#2

Magneto  (Giant-Size X-Men #053)

Nearly a year ago, I pegged the Master of Magnetism as a virtual shoo-in for this Top Ten of 2011 list,  and despite a lot of powerful competition, he nearly claims the top spot. Here’s why:

• Running Shot, 10 range and 2 targets make him a supreme shooter. Especially due to…
• …his Energy Shield/Deflection-granting trait “Magnetic Field.” That 18 DV becomes as high as 21 if he’s got hindering terrain to help him.
• Also, occupying debris markers boosts all his already impressive stats +1 — again, courtesy of his trait.
• He also carries up to 4 friends with the trait, making him very team-friendly for a tentpole.
• His “Magnetic Mastery” SP granting him twice-in-a-row Telekinesis also is good for teammates. But the other bonus — that hurled objects deal +2 damage — makes him doggone scary with heavy objects on the board. That’s 10 clicks he can deal in a single round!
• Oh, and while he has great range, no one else does if they target him. His “Magnetic Shield” SP halves opponents’ range. 
• Later in his dial he gains great standard powers like Ranged Combat Expert, Pulse Wave and Perplex, ensuring he’s always useful.

His Brotherhood TA isn’t very useful for him, though. And he’s a bit weak in close with only Toughness for survival — compounded by the fact that his powers compel foes to get in close if they can. But even that works to your advantage if you ensure that Maggie’s carrying a friend or two who’ll benefit  from enemies wandering into their fighting zone(s).

And that’s why Magneto practically tops the list: at 189 points, he’s tentpole-priced but still just cheap enough that he can fit on capable fighters besides himself. Moreover, his abilities allow him to either support those allies or to carry the load himself with equal aplomb. Such power paired with flexibility makes Magneto the best HeroClix of 2011…save one. See what’s up with that one tomorrow!

#3

Captain America (Captain America #040)

On the surface, wall-Cap seems an odd choice to be so high on the list, lacking the sheer might and versatility of the likes of Prof. X or Magog. But the Sentinel of Liberty totally deserves his spot.

• First, his base starting stats are solid across the board. 10 Speed, 11 AV, 18 DV and 3 damage. Charge and Toughness round that stuff out.
• But it’s his removable shield that puts him in elite company. Granting Cap Energy Shield/Deflection, it makes him a very difficult target at range. He’s got an effective 8 range and ability to deal 3 to two targets even though his natural damage is only 3.
• Indomitable ensures that he’ll be able to move up and immediately act next turn without taking pushing damage .
• Later in his dial, he shifts to Combat Reflexes and some Close Combat Expert  or Exploit Weakness to make him particularly dangerous in close.
• Finally, there’s Outwit at the end to keep him a vital part of the team.

His DV does suffer a bit after the first click and it often feels like a waste not throwing his shield. Trouble is, doing so always exposes that weak DV, his only real weakness. But given his 83-point cost, that’s a weakness he’s well able to cover with teammates (perhaps wildcards able to share his Defenders TA?) he can easily fit alongside himself. Being a force unto himself on any team for an economical price, Cap winds up the 3rd best HeroClix of last year.

Who’ll the first runner-up be? Perhaps a contemporary of the Living Legend…

#6

Cyborg Superman (Superman #034)

This evil part-clone/mostly robotic double of Superman emerged as one of the strongest pieces of the year thanks to the following…ahem…upgrades over previous iterations of the character:

• Running Shot and 4 damage enable a first shot, while his Impervious and Shape Change give him a solid chance at thwarting first shots.
• But it’s his “Mental Backup” trait that gets him on the list; he can heal for free by “eating” a single object within six squares, held or not. It’s a nifty way of getting clicks back and nerfing nearby enemy Super Strength in one free action.
• Being Indomitable ensures he’ll have actions to spare.
• And another SP gives him a free chance to use Telekinesis (but only on objects).
• As a Superman Enemy, he’s got the ability to use Outwit as well.

If not for his average-for-140-points AV, he’d be higher on the list for his sheer survivability. He also needs to be able to use his TA to get his points’ worth fully. Fortunately, while he’s a good chunk of a standard team, he’s not so expensive that he can’t easily fit on that extra help. But even alone and as is, Cyborg Supes 2.0 is totally Heroclixin’s #6 Best Figure of 2011.

Almost a perfect opposite to the highly physical, bombastic #8 of the Top 10, is the cerebral, mobility-challenged…

#7

Professor X  (Giant-Size X-Men #036)

The telepathic founder of the X-Men, with his rather anemic stats, seems an odd choice to make the Top Ten list. But it’s all about Special Powers and Traits these days, and his “In Contact With Cerebro” trait is a doozy enabling him to make:

• Penetrating/Psychic Blasts
• Mind Controls
• or Outwits or Perplexes…
• …all from the safety of his own starting area, so long as he has a friend with the same keyword to channel his line of fire through. Even basing said friends won’t prevent the Prof from blasting away for penetrating damage.
• Given that his X-Men, Illuminati, Scientist and even New Mutants keywords supply him with a large variety of quality teammates to draw from, he’s become a game-changing figure.

The #10 HeroClix is a little guy who’s a big help to shooters…which leads us across universes and genres to…

#9

Legolas (Lord of the Rings #004)

The elf prince of Tolkien’s epic fantasy brings epic-scale range ttacking ability to HeroClix. Here’s why:

• Range is still king in this game, and with three targets, Running Shot, 3 damage and +2 AV coupled with Sharpshooter ability, he’s royally effective at shooting even the most Impervious or Invulnerable  of foes.
• The same SP that boosts his AV when shooting also boosts his damage when hitting multiple targets (as long as he deals at least 1 damage to all).
• He’s also got “Flank,” an interesting Epic Action power allowing him to use Phasing/Teleport (but only along the edges of the map) and carry multiple characters with him (up to 5, if the build total allows). With his 10 range, he can control a board very effectively.
• Mid-dial, he gets even more dangerous to bricks with Penetrating/Psychic Blast. Late-dial, he’s dealing Ranged Combat Expert damage.

Legolas is simply an angel of death disguised as an elven archer. But his 130-point price is a high cost for seven clicks of zero damage reduction. Moreover, his range costs a lot as well; similar melee ability (think SI Iron Fist or Gamora) is 60 points cheaper!

With that in mind, I considered another strong range piece, leading to a tie at #9.

Guardian of the Universe (Green Lantern Fast Forces #005)

The diminutive cosmic-powered mentor to the Green Lantern Corps doesn’t look like much, appearance-wise, and lacks some of the mobility that Legolas sports. But he’s got all he needs to make the list, namely:

• 10 range, a value increasingly rare in the modern game;
• Impervious defense for a few clicks, sliding to Invulnerability for a few more;
• Penetrating/Psychic Blast, enabling him to bypass those defenses with contemptous ease;
• Phasing/Teleport to move into position with similar effort (i.e., none)
• Outwit during the early clicks to deactivate whatever power or ability that could threaten him until next turn, when he’ll use his Indomitable ability to push and attack.
• Even getting hit will only make him force rerolls with Probability Control or exploding you with Pulse Wave.

At 150 points, he’s good enough to be a light tentpole and still have room for a strong ally or two. The lack of moving attack ability keeps him low on the list, but the sheer danger his early clicks represent are enough to make Guardian of the Universe tie as Heroclixin’s #9 most playable piece.