My Custom Mods series continues its revival. Last week we saw a repainted Reed Richards in a standard but underrepresented Fantastic Four uniform.
This week? Hoooo boy
I resisted it because this ’90s costume is SO TERRIBLE.
But it’s also hilarious in its badness and most of Sue’s other costumes are super boring. So I went there.
Hot mama!
NEXT MONDAY: More hotness
The My Custom Mods series revival continues.
Somehow we’ve never gotten the FF in their John Byrne-era black and white costumes.
So that was my pick for Reed here. It was a simple repaint.
He’s all set for the Council of Reeds team I’ve been planning since before the Fox/Disney embargo of the 2010s.
NEXT MONDAY: THEEE most fantastically ’90s bad costume
In his first appearance, Black Panther took on — and took DOWN — each of the Fantastic Four. That’s why, nearly 10 years ago, I complained that one of my favorite Marvel heroes, Black Panther, had never gotten a complete dial.
All this time later, I still find myself complaining about BP figs lacking at least one of the following must-haves:
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THE KING’S VERDICT: This first pass at the king of the Wakandas was a meta staple back then, as Outwit was oppressive with default 10 range. But he was not remotely accurate and today with the black damage power’s range only 4, he’s embarrassingly bad.
THE KING’S VERDICT: As was so often the case in these pre-card years, the Experienced version improved on the Rookie in some way. This BP can actually fight thanks to BCF. But not well with 9 AV.
THE KING’S VERDICT: Usually the Veteran of the REV was the best and strongest version, but Black Panther’s was the worst.
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THE KING’S VERDICT: This was a decently strong dial at the time, but lacking moving attack (unless you added Feat Cards to him) and, being a wild card at the time, he was VERY dependent on what other team abilities you built around him. Now that the Spider-Man TA is Super Senses-centric, he doesn’t even have that option.
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THE KING’S VERDICT: He needs a Storm on the team to work best, and for 128 points that’s not acceptable.
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THE KING’S VERDICT: At the time this was another immobile wild card who needed teammates to best work. Worst aspect: He gave Willpower to allies but not himself. And now he’s not a wild card anymore but still needing teammates to not waste his 100 points. That’s not acceptable.
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THE KING’S VERDICT: The first complete Panther, he was still kinda grossly overcosted at 140 points yet often unable to tangle with characters in his weight class. And the Panther should always be able to tangle ABOVE his weight class.
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THE KING’S VERDICT: This movie-based model can move and attack and act without needing a lot of support. But the lack of Leadership or Stealth means it’s a 95-point (or 100 with his optional 5-point Plasticity trait) Panther that’s still very incomplete.
This low dial version (45 or 50 points) is only 3 clicks long. But he still has some of the goods …
THE KING’S VERDICT: Still inadequate. But not bad.
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THE KING’S VERDICT: Traited Precision Strike notwithstanding, for 80 points, he’s really kind of terrible
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THE KING’S VERDICT: He has all the pieces he needs to take care of himself. But still not the real BP.
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You can read this nice HCRealms write-up on these figures from several years ago here.
Next installment will be the first of a couple of looks at Panthers in Silver Age — starting with Avengers Defenders War, a set with a heavily Wakandan sub-theme.
A long time ago, when I actually updated this blog regularly, I had a series called My Custom Mods that ran each Monday or something. But I haven’t done many additional mods for most of those years.
COVID happened, though. So suddenly I had time and ideas.
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I had less indecision with Magik than with Wolverine. For some reason, WizKids long refused to give us a clix of anything resembling this:
She got this look in like 2013 and had appeared in clix like 5 times since then. Why was getting a clix of this so difficult? Anyway, I painted the Deep Cuts piece thusly:
I wasn’t really happy with it, but it sufficed until the X Of Swords set released in January 2022.
NEXT MONDAY MOD: A Fantastic repaint
Once an only occasionally appearing figure in both comics and clix, Black Panther has become a fixture in both.
But… nearly 10 years ago, I complained that one of my favorite Marvel heroes, Black Panther, had never gotten a complete dial.
In his first appearance, Black Panther took on — and took DOWN — each of the Fantastic Four, then Marvel’s premier team. And in a (much) later pair of stories, when faced with the devil Mephisto and a rampaging Hulk — both well out of his weight class — instead of calling the Avengers, he was like, “Why?”
All this time later, I still find myself complaining about BP figs lacking at least one of the following must-haves:
That’s because Outwit is his signature power. A Panther dial really shouldn’t be without it (or, at minimum, one of the other “smart” powers).
He’s a king, whether on the throne or in exile, and frequently heads his own teams. He ought to have Leadership or better.
