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

 

That handy reference for my favorite 140-something figs of the 2010s had me wondering: How much better — or worse — would these get with the changes to HeroClix in 2021? Well, I examined that, figuring the modification of these old favorites’ playability.

Now I’m looking again after the 2023 rules have changed the game. A number of basic shifts:

• Super Strength got MUCH better.
• Quake changed.
• Every non-flier got a tad more playable with the tweak to elevation change.
• Telekinesis is much less good.
• Outwit is much riskier with the 4-square minimum instead of 6. (Also true of Prob Control and Perplex, but it hurts Outwit the most.)
• Themed teams aren’t as strong, so figs aren’t as limited by them.
• Two longtime team abilities, Avengers and Justice League, got much-needed updates.
• The return of knockback damage!

OK, here we go again:

 

• 121. Animal Man [DC 75th Anniversary 036] 2010:  Barely better in 2021, he gets a mild boost by not needing to fit a keyword team, meaning you can much more easily fit a fellow Animal for him to draw powers and abilities from. TINY BIT BETTER

• 120. Swamp Thing [War of Light 053] 2014: Both his Telekinesis and hindering terrain creation skills are worse due to A) TK’s range nerf and B) because Super Strength and enemy TK can rip up his hindering markers. COMPOST AGAIN
• 119. Martian Manhunter [The Brave and The Bold 036] 2010: At his 202-point cost, he’s not improved at all except for the JLA TA. NEEDS A COOKIE
• 118. Gimli [Lord of the Rings 005] 2011: His 6 Speed is slightly less a liability on smaller maps, and starting with Quake could affect terrain as a result. STILL SHORT
• 117. Amadeus Cho [Incredible Hulk 027] 2011: His Outwit is now reined back to his natural 5 range.  NOT SO SMART

• 116. Titano [Superman/Wonder Woman G005] 2015: No real change despite Quake’s newfound strength. UNEVOLVED

• (tie) 115. Green Goblin [Web of Spider-Man 058] / Doctor Octopus [Web of Spider-Man 054] 2010: Gobin got no worse in 2023. But Doc Ock’s even worse because Outwit is worse. NOT SUPERIOR
• 114. Giant-Man [Chaos War 200] 2012: The return of knock back damage makes his Building Shove SP a bit better. And every Great Size fig benefits from the shorter reach of Outwit, since they’re so frequently easy targets for the power. THE BIGGER MAN
• 113. Stranger [Galactic Guardians 043] 2012: Got no better or worse in 2023, so that’s something, I guess. STILL STRANGELY BAD NOW

• 112. Aquaman [War of Light 029] 2014: No change here, either. STILL UNDEAD
• 111. Lex Luthor [Superman Fast Forces 004] 2011: No change.
• 110. Crystal [Chaos War 044] 2012: The upgrade to Quake means she can wreak absolute havoc on blocking terrain and walls with her trait, and knock back damage is a massive boost to both that trait and her later Force Blast. A REAL GEM
• 109. Every Last HeroClix Figure with the “Morph: Many Identities” Trait in Age of Ultron: Hank Pym [Age of Ultron 001], Ant-Man [003], Yellowjacket [022], Goliath [043], Giant-Man [044], Hank Pym [201], Ant-Man [202], Goliath [203],  Ant-Man [205], Wasp [206] and Giant-Man [G200].  2015:

GREW BETTER: 043 Goliath (Super Strength, late Quake), 204 Yellowjacket (Force Blast), 205 Ant-Man (6 range Prob/Outwit)

SHRUNK: 001 Hank Pym (Outwit range), 201 Hank Pym (Outwit range AND TK), G200 Giant-Man (Outwit)

SAME “SIZE”: 003 and 202 Ant-Man, 022 Yellowjacket, 206 Wasp, 044 Giant-Man (Quake+SStrength up, Outwit down), 203 Goliath (better Strength, shorter Probability Control)

• 108. Static [Teen Titans 045] 2013: Now that themed teams are no longer so dominant, his complete lack of keywords won’t hold him back as much. MILDLY SHOCKING IMPROVEMENT
• 107. All the reporters in Superman/Wonder Woman with their “The World Needs To Know” special powers and traits: Newsboy Legion [007], Investigative Reporter [006], Lana Lang [029], Jimmy Olsen [027], Lois Lane [047], Clark Kent [026] and Superman [100]. 2015: It’s vital for each to get within 4 squares for their “TWNTK” skills, and smaller maps will help them in that. GETTING THE STORY
• 106. Blue Beetle and Booster Gold [The Brave and The Bold 052] 2010: The change to JLA TA isn’t enough to make them playable again. NOT SO SUPER BUDDIES
• 105. Uhura [Star Trek: The Original Series 038] 2017: No buffs other than being able to climb elevation to reach a potential target. RIP NICHELLE; LONG LIVE UHURA

• 104. Peace Machine [What If 0043] 2017: He lost both TK attacks and knockback damage in 2021, but in 2023 all that offense returned. And while his ranged Force Blast trait is no longer so special — indeed, it’s upgraded to his 7 range now — that range serves him well using his Outwit, too. Last and definitely not least, his back-half Support is far more reliable. Only the nerfed range on TK hurts him. PEACE RESTORED
• 103. Superior Spider-Man [Deadpool 060] 2014: His Outwit is now just his natural 4 range. His Super Strength balances that out maybe. NOT QUITE INFERIOR IN 2023
• 102. Luke Cage [Captain America 014] 2011: The general buff of Super Strength serves him well, as does Avengers TA. IMPROVED.
• 101. Question [WizKids D-008] 2013: He has more reason to pick Quake on his card now. A BETTER QUESTION
• 100. Black Widow [Captain America 006] 2011: She gains a bit with the new Avengers TA. SPYCRAFTIER
• 99. Cyborg [New 52 Justice League 006] 2012: New JLA TA to give him a possible 11 AV for his opening Pulse Wave is a subtle but huge UPGRADE.

• 98. Aquaman [Superman 048] 2011: He improved a lot in 2021. This time, the knock back his attack SP deals is better still. And the ability to add water terrain to your starting force only helps him. SWIMMINGLY BETTER
• 97. Madrox [Giant-Size X-Men 001] 2011: Weakened by the shorter ranges for Perplex and Outwit. SUBTRACTION, NOT MULTIPLICATION
• 96. Chameleon Girl [Superman and the Legion of Super-Heroes 031] 2014: Her Perplex is worse still. NOT CHANGING FOR THE BETTER
• 95. Cloak [Amazing Spider-Man 202] 2013: No longer a wildcard is slightly balanced by the new Spider-Man TA giving Super-duper Senses. STILL CLOAKED IN MEDIOCRITY
• 94. Mirage [Wolverine and the X-Men 004] 2013: No change. STUCK IN THE OLD WAYS (of 2021)
• 93. Triplicate Girl [Superman and the Legion of Super-Heroes 206] 2014: No change, other than her pog sisters getting to use powers the main Trip might get from, say, assigned equipment. 3 TIMES 0 UPGRADES IS ZERO UPGRADES
• 92. Superman II [Superman/Wonder Woman 019a] 2015: Because Super Strength is better, he gets a little bit better down the line. Having 6-range Outwit and Perplex is now above average, too. BUT STILL BELOW AVERAGE

• 91. Frog-Man [Superior Foes of Spider-Man 048] 2016: 2021 gave him the ability to finally affect Charge and Reflexes, and now knockback damage has returned!. BOUNCING BACK
• 90. The Spot [Web of Spider-Man 051] 2010: No change. OUT, DAMN’D SPOT
• 89. Luke Cage [Civil War Storyline 011] 2016: He benefits from Super Strength. YES HE EVEN LIFTS BRO
• 88. Batman [Superman/Wonder Woman 061] 2015: His late Outwit takes a blow from shorter range even as his terrain triggers maybe increases some. MERELY A MAN
• 87. Fitz [Nick Fury Agent of SHIELD 021] 2015: NO UPGRADES HERE

