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No. 8

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Shatterstar [WATX 010]

A late addition to the Watch List this past autumn, ‘Star got a deserved look and erratum. His trait, “X-Portal,” allows him to teleport anywhere on the map, once per game, and bring a cheaper friend along. While his 73-point cost ostensibly serves as a limit to abuse, the reality of Vehicles and pilots allow him to essentially cart MUCH more than his points for either a next-turn attack or an instant evac.

Even without the trait, Shatterstar is a prim0 piece. He bears the Charge+Flurry+Blades combo with 17 Combat Reflexes DV, making him one of the game’s very best in melee combat.

With his ability to change the positioning game with a single move and to survive and thrive in close combat, Shatterstar ranks No. 8 in 2013’s Top Ten.

Honorable Mention:

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Alyosha Kraven [ASM] singlehandedly makes Animal teams relevant. He’s only relegated to HM status because he’s essentially relegated to Animal teams to be more than just an above average 2nd attacker, extra pog character Gulyadkin notwithstanding.

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Fantomex [WATX 042] is another fig that brings an extra “piece” on the team for free. The Frenchman doesn’t quite rate the list because he’s so many fragile points and very dependent on range, which is a rather short 5.

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Next: An harbinger of dark nights to come?

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No. 9 [tie]

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Justice League [Teen Titans T002r]
Trinity of Sin [WizKids D-T001e]
Shi’ar Imperial Guard team base [WATX T005e]

Prior to the Watch List changes, these team bases were the nigh-unbeatable monsters of HeroClix; they simply couldn’t lose unless a team was built to beat them because they could deal more damage output than anything else in the game within 3 turns of game start.

Now they’re actually reasonable to face. And still quite good. Each, at their 200- to 300-build levels, still get two actions via Working Together, and each still has high damage. Each can still nearly double their effective team build total by mid-game via the Solo Adventure mechanic. And each bears an opening-click Asset Dial ability that’s worth never rolling from. Combined, these three still represent the best team bases of the lot.

The three are tied because each has a minor weakness that keeps it from standing above the other two.

  • Justice League has the longest effective range of 10 with Sharpshooter, immunity to Outwit, Shape Change and Super Senses, team abilities granting Stealth and anti-Stealth, and the highest AV of all. BUT…the immunity to Outwit only works when the whole team’s on the base and is lost when Solo Adventure is used.
  • Trinity of Sin has Quintessence, double-hurting Mystics, Mind Control, Poison, Outwit and Probability Control. A Solo Adventure only costs them the double Mystics damage-dealing and gains them the abilities of the removed member to nerf the enemies’ use of Outwit, Perplex or Prob, respectively. But TrinSin’s weakness is very thin armor in the form of just two clicks of Toughness and nothing else.
  • Shi’ar Imerial Guard boasts the ability to alpha strike from almost anywhere on the map and deal out Flurry damage. It also has the  Power Cosmic TA, loses nothing with Solo Adventures and has the longest dial of the three. But its starting AV is also the lowest.

Each of these pieces is strong enough to handle almost any team it faces, even after losing much of their old power, and so share the No. 9 slot among the 10 best clix 2013 had to offer.

Honorable Mention

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War Machine [IIM 029b], like the team bases, is a tentpole designed not to be utterly outactioned. First, it’s got its “Alpha Strike” SP that grants two actions for the price of two tokens — easy enough to swallow thanks to Indomitable. Better still is WM’s trait “Retaliatory Strike,” that allows a free action ranged shot when foes take shots at him in between his turns. So in effect, WM’s still getting about the same number of actions as 2 or 3 foes — and as many attacks/actions as the team bases at the same cost get. The piece suffers, though, from lacking their sheer amount of extras — the TAs, the extra life, etc.

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New Mutants [WATX T004] also lacks the firepower of the big team bases, with only one action and not starting on a good Asset ability. But it’s better built for the Solo Adventure ability than most, and the power to force action tokens on foes with each KO can swing games its way.

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Next: Another x-citing entry!

 

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10
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Iron Fist [Fear Itself 007]

For melee combat, there’s almost no clix better for the cost. It’s his Improved Movement that sets him apart: He can Charge through shrubs, blowing right by characters, and over hills with ease. Once in base, he’s guarded by Combat Reflexes and Super Senses.

