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

No. 1

Toad [Wolverine and the X-Men 006]

MOBILITY: Finally, a TUF that has it together in this arena: All the needed Plasticity and the Leap/Climb to get wherever 9 Speed’ll take him. In fact, if you’re willing to give an action to a higher-point ally, you can effectively double it. Brotherhood of Mutants TA also won’t burn up actions needed for other stuff.

UTILITY: Late dial, Toad gets the ability to use a standard attack power 50% of the time. So while he’s tying up an opponent, he can:

• hit back and maybe heal [Steal Energy] or
• gut ’em [Blades/Claws/Fangs] or
• shove ’em off [Quake] or
• poison ’em [Poison] or
• aid his own DV and -1 opponents’ AV [Smoke Cloud] or
• pull a pal into — or out of — a fight [Telekinesis] or
• lock down his mark even more [Incapacitate] or
• kick ’em in the groin [Precision Strike] or
• blow him up in the FACE [Pulse Wave]

Just knowing all this is possible is enough to draw fire from higher-cost figs even if Toad ISN’T tying up anyone. Especially with 10 AV and 3 damage to wield at that point.

SURVIVABILITY: He starts with just 17 DV + Combat Reflexes. His SP clicks firm up some with 17 Toughness.

EXPENDABILITY: He’s only 40 points, and while his SP clicks are fine, they’re nothing to build a team around. So use him as the TUF he is the crowning example of.

MUSE MASTER: about 10

No. 4

Rag Doll [The Flash 015]

MOBILITY: Rags here is a relatively zippy 9 Speed, though he lacks Improved Movement. Worse still is that he’s dangerous to taxi due a trait that harms both friend and foe — he deals unavoidable damage to anyone leaving an adjacent square. If you carry him, that character may need to keep carrying him.

UTILITY: At 3 damage, Rag Doll has the highest opening value of any TUF of the list so far. He’s also a supreme board control piece in tight quarters thanks to his trait — it even works against Improved Movement. So he’s supreme even against characters who can’t be tied down. Don’t forget he’s a wild card.

SURVIVABILITY: Solid 17 DV + Reflexes with Shape Change scattered down the dial is par for the course. He’ll need it all to guard his short 5 clicks.

EXPENDABILITY: At 60 points, he’s beginning to push into high cost, but his superiority as a TUF makes him worth it.

MUSEability: 8 of 10

No. 3

Scarecrow [Invincible Iron Man 022]

MOBILITY: He’s got a staggering 12 Speed, which would vault him to the top of the list if he had any Improved Movement at all. Even his 25-point level boasts the next-best value of 11.

UTILITY: The dog is also a great taxi, able to cart 2 pals or 1 normally unCarryable ally. His double base also increases the number of foes who could be tied up.

SURVIVABILITY: Defense value is a problem — it’s 16 or lower, so he’s going to get hit by most anyone who targets him. But he’s a whole NINE clicks long, with 3 of Toughness on top. He’s not dying in less than 3 really BIG hits of 4 or more. The 25-pointer only has 6 naked clicks, but for the cost, it’s good enough.

EXPENDABILITY: Whether 50 points or 25, Lockjaw’s not taking up much of your team.

MUSE level 8 of 10

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Who’s the top TUF? Next time reveals all. Plus, a few more that didn’t make the list but are still good at the role

No. 7

Maggia Goon [Invincible Iron Man 004]

MOBILITY: With only 6 Speed Plasticity, this mook doesn’t even belong in this crowd. He’s totally going to need a taxi to really base an opponent.

UTILITY: But he makes up for it some with his SP allowing him to copy the DV of his attacker, making him an excellent meat shield. He also manages to be a minor threat off his first click with Exploit Weakness.

SURVIVABILITY: The aforementioned SP makes him a tougher KO than his poor 15-and-lower natural DV would suggest. At 4 clicks long, he can soak up a couple of average attacks. Beware though: the big target he’s likely to be needed to base may well have the AV to hit. Foes could also use more modest-defensed attackers to clear the way.

EXPENDABILITY: Here’s where he shines the most: He’s only 20 points, by a fair degree the cheapest TUF of the list.

MUSE METER: 6 of 10

Big Bertha [Wolverine and the X-Men 039]

MOBILITY: She’s another relative slowpoke among the TUFs with only 7 Speed. But she at least bears Charge and Indomitable to help her get to someone within a couple of turns.

UTILITY: She has Super Strength, making her a potential bruiser. But holding objects makes her impossible to carry, and her mediocre mobility means she rather needs a taxi. This is a bit of a wash.