• 86. Element Man [World’s Finest 040] 2016: Super Strength and Quake are both better and he has both to choose via his SP. The former could work interestingly because he has to drop the object at the beginning of his next turn. AN ELEMENT OF CHANGE
• 85. Baby Doll [Batman The Animated Series 049] 2018: Her Outwit and Perplex both got cut short as she is. SHE DIDN’T MEAN TO GET WORSE
• 84. Veil [Avengers Asemble 023] 2015: No change for her. STILL A VAPOR
• 83. Goliath [Civil War Storyline 029] 2016: Super Strength upgrades will help him a little, but he already has the Giant Reach some terrain weapons would offer. A BIT LARGER

• 82. She-Hulk [Avengers Infinity 024] 2018: No change. HUNG JURY
• 81. Molly Hayes [Hammer of Thor 041] 2010: Super Strength is no longer nerfed.  MORE POWERFUL PRINCESS THAN EVER
• 80. Aquaman [Trinity War 201] 2015: Now he doesn’t have to entirely depend on theme or winning map choice to get water terrain. Plus, Super Strength. A KINGLY SEA CHANGE
• 79. Hulk [Avengers Movie 202] 2012: It’s too bad his SP full-speed Charge doesn’t work with his copious Super Strength. Late-dial Quake =  HULK LITERALLY SMASH
• 78. Superman II [Superman/Wonder Woman 6-001] 2015: Opening Quake could help clear out some terrain early on. Later S.Strength could yield damage, too.  SUPER ENOUGH?
• 77. Mysterio [Web of Spider-Man 056] 2010: 6-range Prob and Perplex and SP Smoke Cloud add up to a better Mysterio in 2023. OR IS IT ILLUSION???

• 76. Groot [Web of Spider-Man 049] 2010: Opening S.Strength means a bigger I AM GROOT
• 75. 3-D Man [Avengers Assemble 013b] 2015: The 6-square LOF zone barring enemy Stealth and Shape Change is now above average. NOT 3 TIMES BETTER BUT BETTER

• 74. Magik [Wolverine and the X-Men 034] 2013: After getting GREAT upgrades in 2021, Magik is unchanged this time. STUCK IN LIMBO
• 73. Miranda Tate [Dark Knight Rises 012] 2012: Her Perplex, Mind Control and later Outwit all get dinged down to her natural 5 range. SECRET AGENDA NOT SO SECRET ANYMORE
• (tie) 72. Crystal [Avengers Black Panther Illuminati 012] 2019: FREE Quake is quite a bit more interesting now. But her Smoke Cloud is bound to her actual range instead of cheating it out the old minimum 6. A…LESS VALUABLE GEM
  Silver Sable [Earth X 002] 2019: She’s not a wildcard anymore and themed teams are less important, but she can still fit a lot of keyword-triggered conditions. THIS SILVER HAS NOT TARNISHED MUCH
• 71. Nova Prime [Galactic Guardians 001] 2012: No change for better or worse on balance. STILL A RIDER

• 70. Clark Kent [Man of Steel 009] 2013: He got a lot of upgrades in 2021. In 2023, his intermittent Super Strength could come into better play. A MORE SUPER MAN

• 69. Sand [Harley Quinn and the Gotham Girls 060] 2017: His FREE Force Blast is MUCH stronger with knock back damage’s return. KICKING SAND IN UR FACE
• 68. Deathlok [Wolverine and the X-Men 11b] 2013: At least we kinda found out his RCE SP is basically just RCE now. SLIGHTLY OBSOLETE TECH
• 67. Red Hood [Rebirth 046] 2019: Nothing changes for him in 2023. NOTHING AT ALL

• 66. Spider-Punk [Superior Foes of Spider-Man 062] 2016: No longer a wildcard but better with the Super Senses up top thanks to Spider-Man TA. ROCKING
• 65. Rocket Racer [Web of Spider-Man 044] 2010: Losing wildcard status hurts his AV. OTOH, he gets Senses on a 6 now so maybe it balances? ¯\_(ツ)_/¯  RACING FOR THE BOTTOM MAYBE
• 64. Timber Wolf [Superman and the Legion of Super-Heroes 013] 2014: Same as in 2021. UNEVOLVED
• 63. Aquaman [New 52 Justice League 005] 2012: New JLA TA, starting S.Strength and being able to field his own water are an upgrade WORTHY OF A KING
• 62. Black Adam [Rebirth 037b] 2019: A little bit of Super Strength to make him a LITTLE BIT BETTER
• 61. Black Panther [Secret Wars Battleworld 061] 2018: His Quake click could see use, maybe. STILL RULES
• 60. The Captain [Giant-Size X-Men 054] 2011: Super Strength and Quake are welcome. A LITTLE LESS ****.
• (tie) 59. Batman [DC 75th Anniversary 031] 2010: His Perplex is nerfed down to his natural 4 range. A LESSER BATMAN. His partner Robin [The Brave and The Bold 042] 2010: got no change. SAME AS EVER
• 58. Muhammad Ali [WizKids DP17-004] 2017: No change in 2023. STILL THE GREATEST BOXER

• 57. Giant-Girl [Avengers Infinity G001] 2018: Her Quake isn’t as good as it looks because her (and other giants’) terrain smash doesn’t work with Giant Reach. SAME SIZE
• 56. Vixen [Streets of Gotham 028] 2012: Like Animal Man, not being tied to theme will help her more easily be teamed with other Animals. Oh and look: the new and improved JLA TA! HEAR HER ROAR
• 55. Dust [X-Men Xavier’s School 056] 2018: Her Smoke Cloud is constrained to her 4 range now. BLATANT ISLAMOPHOBIA
• 54. Black Widow [Captain America: The Winter Soldier 003] 2014: OOOF …themed team Probability Control is GONE, so her entire trait is just so much deadweight. Her Outwit is also nerfed, range-wise. HER COVER’S BLOWN TO HELL

• 53. Jakeem Thunder [Joker’s Wild 053b] 2016: Just pick one of the better powers in 2023. SO COOL
• 52. Captain America and Black Widow [Captain America: Winter Soldier 017] 2014: Nothing got worse or better for this piece since 2021. STATUS QUO
• 51. Captain America [Fear Itself 201] 2013: His Support SP is no longer special. At least he has Super Strength to start. NOT ANYONE’S CAP ANYMORE
• 50. Black Rider/Ringwraith/Nazgul/One Of The Nine/Servant Of Sauron [Lord of the Rings 016/006/101/102/020] 2011: So they all have Quake except the Servant of Sauron. That’s a little better, though they’re still not good. THEY’RE EEEEVIL
• 49. Wildfire [Superman and the Legion of Super-Heroes 021] 2014: Still hard to figure how his SP Regen works now since the roll is halved instead of subtracted. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
• 48. Alloy [World’s Finest 058] 2016: OOOF! 2023  rules limit sideline size to just 2 elements per 100 points, so the usual 7 Metal Men you could split him into is capped at 6 in builds of 300. And his Perplex is cut to 4 range. At least he’s got a full dial of Super Strength to maybe help (as does Iron, one of his split candidates). Tin’s Force Blast is newly useful, while Mercury’s TK and Platinum’s Outwit are reigned in. GIANT MESS?

• 47. Ms. Marvel [Avengers Assemble 055] 2015: 2023’s rules improve her Giant Size by giving Super Strength. A BIT MORE MARVELOUS

• 46. Wasp [Avengers Infinity 044] 2018: Her Outwit is really constrained now, to her natural 4 range. SHRINKING
• 45. Captain America [Nick Fury: Agent of SHIELD 049] 2015: He has Avengers TA for an AV bonus and outranges most Outwit by a lot.  SLIGHTLY BETTER
• 44. Cyclops [Uncanny X-Men 033] 2016: We didn’t notice in 2021, but ever since the 2017 change to Leadership, he’s been able to remove his own token under those revised rules. CYCLOPS WAS RIGHT

• 43. The Atom [Superman/Wonder Woman G001] 2015: At 300 and 200 points he brings the improved Super Strength while his late dial sport Quake. A SMIDGE BIGGER AND BETTER
• 42. Hawkman & Hawkgirl [Batman The Animated Series 060] 2018: Absolutely none of the 2021 changes improved this pair, but 2023’s new JLA TA and Quake rules shake things up for the Carter Hall half. Shayera Hol’s Outwit takes a nerfing, though. SOARING HIGHER
• 41. Dee Dee [Batman The Animated Series 015] 2018: No change. DEE DEE DISSED

• 40. Colleen Wing and Misty Knight [Amazing Spider-Man 044] 2013: Shorter range for their Outwit and Perplex is not cool for them.  DRAGON DAUGHTERS TAKE A DIVE
• 39. Batman [Batman and His Greatest Foes Fast Forces 001] 2016: No better in 2023.

