Top Ten HeroClix of 2011: #9

The #10 HeroClix is a little guy who’s a big help to shooters…which leads us across universes and genres to…

#9

Legolas (Lord of the Rings #004)

The elf prince of Tolkien’s epic fantasy brings epic-scale range ttacking ability to HeroClix. Here’s why:

  • Range is still king in this game, and with three targets, Running Shot, 3 damage and +2 AV coupled with Sharpshooter ability, he’s royally effective at shooting even the most Impervious or Invulnerable  of foes.
  • The same SP that boosts his AV when shooting also boosts his damage when hitting multiple targets (as long as he deals at least 1 damage to all).
  • He’s also got “Flank,” an interesting Epic Action power allowing him to use Phasing/Teleport (but only along the edges of the map) and carry multiple characters with him (up to 5, if the build total allows). With his 10 range, he can control a board very effectively.
  • Mid-dial, he gets even more dangerous to bricks with Penetrating/Psychic Blast. Late-dial, he’s dealing Ranged Combat Expert damage.

Legolas is simply an angel of death disguised as an elven archer. But his 130-point price is a high cost for seven clicks of zero damage reduction. Moreover, his range costs a lot as well; similar melee ability (think SI Iron Fist or Gamora) is 60 points cheaper!

With that in mind, I considered another strong range piece, leading to a tie at #9.

Guardian of the Universe (Green Lantern Fast Forces #005)

The diminutive cosmic-powered mentor to the Green Lantern Corps doesn’t look like much, appearance-wise, and lacks some of the mobility that Legolas sports. But he’s got all he needs to make the list, namely:

  • 10 range, a value increasingly rare in the modern game;
  • Impervious defense for a few clicks, sliding to Invulnerability for a few more;
  • Penetrating/Psychic Blast, enabling him to bypass those defenses with contemptous ease;
  • Phasing/Teleport to move into position with similar effort (i.e., none)
  • Outwit during the early clicks to deactivate whatever power or ability that could threaten him until next turn, when he’ll use his Indomitable ability to push and attack.
  • Even getting hit will only make him force rerolls with Probability Control or exploding you with Pulse Wave.

At 150 points, he’s good enough to be a light tentpole and still have room for a strong ally or two. The lack of moving attack ability keeps him low on the list, but the sheer danger his early clicks represent are enough to make Guardian of the Universe tie as Heroclixin’s #9 most playable piece.

Stick around in the coming days for the rest of Heroclixin’s Top Ten figs of 2011.

1 comment

  1. The Guardian is good, but I have to give the edge to Legolas. The Running Shot, three targets, Sharpshooter, and 12 attack is pretty devastating and flexible. He can ping bricks, hit high defense targets, and/or chew up swarms. The Sharpshooter also means you can’t just safely park a close combat piece next to him.

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