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No. 7

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Batman [Gotham City 001]

As Batman figs go, this one is fairly standard, stats- and powers-wise: Running Shot. 11 AV. Toughness. Perplex. What makes it the No. 7 HeroClix of the year is the trait, Utility Belt:

UTILITY BELT: At the beginning of the game, choose a standard attack or damage power that Batman does not possess somewhere on his dial; Batman can use that power this game.

So, no picking Perplex or Prob Control or Outwit. That only leaves a bunch of options to address threats and opportunities based on the force he’s facing:

  • Blades/Claws/Fangs for a 66% shot at higher melee damage
  • Energy Explosion, which works well with his two arrows
  • Pulse Wave, great for dealing with Mystics and armor and, well, ANYTHING
  • Quake, if he foresees a need to hit a bunch of foes up close
  • Super Strength, if he foresees a need to hit one foe up close really hard — or to be able to set down his own portable hindering terrain
  • Incapacitate, which, while available to him, is a bit of a waste as we’ll see
  • Penetrating/Psychic Blast, for dealing with armor, but with his lowish damage, perhaps…
  • …Precision Strike is the better anti-armor choice as it also deals with the Masterminds and Super Sensing targets he might face
  • Smoke Cloud for if he wants to blunt the AV of the enemy for his team’s sake — not to mention the cover it gives a Bat Ally like himself
  • Poison, if he sees some soft-skinned melee attackers/tieups in his future
  • Steal Energy for that second wind against the melee fighters who’ll get to him in his Stealthed position
  • Battle Fury for that corner case of a match where he’s dealing with anti-Stealth Mind Control or a team full of Stealthed Shape Changers
  • Exploit Weakness when a punchout with armored foes looks inevitable

Or he can choose based on his own team’s build to best support it:

  • Telekinesis for his team’s mobility
  • Ranged Combat Expert for extra firepower once in position
  • Support to fill a combat medic role
  • Enhancement for his team’s firepower
  • Shape Change to add some added protection other than Bat-Stealth
  • Close Combat Expert to shore up that low damage
  • Empower to shore up allies’ punching power
  • Leadership for the benefit of a swarm team

As if that sort of flexibility weren’t enough, he also has a SP granting Incapacitate — which is why it shouldn’t ever be chosen via Utility Belt — that can be used for free when he’s got no tokens. That won’t be often, as he’s got Indom and at 115 points he’s not likely to be idle. But it’s a nice option for him to potentially dump two tokens on a foe in a single turn by using the free Incap then doing a regular Incap action later in the turn.

As we harped on a bit, his damage is a bit low, starting and staying at just 2, and this along with his price keeps him on the lower end of the Top Ten. But with so many ways to work around it, this dark knight detective is truly ready for anything and rates as Heroclixin’s No. 7 clix of 2013.

Next to all that…

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…how does Omen [Teen Titans 053] manage to tie?

By cheating.

Omen’s SPs don’t care about line of fire. So she can not only Mind Control you from behind a wall of meat shields (whom she can Mastermind damage to), but she can knock down a stat -2 before or after or instead of. (So there’s that corner case where the normally stealthy Bats might actually want Battle Fury to stop her from taking control of his head.)

She’s a wild card and Incap piece and, if you don’t mind adding 2 whole  points, she can use the N.O.W.H.E.R.E. ATA to get a quasi-phasing movement ability going.

Once the enemy actually claws its way in close to her and manages to get her to mid-dial, she’s got Willpower and Steal Energy to maybe heal a bit (although with only 1 damage, it’s iffy whether she can hit hard enough to do so). Probably more important to the team during her late dial is her Prob Control.

Like Batman, her low damage output for the cost keeps her from rising closer to the top. But Omen has the potential to warp a game well beyond what anyone can prepare for, earning a share of the No. 7 spot on Heroclixin’s Top Ten of 2013.

Honorable Mention

wkD-010

Bat-Mite [WizKids D-010], even with his ability to place his Idol and give it a free attack made more risky post-Watch List, is still worth the 65 points. 1) He’s a 10-range Stealthed PC and Outwitter. 2) He can cut off attacks against him or his Idol just by trying to shoot ’em with Incap. 3) His successful Super Senses gets him out of adjacency for free. Paired with the right Idol (i.e., one that can take getting an inopportune click of unavoidable hurt), the little pest is still quite viable.

