Years ago, I wrote a review of one of my favorite keywords:
You can read it here, if you like, but the game’s changed so much that most of those reviews don’t even apply anymore. In fact, I wrote and completed this article JUST before the 2023 rules shift, so I had to REwrite it, LOL. And THEN the Avengers team ability most of them share got rewritten. So it’s time for a new look — especially because nearly every one of the characters has been remade for Silver/Modern Age, with some additions.
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HULKLING (Empyre 001) 50 points and (Empyre 050) 175 points / 60 points
Though his Civil War incarnation is still one I’d reach for in a sufficiently sized Young Avengers force, at 80 points he’s just too costly. This new Teddy (Empyre 001) has a lot of what made that piece good in 2015 — protecting friends by giving them Mastermind, Charging hard with 11 AV (maybe 12 with Avengers TA), Shape Changing via Skrulls TA, Invulnerability — at a deep discount, just 50 points. And he thematically fits an earlier version of the character and team.
But Hulkling (Empyre 050) might be what you REALLY want to play. At either a hulking 175 points or a svelte 60, he’s Leadership material and brings the Star Sword in play: a SP Blades/Claws/Fangs that transports either hit foe or adjacent friend. He also is protected by Mastermind (instead of the other way around) and can generate generic Kree or Skrull Sidekicks (now that he’s emperor of both peoples). He’s also Cosmic Energized and a flier.
At full cost, he massively bolsters his Skrulls TA with printed Shape Change and is armored with Impervious.
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PATRIOT (Avengers Forever 009) 40 points
Grandson of the first — and Black — Captain America, the previous version from Civil War lost a lot of what made it special in 2016, so this latest version shaves down to 40 points — very close to the low cost of the original model in 2007’s Avengers — with Avengers TA, Defend and Leadership. All useful but nothing to write about.
That is, until you consider his team-up card that makes each Young Avenger a don’t-die piece:
“If three or more friendly characters with the Young Avengers keyword are on the map, the first time each friendly character would be KO’d, instead turn them to their last non-KO click, then roll a d6 and heal them equal to half the result.
Hey, it’s the “Living Legend” ability seen on some earlier Cap pieces. It’s a must-play on this force — making Patriot a must-play as well.
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STATURE (Avengers Forever 032) 50 points / 25 points
Daughter of Scott Lang, Ant-Man, she’s got a 50- and 25-point level. Both have 2 bolts, starting with Charge+Plasticity and a trait to become Tiny with 4 range RCE or giant with CCE. But caution: Once she picks, she can’t go regular size again for the rest of the game, having to swap between the extremes. Still, it’s an improvement over her just being a huge target all the time in sets past — and this version melds the best aspects of the old pieces (the attacking power of the 2016 model and the tie-up ability of the 2007 original). Like most of the theme, she’s got Avengers TA, too.
But maybe you want a slightly more modern option for Cassie here in the Avengers 60 set: Stinger 009
She’s always tiny, with Senses and traited Energy Shield/Deflection she can lend to other tiny figs.
*looks at other Young Avengers, who aren’t tiny*
¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Beyond that, she’s just a weak Charge fig with some end-dial Pulse Wave, so there’s that.
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IRON LAD (Avengers Forever 025) 75 points / 50 points and VISION (Avengers Forever 024) 45 points
Iron Lad’s a young Kang from his pre-conquerer days, while Vision is “Jonas,” an AI copied from the memories of Iron Lad within the original Vision’s repaired body.
Where his earlier Vision incarnations were all overcosted and underpowered (and, being pre-card versions or from 2012’s Chaos War, technically not him), this one’s just 45 points, bringing Enhancement and, via a POWER action, two Empower-ing duplicates to aid the team. He’s still not offensively good, but you’re not paying for offense this time.
Previous Iron Lads ranged from terrible (2007’s) to just overpriced (and/or, again, not him in 2017). Today’s model is neither, showing up at either 75 or 50 points for Probability Control, Running Shot, Penetrating/Psychic Blast, Willpower, Invulnerability, Super Senses, and even a Follow Up trait that gives him a FREE attack after another YA hits.
Both sport Avengers TA for a possible AV bonus.
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WICCAN (Empyre 021) 50 points
Being somehow the son of Scarlet Witch, with her reality-warping magic powers, even Wiccan’s earliest dial from 2007 is still useful in today’s game (for Golden Age, of course), but the 50-point Empyre version offers the best balance of cost effect and utility overall — Prob, Mystics, +1 DV for adjacent pals (if he, a wildcard, is using their team ability — most likely Avengers, for the AV boost), Penetrating/Psychic Blast. (Though we still kinda love the 90-pointer from Civil War best.)
