Looking to complete my final 2011-related countdown before April: my FAVORITE pieces of the year.

#4 is the king of Atlantis:

Aquaman (Superman 048)

WHY I WANT TO PLAY HIM EVERY WEEK:

Well, it’s Aquaman, my favorite superhero. This alternate-universe version is the roughest, toughest Arthur Curry made in the game yet and is a boon to any Atlantis or Swim team. Despite that, he doesn’t require water terrain to make himself useful the way some earlier Aquaman figures do.
WHY I DON’T:

I only want to play him on aforementioned Atlantean or swimmer-heavy teams, due to his special powers and traits. He’s also the priciest of Aquaman figures by far.
I’M PLAYING HIM NEXT:

On an Atlantis or swim team. I also have a thought of using him on a Soldier-themed team composed of mostly swimmers like Atlantean Warriors, E OMACs and REV Badoon. And the new Flashpoint ATA is sparking ideas there, too.

Next: Somebody HARD.

Looking to complete my final 2011-related countdown before April: my FAVORITE pieces of the year.

#5

Armor (Giant-Size X-Men 050)

WHY I WANT TO PLAY HER EVERY WEEK:

I did a F.U.N. review of her back in April, too. which outlines all the reasons she jumps to mind when it’s time for team-building.

WHY I DON’T: 

I’m not a huge fan of X-teams (a problem when so many of my favorite pieces last year coming from X-Men), so she doesn’t leave the box much. When I consider Teens, the Legion of Super-Heroes tends to crowd her out.

I’M PLAYING HER NEXT: 

Who knows? Maybe on the next big X-team alongside Cyclops and the new X-Men-keyworded Namor.

Looking to complete my final 2011-related countdown before April: my FAVORITE pieces of the year.

#6

Thanks to HCRealms member moonknight2099 for the photo!

Madrox (Giant-Size X-Men 001)

WHY I WANT TO PLAY HIM (them) EVERY WEEK:

Refer back to the F.U.N. article I wrote on him last April.   It’s all still true.

WHY I DON’T:

Only a 33% chance of his power working, and the fact that he otherwise needs to invest additional points to get the most out of his other powers, and his lacking the X-Men keyword to really work well with other mutants keep him off a lot more teams than I like.

I’M PLAYING HIM (them) NEXT:

On any X-Factor team, of course. And, as newly qualifying sculpts release, he’s a fixture on my periodic  “trenchcoat brigade” theme teams.

Continuing my final 2011-related countdown: my FAVORITE pieces of the year,  stating:

• Why it’s a favorite that I want to play
• Why I don’t play it all the time
• When and how I’m planning to play it next

#8

Amadeus Cho (Incredible Hulk 027)

WHY I WANT TO PLAY HIM EVERY WEEK:

Ever since his introduction in a nifty 8-page story in the 2004 Amazing Fantasy anthology, Amadeus Cho has been a favorite character. In a comic world full of world-smashing Hulks and jaw-busting Hercs, this little Korean-American guy keeps pace by being the 7th (or 8th) smartest man in the world and able to parlay those brains in the physical world without the benefit of the money and tech that a Reed Richards or Tony Stark can leverage. This piece represents that pretty well by not only being loaded with Outwit and a bit of Probability Control, but also having a low-damage Penetrating Blast SP.

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WHY I DON’T:

He works best with a Hercules, and although the Lion of Olympus made the Top 10 list, he’s not a favorite. Cho’s 59 points are also a little steep for his fragility and short life.

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I’M PLAYING HIM NEXT:

He’s got the Avengers keyword, so he’s probably going on the next non-movie-inspired one I play. But I’m really holding out for the next Celebrity team to put him and Herc on.

Speaking of Avengers, the next person on the list is one. See you the–

Wait. What’s this?!?

"Khazad!!! Khazad ai menu!"

Gimli (Lord of the Rings 005)

As I’ve been cobbling this list of favorites together, a short but doughty red-bearded dwarf kept clamoring for a spot. “But,” I argued, “I’ve only played it once and never done it again. I haven’t even planned any teams for him to be on. How can he possibly make the list?”

Then another part of me argues back, “Don’t you always wish you’d thought of him, afterward? And haven’t you wanted to run him again, frequently?

“Isn’t the only reason he hasn’t been played more often is because of A) a dearth of LOTR-centric events coupled with B) your own desire to play any and all unplayed figures in your collection before returning to any given well?”

Yes, dammit. YES. True to his stubborn dwarf nature, Gimli refuses to go away, and thus finds himself a surprise tie with Amadeus Cho just as I was finishing the young genius’ writeup.

WHY I WANT TO PLAY HIM EVERY WEEK:

C’mon, he’s a dwarf. The jokes write themselves. More to the point, I always liked Gimli in the books and films (I secretly rooted for him in his body-count contest with Legolas). He’s a playable piece, too, with the stoutest defense of any of the Fellowship — even before factoring in his Epic Action trait, “Hold Your Ground!” granting +2 DV for himself and pals for a round —  and great melee ability in an Indomitable, quasi-Incapping package.

