Looking to improve these without adding a ton of new rules and wording. The game’s gotten more streamlined; let’s keep it that way.
1/29/2022 EDIT: I’ve decided to pin this post for a while. The more I think about these changes, the more I really, REALLY want to see them — ESPECIALLY the following:
LEAP/CLIMB
It’s currently slightly OK in tandem with other moving powers like Charge or Sidestep. But by itself? Nearly useless. The 2021 rules also stripped L/C of its breakaway bonuses. So let’s give the orange Speed power something quasi-movement-related.
- HEROCLIXIN’S CHANGE (in italics): Improved Movement: Elevated, Outdoor Blocking, Adjacency. When this character attacks or is attacked, after resolutions you may place it in an adjacent square.
Like a lo-fi version of the old Vault feat card pictured but useful for offense AND defense. And it sort of gives the breakaway ability back!
EARTHBOUND/NEUTRALIZED
This “power” used to be useful for designing figs who have to activate their powers. But now there are some older pieces that simply CAN’T activate. Also, E/N is supposed to be a character in a weakened state. But simply not being able to use Improved Targeting or Movement — which many figs don’t have at all — isn’t quite universal enough.
- HEROCLIXIN’S CHANGE: This character can’t use Improved Movement or Improved Targeting abilities. When this character is given a second action token, deal it 1 unavoidable damage.
This change gives it some bite back while allowing some Golden Age figs to be playable again and offering designers a tool for dial manipulation.
PULSE WAVE
So the yellow attack power was INTENDED to be an omni-directional blast that couldn’t be avoided, but essentially for light damage. However, it eventually became an “easy mode” way to do big damage. Now it’s nigh-useless for the risk.
- HEROCLIXIN’S CHANGE: RANGE: Halve range, Improved Targeting: Characters, Adjacency. Other characters within range can’t use powers or abilities (for this action). Make a range attack targeting all other characters within range and line of fire, including at least 1 opposing character, using printed defense values for each targeted character. Each hit character is dealt 2 damage instead of normal damage.
This makes PW worth using even against a solo target without devolving it back to Easy Mode and makes it really worth the risk when using it against a swarm — while also extra-discouraging using it against your own people.
SUPER STRENGTH
This used to be a key power. Now it’s the worst, thanks to:
- the loss of knock back damage
- the loss of heavy object damage
- the loss of the Hypersonic Speed + object attack combo
Honestly, all these losses are good for the game. There was once a time you needed a whole chart to figure out who could hold any of FOUR different kinds of objects and how FAR you could throw each and how much damage each could do in close or at range because it was different based on what the object was and if it was thrown or not … GAAHHHH.
But Super Strength, which is THE super power in comics, is now an utter shadow of its old self.
- HEROCLIXIN’S CHANGE: KNOCKBACK during close attacks. This character can pick up (and hold) heavy objects. +1 damage dealt during Object Actions.
Heroclixin’ also wouldn’t mind Super Strength allowing better carry abilities, but we’re looking to add as little as possible to the wording and mechanics.
INCAPACITATE
It was ALMOST good enough for its cost before. But the 2021 rules made it bad now with no pushing or ability to affect two-tokened targets. And although there are some powerful corner-case applications for Incap, we of Heroclixin’ still believe it needs this boost.
- HEROCLIXIN’S CHANGE: When this character makes an attack, instead of normal damage, you may give each hit character an action token. Those characters can’t be given FREE actions their next turn.
We’ve been pushing for this change for about a decade. It only makes sense!
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Hopefully in a year or two, we can see some or all of these changes in the game.