2022 has been much more normal than either 2020 or 2021 were.
But with actual map time at a premium in 2021, there was one fig that could’ve made 2021’s favorite list but didn’t stand out immediately until it got play this past year — potential “late bloomer” faves.
So I introduce this year’s list with an addition to last year’s, again asking “Is this figure Fair, Useful and Nerdcore?” and “When I see this figure, do I immediately wish I had a team to fit it on?”
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Omega (House of X 056)
200 points
What’s Fair: With the nerfing of Pulse Wave since spring 2021, ultimate Karima here is a lot less scary than she was upon her January 2021 release. And 200 points is like your whole team.
What’s Useful: But her potential 20 clicks of life tho. And Cosmic Energy. Not a truly bad click on her dial — and she can boost her stats on the few that are borderline.
What’s Nerdcore: Heroclixin’ board member Chadd knows how much I like Sentinels.
Folks think Nimrod is the baddest Sentinel, but it’s really her.
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OK. On to the actual list, which is somewhat more than the usual top 10 but fewer than the 20 I picked for 2020.
Alphabetical order.
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Blue Marvel (Avengers Forever 031)
150 points / 50 points
He’s Fair: Though he’s a Hypersonic Speeder at full, his value is pretty modest. He’s gonna put himself at some risk to extend across the board. And his traited PW doesn’t work with HSS.
And Useful: But TRAITED PW THO. And also Force Blast, which means he can pinball a whole squad through their defenses and ruin formations. He’s also difficult to snipe, as he heals from any range attacks on his person (hit or miss) and has a pair of STOPs. He’s Cosmic Energized, gets some Outwit down dial (or to start when at 50 points) and
How He’s Nerdcore: He’s a member of the Ultimates with Black Panther, America Chavez, Captain Marvel and Monica Rambeau. Can FINALLY play the squad again.
Back in 2015, WK made a first pass at this character which ranked as one of the worst of that year and HAS NOT AGED WELL. This version stands as an apology for that one. And it is heartily accepted. If I were ranking this year, he’d be likely in the top five.
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Captain America (Disney Plus 056)
125 points / 75 points / 50 points
Is he Fair? Maybe on his lower dials, which lack the big damage and armor of the top. Otherwise, this figure is way OP for the character. If I were still doing pure F.U.N. factor ratings, he wouldn’t make it. This is a meta piece (if a lower-tier one, due to his unwieldy cost and so-so speed value while HyperSpeedy.)
But Very Useful: As I said, he’s OP for the character. Stealthy and anti-Stealthy (thanks to Avengers Initiative). 19 DV Invincible plus the Energy Shield/Deflection from his no-cost Cap’s shield equipment. A HUGE 12 AV 4 damage first click — 13/5 in close! — and Defend+Toughness he can share with his pals. But of course what puts him over the top is his ability to drag a target he punched along with him:
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Add to that his Willpower and ability to generate a Redwing drone for an extra HSS Precision attack or Outwit — or both — and you see why he makes the meta list.
How He’s Nerdcore For Me: I first saw this piece about 7 months before release and bought it almost as soon as I could. No regrets. He’s now a fixture on my competitive Cookout team of all-Black characters. And he led that team to a win in WizKids’ World Championship — a bucket-list item for me! (And something I need to write about here.)
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Captain Carter (Disney Plus 041a)
95 points
Britain’s Fairest: She’s not nearly as busted as the prime variant, so she’s not going to make opponents quake after they notice she lacks the green ring. At 100 points (because you WILL play her with the shield), she’s a lot of a team and outdone by a lot of smaller pieces.
A Usefully Stiff Upper Lip: She really is good for smaller pieces, though, not only Defend-ing them via trait, but boosting the DV of friends NOT next to her if they’re within her 6 range. Speaking of which, she can punch or Quake at that 6 range (via SP Giant Reach:6) and knock back in any direction.
Nerdcore: A breakout star of the What If cartoon. She’s a nicely straightforward piece I didn’t expect to like so much.
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Falcon (Avengers Forever 006)
50 points
Fair Flight: At just 50 points, this Charge piece isn’t frightening anyone, not even if playing with his team up card to get free attacks if a Captain America hit.
Useful in the Skies: But Improved Movement: Characters means he’s rarely getting tied up, giving his 50% Super Senses trait vs. range more of a chance. He mid-dials to Running Shot with Perplex and ends with a bit of Willpower+CCE.