He’s also a candidate for several good ATAs. Foremost is Heroes For Hire, which works very well for a close combat specialist like himself. Next in line is the cheaper and copyable Defenders ATA, which allows him to chain his excellent AV to other Defenders and wildcards. And, of course, he’s an Avenger now, which qualifies him for all their ATAs, most notably Secret Avengers for Outwit protection and Avengers Response Unit to nudge his and friends’ AV even higher when in close quarters.

Iron Fist would be higher if he had Willpower like his Secret Invasion predecessor. But the vast increase in his moving attack prowess more than makes up for the loss. One of the game’s very best secondary attackers, the immortal Iron Fist is hereby further immortalized as Heroclixin’s 10th best fig of 2013.

Honorable Mentions
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Batgirl [No Man’s Land 002]: In an earlier draft, SHE was the #10 and Iron Fist was the HM. But while her Batman Ally TA gives her cover and she’s got the superb Charge+Flurry combo, in practice her AV is just a stitch too low and her mobility pales next to Fist’s. Still, she’s got a little more going for her down-dial than he does — hello, free Incap/Force Blast-lite SP —and she’s a little cheaper, to boot.

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Skadi’s Warbot [Fear Itself]: Thirty seems a lot to pay for a pog. But it’s an Invulnerable one with the stats of a leading attacker that delivers penetrating damage. Worth. Every. Point.

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Tomorrow is the first actual tie of the list. It’s gonna be crowded.

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A year ago, Heroclixin’ punted on doing a top ten clix list because so many broken mechanics showed up in the game.

Then 2013 showed us what “broken” REALLY meant.

Fortunately, WizKids saw at least some of its errors and created a “Watch List” that led to some repair of the game. So this year, Heroclixin’ feels a bit more comfortable doing a proper Top 10 list for 2013.

Some base rules:

  • We’re looking at stuff post-Watch List only. To do otherwise would really require TWO lists, and that’s both too much work and just not helpful to anyone at this point. This is about the top ten figs NOW, not three or six or nine months ago.
  • We’re considering the 300-point game, which filters out many of the super-high-cost pieces that might otherwise dominate the list.
  • Figures only. Despite the overwhelming effect that every Resource in the game not named “Penguin” has had on the game, they’re not being considered for a Top Ten Clix list, OBVIOUSLY.
  • By the same token, any fig that needs a Gauntlet/Belt/Hammer/Bat-Mite/ATA to be strong isn’t making the list, even if said mechanics DO make it a meta-worthy piece.
  • Certain figures that came out in 2012 but didn’t make an impact until 2013 will unfortunately be locked out of this list. Sorry, Big Barda.
  • Finally, Heroclixin’ isn’t considering figures that need specific teammates to be at their strongest. For example: While the 165-point Shi’ar Imperial Guard might be super with Lilandra [Wolverine and the X-Men 052], its dependence on the many bonuses she grants the team base will keep it off the Top Ten.

However, there are a lot of great figures out there. Each day will feature at least one Honorable Mention that could have made the list in a less competitive or less restrictive [or less broken] field.

All right, introductions are over. Watch this web address for the main event!

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In a much earlier F.U.N. Fights battle report, I wrote about the miserable performance of my all-Wolverine team, leading me to swear off the build forever. Some of you weighed in on which versions of the character I should keep since I decided to unload a bunch. Here’s my thought process and some tentative decisions:

Wolverine (Wolverine and the X-Men 201) 113
One of the newest versions of the character, this is a good fig. The AV’s right, the durability’s there, he’s got just the right degree of movement and pushability. HE STAYS…MAYBE

Wolverine (Web of Spider-Man) 105
Black Ops Wolvie is a “stay in the shadows and lead” kind of fig. I like his finesse-y style with the free heal. And the look is just rad. HE STAYS.

Wolverine (Giant-Sixe X-Men 009) 103
With Charge, he’s a better fighter than X-Force Wolverine above. Though a bit overshadowed by the GF Wolverine, he’s 10 points cheaper and also rocks the free heal trait. HE STAYS.