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WHY I DON’T:

The aforementioned lack of LOTR games are one reason — especially since at 107 points, he begins to feel a bit inefficient with an opening 9 AV (though that improves further in his dial) and downright overcosted when he can’t use his Epic power. He’s also quite slow and may have trouble getting into fighting range as a result. Finally, he’s stuck with just one useable keyword, Warrior, which tends to be a bit light in dwarf-tossing (TK) or toting (taxi) methods.

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WHEN I’M PLAYING HIM NEXT:

So hard to say, with the rarity of “Rings” games in these Gauntlet-obsessed days. I’m pretty hesitant to run the Fellowship in a standard Golden Age game. But he’ll be a lock for a “Fighting With Your Hands Full” scenario.

OK…that digression over, my next favorite also shares a quality with Gimli. Check out #7 next week!

Continuing my final 2011-related countdown: my FAVORITE pieces of the year,  stating:

• Why it’s a favorite that I want to play
• Why I don’t play it all the time
• When and how I’m planning to play it next

Cyclops wears black and hides his face behind his so-needed visor. These guys wear black and hide their faces in thin air, being more ghost than human…

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Black Rider/Ringwraith/Nazgul/One Of The Nine/Servant Of Sauron (Lord of the Rings 016/006/101/102/020)

WHY I WANT TO PLAY THEM EVERY WEEK:

I could explain that I’ve been a fan of Lord of the Rings since reading the saga at age 12. I could also write how I love generic figures, even high-cost ones like these. And I could mention how playable they can be, especially when the different versions are fielded together (the Black Rider as taxi, the Ringwraith as defender, the Servant as the damage booster, the One as the healer and the Nazgul as the Incapper). But ultimately, maybe their theme music tells it best. Hit it, YouTube!

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The LOTR set isn’t considered Modern Age, so they get sidelined a lot. Also, in order to play them effectively, you need to be able to field multiple types and a lot of game builds just aren’t big enough for that. Moreover, I want to be able to play their leader, the 130-point Witch-King, along with them. But that 930-point squad then requires 70 points of filler that dilutes the theme. Finally, for all their powers, their shared opening AV of 9 (for the Nine!) isn’t exactly fear-inspiring, especially at epic-level builds.

_______

Probably the first non-Modern Age game I can get of 600 points or more, especially if I can fit their leader the Witch-King in. And I will play that music.

I’m knee-deep in extra work these days, so my publishing schedule’s become erratic. But probably later this week, you’ll see #8. (He’s not dressed in black, promise.)

OK. After owning up to and rectifying my mistake of not reviewing WizKids’ biggest mistake of 2011, it’s time for me to begin in earnest my final 2011-related countdown: my FAVORITE pieces of the year,  stating:

• Why it’s a favorite that I want to play
• Why I don’t play it all the time
• When and how I’m planning to play it next

#10

Cyclops (Giant-Size X-Men 008)

WHY I WANT TO PLAY HIM EVERY WEEK:

Cyclops is an old favorite, ever since I first saw him on that episode of “Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends” guest-starring the X-Men. But he didn’t really catch my eye until I actually started reading Uncanny X-Men in the issues leading up to issue 200. That was the first time I saw the patented Cyclops bank shot. I don’t have a scan of it, but following a practice session in the danger room, he casually deactivates the session with a no-look optic blast bouncing bounced off the walls four or six times, drawing applause and rare praise from Wolverine in the control room: “Remind me never to face you across a pool table.”

Anyway, this Cyke is the first Sharpshooter version, the first with the Leadership that he so richly deserves, and the first with good stats and powers all around. Quite simply, it’s the first time the character’s truly been done well (although the “First Class” rookie in Mutations & Monsters wasn’t bad for the green, not-yet-field-leader Scott Summers).

Simply put, he’s a Cyke I’m not ashamed to play. And it’s about time.

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WHY I DON’T:

Although he’s great for X-Men teams, I’m not such a huge fan of playing X-Men teams. He’s also a lot of points to be so very soft, armor-wise, so I’m a bit leery of running him in general.

_________

I’M PLAYING HIM NEXT:

Still, I just won’t play an X-Men team without him. I’ve also had this hankering to play an all-Cyclops team, featuring all the past versions of Cyke in ‘clix. So far, though, I’ve resisted the urge, as the older Cyclopses are so mediocre that I’d just be handing the win to my opponents. I also lack some key representations of Scott — namely, his Hulked-out version, Hulklops, and the Cyclops / Phoenix duo. From there, then, I’ll want to run all the versions of Jean Grey, too, which causes that little theme idea to spiral right out of control.

So, yeah. Probably just sticking to X-Men.

Next on my list of favorites: More folks in black.

