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

Pocket Checklist: MASTERS OF TIME edition

September 17, 2024 by rkjs·0 Comments

This checklist post is coming later than usual because we kept learning the existence of secret team-up cards that only come in the super boosters. But I think I finally have a complete list.

MastersOfTimeCHECKLIST (2)

REPLACE THEN MODIFY: 2023 rules on my favorites

July 22, 2024 by rkjs·0 Comments

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

———

And now let’s look at my faves of this decade so far and see how they fare now:

2020’s:

Absorbing Man (Captain America and the Avengers 073): Super Strength improved, as did Quake. So he’s ABSORBED BUFFS.
The Atom (Justice League Unlimited 059a): He benefits from the new JLA TA, but Outwit and Perplex nerfed range makes those worse. GROW SOME, SHRINK SOME
Black Cat (Spider-Man and Venom: Absolute Carnage 005): Though she takes a small hit on her late dial from her Prob Control getting cut to 4 range and themed team being less prominent, she gets a small boost from all ranges getting reined in, allowing her 4-range Bad Luck Field SP to work more often in the close quarters. LUCK EVENS OUT
Black Widow (Black Widow Movie 100) No change to motorcyclist Natasha. MILEAGE DOES NOT VARY
Bombshell (Spider-Man and Venom: Absolute Carnage 009) and Bombshell (Spider-Man and Venom: Absolute Carnage 025) The daughter’s (009) late Quake is upgraded, and both have traited Force Blast, which is relevant again thanks to knockback damage. That combines well with their tandem Pulse Wave — which, with their Perplexes, can potentially shrink to a 2 range or expand to 6! Speaking of Perplex, Mom’s natural 6 range works well with it while her daughter loses out thanks to her printed range of 3. EXPLOSIVELY BETTER
Human Torch (Fantastic Four 038) Should she land on her Pulse Wave click, she has a wider range of effect (4 instead of 3). A BIT HOTTER
Ironheart (Captain America and the Avengers 056) Her 7 range works well with her opening Prob, mid Outwit and late Perplex, as well as back-dial Force Blast, which is actually useful and a little dangerous now. UPGRADED TECH
Jolt (Captain America and the Avengers 031a) Being able to Sidestep up and down elevated without having to find a ladder is a big boost to her. POSITIVE MOVEMENT
Micron (Justice League Unlimited 059b) JLA TA is actually useful on him now. GROWING MORE POWERFUL
Quake (Captain America and the Avengers 010) OMG the sheer havoc her SP Quake can create on blocking-heavy maps. The return of knock back damage also boosts her a lot. And the new Avengers TA! AN ORDER OF MAGNITUDE BETTER
Red Guardian (Black Widow Movie 016) Super Strength got an upgrade, though it doesn’t fully combo with his “Fighting An Entire Squad” trait. IN SOVIET RUSSIA HE’S MUCH MUCH STRONGER
Reed Richards, Fixer Of Universes (Fantastic Four 056) On smaller maps, he can activate Molecule Man WAY faster. But his own Outwit, Perplex and Prob shrink to his natural 4 range. FIXING YOUR GAME
Spider-Hamurai (Spider-Man and Venom: Absolute Carnage 066) He loses wildcard status with the change to Spidey TA but of course gains the new rollout. A SHARPER SWORD
Spider-Man (Spider-Man and Venom: Absolute Carnage 054) Another wildcard no more. And his Outwit range drops. On smaller maps, his Garbage Can is much less safe. But at least he can carry it around now if he likes. And new Spidey TA Senses greatly improve his dodging. STILL AMAZING
Spot (Spider-Man and Venom: Absolute Carnage 042) His Outwit range shrinks. SPOTTED A NERF
Sue Storm (Fantastic Four 062) Perplex, Prob and Outwit get a boost from her natural 6 range. And Support is WAY better. But her TK, tho? Way worse. That said, her trait to use those powers — plus Quake — from her Barriers gives her even more flexibility in the current game. QUEEN BE QUEENING
Superman (Justice League Unlimited 105) After almost everything improved in 2021, he got even more in 2023’s rules: JLA TA, traited Super Strength and Battle Fury to throw stuff. A REAL SUPER MAN
Ultron (Avengers Vs. Masters of Evil Battlegrounds 110b) No changes. ZERO UPGRADES
Vixen(Justice League Unlimited 015) Quake’s better and combines with her opening Exploit. FOXY

