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“We can rebuild him…we have the technology.”

Been a little while since I did a Top Ten. Really needed the break after spending the first four months of the year slowly completing a bunch of them.

But now we’re into the first full week of a new month, which is when I usually do these. I’m not ready to do a very in-depth Top Ten in the vein of the top Barrier pieces, or the 10 needed changes.

Rather, I’m looking to the future for Heroclixin’s Top Ten Needed Remakes. These are characters  that have at least one full dial (not counting bystanders) in the game but are somehow inadequate and need to be redone, STAT.

As an example (and to keep them from burning up four of the 10 slots by themselves), I present Power Pack (with text cut-and-pasted from way back in Sept. ’09):

Gee: Originally, the oldest Power kid (age 12.5, not 15 like his card says) could only affect the gravity of people and objects he touched, making some version of Super Strength and the Carry ability a shoo-in. But the current revamp recasts him as more of a standard telekinetic, and that’s the clix we got. It’s OK, but not accurate.

Lightspeed: Also mis-aged on her character card, Julie only flew real fast at first. Much, MUCH later she learned to teleport, but that was never her main power. The current Lightspeed (in the kids’ books, not the teenaged runaway seen in recent years) has been treated as much as a speedster as anything, and even the original broke the sound barrier early in her career. Would it have been too much to give her at least ONE click of Hypersonic Speed, even with super-low attack and damage values?

Mass Master: the greatest disappointment of the four, thanks to his way-too-low defense numbers. Think of it; he’s an intangible cloud most of the time (and a 5-inch-high, 60-pound “Jack Hammer” the rest). He should have 17 DV at minimum with Defend or something, not to mention Phasing/Teleport for his ability to slip through any crack in his cloud form. Drop his damage to 0 with Close Combat Expert.

Energizer: the original Katie was considerably more destructive than the new incarnation that the ‘clix version seems based on. Always relied upon to either disintegrate or smash walls and such, the youngest deserves some 3 damage clicks.

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The actual top ten will have a little less griping than this example. But you get the idea.

Be here all next week to see Heroclixin’s choices and see how they line up with yours!

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Welcome again to the photographic record of how all the sculpts of characters with the Super Strength power can hold object tokens.

Back when the Incredible Hulk set was fairly new, I managed to get shots of two of the six Hulked Out Heroes chase figures, IceHulk and Mighty Thorr. Now, thanks to fellow player David Leverette, I’ve photographed the other four below:

Wolverage effortlessly holds his heavy under his right claw. Winter Hulk, on the other hand, already has his hands full with his puny shield and can only lamely lean the token on his chest. Hulkmariner must’ve been occupying water terrain, ’cause he’s balancing a light object on his head and under his right arm. (And he really is just balancing it; it’s not a great hold at all.) Finally, Hulklops’ is wedged in his stat slot and some eyebeams.

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Token Totin’s takin’ a break next week; it’s time for another monthly Top Ten countdown. Be here tomorrow for the intro!

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With some embarrassment, I recently noted that nearly a year has passed since a reader posted a comment requesting some terms be added to Heroclixin’s glossary.

A.

Year.

So yeah, sorry man. Better late than never, but really it shouldn’t get to that point. Check it out for previously missing terms like “meta” and killbox” and “IG.” I also brought the list of set abbreviations up to date (the latest being “GG” for “Galactic Guardians”).  Click here or the link in the menu up top.

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Would ya believe this weekly (haw!) feature hasn’t been updated since OCTOBER? It’s been so long, I don’t even remember what I last presented. (Here’s a link back to the original concept.)

…

After doing some webcrawling, it looks like I’d started on the Icons feats. So let’s pick up with a pair of them to sorta kinda make up for lost time.

Still doing sloppy work at this stage. The artwork is Scott McDaniel from the then-current Green Arrow title. At the time, I don’t believe there was an actual Green Arrow figure that could use the feat — and boy, is it ever overcosted for its limited usefulness — but this was the perfect art for it.

Scott McDaniel is a fantastic cartoonist, so this wasn’t the last time I’d refer to his work for this little fanwork:

A card named “Sidekick” just begs for a Robin, and fortunately I had in my collection an issue of Nightwing that featured the perfect image of the Boy Wonder side-by-side with his mentor. (It was a flashback of Dick Grayson’s career or somesuch.) It very much, to me, illustrates the card concept of a much cheaper character being able to wade into battle just as fearlessly as its higher-cost partner — you don’t get the impression from this art that Robin would back down from any foe that Batman was facing alongside him.

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OK. Maybe I’ve gotten this little feature a bit back on track.

