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Sceritz named and writes on:

No. 3

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Carnage [The Mighty Thor G004]
Let’s start with the basics to begin with. He is a colossal figure with 20 clicks at 300 points. Granted, he has no reducers. But that is still a ton of clix to work through and if you ignore him he’s hitting for 5 or 4 damage for the greater percentage of his dial. This makes him an extremely formidable aggressor. In addition, every so often he obtains the Colossal Retaliation power that allows him to generate bystanders with plasticity, even when he misses his retaliation.
Still, the larger point values are not usually the most efficient places to play him. What makes him so insanely good, is his retaliation value that costs only 10 points! For 10 points, he can retaliate, dealing 3 damage, and whether or not he misses, place a Plasticity-bearing bystander to tie up the enemy, making the fact that he has a 16 defense on this click a minor trade off in comparison. Mind you, these pogs also have Super Senses, Shape Change, and BCF with 11 damage, making them more than a minor annoyance. Any figure costing 10 points with this effectiveness and usefulness is simply unheard of.

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Sceritz writes on his nominee:

No. 4

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Thor Odinson [The Mighty Thor 049]
People are scared of his point value. Don’t be.
Thor starts with a printed 4 damage that only dips to three in his middle clicks. Furthermore, it is only on those clicks that his attack dips below 11. The trick is hitting him in the first place. With a 19 defense, Invincible and Hypersonic Speed, the chances of getting a good shot against a good player using him is slim to none.
Furthermore, “Bring the Lightning” allows him to attack again, so long as he hits with a ranged attack to begin with, bringing his damage potential in one turn to 8. With 12 attack, this isn’t too difficult to pull off. Of course, if you want to bring him some help on a team with other formidable Asgardians he can use his “Restore the Lost” title character ability to call Asgardians to heal the both of them and bring them into the fray, giving them the potential to fight as well. This makes KOing him as quickly as possible a necessity. But with 8 clicks and reducers all the way down his dial (that ends with another 19 with Impervious), this is no simple task. Finally, if your opponent happens to live through your incessant barrage of thunder, and allows you to make it to 8 plot points, you can make their lives that much more unbearable with the “God of Thunder” power, which forces every action that would give them action an token, to instead give them two. Try fighting him with that weight on your shoulders.
Still worried about fielding that 175 points? I didn’t think so. Top tier.
The Baker Tay also thinks 175 points is good to spend, but on another figure entirely for our only tie of the list:
[tie] No. 4
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Goblin King [What If? 040]

The piece that broke the clix’s back. Everything was going well in 2017. There were the strong, the weak, the F.U.N. Avengers/Defenders War was an amazing set. Deadpool was fun, revealing brand-new title characters. Then “What If” came out. So much strength. Too much power. Of course, one piece had to rise above. Announce itself KING. Someone thought it was a good idea to bring the Infinity Gauntlet back, and into the hands of the crazed Green Goblin. Then make a Heroclix out of it, and like every other piece or resource in the game associated with the gauntlet, it’s way too powerful. It was almost immediately watchlisted, and then stripped of its Power Cosmic team ability at the lower point values.

Even with the nerf, he remains. The ability to take two powers without a consequence is perhaps the strongest ability in Heroclix right now. Goblin King is at his best at 175 points with decent values, natural probability control, and good damage reducers. He could be your tentpole and still have room for decent support, or be support himself until the time comes to fight. His 75 point value doesn’t have the sheer power or dial length to compete all game, and at 275 points he’s expensive. Fun to play with, but in modern tournaments he’s too much. Goblin King could’ve been the best piece we got this year, but Wizkids held him back.

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RKJS writes below:
No. 5
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Hawkeye [Avengers Defenders War 067]
Perhaps the best way to review this piece is with STORY TIME!
I was playing my semi-comic accurate team of Authority (from 2014’s The Flash set) and Planetary (from 2017’s Elseworlds). Though the new Bifrost map was fairly open, I felt safe enough to advance a few squares and set up my squad in a 3×3 formation. They’d be fine.
But Hawkeye was on the other team and got flung forward with HENRY in tow. And then he activated his trait
RAPID-FIRE TRICK SHOOTING: Hawkeye can use Running Shot. Each time Hawkeye hits an opposing character with a range attack, after actions resolve, he can use Running Shot again as a free action, but only to target a character that wasn’t attacked this turn.
He hit my stealthed Midnighter. Thanks, IT:hindering!
He hit my Jenny Sparks in the middle. Thanks, IT:Characters!
He hit my Apollo. Thanks, Precision Strike!
He hit my Elijah Snow.
He hit my Swift.
He hit my Jakita Wagner.
He hit my Doctor.
He hit my Drummer.
Who else can do that in one turn? No one can do that. (Well, maybe one other. But that’s a fig from another year and another story)
Prior to the 2017 rules, Hawkguy was held in check by the Damage Depletion Modifier, which would take his additional shots’ damage to a base 1. But now he can deal vast damage to a whole team with a single costed action. With no bad clicks and an AV of 11 for most of his life, he’s top tier even at 65 points.

