The top 5 worst clix of 2018. Hope you don’t get nauseated reading on.

———

No. 5

Lock-Up [Batman The Animated Series 024]

A thoroughly confused design. He’s a Barrier piece with 0 range and trait Plasticity. So wait: Is he playing “keep away” or “stay here?”

And look at that Barrier SP.

With only 4 range on his Barrier, that speed penalty is almost totally useless. He also has Incapacitate along with Exploit Weakness. Um, I know which one of those powers I’m using in close. So why even give him Incap? All it and that SP do is inflate his cost, which even at just 40, is too much.

This prison guard needs a shanking

———

No. 4

Black Widow [Avengers Infinity 003]

Stealthy Perplex is good if you can do something more. She does NOTHING more. So you have to push her. But then you lose the Perplex and she’s a Mind Control medic. So not useless, but not great. And so she’s not great. At all. No wonder she got a makeover into a redhead after defecting.

———

No. 3

Starfox [Avengers Infinity 027]

No armor. No mobility. Poor damage and AV, needing his trait to punch up at pricier foes, WHO WILL JUST KILL HIM AND TAKE THOSE POINTS. Mind Control is trash without great AV, and so Starfox. Is. Trash.

———

No. 2

Artie [X-Men Xavier’s School 008]

9 AV and 1 damage Shape Change means all he’s good for is Mind Control. 4 range Mind Control for 25 points. (If you’re going to pay that price, use the X-Student for a MC with a real chance of hitting). He’s junk. Not even worth running as an ID character — for FREE

———

No. 1

Professor X, Dreamer [X-Men Xavier’s School 049]

Title Characters usually have powerful effects and long dials. He has neither. For +1 Plot Points, “Violence is Not the Answer” gives a DV boost to the team, but Prof needs to attack or take self-damage. With 7 range, 10 AV and 2 damage, he’s not good at it (though you can use his out-of-character TK to hurl a heavy). -4 Plot Points grants “Freeze Motor Functions” to immobilize and -2 DV a target in range/LoF. But you never want to use it because the -9 “Dream of Peaceful Coexistence” is the real one … that you can’t use until Turn 8 at the earliest — and that’s if you take the damage every turn he doesn’t have an attack opportunity, which is likely. But by the time he gets it, he’s on his last click and if he dies, it’s wasted. Worse than wasted: the team loses the quasi-armor “Dream” gives and the enemy gets +1 damage.

And anyway, he’s likely using TK early on. So the chances of the Prof using any of these abilities are low. At 50 points, maybe you could build in X-Men batteries to build him up. But … why?

MAGNETO WAS RIGHT

———

And that’s that. Next installment: Heroclixin’s Ten Most F.U.N. figures of the year.

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

No. 10

Devil Dinosaur & Moon Boy [Avengers Infinity 016]

Not terrible, just not good for the cost at any point. You’re paying nearly 300 for base 3 damage, needing Blades/Claws/Fangs to get them to pull their considerable weight in a fight? Or worse, only 3 clicks of 3 damage at 175? Or worse, a whole dial of 2 damage at 75 points?

This is a dial of dino-sized poop that even an apeman like Moon Boy wouldn’t hurl.

———

No. 9 (tie)

Green Lantern [Batman The Animated Series 039]

So he’s a rare version of John Stewart that’s less than 100 points. He has this SP:

Looks good, right? Until you realize he — a GREEN LANTERN! — lacks the Willpower to actually leverage it. Nice to bolster his 10 AV with RCE or CCE but having to push off his 3 damage to then use, say, Barrier next turn is poor. And when pushed, the FREE action is totally useless as all five options require costed actions. Then his back half is 9 AV and 2 damage, requiring self-Perplex for middling results.

This soldier deserves better. But he’s rivaled in badness by this dude:

Speed Demon [WizKids M17-017]

Hypersonic Speed and 2 damage is not the worst, given his trait:

TURBO-CHARGED THIEF: When Speed Demon hits an opposing character and his attack total is at least 3 higher than that character’s defense value, anything equipped to that character that began the game as an object is KO’d.

Nice idea. Too bad his AV is just 10 so good luck rolling that 20 or higher to jank Exospex or whatever from anyone with 17+ DV.

Too bad it can’t also work on built-in equipment like Mjolnir on Thor [The Mighty Thor 061].

Too bad there might not even BE equipment in a given game, meaning you just wasted 65 points on this weak-HSS fool.

———

No. 8

Vision [Avengers Infinity Fast Forces 005]

The Impervious-lite combo of Invulnerability + trait Super Senses is killed by a starting 10 AV that drops to 8, then 7. 125 points for this? Nope. This vision is blurred or something.

———

No. 7

Catwoman [Batman The Animated Series 013]

Cheap Stealth Perplex that goes to Flurry Blades is OK. But she’s only 4 clicks long and then her “Playing Both Sides” trait comes up and suddenly you’re fighting her cheap Stealth Perplex and Flurry Blades. She’s just awkward to use, which seems the case for nearly every Catwoman ever made. (Might be a future article in that)

Put this cat out the house

———

No. 6

Magik [X-Men Xavier’s School 038]

So the point of playing her is to turn her into her Super Rare form. She does it by being a taxi and by damaging foes. But…

She’s a taxi so completely inferior to fellow New Mutant Lila Cheney [WizKids M17-015], with only Passengers: 3 and 11 Speed or lower, that WHY WOULD YOU EVER. She also can’t Carry fliers. No Willpower and 10 AV or lower and just 2 damage (so that her Blades has a strong chance at failure to damage) make it very difficult to raise the Corrupted tokens to MAYBE transform into her much better Darkchylde form.