Wolverine (TabApp) 100
Folks said he’s one of the best versions despite his looking stupid (I call it the “Disney Parade Costume” Wolverine). But I was heavily unimpressed. On paper, he ought to rock’n’roll. In practice, he’s just…OK. HE GOES…MAYBE

Wolverine (Chaos War) 90
Definitely a finesse Wolverine, with his “low” AV that isn’t, really. The 16 DV kinda kills this one for me. Only the fact that the sculpt is so small keeps him in the running to remain in the overstuffed tacklebox. Still, HE GOES…MAYBE

Wolverine ( Fast Forces) 75
Aside from his Modern Age legality and cheap-ish point cost, there’s nothing about him that’s the best at ANYTHING. I need a Wolvie that Charges. HE’S GONE.

Weapon X (Captain America) 72
The time-lock idea is a neat one, but it’s not enough to save him. Maybe I can trade it for something cool. HE GOES.

Weapon X (Marvel 10th Anniversary) 71
No Weapon X keyword and no Skrull Wolvie to promote to equals: HE GOES.

Wolverine (Fantastic Forces) 71
Despite his high 12 AV, this fig has NEVER gotten a good hit in for me, ever. Bad DV that only gets terrible sinks him. HE GOES.

Wolverine (Incredible Hulk) 70
Now THIS is the inexpensive, leather-jacket Logan of choice. If he started with actual Charge, he’d be even better. Best on a team with more than just X-Men, HE STAYS.

Colonel Logan (Days of Future Past) 70
I used to really like this piece http://www.pojo.com/heroclix/COTD/2006/Dec/13.shtml. But it’s cursed with crap AV from click TWO on. Not even the 6 range seems to help. HE GOES.

Wolverine (Armor Wars 095) 60
I keep him around for the range. But he only shows up on Wolvie teams, and I’m not playing this sort of team again, ever. He’s not even the only SHIELD Wolvie in the game anymore, for keyword purposes. But the TA makes him OK for other teams, and the 9 (!) click dial isn’t total garbage for 60 points. HE GOES…MAYBE

More Wolverines I didn’t play in the team but are being evaluated anyway:

Wolverine (Wolverine and The X-Men 001): This latest version of the character combines many of my favorite aspects of earlier ones: the Charging, the free healing, the armor, the high AV. HE STAYS.

Wolverine (Armor Wars 219 and 220) 57
Like the above Wolverine but with no range, a shorter dial, worse AV and not even tournament legal due to the purple ring. Yeah…no. HE GOES.

Logan (Clobberin’ Time 069) 60
Best Wolverine sculpt in the game, and a rare older version of the character that works still. The opening click of Stealth and decent runs of Toughness and Regen help keep him kicking a good while despite his oldClix-level stats beyond click #2. HE STAYS.

Wolverine (Avengers vs. X-Men) 175/125/75
Although I made most of this article long before AvX’s reveal, I need to evaluate this multi-dial fig, too. The 75-pointer is that cheap Indomitable Charger I want a Wolvie to be, complete with BCF and EW. Mid- and end-dial Regen with 17+ DV could work to keep Logan alive despite a 5-click life. At 125, he fills the same role, only a LOT less cheaply, of course. The 10AV on both is troubling. At 175, he’s lost the Charge even as he gains 11AV and strong armor. HE STAYS…but only because I need him for AvX.

Colossus/Wolverine (Giant-Size X-Men)

Technically, it’s not just him. But this, the one GSX duo I actually wanted, hasn’t really aged that well. Still torn on whether to hold on to it and try to make it work on the field — the only time it did was with the cheating piece best known as Bencralwer. THEY…STAY…?

Wolverines I don’t even own. Do I WANT to?

