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#10 is the hardcore jailhouse duo of:

Larry and Mike (Watchmen 020)

The y make the Most Wanted Top Ten Duo list because they…

  • Are the cheapest duo fig in the game at 33 points. Of course, that means their stats are largely lacking. But they have a few things that help them, such as…
  • Probability Control when they use Duo Attack, which means the ability is key on them. They also…
  • Get a damage boost with higher-point Underworld figs on the board. And fortunately, there’s been an influx of those into the game lately. Speaking of the Underworld TA…
  • They’re an extra taxi for the team. The Brute keyword has few enough of those.
  • 6 range means that when all this is put together, they can potentially blast a target for 4 damage from relative safety (with a reroll in there). Not bad for 33 points.

So while they’re not going to carry a whole game for you, they’re a piece that actually benefits from being a duo more than it’s a drag. These inmates could be dangerous enough to rate #10 among the top duos.

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Iron Man / War Machine (Web of Spider-Man 059)

Compared to some of the high-cost duos we’ll see further into the list, these movie stars haven’t aged well in the era of power creep. They’re highly vulnerable to swarms, Outwit and just plain getting based by tie-up.

Ironically, those reasons are largely why they make the list.

  • After their initial Running Shot attack, IM/WM rely heavily on their Duo Attack to lay down heavy fire. Basing them usually doesn’t work for long because few tie-up pieces can take the 7 clicks of damage.
  • And with Indomitable ability, IM/WM will be shelling out the attacks.
  • If hit past their Pulse Wave clicks (the only ones you probably won’t use Duo Attack much on), they get a Special Power, “Adaptive Response Armor,” that replaces one or both ranged duo attacks with Incap, RCE or Psychic Blast. So again, they’re using Duo Attack.
  • So dangerous are they with Duo Attack, that it’s the power/ability that’s most scary on them and the one most frequently countered as a defensive maneuver (assuming, of course, that their Outwit has been accounted for already).
  • There are even some very decent Split opportunities in a Golden Age game, as all the War Machines so far are well under 150 points.

Being a duo makes this somewhat overcosted piece one that still very much commands respect. It’s  #9.

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#8 features the first tie of the list, in more ways than one! First we have those Super Buddies:

Blue Beetle and Booster Gold (The Brave and the Bold 052)

This duo, being both double-based and a flier, can’t be TKed or carried. Worse, their trait keeps them from using Carry themselves (guess Booster, the flying half of the pair, has his hands full with Beetle). And worst yet, you’ve got to push them to get to their best click. So how do they even make the duo list, much less over #s 10 and 9?

  • That trait also nixes the -1 penalty on the 2nd Duo Attack. This makes it a go-to ability over their Charge, even, and, combined with later clicks of Outwit or Perplex, enables them to lay down a lot of damage from 8 range.
  • If they do have to close in, the aforementioned Charge can make it happen, and they’ve got Toughness at least to help them survive.
  • They offer a +1 AV to adjacent fellows with their (limited) keywords and, more importantly, OTHER DUOS. Here, the double base helps them help others.

For just 82 points, this free-moving pair rates the #8 spot among the game’s top duos. They tie with the other 82-point duo in the game:

Nite Owl and Rorschach (Watchmen 024)

Nite Owl is actually based on Blue Beetle, too. But that’s not why the Watchmen are here. It’s all about their Attack special.

  • When using Duo Attack, they get a +1 to their AV for each adjacent foe. That’s incentive to use their Leap/Climb to get in close to a swarm, taking full advantage of their double base and Combat Reflexes (don’t forget they can take voluntary knockback if hit and you need to get out of adjacency).
  • Even better, the second, weaker attack is penetrating damage. So they can possibly tackle the big boys as well.
  • The Watchmen TA makes them immune to enemy modifiers. Mid-dial and on, they get their own modifier, Perplex, which is the best aid to Duo Attack that there is.

Unfortunately, they’re unable to Split into any figures. But if you can get them to survive long enough, this duo could get more use out of Duo Attack than many. Being Golden Age, fit them with Lunge for best results, and see why they handily share the #8 slot among the Top Ten Duos of Heroclixin’.

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Duo figures have been a curiosity and a controversy since their introduction in 2007’s Avengers set. It’s not hard to see why. It’s true that some characters are so close as to be inseparable and the duo status fits perfectly. But critics say that’s not the case for any but a select few characters. They also complain that it’s a cheap way of filling out character “selection” without actually making real individual dials of them.