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Cyclops [Avengers Vs. X-Men] can Outwit through walls, then shoot you through them. He can shoot you when you base him. He can shoot others while based. And you can’t dodge the damage or shirk the damage or nullify the damage. He’s got better Leadership than most. If he weren’t so soft and expensive for his short dial[s], he’d have maybe blasted his way onto the Top Ten proper. As it is, look for him to blast his way through AvX in Q1 2014.

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No. 8

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Shatterstar [WATX 010]

A late addition to the Watch List this past autumn, ‘Star got a deserved look and erratum. His trait, “X-Portal,” allows him to teleport anywhere on the map, once per game, and bring a cheaper friend along. While his 73-point cost ostensibly serves as a limit to abuse, the reality of Vehicles and pilots allow him to essentially cart MUCH more than his points for either a next-turn attack or an instant evac.

Even without the trait, Shatterstar is a prim0 piece. He bears the Charge+Flurry+Blades combo with 17 Combat Reflexes DV, making him one of the game’s very best in melee combat.

With his ability to change the positioning game with a single move and to survive and thrive in close combat, Shatterstar ranks No. 8 in 2013’s Top Ten.

Honorable Mention:

asm031b

Alyosha Kraven [ASM] singlehandedly makes Animal teams relevant. He’s only relegated to HM status because he’s essentially relegated to Animal teams to be more than just an above average 2nd attacker, extra pog character Gulyadkin notwithstanding.

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Fantomex [WATX 042] is another fig that brings an extra “piece” on the team for free. The Frenchman doesn’t quite rate the list because he’s so many fragile points and very dependent on range, which is a rather short 5.

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Next: An harbinger of dark nights to come?

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No. 9 [tie]

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Justice League [Teen Titans T002r]
Trinity of Sin [WizKids D-T001e]
Shi’ar Imperial Guard team base [WATX T005e]

Prior to the Watch List changes, these team bases were the nigh-unbeatable monsters of HeroClix; they simply couldn’t lose unless a team was built to beat them because they could deal more damage output than anything else in the game within 3 turns of game start.

Now they’re actually reasonable to face. And still quite good. Each, at their 200- to 300-build levels, still get two actions via Working Together, and each still has high damage. Each can still nearly double their effective team build total by mid-game via the Solo Adventure mechanic. And each bears an opening-click Asset Dial ability that’s worth never rolling from. Combined, these three still represent the best team bases of the lot.

The three are tied because each has a minor weakness that keeps it from standing above the other two.

  • Justice League has the longest effective range of 10 with Sharpshooter, immunity to Outwit, Shape Change and Super Senses, team abilities granting Stealth and anti-Stealth, and the highest AV of all. BUT…the immunity to Outwit only works when the whole team’s on the base and is lost when Solo Adventure is used.
  • Trinity of Sin has Quintessence, double-hurting Mystics, Mind Control, Poison, Outwit and Probability Control. A Solo Adventure only costs them the double Mystics damage-dealing and gains them the abilities of the removed member to nerf the enemies’ use of Outwit, Perplex or Prob, respectively. But TrinSin’s weakness is very thin armor in the form of just two clicks of Toughness and nothing else.
  • Shi’ar Imerial Guard boasts the ability to alpha strike from almost anywhere on the map and deal out Flurry damage. It also has the  Power Cosmic TA, loses nothing with Solo Adventures and has the longest dial of the three. But its starting AV is also the lowest.

Each of these pieces is strong enough to handle almost any team it faces, even after losing much of their old power, and so share the No. 9 slot among the 10 best clix 2013 had to offer.

Honorable Mention

iim029b

War Machine [IIM 029b], like the team bases, is a tentpole designed not to be utterly outactioned. First, it’s got its “Alpha Strike” SP that grants two actions for the price of two tokens — easy enough to swallow thanks to Indomitable. Better still is WM’s trait “Retaliatory Strike,” that allows a free action ranged shot when foes take shots at him in between his turns. So in effect, WM’s still getting about the same number of actions as 2 or 3 foes — and as many attacks/actions as the team bases at the same cost get. The piece suffers, though, from lacking their sheer amount of extras — the TAs, the extra life, etc.

wxmT004

New Mutants [WATX T004] also lacks the firepower of the big team bases, with only one action and not starting on a good Asset ability. But it’s better built for the Solo Adventure ability than most, and the power to force action tokens on foes with each KO can swing games its way.