2021’s FAVES

Blue Marvel (Avengers Forever 031) Longer Pulse Wave + Force Blast ranges = winning. Natural 6 range means Outwit’s just as good and late Super Strength is improved. MARVELOUSLY BETTER
Captain America (Disney Plus 056) Sam’s knockback skills (Force Blast then Quake) gain from KB damage. But his Redwing’s Outwit is a bit riskier to roll with — though, being 0 points, not really much of a risk. PROMOTED IN RANK
Captain Carter (Disney Plus 041a): Giant directional Quake is great. DECORATED FOR EXCELLENCE
Falcon (Avengers Forever 006) Quake is better while his 5 range splits the difference on his midlife Perplex. Plus: new Avengers TA. CLIMBED ALTITUDE
Hulk (Avengers Forever 045) Avengers TA and he can deal knockback on every click. HULK SMASH
Isca the Unbeaten (X-Men: X of Swords 031b) Nothing changed for her. ISCA THE UN-BETTER
Kurse (War of the Realms 035): Mourn her loss of Outwit range. SOMEWHAT CURSED
Mindful One (Avengers Forever 030) Wow is his Support better now. Also Super Strength all dial. MINDFULNESS IS IMPROVEMENT
Miss America (Avengers Forever 050) Mid-dial Super Strength is better. So is the Avengers TA. AMERICA EVEN MORE BEAUTIFUL
Miss Minutes (Disney Plus 029) 6-range Prob Control means no nerf for this shady annoying AI. SHE’S BANNED ANYWAY
Storm (X-Men: X of Swords 001) FREE directional Force Blast is even better with knockback damage. A pity her Perplex is reeled back to just 5 now. BUILDING STORMCLOUDS
Valkyrie (War of the Realms 042) Absolutely no difference. RIDING LIKE ALWAYS
The Watcher (Disney Plus 101b) Only 4-square placement on his TK reins him in somewhat. OATHBOUND TO NOT INTERFERE … AS MUCH

AND FINALLY 2022’s standouts

Captain Britain (House of X 053): Her 30-pt. line’s Outwit is reeled back to 4. FAIL BRITANNIA
The Commissioner (Wonder Woman 80th 067): Natural 6 range means no Outwit nerf. Plus Rookie’s 7 for Prob and PPB pain is an effective buff. ALL COPS ARE BAD? BAD-ASS, MAYBE.
Dr. Poison (Wonder Woman 80th 045) Nothing about her or her German Solider minions improved BECAUSE NAZIS GET PUNCHED
Harley Quinn (Wonder Woman 80th 024) Much shorter Prob range is counterbalanced by her dial-long Quake. WHOOPSIE, HARLEY’S FALLING OUT A BIT
Lex Luthor (Wonder Woman 80th 054) 4-range Outwit is bad for him. At least his Bizarro bystander is more dangerous than ever with Quake — and with the return of knockback damage, there’s finally a way to “push” him to the click to generate the pogs. THINKING OUTSIDE THE BOXES WITHIN BOXES
Loki (Empyre 026) 60 His 6 range keeps his Prob (and, later, Outwit and Mind Control) at full strength. LOW KEY GOOD
Maggott (House of X 051) The melee fighter suffers a bit with the nerf to Prob and Perplex, but he’s a close fighter anyway. MILDLY HUNGRY
Master Mold (WizKids MP20-001) Effectively buffed due to his natural 8 range with Prob or Outwit. ELIMINATING MORE MUTANTS
Monica Rambeau (Empyre 041) Avengers team ability is the only 2023-rules plus. MEMBERSHIP HAS ITS BENEFITS
Multiple Man (X-Men Rise and Fall 007) They get NOTHING. They LOSE! Good DAY SIRS.
Omega (House of X 056) Natural 8-range Outwit is quite an improvement over the 4-square default. But that’s it. NOT THE END-ALL-BE-ALL
Onome (Empyre 015) Natural 5 range double Outwit. ONOME = OK
Rikki Barnes (Empyre 072) The loss of Quake comboing with her Dream Of A Soldier is a blow. DREAM DEFERRED
T’Chaka II (Empyre 047b) No change. ROYALLY UNDISTURBED
Sentinel (X-Men Rise and Fall 008) No change. UN-UPGRADED