But is Darkchylde actually better? Assuming you got the 2 or more Corrupted tokens needed to MAYBE transform (it’s a one-time d6 roll that requires a final result of 8 or better), she goes to click 5: That’s just 9 AV and Super Senses and Prob. She’s an easy kill despite Mystics and 17 DV which could just as easily surrender an additional 40 points.

Leave her in Limbo.

———

Check tomorrow for the bottom half of the barrel.

Our countdown continues.

No. 5

is the law in Battleworld:

Sheriff Strange [Secret Wars Battleworld 063] 100 and 50 points

Starting Probability Control, Leadership and Perplex (the latter two via trait) are all welcome powers but his anti ID card trait forcing double power actions to call in help is what makes him meta — and his Attack SP to shut off Equipment effect when he blasts with his Penetrating/Psychic Blast. At his 50 point level, he swaps Prob for RCE and the SP for Precision Strike. He’s unarmored with only Energy Shield/Deflection or Super Senses for defense, but there’s a STOP click to save him. At top points, that power allows complete rearrangement of his allies’ formation in range, each 3 squares from their current spot. Indomitable and Mystics TA rounds out what’s a solid package at either level and we rate the fifth-best figure of 2018.

No. 4

is something of the polar opposite, one that is really only good at one price point.

Groot [Avengers Infinity G025] 20 points

That’s not to say the 150 or 250 dials are bad. But they are pricey for a piece that will have a little trouble getting into the mix. And so we look only at the Retaliation click for the Top Ten. Normally, his inability to fight non-colossal foes would invalidate this one, but Groot’s ability to immediately add two Walking Wood pogs with Sidestep, Plasticity, Flurry, Shape Change and Toughness more than makes up for that shortcoming. Plus he’s the game’s cheapest Leadership, usually gets a +1 to DV and can generate more Walking Woods with each Retaliation hit. The fact that he gives opponents a weak, slow Outwitter isn’t enough to offset all these boons. And so pre-Guardians Groot is our No. 4 clix of the year.

No. 3

Unseen [Avengers Infinity 043] 65 points

With zero AV and damage, this latest version of Nick Fury has no fight skills.

No one cares.

He’s Power Cosmic with 9 range Prob and Outwit that sees through everything except blocking from Stealth. Need to reposition to gain LOF around blocking? He’s got Phasing/Teleport, and when he uses it, he can no-cost Smoke Cloud to give himself cover. Even if he’s caught in the open, he has with Super duper Senses (4-6) to dodge attacks.

On top of all that, he’s an anti-Colossal Retaliation piece, nerfing the big guys’ AV -2.

That’s a lot of support ensuring that the meta remains a home to Fury — and our Top Ten list at Heroclixin.

No. 2

is that cosmic doggo…

Lockjaw [WizKids MP18-005] 75 points

The latest representative of the Don’t Die archetype of meta HeroClix strats, Lockjaw’s Infinity token mechanic means he has to take 6 attacks to die. Meanwhile, he also fits the Pick A Power archetype of meta HeroClix by being able to use any power, then d6 roll to a matching click number. There’s no bad click, either; almost all are solid offensively and defensively (with a +1 stat boost if he lands on a power he picked already).

Supreme versatility paired with supreme survivability makes Lockjaw nearly the best of GOOD BOYS.

But in the end, there’s only one who’s the best at what he does.

No. 1

Wolverine [X-Men Xavier’s School 053] 150 and 50 points

It was tempting to put him lower on the list because some of his advantages are only good on teams with other X-Men:

• Trait Perplex for X-Men teammates,
• a free mini retailation if a foe hit and hurt an X-pal,
• a no-cost addition of a Student ID card to the force

Even his trait Leadership is best for an X-Men squad since his only other keyword is the sparsely populated Weapon X. But an extra action is an extra action.

Then you have to look at his defense. Not only does he have Combat Reflexes (when on his side of the map) and either Toughness or Regen all the time, but the latter power is on his STOP clicks.

Yep, plural. Up to THREE of them.

But he’s not one to stay on his side of the map forever. Not with Sidestep to creep ahead before exploding forward with his Charge and Flurry (on the enemy side of the map) with Blades — through hindering terrain, no less.

All that for just FIFTY POINTS (and still a worthy piece at full power). He only gets better with other X-Men on the force, but doesn’t depend on that aspect to be effective. This is a perfection rendition of the X-Men star that absolutely commands respect every time he’s fielded. And that’s why he tops Heroclixin’s picks of the Top Ten figs of 2018.

———

We’ve looked at the best. Next time we look at the worst HeroClix had to offer in the 2018. Hold your nose and check it out.

Happy Christmas holidays, readers! Here’s our gift to you: Our annual look back at the year’s HeroClix.

———

After the gargantuan year of releases seen in 2017, we’re glad to have a normal rate of sets in 2018. Consequently, we’re doing a much scaled back look at the year’s top figures, using the usual rules/guidelines:

• We’re looking at Modern Age only.
• We’re considering the 300-point game, which filters out certain high-cost pieces that might otherwise dominate the list.
• Figures only. Despite the overwhelming effect of resources and equipment and ID cards, they’re not being considered for a Top Ten Clix list.
• By the same token, any fig that needs a resource or equipment to be strong isn’t making the list. And that goes for ID card characters as well.
• But the top characters also need to be able to handle the presence of such tactics as resources or ID cards.

Enough talk. Let’s get to the list!

No. 10.