But let’s look objectively at duo status.

Being a duo is doubly good because:

  • Duo Attack is like Flurry, only with the potential for range. Unlike the red Speed power, which sometimes fails due to the target no longer being eligible for the 2nd hit, either of the duo attacks can be ranged. It also usually can’t be lost in the 2nd attack.
  • The new Split ability can radically shift games, depending on circumstances. It’s also a sneaky way to get some characters onto a theme team that they wouldn’t qualify for initially.

Being a Duo is twice-bad because:

  • The 2nd attack is always weaker, with a -1 damage (minimum 1). Low damage on duos is practically worthless.
  • It doesn’t work with most powers. Like Hypersonic Speed, its interactions are limited to Steal Energy and Super Strength.
  • Duos can’t be carried. The duo symbol prevents it in most cases. Many can’t even be TKed, either, due to being multibased figures.
  • The Split maneuver requires some serious dial memorization ability and planning for not a whole of bang for the buck, generally speaking.

So you see that Duo Attack, the chief ability the duo symbol grants, is definitely not among the upper echelon of powers in HeroClix. Many of the the top ten in this list, you’ll find, specifically have abilities, powers and traits that help them overcome the liabilities of the duo class.

  1. In fact, one of the criteria to make Heroclixin’s Top Ten Duos? Whether it’s ever better for the piece to use Duo Attack over some other power or ability in a fight.
  2. A second consideration is: How well does the piece overcome duos’ liabilities?
  3. Thirdly, the piece needs a role outside of its status as a duo piece. But that role should not overshadow its ability as a duo. Specifically, being a duo should enhance its role.
  4. Does the Split Ability offer any benefit? It’s OK if it doesn’t but better if it does.
  5. Finally, one more criterion to make the list (and this is a hard-and-fast one): NO PART-TIME DUOS. They have to be a duo figure all dial long. That rules out a lot of contenders like:
  • Cable / Deadpool
  • Dr. Doom & Kang
  • Gambit / Rogue
  • Goodness & Mercy
  • Superman & The Flash
  • Superman & Superman

Be here tomorrow for numbers 10, 9 and 8 of Heroclixin’s Top Ten Duos.

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I really wanted to try all my Nova Corps pieces in a single team.

Nova Corps Recruit (Galactic Guardian 00) 50
R Nova (Supernova 037) 56
Nova Corps Denarian  (Galactic Guardians 210) 80
V Nova (Supernova 039) 78
Nova Corps Centurion  (Galactic Guardians 015) 100
Nova (Galactic Guardians Fast Forces 001) 125
Super-Nova (Galactic Guardians 200) 142
Nova Prime  (Galactic Guardians 001) 150
Air-Walker (Hammer of Thor 044) 201

The “Share Through The Worldmind” trait gives all the team some interesting — but nerfed — powers. Moreover, most also allow an additional game effect activated by fellow Corpsmen’s power action which we’ll call STW (Share Thru Worldmind) actions.

  • The Recruit offers a one-way Defend for the cheapies on the team, making him (and, by extension, the Supernova Rookie) good meat shields for bigger pieces. He’s also the best piece to take STW actions.
  • The Denarian’s version of Super Senses (only on a 6) could literally be a lifesaver. There’s also his ability to make an attack reroll after a STW, but this isn’t super-useful over making a standard move or attack action with the other Nova.
  • Both the Centurion and Super-Nova up the team’s firepower with Ranged Combat Expert (which maybe begs the use of Trick Shot on, say, the 10-ranged Supernova Vet, who could then shoot from behind the Recruit he’s loaning his 18 DV to). But a STW can give a Nova +1 damage for that turn, in case you need the damage boost for a close attack or a Running Shot.
  • Nova (201) contributes Force Blast to the team — a power you’ll probably use almost never, as the action needed to knock the foe back will either be useless (against, say, giants or Charge) or better used to fight or pump up damage. A STW action allows this Nova to knock back both friend and foe 1 square. Can’t think of a single time this would be useful when Force Blast would not — especially since this Nova breaks away automatically.
  • Nova Prime offers nerfed Leadership for all, which could come in handy for all. His STW option is even better, as he gets action tokens removed.