SURVIVABILITY: On top of Shape Change denying attacks, she’s got her defense SP ignoring all but one damage. That means, absent Outwit [or our No. 8 TUF, Agent 13], Bertha’s gotta be hit 4 separate times to be KO’d, making her an excellent TUF.

EXPENDABILITY: She’s just 56 points and not serving much role beyond TUF duty.

MUSE: 7 of 10

No. 5

Chillblaine [The Flash 011]

MOBILITY: Nothing special about his 8 Speed. But the addition of Sidestep to his opening Plasticity enhances his movement skills.

UTILITY: His 6 range is no good for his scattered Penetrating/Psychic Blast if he’s serving his TUF role. Fortunately, he has a near-full run of Barrier he could employ even while basing the enemy. He also has Incapacitate between the PPB clicks.

SURVIVABILITY: Aside from opening Toughness, he is completely unarmored. But he sports TWO “stop” clicks that force enemies to hit him at least three times for at least 3 damage to KO him

EXPENDABILITY: He’s just 55 points and he only does TUF stuff well.

MUSE METER: about 8 of 10

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Numbers 4 through 2 next time.

A tie-up figure [TUF] needs these things to best function as such:

Mobility [to easily base the target foe], Utility [to affect either that foe or the battle at large], Survivability [to not be an easy KO] and Expendability [because a TUF is probably going to be a KO anyway]. 

How well these figs rate on Heroclixin’s MUSE meter determines their spots on the Top Ten.

No. 10

Mob Rule [The Flash 210]

MOBILITY: Mob Rule has none: No IM, no Charge, just 8 Speed with one opening click of Plasticity. This looks like a Fail.

UTILITY: He sports Empower and, later, Precision Strike. Other aspects, such as 3 range, are useless in close combat.

SURVIVABILITY: His 16 DV is not imposing, even with Toughness, though it and his 5-click life will take at least two hits to KO. No, you’re running Mob Rule for his trait that, on a 5-6 roll after damage, brings in 30-point Mob Rules into the game to help make him (and them) great TUFs. The new Mobsters, depending whether you pull in the 009 or another of this 210 one on click #3, bring more 16 Toughness or 16 Combat Reflexes respectively to the role. And both start on Precision Strike.

EXPENDABILITY: Though very economical to start at 40 points, the price for extra tie-up ramps up 30 points for every bit of Mob help he brings in. Still, he’s cheap enough to claw onto the Top Ten.

 MUSE METER LEVEL: 4 of 10

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No. 9

Murmur [The Flash 043]

MOBILITY: Murmur brings 9 Charge along with the prerequisite Plasticity, so he can be an attacker. But this, and his lack of Improved Movement, detracts from his use as a TUF.

UTILITY: That melee ability could come in handy when tying up Outwitters, Perplexers and PCers, because he gets Flurry and a huge +2 attack against those pieces. Late dial, he’s Sidestepping, Willpowered medic, which runs counter to use as a TUF.

SURVIVABILITY: He’s immune to Poison and bears a solid 17 Combat Reflexes. With 6 clicks of life, he’s sure to absorb at least two attacks.

EXPENDABILITY: At a not-so-light 65 points, Murmur is not points to toss away. He’s also a bit too effective a fighter to be a classic TUF. Finally, tied up is not the best place for a medic to be.

MUSE METER LEVEL: 5 of 10 

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No. 8

Agent 13 [Captain America: Winter Soldier 013]

MOBILITY: Like many on the bottom half of this list, she doesn’t rate well on this part of the acrostic. She only clears the basic prereq of having Plasticity and 8 Speed.

UTILITY: Here’s where she starts to shine; she’s got a deadly SP on click 2, so feel free to push her to base a tie-up target whose defense slot powers you need gone, because they can’t use them when she’s adjacent. She a TUF that not only stalls the opposition but helps hurt it.

If she’s on a themed team, she also picks an enemy keyword at game’s start and those foes can’t make multiple free actions per turn.

SURVIVABILITY: She not only starts with 17 DV with Combat Reflexes, but also bears Shape Change for all-important protection from enemy range fighters trying to shoot her off her mark. She takes a small hit in this slot for having to push to her SP and losing a point of DV in the process.

EXPENDABILITY: At 55 points, she’s about right for the TUF role. But her trait and SP are so good and game-making that sacrificing her hurts. She doesn’t rate well in this slot.

MUSE METER: about 6 of 10

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Visit next time for the No. 5-7 TUFs in ‘Clix

Been a while since the last Top 10 article series [since JUNE?!? Wow.] To get the once-monthly feature restarted, we’re revisiting one that was all set for back in spring 2013: Top Ten Tie-Up Figures. Heroclixin’ had a list ready to go, but then two things happened.