Batgirl, Shadow of the Bat [Batman: The Animated Series 052] 70 points

With only 10 Attack, she’s at the bottom of the list. But you play her for her swing: up to 14 squares (via her -2 Plot ability to no-cost Charge at her Outwit victim) with Improved Movement: Elevated & Hindering to help her go over the hills and through the woods at her target.

Aside from her aforementioned middling AV, her weakness is that she’s soft, needs to Outwit for best results (making her weak to Stealth and Power Quintessence types), and she can be easily caught in the open after her punch, hit or miss. But her opening Probability Control and  surprisingly long life can help, as will her +1 Plot Perplex.

She’s a solid combo of lead/secondary attacker/support piece that steps out of her mentor’s shadow and into our marvelous list.

No. 9

is surprisingly low on our list…

Starfox [Avengers Infinity 048] 80 points

All the chases of spring’s Avengers Infinity set got similar pluses: high AV, Flurry, immunity to multi-target, Power Cosmic, Super Senses, and a STOP click with Mastermind. But ‘Fox’s SP granting +2 Perplex makes him best both alone and on a team. Also, his ability to heal possibly a whole team when he rolls a 4 while attacking is a solid bonus.

Why he’s not higher on the list: Heroclixin’s rule against equipment. With the Mjolnir special object, he’s tops by being able to use that Flurry from an ultra-safe distance (esp. with only Senses as a defense). But without the hammer, he’s decidedly less dangerous. Still among the best, though.

No. 8

is a hell of a deployment piece

Hellion [X-Men Xavier’s School 013] 40 points

He is here and on every team for one reason: to Sidestep and TK then TK then TK then TK one more time in just one turn. But he’s not quite a one-T(ric)K piece with two clicks of starting Leadership to keep your actions up by one until the turn after he makes his last mass slingshot. And even after that, he still has regular TK with Willpower. There’s no better piece for positioning your team and so he’s our No. 9 top piece of 2018.

No. 7

made a huge splash this past year:

Giganto & Namor [Avengers Infinity G017] 50 points

Although I wanted this colossal piece because I’m an Atlantis completeist, I had to be persuaded to include it in the conversation for our Top Ten list by Sceritz back when he, Taylor and I started discussing 2018’s best. Of us three, he’s always had the best eye for the meta, and his take was borne out when a Giganto duo-led squad took runner-up at this October’s ROC World Cup and won a Worlds Championship title in November.

Now, naturally much of that success was due to the player, not the pieces alone. But when you have an Indomitable colossal figure that can full-move Quake while wrecking terrain on the way with 18 DV Invincible and a STOP click to protect from the inevitable fire coming at it, along with the ability to shoot with Energy Explosion+Incap SP or clobber with Super Strength AND Colossal Retaliation for just 50 points?

Well. Color me convinced. And so Imperius Whale commands his place among the 10 best clix of 2018.

No. 6

only got in a few hands until the final weeks of 2018

Starro [WizKids DP18-001] 100 points

The alien starfish is here not for its 300, 200, or 125-point dials (though each point is notable for the Tentacle Attack damage SP that allows FIVE close attacks that can either heal Starro or reposition hit targets), but for the completely separate 100-point Mind Control-focused fourth dial. Using generated Starrophyte pogs to essentially extend its MC range indefinitely, Starro requires a lot of finesse to use. But it’s powerful finesse.

Starro is also notable for the ability to get free attacks from Willpowered “Starro’s Minion” allies at any price point except the Colossal Retaliation click. Speaking of which, Starro’s long range Retaliation is pretty unique in the game. All this compels Heroclixin’ to allow Starro to conquer the No. 6 slot of the Top Ten.

———

OK, that’s the first half. Join us next time for our best 5 of 2018.

So we at Heroclixin’ tallied up our favorite figures last year. And then we aimed to play them against each other as a force.

MINE (Rurouni KJS)

Miss America [WizKids M17-009] 95

Moon Knight  [Avengers Defender War 062] 110

Troll [The Mighty Thor 039] 60

Elijah Snow [Elseworlds 046] 120

Muhammad Ali [WizKids DP17-004] 75

Sand [[Harley Quinn and the Gotham Girls 060] 35

Hulk [Avengers Defender War 052] 160

Bat-Knight [WizKids WizKids DP17-006] 60

Uhura [Star Trek: The Original Series 038] 75

Peace Machine [What If 043] 50

Robin [Harley Quinn and the Gotham Girls 030] 40

=880 points

TAYLOR’S

Molly Hayes [What If 011] 50

Nice Minoru [What If 031] 75

Groot [Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 002] 30

Tippy Toe  [Deadpool+X-Force 010] 25

Squirrel Girl  [Deadpool+X-Force 039] 85

Throg [The Mighty Thor 033] 45

Batroc [Avengers Defenders War 050]  40

Ms. Marvel  [The Mighty Thor 037] 90

Spider-Gwen [WizKids MP17-005] 65

Iron Heart [Avengers Defenders War 071]  25

Hulk  [The Mighty Thor 020] 110

Rachel Cole-Alves [Avengers Defenders War 070] 90

Colossus [Deadpool+X-Force 056] 150

=880 points! EXACT MATCH

Taylor got map and picked Wakanda.

HOW THEY DID

Bat-Knight: “Bat-Knight is the worst,” Taylor says, and he’s right. My team’s ranged attacker and taxi, the robot was indispensable for my effort. A good Regen roll was key, as well.

Batroc: “Zee Leepair” served as early-game tie up for Taylor to delay my attack.

Colossus: In addition to drawing my fire early on, he lived to KO my Troll.