  • Old Man Logan (WizKids WK-006): Sooo expensive at close to 200 points. NOT MUCH
  • Wolverine (Fear Itself): Flying Wolvie is stupid. But it’s a pretty solid dial with a nice “stop” click and swap-out potential. Still…MEH
  • Wolverine (Marvel 10th Anniversary): Not bad, but works better for Skrull armies, which are not to my liking. SO NO.
  • Wolverage (Incredible Hulk 051): Probably the best of the Hulk-Outs. YEP
  • Wolverine (Giant-Size X-Men 052): Too bad the costume’s so niche, because this is otherwise one of the best versions of the character out there. So KINDA YEAH, I want it.
  • Wolverine (Supernova 222): The Willpower is a double-edged blade claw. But at least Zomberine has decent DV upfront and a bargain point cost. So SURE, WHY NOT?
  • Wolverine (Mutations + Monsters): An interesting divergent Logan. But I don’t like zombies on principle, so…NOT REALLY
  • Wolverine (Sinister 090): Want to like this so much more. Bad AV, especially mid-life, kills him bad. But it’s still the best brown-suit Wolvie sculpt in the game all these years later. So…KINDA
  • Wolverine (Mutant Mayhem 079, 080 and 081): A single click of Stealth and then Battle Fury and a little Charge and it all seems like a waste with sub-par values. NO
  • Logan (Mutant Mayhem 215): LE’s no better. NO
  • Wolverine (Ultimates 046-048): No movement and worst DV of all..which is really saying something considering the history of Wolverine figures. NO
  • James Howlett (Ultimates 216): Impervious is nearly worthless on 14 DV. Never again. NO
  • Weapon X (X-Plosion 096): Terrible stats invalidate cool sculpt. NO
  • Patch (Critical Mass 061-063): Way too low AV kills him. NO
  • Logan (Clobberin’ Time 067-068): DV’s still worthless, but Stealth and Toughness and long dial with decent AV at good cost is OK. Won’t ever use while the Vet’s around though, so…NOT REALLY
  • Wolverine (Universe 002): Super cheap at 41 points, but NO.
  • Wolverine (Infinity Challenge 073-075/Universe 097-099) Stats are too low. Ugly, too. NO.
  • Wolverine (Infinity Challenge 149/Universe 125): Great AV, good price. Stealth could help. Still, NO.
  • Wolverine (Infinity Challenge 171): Terrible all around. Hell NO.So that’s that on Wolverine. I can’t believe I took this long to get back to this subject.

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At last, that 900-point Golden Age opportunity to run this team came about.

Valkyrie (Hammer of Thor 055) 145 + Not So Special 3
Valkyrie (Fear Itself 005) 130 + Contingency Plan 12
Mirage (Wolverine and The X-Men 004) 75
Valkyrie (Sinister 048) 71 + Not So Special 3
Brunnhilde (Sinister 204) 69  + Not So Special 3
Valkyrie (Sinister 047) 60
Samantha Parrington (Hammer of Thor 101) 55
Mirage (Fantastic Forces 007) 55
Valkyrie (Sinister 046) 44
Valkyrie (Hammer of Thor 012) 38 + Invigorate 10
Valkyrie (Hammer of Thor 012) 38
Valkyrie (Hammer of Thor 012) 38
+Book of the Skull 27
+ Defenders ATA 24

=900 points.

FIRST it faced a team full of Halo, Gears of War and Bioshock figs on the Bioshock starter map. Squeaked out a win by KOing Dominic Santiago before my opponent could lay into my bunched-up team with grenades. 1-0.

NEXT, I was against an Avengers team of a pair of Iron Men, Dr. Druid, Scarlet Witch and the Fear Itself versions of Wolverine and Black Widow. This team was optimized to abuse the hell out of the Book of the Skull. But my zero-point loss was mainly due to a colossal mental CRIT FAIL: Me completely forgetting to use the Defenders ATA that I’d built the team to use in the first place. It was the difference between a hit on Wolverine that would’ve crippled him and the actual miss that allowed him to use the penetrating Poison and Exploit Weakness and B/C/F that KO’d the top Valkyries in one short turn. UGH! 1-1

FINAL game was against an overmatched team of LOTR figs. Even here, I barely managed to eke out enough victory points to win.

RECORD: 2-1. But I didn’t even clear 200 points on the day.

This team performed well below expectations. What went wrong:

  • I couldn’t figure how to use the generic Valkyries well enough. Taxis or medics? I should have run them just behind the fighters, then pushed them to evac the wounded for healing.
  • I had a plan for Mirage, then I did totally the opposite. She was to be a lead shooter and Shape Changing/Camouflaged bait. Instead, she was always in the back, stuck with bad LOF. I needed to cart her to the front with a teammate and let her Sidestep into action from there.
  • Forgetting that Defenders ATA. Not only on the big attack but on the small ones, too. More than once, I opted not to make attacks due to low AV when I shouldn’t have worried. Speaking of attack values…
  • Not So Special on the wrong character. It needed to be on moving attackers like either R or E Valkyrie from Sinister or R Mirage instead of on Brunnhilde, who barely ever made an attack and could benefit from the ATA anyway.
  • The hammers slowed down an already slow force. Without Willpower, it almost doesn’t seem to be worth the effort to equip. I think I may have been better served by fielding one more generic Valkyrie for more taxi/medic action.
  • This mostly melee force’s need for cover kept the ladies from truly swarming their targets, which was a real problem down the line. Once the enemy was actually in Charging range, there were no squares left to Charge to!