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What sparked this interest in Nova Corps, aside from the fact that I reread much of the fine 36-issue series this week, is my frustration in either not being able to or neglecting to use the various “Shared Through the Worldmind” traits lately. The first time, I was using the Nova Corps ATA to fit Nova Prime on a team of 100-points-and-higher. The second, a half-constructed, half-sealed tourney, kept me from fitting on all the different traits to be had. But I had so much fun finessing the ones I did have available that I decided to scrap the Howling Commandos team I was going to play in a 900 Modern Age team in favor of this one, while I still had the chance in Modern Age:

Nova Corps Recruit (Galactic Guardians 002) 50
Nova Corps Recruit (Galactic Guardians 002) 50
Nova Corps Denarian (Galactic Guardians 210)  80
Nova Corps Centurion (Galactic Guardians 015)  100
Super-Nova  (Galactic Guardians 200) 142
Nova Prime  (Galactic Guardians 001) 150
Air-Walker (Hammer of Thor 044) 201
+ Infinity Gauntlet on Nova Prime 10
+ Soul Gem 5
+ Space Gem 5
+ Time Gem 5

= 898 points. This was a first outing using the Infinity Gauntlet, used on Nova Prime. It wound up in a 4-player battle royale against some Guardians of the Galaxy, a horde of Skrulls, and a hodgepodge team led by MODOK, Queen of Fables and Beta Ray Bill from Hammer of Thor.

I played it far too conservatively and scored only minimal points — namely, a generic Valkyrie and a Force Blasted-into-wall Space Phantom — before time ran out.

  • The Gauntlet was also highly useless on Prime, as it takes forEVER to get the dial moving. (I’m beginning to see that the Gauntlet is really only good on characters who can push freely. They don’t really need the help so much.)
  • Getting these “human rockets” going is an issue, as the team lacks both the swing and AV to get the first strikes, aside from Nova Prime.  Worse, the same Centurions that offer the extra TK boost are also the most reliable attackers of the rest of the team. What’s their real role?
  • Hard to figure out how to use Super-Nova. He’s well-armored with Impervious but his AV is a weak-for-the-cost 9. Pushing gets him to Running Shot and 10 AV but he’s down to Invulnerability, now.
  • Air-Walker remains the glass cannon of the team. Only a theme-team reroll saved me from a disastrous Hypersonic Speed critical miss stranding him in full view of multiple enemies.

I’m still highly dissatisfied. I need to run this crew soon in a full game or tournament — preferably with the Fast Forces Nova to pump up the team with his Perplex. Perhaps in the next 1000-point game?

Nova Corps Recruit (Galactic Guardians 002) 50
Nova Corps Recruit (Galactic Guardians 002) 50
Nova Corps Denarian (Galactic Guardians 210)  80
Nova Corps Centurion (Galactic Guardians 015)  100
Super-Nova  (Galactic Guardians 200) 142
Nova Prime  (Galactic Guardians 001) 150
Air-Walker (Hammer of Thor 044) 201
and
Nova (Galactic Guardians Fast Forces 001) 125
= 998 points. Throw in Mjolnir, the Black Lantern and a heavy for the Denarian…at least while the orange elements are still Modern Age through June!

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Happy Labor Day, U.S. readers!

The lowest spot on the list is actually a three-way tie:

10. (tie) V Trapster
Range: 8 x 2
Starting clicks of Barrier: 2
59 points

Trapster makes the list by being cheap, having a decent starting DV and mobility through Leap/Climb. Double Incap never hurts, either. He only has a short run of Barrier but phases into a 2nd role as a backfield Perplexer.


(tie) JL Dr. Light
Range: 8
Starting clicks of Barrier: 2
67 points

Otherwise a thoroughly mediocre piece, Dr. Light shines as a Barrier specialist. She can burn out her two clicks of the power and land directly on Pulse Wave and Support with a decent 9 AV, both pretty good powers for the mid- to late-game action. If she doesn’t have a need to use Barrier upfront, she can offer some mobile or stationary cover fire thanks to Running Shot and Ranged Combat Expert. (It’s just too bad her AV is only 8 at that top spot.)


(tie) Arcade
Range: 4
Starting clicks of Barrier: 4
86 points

Though he’s way on the high end of Barrier specialists, points-wise, his Special Power granting him 10-range Barrier in addition to Mastermind brings him into consideration. He’s a little different from most Barrier figs in that he’ll be using his other SPs more at first to move and detonate objects at first before moving to his Barrier skills.

———————————————-

#9 shares her spot with no one.