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HAWKEYE (War of the Realms 012) 50 points
This socialite-turned-self-taught super-heroine has alternatively been either too weak (2008’s Secret Invasion) or too bloated and complicated to field (the 2017 LE, whose trait didn’t really work with Running Shot back then) or somehow both (2015’s Avengers Assemble … 86 points for 2 damage? No thanks). But in War of the Realms, she showed up fit at a cheaper-than-ever 50 points with actual offense (12 AV Penetrating/Psychic Blast) and a nifty and useful Running Shot+Sidestep combo SP. Avengers TA is icing on this fierce cupcake.
But if you want to stretch the YA theme into true MCU territory, there are some extra Kates to consider:
Kate Bishop (Marvel Studios Next Phase ) 40 points
Sporting little other than Stealth and Super Senses, she’s no good on a Young Avengers theme since there’s no other character on the team with the new Marksman keyword. But if you double up with another MSNP Kate, that doppelgänger gets Enhancement.
Kate Bishop (Marvel Studios Next Phase 203) 50 points
Also Stealthy, 10 more points and LE status buy this identically sculpted Ms. Bishop a lot more: IT:Characters, an attack SP allowing a no-cost range shot after she’s carried, and, late-dial, a damage SP granting her two of KNOCKBACK, EE or RCE. Oh and anti-Stealth Avengers Initiative TA, too!
For a bit of doggo cuteness, the Kate and Lucky (Marvel Studios Next Phase 065) chase offers wild card TA, Stealthy Shape Change, and attacks that trigger off a goofy Pizza mechanic. Not really worth the 50 points for Young Avengers.
But the real thing is SR Kate Bishop (Marvel Studios Next Phase 054). Another wild card, she sports a lot of Improved Targeting when she can station herself in a sniping spot to extend her already better-than-average 6 range to 8. A good 65 points by herself, she’s even better with Trick Arrows equipment she can add for 0 points. So even though this is properly a TV version of Kate, she’s actually closest to the comics version. If you can fit her on the force, do it.
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SPEED (Avengers Forever 010) 45 points
He’s speedy. And also somehow the son of Scarlet Witch. But his first run (in 2012’s Chaos War) was a stumble. Sure, he had the Hypersonic Speed, but with just 9 AV and 16 Super Senses and 2 damage, he didn’t do much with it or live long.
Now, though, he’s much more effective with 10AV (plus Avengers TA, which he didn’t have before) and 18DV Senses and 3 damage on his first and final clicks. The three in the middle aren’t so good, saddling him with a FREE place power but weaker defense (Willpower) and 2 damage. But at 45, he’s 10 points cheaper than the older model.
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LOKI (Empyre 026) 60 points
“Low Key” returns! He was an instant fave for Heroclixin‘ and we’re glad to see the de-aged trickster causing mischief again without the 115-point bloat of the first YA Loki or the Title Character intricacies of the second, also 60 points. Watch for those Rally dice rolls so you can multiply the Prob (and BCF) on the board for the team! He’s one of the few members without Avengers, sporting Mystics TA instead.
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MISS AMERICA (Avengers Forever 050) 50 points
I didn’t think they could top the old LE kicker of butts and the time-space fabric, and they haven’t — this one’s a much slimmer, simpler affair. At nearly halved cost, she literally hits only about half as hard. But she’s not the risk-it-all puncher anymore and is much more of a team player thanks to her Passenger:2 Hypersonic Speed. That could be super useful: Fly in carrying an Empower fig or two (like Vision’s dupes!), or evacuate an ally in trouble after she makes her (possibly Avengers TA-boosted) attack if she can break away. Or both!
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NOH-VARR (Avengers Forever 034) 50 points
A MUCH slimmed down redo of Web of Spider-Man’s original, he finally gets on the team. And he brings Perplex and Energy Explosion and Running Shot and later some Ranged Combat Expert and Regeneration.
But this last-click power, though:
ALL ALONE ON AN ALIEN PLANET STOP. Invulnerability, Willpower. // After the resolution of any action, if Noh-Varr isn’t the only friendly character on the map, KO him.
Wait what
Is that an auto-KO from a STOP click? (I was assured, yes it is)
Um OK
Wow
Noh-Varr might be the worst (which is in tune with the character, lore-wise.) BUT if played with the Patriot Team Up card, that suicidal STOP click won’t always kill him. So he might get some use out of it without being the last boy standing. He’s also a Team Player, so he can copy allies’ copyable TAs.
(Note: There’s also a discrepancy on his dial versus his card. Follow the dial, WizKids says.)
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PRODIGY (Avengers Forever 033) 35 points
Finally getting the keyword as well! He’s an Outwit or Perplex figure for the squad, but he needs to be really close to the action as the new, shorter minimum ranges for those powers make using them a little awkward. He has a die replacement Rally trait for friendlies’ d6 rolls (SSenses, Willpower, Impervious, BCF, to name a few) within 6 range and LOF (now that he’s gotten proper errata, because the printed card lacks the range number) he can copy a PAC power from an attacking enemy in the same LOF zone. Finally, in addition to Avengers TA, he has X-Men, which could aid his wildcard teammates Wiccan and Noh-Varr.
