TOP TEN medics: Introduction

Sorry for the long absence. Went out of town for a mere weekend and got all out of my groove. Let’s get things back on track with a seasonal focus. This being the time of good cheer and good works, December’s top ten will put the spotlight on the salvation of your army: Medics!

red_cross

Back in the early days of HeroClix, one of the most effective powers was Support. Here’s a common scenario of the time: Vet Black Adam gets hit for 4 clicks, taking two after a failed Impervious roll. A second attacker shoots with Ranged Combat Expert for 2 more clicks. Finally, a third shooter pings him for 1 after Invulnerability.

Three successful attack rolls. TWO failed Impervious rolls. But one mistake is made by the aggressor: they’re all ranged attacks, leaving Black Adam free next turn to push and run to the medic still in the starting area 8 squares away. He does, and the 10-point Paramedic easily rolls the 7 needed to succeed in the Support roll. Then she rolls a 6 for the final result, healing all five damaged clicks and putting Adam back at full strength with just TWO good rolls in his favor to the attacker’s FIVE against.

Support needed a change, and it got one in 2006  in the “minus 2, minimum 1” language. Now, in the above scenario Black Adam has a  50% chance of healing just 1 click instead of only a 15% chance of same. There’s also zero chance of erasing more than half of a full-length 11-click dial with two rolls. Finally, it’s just more realistic (well, as realistic as a game starring little plastic superpeople could be) — it’s much easier to wreck than to build, not the other way around.

What makes a great medic?

  • Ability to HIT. Simply put, the medic needs to be able to land the Support roll.
  • Ability to HEAL…now! The medic must be ready to work in the early rounds of combat. Mid- to late-dial Support simply can’t be counted upon. Support needs to be on click 1 or 2.
  • Ability to HELP and HARMONIZE with your build total. Because Support is easily thwarted by adjacent foes, the healer can’t be the front-line fighter, so it doesn’t  make sense to spend major points on a dedicated medic. No, the best healer is one who’s never needed and thus won’t suck up a lot of your build total. Low cost, or some other supporting power that won’t use up actions, is ideal.
  • Ability to HIDE or HINDER attacks. Back in the early days of Support, a standing adage was “Kill the medic.” Therefore, survivability is key, be it through high defense, mobility, team abilities or powers.
  • Ability to HEAL…again! Pushability is key. Thanks to the random nature of die rolls, you will certainly need to try Support rolls more than once, eventually. Whether it’s through Willpower or multiple clicks of Support, the best medics should be able to heal in consecutive turns if need be.

So there’s the setup. Be here tomorrow for numbers 10 and 9 of the game’s best healers!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *