spider-Man, 2013)

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THEN: This piece topped Heroclixin’s Top 10 that year:

… sometimes, even within the limits of design, you still get that one nigh-perfect figure. And in 2013, Ghost Rider is that figure.

  • Well-armored with Invulnerability and 18 DV
  • Well-priced as a tentpole at 145 points, leaving ample room for a secondary fighter or supporter or both
  • Armed with lots of mobile attack options with good AV
  • Able to get in attacks and damage every turn via a) Indomitable, b) his Living Hellfire Chain SP and/or Poison and c) the Heroes For Hire ATA, if so equipped
  • Bearing the Mystics TA to deter a lot of attacks
  • Able to taxi his help as a Transporter.

This is a piece with no weakness. No blind spot. Nothing that requires a relic or resource to truly cover. And it’s deservedly the top piece of last year.

Time has left him behind in several respects — Transporter is no longer a thing, ATAs are history, his once-impressive stats would better fit a much cheaper dial. But it’s still one of the better Ghost Riders ever made.

NOW: It’s a much cheaper dial (80 points) with some key losses: No more IM: Elevated or Transporter Hypersonic Speed for this biker. He adds Vehicle to his original ChampionsHeroes for HireLegion of MonstersMidnight Sons and Mystical keywords for all the shenanigans that unshelved keyword can do now. His Attack SP, which now has Poison, still allows him to FREE damage a nearby target, but now THEY have to have 2 tokens instead of HIM. His damage SP later in his dial buffs his slackening AV with CCE and Prob. And no Heroes For Hire ATA to get a conditional one-time, no-cost attack anymore? No problem: his “Rider For Hire” trait is a FREE one-time attack.

F.U.N.? No longer the meta force at all, he’ll be in the back of the pack when the bikers roll out. But still able to keep pace.

AM I GETTING THIS? I never owned this and Ghost Rider’s never been a favorite of mine. So I skipped the Play At Home kit this card comes in.

———

L047 MAN-THING AND HOWARD THE DUCK
(Amazing Spider-Man, 2013)

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THEN: This duo was unwieldy even for duo standards. At a staggering 152 points, they had lowish damage (just 3), no moving attack until well into the dial, and once they did, their defenses flagged a LOT — and an attack SP barring them from being targeted from range came late dial and so was nearly useless except to maybe buy time to run and Regen. Having traited (and thus then unOutwittable) Perplex was nice, but an opening SP keeping even friendlies from modifying their stats meant … well … I am really wondering now how they didn’t make my Worst of 2013 list.

Oh, now I remember: They had Transporter, meaning they actually DID have moving attack ability — like, the LITERAL Move And Attack ability (When not adjacent to enemies, Hypersonic Speed but with -2 attack). At least they had Mystics TA. Still not good enough for any of their keyword themes: AnimalBruteDefendersMysticalPolitician. Waaaugh!

NOW: They get the byzantine-looking new Pilot trait, where a Sidelined Howard the Duck or other Animal keyword can give this fig one of their standard attack or damage powers and then drop onto the map for a single click of life if the duo is KO’d. This time, they really DON’T have starting moving offense. But they get Defenders TA now, and the opening SP is Prob Control that offers a free attack if a friendly fig missed the reroll. They also do penetrating damage on this SP.

F.U.N.? At 80 points, they’re no longer priced like a main attacker. And with extra keywords of CelebrityLegion of MonstersMidnight SonsMonster and Vehicle on top of their original five, you’ll find a F.U.N. team for them somewhere.

AM I GETTING THIS? I used to own this but it’s not worth it to me to reclaim it.

———

L049 TWO-GUN KID
(Avengers, 2007)

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THEN: One of the first-ever SRs, his “Fanfare” attack SP — essentially ranged Flurry but only against different targets — looked good on paper but in practice … wasn’t good. It didn’t work with his old HSS-lite transporter ability and he didn’t have the Willpower he needed to use the SP. Later, a speed SP gave a +2 speed when not carrying. Avengers TA gave him Autonomous MOVE action and his keywords were Avengers and Past.

NOW: He gets the Vehicle keyword as well. That maligned attack SP is now “Two Pistols Or The Lariat” — heavily beefed up into TRUE ranged Flurry with Precision Strike and +1 damage (the pistols) OR a RANGE that deals 1 damage and a token to all foes in range and LOF (the lariat). His other SP is full-speed Running Shot with Flight and IM:Characters. Not bad for a shaving from 50 points to just 35 — or a very svelte 20-point line that actually STARTS with the speed power. AND he’s got traited Prob??

F.U.N.? This is how the West was won, clearly. Quite an upgrade.