How He’s Nerdcore For Me: In a year with Sam Wilson as the scale-tipping Disney Plus Cap America seen above (not to mention the SR Falcon from the same set), this one would seem a letdown. And yet, it’s this perfectly F.U.N. fig I’m always considering for teams when I need a more pure Falcon to run.
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Hulk (Avengers Forever 045)
200 points
Hulk Fair! Giants are big ol’ targets, and Hulk here is no exception. He’s also 200 points and still not quite the total tentpole needed at that cost, especially without constant Outwit protection.
Hulk Useful! But Gamma Clap, though! It’s almost the perfect power for such a big target. It’s so good for friends, too, since it triggers when adjacent friendlies are targets. He also gets a few STOPs that do give him Safeguard:Outwit on those clicks. It’s a great balance that keeps him viable without the extra cost (and unF.U.N.ness) of being completely immune to the black damage power.
Puny Nerdcore!: Across the two decades of HeroClix, Hulk has rarely gotten definitive versions. This is one of them.
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Isca the Unbeaten (X-Men: X of Swords 031b)
45 points
Fair? Kinda, For Someone Who Can’t Lose: Despite being a prime, she’s a Charge piece. Not scary on the outset and, being a Rally figure, it takes some time for her to ramp up.
Useful? Yeah. Her Mutant Power Is Inability To Lose: But when she does, though. Rally on any 4 means she could get them pretty fast, and then use them on her attacks, give herself critical hits, or make attackers miss her. She’s also got Invincible, Precision, Exploit and, later, Steal Energy and Empower. She’s a wild card and has a STOP click with +1 Super Senses if there’s a 4 in the attack. Finally, she’s a Sword Bearer, so for 5 points extra she can wield one of the Sword Equipments to give more ways to win. I prefer her story-accurate sword, Mercy (either version), which allow you, the player, to either reroll an attack on her or her attacks, respectively.
She’s So Nerdcore I Can’t Lose Playing Her: So none of the four (!) versions of her actually really represent her inability to lose. But man do I have F.U.N. trolling over it — whether I’m winning or losing. And as of this writing, I have not yet lost a game with her on the team.
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Kurse (War of the Realms 035)
60 points
She’s Fair: A 3-damage melee piece, even with Sidestep and a bit of Giant Reach, isn’t that rude to see.
She’s Useful: But she’s not that polite. Difficult to hurt from range, courtesy of an unOutwittable SP, she’s also smart and bears Outwit and Sidestep. So she can ‘Step around a corner, counter a defense and then Charge in with that Giant Reach. Later she gets Flurry, Steal Energy and Close Combat Expert. All for just 60 points!
How She’s Nerdcore For Me: I was surprised to learn this Kurse is a chick! That only makes her cooler in my book.
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Mindful One (Avengers Forever 030)
40 points / 25 points
Fair-Minded: Super Strength is not good. And Charge figures die. So despite his Mystics TA, Mindful One alone isn’t going to be super-unF.U.N. to deal with.
Of A Mind To Be Useful: But he’s never alone, is he? At 40 points, he’s an 18 Defend piece who gives the Defended Mystics TA (not at 25 points, though). He spawns Mindless Ones with Rally dice (on friendly 1 rolls). And he’s a rare medic who can fight, either Charging in or shooting from 4 out.
How He’s Nerdcore For Me: I originally just wanted to team him with old Mindless Ones for mindless goodness. But actually fielding him won him this spot among the year’s best favorites.
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Miss America (Avengers Forever 050)
50 points
Young and Fair: Her 8 Hypersonic Speed is not much, and her best use of it doesn’t pair well with TK, the usual power combo. So Miss America isn’t an unfriendly sight to see.
Avenger Useful: She’s one of the only HSS figs able to take friends along, making her a great taxi — one who can attack on the way! Or, after the melee has begun, she can evacuate pals with HSS’s second move (though not far, thanks to her low-ish 8 Speed). She also brings Empower and later CCE to do her own punching.
Nerdcore: The original America was one of my all-time favorite clix pieces, but this one overshadows her in a number of ways. I can’t say I like this year’s model better, but I really really like it and honestly don’t know when I’ll reach for the 2017 version over it. But in any case, she’s a member of the Ultimates with Black Panther, America Chavez, Captain Marvel and Blue Marvel AND on the Young Avengers. She’s a fixture on both teams for me.
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Miss Minutes (Disney Plus 029)
35 points
“Time’s Up!”
Fair Timeline : No Incap piece is anything to be worried about.
