Happy Christmas holidays, readers! Here’s our gift to you: Our annual look back at the year’s HeroClix.

———

After the gargantuan year of releases seen in 2017, we’re glad to have a normal rate of sets in 2018. Consequently, we’re doing a much scaled back look at the year’s top figures, using the usual rules/guidelines:

• We’re looking at Modern Age only.
• We’re considering the 300-point game, which filters out certain high-cost pieces that might otherwise dominate the list.
• Figures only. Despite the overwhelming effect of resources and equipment and ID cards, they’re not being considered for a Top Ten Clix list.
• By the same token, any fig that needs a resource or equipment to be strong isn’t making the list. And that goes for ID card characters as well.
• But the top characters also need to be able to handle the presence of such tactics as resources or ID cards.

Enough talk. Let’s get to the list!

No. 10.

Batgirl, Shadow of the Bat [Batman: The Animated Series 052] 70 points

With only 10 Attack, she’s at the bottom of the list. But you play her for her swing: up to 14 squares (via her -2 Plot ability to no-cost Charge at her Outwit victim) with Improved Movement: Elevated & Hindering to help her go over the hills and through the woods at her target.

Aside from her aforementioned middling AV, her weakness is that she’s soft, needs to Outwit for best results (making her weak to Stealth and Power Quintessence types), and she can be easily caught in the open after her punch, hit or miss. But her opening Probability Control and  surprisingly long life can help, as will her +1 Plot Perplex.

She’s a solid combo of lead/secondary attacker/support piece that steps out of her mentor’s shadow and into our marvelous list.

No. 9

is surprisingly low on our list…

Starfox [Avengers Infinity 048] 80 points

All the chases of spring’s Avengers Infinity set got similar pluses: high AV, Flurry, immunity to multi-target, Power Cosmic, Super Senses, and a STOP click with Mastermind. But ‘Fox’s SP granting +2 Perplex makes him best both alone and on a team. Also, his ability to heal possibly a whole team when he rolls a 4 while attacking is a solid bonus.

Why he’s not higher on the list: Heroclixin’s rule against equipment. With the Mjolnir special object, he’s tops by being able to use that Flurry from an ultra-safe distance (esp. with only Senses as a defense). But without the hammer, he’s decidedly less dangerous. Still among the best, though.

 

No. 8

is a hell of a deployment piece

Hellion [X-Men Xavier’s School 013] 40 points

He is here and on every team for one reason: to Sidestep and TK then TK then TK then TK one more time in just one turn. But he’s not quite a one-T(ric)K piece with two clicks of starting Leadership to keep your actions up by one until the turn after he makes his last mass slingshot. And even after that, he still has regular TK with Willpower. There’s no better piece for positioning your team and so he’s our No. 9 top piece of 2018.

 

 

No. 7

made a huge splash this past year:

Giganto & Namor [Avengers Infinity G017] 50 points

Although I wanted this colossal piece because I’m an Atlantis completeist, I had to be persuaded to include it in the conversation for our Top Ten list by Sceritz back when he, Taylor and I started discussing 2018’s best. Of us three, he’s always had the best eye for the meta, and his take was borne out when a Giganto duo-led squad took runner-up at this October’s ROC World Cup and won a Worlds Championship title in November.

Now, naturally much of that success was due to the player, not the pieces alone. But when you have an Indomitable colossal figure that can full-move Quake while wrecking terrain on the way with 18 DV Invincible and a STOP click to protect from the inevitable fire coming at it, along with the ability to shoot with Energy Explosion+Incap SP or clobber with Super Strength AND Colossal Retaliation for just 50 points?

Well. Color me convinced. And so Imperius Whale commands his place among the 10 best clix of 2018.

 

No. 6

only got in a few hands until the final weeks of 2018

Starro [WizKids DP18-001] 100 points

The alien starfish is here not for its 300, 200, or 125-point dials (though each point is notable for the Tentacle Attack damage SP that allows FIVE close attacks that can either heal Starro or reposition hit targets), but for the completely separate 100-point Mind Control-focused fourth dial. Using generated Starrophyte pogs to essentially extend its MC range indefinitely, Starro requires a lot of finesse to use. But it’s powerful finesse.

Starro is also notable for the ability to get free attacks from Willpowered “Starro’s Minion” allies at any price point except the Colossal Retaliation click. Speaking of which, Starro’s long range Retaliation is pretty unique in the game. All this compels Heroclixin’ to allow Starro to conquer the No. 6 slot of the Top Ten.

 

———

OK, that’s the first half. Join us next time for our best 5 of 2018.