Elijah Snow: He was useful for his Barrier in the early game, then later hindered Taylor’s force with his Chill In Your Bones trait. A late Incap scored a KO of Rachel.

Groot: He was a problem with his Enhancement and later Poison. He KO’d Ali for the title belt of fighting outside his weight class!

Taylor’s Hulk: Aside from a key Impervious roll, she underperformed. In truth, she was a poor man’s substitute for Taylor’s REAL favorite, Pirate Deadpool, which he does not own because he is a poor man.

MY Hulk: Landed totally awesome hits including KOs of Hulk and Colossus to get the heals.

Iron Heart: Her armor broke on the first push! Heartbreaking!

Miss America: She was a second wave fighter, landing no KOs but leading that 2nd wave to victory.

Molly Hayes: Taylor’s favorite Runaway was an eventual factor but was hindered by Snow too long to truly sway the outcome.

Moon Knight: He completely underperformed aside from being an expensive Perplexer. Lucky to even survive.

Ms. Marvel: Her Outwit and free healing made her hard for me to deal with and a real boon to Taylor’s force.

Muhammad Ali: In a game with Peace Machine, somehow The Greatest still ended up a swift KO.

Nice Minoru: She gave Taylor all the flexibility he wanted but lacked the firepower he needed in the end.

Peace Machine: Absolute key to my team not dying fast. Had a close call, though.

Rachel Cole-Alves: Dangerous! She put my Hulk on his poorest clicks for much of the game. Taylor really loves how her mix of offense and support reflects the greatness of HeroClix as a game.

Robin: Thrilled by the kills, he was a nuisance for Tay.

Sand: That free Force Blast SP scored Groot, Batroc and absolutely kept Shulk from a comeback.

Spider-Gwen: She was completely easy points for me here.

Squirrel Girl: Got her Squirrel Armor to easily set up Troll for KO.

Throg: Definitely Taylor’s MVP with his Perplex.

Tippy Toe: Was a minor threat to my soft Stealth folks, but I worked around the squirrel. Still, as Taylor said, “Never underestimate the little guys.”

Troll: She was a secret weapon with her ability to grant my Outwitters anti-Stealth skills at the right times early on.

Uhura: She was late into the fight, but a survivor.

Thus ended Round One of the Duel of the Faves. But both of us wonder how much better Pirate Deadpool would do for Taylor’s team than the Hulk he substituted. We’ll have to rematch once he gets one.

 Next: Sceritz!

HIS TEAM

Thor Odinson [The Mighty Thor 049] 175

Beta Ray Bill [The Mighty Thor 063] 125

Hawkguy  [Avengers Defenders War 067] 65

Wiz Kid [Deadpool & X-Force 0059b] 25

Merc With A Mouth [Deadpool & X-Force 060] 70

Doctor Strange [Avengers Defenders War 001] (and Doctor Strange [Avengers Defenders War 019] and Doctor Strange [Avengers Defenders War 035] 50

Doop [Deadpool & X-Force 060] 35

Iron Man [Avengers Defenders War 053] 125

Enchantress [The Mighty Thor 055] 80

Gertrude Yorkes and Old Lace [What If 037] 50

=840 points. I had an edge in build because Sceritz got to run multiple title characters on his force of favorites.

I won map and picked Halfworld.

HOW THEY DID

Bat-Knight: Being a Stealthy giant with 8 range was really helpful for me.

Beta Ray Bill: But OMG his ability to shut off range was hard for me to deal with.

Shifting focus Doctor Strange: Possibly the linchpins of Sceritz’s strategy. Unfortunately, the map conspired to hinder the good doctor.

Doop: Similarly, Doop was rarely able to leverage his Prob Control before I KO’d the annoying little bean.

Elijah Snow: I never seem to remember to use his Chill in Your Bones trait at the right time because I’m afraid to waste it.

Enchantress: Her ability to scoot figs about was problematic for me.

Gertrude Yorkes and Old Lace: was not much of a factor in our game.

Hawkguy  [Avengers Defenders War 067]: shot his shot but died soon after.

Hulk: scored a lot of damage for me once in the fight.

Iron Man: Constant TK or Outwit or Prob was problematic for me.

Merc With A Mouth: The merc got stuck on Halfworld’s building for most of the game. And then he got stuck in the ground.

Miss America: She put in that Space Portal work, getting the squad to jump on Odinson.

Moon Knight: Speaking of which, he absolutely beat bloody the thunder god. But he himself barely escaped alive.

Muhammad Ali: They always shoot Ali first. Whyyyy

Peace Machine: His TK was the only way to deal with BRB, so of course he was key.

Robin [Elseworlds 030] got killed. And that was kinda the turning point of the match, as the enemy got all tokened up and aided my tempo.

Sand: Couldn’t get into field fast enough, got shot easily.

Thor Odinson: Shockingly missed easy shots. Then he was one-turned even with Peace Machine on the field. Truly the biggest disappointment for Sceritz.

Troll [The Mighty Thor]: Poor Troll was KO’d quick. But she drew the fire from more important targets.

Uhura [Star Trek: The Original Series 038]: Game ended before she could put in work

Wiz Kid: So annoying, making attacks hurt and hit more. HE HAD TO GO

Round 2 was a victory for me as well, despite all those title characters. But after the game, I realized there was a piece missing from Sceritz’s team: His No. 3 pick, Dr. Strange, Earth’s Guardian [Avengers Defenders War 051].

Looks like another rematch gonna have to happen down the road.

So back in 2017, Sceritz and I played a friendly game at DragonCon.

