Heroclixin' ...it's all about F.U.N.

Crowdsourcing got done a bit early this time around (thanks as usual to the members at www.hcrealms.com for compiling it all) so here’s the pocket checklist for EARTH X, due for full release Feb. 6, 2019.

EarthXCHECKLIST

 

Last and not least, webmaster RUROUNI KJS aka RKJS had THE HARDEST TIME paring favorites to even match TBT’s baker’s dozen.

Meaning I couldn’t and didn’t. So here’s my baker’s dozen PLUS, starting in alphabetical order:

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Apache Chief [Batman The Animated Series 070]

I nominated the big man to Heroclixin’s Top F.U.N. figures of 2018, so here he is here among my faves.

 ———

Batman [Batman The Animated Series 040]

Also my nominee to 2018’s F.U.N. figs, this is my go-to Batman over 100 points. That free Batarang action!

 ———

Black Panther [Secret Wars Battleworld 061]

Apart from him being that BP with the INFINITY GAUNTLET!!!!!!!! he is a lot of fun to use with his ability to pick clicks 1-6. I wanted to include him on the F.U.N. list, but he’s too good.

———

Daredevil [WizKids MP18-007]

I had looked at the dial and thought it was nice. But it was when I learned it was the John Romita Jr. design from Frank Miller’s “Man Without Fear” mini that I had to have and play it.

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Dust [X-Men Xavier’s School 056]

Though a unanimous addition to the F.U.N. figs, Dust was only a favorite of mine among the Heroclixin board.

 ———

Giant-Girl [Avengers Infinity G001]

She became such a metagame darling that I almost neglected to include her among my favorites. But she won a spot practically upon her release.

 ———

Hawkman & Hawkgirl [Batman The Animated Series 060]

Super F.U.N. duo that just got crowded out of our Top 10. I like the star-crossed Hawks.

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Nova [Avengers Infinity 032]

Longtime readers may recall that I’ve wanted a Nova Prime version of Richard Rider for many years. This, finally, is that character done completely right.

 ———

She-Hulk [Avengers Infinity 024]

I have wanted a Jennifer Walters in her lawyer outfit for years. I also love her stat-nerfing “Fierce Litigator” SP. If only it wasn’t completely tied to Close Combat Expert…

 ———

So those nine were the clear faves. The five following were also clear favorites, but fought for the last two to four slots. Also alphabetically:

Baby Doll [Batman The Animated Series 049]

 

This episode of the series was very memorable and I like the weirdness of her mechanics. She’s just limited in her keywords and cost to make her Mastermind really work.

———

Clayface [Batman The Animated Series 001b]

Prime Clayface jumped onto my radar with his mix of decent AV and damage, Outwit then Perplex, Improved Movement, wild card TA, the ability to jump on any themed team and the possibility of avoiding KO, all for a very low price.

———

Dee Dee [Batman The Animated Series 015]

I like her (them?) for the same reasons as Taylor and more (the Sidestep+Empower, mostly) but he said I should drop her (them) because he picked Dee Dee as favorite(s).

But there’s enough of Dee Dee for BOTH OF US, TAYLOR

 ———

Oya [X-Men Xavier’s School 031]

 But I haven’t been able to forget Oya even though I never play her. But I always WANT TO. I love the double target skill she has, even if I never seen to have enough targets in range when I run her.

 ———

Wasp [Avengers Infinity 044]

SCERITZ aka SCOOTER didn’t get to play nearly as much clix as me and Taylor (because he started this great website Do You Even Comic Book.com) but he still saw some stuff he really likes:

(Ignore the Big Boss Hill in the pic. Sceritz was momentarily impressed with her thanks to a good tourney result but has since dropped her like, well, the hammer she wields)

In no particular order, in his own words:

Black Panther [Secret Wars Battleworld 061] – T’Challa with the Infinity Gauntlet. I’ve dreamed of this figure. The sculpt is amazing. The dial hopping to choose powers emulates the gauntlet well. And on top of all of that, when he his stop click and becomes “The Panther” sans gauntlet? He’s still not to be trifled with. My favorite figure of the year, and a favorite of all time for sure.