• 38. Black Lightning [Batman 045] 2012: No changes. STATIC ELECTRICITY

• 37. Robin [Harley Quinn and the Gotham Girls 030] 2017: No change. NO NEW THRILL
• 36. Asuka [WWE 012] 2019: No changes. SO YOU MIGHT BE READY FOR ASUKA

• 35. Apache Chief [Batman The Animated Series 070] 2018: Despite his ever-expanding size and reach, new Quake still only breaks adjacent terrain.  NOT SO BIG AN IMPROVEMENT
• 34. Clayface [Batman The Animated Series 001b] 2018: Both his Outwit and Perplex got worse, so he gets worse. CLAY IS CRACKING
• 33. Angel [Days of Future Past 005] 2014: His Perplex on later clicks is shorter-ranged than ever. LOW-FLYING ANGEL
• 32. Shade, The Changing Girl [Rebirth 044] 2019: Perplex lost squares of range, and objects are rarer in these new terrain-heavy days. CHANGING FOR THE WORSE
• 31. Batman [Batman The Animated Series 040] 2018: Shorter ranges of Outwit and then Perplex are partially offset by his runs of Quake. RIP KEVIN CONROY
• 30. Daredevil [WizKids MP18-007] 2018: His SP Prob is shorter, which could be a problem if he’s outranged by an attacker. IT’S LIKE HE CAN’T SEE OR SOMETHING

• 29. Cyclops [Giant-Size X-Men 008] 2011: So on the one hand, his mid-dial Force Blast gets a boost with the return of knock back damage. But on the other: The free damage rider it gave him no longer works because there’s no d6 roll for it to key off of. CYCLOPS WAS WRONG
• 28. Magma [Wolverine and the X-Men 073] 2013: Quake is improved, and she has it. HOT TIME ON THE MAP TODAY
• 27. War Machine [Invincible Iron Man 029b] 2013: No better, no worse. BASIC
• 26. Nova [Avengers Infinity 032] 2018: There’s a corner case in which his mid-dial SP allowing FREE Quake after a Charge is useful. But not very, since the same power already gave him Improved Movement: Destroy Blocking.  NOT QUITE NOVA IN HIS PRIME
• 25. Falcon [Captain America: The Winter Soldier 006] 2014: His Perplex is unaffected because of his natural 6 range, and ending with Charge+Quake is a little better. DIVEBOMBING RUN
• 24. Grace [Joker’s Wild 046] 2016: The new relevance of Super Strength still doesn’t allow her to use it in her full-move-then-attack a higher foe, but it is a welcome bonus. Late-dial, she can Quake through some walls maybe. GRACED WITH POWER
• 23. Elijah Snow [Elseworlds 046] 2017: His Outwit or Perplex SP is better now with his natural 8 range. SLIGHTLY COOLER

• 22. Armor [Giant-Size X-Men 050] 2011: IF you can get her off her activation click, her Super Strength is relevant again and late Force Blast could work out. ARMOR UP…?
• 21. Mysterio [Amazing Spider-Man 026 and 206] 2013: Fortunately for 026 Mysterio, natural 6 range means both Outwit and Smoke Cloud maintain usefulness. But 206 Mysterio is limited to the minimum 4 for his Smoke and SP Perplex. ONLY ONE IS THE *R E A L* MYSTERIO!!
• 20. Valkyrie [Fear Itself 005] 2013: Avengers TA gives her a needed AV boost to CHOOSE THE SLAIN
• 19. Donatello [Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 2: Heroes In A Half-Shell 025] 2016: his Support is much stronger while his Outwit and Perplex are both lessened. Plus there’s ending Quake. UPGRADED LIKE A MACHINE
• (tie) 18. Okoye [Avengers Black Panther Illuminati 038] 2019: Sometimes she’ll use Quake on clicks 2 or 3. More often she’ll generate War Rhino pogs that Quake and carry her. Either way, she’s still better than
  Okoye [Avengers Black Panther Illuminati FF006] 2019, who gets zero upgrades. ONE IS GENERAL, THE OTHER DEMOTED
• 17. Hulk [Avengers Defenders War 052] 2017: Cho Hulk’s Perplex and Outwit both took a hit in 2023. But look at his opening Quake and traited Super Strength now! That’s OK. THE MOST OK HULK EVER
• 16. Multiple Man [Wolverine and the X-Men 013] 2013: His Perplex is poorer still now.  WEAKNESS MULTIPLIED. Multiple Man [Wolverine and the X-Men 205] gets no boosts from the 2023 rules. WHOMP WHOMP
• 15. Oya [X-Men Xavier’s School 031] 2018: No change. NO-YA
• 14. Nova Corps Officer [Guardians of the Galaxy Movie 004] 2014: Nothing different. NO PROMOTION FOR YOU
• 13. Wonder Woman [WizKids D-001] 2011: Both her SP Perplex and late Outwit got worse. But her opening Super Strength is relevant again. GETTING OUT FROM UNDER
• 12. Captain Marvel [Captain Marvel 021] 2019: She has some mid-dial Strength that might do some good . POWER WAS IN HER ALL ALONG

• 11. Bat-Knight [WizKids DP17-006] 2017: No change. DESIGN WAS PERFECT ALREADY
• 10. Troll [The Mighty Thor 039] 2017: Changes to Leap/Climb made her Speed SP redundant in 2021; we’re just now noticing. TROLLOLOL

• 9. Ant-Man and Wasp [Chaos War 053] 2012: Mid-dial Outwit loses a square of range but their 5 range is over the minimum. BARELY SMALLER
• 8. Black Panther [Age of Ultron 045] 2015: His Perplex at dial’s end and Outwit on top dial are both worse. At least he gets Avengers TA to help his AV maybe. UNEASY HEAD UNDER CROWN

• 7. Aquaman [Brightest Day 006] 2010: Super Strength is back! And he has plenty. A KINGLY SHARE

• 6. The Authority [017 Swift, 032 Jenny Quantum, 033 Jack Hawksmoor, 048 Apollo, 049 Midnighter, 060 Engineer and 061 Jenny Sparks] 2014: 
  • Doctor (016) gets more from late-dial Force Blast but loses a square of Prob range. RIGHT PRESCRIPTION?
  • Jenny Quantum (032) loses on Perplex AND Outwit. STAY HOME, CHILD
  • Jack Hawksmoor (033) loses range on Telekinesis and Prob Control. Later Quake can help him destroy his buildings, I guess; STRAIGHT SLUM
  • Apollo (048) can really shut down use of TK on smaller maps with his 8 range; HEAT RAYS HEATING UP.
  • But Midnighter (049) can’t really safely use Outwit anymore. GET HANDS DIRTY OR STAY HOME
  • Engineer (060) will probably get the most from Support now; HUH … UPGRADES
  • Jenny Sparks (061) has worse late Perplex. BOLLOCKS
  • Swift (017) gets nothing! GOOD *DAY* MA’AM!
• 5. Moon Knight [Avengers Defenders War 062] 2017: Perplex is nerfed again and he loses wildcard for mini-Super Senses. MR. KNIGHT IS THE WEAKLING

• 4. Drax The Destroyer [Guardians of the Galaxy Movie 013] 2014: No improvements. SIMPLE CLIX, SIMPLE PURPOSE
• 3. Ambrose Chase [005] 2019: Perplex AND Outwit got nerfed to his 5 range. CHASED DOWN

