So here’s a thing that Heroclixin’ used to do on the regular: Highlight a Top Ten each month. Going forward, it’s probably not going to be quite that frequent — heck, updates of any sort have been difficult — but we’re pleased to re-present this series. Here’s Heroclixin’s TBT’s picks for:

TOP 10 MOST ACCURATE SPIDER-MEN

Rules: Figure must be named “Spider-Man” or have “Spider” and “Man” in the name, OR have the real name “Peter Parker”.

How I’m Rating Each Piece:

• Maneuverability: Spider-Man should be very nimble on the board. Maybe not the fastest piece, but it should feel like he can be moving well through a fight.
• Power Set: There are certain traits that Spider-Man has that should be reflected on his dial. Late-dial Willpower helps the case. Super Senses or it’s just not Spider-Man. Super Strength or Incapacitate, too. Anything else is icing on the cake!
• Back to Basics: Ignoring any fancy bells and whistles like Thor’s hammer or Venom Symbiotes… How Spider-Man is this Spider-Man?

Honorable Mentions:

Spider-Man [Web of Spider-Man 100]
This large-based Spider-Man is one of my favorites, but cracking this top 10 takes more than a free web-sling and some cheap webbing. Didn’t feel like Spider-Man on the board enough to make top-ten!

[Webmaster Rurouni KJS note: He was also terrible at the time. And worse today. A Spidey only an Aunt May — or a TBT — could love]

 

Spider-Man [Amazing Spider-Man 057]
Armor-Spider is a personal favorite, but with no move-and-attack option he doesn’t feel like he’s Spider-Man. Really great sculpt though, with great power.

 

 

10.

Spider-Man [Web of Spider-Man 007]

This Spider-Man slips into the top 10 with the bare minimum. Leap/Climb, Super Strength, and a very spider-like traited Super Sense (with a +1 to your roll). What he lacks in Willpower, he makes up for in free webbing. As early as this set was (early September 2010), this Spider-Man is rock-solid with high values and a wonderful sculpt, a good start for this list.

 

9.

Spider-Man [What If? 026]

Not exactly Peter Parker, but Ben Reilly makes this list as a perfect clone posing as Parker. With a wonderful Charge special that allows him to move freely, this man is complemented with Super Senses and Strength. I like this take on Spider-Man because he gets more defensive as he takes damage, with Perplex moving to Outwit and Defend holding down the last few clix. A fine representation of a Peter Parker who’s trying to keep his friends and family alive, while also trying to keep his own life together. Doesn’t have Willpower at all though- number nine it is.

 

8.

Spider-Man [Amazing Spider-Man 201]

This Spider-Man is flexible. He could’ve been much higher too, with Sharpshooter allowing him to web up targets adjacent, Super Senses for the defense, and the ability to ignore almost everything for basic movement. Absolutely attack-minded with this one, but when actually played he’s much more finesse than what the dial says. Choosing when to web someone up (giving them a -3 to their attack) or charging over to support a friend is flexibility that can’t be looked past. Still needs some sort of Willpower. But it’s Spider-Man!

 

7.

Spider-Man [Superior Foes of Spider-Man Fast Forces 001]

In a set dedicated to Spider-Man’s arch enemies, the fast forces set supplied you with the key villains (including J.J. Jameson), and one heck of an accurate Peter. His traited carry really hits home with who he usually carries in the books, and the reducer on his Hypersonic Speed special reminds you that he’s not super-fast in a fight… just agile. Late dial Willpower/Outwit combo is something you’ll see quite a bit on the rest of this list, and to top it off, his sculpt is clean and neat. Perhaps a little dull for Spider-Man, but the set wasn’t about him. If the Combat Reflexes were switched with his Super Senses in his dial he’d be more accurate, seeing as Parker usually dodges a couple bullets before getting in close… details matter here!

 

6.