———

WHEW. Maybe that is the end of changes in the game for a good while.

Pocket Checklist: DEADPOOL WEAPON X edition

July 13, 2024 by rkjs·0 Comments

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)

Legacy cards … F.U.N. or nah? DEADPOOL/WEAPON X EDITION

June 14, 2024 by rkjs·0 Comments

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???)

THEN: She had traited Shape Change that made her completely immune to attack that turn on a 6, SP Mastermind that worked on higher-cost keywords and also reduced the total damage, and SP Leadership and Perplex. But for 82 points, she wasn’t doing much else.

NOW: Now 40 points, she’s still got Mastermind, Shape Change, and adds Super Senses. But she’s also immune to being targeting at all by non-adjacent foes unless they started next to her or started on a themed team. She loses her Perplex, gaining instead Outwit and Poison — both meshing well with her ability to hide sometimes in plain sight.

F.U.N.? She’s a key example of a piece that never quite worked right in her weight class, which makes her a great choice of a legacy.

AM I GETTING THIS? I have the fig so I’ll be looking for the card.

———

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

THEN: With Running Shot, Sidestep and Stealth (via SP), and Precision Strike paired with a trait that boosted his AV and damage on Precision Striking targets, Hit-Monkey was indeed a potential Killer of Killers. His mediocre values, though, meant he rarely was. Not without a lot of help. At least he was cheap at 40 points.

NOW: A cheaper still 30 points, he gains IM:Elevated, The Target trait (score an extra 25 for KOing a marked enemy) along with +1 AV and damage vs. Assassins … +2 AV if that Assassin has The Target trait, too. Same SP.

F.U.N.? Seems OK but not game-breaking. A good addition to Assassin themes.

AM I GETTING THIS? I have the piece and the card comes in the Multiple Man Play At Home kit and I’m sure I am getting that one.

———

L036 SHIKLAH
(Deadpool+X-Force, 2017)

THEN: She had a bad vampire dial. Starting on click 4 but also with basic Running Shot, she was so unlikely to ever use her Steal Energy to heal past her start line. MAYBE if you played her with a Deadpool you’d get to use her “Protect My Idiot Husband” trait to place adjacent to ol’ DP and close combat that way. But good luck hitting with 10 AV; esp. since click 4 is the only one of her base dial that DOESN’T have Prob Control. Her sole SP, only seen on the extreme ends of her dial, allowed her to swap into the more powerful 053 Shiklah. But both clicks were hard to land on. And did you even own the Super Rare, anyway? Generally a waste of 80 points.

NOW: No need to own a whole other piece: Her SP is now STOP clicks that give her a permanent +2 to her stats. But before that, now her trait places a Deadpool next to HER. And best of all, her Steal Energy finally works from range, too. And just 50 points this time.

F.U.N.? Like Mystique, she’s every way an upgrade in design. I would never play the original. I could play this!

AM I GETTING THIS? I don’t love the character but have the piece. So maybe.

———

L042 FANTOMEX
(Wolverine and the X-Men, 2013)

THEN: Though he was sometimes soft-shelled and a hefty 142 points, ol’ Weapon Plus here was as meta a figure from his debut until his retirement as any, being one of the first able to attack remotely via a FREE generated bystander, E.V.A. — which had Flight, 8 speed, Super Senses and Outwit. So Fantomex could hide in Stealth (which used to be a lot more difficult to handle), then send EVA moving 8 squares and Running Shoot using his 5 range from it — possibly ending up a full 20 squares away from his target. It was gross.

