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#8
Disintegration Beam [Invincible Iron Man]
For 8 points and a 50% roll, you get one of the game’s few anti-relic/resource elements. But lest it be completely worthless in those matches not facing those dreaded “R” factors, it’s also a method for cutting through enemies’ armor if they’re not over 150 in cost. It’d be higher on the list if it didn’t depend so much on hot dice and strong attack ability to be useful after pickup.

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#7
Scorpio Key [Captain America] and Flame Blast [Invincible Iron Man] [tie]
Only 4 points buys the Scorpio Key, an outside source of Penetrating/Psychic Blast AND + 2 range. Needing only a 33% 5-6 roll, it’s a great points filler. For double the cost but with an easier 50% roll, the Flame Blast also grants PPB with a minimum 4 range — so it’s better for those 0 range pieces — and Energy Explosion when only targeting one foe. They balance out to a tie.

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Getting Super Senses as the Lothlorien Cloak [Fellowship of the Ring] offers isn’t so bad until one notes the 10-point cost and the 50% chance it won’t fit and the fact that the doggone thing only functions IN hindering terrain, not just when lines of fire cross it. It’s overpriced by at least double and thus ranks as the fourth-worst relic.

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#10
Nul’s Hammer and Angrir’s Hammer [tie]
These are the two hammer relics actually worth running AS relics somtimes. For 8 points, each grants a bunch of abilities to improve a piece’s effectiveness:

  • Angrir’s: Charge, Steal Energy, Regen AND + 2 AV.
  • Nul’s: The same +2 with Willpower and Running Shot at 4 range minimum.

When a simple 5-6 roll gets all of that, it’s no wonder they make the list, especially over their equal-priced but less loaded fellow hammers. But they’re at the bottom because both are overshadowed by the fact that the Book of the Skull makes them each automatic for just one point more.

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#9
Fragment – Cyclops
One of the most recent additions to the relics roster, this 5-6 roll relic grants Poison, Ranged Combat Expert and Flight for 10 points. It flame-claws a place on the list for being useful for 0 range pieces and shooters alike, making it easier for the former to maneuver in close with Flight, giving the latter better accuracy and firepower with RCE and helping both with the offensive and deterrent factor of Poison.

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The fifth worst relic has got to be the Rebreather [No Man’s Land]. Despite a fair 50% roll and a semi-modest cost of 6 points, what good is Willpower in water, really — especially since relics can’t be placed in water terrain to immediately get the bonus? Immunity to Poison isn’t great shakes, either, when simple Toughness does the job about as well.  Completely sunk by its way cheaper yet overpowered twin on the Utility Belt (wait, a mini-Aqualung can give me super speed if I start by swimming?), this relic chokes every time.

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Continuing this photographic record of figures hefting objects, this time winding down a multi-week look at figs from the Wolverine and the X-Men full set. Here’s that paragon of England, Captain Britain [Wolverine + The X-Men 068]:

Under the arm, neatly.

Here’s that ultra powerful boy from the Imperial Guard, Smasher [Wolverine + The X-Men 036] :

 

I had to use the SwitchClix part to grab this older, thinner object. I don’t think it’d work with the thicker ones.

Some don’t have Super Strength full time, such as  Warlock (Wolverine and The X-Men 046):

The shapeshifting alien holds it between his arm and left knee even though he can only pick the power for his turn. Similarly, Hope Summers wins a spot on the Token Totin’ roster with her power to mimic adjacent allies’ powers:

Her cape and left arm make for a great hold.

Finally, that cute couple from the X-Men, Colossus and Kitty Pryde [WATX 101]:

YAY TEAMWORK!!!!

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WATX is well on the way to being fully documented. Hopefully the next one will be the last installment.

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Continuing this photographic record of figures hefting objects, here’s the final looks at Fear Itself. Behold the Asgardian All-Father, Odin [Fear Itself]:

The cape and the helmet’s ram horn makes a nice spot for any object to fit when you’ve used his special power to gain him Super Strength.

Another hero of the event is Captain America:

He can barely hold it as shown.

The last SSe ig of Fear Itself is the last LE, Nul [Fear Itself 106]:

This one looks better than it actually works. It’s got to be balanced just so in three-point fashion on his back and tail. It does work, though.

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And that concludes the Fear Itself edition. After a brief final look at Wolverine + the X-Men, Token Totin’ will dive into the heavy metal set of Invincible Iron Man.

Have F.U.N. Heroclixin!’

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In the wake of my hard drive crash this summer, it’s been a bit of a challenge to get these done — I lost the templates AND the software to do them, and a new computer is well outside the budget for the forseeable. But I have managed to recreate the wheel somewhat and so present a checklist for the new Iron Man and more!

IIMPOCKETCHECKLIST

Visit the Downloads page for more newly posted checklists from 2013’s releases.

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Continuing this photographic record of figures hefting objects, this time picking up a multi-week look at figs from the Wolverine and the X-Men full set. As proof that great things sometimes come in small packages Heroclixin’ presents Sunspot (Wolverine and The X-Men 018):

Well, I did write “sometimes.” Sunspot just lamely leans the token on his chest.

Here’s the more impressive-looking and gripping and appropriately-named-for-this-feature Strong Guy [Wolverine + The X-Men 012]:

Wedge it upright in the crook of his arm as shown. It’s not a great hold but it’ll serve.

Strong Guy had a crush on our next model, the magnificent M :

Monet can just barely hold the newer, thicker objects between her head and left arm as seen in the first photo, while thinner ones can fit a bit more securely in the gap between her right leg and swoosh.

She’s not the only multi-hold female of the set.

Rogue [WATX 064] holds ’em high by her hands and low by her hair.

