There were too many strong figures this year for us at Heroclixin’ to pare down anywhere near to the top 10. And there were even more F.U.N. figures. Almost every single one released could have scored well on our notoriously imprecise scale of Fairness, Utility and Niftyness.
So in a sense, during this 10th year anniversary of Heroclixin’, we’ve come full circle and are just focusing on our Top Ten Favorites again. Mostly they’re mine (Rurouni KJS) but The Baker Taylor weighed in as well to fill out the roster.
No. 10 (tie)
Crystal [Avengers Black Panther Illuminati 012] 50 points
FREE Quake. That, along with 9 Sidestep, makes her a solid play as a taxi with teeth. Push her to Perplex on click 2 to make her even more useful. At just 50 points, you don’t mind if she’s got a short life.
She shares this slot with another lady…
Silver Sable [Earth X 002] 50 points
The mercenary is here for her ability to adopt any named keyword and make certain themes fill out on points. Her Leadership and wildcard TA also come in handy. Mastermind might end up harming some of those allies of convenience, but who cares?
No. 9
Black Adam [Rebirth 037b] 200 points / 100 points
Every time I see this fig in the box, I wish I could play it. His Quintessence giving first Willpower and then immunity to Outwit are the first two factors that make this Adam the pinnacle of Adam-ness. He also finally gets them along with 18 starting DV — he’d never gotten all three. His FREE d6 roll to move is a very F.U.N. random element that is Useful but Friendly and Nifty as hell. Super Senses also helps his staying power. Very good 200 points, which is also much cheaper than most other Adams of similar strength. At 100, he’s more glass-jawed but his Steal Energy can get him back on top.
No. 8 (tie)
Asuka [WWE 012] 80 points / 40 points
“Macho Man” Randy Savage [WWE 010] 100 points / 60 points
This tie is for my and Taylor’s respective choices among WWE figs. He liked “Macho Man” Randy Savage (“Because… he’s ‘Macho Man’ Randy Savage”) while I decided I was ready for Asuka. I love how mega-aggressive she is, gaining one permanent stat bonus for each KO she makes. Meanwhile, Savage has his +2 self-Perplex (except damage). Or if he Perplexes an enemy, that foe can’t Perplex or Outwit while the Macho Man is talking!
Both wrestlers are Indomitable and, like all WWE figs, have the WWE team ability that gives them FREE move during Round 1, immunity to Outwit and range shots (when on click 1 or they’ve been shot at that turn or are on a blue click) and Bounce and Pin abilities. I like them both better at full cost for those reasons.
No. 7
Red Hood [Rebirth 046] 75 points
This former Robin was nominated by Taylor but I had considered him as well.
12 AV with Running Shot and Energy Explosion is strong and works well with his “Sometimes I Do Things to Annoy People” trait that, on a 4-5 d6 roll, knocks -2AV on a hit foe (and a 6 nerfs ALL hit targets’ AV).
Outsiders team ability is also strong (though you have to be carfeful not to combo it with the Annoy ability), and Batman TA allows him to get safely in range to use it.
But the reason he’s on both our lists is for his final trait “Strict Rule From Batman … No Killing.” He can’t KO unless he’s the last man standing, so he has to be a team player, setting up opponents for his allies to finish. That is F.U.N. to an extreme and we love it!
Did I mention his mid-dial Prob and Poison/Plasticity/Reflexes clicks? Because he’s got those as well. LOVE IT.
No. 6 (tie…sort of)
Okoye [Avengers Black Panther Illuminati 038] 65 points and [Avengers Black Panther Illuminati Fast Forces 006] 75 points / 50 points
This tie is because I can’t decide if I want the War Rhinos of the set version or the full-speed Charge of the Fast Forces option. Or if I like 038’s starting Leadership and 18 Toughness (and +1DV to adjacent Wakandans) over the other’s +1 damage (for all Wakandans) when on her side of the map and 18 Reflexes. Unsure whether the rare’s CCE from click 2 on are better than FF006’s longer life at 75 points or the 15 points savings for her lower point dial.