He can haul a grown man up a building in 10 seconds. That’s Improved Movement:Elevated at minimum, with some sort of moving attack.
It’s a signature power. ‘Nuff said.
Even at the character’s weakest, he’s able to wrestle down a charging rhino barehanded. He’s known for his anti-metal Vibranium claws and energy knives and more, hidden weaponry on his habit. BP should be able to reliably hit even above his weight class for 3-6 clicks damage top dial — even without using Outwit.
Speaking of his outfit, the Vibranium weave habit he’s worn since the late 1990s is highly resistant to damage. Reducers of any kind are a must. Also, he should have high DV — 18 total or better — with Reflexes or Super Senses or something.
I’m going to spend several posts reviewing Panthers once and future on these metrics — both the standards of back in the day to the present — giving THE KING’S VERDICT.
In principle, legacy cards have been a F.U.N. way to bring some old fan-favorites back into Modern/Silver play and rework some old figs that never really worked right before (or don’t anymore due to rule changes).
In practice? They kinda fall into four overlapping categories:
Let’s review. By set number:
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THEN: He had 50% chance of taking minimal damage from relics or resources. He also occasionally had Outwit and Sharpshooter and Perplex and Pulse Wave, depending on if he was on 225 top dial or 125 points. Overcosted even at the time.
NOW: His 50% thing is updated to key off equipment. An attack SP (buried in both his point costs, so good luck seeing it reliably) allows him to shift his stats — so -2 from, say, his Speed to pump +2 to AV or DV or range or damage. At full points — just 100 now! — he has SP Leadership and Perplex that are, respectively, map-wide and don’t need LOF.
F.U.N.? I like this sort of legacy treatment, where an old fig that doesn’t work anymore because it interacted with fully retired game mechanics gets an update in the spirit of the original. And at his 50-point line, he’s a solid attacker.
AM I GETTING THIS? I used to collect Iron Man variants, so I have the fig. We’ll see if the card comes to me.
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THEN: For 100 points, he basically only had “Intimidating Presence”: A SP Leadership that could also token adjacent foes. Energy Shield/Deflection and Ranged Combat Expert were a trait.
NOW: Shaved to 75 points, he makes bystanders — Falcon, Spider-Man, Hulk, Dr. Strange — if your team’s outnumbered. Also has a trait for Energy Explosion and ESD, plus a FREE range attack. The SP Leadership pairs with giving adjacent Avengers TA +1 DV.
F.U.N.? He’s totally inspired by the Avengers: Endgame movie Cap. I like it when these legacies do a different take on the original and reference other material.
AM I GETTING THIS? I have the figure coming in a surprise trade and I really want to play this one time.
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THEN: A meta staple, at first he could FREE Smoke Cloud, then -also- FREE change d6 of them to blocking. It got errata to rein that back to just 3 — and then he got banned from Silver entirely. Too good at just 30 points on low dial.(No one played him at 100.)
NOW: He’s much more aggressive. His LOF isn’t affected by terrain markers, he deals full damage to multiple targets, and can use his FREE actions twice at full 75 points.
F.U.N.? Normally I kinda hate when meta figs get legacies. I got tired of seeing them — or leaning on them — back then. But with the old version no longer available even in Silver Age, I’ll allow this. In fact, this is one of the best uses of the legacy format: to bring pieces that aren’t legal in any format back into play.
AM I GETTING THIS? I have the piece but don’t need to chase this card.
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THEN: Good at either 150 or 95 points, Carol Danvers here was one of the best figs of the pandemic era, with HSS + 1 free damage to an enemy she moved through, 2-3 STOP clicks that gave her SAFEGUARD:Outwit, and FREE drop of a pog with Perplex, Plasticity and Giant Reach Flurry Blades.
NOW: She lost the pog, the SAFEGUARD, and the free damage during HSS but gains SHIELD TA, Super Strength, Willpower (and self-healing when she drops a token outside of the clearing phase). Her biggest buff is a new MOVE action that deals 1 free damage to EVERY enemy she moves through. But she still costs the exact same as before: 150 and 95.
F.U.N.? Usually they deeply discount redos. But old Carol was overtuned and they clearly wanted to make her more F.U.N. and less meta and more comic/movie accurate (i.e., less dependent on her pet bystander).
AM I GETTING THIS? Hopefully. This looks like a F.U.N. piece with great potential.
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THEN: Back in 2015, when I used to rank the best meta figs, he topped that list thanks to:
His only weaknesses were that walls/blocking terrain cut off his view and he has a short 6-click dial for his 120 points.
