NO. 1

Black Panther [Avengers Defenders War 065]

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Some years ago, I raved about this character’s iteration in Age of Ultron as being the first complete version ever made. Since then, every version of T’Challa has been solid (even the one that nearly made our worst of 2016 list was just a little disjointed).

Until this one. Uneasy lies the head beneath the crown and sorry is the butt that sits on this throne.

  • He lacks opening Outwit, his signature power. Sure, he gets it later, but you’re losing the game at that point.
  • He completely lacks the Stealth that is his other signature power.
  • He’s not the least bit self-sufficient. He needs Mastermind fodder or he’s an easy, easy kill (see the above lack of Stealth).
  • He also has no moving attack powers or range to make any sort of offensive effort — especially with the lack of Willpower.
  • He only has 2 damage, anyway.
  • So what about his Leadership trait that allows him to succeed 50% of the time instead of 33% and generates Wakanda Warriors? What good is that Leadership if it doesn’t work on his generated warriors, who enter the game with tokens unless he rolls the 6? Not to mention how absolutely your game craters if you fail many of these Leadership rolls.
  • And then there’s the fact that the Wakanda Warriors are not good figures themselves.

Although he gives a +1 AV to Wakanda keyword figs (including himself), this is a 65-point character that can barely fight, requires a load of extra points just to function — likely giving up victory points to the enemy in the process in the form of easily KO’d Warriors — and doesn’t even do well as a support piece. He’s a backfield fig that’s mostly a waste of points there and woefully unsuited for the frontline.

This king is dead. Long live the opposing force if you run him.

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That does it for the baddest of the bad. Next up for Heroclixin’ is a turn for the positive: Our favorite and most F.U.N. figures of the past year! Stay alert for 30 or so HeroClix you’ll love.

 

 

 

 

 

 

No. 3

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Attending [Deadpool & X-Force 015]

This figure is all about his trait to token every foe who can see him hit an enemy.

Good luck hitting with that 9 AV with no skills like Charge or even range to help him land a blow.

And he only tokens figures that don’t have a token already, so it doesn’t even function as well as Incap.

His very cheap 20 point cost is the only reason he’s not No. 1.

GET THE @#$% OUTTA HERE FRANCIS

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No. 2

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Wakandan Warrior [Avengers Defenders War 014]

He’s only 20 points, but you get SO LITTLE for the cost.

  • 1 damage to start. Even with Precision Strike — which he only gets while in 8 squares of a Black Panther fig — that’s weak. It briefly spikes to 2 damage on click 2, but that involves pushing a 3-click figure closer to KO.
  • 9 AV is subpar even among other figures of his price point.
  • 0 range makes his Sidestep quite useless.
  • Toughness only on his first click.

You can’t overlook how he works with Black Panther [Avengers Defenders War 065], who can bring him into the game, already tokened, on clicks 2 or 3 if he rolls 4 or 5 on his Leadership (and untokened at full life on a 6 roll). But with no defense, he’s just an easily killed meat shield or Mastermind fodder and gift of 20 points over and over.

Wakanda forever!!!!!! … without this guy.

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Next: King of the crud, finally

No. 5

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Lorelei [The Mighty Thor 030]

Her two clicks of Perplex seem OK for 45 points. But her SP Mind Control is only usable in close. So do you teleport close? But with her lacking Willpower, then you have to push or wait. Can she survive any attack with only 17 Super Senses as a defense?

Why even bother?

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No. 4

U Go Girl [Deadpool & X-Force 013]

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She’s good for one thing: being a taxi for X-Force and X-Statix allies. That’s it. Worse, she can only carry when she’s untokened, meaning she’s useless dangling points the rest of the time. She doesn’t have Willpower and is a short four clicks long, so you’re not really going to push her. Worst of all: the -1 penalty per passenger to her Speed makes it that much less likely she can base a foe while taxiing her crew, so her Combat Reflexes might flop.

Just go, girl.