AM I GETTING THIS? I have this dream of running all cowboys. So I was happy to get this card.

———

L053a HELA
(The Mighty Thor, 2017)

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THEN: At 150 points, she was always a lot for what she did: Phase into position and, well, sit there until next turn while she get Outwitted and shot. Well, OK, she had a trait that healed her and created a Warrior Soul pog with Blades and stuff when non-pogs got KO’d. And a mid-life speed SP: 2-bolt Mind Control with 9 range (better than her printed one-target 6). And a late-dial Exploit Weakness+Shape Change SP that could auto-KO on a critical close hit. Mystics TA wasn’t enough to really help her.

NOW: With Monster added to her original AsgardianDeityMysticalRuler keywords, she’s only 95 points — no longer having to do tentpole work for a standard 300-point build. Her self-healing trait still triggers on KOs (of standard characters only) but now generates Grave markers instead. Then she can POWER generate a full-health Zombie (Wheels of Vengeance 006) on them. Her Mind Control SP no longer boosts her range but now deals 1 extra damage to every target hit in the whole MC action! Finally, her last SP is reworked to nix STOP clicks and deal the victim’s click number if it’s higher than her natural 3.

F.U.N.? That last SP could make her mean. And she could play well with other Grave marker makers like Black Lanterns or certain WoV pieces. But even at under 100 points, she’s still a little hard to use. So this is pure F.U.N.

AM I GETTING THIS? Heroclixin’ board member Lenny keeps wanting to match his Asgard team against my Asgard enemies ones. So I will be saying Hello to Hela.

———

L054 DAREDEVIL
(Earth X, 2020)

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THEN: This was one of those “don’t die” pieces that was a difficult KO, with four dials you had to dig through one at a time — and he cheated death as long as 3 sixes weren’t rolled. With IM:Elevated, a Hypersonic dial, a Charging dial, a Blades dial and a Plasticity+Poison dial, he was a problem all his 60-point life. Good thing he was a unique and couldn’t be Masterminded. His keywords were limited to Celebrity, Earth X and Mystical.

NOW: They made him less “666”-ish and more the stuntman. Like before, he can pick his start line. But now he’s only 30 points … or 20 … or 10 … and can cheat KO once for each 10 points and sacrificing those 10 points, with a 1-in-6 risk of getting an action token (but much better odds of being Immune for a turn). Meanwhile, he’s still got those dials at his disposal, along with Super Senses now for defense. (Still no Masterminding onto him.)

F.U.N.? This whole review took a while because errata needed to clear up a NUMBER of issues. A) His new keywords are AsgardianDeityMonsterMysticalRuler? You mean HELA’S keywords?? This is clearly a mistake, one that was not cleared up with the errata that only arrived last week. Also, B) the legacy card lacks his old unique status, which seems like a another massive mistake because this piece could have been grossly meta as a point denial and/or don’t-die fig. But fortunately, C) the errata closed a loophole that could’ve allowed Daredevil to never surrender points, even on KO. So that lack of Unique status no longer seems so troublesome.

AM I GETTING THIS? I collect Daredevils so I’m glad to add this card to the roster.

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L059 WITCH QUEEN LE FAY
(Secret Wars Battleworld, 2018)

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THEN: This was a weirdly bipolar piece. At full cost, she had a speed SP granting EVERY standard speed power except Stealth and Earthbound. That offered some great combos like Charge+Flurry or Running Shot+Mind Control. The risk: She lost this power for good if she ever missed an attack. Even her Pulse Wave, traited Perplex and “Untamed Weirdness” trait that barred stat boosts against her weren’t always enough to help her land those must-hit shots. She needed to be more dependable at 150 points to not be totally dependent on her Mastermind to save her. Meanwhile, at her lower line of 100 points, she lacked that SP entirely, relegating her to weak Sidestep and then-middling 6 range but with the Prob Control and Impervious she really needed at top dial, too. At least she also had traited Leadership. Keywords were Battleworld: WeirdworldMysticalRuler.

NOW: Slimmed down to 100 points, she keeps the same keywords and her anti-stat-boost trait but loses a trait that used to give +2 Perplex targeting “Battleworld: Weirdworld”-keyworded allies. Instead, the trait generates a Skulldugger pog (11AV Charge+Flurry with Skrulls TA) on Leadership rolls — useful for fighting and her Mastermind. And remember how her SP offered the potential RS+MC combo? Now, that’s all her new SP is, aside from a rider nerfing enemy Battle Fury in her range. Her 60-point line is better than ever thanks to smaller maps.

F.U.N.? This is a fine fix to a fig that never really worked before.