• 2. Miss America [WizKids M17-009] 2017: Opening S.Strength is good again. AMERICA THE BEAUTIFUL
• 1. Power Girl [Rebirth 022] 2019: Her Perplex AND Outwit options are way worse. But Super Strength has its uses. LACK OF GROWTH

Alternates/HMs (chronologically):

• Impulse [DC75 Anniversary 104] 2010: No better or worse than in 2021. STANDING STILL
• Nightshade [Captain America 027] 2011: She gets the mildest of improvements since the Battle Fury she gifts an adjacent character allows them to throw held terrain. But… NOT SO DEADLY

• Dee Jay [Street Fighter 010] 2011: No better or worse. STILL KICKIN’
• Superman [Superman 055] 2011: He loses a bit of power because heavy objects (aside from the Tank Turret special object) no longer exist in the game. But Super Strength’s regained versatility and his opening Quake come in as pluses to balance the minus. A BITTY BIT MORE SUPER
• Bard the Bowman [The Hobbit: Desolation of Smaug 009] 2013: Not any better. BARD STAYS HIS ARROW
• Silver Samurai [Wolverine and the X-Men 044] 2013: No change. STICKING WITH TRADITION
• Batman [Gotham City 001] 2013: Being able to pick the most improved attack or damage powers is pretty cool. ONE OF THE WORLD’S FINEST
• Giganta [Legion of Doom 006] 2014: Though Quake is better, she can’t reliably get to the SP that grants it. LARGE BUT PROBLEMATIC
• Shang-Chi [Deadpool 047] 2014: No change.. HOLDING TO THE PATH
• Hulk [Avengers Age of Ultron 104] 2015: He hulks up with Super Strength’s buff and Battle Fury’s ability to throw terrain — useful if his full Charge gets Outwitted, AND makes his Avengers Initiative TA finally have a point.  RAGING HARDER
• Faust [Superman/Wonder Woman 056] 2015: His late Prob Control is better than ever with his 7 range. NOT FELIX
• Mysterio [WizKids M16-003] 2016: Smoke Cloud got worse range, down to his natural 4 — though he could Perplex it to 5. THIS BUFF IS AN ILLUSION
• Crazy Jane [World’s Finest 019] 2016: Clicks 1, 4 and 5 still have no real change. Click 2’s Perplex and especially TK are nerfed down to her natural 4 range, as is click 3’s Smoke Cloud. Her last click, No. 6, is also hurt with Prob Control. But Pulse Wave is now her full range, so that’s double-edged sword. TOO CRAZY FOR HER OWN GOOD?
• Patriot [Civil War Storyline 021] 2016: He’s still paying points for a trait and abilities that are no longer special. But the Avengers TA, tho. Plus he can throw an object on his last click with Battle Fury . PATRIOTISM!
• Batroc [Avengers Defenders War 050] 2017: No change from 2021. *STILL LAUGHING EN FRANCAIS*
• Thor [The Mighty Thor 061] 2017: Unsure his old trait for holding multiple objects doesn’t seamlessly work with new terrain markers, so while he’s a bit better than in 2021, he’s not as better as he could be. WE SAY THEE … MAYBE
• Photon [Avengers Infinity 036] 2018: She benefits from the new Avengers TA. LIGHTSPEEDY
• Doctor Octopus [Earth X 034] 2019: A MUCH shorter Outwit range forces him to get too much closer to the action. NOT-AS-GOOD DOCTOR
• Falcon [Avengers Black Panther Illuminati 041b] 2019: Quake is a bit better now, and still combos with his CCE. ON MY LEFT
• Frenzy [X-Men: The Dark Phoenix Saga 027] 2019: Her Battle Fury gives her another way to attack, esp. with Super Strength on the back end. A BEATING FRENZY
• Storm [X-Men: The Dark Phoenix Saga G023b] 2019: Knock back damage returns. A WEATHER EVENT
• Dr. Claire Finn [The Orville ] 2019: She’s a better medic than ever with Support no longer having a chance at failure or even a penalty in her FREE version’s case. It’s why see’s currently banned from Silver Age.  BEST DOCTOR

2021’s FAVES

So because of the two-week-late errata on legacy Krakóa’s point cost, I couldn’t properly publish this ahead of time like I usually do. But late isn’t never, so here we go:

DeadpoolWeaponXCHECKLIST (2)

In principle, legacy cards have been a F.U.N. way to bring some old fan-favorites back into Modern/Silver play and rework some old figs that never really worked right before (or don’t anymore due to rule changes).

In practice? These reviews get harder and harder. And my hopes that WizKids fixes their QA problems remain unanswered. But I’m going to try a much easier short version look at these cards this go-’round.

By set number:

———

L018 MYSTIQUE
(X-Men: Days of Future Past, 2013???)

 

L020 HIT-MONKEY
(Deadpool+X-Force, 2017)

Looks like we got the whole set list a bit early.* So here’s our customary pocket checklist:

NextPhaseCHECKLIST (2)

Four to a sheet!

*UPDATE 1: Oh wait, it appears there’s still the Release Day OP LE to see. (It’s Madisynn. I haven’t see her stats or point cost(s) yet, so can’t add her to the checklist. And she’s set no. 100, which suggests a number 099 piece we haven’t seen yet, either. So I maybe jumped the gun here. WATCH THIS SPACE!)

**UPDATE 2: OK, this SHOULD be the final one. But it’s Next Phase, so whatever

 

 

It’s Black History Month and I decided to do this a while back: a definitive list. Most are obvious (see: Black Panther. Luke Cage. Storm). Some are surprising (Blink. Technocrat. The albino Tombstone). A very few are somewhat debatable (such as Killer Croc) and so have an asterisk* next to them. (BUT I’LL ALLOW IT.)

In alphabetical order. [Specific set numbers] are given where necessary to distinguish from other, same-named characters.