Wolverine [X-Men Xavier’s School 053] – The best Wolverine to date. I love “definitive” figures, and this is definitely it for him. STOP clicks to show how difficult I is to put him down, next to an insanely high damage potential once he’s “crossed the line” (with Flurry) plus his perks as a headmaster? I give this dial an A+. It is definitely a favorite.

Infinity [Avengers Infinity G022]– This character fits her name. She alters the effects of the universe, but only ever so slightly in her and her team’s favor. With the ability to increase two values just so… she creates an annoyingly effective advantage that makes enemies think twice about moving too close. Atop that being able to place figures around her is a nuanced tactic that proves to be effective for those precise placements.

Zatanna [Batman The Animated Series 061] – Zatanna is a favorite character of mine. But giving her Perplex, Prob and a possible 2 enhancements at 75 points? That’s just spoiling. I think it’s clear why I love this piece so much. Not to mention, It’s a great sculpt.

Hawkman & Hawkgirl [Batman The Animated Series 060] – This figure has a deceptively long and versatile dial. Plus it speaks to their ability of reincarnation, which I love. The 3 square Sidestep and ability to ignore enemies for movement makes this figure extremely capable at a reasonable price point. They are not easy to step to.

Skeets [WizKids D17-006]– Tiny with Enhancement AND plus one attack… for 35 points? This is my dream come true. The 115 point dial is fun too, but those starting clicks is where it’s at! I love this dial so much.

Leech [X-Men Xavier’s School 024] – Leech does exactly what he’s supposed to do. 30 points to Outwit the entire team? At the same time, Stealth keeps him just safe enough to not be killed instantly, and being Tiny Size of course has its perks as well.

Maestro [Secret Wars Battleworld 028] – This is one of the best uncommons in the game. Perplex, Leadership and Steal Energy on 80% of his dial with almost 70% of his dial with over 10 attack? Yes, I think I’ll take that. He is an absolute monster, even at 175, and very difficult to take down.

Clayface [Batman The Animated Series 056] – He is easily my favorite tank of the year. That Shape Change is disgustingly annoying and I love it. Plus his speed and dial length fits his character perfectly. He’s not easy to take down and very annoying for tying the enemy up.

Photon [Avengers Infinity 036] – Monica Rambeau has proved to be an insanely fun figure to play. With her special Leadership and Shape Change, her speed and mobility is bananas. You can get her where you need her to be and when she’s there, she isn’t exactly the easiest target. Very fun figure.

Viv Vision [Secret Wars Battleworld 047] – Viv isn’t so great outside of a theme team. She’s too many points. But on one? Now we are talking serious trouble. She can give her team prob, and when she’s ready to come in, she can do so, with a Charge through the walls. Want her to play tie up? Don’t attack, base the enemies and enjoy a +2 defense. Her dial looks short, but she is extremely effective in practice.

Witch Hunter Angela [Secret Wars Battleworld 044] – is so good for these few points. Her Blades/Claws/Fangs with extended reach along with the ability to do more to giants makes her something impossible to ignore. Great for setting the tempo and point trading.

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Sceritz here was TOLD to just write a single line or two about each. But my prolific writing friend was, well, prolific. And the writeups were so good — yet still brief enough — that I didn’t cut a word.

Next: Ye olde webmaster presents his dozen (or so) faves of last year in our final look back.

And now, to (finally) wrap up our look back at last year’s HeroClix, we three present our favorites.

You’ll notice that this year we aren’t sharing our personal Top Tens. We had a LOT of faves this year.

Like a dozen apiece. A baker’s dozen.

At least.

And so we’ll start with the baker himself, in his own words:

TAYLOR aka THE BAKER TAY aka TBT:

10. Magneto, Realist [X-Men Xavier’s School 050]

 “The REALEST Magneto is the best offensive title character — end of story. Total glass cannon.”

 

9. Captain America, Principled [Avengers Infinity 035]

 “He makes my dreams of Incapacitate meta viable”

 

8. Dee Dee [Batman The Animated Series 015]

 “She (they?) makes tying up your opponent twice as nice”

7. Mr. Freeze [Batman The Animated Series 022]

He has the COOLEST combination of powers you’ve ever seen.