NOW: Trimmed to 100 points, he loses his SP Shape Change and gains Sidestep PLUS the ability to poof into hindering 3 squares away. Making E.V.A. is now a POWER and he can only remote-shoot targets she’s adjacent to. She also doesn’t give him Toughness anymore and has Prob instead of Outwit. A lower 50-point line lacks the Running Shot+Sidestep+poof SP. But both have a trait allowing Fantomex to assign 10-point equipment for 0 points.

F.U.N.? Weapon XII is a good example of the other style of legacy: a piece that was once highly popular and endemic to a style of play — and a little more meta than Heroclixin’ likes. But this remake is way more fair than the old version.

AM I GETTING THIS? Although he’s not a fave, I have the piece. We’ll see.

———

L049 DEADPOOL AND BOB
(Deadpool, 2014)

THEN: Though a whopping 200 points, D+B were a perma-Stealthy duo (back when Stealth was a lot harder to deal with than today) with double Prob when attacking or targeting an adjacent attacker. Having 7 range and IT:Characters, they could light up the enemy with 4 damage Duo Attack. Late dial, a “Ridiculous Regeneration” SP made them a tough KO. Oh, and they had a cumbersome Word Balloon mechanic.

NOW: That’s over; it’s canceled. So is the Stealth and conditional Shape Change. And the duo attack. And the Prob. Along with 120 of their points, so they’re only an 80-point package deal. What’d they keep? The improved targeting remains. A Sheep Gun remains (used to be one of the Word Balloons). The Ridiculous Regen remains (and is better). And the old Prob special is morphed into an auto-nerf of defense when they shoot (or -2 when using Hydra TA)

F.U.N.? More than the original, which was both a points sink and a little bit of an un-F.U.N. factor aside from the goofiness of the premise.

AM I GETTING THIS? I have the piece but am not a huge Deadpool fan. We’ll see if this card falls into my hands for my Hydra swarm.

———

L050 HELLCOW
(Deadpool+X-Force, 2017)

THEN: She made our “Worst of” list that year.

“So you want to use her Steal Energy to get up to fighting strength. But her AV is too low and she lacks the moving attack skills to [get] close before she starts taking hits. And her STOP clicks notwithstanding, it doesn’t take much to knock her off the board. She has a secondary use as a medic, true. But she’s too pricey at 50 points for either of her roles. Put this bovine out to pasture.”

NOW: Bessie is trimmed to 30 points and gets a couple of additional traits to boost keyword allies’ AV and DV and, via her new FREE mini-Smoke Cloud STOP SP, she has an easier time of hurting and healing foes and friends, respectively.

F.U.N.? Another great choice for a legacy. Maybe not meta, but Monster is a strong keyword.

AM I GETTING THIS? Yes. I collect vampires for Halloween-style games. And the concept remains too funny.

———

L050 WOLVERINE AND X-23
(Deadpool, 2014)

THEN: This duo was a mess. They couldn’t be shot at until they had 2 tokens or were next to a wounded enemy. But their DV was a putrid 17 or lower. Their Flurry Blades SP couldn’t roll lower than 3, and their damage SP could FREE heal. But with only Stealth or that inconsistent invisibility to protect them, their whopping 168 points was really easy to either focus on or simply outmaneuver.

NOW: With more than 100 points slashed off, surprisingly a lot remains: the same Sidestep, worse conditional invisibility (no Stealth, and any action token makes them visible). But the attack SP allows their 2nd BCF roll’s minimum to match the previous one. And their old damage SP is now a choice of range or Battle Fury or AV +1. Best is that their FREE healing is traited now — no longer vulnerable to Outwit or appearing too late to work — and matches their number of action tokens.

F.U.N.? Another good legacy, making an unworkable fig decent.

AM I GETTING THIS? I collect Wolverines so yes.

———

L053 PROFESSOR X AND MAGNETO
(Wolverine and the X-Men, 2013)

THEN: This duo was an early keyword cheater, giving Brotherhood and X-Men each other’s keywords and team abilities. And they also effectively had a duo attack of Mind Control+Psychic Blast — IF the first attack hit. That was a little difficult with only a 10 attack at their 133-point price. An overcomplicated SP Leadership power came too late in the dial.