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And then there are some unexpected Young Avengers beyond the core team. These next three don’t appear in the comics rosters ever. But somehow they get the keyword now, I guess ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
REPTIL (Avengers Forever 023) 40 points
Sort of a remix of the Avengers Assemble original, but 30 points cheaper and with Avengers TA and the ability to switch forms on the fly (Flurry+Quake on 1, Charge+BCF on 2 and 3rd, HSS+Precision) instead of after KO. I like it, I guess.
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MS. MARVEL (Avengers Forever 035) 70 points / 35 points
I love Kamala Khan, so I’ll allow her on a new Young Avengers squad, I guess. And she’s actually a good piece: Impervious and Shape Changing with Rally dice replacement for enemies’ d6 rolls — no range needed, just LOF, and that Super Senses roll just FAILS — and the ability to change sizes, gaining certain powers or stats respectively, complete with the new Avengers TA. Just doesn’t quite fit thematically, yet.
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And then there’s a different Kamala…
MS. KANG (Avengers Forever 061) 50 points
She actually has better qualification for the YA keyword, being an alternate timeline amalgam of former member Kang The Conqueror — and anything can go in alternate timelines.
Playwise, she’s a F.U.N. TK, Prob and Outwit piece, able to make Coronal Echo pogs when she uses the blue damage power for even MORE Prob — pogs that also sacrifice to improve her Shape Change and help her avoid KO. She can’t be Outwitted because her TA is Cosmic Energy
Provisionally she could fit an “all timelines Young Avengers” team, thematically.
And then, in Marvel Studios Next Phase, there’s still MORE Kamala, this time the MCU version(s):
Ms. Marvel (Marvel Studios Next Phase 004) 35 points
Sporting IM:Elevated and a SP Barrier that, in conjunction with her Telekinesis, can also allow her to FREE hurl a piece of her Barrier at a target. Still very tricky to use since the Barrier could block her LOF if not placed carefully. Maybe better to use her as a rare TK and Barrier piece for Young Avengers keyword.
Ms. Marvel (Marvel Studios Next Phase 046), at 80 and 120 points, has the same ability as a trait, but it’s even harder for her to weaponize it. Probably too costly.
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Now here are a few more YAs who get the keyword who HAVE briefly been on the team in some capacity but are neither young nor Avengers, anymore.
Mostly.
I guess.
Most are Silver Age, but here’s one Modern:
SCARLET WITCH (War of the Realms 004) 30 points
Because she showed up in The Children’s Crusade YA series, she gets the keyword, I guess. Another Prob piece, but she also has TK and mega taxi for keyword pals, plus Avengers TA. Not a bad use of 30 points.
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KANG, THE CONQUEROR (Avengers Black Panther Illuminati 050) 80 points
Wait what
Wasn’t he their first opponent?
But he did say “I loved being a Young Avenger,” so whatever
He’s another Running Shooter and Probber. He also sports Title Character privileges, making Time Portal markers he can use to teleport around and heal up.
No team affiliation. He’s for a weird time-twisted “every Young Avenger ever” kind of build.
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Similarly, here’s ENCHANTRESS (Avengers Black Panther Illuminati 046), who was really actually only on a sort-of “Young Masters of Evil” team but she got the keyword anyway:
For the theme, play her on her lower dial, the 90-point one. She’s not actually Amora the Asgardian but … IDK … some human girl body swapping? It’s confusing. And anyway, she’s a very expensive Running Shot Mystics piece at 135 points, esp. since her SP Outwit/Prob/Perplex often only allows her to use one of those per turn. Play her on an “every YA ever” squad and then only to fill points.
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And then back in Earth X, we got the 50-point SPIDER-GIRL (Earth X 001a)
…who ALSO isn’t a true YA, but instead a future timeline version from the M2 Avengers (a short-lived ’90s comic. She’s the only member to be clixed. Didn’t even get the Avengers TA, just the then-wildcard Spider-Man TA that now greatly boosts her Super Senses). She got mentioned among Heroclixin’s worst of her year because we dislike the Incapacitate power, but she got a boost with the 2021 ruleset.
Still, she should be the very last to add to the team because, as noted, she’s never been a member in any timeline.
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Finally, here’s one more that’s good: Hawkeye and Hawkeye (WizKids M23-002)
Technically only the Kate half is a Young Avenger. But they got the keyword and come with a ton of skills:
- Leadership. Kate was often unofficial co-leader with Patriot in the team’s early days.
- Starting Running Shot with 12 AV (plus Avengers and SHIELD TAs)
- IT:Characters, Adjacent, Hindering
- FREE elevation change within range and LOF via “Grapple Arrow” trait.
- A “duo” attack trait that can instead make a Kate Bishop pog which can A) use the powers of any click on the main dial and B) can effectively serve as both meat shield and armor for the main dial.
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One day I’ll run them in a Silver Age game and report how the team(s) did.
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