 

6. The Phantasm [Batman The Animated Series 051]

She is F.U.N, and the character is a favorite of mine.

5. Inque [Batman The Animated Series 062]

 Inque is one of the latest pick-a-power pieces worth picking up.

4. The four turtle chases

Donatello[Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Unplugged 038]

Leonardo [Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Unplugged 035]

Michelangelo [Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Unplugged 036]

Raphael [Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Unplugged 037]

“These continue a stellar consistency in the TMNT sets, where balance is a priority among the chase figures. (Excluding the Shredders.)”

3. Phat [X-Men Xavier’s School 048]

 “Phat has potential to giant reach: 5. How is he not a favorite?”

2. Spider-Man [Secret Wars Battleworld 002]

“One of the most accurate Spideys ever.”

1. SPIDER-MOBILE [Avengers Infinity G015]

 Because it’s the SPIDER. MOBILE.

Taylor kept it brief and fun because he’s F.U.N. in real life. Check in next post for Sceritz’s choices.

 Concluding our listing (not ranking) of the past year’s top F.U.N. figures:

Molly Hayes [Secret Wars: Battleworld 015]

Taylor, Sceritz and I argued a little bit over this little girl’s inclusion.

RKJS: … Should Molly Hayes be one of our FUN figs or nah?

TAYLOR: Soooooo

TAYLOR: The short answer: no

TAYLOR: Long answer: no, but it breaks my heart

TAYLOR: Her utility is even more limited than the last molly, but she’s more accurate with her powers and abilities

TAYLOR: She is actually a little frustrating to use honestly

SCERITZ: Omg

RKJS:  See, I was coming from the perspective of her being too good

RKJS:  Natural 4 damage on her turns, 18DV tie up when tokened

SCERITZ: She’s strong lol

TAYLOR: But she NEEDS a taxi

TAYLOR: Badly

RKJS:  That’s what makes her F.U.N. and not unfair

SCERITZ: She’s… 25 points…

SCERITZ: With 4 damage…

RKJS: Yep. So incredibly Useful

I promise this is not how all our discussions over these year-end lists go. Like, hardly at all. But it was too funny this time, and, as it happens, spot on.

Yes, Molly may be on the edge of unFair with her ultra-cheap cost and sky-high damage potential. Yes, she is highly difficult to run without a lot of taxi or TK help. Yes, she is Useful anyway as tie-up threat, etc. despite her inability to push (her Sidestep while near enemies is key). And yes, she is one Nifty girl.

The Phantasm [Batman: The Animated Series 051]

Only 10 AV keeps her from being a terror to see on the map. Granted, that AV becomes 12 vs. 74-point foes — with Blades. And granted, she also gets a SP-Perplex against foes on clicks 2, 3, 4 and 6. And granted, she can effectively FREE move every turn with her Smoke Cloud trait:

The Friendly thing about this is that she can’t park herself in Stealth with her own Smoke and she has 0 range so she can only go about 3 squares at a time and hope she can hide BEHIND a Smoke Cloud with her Stealth. Great F.U.N. based on one of the best stories of the 1990s Batman TV show.

Phat [X-Men: Xavier’s School 048]

Taylor suggested this one, and saved me the trouble of a writeup:

“At 75 points, you get a close combat brick the X-Force and X-Static teams desperately needed. A nice niche character, he fits the F.U.N mold like a glove. What sets him on the F.U.N List is his Headline token trait use (through his attack power) and his “It’s More Than Just A Name […]” trait.

Starting with 11 attack, he can acquire Headline tokens easier than most of his teammates, and then spend them to gain Giant Reach 2+X for a turn. This means he could potentially have Giant Reach 5 for a turn, thus making his limited movement a non-problem.”

It’s as he says. The die roll makes his effect a bit random for maximum F.U.N. while the SP ensures he’s useful.

Photon [Avengers Infinty 056]

10 AV is not what you want to see from your 12 Hypersonic attacker, but it will put your opponent at ease — she’s not that scary. But she gets more useful when you make that Leadership roll to suddenly gain up to 5 or 6 extra squares of swing (via her balanced and Nifty SP to place her within X squares in line of fire with a good Leadership and Shape Change roll). 19 Super Senses DV is darn good, too, if the SC roll fails. She also has the Avengers Infinity trait that boosts her attack and damage when targeting 100+ pointers. Finally, her late dial has Defend and Prob to help the team.