Aaron Cash
Aaron Davis
Akili
Alexis
Alex Wilder
Algrim
Amanda Waller
Ambrose Chase
Anarchist
Aneka
Angstrom Levy
Annihilation
Aqualad [Rebirth 012]
Ashley Barton
Atlas Bear
Augustus Cole
Ayo
Azrael [Batman 104]
Azzuri
Balrog
Bast*
Batman [Streets of Gotham 052]
Battlestar
Batwing [Batman 042]
Baxter Stockman [TMNT 013]
Bedlam
Beetle [Superior Foes of Spider-Man 033]
Bishop
Bishop of XSE
Black Death
Black Leopard
Black Lightning
Black Manta
Black Manta Goon
Black Panther
Black Panther 2099
Black Talon
Black Vulcan
Blade
Blink
Blue Marvel
Bronze Tiger
Brother Voodoo
Bumblebee
Bushmaster
Calypso
Calypso Ezili
Captain America [Secret Invasion 019, Nick Fury Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. 049, Marvel Studios Disney Plus 005, Avengers Defenders War 069, Captain America & The Avengers 039, Avengers Infinity 033, Marvel Studios Disney Plus 056, Marvel 2025 Starter 001a/b, Black Panther 042]
Captain Kirk and Lt. Uhura
Captain Marvel [Sinister 058]
Captain Universe [Avengers Assemble 036, Spider-Verse 053]
Cardiac
Catwoman [Batman Classic TV 009 and Unleashed 222]
Centurius
Clarice Ferguson
Cloak
Cloak and Dagger
Coldcast
Col. James Rhodes
Colleen Wing and Misty Knight
Cottonmouth
Coyote Tango*
Crimson Avenger[Collateral Damage 087]
Crispus Allen
Cyborg
Daisy Fitzroy
Darwin
D-Cel
Deathlok [Wolverine and the X-Men 011a, Wolverine and the X-Men 011b, Spider-Man Venom: Absolute Carnage 008, Sinister 053, Sinister 054, WizKids MV024-001]
Deathurge
Debrii
Dee Jay
Devil Dinosaur & Moon Girl
Diggle
Doctor Spectrum [Guardians of the Galaxy 059a]
Doctor Voodoo
Doorman
Dora Milaje
Dora Milaje Midnight Angel
Dr. Cecilia Reyes
Dr. Claire Finn
Dr. Gravity
Dr. Voodoo
Duane Freeman (bystander)
Duke Thomas
Easy Company Soldier (but not the LE version, Little Sure Shot)
Eliot Franklin
Empress
Erik Killmonger
Falcon [except Avengers Black Panther Illuminati 041a]
Falcon and Redwing
Fatality
Firestorm [Justice League 018, Justice League New 52 010]
Frenzy
Gabe Jones
Gabriel Jones
Gateway
GCPD [Batman Alpha 015]
GCPD Detective [Streets of Gotham 004]
Genesis [except Deadpool 045]
Ghost Panther
Giant Man II
Goliath [Civil War 029, Secret Invasion 022, Smash and Destroy 028b]
Goodness and Mercy
Gotham City Detective
Gotham Policeman
Green Lantern [Fight for Gotham City 058, DC 2026 Starter Set, Justice League Unlimited 002, Justice League Unlimited 036, Justice League Unlimited 104, Batman The Animated Series 039, Cosmic Justice 082-084, Cosmic Justice 221]
Green Priestess
Guardian [Collateral Damage 086]
The Guardian [Assassins Creed 004]
G.W. Bridge
Hadari Yao
Hammer [X-Force+Deadpool 059a]
Hatut Zeraze
Heimdall [Avengers Movie 210, Thor The Dark World 010, Thor: Ragnarok 004, Thor: Ragnarok 009, WizKids MVP24-017*]
Hooded Justice
Hope
Hope Taya
Hunter B-15
The Hydra (Falcon)
Hypno-Hustler
Intergang Medic
Invisible Kid
Iron Heart
Ironheart
Iron Man [Invincible Iron Man 038]
Iron Man and Iron Patriot
Iron Man / War Machine
Iron Man and War Machine
Iron Patriot [TabApp M-002, Iron Man 3 003, Iron Man 3 102]
Iron Spider [Spider-Man Venom: Absolute Carnage 044, Spider-Man Beyond Amazing 043b)
Isaiah Bradley
Isca The Unbeaten
Jakeem Thunder
James Rhodes
Jefferson Morales
Jefferson Pierce
Jericho Drumm, Sorcerer Supreme
John Stewart
Jo Mullein
Josiah X
Kid Flash [Rebirth 005, Rebirth 021]
Kid Quantum
Killer Croc* [except Batman The Animated Series 047a]
Killmonger
King Jefferson
King Killmonger
Korath [Captain Marvel Movie 019]
Korath The Pursuer [Guardians of the Galaxy Movie 015]
Knuckles
Kurse [Thor The Dark World 008, Thor The Dark World 106]
Lex Corp Security
Living Mummy
Lt. Commander Geordi La Forge
Lt. Commander John Lamaar
Lt. Geordi La Forge
Lt. Marcus Stone
Lt. Nyota Uhura
Lt. Uhura
Lucius Fox
Luke Cage
M* (dark-skinned North African but has been frequently “whitewashed” since her introduction)
Maggott
Makkari [Eternals Movie 005, Eternals Movie 016]
Malice [Avengers Black Panther Illuminati 025]
Man-Ape
The Man Without Fear [Avengers Defenders War 101]
Manifold
Maxam
M’Baku
Menace
Mettle
Michael Roth
Micron
Midnight Angel
Miles and Gwen
Miles Miles West
Miles Morales
Mirror Geordi La Forge
Miss America* [WizKids M17-009, Avengers Forever 050]
Misty Knight
Monica Rambeau
Mr. Bones
Mr. Terrific [except DC75th Anniversary 011]
Muhammad Ali
Mummy
Nakia
Nick Fury [Captain Marvel Movie 004, Captain Marvel Movie 013, Avengers Infinity 017, Avengers Forever 026, Avengers: Age of Ultron 015, Chaos War 040, Avengers Movie 035, Avengers Movie 203, Classics 2-11, Sinister 091]
Nick Fury and Goose
Nick Fury, Jr.
Nightmask
Nightshade
Night Thrasher
Nightwatch
N’Jadaka
N’Kantu
Nubia
Okoye
Onome
Oya
Panthro*
Patriot
Pawn 502
Peace Machine
Penance
Perry White [Batman V Superman 015]
Phastos
Phillipus
Phoenix Force Black Panther
Photon [all except Supernova 081]
Power Girl [Rebirth 006, Rebirth 022]
Power Man [except Captain America & The Avengers 014]
Power Man and Iron Fist
Prodigy [Avengers Forever 033, X-Men Xavier’s School 047]
Professor [Infinity Challenge B009]
Prowler
Puff Adder
Pulsar
Queen Shuri
Queen Storm
Rage
Ramonda
Ravonna Renslayer
Researcher [Web of Spider-Man 003]
Rex Strickland
Robbie Robertson
Rocket Racer
Ronin [Avengers Assemble 052]
Sam Wilson
Saracen
Sgt. Johnson
Shard
S.H.I.E.L.D. Agent [Infinity Challenge 001-003]
S.H.I.E.L.D. Section Chief
S.H.I.E.L.D. Spy [Strange Tales 010]
Shuri
The Signal
Silhouette
Skitter
Slyde
Snap Wilson
Soldier [Superman/Wonder Woman 008]
Spectre [War of Light 050a, War of Light 050b, Lantern Legacy 024b]
Spectrum
Spider-Byte
Spider-Carnage
Spider-Hero
Spider-Man [War of the Realms 008, WizKids M20-104, Superior Foes of Spider-Man 031, Earth X 037b, Absolute Carnage 018, Black Panther 034, Spider-Verse 001, Spider-Verse 005, Spider-Verse 021, 400 Spider-Man 002]
Spider-Man, Spider-Man and Ghost Spider [Spider-Verse 200]
Spider-Punk
Spiders Man [except Spider-Verse 016]
Static
Steel [except Rebirth 023a]
Storm
Sunspot* (dark-skinned Afro-Brazilian whose race was a point in his origin story but he has been consistently “whitewashed” in recent years)
Superman II
Synch
Tattooed Man
T’Chaka II
T’Challa Star-Lord
Technocrat
Teela
Teen Lantern
Tempo
Tetu
3-D Man
Throg
Thug [Infinity Challenge 013-015]
Thunder [Batman 021]
Thunderball
Titan
Tombstone
Triathlon
Turk Barrett
Tyroc
Tyrone Johnson
Uhura
Valkyrie [Thor: Ragnarok 012, Thor: Ragnarok 005, War of the Realms 049]
Venom Black Panther
Venomized Miles Morales
Vermin
Vibranium Man
Vixen
Voodoo
Wakanda Hulkbuster
Wakandan Scientist
Wakandan Warrior
Warhawk
War Machine
The Watcher
White Tiger [Avengers Black Panther Illuminati 026, Avengers Black Panther Illuminati 004]
Witch [Worlds Finest 015]
W’Kabi
Wonder Woman [WizKids D23-005]
Xandressan Windsman
XS
Yrra Cynril
Zelma Stanton*
Zenzi

 

List will certainly grow.

2023 is finally back to normal. Like, EXTRA-normal, because:

…it wasn’t just Marvel clix! There were not just two but SEVERAL DC clix across the year.

So it’s again time for my list of my top 10 to 20 HeroClix of the year.

But with actual map time still somewhat at a premium in 2022 even, there’s always one fig that could’ve made the previous year’s favorite list but didn’t stand out immediately until it got play this past year — potential “late bloomer” faves.

So I introduce this year’s list with an addition, again asking

• “Is this figure Fair, Useful and Nerdcore?”

and

• “When I see this figure, do I immediately wish I had a team to fit it on?”

There’s actually two this time:

SHANG CHI (War of the Realms 027) 50 points

I always want to run him. Well-priced with traited Flurry but not overbearing. He’s best up close vs. 2-3 people, which opens him to a lot of counterattacks — a very fair fig.

POGG UR-POGG (X of Swords Storyline 208) 270 or 170 or 70 points

He’s just kinda hilarious (that ability to jack targets of their equipment — plus the sheer POGG UR-POGGness of his flavor text) and dangerous (Giant Reach+Charge+Flurry) all at once. But never terribly scary and a big target.