Apollo [The Flash 048] 200

Jenny Sparks [The Flash 061] 125

Elijah Snow [Elseworlds 046] 120

Midnighter [The Flash 049] 100

Swift [The Flash 017] 90

Engineer [The Flash 060] 90

Jack Hawksmoor [The Flash 033] 85

Jakita Wagner [Elseworlds 025] 80

Doctor [The Flash 016] 50

Drummer [Elseworlds 036] 40

= 980 points

Hulk [Nick Fury 052] 300

Steve Rogers [Nick Fury 051] 150

Quinjet [Age of Ultron V001] 140

Nick Fury [Nick Fury 056] 120

Hawkeye  [Avengers Defenders War 067] 65

Monica Chang [Age of Ultron 011] 65

Jimmy Woo [Nick Fury 008b] 60

Iron Man [Nick Fury 053r] 50

Fitz [Nick Fury Fast Forces 004] 50

HENRY [Nick Fury 099]

= 1000 points

RAPID-FIRE TRICK SHOOTING: Hawkeye can use Running Shot. Each time Hawkeye hits an opposing character with a range attack, after actions resolve, he can use Running Shot again as a free action, but only to target a character that wasn’t attacked this turn.

• He hit stealthed Midnighter, killing his SP Outwit. Then…
• He hit Jenny Sparks in the middle. Bye-bye, Pulse Wave! Then…
• He hit Apollo. Bye, Hypersonic Speed. Then…
• He hit Elijah Snow. So much for my 120-point dial. Then…
  He hit Swift. Now she was stuck on a measly 9 AV. Then…
• He hit Jakita Wagner, crucially docking her 9 Speed to just 8. Then…
• He hit Doctor, taking out my extra Prob Control and Barrier and leaving me with uselessness. Then…
• He hit Drummer, killing my team’s OTHER SP Outwit. Then…

• No longer Hypersonic, I essentially had to waste Apollo on a Running Shot on a piece of blocking hiding the taxied Hulk.
• Engineer selected Hypersonic, TK and Prob Control for options.
• Jack Hawksmoor did his “Absorbed Into Buildings” SP thing then TK’d Midnighter into Charge range of Hulk.
• ‘Nighter Charged and landed his Exploit Weakness. More importantly, his trait dropping the DV of anyone he’s punching kicked in.
• The Quinjet, a flying character, had carried last turn, so I had an Air token for Swift to free-action fly next to Hulk and the Quinjet.
• Jakita and Drummer Perplexed Jenny Sparks’ attack, then she landed her Running Shot on Hulk, Quinjet and Jimmy Woo with the following SP:

It’s that time again: when WK drops a new set of HeroClix and when Heroclixin’ drops a checklist to help you track your collection. Thanks as always to the crowdsourcers on Facebook and especially www.HCRealms.com for the setlists. Download from the link below and enjoy.

BattleworldChecklist

So here’s a thing that Heroclixin’ used to do on the regular: Highlight a Top Ten each month. Going forward, it’s probably not going to be quite that frequent — heck, updates of any sort have been difficult — but we’re pleased to re-present this series. Here’s Heroclixin’s TBT’s picks for:

TOP 10 MOST ACCURATE SPIDER-MEN

Rules: Figure must be named “Spider-Man” or have “Spider” and “Man” in the name, OR have the real name “Peter Parker”.

How I’m Rating Each Piece:

• Maneuverability: Spider-Man should be very nimble on the board. Maybe not the fastest piece, but it should feel like he can be moving well through a fight.
• Power Set: There are certain traits that Spider-Man has that should be reflected on his dial. Late-dial Willpower helps the case. Super Senses or it’s just not Spider-Man. Super Strength or Incapacitate, too. Anything else is icing on the cake!
• Back to Basics: Ignoring any fancy bells and whistles like Thor’s hammer or Venom Symbiotes… How Spider-Man is this Spider-Man?

Honorable Mentions:

Spider-Man [Web of Spider-Man 100]
This large-based Spider-Man is one of my favorites, but cracking this top 10 takes more than a free web-sling and some cheap webbing. Didn’t feel like Spider-Man on the board enough to make top-ten!

[Webmaster Rurouni KJS note: He was also terrible at the time. And worse today. A Spidey only an Aunt May — or a TBT — could love]

Spider-Man [Amazing Spider-Man 057]
Armor-Spider is a personal favorite, but with no move-and-attack option he doesn’t feel like he’s Spider-Man. Really great sculpt though, with great power.

10.

Spider-Man [Web of Spider-Man 007]

This Spider-Man slips into the top 10 with the bare minimum. Leap/Climb, Super Strength, and a very spider-like traited Super Sense (with a +1 to your roll). What he lacks in Willpower, he makes up for in free webbing. As early as this set was (early September 2010), this Spider-Man is rock-solid with high values and a wonderful sculpt, a good start for this list.

9.

Spider-Man [What If? 026]

Not exactly Peter Parker, but Ben Reilly makes this list as a perfect clone posing as Parker. With a wonderful Charge special that allows him to move freely, this man is complemented with Super Senses and Strength. I like this take on Spider-Man because he gets more defensive as he takes damage, with Perplex moving to Outwit and Defend holding down the last few clix. A fine representation of a Peter Parker who’s trying to keep his friends and family alive, while also trying to keep his own life together. Doesn’t have Willpower at all though- number nine it is.

8.