Sprite [X-Men: Xavier’s School 039]

Her AV is not great at 10 and lower, blunting the threat of her starting Charge+Exploit Weakness. Her true utility comes with her 33% chance at running through foes (she ignores EVERYTHING for movement) and giving them an action token. 18 Super Senses is a decent defense, but even better is her Nifty trait dealing 2 penetrating damage and an action token to whoever KOs her. It’s a good deterrent, especially on her late dial where she has Senses AND Shape Change to make her a good tie-up (though she’s lost her stunning SP by then. She’s also another with the X-Student trait.

X-Student [X-Men: Xavier’s School 006]

So with only 1 damage, 2 clicks of life and practically no defenses at all, X-Student is not a scary piece to face. He’s almost overcosted at 25 points and, at 15, could end up on a dial you didn’t plan for. But every one of those dials is useful: One is a medic, another grants cheap TK, and Plasticity+Poison is never bad. Arguably his worst dial is 11 AV Mind Control, which is actually one of the best MC clicks in the game for the cost.

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One more list to go: Taylor’s, Sceritz’s and Rurouni KJS’s personal favorite figures of 2018. Next for that!

We’re doing it differently this year: We’re not ranking them. We’re just listing them. Then YOU rank them. 🙂

We’re still using our F.U.N. acrostic, though:

• Is the figure FRIENDLY and FAIR? That is, if your opponents see this figure on your team, will their hearts utterly sink at the prospect of dealing with it? If so, it’s not F.U.N.
• Is this figure still USEFUL and full of UTILITY anyway? If so, it may be F.U.N. But it shouldn’t run TOO high on this scale, or it may overwhelm the Friendly portion!
• Does this figure have a NEATO or NIFTY or NICHE or NERDCORE appeal that goes beyond its just having good stats and powers? Does it have a special place on a team outside of the usual keywords? And does this clix capture the character’s appeal? If so, it may be F.U.N. But the answer can’t JUST be, “I like this character.”

Here we GOOOOO (in alphabetical order)

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Apache Chief [Batman: The Animated Series 070]

Of all the Troubalert trait Superfriends, Apache Chief is the most F.U.N. He’s fair in that he’s only got printed 10 AV at best (contrast with most of the others who get at least one 11) and lowish Speed. But his Usefulness and Nifty aspects are wrapped in his “Inuk Chuk” trait. Gaining Great Reach helps out his poor Charge swing and once he grows beyond colossal size, he gets bonuses to AV and damage. Though his “Occasional Weakness” is Tiny figs, how often are they going to be a major problem? And the weakness is superNifty as well. Big Man is big F.U.N.

Batman [Batman: The Animated Series 040]

At full points, maybe Bats’ 12 AV isn’t the most welcoming, but lacking opening Charge or Running Shot at all — or even natural range — makes him quite fair at 125 points. Now he sort of gets range with his Nifty auto-equipped Batarang Special Object granting Improved Targeting: Everything But Blocking but with a 2 damage. Still, not a scary Batman. But with that Batarang being FREE instead of RANGE? That’s pretty Useful. You can also get Utility from his Outwit and later his Perplex along with Flurry, Exploit, and his DV SP that thwarts Mastermind on his close attacks.

Dust [X-Men: Xavier’s School 056]

Low range and total lack of armor make Dust a fair piece, if only barely: Smoke Cloud as FREE is always Useful. Hers is better still because it doubles as offense:

That almost looks like no fun at all for the opponent (and, if in a Battle Royal game, she’s meta-level broken). But her 17 and lower DV needs bolstering by her SP to +1 that stat for each SC token next to her, making it harder to use that offense-minded trait. It’s a balance that keeps her as Friendly as a 50-point fig with 11 AV and 3 damage can be, even with just a 4 range. Finally, you can’t overlook the “X-Student” trait that nerfs enemy defense when she rolls a 5 on a d6 in attacks.