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Next: 20 points each … that you ought not spend

No. 8

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Catwoman [Harley Quinn and the Gotham Girls 020]

She has Stealth+Outwit combo. That’s good. What’s bad? Her Bombshell trait. She only gets them upon attack — good luck doing that with just 3 range + 2 damage. Remember, a Stealth character is not one to get into the fighting mix if one can help it.
And then the Bombshells only render a Super Senses bonus via an early dial special power — a bonus she’s unlikely to get in time because she only gets it for every TWO Bombshells earned. If she’s hit hard early — not unlikely because Outwit puts a big target on her — she’ll be stuck with regular Super Senses, down to Perplex, and forced to run away with Leap/Climb.

Put this kitty in the litterbox.

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No. 7

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Tippy-Toe [Deadpool & X-Force 010]

Her “Squirrel Talk” special power only works on foes within LOF and in printed hindering and can’t it handle armor. That’s one too many limitations. Sure, she has Exploit, but it’s on click 2-3 of just three — AFTER her single click of the SP — and her AV is too low. Worst: She’s 25 points, probably 10 too high. She’s roadkill.

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No. 6

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Hellcow [Deadpool & X-Force 050]

So you want to use her Steal Energy to get up to fighting strength. But her AV is too low and she lacks the moving attack skills to close before she starts taking hits. And her STOP clicks notwithstanding, it doesn’t take much to knock her off the board.

She has a secondary use as a medic, true. But she’s too pricey at 50 points for either of her roles. Put this bovine out to pasture.

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Next: Two terrible chicks

 

 

No. 10

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Spider Ma’am [What If? 033]

So Aunt May gets the spidey powers. Just 40 points, she has Incap-plus that keeps targets from moving. With two arrows, that’s not a bad SP. And she becomes a medic later, too.

BUT…
1 damage isn’t hot, forcing you to Incap. And despite her Sidestep, her 4 range might be too aggressively mediocre to truly help. Her Support is buried too deep to be useful. Retire this old lady, please

She’s tied in badness by this dude:

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Mercenary (Deadpool & X-Force 006)

A generic with Running Shot, 10 AV Energy Explosion, Toughness and 3 damage seems like an OK buy for 35 points. That is, until you consider that his 4-click life isn’t too difficult to vanquish, activating his trait that has a 50% chance of turning him into part of the opponent’s force. That wouldn’t be so bad if that opponent didn’t ALSO score his 35 points.

This a soldier of fortune — BAD fortune.

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No. 9

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Iron Lad [What If? 006]

I wasn’t sure he belonged here. After all, he’s an improvement in every way over the original Iron Lad from 10 years ago. But The Baker Tay pointed out:

  • His higher cost: 100 points is not cheap
  • For only 10 AV and 3 damage
  • His trait Mastermind also deals extra damage to his fodder.

There’s just better things to spend those points on. Soooo… do that

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Next: Crappy critters

We love the F.U.N. of HeroClix here at Heroclixin’ but some figures are not great. And while it’s harder than ever to find truly awful clix anymore, some still get some shade from us.

Here are the dishonorable mentions that didn’t quite make the top ten of terrible:

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Captain Marvel [The Mighty Thor 036]

Having starting HSS, Perplex, Super Strength keeps her off the list. Being totally bland and worst version of Carol (only TOUGHNESS for armor? Really? EVERY other version of Danvers has Invulnerability or better) lands her here.

 

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Fugitoid [Shredder’s Return 006]

How is Indomitable Telekinesis and Probability Control bad — especially with the ability to reroll both types of crits each turn, friend or foe?

WELL…
That 0 damage sure isn’t hot. And neither is the Incapacitate bloating his cost, which is his worst aspect. 65 points for a complete non-fighter should be tossed on the junk heap.

 

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NEXT: The countdown to the cruddiest begins

When we first started to talk about Heroclixin’s Top Ten, we all agreed this one was the strongest.