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RKJS: Though I nominated all the Shredders for consideration, it was Sceritz who said Mini rose as the cream of the crop. Taylor writes about him at No. 6.

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Mini Shredder [Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Return 033] 

TBT: The TMNT series of Heroclix has always been a cache of surprises: from the original sketch chase pieces, to the super turtles, and now Shredders galore!

The Shredder chases are all strong, but Mini takes the cake. He shares the longest dial of eight clicks — matched only by the 40-point-extra Shark Shredder — He supports the most consistent dial like the Claw Shredder, and to top it all off… TINY SIZE. He’s got a mess of powers to contend with, a fine mix of attack (Precision Strike) and support (Empower), traited Sidestep with penetrating damage, Indomitable, and a Plasticity/Stealth combo power. All top-dial.

It gets a little easier if you manage to knock him down a few clicks, but if you play against him it’s still a headache. This is my favorite part — if you kill him, you have to do it AGAIN. I don’t know the story-based TMNT shenanigans behind the Shredder’s “Mystical Worms” trait, but it’s amazing. What’s the saying? Kill me once, shame on you — kill me twice, shame on me? This is a 90-point, 11-click TINY-SIZE MONSTER. Very deservedly on the 2017 Top Ten.

 

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This one was Sceritz’s nominee. he writes below:

No. 7

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Merc With a Mouth [Deadpool and X-Force 060]
This is possibly one of my favorite figures from last year, and I have to say that it is very difficult to get your bang for the buck of 70 points from a figure as well as you do out of this Deadpool. First of all, he’s 8 clicks long, for 70 points. That alone is enough reason to play him. With dial that switches from decent range to close combat, and the ability to heal pretty regularly, I’d say that he’s worth it already. But what makes him really tick is the ability to spend 2 of his title character plot points to pulling a nighthawk prime for a turn. This means that opposing characters cannot increase their combat values. Do this at the right time and you can completely throw an opponent off their game and swing it in your favor. I wouldn’t recommend gunning for it, but if you do happen to gain 6 plot points he’s also got the “Bullet Time” capability to shoot up the opposing team pretty darn bad. Again, I wouldn’t base a strategy around this, but it’s a nice move to have in your back pocket. He is a solid secondary attacker for any team with enough utility to make it worth it. An absolutely annoyingly effective figure.

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RKJS named and wrote about

No. 8

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Peace Machine [What If? 043]
He doesn’t seem to belong here at first. At the not-dirt-cheap cost of 50 points, he does 0 damage and is only four clicks long. How does this make the Top Ten?
Because of his trait, which works like the old-school battlefield condition card, Power Dampener: No one takes damage greater than 3. One-hit KOs are all but impossible. There’s also his high 19 DV, his ever-useful Sidestep+Telekinesis combo, 7-range Outwit, Flight and his 3-range Force Blast, giving him another use beyond pure support.
Speaking of which, on his back half he gets Support. Plasticity, too, can give him some use as minor board control.
His ability to blunt the brute force of so many teams and offer so many pit crew powers all while being cheap enough to build around, earns him a spot on our list of the best figures of 2017.

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I really expected to have to fight to add this one to the list, but both Sceritz and TBT named him on their own. Here’s my review:

No. 9

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Kite Man [Harley Quinn and the Gotham Girls 044]

WHY IT’S ONE OF THE BEST: 10 speed. Two passengers. 4 clicks of life protected by 17 Energy Shield/Deflection for just 15 points. He’s supplanted 2016 Top Ten figure Overdrive as the game’s best taxi.

WHY IT’S HERE ON THE LIST INSTEAD OF HIGHER: Well, OK, Overdrive still brings a lot of intangibles that Kite Man lacks, and one wonders how much better this fig might be with more keywords (Gotham City Underworld is all he’s got) or points saved from not having his Batman Enemy TA, which he’s not likely contributing to or benefiting from. And there’s that almost useless beginning of turn free “sidestep” when he’s holding an object — because he’s primarily a taxi and can’t carry allies and objects at the same time, when is he ever gonna use it?

But, y’know, no one really cares about those drawbacks. Because he’s KITE MAN. And one of the top figs of the year.

 

…

 

…Hell, yeah.

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Last year, Sceritz and site master RKJS each delivered full-blown lists and reviews for the Top Ten. But this year, with so many clix released, our top picks were much more identical than 2016’s lot. Plus, with Taylor’s addition, three top tens might’ve been too much. So each of us picked a member of our Top Ten to write on.