Her F.U.N. factor is nothing to sneeze at….even if she is Dust. 😉

Giant-Girl [Avengers Infinity G001]

Coming in at anywhere between 10 to 250 points, this big gal is about as F.U.N. a figure as you can face or field in HeroClix. With a damage value that never tops printed 3, she’s not titanically strong. Her ability to use Colossal Retaliation through her dial is tied to a POWER action, so she can’t do the double-tap attack that many of her colossal fellows can. But being able to squeeze into any build makes her super Useful, if only as an extra taxi. And that trait is also extra Nifty. She’s a rare F.U.N. fig that also became a meta piece.

Golden Skull [Avengers Infinity 040]

With just 4 range and 10AV and lower and only Mastermind as a defense, no one’s worried about this 50-pointer for a high Friendly level. But his Utility level is also strong, with his SP packing Leadership for that +1 action, Perplex for that +/-1 stat you need, and an auto +1 AV for adjacent pals. Oh, and we can’t forget two of those pals: autonomous Deathbot pogs generated at game’s start with Sidestep, P/PB and Toughness for him to either Mastermind to or take shots with.

The pogs are the Nifty element that rate him F.U.N. on Heroclixin’s scale this year.

Magma Man [Secret Wars: Battleworld 011]

Sceritz got me to add this generic to the list.

Being a generic, Magma Man isn’t great shakes: 10 AV, mediocre 7 Speed, 0 Range, Toughness. He’s perfectly fair. But then he gets close and is suddenly a Poison + Quake threat. Who, again, has Toughness. But so many pieces have Toughness or better, so who cares about Poison? But then he pushes to hit with 3 damage. And now hes on a click with Exploit Weakness. And the Poison never goes away, not even in his late dial, which piles on with Plasticity. Add the fact that his “Untamed Weirdness” trait keeps modifications from working against him and you’ve got a figure that’s more useful than expected. And of course Sceritz noticed.

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Next time: The rest of the F.U.N.

The top 5 worst clix of 2018. Hope you don’t get nauseated reading on.

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No. 5

Lock-Up [Batman The Animated Series 024]

A thoroughly confused design. He’s a Barrier piece with 0 range and trait Plasticity. So wait: Is he playing “keep away” or “stay here?”

And look at that Barrier SP.

With only 4 range on his Barrier, that speed penalty is almost totally useless. He also has Incapacitate along with Exploit Weakness. Um, I know which one of those powers I’m using in close. So why even give him Incap? All it and that SP do is inflate his cost, which even at just 40, is too much.

This prison guard needs a shanking

———

No. 4

Black Widow [Avengers Infinity 003]

Stealthy Perplex is good if you can do something more. She does NOTHING more. So you have to push her. But then you lose the Perplex and she’s a Mind Control medic. So not useless, but not great. And so she’s not great. At all. No wonder she got a makeover into a redhead after defecting.

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No. 3

Starfox [Avengers Infinity 027]

No armor. No mobility. Poor damage and AV, needing his trait to punch up at pricier foes, WHO WILL JUST KILL HIM AND TAKE THOSE POINTS. Mind Control is trash without great AV, and so Starfox. Is. Trash.

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No. 2

Artie [X-Men Xavier’s School 008]

9 AV and 1 damage Shape Change means all he’s good for is Mind Control. 4 range Mind Control for 25 points. (If you’re going to pay that price, use the X-Student for a MC with a real chance of hitting). He’s junk. Not even worth running as an ID character — for FREE

———

No. 1

Professor X, Dreamer [X-Men Xavier’s School 049]

Title Characters usually have powerful effects and long dials. He has neither. For +1 Plot Points, “Violence is Not the Answer” gives a DV boost to the team, but Prof needs to attack or take self-damage. With 7 range, 10 AV and 2 damage, he’s not good at it (though you can use his out-of-character TK to hurl a heavy). -4 Plot Points grants “Freeze Motor Functions” to immobilize and -2 DV a target in range/LoF. But you never want to use it because the -9 “Dream of Peaceful Coexistence” is the real one … that you can’t use until Turn 8 at the earliest — and that’s if you take the damage every turn he doesn’t have an attack opportunity, which is likely. But by the time he gets it, he’s on his last click and if he dies, it’s wasted. Worse than wasted: the team loses the quasi-armor “Dream” gives and the enemy gets +1 damage.