AM I GETTING THIS? I have had one for ages with a missing original card. Now I can finally play her!

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L059a HAMMER
(Deadpool & X-Force, 2017)

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THEN: This was one of those pieces that could deal mass damage to a clumped set of targets — especially bearing Ranged Combat Expert, which back then could +2 attack OR damage. More than made up for the fact that this flier couldn’t carry same-size pals. Very good for 50 points, he also offered SHIELD TA and Enhancement. Keywords: were only Six Pack, and Soldier.

NOW: For exactly the same price, he loses ANY carry ability and his old mass-damage attack SP. Gains? Pick an attack power. Traited Super Senses that ramps with each attack of the turn. Leadership+Outwit SP with the ability to Earthbound a target within 4. And the Vehicle keyword.

F.U.N.? This is a rare time when the old piece might be more playable. But the new one is more versatile and, consequently, more F.U.N. for us.

AM I GETTING THIS? I own every Black character in the game, so yeah.

———

L062 IRON MAN
(Avengers Assemble, 2015)

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THEN: Originally a whopping 270 points, this non-flying monstrosity’s worth was all in his durability. He had a trait that gave him (then) unOutwittable Invulnerability at worst and straight up damage nixing at best on a d6 roll. He also started with a Pulse Wave+Force Blast SP, a combo that’s still good today, and his damage SP “Give Me All The Cameras” that granted Outwit a lot of Improved Targeting. A late dial Speed SP offered a Flurry-but-range-attacks effect and he had Sharpshooter (a limited version of IT:Adjacent). A rare Iron Man that couldn’t fly, though.

NOW: Highly discounted to just 120 points now, he loses all that special damage reduction for mere traited Energy Shield/Deflection+Impervious, leaving him open to Outwit. But at least penetrating damage is no longer a problem, via the same trait. His starting attack SP makes a shift to EE and Penetrating/Psychic Blast (since PW isn’t big damaging anymore) and his damage SP offers the IT plus the choice of Outwit or RCE. That late speed SP switches to Leap/Climb, Sidestep and Force Blast. Same keywords: Armor, Avengers, Scientist, Stark Industries. One gain is the Avengers TA.

F.U.N.? This card, designed by Daniel Powell, takes an unwieldy old piece and brings it up to date. Not meta. Pure F.U.N.

AM I GETTING THIS? I used to chase after every Iron Man suit variant, but I mostly quit after the TabApp sculpts were so dumb-looking. I still looked for this one, hoping to score it for a super rare price rather than a chase-level price tag. And I’m glad I did.

———

Whew, these reviews get harder and harder. And my hopes that WizKids fixes their QA problems remain unanswered.
But thankfully all these cards have been readily available. Nothing like the somehow super-scarce pair of cards in War of the Realms.
Next up: Top 10 of the year lists!

 

.HeroClixWheelsVengenceLogo

Between Scott Porter’s unboxing vids, WizKids’ newly activated in-house PR reveals and prerelease season, we’ve gotten the full (and confirmed) list of pieces for Heroclixin’s customary pocket checklist earlier than ever!

So of course I forget to actually post this on time.

FINALLY download a four-copy PDF using the link below.

WheelsChecklist

Now that WizKids has released its errata list for Notorious (more on that later), it’s time for our regular review of the set’s legacy cards: a F.U.N. way to bring some old fan-favorites back into Modern/Silver play and rework some old figs that never really worked right before (or don’t anymore due to rule changes).

By set number:

 

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L020a CALENDAR MAN
(Streets of Gotham, 2013)

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THEN: He was a bizarre piece with different SPs based on the actual days of the week. For example, if played Monday through Thursday, he got mega-Outwit that took the chosen power away from the whole enemy team. But on the weekends — y’know, when most clix games are held — he was stuck with just giving +1 AV to adjacent allies. On even-numbered days, he could halve an enemy’s speed as POWER, but on odd ones he could only give three adjacent pals Phasing. And a third SP was POWER: roll d6 and give a foe holding/next to an object an action token or 1 penetrating damage depending on if it was winter and spring or summer and fall, respectively.

The upside is that all three SPs respectively offered standard powers of Stealth, Energy Explosion and Probability Control all year long. Paired with Mastermind, he could maybe do something consistent despite his 4 range being very poor at the time.