Useful Timeline: But she’s a decent one, with 12 AV and 2 targets. She also brings Prob Control to the force, with the ability to “teleport” next to blocking terrain in her 6 range. She’s also a potential Mission Point threat if the other force has multiples of a same-named character in range+LOF.
Nerdcore Time: Taylor, there’s finally an Incap piece I love. This shady little robot AI just tickles me that she exists in clix.
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Storm (X-Men: X of Swords 001)
45 points
Fair Weather: For best results, she often has to put herself a bit in harm’s way. Still, with no moving attack, this Storm is not going to wreck anyone’s team with damage.
Uncannily Useful: But she’ll wreck formations with ease, being able to move and FREE Force Blast in any direction. She’s also Stealthy and Perplexing. And she’s a Sword Bearer, so +5 points can make her a Blades piece.
Nerdcore: Representing Storm stealing the sacred sword Skybreaker from Wakanda, this is an interesting take on the character. Not the perfect Storm we’ve still not gotten in clix — I want one who can make whole hurricanes — but more than OK.
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Valkyrie (War of the Realms 042)
70 points
Fair (not really a) Maiden: Very few Charge pieces should ever be a terror — not unless they have the full-Speed variety of the power — and Val here doesn’t. She’s also a pricey BCF figure, and weak to Exploit Weakness in particular.
Valhalla-level Useful: Where she shines is in damage reduction. She can weather penetrating damage from non-adjacent foes (that includes EW blows from Giant Reach!) and reduce +1 damage from adjacent ones (though not the aforementioned EW or other penetrating attack from them). But maybe she doesn’t mind fighting a crowd: Her SP allows her to use BCF against multiples.
Nerdcore: I’ve loved this Tessa Thompson-inspired version of Valkyrie since the Thor: Ragnarok film and it’s nice to get the comics analogue in clix. She’s got Exiles keyword — that’s how I played her during Games With Chadd this past summer — and she’s an addition to the The Cookout!
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The Watcher (Disney Plus 101b)
40 points
He Sees All Is Fair: He starts with a 10 AV but just 1 damage. He ends with a 3 damage but just 8 AV. And with neither his Outwit nor his Perplex ever making him a credible offensive threat, he’s not a frightening presence on the other team.
But boy is this guy Useful. First of all, his line of fire is never blocked, so he is a supreme TK figure. With 8 range, he can be a surprising attacker (though again, not much of one) and an Outwit threat at all times. That’s because he can pick any of his clicks at the beginning of the turn — including a superb 20 Defend click at end dial. Add to that his bearing Mystics TA, and he’s worth most of his 40-point cost.
How He’s Nerdcore For Me: This is the What If version of Uatu, so he gets added to the Black Box of Black-themed characters. He was a key addition to that themed team I took to Worlds this year.
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I didn’t rank ’em this year, same as last. But if I had to choose right now, my top 10 would be:
No. 10. Kurse
No. 9. Hulk
No. 8. Storm
No. 7. Miss Minutes
No. 6. Captain America
No. 5. Valkyrie
No. 4. Mindful One
No. 3. Miss America
No. 2. Blue Marvel
No. 1. Isca the Unbeaten
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I might try a new version of something I did last year while still under quarantine: Play this year’s team of faves against the prior year’s.
150 AV4E031 Blue Marvel
125 MSDP056 Captain America
95 MSDP041A Captain Carter + shield 5
50 AV4E006 Falcon
200 AV4E045 Hulk
45 XMXS031B Isca the Unbeaten + sword 5
60 WOTR035 Kurse
40 AV4E030 Mindful One
50 AV4E050 Miss America
35 MSDP029 Miss Minutes
45 XMXS001 Storm + sword 5
40 MSDP101B The Watcher
70 WOTR042 Valkyrie
= 1020 points
versus
HoX053 Captain Britain 80
WW80067 The Commissioner 50
WW80045 Dr. Poison 40
WW80024 Harley Quinn 50
WW80054 Lex Luthor 50
A4E026 Loki 60
HoX051 Maggott 40
MP20-001a-200 Master Mold 200
A4E041 Monica Rambeau 150
XRF007 Multiple Man 40
XRF007 Multiple Man 40
XRF007 Multiple Man 10
A4E015 Onome 40
A4E072 Rikki Barnes 75
A4E047b T’Chaka II 45
XRF008 Sentinel 25
XRF008 Sentinel 25
= 1020 points.
I’ll let y’all know if it happens.