9. Experienced Atom Eve (Inv)
Range: 8
Starting clicks of Barrier: 4
73 points

Merely adequate offensively, Eve really is a Barrier specialist with several opening clicks of the power and a fairly push-friendly (or at least push-neutral) dial. Too bad she’s a bit too expensive for the role. Still, her AV never quite tanks after her Barriering is done and she remains a decent shooter to the end.

Tomorrow we climb the Barrier ranks for numbers 7 and 8.

 

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It’s the turn of the month, so it’s time for another Top Ten list from Heroclixin’. This time we’re looking at Barrier.

It’s one of those supporting-actor powers in Heroclix. Sexy marquee powers like Hypersonic Speed and Psychic Blast or Probability Control get all the paparazzi attention. But once in a while you see this background player step up and steal a scene right out from under those headliners. And sometimes, the right vehicle can make it a star in its own right. Anyone who’s ever been stymied by a double-Barrier team knows this.

What makes Barrier great?

  • It’s the supreme defensive power. Impervious may reduce damage to zero sometimes, but Barrier reduces it to zero all the time by preventing the attack in the first place. It also cuts off enemy lines of fire for support powers.
  • It’s flexible. Barrier only needs Line of Fire to its first square, allowing for some truly unexpected uses.
  • It’s “Construct”ible. The Feat card CONSTRUCT is a great boost to an already solid power, increasing its effectiveness especially against flying enemies outdoors in range by forcing them to breakaway from the barrier.

What’s not so great about it?

  • It’s a defense slot power that doesn’t help its owner when targeted…at ALL. A character with Barrier will take all the damage when hit unless you add cost by using the FORCE FIELD feat.
  • It’s really just a stalling technique. The best defense is good offense. Barrier is not offense at all, and thus is rather second-rate.
  • It’s restricted to clear terrain. You can’t place a barrier token on hindering terrain, so it’s sometimes difficult to build as airtight a defense as you would like.

Because of these weaknesses, you really want to get the most out of a character with the power. So…

What makes a great Barrier figure?

  1. A range of 8 or greater. Because a Barrier figure lacks damage reducers (barring any feats granting such), it is best kept well out of the fray; a range of 6 or less puts the Barrier fig within most characters’ Charge zone. This means that for its power to be of maximum use to the team, it needs to have a long range. More range also increases the power’s flexibility.
  2. Two or more starting consecutive clicks of the power. Simply put, the optimal Barrier figure has to be able to push to use the power, if necessary, since it’s not always advantageous to build in multiple-Barrier teams. And while many figs with Barrier have many late clicks of it, that is of little strategic use as those figs are also usually near KO and it may be better to push and run them away than to push and make walls.
  3. Ability to serve a secondary or supporting role. Yes, a good Barrier figure can be able to fight. But if it’s the main attacker, then the Barrier power is mostly wasted. Your first-stringer should be dealing damage, not trying to prevent it with barriers. The flip side is that Barrier is not always needed. So what does the figure offer besides wall-building? (This is another reason why long range is necessary.)
  4. Affordability. A secondary/supporting figure like this should not top 100 points. Preferably it would be far cheaper.
  5. Life after Barrier. Say you exhaust every click of the power to hold off that tentpole fig with the Meteorite on the other team. What can this figure do now? If the answer is pretty much, “nothing else but die,” it doesn’t belong on the list.

Be here Monday to see the #10 and #9 best Barrier specialists in the game!

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clockwise from top left: The Spot, Super-Adaptoid, Armadillo, Nightshade, Chameleon, Rocket Racer, Living Laser, Mentallo, Puma, Scientist Supreme. And, of course, MODOK in the center.

I recently got the new MODOK (Captain America #050), and so want to run a near-complete M.O.D.O.K.’s 11 team.

MODOK (Captain America #050) 160
Super-Adaptoid (Captain America #020) 175
Scientist Supreme (Captain America #033) 97
Armadillo (Captain America #036) 89
Nightshade (Captain America #027) 72
Mentallo (Captain America #010) 71
Chameleon (Web of Spider-Man #019) 66
Rocket Racer (Web of Spider-Man #044) 60 + Outlaws ATA 1
Puma (Web of Spider-Man #012) 56 + Outlaws ATA 1
The Spot (Web of Spider-Man #051) 51
= 899 points.

There’s no questioning that this is a F.U.N. team. There’s hardly a hint of the powergames that usually go on in 900-point teams. It’s also Nifty, being based the Super-Villain team-up comic.

That leaves only the matter of Usefulness. How in the world will I make this team work?