NOW: His old 52-point cost cut down to 40, he gains “The Yearly Cycle,” a trait granting Probability Control and Regeneration. His old speed SP still offers Stealth, but now even-numbered days give him Improved Movement:Characters while odd-number dates give a FREE that nerfs a target enemy’s defense and d6 rolls -1 for a round. His attack SP drops Energy Explosion for Precision Strike — sort of. Because now, Sunday-Wednesday, he still gets EE — penetrating! The rest of the week, his attack and damage both shoot up +2. Finally, his damage SP triggers off even- or odd-numbered months instead, with the former giving a FREE to shut off a standard power for all foes within range (no LOF needed), while in January, March, May, July, September and November he sports double Prob Control regardless of range (but needing LOF). Oh, and he adds a ton of new keywords: Gothem City to his original Arkham Asylum

F.U.N.? As before, CM here is a bizarre piece. And IMO, his power is way out of scale with the character’s classic abilities. But after one of the more recent DCU reboots, he seems to have gained weird superpowers to be reborn each year? So this clix might be more in line with the current villain than I thought.

But is it meta, though? The date-reliant flavor probably makes it too random. Not having EE on the weekends is a blow to his effectiveness, for example. And in a multi-day event like Worlds Singles, he’d completely change his powers — and performance. So more F.U.N. than fearsome, I think.

AM I GETTING THIS? I have long liked this figure. Glad to see it get another season.

———

L020b DEATHSTROKE
(Justice League New 52, 2012)

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THEN: He was all about his “Precisely Timed Strike” SP which, along with Blades/Claws/Fangs, dealt free d6 damage to any foe who moved adjacent to him at all. Too bad even the lightest damage through Toughness killed both his Stealth and SP, leaving him with Running Shot and Penetrating/Psychic Blast. That’s not too terribly bad, especially with his 7 range. But his relative lack of mobility and hefty 120 point cost, which was very easy to collect once he fell off that Stealth, made him a little unwieldy. Keywords: Injustice League, Martial Artist, Society and Soldier.

NOW: This time he comes with two point costs: 100 and 40 (click 5). Along with added keywords Arkham Asylum, Assassin, Gotham City Underworld and Suicide Squad (but no more Society), both lines have the trait “I Killed The Teen Titans” — Charge, Sidestep and a FREE choice of Energy Shield/Deflection + Ranged Combat Expert or Combat Reflexes + Close Combat Expert. He also gets “The Target” trait that other Assassin keyword figs in Notorious have, to gain 25 extra points if any of them KO a designated enemy. His SP, renamed “Timed Strikes,” is functionally exactly the same except for adding Precision Strike to the mix. Improved Movement:Elevated is a big boost, as is Targeted:Hindering and Team Player TA.

F.U.N.? It’s upgraded in every way from the original. But it’s still not quite competitive. Strong, though, and definitely F.U.N.

AM I GETTING THIS? I collect Deathstrokes and, before seeing the new card text, had never been happier to own two copies of this piece so I could play both the original and the new on a Golden Age all-Slade Wilson force someday. But as noted above, there’s absolutely no reason to ever again play the original.

———

L021 LYSSA DRAK
(War of Light, 2014)

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THEN: She was a Probability Control piece (anywhere on map if a friendly with her Sinestro Corps, Monster or Black Lantern Corps keyword was attacked) who started also with enemy-only Perplex (that gave pals Precision against the target) before switching late dial to Steal Energy and Exploit, with Barrier and Sidestep interspersed throughout. Useful but kinda overcosted at her original 91 points.

NOW: She’s only 45 points, less than half, so that means she lost something: her Prob Control. Instead, she generates Grave markers like other BL Corps members in the set — in her case, wherever an enemy anywhere Outwits, Steals Energy or Regens. Enemies in Graves then lose -1 stats when in combat with BL Corps. She keeps her enemy-only Perplex, which now prevents the target from healing, too, when she uses it. She gains the Herald keyword this time.

F.U.N.? Priced like the supporting piece she always was, yet somehow not quite as good as before IMO, she’ll find her way onto some teams.

AM I GETTING THIS? I somehow do not have any copies of her anymore. I don’t regret it, really, as I am not much of a Lantern Corps fan. More for y’all!

———

L025 ULTRAMAN
(Trinity War, 2015)

jltw025r

THEN: For 225 points, he was a pretty standard Hypersonic brick. The only things really special about him were A) his SAFEGUARD: Outwit when in hindering terrain and B) his Crime Syndicate team ability, giving him Prob Control as long as he could give himself or an ally an extra action token. His lower price at 125 started with Charge+Super Strength and RCE, which paired very well with anti-Stealth 8 range. He had Brute, Crime Syndicate and Ruler keywords.