Spider-Man [Amazing Spider-Man 201]

This Spider-Man is flexible. He could’ve been much higher too, with Sharpshooter allowing him to web up targets adjacent, Super Senses for the defense, and the ability to ignore almost everything for basic movement. Absolutely attack-minded with this one, but when actually played he’s much more finesse than what the dial says. Choosing when to web someone up (giving them a -3 to their attack) or charging over to support a friend is flexibility that can’t be looked past. Still needs some sort of Willpower. But it’s Spider-Man!

7.

Spider-Man [Superior Foes of Spider-Man Fast Forces 001]

In a set dedicated to Spider-Man’s arch enemies, the fast forces set supplied you with the key villains (including J.J. Jameson), and one heck of an accurate Peter. His traited carry really hits home with who he usually carries in the books, and the reducer on his Hypersonic Speed special reminds you that he’s not super-fast in a fight… just agile. Late dial Willpower/Outwit combo is something you’ll see quite a bit on the rest of this list, and to top it off, his sculpt is clean and neat. Perhaps a little dull for Spider-Man, but the set wasn’t about him. If the Combat Reflexes were switched with his Super Senses in his dial he’d be more accurate, seeing as Parker usually dodges a couple bullets before getting in close… details matter here!

6.

Spider-Man [Spider-Man and his Amazing Friends WKM-010]

This piece, plucked off the team base he comes on, might be one of the most powerful Spider-Men in the game. A host of almost every single power a Spider-Man fan could ask for, this guy almost placed at the top. The issue is the -placement- of said jumble of powers. Sidestep, Improved Movement, and carry are traited. Awesome. His top-dial has Super Strength, an awesome Super Senses… and Flurry? I can see Flurry later on in any Spider-Man dial, but at the top is a little odd. Peter hasn’t gotten the snot beat out of him, so there’s no real reason to flail wildly at his opponent. Moving on, he’s got Running Shot, then Plasticity, and Combat Reflexes somewhere… It’s all a-jumbled! Absolutely nuts. Overall, this Spider-Man -feels- like a Spider-Man on the board due to his capacity for any situation on any click number and sweet willpower that’s always there, but it’s too wild and crazy to contend with Spider-Men of a higher caliber. Onward.

5.

Spider-Man [Civil War Storyline Organized Play 108]

Halfway down the list, and this guy pops up. Peter Parker makes mistakes. We all do. This Heroclix piece though, makes zero. Purely a support piece, Peter makes it well-known that all he’s trying to do is help people. He genuinely wants a safer world, and this piece stands out. Defend, an awesome “I’ll get in the way of a bullet” Shape Change trait, and Incapacitate get the point across. Perplex after click one, Outwit after click three represent his intellect. Improved, traited Super Senses. His movement is stripped down to Leap/Climb, which is really a “bare minimum” for Spider-Man by today’s standard. Accuracy is what I’m after; this Peter Parker nails it. Even his clicks of Barrier do him justice. He just wants everyone safe and sound. A top Spider-Man piece, worthy of his spot on this list.

4.

Spider-Man [What If? 101]

To start this piece of, I have to say; It needs to be played at full 100 points. He doesn’t ignore characters for movement, and he has no access to Hypersonic Speed. So why on this great Earth has this Spider-Man made number four? Power set! Awesome Super Senses with a high value, top-dial Outwit that switches to Perplex, and Charge for some nice move-and-attack. Willpower near the end of the dial (as a spider should have), and the oddest addition- Precision Strike. Now, P.S held this Spider-Man back from being top three, but it fits with a more methodical, smart Parker. A Peter Parker… that would have Outwit on his top-dial. A great pick for the list, but not accurate enough for me!

3.

Spider-Man [Mutant Mayhem 060]

Surprise! Digging back to the 2004 set, I found a Spider-Man gunning for the most accurate prize! While his dial values are outdated, his powerset is EXACTLY what I was looking for. Leap/Climb all the way until what I call his “desperation clicks”, also known as his last three clicks of life. Incapacitate and Super Strength switch back and forth throughout the dial until the desperation clicks. Outwit in the final three. Super Senses? Check. Willpower? CHECK. This Peter Parker is well put-together, well thought-out, a lengthy dial that REALLY feels like Spidey is fighting for his life. To top it all off? His sculpt and point value are spot-on. I can’t always explain how a piece feels to play on the table, but this piece feels like Spider-Man… in 2004. Wonderful representation of Spider-Man. Top three starts with a bang.

2.

Spider-Man [Avengers Versus X-Men 004]

Now things are getting good. This was one of the first Spider-Men I owned as a Heroclix player, and I do not regret my choice. While his “Move and Attack” special is … dated, it exemplifies who Spider-Man is. It’s also the first top-dial Shape Change we’ve seen for this list. It’s a happy balancing act where the dial creators gave Spider-Man improved Super Senses as a trait, but only from range. It really gives a good game feel as Spider-Man when he’s difficult to hit on his top-dial. Moving on, you see his dial is not jumbled, but stuffed with appropriate powers at appropriate times. This piece was my original number-one to this list, usurped by one other… AMAZING pick. (See what I did there?)

1.

Spider-Man [Superior Foes of Spider-Man 049]

It had to be. This Spider-Man is perfect. Perplex that shifts to Close Combat Expert, and then settles on Outwit. Willpower to start, Combat Reflexes, then Willpower again. Super Strength. Then, in true Spider-Man fashion, a “Last Ditch Effort” free attack with Precision Strike. Hypersonic Speed, with the necessity of close attacks. Sidestep when he’s been beaten up. Wait, where’s the Super Senses? TRAITED IMPROVED SENSES. The cherry on top is the webbing trait. He’s got it all, all for 100 points. It really feels like you’re using Spider-Man in a fight. Keywords are on-point too. I really can’t extrapolate on how strong, balanced, and wonderful this piece is. It’s the most accurate, strongest, and best-looking Spider-Man in Heroclix.