NOW: Rather than granting allies the two team abilities, the 80-point new version juices each up if the team has at least 3 allies with the ability. The attack SP bears Telekinesis and Penetrating/Psychic Blast, plus a potential +3 AV or DV depending on how many of each team ability is on the squad. The other SP is still too late, but at least along with Leadership it also grants Shape Change and Perplex this time.

F.U.N.? Looks great for thematic teams — IF they have the proper TAs. It won’t just work for the keyword or with wild cards.

AM I GETTING THIS? I acquired the fig and so I’ll be low-key looking for the card.

———

L057 TIAMAT
(Deadpool, 2014)

THEN: Despite a scale-crushing price of 255 points, this was a meta-level Power Cosmic tentpole able to attack for 5+ damage every single turn if he hit.

NOW: Slimmed down to 150 points, he lost his old Hypersonic-lite ability that allowed him to get that needed early shot, leaving only Charge. But he still gets the bonus attack if he hits, and if he hits again, he drops an action token. Less of a sure thing than before. Good thing he has a Pilot trait with which he can use a Deadpool’s attack and damage powers.

F.U.N.? This one keeps the flavor of the original without being quite as potentially busted. But the lower cost really increases the aid he can roll with on a team.

AM I GETTING THIS? I never owned the piece and never heard of the character, so no.

———

L059 WEAPON X
(Captain America, 2011)

THEN: He had a cute “countdown” mechanic that left him Immune and Immobile in the starting area for the first several turns before breaking out as a Charge Blades piece. OK but not worth the 72 points without investing even MORE points to get him into the fight in Turn 5.

NOW: He’s only 40 points, so him still having the countdown isn’t as tough a pill to swallow. He also has a new trait that allows adjacent allies to either speed upon slow his emergence to the fight. But because he gets Adamantium tokens each turn he ends in his tank, the longer he stays the stronger he gets. At minimum (1 turn), he’ll have Invulnerability. At most, he’s Impervious to penetrating damage with +3 to all his stats (7 turns).

F.U.N.? Given the speed of competitive games, I don’t see him being a meta piece.

AM I GETTING THIS? MAN! I collect Wolverines so I wish I could have reacquired this ahead of the legacy announcement. Just kept missing the few that popped up for sale.

———

LG021 KRAKOA
(X-Men: Dark Phoenix Saga, 2019)

THEN: A rare Stealthy colossal and one with the dreaded Colossal Retaliation on top of all but one of its cost lines of 70 to 600 points (400 being the exception), it could also attack via the hindering it made after CR. Still a little hard to work with since it wasn’t especially strong for the points.

NOW: He makes Plant terrain markers and, as FREE, can effectively “Outwit” through any of them — his or others’ — and the same power on multiple targets. He also still has Retaliation, but uses Pulse Wave instead of Quake, and generating the aforementioned Plant markers next to each hit instead of his own squares. 300, 250 and 150 points are his known point costs.

F.U.N.? But c’mon WizKids! How do you forget to put the one point cost everyone cares most about — the lowest one? It’s almost like there was maybe some question about how to price it and so they left it blank — and because they don’t have a “This is the final word” copy editor like me in charge, the thing remained blank. And so now I wait to see if there will be errata. (EDIT: The errata came — a full TWO WEEKS after release — and he HAS NO low point cost. He’s 150 and up.)

AM I GETTING THIS? Probably! I have two of these figures. And because the card comes in the Wolverine and Deadpool Play At Home kit — and I collect Wolverines — I’ll pick this one up.

———

Another legacy card set review in the books! Hope you get the ones you want!

POCKET CHECKLIST: Marvel Studios Next Phase

March 15, 2024 by rkjs·0 Comments

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

Every Black character in HeroClix.

February 21, 2024 by rkjs·2 Comments

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.

Favorites of 2023

December 28, 2023 by rkjs·0 Comments

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)