NOW: He slims down A LOT to just 110 and 75 points. His losses? The Outwit protection, which trades down to Stealth and Willpower that both only works in hindering. He gains IM:Destroy Blocking and, IF there’s more tokens on his team than theirs, FREE Regen. With the CSA TA, those extra tokens could be easy to rack up. (He also appeared to have lost his Flight ability, but that’s an error WizKids has fixed by errata.)

F.U.N.? CSA is wildcard-friendly now instead of being uncopyable, which COULD be a competitive edge. But I feel like this piece is just OK and not meta. F.U.N.

AM I GETTING THIS? I love the Crime Syndicate, so yeah.

———

L026 OWLMAN
(Trinity War, 2015)

jltw026r

THEN: At his full 116 points, Oilman was chiefly a Stealthy Outwit piece who’s SP version of the power kept enemy Outwitters from countering higher-cost characters. With Combat Reflexes, Toughness and Willpower bundled in a defense SP, he was decently protected. But 4 range didn’t allow for much offense on his part. Fortunately, he had a cheaper 50-point line that also had both SPs. Unfortunately, it lacked the Stealth and was thus much easier to KO. Still, as one of the least expensive figs with the CSA TA, he was worth fielding for keyword themes Crime Syndicate, Detective and Scientist.

NOW: He’s 70 and 25 points now. A new trait gives twice-a-turn (IF his team has more tokens than the enemy) Sidestep for the mobility he really needs now that his defense SP lost its old Toughness. His damage SP now allows him to Outwit up to three powers if he’s full of tokens.

F.U.N.? He still has the old weaknesses, so he might not be as scary as he looks. But that 25-point line, starting with Flurry and him having possible double Sidestep, has some potential. F.U.N. times being bad!

AM I GETTING THIS? I love the Crime Syndicate and owl-themed characters, so heck yeah.

———

L027 SUPERWOMAN
(Trinity War, 2015)

jltw027

THEN: Though not as beefy as Ultraman, Earth-3 Lois Lane here actually hit a lot harder thanks to the Charge+Super Strength+Exploit Weakness combo. She also had a trait that nerfed enemy defenses if they were adjacent to each other and shared keywords. Not much else interesting about her for 142 points. She had a 100-point line that started with Empower instead of Exploit. CSA TA rounded out her offerings. Keywords: Crime Syndicate, Amazon.

NOW: She adds one trait giving FREE Mind Control of a hit character and a second granting +2AV if her squad has more action tokens. Cost basically halved to 75 and 50. (There’s also a couple of discrepancies in powers and values between her original correct dial and the erroneous card. Officially the dial is right.)

F.U.N.? The new CSA TA could help ensure these token bonuses, especially now that it’s wildcard-friendly.

AM I GETTING THIS? I love the Crime Syndicate and Amazons are a B-tier theme I collect. So yes.

———

L035 KILLER MOTH
(Joker’s Wild, 2016)

jw035

THEN: He was one of Heroclixin’s worst of the year because he was 65 points for Running Shot, 9 AV single target Incap … and almost ANYTHING was a better use of 65 points, even for his sole keyword of Gotham City Underworld.

NOW: For a deep discount to just 35 points, he loses his flight ability but gains a few tricks from a brand-new trait that A) gives him two bolts, then B) +2 AV and, probably best, C) he forces his targets to break away to move, whether he hit or not. He also gains the Gotham City keyword

F.U.N.? Some believe the original was a troll piece, a cruel joke to make the character at last but also make him as terrible as possible. This remake actually redeems him a lot.

AM I GETTING THIS? I am, eventually.

———

L037a HUSH
(Batman, 2012)

bm037a

THEN: For 107 points, he was little but a Stealth 5-range Sharpshooter (which, back then, gave the equivalent of Improved Targeting: Opposing Characters and IT: Adjacent but ONLY Adjacent). Well, OK, he could shoot Batman Ally enemies despite their Stealth and he had a Support + Exploit Weakness SP and he got a +1 AV boost when using the Batman Enemy TA. But again, that poor 5 range and lack of Running Shot meant that despite his really cool sculpt and Mastermind+Shape Change SP defense, he just wasn’t very playable, not even for his Celebrity or Gotham City Underworld keywords.

NOW: He is a LOT cheaper: 60 points, losing all his Improved Targeting and anti-Stealth skills. But his all-new trait gives him Precision, Support and Regen — and he gets to move up to the d6 roll when he uses either of the latter. His defense SP keeps Mastermind but loses the Shape Change while gaining FREE placement of same-keyworded allies in his range and LOF next to him. That’s like no-cost TK but better.

His Shape Change moves to his damage SP, which loses the old Exploit Weakness and gains SAFEGUARD: Outwit for all his keyword buddies in range.