In alphabetical order, let’s look at 2023’s F.U.N. selections: What’s Fair about them, how they’re still Useful and what I find Nifty or Nerdcore about each.

———

AQUAMAN (Batman Team-Up 043)

100 or 50 points

Aquaman is my favorite DC hero and clix versions have come a long way since the original in the Hypertime set 20 years ago. Not only is he more mobile and invulnerable now, but he also has the ability to spawn kraken tentacles to represent his command of sea life.

Fair-finned friend: Spawning tentacles require a lot (range, water, Leadership rolls) to actually work. You have to build a team of swimmers around him, which limits the amount of abuse he can do.

What’s Useful (under the surface): But of course he’s quite good on a swim team. Him being able to Empower fellow Dolphin symbol allies map-wide is strong. And unlike many earlier versions of the king of the sea, he will never be beached because he brings his own water terrain.

What’s Nerdcore: I need to update my occasional series on Atlantis figures.

OHHHHHHHHHH WHO’S THE KING OF THE SEA

———

BANE (Iconix 002)

75 points

I have a box of Banes. But this is the peak Bane because he plays just like the character in the original Knightfall storyline. He starts on click #7 with Outwit (through other characters!) but at any time he can pump himself with Venom and become a beater. It’s really well-designed.

All’s Fair…: He doesn’t start bonkers and is full of self-harm. There’s a definite risk vs. reward consideration when playing him.

…And Useful for Breaking the Bat…: BUT HE GETS BONKERS DESPITE THE SELF-HARM, with massive stat boosts, Impervious Super Strength and Close Combat Expert.

… Like A Skinny Nerd: I like playing him with his “bane chant makes everything epic” or “Gotham’s Reckoning” music from The Dark Knight Rises..

BECAUSE THE BANE CHANT MAKES EVERYTHING EPIC.

———

BLACK ADAM (Notorious 046)

200 or 100 points

Not the first Adam to make this annual list, and I’m unsure if I like it better than 2019’s Rebirth version. But this one’s punishing Mystics-related “Lightning” trait really encourages enemies to attack him one-on-one — with HONOR, not ganging up on him. Immune to Outwit as well and packs a reverse Mastermind SP to force fire on him.

What’s Fair? This Justice: This may be the least F.U.N. fig on the list. But because he encourages focused fire upon himself, the bold (especially if they reduce penetrating damage) can take him down.

What’s Useful? This JUDGMENT: This is a tentpole who can hold together a team, taking the hits for weaker teammates — which is what I like best.

What’s Nerdcore? THIS JUSTICE: YOU MUST FACE HIM — ALONE.

———

BROTHER VOODOO (Wheels of Vengeance 043b)

45 points

Another entry into the Black Box of Black-themed characters. Like his earlier prime version back nearly 11 years ago, this is a strong, potentially meta-shifting figure, able to deal free no-roll damage or free no-roll healing or get out of KO free once. On top of that, he’s got Mind Control, TK and Smoke Cloud all dial long (SP) and Prob and Support on either dial half.

Fair Price: “The Monkey’s Paw Curls” is a nice balance to a couple of very powerful effects. And those effects are limited per game.

Useful Magic: But FREE DAMAGE? No-roll healing? Prob? And more? Yes please.

Nerdcore Cred: I aim to collect every Black character so here he is.

VOOOODOOOOO

———

CLOAK & DAGGER (Spider-Man Beyond Amazing L039)

65 points

Though technically legacies aren’t NEW figures, they count as releases this year. So here’s this duo/no longer duo fig. Aside from liking the characters, I like the way they get defensive boosts and healing when they’re in the open and offense boosts when attacking targets in hindering. They’re interesting to play!

Light of Hope: Their modest old combat values aren’t terrifying any opponent, even with their stat pumps.

Useful Dark Justice: Wild card, flier, and that weird SP where if they target and hit a solo enemy in hindering, that target gets essentially isolated from their team for a turn are all worth running.

Nifty Nerdcore: C’mon, they’re Cloak and Dagger.

EBONY … AND IIIIVORYYYYYYY

———

ELASTI-GIRL (Batman Team-Up 027)

60 points

I knew I’d be excited for the return of the Doom Patrol in clix. But I thought 2016 fave Crazy Jane’s legacy card version would take the cake. Rita here was the real F.U.N. fig here. If I were still ranking this list, she’d be No. 1.

Fair Lady:  Relatively modest stats make her more an annoyance than a terror.

Useful Annoyance Though: Shape Change, Giant Reach 4 and FREE Regen if she took damage last turn make her a tough KO. Also Outsiders TA.

Doomed to be Nerdcore: The only downside for me is that she’s not actually a giant like previous versions have been. But she’s the chief reason for me to try a Doom Patrol team. (Even more so than Chief and, yes, Crazy Jane.)

I just wanna see her be a giant woman. A GIANT WOMAN!!!

———

Every Expendable Goon  (Notorious 012, 004, 008, 009, 011, 017, 014, 015)

50 or 15 points

By far my favorite mechanic this year was the Expendable Goon trait.

 EXPENDABLE GOON: When [this goon] is KO’d by an opposing character, after resolutions you may roll a D6.

[1-3]: [some kinda consolation effect]. 

[4-6]: Generate a character with an Expendable Goon trait on its 15 point starting line adjacent to a friendly character.

Already a fan of generics, I glommed on this ability to respawn new goons of any type: Black Manta Goon, G.O.O.N., Gorilla City Warrior, Joker Goon, Polar Bear, Qwardian Thunderer, Riddler Goon, and White Rabbit Goon.

Fair Felons: At 50 points, each goon might feel just a little overcosted while the 15-pointers are just 2 easy-to-KO clicks long.

Useful Idiots: But YO. Each has at least a little utility on either line. Too many ways to briefly discuss here. So I discussed HERE in a separate article.

Nerdcore Knuckleheads: If I had to rank them from least to most favorite? Well, I wouldn’t.

GOONIES NEVER SAY DIE AND NEITHER DO GOONS

———

FALCON (Avengers 60th 030)

50 points

Falcon makes a lot these year-end lists of mine (2014, 2019, 2022) so I kinda hesitated to add yet another. But the sculpt is pretty cool and, as noted, I have an affinity for the character.

High-Flying Fairness: Like most Falcons, he’s not an especially hard hitter. And his “Aerial Extraction” only works for his shared keywords.

Useful Deployment: But that trait is really strong! It’s like a better TK for fellow Avengers or Soldiers. He also has IM:Characters for him to stay mobile.

Nerdcore Role: It’s time for another Atlanta Falcons build!

AN ACTUAL WINNING ATLANTA FALCON HERE

———

JO MULLEIN (Batman Team-Up 054)

75 points

Though I’m the world’s least biggest Green Lantern fan, Sojourner Mullein is a cool new member I was super glad to see her debut in clix.

Fair Sector: She’s a fairly hefty 75 points but is missing reducers for the vast majority of her dial. She also has a trait requiring Willpower but lacks it at first — which can occasionally cause her problems. But that means she is not a huge problem for folks to see on-map.

Space Cop Utility: But her Invincible-bearing STOP clicks tho. That SP gives her colossal size and its associated Willpower, which makes her heal on a 6 roll. (And possibly off the STOP. Which is kinda OK.) Before that, she’s about the hands: Charge+Flurry. Also  has a lot of Outwit on the early run of her dial and some Hypersonic in the mid- to late game. She qualifies for the Green Lantern Ring, too.

What Part of “Nerd Fight” Didn’t You Get?: As seen in the miniseries Far Sector. As I said: Super glad to see her clixed.

READY FOR THIS NERD FIGHT

———

THE KINGPIN (Spider-Man Beyond Amazing 037a)

45 points

Every once in a while, WizKids makes a dial that captures a character PERFECTLY. This is real close. Flipping between two dials, one of him as Outwitting mastermind (with the powers, natch) and the other for fisticuffs, Wilson Fisk is ready for anything

A Legit and Fair Businessman: OK, so maybe he shouldn’t have TWO clicks of Invulnerability. But nothing else about him seems overtuned.