Another former member of the X-Men Blue team makes the list: Jubilee [047b]:

The little vamp’s got a little grip on this thick token.

Speaking of hussies, this girl gone wild-mutations can keep hold of her tokens better than her top:

Husk [WATX 027]  holds both sizes of tokens btween her left wrist and the torn fabric of her costume.

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WATX is well on the way to being fully documented. Hopefully next Tuesday’s will be the last installment.

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Continuing this photographic record of figures hefting objects, let’s take some final looks at Fear Itself, like the Worthy one below, Mokk [Fear Itself]:

He holds his token well as shown.

Here’s an alternate hold that works:

 

Another Worthy fella is Greithoth:

The chain forms a nice lil’ pocket with his arms to hold a token.

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Future editions of Token Totin’ Thursday will highlight more Fear Itself until it’s all shown….probably like next week or so.

Have F.U.N. Heroclixin!’

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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. Here’s that ragin’ Cajun, Gambit (Wolverine and The X-Men 031):

 

He’s got a tenuous hold on the light object between his energy trail and the green base of his switchclix area.

 

Here’s another fig, the Great Lake Avengers’ Big Bertha [Wolverine + The X-Men 039]:

The plump powerhouse balances the token in her meaty arms.

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WATX is on the way to being fully documented. Look back on Tuesday for another installment. Tomorrow, read a Figure Flush mini-battle report. Thursday there’ll be a wrapup of Fear Itself’s Token Totin’ pieces.

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So, longtime readers may recall a series I did called Figure Flush, when I played tons of teams to get at least one fielding of every unplayed piece in my collection. It was great fun and a resounding success.

But.

The only way I was able to do it was when I could either run a different team in the bye rounds at the venue I judge or solo-play matches at same. I was able to burn through a lot of figs. Now, though, my work schedule’s changed and I only get the opportunity for ONE round. Consequently, I end up running teams of all unplayed characters instead of my favorites.

I’m beginning to tire of it. For while I like trying out fresh dials on the field, I also end up not playing very well because I don’t quite know what the characters do and the teams aren’t at all optimized as a result. And it’s been this way for nearly every game I’ve played since August.

It’s a point we all reach in life: The realization that we can’t have everything we want. In this case, I may have to relax my self-imposed requirement to play every character I own before trading or selling it. Perhaps it’s time to say, “I’ve got enough ‘clix. No need to run any characters or dials I don’t care so much about.”

Eventually.

For now, though, here’s what I fielded for the first time ever during my Heroclixin’ hiatus:

Oracle [WATX]. Nice little support piece.

Jean Grey [WATX 017]. I really hate these weak versions of this powerful character.

Magneto [WATX 037]. OTOH, this bargain version of the Master of Magnetism was a welcome change of pace.

Silver Samurai [WATX]. Nice and F.U.N. with his sword.

Titania [FI]. OK.

Red She-Hulk [FI 006]. MORE THAN OK.

Namor [WATX 058]. Made an Atlantis team work swimmingly.

Nerkkod. Great with Namor.

Greithoth. Came one win away from victory in Fear Itself.

Iron Man and Iron Patriot @ 200. Dynamite if they’ve got TK on the team. And I did.

Strong Guy [WATX]. To think there was a time I didn’t want this fig because the M+M version was just fine. I like this one better, obviously.

Riddler [Batman ’66]. Deathtrap is a great ability. If only I’d thought to use his Prob Control to try to counteract the enemy’s Escape roll!

Iron Man Mk 40. Had a blast Sonic Booming through enemies. An unusual addition to the Stark Armory.

Heimdall [FI]. Underperformed, though in a format that worked against him somewhat.

Hawkeye [FI]. Loved using that crazy Incap power!

Nightcrawler [WATX 102]. Nice to have a Nighty that’s balanced.

Ricochet. Slightly disappointing…that ricochet ability never quite came off like I’d hoped.

Miranda Swedlow. Will she ever be more than just meat shield fodder?

Dave Lizewski [001]. Had hoped to promote him into his better chase version. But him scoring the final KO prevented it.

Superman Robot [CD 221]. No, that’s no typo; I finally got ahold of this old mailaway piece from 2006. Boy, the years have not been kind.

Kronan Stone Man. BEASTICK. That is all.

Extremis Brute, b-dial. That’s a lot of Flurry and Poison-plus. I like.

Ringwraith [101 and 102]. Got outgunned and outlasted by ASM Dracula, who healed from his LAST click to his STARTING click. Argh

Orc Warrior. Meh.

Moria Orc Archer. Slightly less meh.

Mokk. NOT AT ALL MEH. He’s actually almost unfair to go against.

So yes, a fair amount of figs got out the box and on the field. That’s good. But I long to play more teams that I care about. Therefore, this “Figure Flush” mode of force-building may go away soon. We’ll see.

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#2

av024

Black Panther [Avengers]
The original Black Panther in HeroClix was trash only suitable as a cheap Stealthy Outwitter. This one, OTOH, is one of the few pieces from 2007’s Avengers set to remain playable to this day, even outshining a much newer version in 2011’s Captain America set. The A vs. X LE has a high bar to meet to top this lord of the Wakandas.

#1

ls006

Ultra Boy [Legion of Super-Heroes]
I’m a diehard Legion of Super-Heroes fan, and Ultra Boy kinda embodies the spirit of the group more than any other for me with A) his rambunctious nature and B) limited powers.
At first, I thought his dial should have reflected his one-power-at-a-time ability better by not giving him Impervious on the same clicks as Super Strength, but the character’s good at switching from power to power instantly. So the dial’s simple but accurate. I’m a little afraid they’ll screw him up in upcoming Superman + the Legion of Super-Heroes set. In any case, as much as I love running the Legion, I won’t if I can’t fit U-Boy on the squad.