Future builds will likely not open the Book. Instead, Mirage will have Camouflage again and there’ll be that fourth generic Valkyrie. Rookie Val will be gone. Contingency Plan may well be doubled up at the expense of Not So Special.

THE VALKYRIES WILL RIDE AGAIN!!!!!!

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Continuing this photographic record of figures hefting objects, this time finishing a multi-week look at figs from the  Wolverine and the X-Men full set. The final is the same as the first, sort of: Colossus (Wolverine and The X-Men 059).

There’s a spot at his head where one can wedge the older, thinner tokens. The newer, fatter ones can only lean against him as seen in the second photo.

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And with that, WATX is fully documented. Look in the near future for some Token Totin’ pix from the archives and older sets.

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The very best of the relics are these:

2
M’Krann Crystal Sliver [Wolverine and the X-Men]
Another 8-pointer, this is almost the best relic to play thanks to its 50% shot at pickup and the get-out-of-KO-free card it represents and that it’s largely one-size-fits-all. It misses the top slot only because it kicks in when you’re losing a figure, a position which you’d rather not be in.

#1
Impact Beam
A 50% chance with 8-point cost to get double-distance Force Blast with double penetrating knock back damage is a big upgrade for anyone. For Heroclixin’s money, this is the best relic in the game.

Barely.

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The worst relic costs a bank-busting 15 points. It requires a 6 roll from all but a select few characters. And while it does grant a trio of good powers —Leadership, Stealth, Prob Control — there’s a 15% chance EVERY ONE OF YOUR TURNS that this relic will be lost and its wielder dealt 1 unavoidable damage to add injury to insult. And then the wielder can never recover it.

But why would one WANT to? The One Ring [Lord of the Rings] is the nadir of the list. Leave this one at the bottom of a river somewhere.

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#4
Uru Forge [Fear Itself Mighty Scenario Pack]
It’s one of the pricier relics on the list, but look at what 10 points buys:

  • A choice of a permanent +3 to speed or range, or
  • A permanent +1 increase to either AV, DV or damage, or
  • swap in a completely different relic into the existing game.

All for an easy-as-pie 3-6 roll. It could’ve been number one if it gave you the new relic outright instead of forcing ANOTHER pickup try.

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#3
Wonder Girl’s Lasso
At the very reasonable cost of just 5 points, this relic granting Steal Energy even from range is well worth fielding for any team. Only the somewhat slim 33% chance of grabbing it keeps it from being a top pick.

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The Sonic Transmitter [Batman] is a 7-point waste on even the one force it benefits, one with Flock of Bats characters on it. Rarely are those characters going to be fielded without either a Batman [Batman 053a] or a Caped Crusader [Batman 053b] figure to interact with them, and as with the #5 worst relic, this one will also be used more effectively as a resource-based item. It’s just all kinds of useless for all but a handful of figures and forces that it’s nearly the worst relic one could ever field.

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Be back next week for the best and worst relics of all.

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#6
Palantir [The Two Towers]
The most expensive relic on the top 10 list by far at 15 points, it’s here because it grants use of a pricey power — Mind Control — from behind walls, with an efficient 3-6 roll. For those teams you need to fill points on without just adding dead weight, this relic is the way to go. Better for long range than short, of course.

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#5
Mjolnir [Hammer of Thor]
The first relic is still one of the very best, even though it requires a daunting 6 roll for just a 15% shot at being worthy of the hammer of Thor. Granting a hefty +2 AV and damage along with Quake, Flight and Energy Explosion, gaining this relic can be a game-winner. It costs 0 points, too, so there’s no reason not to add this relic to a Golden Age force.

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In the middle of the five-worst list at #3 is the Globe of Ultimate Knowledge [Incredible Hulk]. Like Mjolnir on the good list, it requires a difficult roll of 6 to obtain. Unlike the above hammer, it’s going to cost your force 10 points, pass or fail. And the benefit of gaining it? Outwit. That’s all. It’s just not worth it. Ever.