1. A shot of Fear Itself’s Monkey King’s first click was teased, and he was already better than about the whole bottom half of the original list. So Heroclixin’ shelved the TUF list until more of the then-secret set was revealed.
2. Then…Plasticity got its major overhaul in the 2013 Powers And Abilities Card. That tore the list of TUFs into little bitty pieces.

Now, though, we’ve gotten a little distance and perspective and can finally make our call on this, at least for Modern Age figures.

Tie-up figures need these things to best function as such: Mobility, utility, survivability and expendability [MUSE].

MOBILITY

The point of using tie-up is to restrict the opponent’s options. More concretely, you’d like to keep, say, an enemy sniper from raining fire down on your 0-range brawlers. To do that, a good TUF needs to be able to reach and base the shooter. It’s also good to have the ability to leave one spot and tie up another square. Therefore, most figs on this list will have at least 8 Speed and some sort of Improved Movement.

UTILITY

Once in position, the ideal TUF will keep the opponent there. That’s why Plasticity is all but a required power now for the role. Additionally, what’s the TUF to do other than sit there and die? Or before it gets there, does it have any purpose? This is a consideration, but not the key one, thanks to the final criterion.

SURVIVABILITY

If you’re using a TUF right, an opponent’s top priority will be getting rid of the thing. The more attacks and actions burned against a TUF, the better. Therefore, it needs to be able to absorb or deny big attacks that would otherwise be turned on more vital figs on your force. Armor, 6+ life, Combat Reflexes, Super Senses and Shape Change are found on the best of the best TUFs.

EXPENDABILITY

In the end, a TUF is on the team to die so that others may live. That means it needs to be relatively low-cost — no more than 70 points and ideally well under 50 — and not be otherwise vital to the team’s function.

With these factors in mind, here are some excellent TUFs that still don’t QUITE make the Top Ten.

Grymm [Teen Titans 016]: Bearing both Plasticity and Reflexes with Poison for extra use, Grymm nevertheless slips off the list for his short life and 16 DV. But at 53 points and 9 Speed, he’s still great for the role.

Bruce Wayne [Batman 202a]: Only 3 clicks of life dooms him. He’s also a bit too useful as a Telekinetic Perplexer to risk as a TUF. Sometimes, though, sacrificing his 50 cost is the difference between losing a lot more.

Batgirl [No Man’s Land 002]: Stealth can guard her against shooters trying to end her tie-up threat. But she’s nearly 70 points and really functions more as a main or secondary fighter than a dedicated TUF.

Gamora [Guardians of the Galaxy 001]: Also much more of an actual fighter than mere tie-up, though her 55 cost is fairly ideal for the role. Lack of Plasticity and extra attack avoidance cost her spot in the top TUFs.

Shatterstar [Wolverine and the X-Men 010]: He’s far too pricey to make the list, despite a superb 17 DV Reflexes and the unparalleled ability to get into position once per game without restriction — and bring a cheaper pal. He also lacks the Plasticity a top TUF needs.

Monkey King [Fear Itself 003]: No Plasticity and no opening defense aside from Combat Reflexes ironically keeps this fig that first derailed Heroclixin’s 2013 take on the subject off the eventual list. Otherwise, his Flight, 17 Reflexes, 45 cost and dial sprinkled with Shape Change, Toughness, BCF, Flurry and CCE make him one of the best anyway.

Golden Glider [The Flash 025]: Improved Movement: Elevated almost gets her on the list despite a 60-point cost and lack of extra defenses. But she also misses by not having IM: Characters. That would make her ability to drop Plasticity-bearing markers in squares she moves through supreme for tie-up. As it stands, she still works well enough as a TUF to get this honorable mention.

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Keep an eye out this week for the list of Top Ten TUFs in earnest.

Welcome back to an occasional series Heroclixin’ likes to call Fighting Fire with F.U.N. Here, we try to help players figure how not to have games ruined by overpowered mechanics.

WizKids just came out with another Watch List, and again some was expected while other items were surprising — and still more was missing. Here’s Heroclixin’s take on each.

Entities (War of Light 060-068)
Heroclixin’ actually thinks these act like rather balanced, properly costed resources. But they have become as ubiquitous as resources lately, so we think they could use a fix. Heroclixin’ suggests recategorizing the “Entity” keyword from being a named one to generic. That one small change, we think, takes some of the teeth out of this tactic.

Hmmm…tactic. Perhaps, also, using the Possessed ability at 25 points could be reclassified as a tactic. It certainly affects the game like one!