NOW: See the green above? He still does all that for only 90 points — AND he adds Mastermind to his Shape Change, which can spawn LMD pogs for him to shift attacks to! He also can nix a target’s use of its equipment for a turn.
F.U.N.? He was a meta terror and the new version is the least F.U.N. kind of legacy — one that makes him work pretty much exactly as before. Fortunately, Stealth is no longer quite as difficult to handle as it was 10 years ago and he can’t Outwit ANYBODY like before. Still, nah, not F.U.N.
AM I GETTING THIS? …but I have kept the old fig around for for a potential “Nothing But Fury” team of all Nick Furys. So we’ll see if the card comes to me.
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THEN: He was one of the first to wear unlimited equipment (but the game kinda capped the amount of friendly equips due to object rules) and he got a bonus click of life if the enemy force had extra tactics like ID cards or equipment. He could also steal enemy equips with his SP Incap and, for a few extra points, start the game with the Reality Gem (Prob Control, TK, extra bolt). Not bad for 55 or 60 points.
NOW: He still gets unlimited equips but now can start with any one equipment for free, gets his bonus click if the enemy starts with pretty much any non-character thing on its Sideline, and his equip steal SP is no longer tied to weak Incap — instead the hit foe has to chose to either give up the equip (and Collector can then steal it as FREE if in range) or take all the damage. 45 points.
F.U.N.? I mean, the set’s namesake HAD to be here, right? This is a nice update now that so much of what triggered his old version has retired.
AM I GETTING THIS? Maybe. I’m not a huge fan of the character but I have the figure.
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THEN: For 90 points, he was mostly standing/Sidestepping in Stealth and POWER generating a Robot Dupe pog that, in addition to using a chosen foe’s standard displayed powers and stats, could self-KO to keep Machinesmith from dying from anything less than a Pulse Wave.
NOW: Shaved to 75 points. This time he makes a FRIENDLY character a RoboDupe instead of a pog — and his death-cheating trait is Protected:Pulse Wave. He also keeps foes within 4 squares from doing terrain actions or equipping/picking them up. Finally, he gets a new team ability, Minions of Doom, to give his Steal Energy
F.U.N.? The old version’s Robot Dupes could only chose a target 100 points or less, which meant Machinesmith could be EXTRA dead weight against beefier foes. Also, the RoboDupe was likely to be doing all the fighting — and dying before it could save Machinesmith. Now he can build better around himself. It’s a nice upgrade to a fig that kinda needed one — exactly the best use of a legacy card. And it reflects his more recent face turn from villainy in an Ant-Man series from a few years back — the other best use of a legacy card.
AM I GETTING THIS? Maybe! I collect Masters of Evil.
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The new set officially releases soon (tomorrow as of this publication) — time for the usual pocket checklist! “YOU MUST HAVE IT!”
Download (four copies to a page) here:
A long time ago, when I actually updated this blog regularly, I had a series called My Custom Mods that ran each Monday or something.
It’s been way more than a full decade since the most recent installment. And truth be told, I hadn’t done any additional mods for most of those years.
But there was this darn global public health emergency that kept me inside a tad more than usual. And suddenly I had time and ideas.
On top of that, WizKids started encouraging custom paint jobs, even producing unpainted redialed sculpts and allowing repaints in official tournaments (though actual physical modifications are still barred).
So it’s time to revive this series! For the next several months of Mondays, watch this space for it.
Starting with this one:
WOLVERINE (Deep Cuts X-Men 001)
I wondered what to do with this character. I never liked the yellow costume all that much but didn’t think the brown or black versions were what I wanted, either.
Then I saw online where someone did this costume the character wore briefly in the early 1990s:
And yes, that hit my X-nostalgia hard. I loved that run. And at the time I said, “it’s unlikely we’ll ever see official HeroClix of these suits on anyone not named Forge.” So I:
It’s OK. But I’m glad we finally got the look officially last year.
NEXT MONDAY MOD: Someone magical
My list came out to around 20 figs this year. Some were either instant faves or surprised me how well I liked them (Tier 1). Many others are pieces that beg me to play them every time I see them in the box (Second Team). And still others are ones I like but haven’t quite gotten to properly field or face to make a firm decision — or I have and they’re JUST on the cusp (First Alternates).
But it’s Jan. 1 and I’m up against an imposed deadline, so here I go with my top 10 (to 20 HeroClix of the year.
There’s always one fig that could’ve made the previous year’s favorite list but didn’t stand out immediately until it got play this past year — potential “late bloomer” faves.
It’s her; she’s the late-bloomer fave from 2023. So stinging CUTE and that Hypersonic damaging Incap is pretty OK.