I’m interrupting the countdown of my Top Ten Favorite HeroClix of 2011 to offer a rare, complete mea culpa. A few weeks ago, I listed the Top 10 Worst HeroClix of 2011:

Nomad (Captain America 016), Brute Honor Guard (Halo 029), Element Woman (Superman 016), Bruno Mannheim (Superman 020), Jigsaw (Incredible Hulk 024), Dhalsim (Street Fighter 103), Human Torch (Captain America 058), Guile (Street Fighter 105), Purifier (Giant-Size X-Men 002) / William Stryker (Giant-Size X-Men 019) and Princess Projectra (Superman 038).

Eowyn (Lord of the Rings 017)

A Rare in the LOTR set (equivalent to Super Rare in a normal set), she’s one heck of a disappointing pull for playability purposes.

• With no range, no armor, and no move and attack to start, she’s no good in a fight, even with Willpower. Not without Perplex to help that 1 damage, anyhow.
• But hark! What is this “White Lady of Rohan” SP? She can use Perplex and Support!…only on characters with action tokens on them. So what could have made her a solid support character leaves her only mediocre.
• But wait! She’s also got a trait allowing her to ignore the effects of characters on movement and carry a cheaper character…only when she uses Charge.
• Which she doesn’t get until click #2. So in order to use that “Fearless Charge” ability, she has to push, thus losing her Willpower and a point apiece of AV and DV. At least she gets Combat Reflexes to help.
• Her Speed goes up from her starting 6(!) to 8, but if she’s Carrying she can only Charge 2 squares (8 halved to 4, minus 2 for using Carry).
• She still can’t do any damage to speak of and her chances of hitting are worse than ever…unless she pushes again to get Blades/Claws/Fangs. OK, now we’re talking!
• Too bad she just lost her “special-needs” version of Perplex, leaving her to continue flailing with an 8 AV.
• Too late, on her final two clicks, she regains a decent 9 AV. She simultaneously slips to an indecent 14 DV only marginally aided by the Combat Reflexes. The appearance of Outwit on her final click is  more like a target on her forehead.

Gimme my fifty points, woman!

So, let’s recap. She’s nerfed as a backfield supporter, a poor fighter until mid-dial, with a DV unlikely to allow her to see much fighting time. What’s really horrid is that most of her Hobbit set-mates are all better at various support roles AND at fighting for LESS POINTS.

It’s completely unworthy of the courageous shieldmaiden who rode into Pelennor in the face of the mumakil charge and defeated the dark captain of Sauron’s forces. And it’s the worst HeroClix dial by far of 2011.

You are unworthy of the Warrior keyword.

Once again (though MUCH later than I did last year) it’s time for me to do my final 2011-related countdown: my FAVORITE pieces of the year.

Again, it’s very different from the “official” Heroclixin’ one. Instead of listing, as I did with that list, all the reasons each fig was a playable, winning piece, I’ll be stating:

• Why it’s a favorite that I want to play
• Why I don’t play it all the time
• When and how I’m planning to play it next

I’m starting with one that was actually sort of released in late 2010 as an honorable mention because it was a tournament prize that most didn’t get until this year:

Impulse (DC75th Anniversary 104)

WHY I WANT TO PLAY HIM EVERY WEEK:

The young Bart Allen was a super-fun character early in his career as the aptly named Impulse. But my affection for the character is outshined by his play style.

Although perfectly capable of being run as the usual hit-and-hide Hypersonic Speedster, his 17 DV+Combat Reflexes and special Shape Change (if he’s a solo target and gets the roll, he gets to base the attacker) conspire to encourage you to stay in a bit closer. This twist on HSS makes him a F.U.N. (Friendly, Useful, Nifty) little annoyance piece — well in keeping with the annoying spirit of the actual character.
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WHY I DON’T:

There are characters that are MUCH better than him at his price point, and I manage to talk myself into using one or more of those pieces practically every time I’m almost about to field lil’ Bart on a team. His keywords are only so-so for me as well.
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I’M PLAYING HIM NEXT:

Not every HeroClix is good. In fact, some are outright mediocre. And in the year 2011, there were a few stinkers.

Or WERE there? Unlike last year, when it was easy to select 10 pretty awful pieces, the candidates this time around were a lot harder to identify.

For example, I selected Major Glenn Talbot as an early front-runner for the 10 Worst list. Sporting the same lousy 33-point cost and 16 DV + Mastermind and 1 damage as LE Bruce Wayne last year, he seemed to fit the mold.

But then I looked at how superbly the Major supports a Soldier team of shooters with his SHIELD TA and non-stop Enhancement and long run of Willpower. Even his Mastermind works OK, what with the copious numbers of cheaper Soldier or Hulkbuster characters in the game.

That’s why, much as I wanted to, I could not put Talbot among the Top Ten Worst HeroClix of 2011 after all.

That's RIGHT. Respect the uniform, MAGGOT!!!

So what ARE the 10 worst? Keep an eye out this week for ’em!