No. 1

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Uni Mind [The Mighty Thor 058]
SCERITZ says:
The current all bearing god of Heroclix which other teams seek to tear down through useless prattling they call strategy. Some will work. Most won’t.
Uni-Mind can singlehandedly deal 7 damage to a single character with a choice of Hypersonic, Probability Control or Penetrating/Psychic Blast. Then, if the opponent manages to land a hit on him, he has a STOP click with Regen. Then if they manage to kill him, they don’t gain points immediately. Then they have to take out the eternals that pop out in his place — who may also be positioned to avoid any immediate attack if done properly.
He was by far the most powerful single piece in the meta until recent erratas which make him far more susceptible to attack and now that Green Arrow can effectively one shot him. But one piece who is also insanely meta doesn’t take away from how powerful he is in his own right. With values and powers at his disposal. Uni-Mind is a major problem in any game that you don’t prepare for him.
THE BAKER TAY says:

I thought we had seen the worst. “What If” Heroclix brought us Goblin King. Surely Wizkids wouldn’t make another game-breaker, right? Oh boy, I was dead wrong.

I remember pulling Uni-Mind in my Thor brick, and looking at him, thinking, “Cool sculpt.” I hadn’t realized I’d be seeing him EVERYWHERE from then on. The craziest thing is, I thought he could be quashed by outwitters and a firm slap on the wrist. Then I read his card again. Then once more. Then a third time, because NO WAY. His ability to take on powers with no drawback, and then potentially perplex (with an added bonus if he ‘plexes himself) up values is disgusting. Say it with me: DIS-GUS-TING. This piece should come with a warning label that reads: “Do not use unless in a tournament setting”. The only redemption he may have is that little silver ‘unique’ ring.  Uni-Mind gets his well-deserved number one spot. Boo.

RKJS says:

Here’s what I wrote when Uni got onto the Watch List:

When a 150-point character can deal 7 clicks of penetrating damage to a Stealthed character 10 squares away without even the help of a heavy object, much less allies, that’s a problem — especially when KOing it (through a STOP click!) won’t even yield you points.

Despite being weakened a bit after the resolution of the Watchlisting, ALL OF THE ABOVE IS STILL TRUE.

Let’s put it this way: On last year’s Top Ten list for Heroclixin’, Nick Fury [Nick Fury Agent of SHIELD 056] was the arbiter of quality. Uni-Mind here can one-shot Fury more easily than any other fig in the game and CAN’T be one-shot by Fury in turn.

Uni-Mind eats the souls of any other figure on this Top Ten. YES, even Green Arrow, the closest thing to a silver bullet Uni-Mind has. And that’s why it easily tops 2017’s best.

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That finishes our countdown of the Top Ten of 2017. Soon, we’ll be plumbing the toilet for the 10 WORST figures of 2017. Join us as we throw major shade at the [rhymes with “spit”].

Though he was on all our lists, TBT was most enthusiastic about this pick:

No. 2

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Green Arrow [Elseworlds 049]

Let’s be honest; Oliver Queen barely did anything in “Batman: The Dark Knight Returns.” The finest archer in all of DC’s mass universe got shot, then hung from a ladder upside-down, and proceeded to shoot his bow… and that’s it (aside from yelling about the state of the world in an earlier section of the graphic novel). To his credit, the arrow was typical Ollie — on target. For some reason, the wonderful figure-creators at Wizkids decided to give him perhaps the most meta-worthy top dial EVER.

Let’s take a look at the things we’d expect: 12 attack, RCE, 3 damage, 8 range, 17 defense with Combat Reflexes. That’s Oliver Queen to his core, a great starting point for any Emerald Archer. His attack power though. If he manages to hit, with a potential FOURTEEN ATTACK, the hit target can’t use defense powers. Any, at all, until the next turn. So your tentpole? Hide it! OH WAIT HE’S ALSO GOT IMPROVED TARGETING THROUGH CHARACTERS, ELEVATION AND HINDERING. Sound familiar? Maybe a certain S.H.I.E.L.D director? Well, now your only option is to kill him, but that rolls right into one of his traits, which doesn’t allow you to attack him unless he’s pushed or you’re within three squares. So not only can he (almost) always see you, but you can’t see him unless you get dangerously close.