———

That wraps it! Thanks for a great article, TBT.

So while I was getting my computer and internet situation back in gear, I missed a few post opportunities. Namely, with Q1 2018’s release of Xavier’s School set, we got a couple of new pieces to the X-Statix crew, reviewed back a little over a year ago, when we said:

• U-Go Girl is vital to the team, freeing the others up from burning actions getting to the fight.
• Anarchist is vital to the team as its only real range.
• Orphan is vital to the team for his Leadership and to make the Headlines work.
• Doop is vital at 35 points for Prob.
• Dead Girl is vital as the one member of the team with an above average AV, Flight and a degree of “don’t die” ability.

Do the newbies make themselves indispensable as well?

Phat [X-Men: Xavier’s School 048] 75 points

He’s another melee fighter for the team, like the equally priced Orphan and Dead Girl. But with starting Invulnerability, he’s much more durable than either. He also boasts Great Reach to offset his not-great 7 Charge. That might not be a huge problem with his trait to nerf a combat value and boost the rest +1, assuming the random d6 roll required doesn’t end up nerfing the very one you needed the boost for.

Maybe you opt out of this beginning of turn roll until you’re sure that it can’t bite you in the nethers.

HEADLINE TIPS: Because he’s an attacker above all with decent to good AV, he’s likely to gain Headlines. But all he gets from them is extra Giant Reach range … not the best way to burn those tokens.

Phat is a lot of FUN, but he’s not quite as vital to the team, it seems. I guess run him if you just HAVE to play a brawler who’s more durable than Dead Girl.

______________________________________

Venus Dee Milo [X-Men: Xavier’s School 060] 85 points

For 10 points more than Anarchist, Venus is another Running Shot Psychic Blaster for the team, though she lacks his Improved Targeting. Instead, she represents another dedicated taxi in addition to U Go Girl, via her Passengers: 2 “Pinpoint Teleportation” trait.

Just those elements alone would be worth the points increase. But she fills so many other holes in the X-Statix playbook. For in last year’s article, Heroclixin’ lamented that the team lacked the STOPP powers: Support, Telekinesis, Outwit, Perplex, Prob. Control. Venus here provides starting and ending Support, free TK (with Headline tokens, at least) and Perplex mid-dial.

HEADLINE TIPS: Here’s the thing, though, about that “free” TK: She needs to burn Headlines to use it, so during the early game when TK is most useful, it’s not gonna be usable at all.

Still, it’s hard not to see Venus as vital to the X-Statix cast, as she brings so many pluses to the team: that ranged shooter (with better swing than Anarchist), a super taxi (though without the limits and advantages of U Go Girl but far better use in between ferrying) and a healer and TKer…! The only drawback to fielding her is that she’s the only one to lack the X-Force keyword if you want to pad out the team and still stay themed.

Which could be a problem.

______________________________________

The previous X-Statix team fit in 300 builds at 295 points. Adding these two comes up to 455, which leaves WAY TOO MUCH room left over. Not even Golden Age feats or Additional Team Abilities can properly fill out. Let’s recap from last year:

• Orphan: Contingency Plan 12 points. In lieu of actual Perplex or something
• Anarchist: Force Field 10 points. ‘Cuz a Poison piece needs a little Toughness
• Dead Girl: Opportunist 10 points. Since she’s getting carried by U-Go Girl at first anyway
• U-Go Girl: Alias 3 points. Needs SOMETHING to keep her from being one-shot

Nothing for Doop at 35. That leaves 10 points.

Venus Dee Milo could take Force Field for her opening and last third of her dial, but I was looking at Invigorate to help keep friends token free. But the feat’s banning of power actions in the same turn hurt the team’s chances of maintaining a good offense, so I dunno.

And what about Phat? I guess Damage Shield could work, but there’s a mid-dial where it doesn’t, at all. And Lunge only functions on his end-dial, too late to be worth using.

Maybe the better move is to use 5 points for the Yellow Lantern again — Venus is another member who benefits — and call it a day.

I keep coming back to this F.U.N. theme of female characters who either have or can use Great Size — and thinking that it can compete with the meta.

Here’s how it did one time.

And here’s the latest version:

Wasp, Heart of the Avengers [Avengers Infinity G011] 50

Giant-Girl [Avengers Infinity Fast Forces G001] 50

Giant-Girl [Avengers Infinity G001] 40

Stature [Civil War] 80

Giganta [Harley Quinn and the Gotham Girls 055] 50

Ms. Marvel [The Mighty Thor G005] 15

Tribbles [Star Trek: The Original Series ] 5

Invisible Plane Terrain Dial 5

Prodigy ID Card 3

=298 points of Colossal Retaliation and Stamina galore. But how does this G.L.O.H. (Gorgeous Ladies of HeroClix) team stack up in actual high-level competition?

ROUND ONE

LE Doc Ock, Captain America [Avengers Defenders War 069], Renet Tilley [TMNT2], Shredder Clone. A whole team of actions after taxi. And sure enough, it took a figure down, just like I planned.

I did NOT plan for TWO to go down, limiting my retaliation options.

But it turned out OK as my opponent couldn’t take down Giganta (she being Stealthed and now able to get the six-characters-on-force stat bonuses) and I began to gain the action advantage with Stature’s Colossal Stamina attacks — though that almost turned to disaster when she crit missed on one of those to suffer a near-fatal THREE clicks of self-harm. But she escaped to preserve a solid points advantage despite not being able to finish off Shark Shredder for a big points bonus. 1-0.