Bill, Agent of A.I.M. (Deadpool 102)
What’s at issue is Bill’s ability to open one-way lines of fire on the highest-cost foe. This allows fellow shooters to get safe, easy shots on targets, taking positioning out of the game — AGAIN [see Spiral from last year].

Heroclixin’s idea is twofold: that it either A) be restricted to both Bill’s and his beneficiary’s range values or B) it’s a once-per-game effect.

Iron Pharaoh (IIM #051)
Heroclixin’ readers will recall this fig on our list of the year’s most needed changes. We stand by the call: Limit Iron Pharaoh to one action with locked damage value. He can Outwit, he can shoot, but he can’t do both.

Bizarro (Superman and the Legion Of Super-Heroes 039)
Fighting Bizarro can be a supremely frustrating experience, because he renders damage values virtually pointless. That’s a big part of the game to blithely ignore. So how about one of these as a fix: Either A) he can’t be healed or B) each token yields 25. For the reward of disregarding damage, Bizarros should run a little more risk.

Proxima Midnight (Guardians Of The Galaxy 050)
This is the one that baffled many. And it may be that she’s only a problem in conjunction with other figs [see Bill, above]. But her ability to hit once then possibly KO with no other hits is bonkers. Heroclixin’s fix: Tracer tokens return to her card after dealing their damage.

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What’s still missing from the Watch List? THIS:

Science Police Officer [SLOSH 004]: That anti-free action special power needs to not be stackable. Here’s Heroclixin’s rewrite:

“TACTICAL DEPLOYMENT: When an opposing character within 8 squares is given a free action, if that character has been given a non-free action this turn, after actions resolve, deal that character 1 unavoidable damage if it has not already taken damage from this effect this turn.“

It’s free damage and supreme board control. One damage is enough.

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Check in Monday for the return of Heroclixin’s Top Ten series. We’ll be looking at the 10 best tie-up specialists in the Modern Age game. Until then, have F.U.N. clixin’!

It’s Thanksgiving Day here in the U.S. So what is Heroclixin’ grateful for? By no means an exhaustive list, here’s a few things we appreciate:

• A vibrant game. When Heroclixin’ launched, WizKids was closed and, as far as we knew, HeroClix was dead. So for all its flaws, it’s very good to have it around!
• So many fantastic characters. The dials have never been better. Not only have favorites been clixed more accurately than ever, but some powers and abilities are so neat that they made new fans of us.
• Great players to have F.U.N. with. Although like anywhere else, HeroClix has its jerk players, I’m continually gladdened by how nice the majority of us are, from the excited newbie to the Worlds champions. Maybe the fact that the game actually awards us for sportsmanship has a little to do with that.
• The Watch List…showing that the game makers care something about the way the game goes. (And you know Heroclixin’s going to have an opinion on the latest round just announced yesterday!)
• YOU!!!!! This little blog that started just as a way to write occasionally about this great game has endured for five years, and I’m genuinely glad for your readership.

Happy Thanksgiving.

“Wait,” some reader is saying. “Didn’t you cover all the Flash set’s Super Strength pieces in last week’s installment of this ongoing photographic record of HeroClix sculpts that can hold object tokens without assistance?”

Yes, we did think so. But we missed pair of pieces with interesting abilities to temporarily gain Super Strength. So here they are: super rare figs Abra Kadabra and Engineer (The Flash 054 and 060, respectively)

AK’s hold is very secure, but in truth he’s unlikely to use Super Strength often if at all; when he’s got the special power allowing him to choose a standard power, he’s also got Phasing/Teleport instead of Charge or Running Shot, and he loses the picked power too soon. Engineer, on the other hand, can select a combination of powers that work great with SStrength via her trait.

It’s been some time since we updated this feature photo-documenting how figs hold their tokens. (We were busy moving the site to its current home, using a new computer system and a new camera phone instead of the old digital camera.) Some may need a refresher on the whys and wherefores.

The Flash set, which just released last week, is so speedster-heavy that there’s not much in the way of Super Strength. Heroclixin’ was able to get shots of every single SStr fig in the set this past weekend with ease.

In order: Tarpit [The Flash 028] , Gorilla City Soldier [008], Gorilla Grodd [056], Girder [014] Apollo [048] and Rainbow Raider [026] all have holds ranging from tenuous to rock solid.

Some, like Captain Thunder [052] have more than one hold:

…and that’s all, folks, for The Flash set!

In upcoming weeks, look for us to play catch-up on stuff we missed from Deadpool, Guardians and War of Light!