F.U.N.? This is a piece designed to play on theme above all else, which we at Heroclixin’ find very F.U.N.

AM I GETTING THIS? I regret unloading this sculpt due to the unwieldy original dial. But I found it again at a premium, so I’m scoring this card.

———

L043 JOHNNY QUICK
(Trinity War, 2015)

jltw043

THEN: The Crime Syndicate version of The Flash looked similar to the heroic speedster: He had the Speed token trait (gain one when if you hit while moving) to modify his speed value, and ignored characters and hindering for movement — the last being a big deal back in 2015. But his real use was for his SP to juice up his stats +1 or +2 for a turn at the cost of clicks of life. A suddenly 14 HSS, 12 AV, 5 damage assassin could easily get to a backline character you THOUGHT was well protected — then use his enemies-only trait Perplex (if he had a Speed token to spend) to also sever that foe’s speed powers. Along with CSA TA, for 82 points, that wasn’t bad. Only keywords were Speedster and Crime Syndicate

NOW: No new keywords. Slashed to 45 points, he loses his juicing abilities, gaining IM:Elevated and a rewritten first trait: +2 undodgable attack against enemy Speedster keyword or figs with Hypersonic Speed. His SP allows him to steal and equip enemy equipment if his team has more tokens.

F.U.N.? Not as good as the last iteration, but CSA looks like a lot of F.U.N.

AM I GETTING THIS? For sure.

———

L044 DARKSEID
(SLOSH, 2014)

slosh044

THEN: Weighing in a hefty 350 points, this rare started with SP Running Shot only when he was token-free. That sounds bad until you see that the same SP granted him Phasing/Teleport with a free attack if he had one token already. Pretty good with his 12 AV and 5 damage. He reduced penetrating damage, had SAFEGUARD: Outwit (conditional on him not using his own Outwit) and gave +1AV and damage to other Apokolips figs with one action token (back then, getting a second token caused self-damage). But probably the most fearsome thing about him was his 10 range IT:Everything except elevated and outdoor blocking terrain — deadly with his opening Outwit.

But better was his 300-point level with all that plus his damage SP that brought the Outwit PLUS Leadership that could remove 2 tokens by dealing damage to the subordinate. These powers also showed up on his low dial of 200 — which actually allowed room for other allies to use all his powers and abilities in a standard game. But he was a little short-dialed with only 6 clicks.

NOW: He adds Cosmic, Deity, New Gods, and Secret Society of Super-Villains to his original Apokolips, Ruler and Warrior keywords while dropping a full 100 points to 250. His chief losses: Improved Targeting is now only IT:Characters,Adjacent; his conditional Running Shot/Phasing+attack is gone; and now his penetrating damage protection is conditional on his non-use of Outwit. But he gains traited no-frills Leadership and Mastermind; his speed SP is Mind Control (FREE if the target has Anti-Life) and Phasing 3 squares FREE (or full speed normally). His damage SP is now just Outwit with extra effects if the targets have Anti-Life (either 2 powers nixed or the target takes damage if they miss their attack next turn).

Oh, you wanna know about Anti-Life? When Darkseid or allies hit, targets get an Anti-Life token that nerfs AV and damage -1 and are only removed via healing or by Darkseid himself.

His lower lines are 175 and 125 now, and he’s got the Cosmic Energy TA.

F.U.N.? The old one was one of the best Darkseids ever, but this one is a solid improvement. More F.U.N. than meta IMO but I also think competitive things could be done with him.

AM I GETTING THIS? I collect Darkseid, so yeah.

———

L049 QUEEN OF FABLES
(Superman, 2011)

sm049

THEN: For 164 points, she was an oddball giant with 7-range Mind Control and an attack SP giving her Perplex and Prob Control, though with natural 11 AV and 4 damage, she usually wouldn’t waste the action on MC. Dial-long 9 clicks of Shape Change helped protect her from object attacks, to which she had a traited vulnerability. Mystics TA served as a further deterrent. Mid-dial she became a Psychic Blaster, but it’s her last three clicks that bear her best SP: Willpower and able to best her target’s AV and damage despite her flagging values at that point. Only keywords were Mystical and Ruler.

NOW: She’s a completely different kind of piece. First, her price plummets to 100 points with a second line of 60 (click 5). Next, her trait now gives Perplex along with a game-start choice of either Prob or Outwit — or both if you weren’t Player 1. This frees up her attack SP to actually be an attack SP: EE, Penetrating/Psychic Blast plus KNOCKBACK. Her dial-ending speed SP, instead of giving her a second wind, instead literally shrinks her to tiny size, bars her from shooting and grants allies Support to heal only her.