And anyway, he’s likely using TK early on. So the chances of the Prof using any of these abilities are low. At 50 points, maybe you could build in X-Men batteries to build him up. But … why?

MAGNETO WAS RIGHT

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And that’s that. Next installment: Heroclixin’s Ten Most F.U.N. figures of the year.

We love the F.U.N. of HeroClix here at Heroclixin’ but some figures are not Fair, Useful OR all that Nifty. And while it’s harder than ever to find truly awful clix anymore, some still get some shade from us.

No. 10

Devil Dinosaur & Moon Boy [Avengers Infinity 016]

Not terrible, just not good for the cost at any point. You’re paying nearly 300 for base 3 damage, needing Blades/Claws/Fangs to get them to pull their considerable weight in a fight? Or worse, only 3 clicks of 3 damage at 175? Or worse, a whole dial of 2 damage at 75 points?

This is a dial of dino-sized poop that even an apeman like Moon Boy wouldn’t hurl.

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No. 9 (tie)

Green Lantern [Batman The Animated Series 039]

So he’s a rare version of John Stewart that’s less than 100 points. He has this SP:

Looks good, right? Until you realize he — a GREEN LANTERN! — lacks the Willpower to actually leverage it. Nice to bolster his 10 AV with RCE or CCE but having to push off his 3 damage to then use, say, Barrier next turn is poor. And when pushed, the FREE action is totally useless as all five options require costed actions. Then his back half is 9 AV and 2 damage, requiring self-Perplex for middling results.

This soldier deserves better. But he’s rivaled in badness by this dude:

Speed Demon [WizKids M17-017]

Hypersonic Speed and 2 damage is not the worst, given his trait:

TURBO-CHARGED THIEF: When Speed Demon hits an opposing character and his attack total is at least 3 higher than that character’s defense value, anything equipped to that character that began the game as an object is KO’d.

Nice idea. Too bad his AV is just 10 so good luck rolling that 20 or higher to jank Exospex or whatever from anyone with 17+ DV.

Too bad it can’t also work on built-in equipment like Mjolnir on Thor [The Mighty Thor 061].

Too bad there might not even BE equipment in a given game, meaning you just wasted 65 points on this weak-HSS fool.

———

No. 8

Vision [Avengers Infinity Fast Forces 005]

The Impervious-lite combo of Invulnerability + trait Super Senses is killed by a starting 10 AV that drops to 8, then 7. 125 points for this? Nope. This vision is blurred or something.

———

No. 7

Catwoman [Batman The Animated Series 013]

Cheap Stealth Perplex that goes to Flurry Blades is OK. But she’s only 4 clicks long and then her “Playing Both Sides” trait comes up and suddenly you’re fighting her cheap Stealth Perplex and Flurry Blades. She’s just awkward to use, which seems the case for nearly every Catwoman ever made. (Might be a future article in that)

Put this cat out the house

———

No. 6

Magik [X-Men Xavier’s School 038]

So the point of playing her is to turn her into her Super Rare form. She does it by being a taxi and by damaging foes. But…

She’s a taxi so completely inferior to fellow New Mutant Lila Cheney [WizKids M17-015], with only Passengers: 3 and 11 Speed or lower, that WHY WOULD YOU EVER. She also can’t Carry fliers. No Willpower and 10 AV or lower and just 2 damage (so that her Blades has a strong chance at failure to damage) make it very difficult to raise the Corrupted tokens to MAYBE transform into her much better Darkchylde form.

But is Darkchylde actually better? Assuming you got the 2 or more Corrupted tokens needed to MAYBE transform (it’s a one-time d6 roll that requires a final result of 8 or better), she goes to click 5: That’s just 9 AV and Super Senses and Prob. She’s an easy kill despite Mystics and 17 DV which could just as easily surrender an additional 40 points.

Leave her in Limbo.

———

Check tomorrow for the bottom half of the barrel.

Our countdown continues.