Useful To His City: In addition to the dial flipping, he also extends the range of Sinister Syndicate TA from adjacent to 6. But the best thing is he can generate Police Officer (Spider-Man Beyond Amazing 003) instead of normal Leadership.

Nerdcore? HARDCORE:  While not all cops are bad, he’s got them all either in his pocket or neutralized. It’s such a perfect look for Kingpin that he makes the list.

A LEGITIMATE BUSINESSMAN

———

OMAC PRIME (Notorious 019b) 175 or 100 points

OMAC (Notorious 019a) 25 points

OK, so yeah 019a OMAC deservedly made the worst list. Individually, it’s terrible. But with 3 or more gathered together? Or with their boss OMAC Prime in the lead? Wow, is it F.U.N.

Fair Programming: We covered how unintimidating OMAC is. The prime is a lot scarier. But he’s fair because for best results, he’ll be right in the opponent’s face, giving them great opportunity to deal with him.

Useful Protocols: CAN they, though? He gets to use any and all displayed standard powers — that’s any colored box currently showing — of adjacent opponents. With IT:Adjacent, he could Psychic Blast your own psychic blaster. He also KOs adjacent pogs for FREE. And if he or any other Robot pal KOs a target, he generates another OMAC, maybe leading to an endless flood of them.

Nerdcore Code: That’s so reminiscent of DC’s mid-2000s Infinite Crisis and I love it.

UNDER HIS BROTHER EYE

———

THE PHANTASM (Notorious L051)

50 points

I reviewed her along with other legacies here. But she was a lot more F.U.N. than I expected.

Fair…: Although she’s good at hiding (FREE Smoke Cloud and Stealth), she will eventually be able to be fought — and her defenses are a bit weak.

But Deadly Useful: Her offense is dang terrifying, amounting to full move Blades attack. She can attack every turn for free under most circumstances.

’90s Nerdcore: I loved the movie this was based on. So yeah…

… YOUR ANGEL OF DEATH AWAITS

———

RAWHIDE KID (Wheels of Vengeance 045)

50 points

REGULATOR … MOUNT UP! This cowboy is a doggone menace, able to hurt two targets at once by only hitting one.

A Fair Shot: He’s pretty soft with no upfront armor and average defense

Useful With The Steel: But his Super Senses deals his printed damage, representing him outdrawing his opponents and blasting first. Awesome! (But overtuned because it should require the attacker be in range and LOF.) Police and wild card TAs round out the package.

Nifty Style: I have a theme of Old West-themed figs with the Past keyword that he’ll be riding with.

———

SPACE GHOST (WizKids DC23-002)

80 or 60 or 30 points

This con exclusive is loved by most players for his ultra-efficient 30-point line offering massive utility, but I like his higher costs for actual fighting because cost to cost he’s a fave.

Fair Playing Hero: He has to trade that utility for either fighting or defenses, so he never quite feels like he’s overtuned in a game.

Useful Coast to Coast: SO MUCH UTILITY THO. Leadership or Empower or CCE on dial. Perplex on trait —TWICE if he’s untokened — and a friendly target can’t be Probbed by enemies. And his FREE “Power Bands” SP giving him the choice each turn of blasting or blocking or moving friends or foes.

Nerdcore? Come on. IT’S SPACE GHOST. Even if he was bad, he was almost instantly shortlisted.

COAST TO COAST A FAVE.

———

WASP  (Avengers 60th L030)

40 points

Last legacy card of the roster. The original may have been a contender for my Top 10 years ago but I used to be a lot more selective in these lists. Have always liked this piece a lot, but I was surprised how much I enjoyed running it this year.

Fair Wasp: Her stats have not aged well and unlike many of the oldest figs that got legacies, she did not receive any stat boosting or healing or other defensive abilities. So her 10 or lower AV is thoroughly unscary.

Useful Wasp: Incap is barely useful. It always takes something extra to make it worthwhile. 1 to 2 penetrating damage to each hit character is a good extra.

Nifty Wasp: I love the Wasp so it’s great to get her again.

SHE’S ALL THE BUZZ.

———

ZOD (Notorious 032)

90 points

Actor Terence Stamp’s iconic portrayal of the megalomaniacal General Zod has echoed across the decades and this, finally, is a version in clix worth kneeling before.

“What is ‘Fair?’ Just kneel”: With a modest 5 range and no Outwit protection, Zod feels like a pretty fair-powered piece.

“Are you Useful to me?”: That is, until you consider his anti-Stealth eyes and his Superman Enemy TA and, most of all, “Kneel Before Zod,” a truly F.U.N. trait that can force a nearby foe to, well, kneel (by taking a token or a damage).

Kneel, Nerd: I cannot wait to play this when someone exclaims “Oh my god” so I can calmly reply “Zod.”

KNEEL.

———

Annnnd there’s another year of HeroClix in the books! As I have been doing since the pandemic, I’ll be constructing a team of ALL these pieces (yes, even both primes) to battle the previous year’s faves in a kitchen table match sometime in 2024.

2022

150 AV4E031 Blue Marvel
125 MSDP056 Captain America
95 MSDP041A Captain Carter + her shield 5
50 AV4E006 Falcon
200 AV4E045 Hulk
45 XMXS031B Isca the Unbeaten + Mercy (defensive) 5
60 WOTR035 Kurse
40 AV4E030 Mindful One
50 AV4E050 Miss America
35 MSDP029 Miss Minutes
45 XMXS001 Storm + Skybreaker 5
40 MSDP101B The Watcher
70 WOTR042 Valkyrie

Shang-Chi 50
Pogg Ur-Pogg 270

= 1335 points

versus

2023
50 BTU043V Aquaman
75 DICN002 Bane
200 NOT046 Black Adam
15 NOT012V Black Manta Goon
65 SMBAL039A Cloak & Dagger
60 BTU027 Elasti-Girl
50 AV60030 Falcon
15 NOT004V G.O.O.N.
15 NOT008V Gorilla City Warrior
75 BTU054 Jo Mullein + GL Ring 0
15 NOT009V Joker Goon
25 NOT019A OMAC
25 NOT019A OMAC
25 NOT019A OMAC
25 NOT019A OMAC
175 NOT019B OMAC Prime
15 NOT011V Polar Bear
15 NOT017V Qwardian Thunderer + Sinestro Corps Ring 0
50 WOV045 Rawhide Kid
15 NOT014V Riddler Goon
80 WKD23-002 Space Ghost
45 SMBA037A The Kingpin
50 NOTL051 The Phantasm
40 AV60L030 Wasp
15 NOT015V White Rabbit Goon
90 NOT032 Zod
= 1330 points.

By far my favorite mechanic this year was the Expendable Goon trait.

 EXPENDABLE GOON: When [this goon] is KO’d by an opposing character, after resolutions you may roll a D6.

[1-3]: [some kinda consolation effect]. 

[4-6]: Generate a character with an Expendable Goon trait on its 15 point starting line adjacent to a friendly character.

Already a fan of generics, I glommed on this ability to respawn new goons of any type: Black Manta Goon, G.O.O.N., Gorilla City Warrior, Joker Goon, Polar Bear, Qwardian Thunderer, Riddler Goon, and White Rabbit Goon. And most have a consolation effect even if they don’t get the 50/50 respawn.

Here’s a flash F.U.N. review of the pieces, in alphabetical order.

Black Manta Goon (Notorious 012)

At 50 or 15 points, this goon in the employ of sea pirate Black Manta is mega-Useful with Enhancement all dial long. High level has Running Shot and Invulnerability, too, with Willpower elsewhere. Leaves water terrain on KO, which is fine for swimmers like him.

It loses a bit on my F.U.N. scale because when played as a pure force with their natural boss, it’s a team full of wild cards with no team ability to copy. But oh well ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

——

G.O.O.N. (Notorious 004)

Like a melee version of Manta men, 50 or 15 points gives full life of Empower here. Charge+Blades (with Bat Enemy TA) characterizes the top dial while Plasticity+Poison is the low one’s strength. Willpower and Underworld TA is really useful, too.

