It’s high-tide-time for a new Atlantis Attacks F.U.N. Focus — and it’s Heroclixin’ board member Chadd’s birthday and he specifically requested this.

First things first: Every Atlantis piece gets a massive upgrade with the 2021 rules overhaul. The Swim keyphrase bars enemies from drawing lines of fire to dolphin speed characters from beyond 4 squares if the swimmer’s in water.

That’s the good news. The bad: Water no longer hinders movement, so it won’t be hard for foes to get in a swim team’s face — which is not so bad, since most of Atlantis is melee-focused.

Let’s look at what characters are new in Modern Age since the most recent update in December 2019. Then, in part two, we’ll revisit older figs that are legal for the Silver Age play format.

^^^^^ Below 50 points: shrimps and chum ^^^^^

Vil (Future Foundation 012) 10 points

Now the cheapest piece in all Atlantis, Vil is great as point filler even without a proper Captain to give her Sidekick abilities. With Toughness and Close Combat Expert all dial long, she can serve as a shield or tie-up they can’t ignore. TEAM HER UP with Telekinesis for best results. Or a taxi…

 

Wu (Future Foundation 027) 15 points

…such as brother Wu, who can carry fellow Sidekicks (and ONLY such) and grants his sister Vil the same ability. Wu has Flurry instead of CCE and his damage is only 2. TEAM HIM UP with an Empower fig … or perhaps the next entry at his 35-point level …

Atlantean General (WizKids D19-011) 25 points / 35 points

This resculpt of the old Trinity War Atlantean boasts 3 clicks of Sidestep, Combat Reflexes and Leadership — the last which could be of some use on a big invasion squad. But his full cost at 35 points adds the SP “Water Tactics” that brings Leadership with +1 damage for adjacent dolphin symbol allies. He also has Charge, Precision Strike and Toughness.

Mera (WizKids D19-010) 45 points

In the same OP kit came this latest version of the sea queen. Like earlier renditions, she’s a TK piece for Atlantis. She also gives allies in water the Mystics TA if they’re attacked from outside the water, which runs a bit counter to the new Swim ability. She might be using the new Force Blast to keep knocking foes back. Energy Shield/Deflection and Shape Change are her only protections. Improved Targeting: Elevated with 6 range make a welcome surprise.

Namor (Captain America and the Avengers 069e) 50 points

Invulnerability, Charge, 11AV and Leadership for this cost would be good by itself, but this chase figure also brings the sea with him:

AVENGING SON OF ATLANTIS: Namor starts the game with the Flood marker in his square. // The Flood marker is water terrain. // Smoke Cloud as FREE, but to generate water terrain markers instead of hindering terrain markers. // FREE: Place the Flood marker in Namor’s square.

Your swimmers need never be on dry land again. He also grants a bonus to AV:

MASTER OF THE SEVEN SEAS: (Dolphin symbol). // Friendly characters with (Dolphin symbol) or who share a keyword (with Namor) modify attack +1 if making a close attack while occupying water terrain.

He rounds out his marine might with first Close Combat Expert and then Flurry down-dial along with a defense SP that grants Toughness and, when in water, Regeneration.

 

^^^^^^ 50-75 points: barracudas ^^^^^^

Aquaman (Justice League Unlimited 029) 60 points

Seven clicks for 60 points isn’t bad. His SP Charge can knock back all adjacent enemies for the price of hitting just one. Mid-dial CCE and late Flurry could yield dividends. His 17 Reflexes (with Defend traited) isn’t impressive but it ramps to 18 Toughness and he also has Regeneration as a trait, too.

Main reason to consider him as your Aquaman for Atlantis over others is if you’re playing a legal team for his Team Up Card:

THEMED TEAM UP: ATLANTIS: If Aquaman is part of the listed themed team, he can use Leadership. When he does and removes an action token from a character with the listed keyword, heal that character 1 click. (After revealing forces, you may replace a game element’s default card with an alternate card. You can’t choose a Team Up card if any characters on your starting force share a name).

It’s a kind of weak effect — especially for not being able to lead a horde of generics — but if you get the card, it’s worth trying out sometime.