ROUND TWO

Superman [Elseworlds 050], Unseen, Starfox [Avengers Infinity 048] and Mangog on my opponent’s Junkyard map.

Ohhh, damn this mudpit map, leaving me with nowhere to plant Giganta in Stealth. Had me settling for trying to KO an ID Iceman to get a swift lead in points.

(“Oh, Rurouni KJS … you poor fool,” some of you Mangog experts out there are thinking.)

As it turned out, I didn’t score a hit until late in the hour. And that’s when the big yellow retaliator struck, dealing WAY MORE DAMAGE to WAY MORE CHARACTERS with a single attack than any other figure in the game EVER. And so my giant girls all fell in one turn except Stature.

1-1.

OK, seeing how my team’s whole strat was Colossal Retaliation, I pretty much had no shot at winning this round — especially given my thorough unfamilarity with the Mangog threat. Knowing what I know now, I’d simply march for Mangog immediately, regardless of the risk.

ROUND THREE

Facing Uni-Mind, Lockjaw, Carnage [The Mighty Thor], and Groot [Avengers Infinity] with the Boxing Ring on my Muir Island map.

Uni came for Wasp in his Boxing Ring, gambling correctly that his Perplexes would nullify the penalty of shooting out. She got one-shot. Not the punch in the face I thought to take. But I hadn’t lost yet.

I called in ID character Prodigy, who Outwitted Uni, then I retaliated with FF GG, placing her like so (inside the Boxing Ring, next to Uni-Mind).

And that is when I DID lose.

See, I forgot about Super Strength.

I missed the retaliation, but landed the followup punch with an object. Then Stature charged, using Giant Reach from outside the ring, but missed by one.

But had I remembered Super Strength, I’d have placed here instead:

… and used the KNOCKBACK (indicated by the arrow) to hurl Uni out of the Boxing Ring for what would be a much more likely hit to split him into the far more manageable Makkari and Thena. And that’s a game I probably can win.

As it was, Uni easily escaped, got healed to full. And I got just 10 points in a Carnage KO. 1-2.

ROUND FOUR

Got stuck facing chase Starfox again (this time with Mjolnir!), Lockjaw again, and Groot again along with Mudman and a full load of IDs. But the real MVP of his team was Infinity and her -1 speed to my whole force. Kept me from Charging, taxiing, or even getting my loaned Dr. Leslie into Outwit position. On my opponent’s Amok Time Star Trek map, there was nowhere to plant Giganta that helped at all. It was just a miserable slog; what else can you say about a game where Starfox with Mjolnir never has to make a single attack?

1-3.

Disappointed as usual. But I’m gratified that I got the one win against a solid team in Round 1. I also learned a powerful lesson against Mangog in Round 2 and about my own team in Round 3. Round 4 was the only time I felt completely without a chance to win.

By piece:

Wasp, Heart of the Avengers [Avengers Infinity G011] 50

Her plot driven “retaliation” represented one of the threats of the team. I was always torn whether to be aggressive with her (she’s Indomitable) or to keep her safe, as she’s a key target.

Giant-Girl [Avengers Infinity Fast Forces G001] 50

“Blue” Giant-Girl’s free Colossal Retaliation on top of CR can be a game changer. I completely forgot her “Keep It Moving, Avengers” trait allowing her to move 2 squares when an Avenger hits.

Giant-Girl [Avengers Infinity G001] 40

So I’m torn. On one hand, having an extra taxi who can take a hit and block for others was great. On the other, her not having the usual free CR (it’s a POWER action) really limited its usefulness and I never got her into a position to get the heals from KOs with normal attacks even with CR’s easy reposition ability. I might try “purple” Giant-Girl at minimal 10 points in a future version of the team.

Stature [Civil War] 80

On paper, she looks like the albatross of the team, but in practice, she’s a high-risk/high reward attack machine doing work while the other girls draw fire. I have no complaints even though her points MIGHT be better used on a higher cost purple Giant-Girl.

Giganta [Harley Quinn and the Gotham Girls 055] 50

The other secret weapon of the force, the taxi-able Giganta was able to stay safe in Stealth when I could actually find some hindering for her. Lack of move+attack was a problem as she often found herself out of punching range. I might need to upgrade to her top dial for the Charge.

Ms. Marvel [The Mighty Thor G005] 15

She functioned as a great taxi for either Giganta or Stature and as trigger for the rest of the team’s CR. I wish she could have survived ONE attack all day long.

Tribbles [Star Trek: The Original Series ] 5

The girls’ stuffed animals. They’re there to ensure Giganta keeps the stat boosts for when she’s in the fight.

Invisible Plane Terrain Dial 5

This was a waste of points that honestly had an outsized effect AGAINST me by limiting my movement and placements more than the opponents’ and NEVER turning its dial even once. I thought it a better fit than the Boxing Ring (which is no good offensively and only OK as a defense IMO) but I was wrong.

Prodigy ID Card 3

I didn’t want to break the tall women theme, but I had points left and Outwit is never unwelcome. Almost won me that one game, in fact.

A future version of the team might be this:

Wasp, Heart of the Avengers [Avengers Infinity G011] 50

Giant-Girl [Avengers Infinity Fast Forces G001] 50

Giant-Girl [Avengers Infinity G001] 10

Stature [Civil War] 80

Giganta [Harley Quinn and the Gotham Girls 055] 90

Ms. Marvel [The Mighty Thor G005] 15

Tribbles [Star Trek: The Original Series ] 5

= 300 points. Oughta be F.U.N.