The truest solution is to run both at the same time for the many bonuses they offer each other: if FF006 dies, 038 Okoye potentially gets the Wakanda Forever boost. Her War Rhinos can tote Fast Forces Okoye just as easily, and she can give that +1DV to her sister, who increases both their damages on their half of the map. So many options for them!
No. 5
Doctor Octopus [Earth X 034] 75 points / 50 points
Taylor nominated this figure to fill out my faves and he had to convince me to include him here. He’s definitely a F.U.N. figure. But why was he a fave? I asked him over chat (along with my unspoken thoughts):
No. 4
Shade, The Changing Girl [Rebirth 044] 45 points
This Cosmic girl is a supreme tie-up figure with her Phasing, Plasticity and Shape Change — the last of which gives her the option to make foes target their own allies! Her SP to warp to any unheld object’s square is just gravy. Having only the sole keyword and 1 damage keeps her Friendly enough to be F.U.N. — barely. But this list isn’t entirely about F.U.N., it’s about being a Fave, and so she is.
No. 3
Captain Marvel [Captain Marvel 021] 150 points
I bought a whole gravity feed to ensure pulling this stellar representation of Carol Danvers. That Strafing Run SP (no breakaway necessary!) that gives Charge against a new target after her anti-Stealth Running Shot is top tier — especially since she doesn’t HAVE to attack with the Charge and instead just use it to get out of harm’s way, like a juiced up Hypersonic. She’s also immune to enemy Prob. But her scariest feature is her Energy Absorption that puts her on a goddess click for a turn. Despite all this strength, her regular dial is never overwhelming and keeps her surprisingly fair.
No. 2
Ambrose Chase [WizKids DP19-005] 90 points / 60 points
Having become a minor fan of Planetary after his three teammates The Drummer, Jakita Wagner, and 2017 Top Ten F.U.N. Fave Elijah Snow showed up in the Elseworlds set that year, Ambrose Chase was an immediate must to add both to that theme and the Black Box (my collection of black/African-descended clix) when he released this summer. But I also love the great Utility of his bullet swarm SP (SIX POSSIBLE ATTACKS!), his Prob (plus self-reroll!) and Outwit/Perplex SP — all of which is still Fair (he can’t attack any of those six more than once that turn, his Prob range is just 3, and he can’t choose both Perplex and Outwit). And how about that Nifty, accurate 0 speed, attack and damage Regen click at the end?
And No. 1 is:
Power Girl [Rebirth 022] 115 points / 75 points
I wrote about this lovely piece earlier this year, and knew she’d find a spot on both this list and the F.U.N. list (that we didn’t do after all) by the end of 2019. Here’s why:
- She’s giant. I love giants on principle ever since their introduction way back when I started playing in 2005. But she’s better than most because she can mitigate their weakness to range by not choosing to be a giant as a FREE action. I love being able to keep her safe behind cover like this. It also allows her to use Equipment.
- She gets giant bonuses. When she does go big, all her stats grow +1, giving her some extra DV against enemy attack and making her offensively fearsome. I love the boost
- She can be giant —or— colossal. So she has even more Giant Reach for a Charge if she chooses the larger size, and can keep attacking with two tokens. I love this ability to press the attack.
- She has some self-healing. When she hits but doesn’t KO a target, her “Remember, We’re The Good Guys” trait gives her a 66% chance of healing, which can pay dividends with her Colossal Stamina.
- She’s an Outwit/Perplex piece. Like No. 2 fave Ambrose Chase, she has the choice of these two FREE powers (but not both, which keeps her in the F.U.N. zone).
Add her traited Super Strength to all this, and it’s no wonder she’s topping my favorites of 2019. And I know Taylor appreciates her as well, as he texted me this note and photo back in July after he played her a tournament:
Yes, Taylor. Yes, she is.
———
That wraps up our Top Ten of 2019 pretty early. But Rurouni KJS is about to try tackling a countdown of his favorite clix of the DECADE, where I look back at all of Heroclixin’s top faves and F.U.N. figs since 2010. What’s aged well? What’s been power creeped into irrelevance? What’s even more beloved than the new hotness? Check in and see over the coming weeks (’cause I think it’s going to take that long).