No. 10 was chiefly Sceritz’s nomination. I had to be convinced he belonged, but he crowded out my nomination, and after reading Sceritz’s review, the case is strong.

No. 10

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Wiz Kid [Deadpool and X-Force 059b]
 For 25 points, if you are capable of protecting him, he is invaluable on almost any team. Providing increased attack, damage and range, you are capable of dishing out more with higher probability. Push him to his second click and you gain access to Sidestep, making his positioning that much more effective. He starts with an 18 defense so he’s not exactly a sure hit, and if someone does manage to KO him, he’s only 25 points, and the rest of your team is likely still capable enough to take on the opposition.
His keywords aren’t extremely synergetic but with people like Quicksilver and Iceman who can attack without necessarily being right next to their targets, this can be a useful means of dealing extra damage and keeping the team safe at the same time. Adding him on any team can make them frustratingly more deadly.

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HAPPY 2018!

We online!

After a trying 2017, Heroclixin’ is on track to getting back to a regular posting schedule. And to kick things off, here’s our annual look at the best HeroClix figures of the past year!

For the first time, it’s truly a group effort. A year ago, webmaster RKJS invited Sceritz to weigh in on his top picks. Now we’re welcoming Taylor, aka The Baker Tay, aka TBT, to join as a Heroclixin’ contributor:

A great thank-you to Rkjs for inviting me to write for his blog. Heroclixin’ has been my go-to site for Heroclix-based reading, and I’ve been through much of the archive. My introduction to the “F.U.N” way to play really set me up for a love of the game, and led to my volunteering to judge at our local shop. Now, without further ado; LET’S DO THIS.

As always, there are a few criteria:

  • 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.

Prelims are done. Stay tuned in the early days of January for our list, culled from a record number of figures released. Next we’ll look at the very WORST the year had to offer, then wrap up with our favorites. Hope you enjoy.

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A little while ago, the Heroclix Watch List reappeared. Here’s what Heroclixin’ thought and WizKids’ verdict.

 

The Joker (Joker’s Wild 060)

WHAT WE SAID

Either put actual risk into his healing or remove his 18- to 30-click dial from being Mastermind fodder.

WizKids agreed on both counts. While we thought the self-damage/healing should be greater, WK opted to force the d6 roll every turn. It’s a F.U.N. fix. The Mastermind thing is a sharp blow to his playability, but for just 30 points, he shouldn’t be so good.

 

 

 

WK #DP17-008 Boxing Ring

WHAT WE SAID

 The Boxing Ring gives DV bonus against outside attackers, not AV penalty. It’s not the best solution, but it’s not much of a problem in our experience.

WizKids also didn’t think the Boxing Ring was a problem. They just cleared up the gray area for multi base figs, forcing them to either be all in or all out of the special terrain.

 

 

Uni-Mind (The Mighty Thor 058)

WHAT WE SAID

FREE: Until your next turn, Uni-Mind can’t use the Power Cosmic team ability, but can use Perplex and Willpower. When it uses Perplex and targets itself, it may modify a combat value by +2 or -2 instead. This turn, it may use Perplex an additional time for every two characters with the Eternal keyword in your Sideline that it can choose powers from.

and

FORGED IN BLUE FLAME: During force construction, you may include a number of different characters in your sideline with the Eternal keyword, adding 5 points to Uni-Mind’s point cost for each. If it starts at 150 points, you may include up to 3. If it starts at 275 points, you may include up to 5. If it starts at 370 points, you may include any number. The included characters must be used at their highest point value and be turned to their starting click. At the beginning of each turn and whenever Uni-Mind takes damage, you may choose one standard power a chosen character can use. Uni-Mind can use that power until it chooses again. When Uni-Mind would be KO’d, instead replace it with all the chosen characters on their last non-KO clicks, placing them within 4 squares of it and the opponent scores it. Those characters can’t be healed this game. Protected: Pulse Wave.

 

WizKids was with us on the self-targeting for Uni’s suPerplex, but decided to go a step further with a very F.U.N. choice: to make it only target Eternals, like the smaller figs with the similar trait do.

We were delighted to see Uni’s pick-a-power reined in to the same level as the rest of the figures in the game by only being allowed to choose at the beginning of your turn instead of also after damage AND at each turn. Like, that was even better than entities and other possessors.

 

There was a surprise addition to this Watch List: Jakeem Thunder (The Joker’s Wild 053b)! In his case, WK added Shape Change to the list of powers he can’t select more than one from: Outwit, Perplex, Hypersonic, Pulse Wave, or any defense power, citing that Shape Change is a defense power in every way but name.

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Now that the Watch List is done for another year, look for Heroclixin’ to share our picks for Top Ten HeroClix of 2017 very soon. Stay tuned for a new format for this year’s list and a new voice!