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Welcome again to the photographic record of how all the sculpts of characters with the Super Strength power can hold object tokens. Finally sort of getting back into a regular groove here.

I’m pleased to present a pic of a character who, at first glance, doesn’t even seem to rate Super Strength, the Queen of Attilan, Medusa:

She holds it tenuously under her arm and on the base.

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Next Token Totin’ edition will be SMASHING!

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Ever since the Avengers movie, my longtime love for the Black Widow character has been freshly revived (even though Scarlet Johansson’s casting is my least favorite thing about the film. I’m so over it). So at first opportunity, I played a 400-point team composed soley of every single version of Black Widow in my collection:

Black Widow (Captain America 006) 85 + Thunderbolts ATA 8 + Inside Info 4

The Covert Avenger (Avengers Movie Starter 004) 75 + Lunge 5

Black Widow (Captain America 206) 60 + Nanoarmor 6

Black Widow  (Classics 2-08) 59 + Not So Special 3

Black Widow  (Avengers Movie 007) 50 + Vault 3 + Infiltrate 2

Black Widow (Avengers Movie 036) 35 + Lunge 5

And here’s how they wound up playing:

Black Widow (Captain America 006): The big gal of the crew, her Running Shot and 3 damage made her invaluable. I wasn’t scared to push her to get to Penetrating Psychic Blast, either. Being able to pick Mystics with Thunderbolts ATA — never run her without T-Bolts — served as a good deterrent against Hypersonic attackers like Supergirl. (Too bad I didn’t pick Mystics in the first round against Ms. Marvel.)

The Covert Avenger (Avengers Movie Starter 004): Really tried to make her defense-countering SP work, but the must-hit attacks failed. She did OK, but I feel like she should contribute more.

Black Widow (Captain America 206): This was a true linchpin of the team with her 2nd-click Perplex. This Widow also served well as a secondary sniper even with her paltry 4 range. Willpower helped.

Black Widow  (Classics 2-08): Mostly outclassed by more modern dials, the old Ultimates Widow still packs a mean punch with 3 damage and Willpower. Since she doesn’t have to front a team (in the sense of bringing anti-Stealth to the game), she can make some surprise shots.

Black Widow  (Avengers Movie 007) : Another who ignores enemy Stealth, though the 4 range makes that a fairly empty threat. I never got to use her Takedown power, either (chiefly due to her getting OHKO’d by a Blood Brother and thoroughly forgetting my Themed Team Probability Control to turn that improbable hit to a miss).

Black Widow (Avengers Movie 036): The littlest Widow sometimes made a big impact. From Lunging about (thanks, feats!) to using her SHIELD TA (with the 60-point Widow’s, too) to lengthen the swings of big Widow and Ult. Widow to just tying up enemies or blocking line of fire, she’s useful in a multitude of ways. And only 35 points!

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Welcome again to the photographic record of how all the sculpts of characters with the Super Strength power can hold object tokens.

I was hoping to post a final update with of photos of  the rest of the Avengers Movie ‘clix with objects in hand (or otherwise). But I’ve yet to even see either a Frost Giant Champion or Laufey — or even the regular Frost Giant! — to test it out.

Still, I’m pleased to present this Avengers Movie clix that can tote his tokens: The mighty Thor (020 & 200)!

Thor’s token fits easily under his cape, though it’s not quite as secure a fit as it looks like it should be.

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And oh, look! I got ahold of two of the the other Super Strong characters in the set to photograph: Volstagg (the Voluminous) and Iron Man 019!

Both tuck their tokens underneath their respective elbows.

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Activity on the site’s been a little scant, lately. Too often, time I planned to use on Heroclixin’ has gotten eaten up by surprise freelance work (that doesn’t pay well enough) or just plain fatigue.

Sorry about that.

To make up, here’s a little bit of Heroclixin’ fun for ya: a team I want to play once I’ve accomplished my goal of playing my two Fast Forces cases full of unplayed pieces.


The Nazgul.

Witch-King of Angmar
Servant of Sauron x2
Black Rider x2
One of the Nine
Nazgul
Ringwraith x2
All Nine at once equals 930 points. Since LOTR figures are Golden Age, maybe I ought to add 70 points of feats, objects and resources to fill in the gap, such as:
Fortitiude: 25 points. Defense against Outwit and, perhaps more importantly, Exploit Weakness for the King.
Vampirism: 6 points. Though all qualify, it’s best on Servant of Sauron.
With the ‘Wraiths and the King and Nazgul and One all sporting Exploit Weakness, the 5-point Yellow Lantern is a no-brainer, objects-wise.
The One Ring: I mean, why NOT? 10 points.