I love Oliver Queen, and I think he’s one of the finest DC characters ever made, but this is one crazy piece. His place on the top-ten list was assured from the moment his special power was revealed, thanks to the ID card craziness. The how and when to use him is so flexible and so strong that you just can’t go wrong. The Green Arrow hits his mark again, but this time it’s a lasting impression.

Sceritz named and writes on:

No. 3

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Carnage [The Mighty Thor G004]
Let’s start with the basics to begin with. He is a colossal figure with 20 clicks at 300 points. Granted, he has no reducers. But that is still a ton of clix to work through and if you ignore him he’s hitting for 5 or 4 damage for the greater percentage of his dial. This makes him an extremely formidable aggressor. In addition, every so often he obtains the Colossal Retaliation power that allows him to generate bystanders with plasticity, even when he misses his retaliation.
Still, the larger point values are not usually the most efficient places to play him. What makes him so insanely good, is his retaliation value that costs only 10 points! For 10 points, he can retaliate, dealing 3 damage, and whether or not he misses, place a Plasticity-bearing bystander to tie up the enemy, making the fact that he has a 16 defense on this click a minor trade off in comparison. Mind you, these pogs also have Super Senses, Shape Change, and BCF with 11 damage, making them more than a minor annoyance. Any figure costing 10 points with this effectiveness and usefulness is simply unheard of.

Sceritz writes on his nominee:

No. 4

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Thor Odinson [The Mighty Thor 049]
People are scared of his point value. Don’t be.
Thor starts with a printed 4 damage that only dips to three in his middle clicks. Furthermore, it is only on those clicks that his attack dips below 11. The trick is hitting him in the first place. With a 19 defense, Invincible and Hypersonic Speed, the chances of getting a good shot against a good player using him is slim to none.
Furthermore, “Bring the Lightning” allows him to attack again, so long as he hits with a ranged attack to begin with, bringing his damage potential in one turn to 8. With 12 attack, this isn’t too difficult to pull off. Of course, if you want to bring him some help on a team with other formidable Asgardians he can use his “Restore the Lost” title character ability to call Asgardians to heal the both of them and bring them into the fray, giving them the potential to fight as well. This makes KOing him as quickly as possible a necessity. But with 8 clicks and reducers all the way down his dial (that ends with another 19 with Impervious), this is no simple task. Finally, if your opponent happens to live through your incessant barrage of thunder, and allows you to make it to 8 plot points, you can make their lives that much more unbearable with the “God of Thunder” power, which forces every action that would give them action an token, to instead give them two. Try fighting him with that weight on your shoulders.
Still worried about fielding that 175 points? I didn’t think so. Top tier.
The Baker Tay also thinks 175 points is good to spend, but on another figure entirely for our only tie of the list:
[tie] No. 4
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Goblin King [What If? 040]

The piece that broke the clix’s back. Everything was going well in 2017. There were the strong, the weak, the F.U.N. Avengers/Defenders War was an amazing set. Deadpool was fun, revealing brand-new title characters. Then “What If” came out. So much strength. Too much power. Of course, one piece had to rise above. Announce itself KING. Someone thought it was a good idea to bring the Infinity Gauntlet back, and into the hands of the crazed Green Goblin. Then make a Heroclix out of it, and like every other piece or resource in the game associated with the gauntlet, it’s way too powerful. It was almost immediately watchlisted, and then stripped of its Power Cosmic team ability at the lower point values.

Even with the nerf, he remains. The ability to take two powers without a consequence is perhaps the strongest ability in Heroclix right now. Goblin King is at his best at 175 points with decent values, natural probability control, and good damage reducers. He could be your tentpole and still have room for decent support, or be support himself until the time comes to fight. His 75 point value doesn’t have the sheer power or dial length to compete all game, and at 275 points he’s expensive. Fun to play with, but in modern tournaments he’s too much. Goblin King could’ve been the best piece we got this year, but Wizkids held him back.