No. 5

is the law in Battleworld:

Sheriff Strange [Secret Wars Battleworld 063] 100 and 50 points

Starting Probability Control, Leadership and Perplex (the latter two via trait) are all welcome powers but his anti ID card trait forcing double power actions to call in help is what makes him meta — and his Attack SP to shut off Equipment effect when he blasts with his Penetrating/Psychic Blast. At his 50 point level, he swaps Prob for RCE and the SP for Precision Strike. He’s unarmored with only Energy Shield/Deflection or Super Senses for defense, but there’s a STOP click to save him. At top points, that power allows complete rearrangement of his allies’ formation in range, each 3 squares from their current spot. Indomitable and Mystics TA rounds out what’s a solid package at either level and we rate the fifth-best figure of 2018.

No. 4

is something of the polar opposite, one that is really only good at one price point.

Groot [Avengers Infinity G025] 20 points

That’s not to say the 150 or 250 dials are bad. But they are pricey for a piece that will have a little trouble getting into the mix. And so we look only at the Retaliation click for the Top Ten. Normally, his inability to fight non-colossal foes would invalidate this one, but Groot’s ability to immediately add two Walking Wood pogs with Sidestep, Plasticity, Flurry, Shape Change and Toughness more than makes up for that shortcoming. Plus he’s the game’s cheapest Leadership, usually gets a +1 to DV and can generate more Walking Woods with each Retaliation hit. The fact that he gives opponents a weak, slow Outwitter isn’t enough to offset all these boons. And so pre-Guardians Groot is our No. 4 clix of the year.

No. 3

Unseen [Avengers Infinity 043] 65 points

With zero AV and damage, this latest version of Nick Fury has no fight skills.

No one cares.

He’s Power Cosmic with 9 range Prob and Outwit that sees through everything except blocking from Stealth. Need to reposition to gain LOF around blocking? He’s got Phasing/Teleport, and when he uses it, he can no-cost Smoke Cloud to give himself cover. Even if he’s caught in the open, he has with Super duper Senses (4-6) to dodge attacks.

On top of all that, he’s an anti-Colossal Retaliation piece, nerfing the big guys’ AV -2.

That’s a lot of support ensuring that the meta remains a home to Fury — and our Top Ten list at Heroclixin.

No. 2

is that cosmic doggo…

Lockjaw [WizKids MP18-005] 75 points

The latest representative of the Don’t Die archetype of meta HeroClix strats, Lockjaw’s Infinity token mechanic means he has to take 6 attacks to die. Meanwhile, he also fits the Pick A Power archetype of meta HeroClix by being able to use any power, then d6 roll to a matching click number. There’s no bad click, either; almost all are solid offensively and defensively (with a +1 stat boost if he lands on a power he picked already).

Supreme versatility paired with supreme survivability makes Lockjaw nearly the best of GOOD BOYS.

But in the end, there’s only one who’s the best at what he does.

No. 1

Wolverine [X-Men Xavier’s School 053] 150 and 50 points

It was tempting to put him lower on the list because some of his advantages are only good on teams with other X-Men:

• Trait Perplex for X-Men teammates,
• a free mini retailation if a foe hit and hurt an X-pal,
• a no-cost addition of a Student ID card to the force

Even his trait Leadership is best for an X-Men squad since his only other keyword is the sparsely populated Weapon X. But an extra action is an extra action.

Then you have to look at his defense. Not only does he have Combat Reflexes (when on his side of the map) and either Toughness or Regen all the time, but the latter power is on his STOP clicks.

Yep, plural. Up to THREE of them.

But he’s not one to stay on his side of the map forever. Not with Sidestep to creep ahead before exploding forward with his Charge and Flurry (on the enemy side of the map) with Blades — through hindering terrain, no less.

All that for just FIFTY POINTS (and still a worthy piece at full power). He only gets better with other X-Men on the force, but doesn’t depend on that aspect to be effective. This is a perfection rendition of the X-Men star that absolutely commands respect every time he’s fielded. And that’s why he tops Heroclixin’s picks of the Top Ten figs of 2018.

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We’ve looked at the best. Next time we look at the worst HeroClix had to offer in the 2018. Hold your nose and check it out.

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

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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.

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