Well, it’s going to be a little bit like planning a heist, I think.

Naturally, MODOK is going to be the main perceived and actual threat. It’ll probably do for me to run counter to usual wisdom and use my highest-point fig, Super-Adaptoid, as tie-up and blocker. His Shape Change and long, hulk-up dial make him ideal as a damage sponge. With him being a wildcard, though, I need to leverage the Sinister Syndicate TA provided by Chameleon (who’s only good for this one thing, really) to bump up the AV of my third mobile attacker, Rocket Racer.

For the Racer to make any sort of impact, his 2 damage is gonna need Scientist Supreme’s Outwit. That’ll make her a target, so she’ll need to Mastermind damage to Armadillo, chiefly. I must resist the urge to fully hurl him into the fray. Mentallo will try to take up some of that offensive slack with Stealth-busting penetrating shots and HYDRA aid to fellow shooters like MODOK and Nightshade.

Mobility’s going to be an issue, as there’s just one taxi for the whole team in The Spot. And frankly, he may be better reserved for receiving Nightshade’s Werewolf Serum, which turns him into a potentially lethal teleporting buzzsaw of Flurry/BCF on the right map. Setting up that opportunity is going to be difficult, though. I’ll need to rely on Puma in the meantime, keeping him next to WCs and fellow Outlaws to receive the needed movement boost to get in close.

MODOK’s 11 is a team that’ll live and die by the effectiveness of its swarm potential; no hanging back and sniping with this crowd. Neither, though, is it a melee-capable group. Mid-range is the ideal zone; close enough for Scientist Supreme to use her super-Outwit and for Rocket Racer to take ranged shots while getting boosted by HYDRA and Sinister Syndicate.

Can the Eleven pull off this caper? We’ll have to wait for the next Modern Age 900-point game to see!

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ha-dOOOUUUU-KEN!!!

It’s time for another F.U.N. Friday column. Usually I review a team or figure that fits the F.U.N. acronym: Friendly (not annoying overpowerful for the other player), Useful (not annoyingly weak for yourself) and Nifty (possessing some amusing quality or theme about it). This time, though, I’ll be looking at the new 1 vs. 1 rules designed for the brand new Street Fighter set that released this week.

Here’s a link to the 1 v 1 rules,but here’s the short version:

  • Higher-point characters get minus half the point difference for KOing cheaper opponents.
  • Lower-point characters get PLUS half the point difference for KOing pricier opponents.
  • Wins don’t matter. POINTS DO.

So yeah, a player could field Galactus in 1v1 rules and KO all foes and still lose because he’d get the same 0 points and thus tie the game, forcing a roll-off for the win. Therefore, it pays to not be a powergaming jerk in 1v1 games. That’s the Friendly part.

‘Course, there are some very effective low-point figures who could really shine in this setup, and they actually have a decided advantage against higher-cost pieces that might not be as efficient. I suppose that’s the Useful part.

Finally, the Nifty thing about 1v1 rules is the new play dynamic, shifting HeroClix from a team-oriented game to…something else. Will it prove as fun, or as balanced? Only moves made, tokens placed and dice rolled will tell!

Here are some definite DOs and DON’Ts in playing 1v1:

DON’T: Play high-point tentpoles, now that you’re certain of not getting swarmed. Not only will you hurt the play experience for your opponent, you probably won’t even win since victory is based on points, not KOs.

DO: aim toward using cheaper figs. If you build too high, you’ll struggle to score the points needed to win. Lower-cost figs who KO higher ones get a huge points advantage.

DON’T: field characters who need others to work best. Mastermind, Superman Enemy, Support, Enhancement, HYDRA/PD, Fantastic Four, Defend, wildcards…all these and others are abilities that are just so much wasted points in this format. Consider your fighter carefully.

DO: field characters who can push. Whether they use Willpower or just get better down the dial, being able to take action more often will yield dividends.

DO: field characters who can heal themselves. The most fun (and, IMO, balanced) way to do 1v1 rules is to not heal damage between each match. To that end, being able to Regen or Steal Energy can be a good advantage to have. Finally…

DON’T: play characters who can’t break through Invulnerability. The last thing you want is to need a critical hit just to ping a powerful enemy, particularly in a must-win round of the tournament (i.e., getting knocked out would surrender more points than you can gain back later). Whether it’s through penetrating damage, either of the Combat Expert powers, Outwit, Super Strength or just plain 3+ damage value, make sure most of your clicks can fight!