Spider-Man [Spider-Man and his Amazing Friends WKM-010]

This piece, plucked off the team base he comes on, might be one of the most powerful Spider-Men in the game. A host of almost every single power a Spider-Man fan could ask for, this guy almost placed at the top. The issue is the -placement- of said jumble of powers. Sidestep, Improved Movement, and carry are traited. Awesome. His top-dial has Super Strength, an awesome Super Senses… and Flurry? I can see Flurry later on in any Spider-Man dial, but at the top is a little odd. Peter hasn’t gotten the snot beat out of him, so there’s no real reason to flail wildly at his opponent. Moving on, he’s got Running Shot, then Plasticity, and Combat Reflexes somewhere… It’s all a-jumbled! Absolutely nuts. Overall, this Spider-Man -feels- like a Spider-Man on the board due to his capacity for any situation on any click number and sweet willpower that’s always there, but it’s too wild and crazy to contend with Spider-Men of a higher caliber. Onward.

 

5.

Spider-Man [Civil War Storyline Organized Play 108]

Halfway down the list, and this guy pops up. Peter Parker makes mistakes. We all do. This Heroclix piece though, makes zero. Purely a support piece, Peter makes it well-known that all he’s trying to do is help people. He genuinely wants a safer world, and this piece stands out. Defend, an awesome “I’ll get in the way of a bullet” Shape Change trait, and Incapacitate get the point across. Perplex after click one, Outwit after click three represent his intellect. Improved, traited Super Senses. His movement is stripped down to Leap/Climb, which is really a “bare minimum” for Spider-Man by today’s standard. Accuracy is what I’m after; this Peter Parker nails it. Even his clicks of Barrier do him justice. He just wants everyone safe and sound. A top Spider-Man piece, worthy of his spot on this list.

 

4.

Spider-Man [What If? 101]

To start this piece of, I have to say; It needs to be played at full 100 points. He doesn’t ignore characters for movement, and he has no access to Hypersonic Speed. So why on this great Earth has this Spider-Man made number four? Power set! Awesome Super Senses with a high value, top-dial Outwit that switches to Perplex, and Charge for some nice move-and-attack. Willpower near the end of the dial (as a spider should have), and the oddest addition- Precision Strike. Now, P.S held this Spider-Man back from being top three, but it fits with a more methodical, smart Parker. A Peter Parker… that would have Outwit on his top-dial. A great pick for the list, but not accurate enough for me!

 

3.

Spider-Man [Mutant Mayhem 060]

Surprise! Digging back to the 2004 set, I found a Spider-Man gunning for the most accurate prize! While his dial values are outdated, his powerset is EXACTLY what I was looking for. Leap/Climb all the way until what I call his “desperation clicks”, also known as his last three clicks of life. Incapacitate and Super Strength switch back and forth throughout the dial until the desperation clicks. Outwit in the final three. Super Senses? Check. Willpower? CHECK. This Peter Parker is well put-together, well thought-out, a lengthy dial that REALLY feels like Spidey is fighting for his life. To top it all off? His sculpt and point value are spot-on. I can’t always explain how a piece feels to play on the table, but this piece feels like Spider-Man… in 2004. Wonderful representation of Spider-Man. Top three starts with a bang.

 

2.

Spider-Man [Avengers Versus X-Men 004]

Now things are getting good. This was one of the first Spider-Men I owned as a Heroclix player, and I do not regret my choice. While his “Move and Attack” special is … dated, it exemplifies who Spider-Man is. It’s also the first top-dial Shape Change we’ve seen for this list. It’s a happy balancing act where the dial creators gave Spider-Man improved Super Senses as a trait, but only from range. It really gives a good game feel as Spider-Man when he’s difficult to hit on his top-dial. Moving on, you see his dial is not jumbled, but stuffed with appropriate powers at appropriate times. This piece was my original number-one to this list, usurped by one other… AMAZING pick. (See what I did there?)

 

1.

Spider-Man [Superior Foes of Spider-Man 049]

It had to be. This Spider-Man is perfect. Perplex that shifts to Close Combat Expert, and then settles on Outwit. Willpower to start, Combat Reflexes, then Willpower again. Super Strength. Then, in true Spider-Man fashion, a “Last Ditch Effort” free attack with Precision Strike. Hypersonic Speed, with the necessity of close attacks. Sidestep when he’s been beaten up. Wait, where’s the Super Senses? TRAITED IMPROVED SENSES. The cherry on top is the webbing trait. He’s got it all, all for 100 points. It really feels like you’re using Spider-Man in a fight. Keywords are on-point too. I really can’t extrapolate on how strong, balanced, and wonderful this piece is. It’s the most accurate, strongest, and best-looking Spider-Man in Heroclix.

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That wraps it! Thanks for a great article, TBT.