 

Susan, Queen of Atlantis (Future Foundation 051) 70 points

A rare Atlantis figure without the Swim keyphrase, this version of Susan Richards of the Fantastic Four is both a Title Character — the first of the keyword — and an alternate win condition piece. The short version: She can win the game by earning Mission Points for generating water terrain on the opponent’s side of the board. But it takes a long time to get anywhere near the amount needed, requiring other allies to hit while occupying water. She’s better as a Sidestepping taxi, TK and Leadership for Atlantis, or for Barrier (which can be placed on water now), Empower, Outwit and Defend if she’s hit past her opening Invulnerability.

 

Namor (Captain America and the Avengers 069) 75 points

Everything he did at 50 points he does at full points, only with a printed 12 AV, Invincible to start (then TWO Invulnerability clicks instead just one) and 4 damage.

 

^^^^^ 101-125 points: maneaters ^^^^^

Namor (X-Men Deep Cuts 014) 125 points

Like Susan above, he lacks Swim. A Super-Strong, Impervious Charge piece is what he is. If hit to mid-dial, he gets a SP that keeps him from being targeted by enemies who start the turn beyond 3 squares from him. A bit overcosted but hey, you can paint him.

 

^^^^^ Over 125 points: apex predators ^^^^^

King Trench (WizKids D19-012) 200 points

Also overcosted but potentially effective is this Monster-keyworded monarch. He has traited Leadership and Mastermind — and the Leadership trait can generate his own MM fodder in the form of The Trench bystanders. But even if he flubs LS rolls, he can POWER generate a couple of pogs at a time. Then, later in his dial, he can eat one or more to boost his SP Regen roll.

He starts with 10 AV, Sidestep and Super Senses, so he’s not the best at offense despite a dial full of either Blades/Claws/Fangs or Steal Energy. And in this No More Pushing (NMP) era of the game, he can’t get to his click 2 SP granting Charge (or HSS in water) — which both combo with Exploit Weakness and BCF. So he’s a rather point-inefficient Outwitter for all practical purposes, sending waves of Trench bystanders Charging at enemies. But still pretty F.U.N.

 

^^^^^ Additional swimmers ^^^^^

As usual, there are a few figs that lack the Atlantis keyword but could be useful on non-keyword-yet-thematic builds featuring dolphin speed characters. Starting from the cheapest:

Triton (Fantastic Four 032) 40 points

He has this trait:

ALLY TO THE SEAS: When establishing themed teams, choose a friendly character with [Dolphin symbol]. Triton gains that character’s keywords.

So he can fit on most any Atlantis team as long as at least one ally has the dolphin symbol. He brings Probability Control to the team, a very rare support power for the theme.

 

Black Manta (Justice League Unlimited 068) 40 points / 10 points

When he hits, he can generate water in the target’s square. He also has a 3-6 roll to either token enemies in water or deal them 1 penetrating. That, along with his cheap cost, works well with…

Hydro-Man (Fantastic Four 043) 75 points

He makes water Smoke Cloud like a few other figs do. But unlike Crystal (ABPI 012) or Molecule Man (FFFF 036), he has the dolphin symbol, which is important to combo with Atlantis via:

 

Blackbeard (Future Foundation 052) 90 points

This alternate universe Thing makes dolphin speed characters into Pirate keyword figs. So you could fold non-Atlantis swimmers into a themed team if you like. But for the purposes of this series, we’re only considering how he works folded into an Atlantis team.

First, he allows any number of non-Atlantis swimmers to join (but be careful; EVERY member will need to be a dolphin speed fig during force construction; an Atlantis fig such as some of the Namors that are fliers instead of swimmers will end up breaking the theme).

Second, he gives Pirates in water +1 AV. So that’s a good boon to an Atlantis force-turned-pirate.

Third, he gets mega-Quake when in water.

Finally, he brings the Invincible-granting Stones of Merlin equipment to the team. However, he risks the enemy picking it up instead of you! So don’t plan your game around this unless you intend to force him to drop the Stones by having him equip another object instead.

———

Next installment: A look again at what’s available in Atlantis in Silver Age.