F.U.N. Friday: The Dark Knight (and power creep) Rises

A brief survey of Heroclixin’ (or clicking on the “About Heroclixin'” link above) shows that this website isn’t very focused on the meta aspects of this game. But darn if the metagame doesn’t make you anyway.

Lately there have been quite a few figures and mechanics release which go pretty counter to the F.U.N. aesthetic of Heroclixin’ and, even worse, sometimes against the very characters they represent.

Take, for example, Ziran the Tester. His “Testing” trait at all but his lowest point level can deal free automatic damage to any team that’s actually built to challenge a powerful colossal, while a team that can actually pass all his tests — in Modern Age, at least — wouldn’t have a prayer of winning. Taking damage just for building your team? On the Power Leap Factor scale of 1 to 5, this unprecedented mechanic rates the maximum.

But that’s a 600-1800-point colossal. You expect that sort of incredibly unfair and potentially un-fun stuff from that lot. But what about a street-level set like Dark Knight Rises?

Sadly, there’s a fair bit of power leap there, too. Almost every single piece is a bit overpowered somehow.

The Dark Knight 001: has 3 starting clicks of Invulnerability. Why’s he get to be more durable than many characters with the Armor keyword? This is on top of being permaStealthy and able to Outwit through walls. A more character-accurate balance would’ve been for him to have ONE click of Invulnerability on top. As is, this piece has a Power Leap Factor of 3.

Shadow Assassin 002a: for 3 fewer points, he has a longer dial and a much-improved version of Hand Ninja 003’s Special Power; this time, it works with Blades/Claws/Fangs. Only the fact that BCF isn’t top-dial keeps the Power Leap Factor from being more than a modest 1.

Bruce Wayne 003: somehow this billionaire playboy is able to rock a high 18 Defend and counteract Outwit while using the power himself. And all this is pretty well in keeping with Christian Bale Bruce Wayne’s out-of-uniform Bat-tricks, if a little too efficient in my opinion (I’d have nudged the DV down to 17, myself). What cranks the Power Leap Factor from 1 to 3 is the appearance of Leap/Climb. Bruce Wayne does not carry Bat-cables in his business suit! (Caveat: I haven’t seen Dark Knight Rises as of this writing.) Drop the L/C!

Arkham Asylum Inmate 004: Both dials are very efficient for 40 points. The “A” version’s ability to get either free breakaway or a second attack after a miss deserves a Power Leap Factor score of 2. 004b only gets better stats and Batman Enemy TA. Power Leap Factor: 1

GCPD Officer 005a: Why does a beat cop get the smartest power there is, Outwit? That’s ridiculous. Power Leap Factor: 5

Catwoman 006: her trait depends on both adjacency and the randomness of rolling doubles, so her Power Leap Factor is 0; she’s otherwise a perfectly character-accurate representation of Selina Kyle.

The Joker’s Henchman #1: Again, this is a dial thoroughly justified by the film, with low stats balancing out the useful bits. Power Leap Factor: 0

Mercenary 008: But now we’re getting a little ridiculous again. 45 points for Indomitable, solid stats and the ability to crack Invuln. on most clicks is enough to earn Power Leap Factor 3 for the A version — and that’s without a Bane to boost his AV or damage even higher! The B version somehow rates super Support (which better be a reference to Bane’s Venom Pump or something) though with lower stats. Only Power Leap Factor 1 here.

Two-Face 009: Indomitable makes sense for him. His SP giving him, occasionally, a free attack on a 2nd target, also makes sense. Having Super Senses does NOT. When did he get as nimble as Spider-Man or intangible/shielded like Zatanna? And how does flipping a coin rate Probability Control? Power Leap Factor: 3, not because he’s so effective — he’s not — but because he’s not accurate for the sake of a little extra playability.

Falcone Bodyguard 010b: This would be a great dial for the Shadow Assassin, or Shang Chi, the master of kung fu. NOT for a Mafia thug, even an elite one! When, in either of the first films, do you EVER see any of such get through Batman’s armor? Yet that’s what this piece does ALL DIAL LONG. The worst thing is the Leap/Climb for the first two clicks; he deserves it even less than Bruce Wayne earlier. Power Leap Factor 5.

GCPD Riot Officer 011a: Invulnerability on a 45-point cop? Sure, why not? It’s an arms race now, with Mafia goons able to punch through Iron Man’s armor like it isn’t there. Actually, this makes sense as representative of the bulletproof riot shield, and being followed by a couple of bare clicks balances it pretty nicely. Consequently, this is just Power Leap Factor 2.

Miranda Tate 012: Y’know, I think I’ll pick up here next week, after I’ve seen The Dark Knight Rises, to see if this click rates a Power Leap Factor. And, of course, we’re not even half done deconstructing this set. See you here next Friday!

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