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All right, on to the actual 2024 list. Although they’re listed in alphabetical order, I’m kinda putting them in those tiers I mentioned.
I’m currently writing a lonnnnng set of reviews of how Black Panther figs through the HeroClix ages all disappoint me. (Will finish it eventually sometime, Lord willing.) But with T’Challa being a top 5 favorite comic character, ONE version had to make the list, so here he is. WAKANDA FOREVER. SECOND TEAM for now.
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I’m pretty MEH on the She-Hulk TV show, but this two-bit mage is a fun one and the clix version is F.U.N. too. He’s… “DONNY BLAZE!” (flame burst) FIRST ALTERNATE.
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After so many flying Falcons (which I love), it’s fantastic to finally get his original appearance version! I haven’t gotten to truly play this fig yet, but it’s looking like a fave in short order. It’s the double attacks that balance his short life. FIRST ALTERNATE
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Over the years, The Flash has never quite felt … right to me. Either he was unfun with his extreme hit and run tactics or he was limited in his mobility or he barely could hurt a target. But this one is different! It’s the punching 1 square away regardless of terrain that, along with the super Shape Change, makes him the perfect Flash for me. TIER 1
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So this is the rendition of Storm in Coates’ Black Panther run where she was worshipped as a goddess and drew the power from that she needed to win the fight she was in. First really strong Storm we’ve had in a while, and I’m a Storm fan. I’m still mad some neckbeard out there ran the asking price so high for this piece early on. FIRST ALTERNATE
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I low-key collect Harleys, but didn’t expect to like her so much despite her very short life and low damage. The ally-sparing Pulse Wave and Prob Control makes her a good replacement for the retired Powerbomb Scott Porter. And what’s more Nerdcore than literally the DnD-Bard-style buff? Nothing. SECOND TEAM
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She’s so full of shenanigans (off-the-board Outwit/Prob; Mastermind to enemy) without being toxic (respectively: costed action; once per game). My kinda piece. TIER 1
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Though Not exactly a standout character, his Willpower, Running Shot, Leadership and super-charging Underworld TA makes me really glad to play him every time. TIER 1
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Because of the unavailability of this Ultra Chase, I had no idea he’d become a fave. But the supreme support skills of this piece makes him really F.U.N. A surprise TIER 1.
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Any Black Lightning variant will catch my interest. This Dark Knights of Steel version intrigued me immediately with his Leadership, Enhancement, Prob Control, Defend, STOP. and his no-roll damage ability if you’re bold — or cheesy — enough to set it up. That’s because his shutdown of Flight and Superman TA and Super Strength only works on his side of (small) maps, so his free damage involves risk — a key F.U.N. factor.
This and the whole chase line got me into DKOS. Great story. TIER 1
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“Me and the Ohio Players going to tell you about a worm. He’s the funkiest worm in the world.” IYKYK. Just the IT:Characters with his long range Outwit is worth the slot. TIER 1
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Madrox is one of my all-time faves. But y’all saw that the 013 version made the Worst list this year. However, that rating was him as a solo piece. Played with some of his brothers, like the (long-delayed)099 Home Kit one who generates his own pogs AND super-charges all Multiple Men on his squad, OR the “Bag of Multiple Men” LE who gives adjacent pals Empower and X-Men, OR the new High Rollers LE that effectively rolls 3d6 and gives other Madroxi Empower for his attacks — well, it’s a good time to be a Multiple Man fan. And a Multiple Man — hence the tie. SECOND TEAM
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He’s this F.U.N. and awkward tie-up piece that touches my heart somehow. So here he is in TIER 1.
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I thought she was the first SR I pulled in the set (long ahead of release at HeroClix For Huntington’s, a worthy event) but no, she’s mislabeled. Still, I love that her FREE Mind Control ability is so character accurate (she craved hand-to-hand combat in this phase of her existence) — and of course, that she’s in the classic Uncanny X-Men 275 outfit. SECOND TEAM
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That “Everything That Was Bad, It Was Me” trait — if this isn’t Eobard Thawne to a TEE. TIER 1.
