The introduction to the series listed the five things needed to be a Top 10 Barrier specialist:
- A range of 8 or greater.
- Two or more starting consecutive clicks of Barrier.
- Ability to serve a secondary or supporting role.
- Affordability.
- Life after Barrier.
Failure at one or more of these is what keeps these HONORABLE MENTIONS off the list:
E Firelord (Infinity Challenge)
He’s got a ton of Barrier, but let’s face it; you’ll never use him for it unless you’re desperately trying to keep him from being KO’d after his Defense Value dives like a drunk Con Artist bobbing for apples or something.
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V Iceman (XPlosion)
While he starts strongly enough with Barrier and RCE, his late-dial double-target Incap comes too late and with too low an AV to reliably help. There are much better figures for around his 47-point cost to include him in the top 10.
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V Mr. Freeze (Legacy)
Offering several clicks of Barrier and Range Combat Expert for a bit of offensive power, his two clicks of Stealth nearly get him on the list. But at 77 points, he’s too expensive as a Barrier piece — you’ll use him to shoot, exclusively — and he’s absolutely done once Barrier is gone.
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V Shaman
He was on the first version of this Top Barrier figs list. But he’s fallen off because he’s A) Too expensive (74 points); B) too vulnerable, as his 2nd role as Outwitter also requires him to get a little too close to the enemy; and C) can no longer use the Thunderbolts ATA to mitigate his weakness.
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SR Scarlet Witch (AVENGERS)
Wanda Maximoff missed the list by having to push to her long run of Barrier. The power is best available from the start of the game in order to protect your advancing figs from a long-range alpha strike KO, and this gal just can’t do it. Still, the Super Rare has the nice 8 range, low 35-point cost and a great long-range support power in Probability Control to use until she can use Barrier in the mid- to late-game.
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Icicle (Justice League)
He barely falls off the list by having only 6 range AND being a little pricey at 72 points. But now that Perplex lasts through your turn, it’s simple to boost it to 7 and not only build walls, but to free-Incap targets thanks to his Special Power version of Barrier. Moreover, the usual Barrier-piece vulnerability to attack is mitigated by Mastermind and he can use Barrier all through his dial. Seriously, feel free to remove your least favorite piece on the actual list and put him there.
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Dr. Alchemy (Justice League)
He also fails due to his 6 range, even though Shape Change might give him some protection if he has to get closer to make effective walls. Anyway, his primary role on a team is going to be to TK pals well beyond his Barrier range. Late-dial Poison isn’t enough to make up for dead stats after Barrier.
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Jean Grey (Mutations and Monsters)
Despite her long 4-click run of Barrier, at her 90-point cost she’s way better used for actual fighting since she’s got the stats and powers for it.
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Black Tom Cassidy (Mutations and Monsters)
His 55-point price is right. He’s got Stealth and Outwit, too, making him highly useful aside from his 2 clicks of Barrier. But he doesn’t make the list because he pretty much absolutely should not push off that first click, and a top Barrier piece really ought to be able to take that damage a little more cavalierly.
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Lyssa Drak (Arkham Asylum)
She also lacks the 8-range-or-better prerequisite for a Barrier specialist, and is also a bit pricey for the role. She’s such a good figure for other supporting powers (TK, Perplex and, later, Outwit) that she almost claws her way onto the list anyhow. But the truth is that she, like Dr. Alchemy, will be using those other powers way more than Barrier.
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Songbird (Hammer of Thor)
Way expensive for both her role as a Barrier piece and 2nd attacker, her unique ability to break others’ Barriers with her own earns an Honorable Mention. Being eligible for the powerful Thunderbolts ATA helps, too. Still…at 83 points, she barely makes this list.
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John Stewart (DC 75th Anniversary)
Nearly twice the cost of the most expensive character on this list, he wins the last Honorable Mention because his first use on many teams will indeed be his free-action mini-Barrier when he lacks action tokens.
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