So back in early 2014, we did a Focus on Atlantis: What figs were great for building the keyword, which weren’t, etc.  It’s 2015 and a few additions have come to stir up the water. First, let’s look at maps and objects and stuff:

MODERN AGE

• Atlantis [Trinity War]: The second all-water map in the game, this one is better than the first because it A) Allows objects and terrain markers so swimmers with Super Strength and Barrier aren’t hosed, B) it has much better placement of blocking terrain so that snipers aren’t as much of a problem, and, for a while, C) poor rules wording allowed maximum freedom of movement to swimmers and virtually none for boot speed characters. But later errata would clear that up.
• Thunderbolts Submarine [Deadpool Fast Forces]: This map offers great cover for the swim team, but even better are its goofy special rules that cause misses to break the outdoor walls and flood the map with water terrain. The trick is actually remembering this rule.
• Central City/Keystone City [The Flash]: Stuck on one side of the map and buried at level one on a mostly elevated map, the water terrain on these sister maps look fairly useless. But each represents a hidey-hole that swimmers can retreat to if things get troublesome, or a spot from which flying Atlantis pieces might make an ambush. A few figures can make fantastic use of this one.
• Odym [War of Light]: With tons of water on two elevations, this looks like a swimmer’s paradise, but don’t be fooled! With zero blocking terrain, firing lanes are quite open for long ranged snipers to shoot at most Atlantis figs before the fish men can ever close in.

GOLDEN AGE

Duelist Kingdom: Water [Yugioh]: This map, like Flooded Wakanda, is mostly water with islands of dry land all about. But there are no walls for the mostly unranged Atlantis team to use as cover, so pick this map with great care, swim teams!

Pacific Ocean [Fear Itself]: Wait. Wasn’t this featured LAST time? Yes, it was, but it had a caveat that because it was all water, objects couldn’t be placed at game’s start, ironically making it an impediment to the Super Strength-laden Atlantis team. Now it’s gotten an erratum to allow objects. Impediment removed. It’s also been retired.

OK, now for the new figures since last year:

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Below 50 points: shrimps and chum ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

The Trench [Trinity War 204]: At 25 points, these monsters are the new champs of cheapness for Atlantis. But they’re more than just filler: With Charge, 10 AV, 17 Reflexes with 2 damage Exploit Weakness and Poison, they’re the best tie-up/melee in the theme. Sure, they’re only 2 clicks long, but at this price, who cares?

Atlantean [Trinity War 007]: The modest stats [9, 9, 16, 2] don’t look like much, even at 36 points. That is, until you note that ALL those stats go +1 when in water. 5 range, 10 AV Incap, 17 DV and 3 damage with Sidestep that pushes to 18 Reflexes make these guys a bargain as long as you keep ’em soaked.

Atlantean [Trinity War 203]: The Gravity Feed version is more of a support piece as he pushes to Empower and later Enhancement. He also boasts Charge to start and can deal knock back to all foes he hits if he’s on an Atlantis team. Five clicks of life aren’t bad, either, at 40 points, though the 3 range leaves much to be desired.

The Trench [Trinity War 008]: 45 points for this piece isn’t bad. Charge + BCF offers a lot of damage potential while the Hypersonic Speed he gets in water delivers light first strike capability. TEAM UP WITH: Other Trench, especially the 25-pointers, as this one heals when any adjacent dolphin speed ally is KO’d.

The Trench [Trinity War 204]: Full-power GF Trench costs 48 points and loses the moving attack ability the others start with. So why play this one? For the Speed special that grants both Sidestep and the ability to carry other Trench (well, any other character with both Atlantis and Monster…which so far only equals “other Trench”). Coupled with his Empower, this is a lethal team player well able to contribute to the fight himself with 10 BCF.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ 51-75 points: barracudas ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Aquaman [Trinity War 018] is the only addition in this bracket, and at 60 points, you really want more than 3 clicks of life. That said, He’s bringing 9 Charge, 11 BCF, 2x bolt 6 range with IT:Hindering, Indom and Transporter. If you can get his Super Senses DV to hold up or push to his “look Ma, no-LOF” Outwit/Perplex for dolphins, he can maybe pull his weight.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ 76-100 points: sharks ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^  

As usual, Mera [Trinity War 028] is the latest TK figure for the Atlantis crowd. With Leadership and Sidestep, she’s extra adept at the role. But for her 84 cost, you don’t needn’t settle for her being just a mobility piece, especially on the water-laden maps an Atlantis team should be swimming in — she’s a shooter. Her trait gives her range equal to the number of water squares she’s in or next to, plus one. Yep, that’s a possible 10 range before any modifications. She’s also got a mid-dial SP that nerfs nearby foes’ stats when they take tokenable actions within 3 squares of her. And with her shooting from 10 squares out, someone’s going to want to get close to shut her down.

Not to be outdone, gravity feed Mera [Trinity War 202] also brings the Sidestep TK action, this time for two straight clicks. In addition, she provides the rare-for-Atlantis Probability Control and, when in water, free 2-square Barrier — all with IT: Elevated. She’s also a Mystic. At 98 points with a shorter dial than her sculpt twin above, she’s not a slam dunk to pick. But she’s plenty solid. FIELD HER ON: Any water map with some elevated terrain in her range. Makes her a frightening sniper.

Aqualad [WizKids D15-002] is, at 99 points, not exactly great with below-average 16 DV and so-so 7 speed and 10 AV — though both the latter get a traited +2 when he’s in water. Lack of Super Strength is another problem that effectively outweighs his potential with Transporter. So why play him? It’s due to his TWO end-dial stop clicks that give him both Perplex AND Prob that he can target any Atlantis, Mystical or Teen Titan on the map with. Could be useful.

TO BE CONTINUED…