Unlike all the rest of the goons, there’s no consolation effect if you don’t respawn. But it’s a 3-6 roll instead, so you’re more likely to activate it anyway. This might be my favorite of the goon squad.

——

Gorilla City Warrior (Notorious 008)

These apes are a little unwieldy, starting with Stealth at 50 points (meaning they’re kinda stationary) but missing it at 15, where moving attack is less important. The hindering terrain they leave on KO isn’t super, either. But plenty of Super Strength, Close Combat Expert, and Invulnerability on both lines is welcome.  I’m loving them as extra bodies for a Gorilla Warfare team led by, say, Grodd.

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Joker Goon (Notorious 009)

Charge+Precision+Exploit is his 50-point power. 15 points grants Flurry+Blades but his 9 AV is weak — he needs Batman Enemy help.

Most other goons, it’s just cute to play them with their respective boss. But this one’s consolation respawn that generates Smoke instead keys directly into The Joker (Notorious 047a) and his “Poison via Smoke” trait.

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Polar Bear (Notorious 011)

The pets of Mr. Freeze, these Battle Furious animals are Super Strong, Impervious tie-up at 50 points. 15 buys a still-angry Quaking Charging Tough bear. They leave behind blocking pieces that force breakaways — making them excellent employees for Mr. Freeze (Notorious 040), their natural boss. Not my favorite goon but a good goon.

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Qwardian Thunderer (Notorious 017)

50 points is a Perplexing Running Shooter while the budget version has Sidestep, Willpower and Shape Change. Both start lines boast Pulse Wave. KO consolation is generated objects. Also not my favorite, but I’ve already had great fun running them with their boss, Sinestro (Notorious 025). Note: This is one of the rare goons lacking the Brute keyword.

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Riddler Goon (Notorious 014)

At 50, the Riddler’s minions are Close Combat Expert thugs. But thanks to Toughness, they might see their smarter Perplex on clicks 2, 3 or 5. 15 points also starts with CCE. Sidestep for movement pairs very well with Underworld. And their consolation KO effect to token up their attacker is pretty OK.

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White Rabbit Goon (Notorious 015)

The 50-point minion of the Mad Hatter (Jervis Tetch in this set) is underwhelming with Charge+Incap, though Shape Change and Toughness makes him survivable at least. 15 points is the sweet spot: He’s a Mind Controlling medic with Willpower. On KO, if he doesn’t respawn he shunts the attacker 2 squares away. One of the better goons, but missing the Brute keyword. HE’S TOO REFINED AND LATE FOR TEA

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If you came to this page from the 2023 Favorites post, here’s your way back.

Merry Clixmas! I hope none of these pieces of coal end up in your stockings. Because while clix design is really good these days, pieces that aren’t still exist.

In alphabetical order of badness, the 10 worst dials of 2023!

Batman (DC Starter 2024 002a) 50 points

This is a trainer dial, so it lacks the frills and power a Batman piece usually brings to the table. But bearing only two clicks of Stealth, and with a special power allowing him to FREE move after using Smoke Cloud means he’s not much in the fight, just trying to Outwit for his teammates. Outwit’s super-short 4 range these days means he’s got to get too close to the action.

BOTTOM LINE: Not exactly the world’s finest anything.

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Mas (Batman Team-Up 007) 25 points

He’s designed to pair up with his twin bro Menos, who has both the upfront Precision Strike for offense and the defensive Super Senses he lacks. But that means you have to play both to get even their individual 25 points’ worth, and I don’t know that’s good value for 50 points. Mas needs … well … más.

BOTTOM LINE: Teen Titan GO! … AWAY

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Mirror Master (Notorious 029) 55 points

Originally, I had Miles Morales (Spider-Man Beyond Amazing 016) here because of all the various Spider-figs in clix, that version feels just mediocre all around. But this Rogue takes the spot for being more points for 1 damage and low range and speed. Sure, he has Precision and he ramps up OK if he can roll Super Senses to spawn dupes to also use Enhancement. But Senses rolls are a good-sized IF just to make him worth running.

BOTTOM LINE: Distorted reflection of what a good piece should be

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Monica Chang (Avengers 60th 003) 25 points

Though she has a potential niche as a keyword cheater to get Robots onto S.H.I.E.L.D. themed teams, her SP requiring her to hit targets with her puny 3 range to benefit the team makes her awful even for just 25 points.

BOTTOM LINE: Lowest level of clearance at S.H.I.E.L.D., obviously

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Morgan Le Fay (Avengers 60th 046) 40 points

It’s her low-point dial that’s kinda terrible. Sure, she can be long-lived with Mastermind, and cheap Leadership is OK, but if she doesn’t churn out Zombie pogs most turns, what’s the point of her?

BOTTOM LINE: Suffer not this witch to be on your teams

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Mysterio (Spider-Man Beyond Amazing 110a) 30 points

They got really good at starter figs by SMBA. Except for this one. Plain Smoke Cloud and Shape Change mean Bubblehead here isn’t doing much of anything early on for even his low 30 points. Late dial Mind Control can’t be counted on.

BOTTOM LINE: Merely an illusion!

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Nightmare (Wheels of Vengeance 013) 115 or 55 points

For way over 100 points, he’s a steeply priced Incap+Mind Control piece. Overpriced, but if you really like those powers, esp. with Stealth and Cosmic Energy, then sure, do you. But his 55-point line is even worse: He loses the MC and the Stealth (both are on the same SP) and trades down Imperv for Mastermind and Plasticity. Not useless but not great either.

BOTTOM LINE: He’s a bad dream.

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OMAC (Notorious 019a) 25 points

So let me get this straight: It’s only one click long unless other identical pieces are getting KO’d? And each is 25 points apiece?? So you’re building AT LEAST 50 points of just some tie-up until you start LOSING points??? Oh wow. If I were still ranking this list, OMAC might’ve topped it easily.

BOTTOM LINE: —system error—

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Simon Garth (Wheels of Vengeance 018) 50 points

Oh man, I want to like this one so much better. He’s a strong puncher (11AV, 4 damage Exploit Weakness) with good Invulnerability. But that trait that allows any adjacent foe to Mind Control him is really problematic to play around. Maybe it would be worth it if the Battle Fury he gets from being MC’d (so that multiple enemies can’t manipulate him this way in a single turn) lasted through his OWN following turn. But no. Nominated by machineman at HCRealms, he’s a(n) (un)worthy addition to my list here.

BOTTOM LINE: Walking dead.

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Thor (Avengers 60th 057) 100 or 50 points

He wasn’t on my radar because he’s a chase I don’t own, don’t want and have never faced. But he was nominated by Poison1981 on HCRealms, and looking at him I see why. Unlike the rest of the figs with the “MULTIVERSAL MASTERS OF EVIL” trait, he’s not focused enough to know when to bring him in with it. Depending on the click, he’s either a shooter or a puncher but does neither very well. He’s kinda thoroughly dependent on Dark Phoenix to get any real use from him. He’s only special when he dies, and even there you’re sacrificing at least 50 points for a few clicks of healing on a remaining friendly.

BOTTOM LINE: There’s always a booby prize among the chases. Forsake this one.

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OK, those are flushed. Next post: Heroclixin’s 10 (or so) Faves of 2023!

In principle, legacy cards are a F.U.N. way to bring some old fan-favorites back into Modern/Silver play and rework some old figs that never really worked right before (or don’t anymore due to rule changes).

In practice? Well, let’s see.

By set number:

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L004 GHOST RIDER
(2099 Collector’s Set, 2006)

L020a JACK O’LANTERN
(Civil War Storyline, 2016)

 

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Between Scott Porter’s unboxing vids, WizKids’ newly activated in-house PR reveals and prerelease season, we’ve gotten the full (and confirmed) list of pieces for Heroclixin’s customary pocket checklist earlier than ever!

So of course I forget to actually post this on time.

FINALLY download a four-copy PDF using the link below.

WheelsChecklist