F.U.N.? This redo is based on the wacky Harley Quinn animated show version, which gains her the Gotham City Underworld keyword. That’s a F.U.N. aspect — and maybe one that makes her more playable.

AM I GETTING THIS? Even if the TV show version wasn’t a Black version of the character, I’d want to score this card for the F.U.N. of it.

———

L051 THE PHANTASM
(BTAS, 2018)

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THEN: The Phantasm made Heroclixin’s Top F.U.N. figs list back in 2018. What seemed like disadvantages — 10 AV, 75 point cost — were actually strengths because that AV became 12 vs. cheaper foes — with Blades.  There was also a SP-Perplex against foes on clicks 2, 3, 4 and 6. And FREE move every turn with a FREE Smoke Cloud trait:

 

YOUR ANGEL OF DEATH AWAITS: Smoke Cloud as FREE // FREE: Move but only through squares with her smoke cloud markers. After resolutions, remove each of these markers she moved through.
Phantasm couldn’t park in Stealth with her own Smoke, though, and she had 0 range, meaning she usually only moved 3 squares, being careful to hide behind a 4th square still holding the Smoke. But Mystics TA rounded the Assassin- and Gotham City-keyworded package.

NOW: Her cost drops to 50. Her attack SP loses the AV bonus but she can make free attacks in hindering terrain — a perfect combo with her new, less clunky trait of Sidestep and FREE Smoke Cloud. Her damage SP becomes Shape Change with a bonus if the attacker’s in hindering or is her Target — because she has that shared trait as well to get bonus points for KOing a mark. Add Project Cadmus and Future to her keywords.

F.U.N.? This version seems easier to use. Getting to make a FREE attack every turn possible could be really good. Definitely F.U.N.

AM I GETTING THIS? I loved the movie this was based on. So yeah.

———
L055 MAN-BAT
(Joker’s Wild, 2016)

jw055

THEN: It was the most beautiful sculpt in the game. But the dial, though. Charge was paired with just 1 damage all dial so the Blades/Claws/Fangs (standard and SP version that added Steal Energy) was vital for his offense — and one Outwit made him lose it. He also had zero defense powers and his DV topped out at just 17. Like many others in the Joker’s Wild, he had a trait with which he could grant other Bat Enemies a power when copying his AV — in his case, Steal Energy and 10 or lower, respectively — but it wasn’t nearly enough to make him more than minimally playable for 55 points. Animal, Gotham City and Scientist were his keywords.

NOW: He’s trimmed to 45 points. A new trait, “Scent of Blood,” gives +1 damage dealt to a foe he’s bitten. “Swooping Dive,” his second trait, gives Super Senses and +2AV for moving and attacking (whether via Charge or Sidestep or even an allies’ Telekinesis). Finally, his attack SP’s Steal Energy gets boosted to heal equal to the victim’s taken damage instead of 1. No new keywords.

But … this winged wonder of a character now has BOOT SPEED? that seems like a classic case of WizKids quabity … quabity assuance.

quabbity

F.U.N.? And it got errata, so this is a dial worthy of the sculpt at last. Plenty of F.U.N.

AM I GETTING THIS? Because I missed out on getting the figure, which was sought out for its sheer beauty even before legacy status, I will probably skip it.

———
L056 MAZAHS!
(Trinity War, 2015)

jltw061

THEN: 210 points got you a Hypersonic brick who had to KO an enemy to be anything special: This alternate-universe Lex Luthor’s trait allowed him to take one of the victim’s powers. He also had Prob Control and a special Pulse Wave that forced hit targets to choose just ONE power they had; the rest got countered for a turn. But neither of those useful skills were top-dial and it wasn’t terribly hard to deal with his decidedly average stats. Only the one Mystical keyword.

NOW:  He still has the Mystics TA and adds Metropolis and Crime Syndicate keywords (even though he’s technically their enemy). He also still has to KO to activate his trait, but he has the option to boost one of his stats +1 for the rest of the game instead of picking the one of the victim’s powers — though he can choose both if the victim was more than his 150 points. His SP PW is now FREE if he moved this turn.

F.U.N.? This fig is pure F.U.N. with probably zero meta potential. Not having Outwit protection or Willpower is rough at his cost.

AM I GETTING THIS? I collect Lex Luthors so this was a lock to acquire even if it were bad.

 

———
L070 CHESHIRE
(Teen Titans, 2013)

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THEN: With pretty average stats for 97 points, her claim to playability was Poison that also nerfed defense -1 to its victims. She also had a SP to POWER action deal no-roll-needed 1 penetrating damage to an adjacent foe. Hopefully her Stealth, Reflexes and wild card ability would be enough to save her long enough to get either off — IF she could get in close in the first place. Keywords: Martial Artist, Titans, Villains For Hire.