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Next: Another x-citing entry!

 

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10
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Iron Fist [Fear Itself 007]

For melee combat, there’s almost no clix better for the cost. It’s his Improved Movement that sets him apart: He can Charge through shrubs, blowing right by characters, and over hills with ease. Once in base, he’s guarded by Combat Reflexes and Super Senses.

He’s also a candidate for several good ATAs. Foremost is Heroes For Hire, which works very well for a close combat specialist like himself. Next in line is the cheaper and copyable Defenders ATA, which allows him to chain his excellent AV to other Defenders and wildcards. And, of course, he’s an Avenger now, which qualifies him for all their ATAs, most notably Secret Avengers for Outwit protection and Avengers Response Unit to nudge his and friends’ AV even higher when in close quarters.

Iron Fist would be higher if he had Willpower like his Secret Invasion predecessor. But the vast increase in his moving attack prowess more than makes up for the loss. One of the game’s very best secondary attackers, the immortal Iron Fist is hereby further immortalized as Heroclixin’s 10th best fig of 2013.

Honorable Mentions
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Batgirl [No Man’s Land 002]: In an earlier draft, SHE was the #10 and Iron Fist was the HM. But while her Batman Ally TA gives her cover and she’s got the superb Charge+Flurry combo, in practice her AV is just a stitch too low and her mobility pales next to Fist’s. Still, she’s got a little more going for her down-dial than he does — hello, free Incap/Force Blast-lite SP —and she’s a little cheaper, to boot.

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Skadi’s Warbot [Fear Itself]: Thirty seems a lot to pay for a pog. But it’s an Invulnerable one with the stats of a leading attacker that delivers penetrating damage. Worth. Every. Point.

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Tomorrow is the first actual tie of the list. It’s gonna be crowded.

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sadwolvie

In a much earlier F.U.N. Fights battle report, I wrote about the miserable performance of my all-Wolverine team, leading me to swear off the build forever. Some of you weighed in on which versions of the character I should keep since I decided to unload a bunch. Here’s my thought process and some tentative decisions:

Wolverine (Wolverine and the X-Men 201) 113
One of the newest versions of the character, this is a good fig. The AV’s right, the durability’s there, he’s got just the right degree of movement and pushability. HE STAYS…MAYBE

Wolverine (Web of Spider-Man) 105
Black Ops Wolvie is a “stay in the shadows and lead” kind of fig. I like his finesse-y style with the free heal. And the look is just rad. HE STAYS.

Wolverine (Giant-Sixe X-Men 009) 103
With Charge, he’s a better fighter than X-Force Wolverine above. Though a bit overshadowed by the GF Wolverine, he’s 10 points cheaper and also rocks the free heal trait. HE STAYS.

Wolverine (TabApp) 100
Folks said he’s one of the best versions despite his looking stupid (I call it the “Disney Parade Costume” Wolverine). But I was heavily unimpressed. On paper, he ought to rock’n’roll. In practice, he’s just…OK. HE GOES…MAYBE

Wolverine (Chaos War) 90
Definitely a finesse Wolverine, with his “low” AV that isn’t, really. The 16 DV kinda kills this one for me. Only the fact that the sculpt is so small keeps him in the running to remain in the overstuffed tacklebox. Still, HE GOES…MAYBE

Wolverine ( Fast Forces) 75
Aside from his Modern Age legality and cheap-ish point cost, there’s nothing about him that’s the best at ANYTHING. I need a Wolvie that Charges. HE’S GONE.

Weapon X (Captain America) 72
The time-lock idea is a neat one, but it’s not enough to save him. Maybe I can trade it for something cool. HE GOES.

Weapon X (Marvel 10th Anniversary) 71
No Weapon X keyword and no Skrull Wolvie to promote to equals: HE GOES.

Wolverine (Fantastic Forces) 71
Despite his high 12 AV, this fig has NEVER gotten a good hit in for me, ever. Bad DV that only gets terrible sinks him. HE GOES.

Wolverine (Incredible Hulk) 70
Now THIS is the inexpensive, leather-jacket Logan of choice. If he started with actual Charge, he’d be even better. Best on a team with more than just X-Men, HE STAYS.