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There’s almost nothing I enjoyed in HeroClix this year more than shouting “OBJECTION” with this figure. Lawyer suit She-Hulk has always been my favorite She-Hulk in clix. TIER 1
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Another Storm and another UXM 275 classic look. But the intricate play style of these Shifting Focus pieces makes me like her a little better than the brute force that is Hadari Yao. SECOND TEAM
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Her slapping enemy Celebs with her Copyright Claims barring them from using standard powers not printed on dial was peak F.U.N. for me. Also: Jameela Jamil. Just sayin’. Absolutely my No. 1 fig of the year so TIER 1 obviously
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He was a F.U.N. Worlds play for me and that gets him a spot. He also represents a glow-up of Wakanda this past year. FIRST ALTERNATE
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As usual, I like the idea of pitting one year’s faves against the previous year’s. But last time I did, it felt a little miserable. (Might be because the Olympics were on and the presidential campaign was getting ugly ahead of schedule. Or maybe it was the way pretty much nothing worked for the older team. Just wasn’t a good game.
Still:
2023 squad
= 1295 points. Versus:
2024 faves
= 1290 points as well. Could be F.U.N.
It’s the end of the year. Let’s see the rear-end of 2024’s clix. In alphabetical order:
Baron Zemo (Marvel Studios Next Phase 062)
Based on a meme more than anything, this SHOULD have been a peak F.U.N. (Friendly, Useful, Nifty) piece. But in practice, he doesn’t have enough speed to properly use his speed SP (token up foes he walked through) and he has no secondary use for 40 points.
DANCE LIKE NO ONE’S LOOKING — IN THE BOTTOM OF THE CLIX BIN
Lady Mastermind (Deadpool Weapon X 004)
Speaking of 40 points, she delivers a fair amount more: Enhancement, Mind Control, Mastermind. But Mm to who? And single target MC is weak. She’s just not good enough.
THIS LADY IS NO MASTER
Ms. Marvel (Marvel Studios Next Phase 046)
The SR is overcosted and confusing. Why’s she got Impervious AND Toughness? At 120 she’s almost never gonna do the CLOSE Terrain action. And her Barrier — which is necessary to use her weird Terrain Action ability — is likely to block LOF. No thanks. She’s better at 80 points but still really expensive to lose her moving attacks.
THE COMMON VERSION IS BETTER — AND THAT’S BAD.
Multiple Man (Deadpool Weapon X 013)
Absolutely terrible alone and he has to surrender points to multiply — MAYBE. Such a downgrade from the XRF version.
MULTIPLE OF ZERO IS STILL ZERO
Namor (Black Panther 050)
Seems OK until you try to play him at full. Sidestep Quake? 10 AV? Really? His SP Leadership isn’t THAT good. But he lacks it entirely on his otherwise kinda playable low dial.
HE’S A BEACHED FISH
Saturn Girl (Masters of Time L002)
She’s kinda only on a team to be expensive Mastermind fodder? And she does need a way to get to her good clicks, that’s true. BUT there’s an excellent chance she takes the full 3 damage and gets stranded on her worst click.
READ MY MIND: DON’T RUN HER
Steve (Marvel Studios Next Phase 064)
Like dancing Zemo, this meme piece promised to be more F.U.N. But the requirements of TWO characters to move AND hit in a single turn made his Choreography abilities too hard to proc.
HE ACTUALLY CAN’T DO THIS ALL DAY
Storm (Black Panther L003)
Ability to knock back in any direction sounds good, but it’s just 1 square (so minimal opportunity for knockback damage) and counterintuitive for Smoke Cloud’s AV-nerfing quality. She needs to be like 35 or fewer points to be worth it.
THEY KEEP TRYING TO MAKE THIS DIAL GOOD AND CAN’T
Velociraptor (Masters of Time 002)
Is 40 points the bad point value in 2024? This dino has only 3 clicks of life with mediocre 17 Toughness to preserve it. And it’s worse because you HAVE to run multiples to get much value from them.
SHOULD BE EXTINCT
Wakandan Scientist (Black Panther 014)
Having just 3 range means she can’t fight within her 4 Outwit range, and if she’s that close to the action, she’s getting killed. The Vibranium Armor equipment she makes also isn’t that great a use of the Vibranium tokens (that she has to depend on adjacent allies hitting to make — again pulling her too close to danger these days) — and she can’t even use it herself to shore up her sad 17 DV Willpower.
THIS NERD GETS WRECKED
Wolverine and She-Hulk (Deadpool Weapon X 070)
I absolutely love the idea of this piece. But in practice? The higher 160-point line is missing the Prob it needs to be if it’s gonna be half your team, while at 65 points there are no Modern Wolverines to split into that work with Modern She-Hulks’ click 1, which are 60 points or higher, leaving Wolverines with only 35 — and no 35-point Wolverines exist in Modern. Barely in Silver.
FIRST RULE OF FASTBALL SPECIAL: DON’T TALK ABOUT FASTBALL SPECIAL. OR PLAY IT
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OK, enough of the junk. Next post: My personal best.