NOW: Still a wildcard, the now-50-point Assassin, League of Assassins, Martial Artist, Secret Six, and Secret Society of Super-Villains keyword villainess has The Target trait, a new trait granting Sidestep and 2-damage Poison, and her SP for Precision and nixes damage reduction entirely for a round when she damages an opponent.

F.U.N.? She’s a 100% meta-level piece.

AM I GETTING THIS? I had no real affinity for the character to track this piece down when it was new. So probably no.

———
LG003 BRIMSTONE
(Superman Wonder Woman, 2015)

smwwG003

THEN: This colossal guy was most feared for his penetrating Poison. (Well, also for his Colossal Retaliation that could deal d6 damage to a bunch of characters.) At top dial (400 points) he started with a SP Pulse Wave that could blast around corners and away from friendlies. He also had Charge+Exploit-focused 275- and 150-point lines along with a rather weak 100-pointer. But the main event was usually the retal line at 20. Only keywords were Apokolips and Robot.

NOW: He’s playable at 290, 175, 90, 50 and 15 points. Cosmic Energy nixes his old Outwit vulnerability. His old PW SP is gone, rewritten so he just ignores Super Senses or enemy combat buffs. His old Poison SP is also gone; he just deals penetrating damage in general now, and at end of turn he burns every enemy within his printed damage value for 1 damage. His retal SP is virtually the same as before. UNLIKE before, he can normal-attack smaller characters at will.

F.U.N.? This is not a F.U.N. figure. This could be a meta figure, thanks to the myriad of playable start lines.

AM I GETTING THIS? I own the fig, so absolutely add the card to my collection if I buy the Poison Ivy home kit.

WhichIHave

———
Hopefully all these cards will be readily available. And I really, really hope WizKids figures out how to fix their QA problems. This round of errors is nearly on the level of those seen in the very FIRST set of legacy cards and we’re more than two years into the mechanic.

Dice and tokens baggie

I was all set to fake-whine about going to Worlds this year. How I:

  • Started Thursday with a thud by missing out on the pulp events and placed third or worse in every BR
  • Failed on Friday by forgetting my clix supplies and led my Teams campaign to a sorry 1-2 finish before dropping but still missed the limited seating Silver event due to having to go back for the aforementioned clix supplies AND still got only third places in every BR — including the one with my only chase wish, Aquaman 😥 — and actually LOST my clix supplies at the end of the evening
  • Sucked it on Saturday, not equaling the “at least one win in singles” goal that I met in 2022 OR having a winning record in the Theme event later AND missing all the BRs of the day
  • And slipped up Sunday, just falling short of my goal to win a 209 Apocalypse in the X of Swords SLOP event.

 

And yeah, all that happened. But as the title said: I had a blast!

  • Got all the buyables I wanted — and more. I really have to exercise more discipline next time.
  • Even my one dead-last-place BR finish got me 2 SRs … I love Worlds.
  • Oh, and how awesome was getting the first play time with a brand-new set? Not to mention sneak peeks at upcoming figs from Wheels of Vengeance. (A Blade on a motorcycle is coming! I wish I’d gotten a photo :( )

HeroClix Fan Appreciation 2023WoV glo bases

  • I was spared the grind of Pulp Worlds. I wasn’t ready at ALL.(Which meant more BRs)
  • Being a longtime Legion of Super-Heroes fan (see my first-in-competitive Top 8 ROC win in 2014 with the Legion or search “Legion” on this site) I was really really happy to run a comic-accurate Legion of Super-Villains team in Teams Sealed! Went 1-2 but this pulp force was competitive.
  • Speaking of Teams, here’s my roomie William K. Holland and my Georgia player friend Blant Archer!

Worlds Teams 2023

  • Someone found my troublesome dice+tokens baggie and I got it back!
  • I got to meet Heroclixin’ board member Tereso’s friend Curtis, who said that commonality took a lot of the sting out of the loss I’d just dealt him using my comic-accurate team of The Ultimates (Blue Marvel, Monica Rambeau, Captain Marvel, Black Panther and Miss America).

Curtis and me

  • In fact, I got to put faces and fist bumps to SO many names I’ve liked and respected over these clix years, such as Joe Pangrazio, Azarith Stryffe, Devin Owens, Simeon Bruce and Antonio Clark, just to name a very few!

Seriously, when the biggest disappointment is winning ANOTHER Genesis grand prize, that’s a good weekend!