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So this little feature grew to be one of the toughest to do, each week. Part of the reason is because I really wanted to go into detail writing about each step of the match. But time just simply doesn’t allow for it.

Lack of time and opportunity also did a number on my actual clix playing for the first quarter or so of this year. As a consequence, I have a lot of unplayed pieces.  Lately, every game I play is dedicated to running as many of those unplayed ‘clix as I can stand, whether it’s a simple 200-point pickup game or a sealed Infinity Gauntlet tournament for a coveted Elder of the Universe figure.

As a result, this space on Wednesdays will be dedicated to mini-reviews of a newly played HeroClix piece from the week before rather than full-blown battle reports. To wit:

On last Saturday, I came into the venue ready to play a Nova Corps team (the week’s scenario being “Assemble!” —  700 points of a single faction) but saw that two others of the seven players also had Nova Corps. So, having come fresh from a 2nd viewing of “The Avengers” — yes, it was that good — I swiftly rebuilt a second team around the brand-new Free Comic Book Day Thor figure:

Thor (Avengers Movie #200) 150
Iron Man (Avengers Movie #006) 160
Hulk (Avengers Movie #202) 255
Black Widow (Avengers Movie #036) 35 
Captain America (Avengers Movie #204) 100
= 700 points, unplayed pieces in boldface. No theme bonus, just movie-accurate awesomeness. It got pretty easily to the final match, where I was overmatched by an identically named team of comic-accurate Avengers: Thor and Cap from Hammer of Thor, Black Widow from Cap set, one of Galactic Guardians’ Hulks and Secret Invasion Iron Man. They took out Hulk in just three shots — WizKids really needs to implement my suggested fix to Outwit — providing the only margin of victory needed.

FCBD Thor: At the 150-point level, he made a great tag team running shooter with Iron Man, especially with his Pulse Wave option to get him in close if necessary. He seemed to take damage down to his late-dial Hypersonic Speed clicks a lot, to my opponents’ distress.

Iron Man 006: Performed well but lived by the skin of his teeth in every game. I should’ve considered pushing him to Outwit more often than I did. It might have made a big difference in the champ match I lost if I’d been able to nerf SI Iron Man’s powerful Extremis power.

Black Widow: She was key tieup in every single match except the one I lost, because she just couldn’t get to her mark. That role kept her from being used for her SHIELD team ability, though. I have to find the proper balance for that in the future.

Captain America: A bit torn between keeping him strictly on defense (the +1 DV trait to adjacent pals) and using that 11 AV right off. He also seemed to be a magnet for good enemy attack rolls. Fortunately, he never becomes useless and found a way to help the team to the end.

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So, it’s a little less meaty than I’m used to writing. But it’s actually, y’know, done and published, so there’s that. Hopefully, I can keep this going!

Tomorrow, plan to see a normal-sized Token Totin’ entry.

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Welcome again to the photographic record of how all the sculpts of characters with the Super Strength power can hold object tokens.

At last, we bring photos of all the new Galactic Guardians with objects in hand (or otherwise)!

 

Hollywood (Galactic Guardians 013) adroitly grasps the token in his right arm. Charlie-27 (012) is less adept — tuck it under his gun-toting elbow. Hulk (027 and 207), is very similar to Hulk Robot, who I shot back in the Incredible Hulk set edition, but I found a better way to tote that token as shown above.

 

Namor (009 & 203) is a bit tricky, until you realize the token wedges well under his crossed arms and upon the crescent part of the dial base. Blood Brother (007) balances the token more precariously than it looks. Annihilation Seeker (005) and his sculptmate Ravenous (018) grasp theirs under the right elbow. Finally, Replica (035) uses her wings to hold a heavy.

 

Gladiator (040) confidently carries his object under his left arm. Xavin (022) and sculptmate Super-Skrull (034) have the right form to hold tokens well. The Thing (038) handles his…well, we’ll see. And Stranger (043), who’s no stranger to powers, can just barely hang on to his.

Thing begs a closer shot from a different angle:

Ah. It becomes more apparent. An object token fits under his chin for a most unusual hold — but one fit for clobbering, for sure.

 

A bit surprisingly, Giganto The Mole Monster (G004) is the only Colossal in the set with Super Strength. He holds it in his hand.

You’ve GOT to balance it on his thumb and middle finger or it just won’t work.

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I want to present the balance of the Avengers figs, but I still haven’t so much as seen a Frost Giant yet, much less shot any pictures. And I didn’t have my camera handy when I finally got a peek at Volstagg, the other brawny piece left. So who knows whether Thursday’s edition will feature more than a single piece?

Check in tomorrow for a new approach to Wednesday’s New Comic Day Battle Reports.