Colonel Logan (Days of Future Past) 70
I used to really like this piece http://www.pojo.com/heroclix/COTD/2006/Dec/13.shtml. But it’s cursed with crap AV from click TWO on. Not even the 6 range seems to help. HE GOES.

Wolverine (Armor Wars 095) 60
I keep him around for the range. But he only shows up on Wolvie teams, and I’m not playing this sort of team again, ever. He’s not even the only SHIELD Wolvie in the game anymore, for keyword purposes. But the TA makes him OK for other teams, and the 9 (!) click dial isn’t total garbage for 60 points. HE GOES…MAYBE

More Wolverines I didn’t play in the team but are being evaluated anyway:

Wolverine (Wolverine and The X-Men 001): This latest version of the character combines many of my favorite aspects of earlier ones: the Charging, the free healing, the armor, the high AV. HE STAYS.

Wolverine (Armor Wars 219 and 220) 57
Like the above Wolverine but with no range, a shorter dial, worse AV and not even tournament legal due to the purple ring. Yeah…no. HE GOES.

Logan (Clobberin’ Time 069) 60
Best Wolverine sculpt in the game, and a rare older version of the character that works still. The opening click of Stealth and decent runs of Toughness and Regen help keep him kicking a good while despite his oldClix-level stats beyond click #2. HE STAYS.

Wolverine (Avengers vs. X-Men) 175/125/75
Although I made most of this article long before AvX’s reveal, I need to evaluate this multi-dial fig, too. The 75-pointer is that cheap Indomitable Charger I want a Wolvie to be, complete with BCF and EW. Mid- and end-dial Regen with 17+ DV could work to keep Logan alive despite a 5-click life. At 125, he fills the same role, only a LOT less cheaply, of course. The 10AV on both is troubling. At 175, he’s lost the Charge even as he gains 11AV and strong armor. HE STAYS…but only because I need him for AvX.

Colossus/Wolverine (Giant-Size X-Men)

Technically, it’s not just him. But this, the one GSX duo I actually wanted, hasn’t really aged that well. Still torn on whether to hold on to it and try to make it work on the field — the only time it did was with the cheating piece best known as Bencralwer. THEY…STAY…?

Wolverines I don’t even own. Do I WANT to?

  • Old Man Logan (WizKids WK-006): Sooo expensive at close to 200 points. NOT MUCH
  • Wolverine (Fear Itself): Flying Wolvie is stupid. But it’s a pretty solid dial with a nice “stop” click and swap-out potential. Still…MEH
  • Wolverine (Marvel 10th Anniversary): Not bad, but works better for Skrull armies, which are not to my liking. SO NO.
  • Wolverage (Incredible Hulk 051): Probably the best of the Hulk-Outs. YEP
  • Wolverine (Giant-Size X-Men 052): Too bad the costume’s so niche, because this is otherwise one of the best versions of the character out there. So KINDA YEAH, I want it.
  • Wolverine (Supernova 222): The Willpower is a double-edged blade claw. But at least Zomberine has decent DV upfront and a bargain point cost. So SURE, WHY NOT?
  • Wolverine (Mutations + Monsters): An interesting divergent Logan. But I don’t like zombies on principle, so…NOT REALLY
  • Wolverine (Sinister 090): Want to like this so much more. Bad AV, especially mid-life, kills him bad. But it’s still the best brown-suit Wolvie sculpt in the game all these years later. So…KINDA
  • Wolverine (Mutant Mayhem 079, 080 and 081): A single click of Stealth and then Battle Fury and a little Charge and it all seems like a waste with sub-par values. NO
  • Logan (Mutant Mayhem 215): LE’s no better. NO
  • Wolverine (Ultimates 046-048): No movement and worst DV of all..which is really saying something considering the history of Wolverine figures. NO
  • James Howlett (Ultimates 216): Impervious is nearly worthless on 14 DV. Never again. NO
  • Weapon X (X-Plosion 096): Terrible stats invalidate cool sculpt. NO
  • Patch (Critical Mass 061-063): Way too low AV kills him. NO
  • Logan (Clobberin’ Time 067-068): DV’s still worthless, but Stealth and Toughness and long dial with decent AV at good cost is OK. Won’t ever use while the Vet’s around though, so…NOT REALLY
  • Wolverine (Universe 002): Super cheap at 41 points, but NO.
  • Wolverine (Infinity Challenge 073-075/Universe 097-099) Stats are too low. Ugly, too. NO.
  • Wolverine (Infinity Challenge 149/Universe 125): Great AV, good price. Stealth could help. Still, NO.
  • Wolverine (Infinity Challenge 171): Terrible all around. Hell NO.So that’s that on Wolverine. I can’t believe I took this long to get back to this subject.

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Although the store of unplayed HeroClix figures hasn’t reached the extremes of late 2012-early 2013, I’m still carting around more of these pieces than I care to. It’s all because changes to my work schedule and running Fear Itself events have taken a large bite out of my ability to play as many Clix games as I’d like.

Still, every chance I DO get to play, I make certain to run a fresh figure. Here’s what I thought of the last few virgin minis fielded recently, and how likely I am to revisit ’em:

Big Bertha: Perhaps the one piece in all of HeroClix that could, and almost did survive taking all five attacks from an enemy team base’s alpha strike. Man, if only I coulda gotten ONE of those “Impervious” rolls. Of course, BB is a founding member of the Great Lakes Avengers and she’ll be a fixture on my Fatties theme teams.

Bishop [Wolverine + The X-Men]: Fun and effective, he nevertheless took a lot more attacks than I liked. because he’s so soft-skinned for his price. But then no one wants to shoot him once he hits middial. Not sure what team I’ll use him on next. But I WILL use him.

Captain America [Fear Itself]: The only thing I really wanted out of the Fear Itself: Blitzkrieg pack, this latest version of BuckyCap didn’t disappoint.

The Goblin King: I wanted him for my theme team of overweight clix, and boy, none better fits the bill like this piece. His epic Perplex and Leadership actually gave a glimmer of hope of defeating X-Men: Gold. But it was not to be, at all. I will probably ONLY play him on the Fat teams.

Kid Omega: The trouble with him is he’s left alone in the starting area after flinging all his pals away. Not great for a 128 fig that should be fighting more.  Unsure how or if he’ll find a spot on future builds.

Lockheed  [Wolverine + The X-Men]: Not sure why he’s a Mystical, but he made my themed team work. Sadly, HE didn’t work, failing his sole shot at a Pulse Wave. Oh well. He’s destined for Pet Avengers squads anyway.

Magik  [Wolverine + The X-Men 061]: Man, did I pick the wrooong map for her…not a square of blocking terrain to be found. But that’s my own fault. She did her job in keeping me in the game beyond reason and in serving as trade bait to get the chase I REALLY wanted, Namor. Glad I got to run her first.

Martian Manhunter [WK-D002]: I fielded him with the Brave+Bold, 10th Anniversary and Brightest Day characters of the same name for a “My Favorite Martian” theme team of 900 points. And it turns out this one is NOT my favorite. Now that I’ve gotten that team idea out of my system, I may be trying to trade this one for something.

Monkey King: Finally got one of these. He worked fine. I’d like to run him AS the monkey king of other simians like Grodd, Solovar and the Super-Apes.

Phoenix [Wolverine + The X-Men]: Rachel Summers was a boss for me in the tournament I used her in, even though I didn’t play her to full potential. She’s got me thinking of a “Sculpts that yell ‘Fire’ on a crowded map” theme.

Shadowcat [Wolverine + The X-Men 204]: Being one more source of Outwit on a team filled with it made her feel superfluous. In fact, I’m not crazy about either of the set’s version of Miss Pryde.

Shadow King [Wolverine + The X-Men]: Missed one must-hit attack on a team base. That was sad. Other than that, he was fine. I wanted him for — and played him on — my Weight Watchers team of fat clix.

Thule Society Priest: I have only played in ONE Fear Itself event in all these months. So I only just managed to trade for one of these guys (and the Monkey King mentioned earlier). All he did for me, though, was A) be cheap enough to fit the generic theme and B) pick up a relic himself. That got him killed because he was no longer Stealthed and so he was shot to KO. At least he was a wildcarded Mystic…

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Another weekend approaches, and it’s another one when I’m unlikely to get much heroclixin’ done. So the Figure Flush will continue for a time. Stay tuned.

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Vixen_JLoA4

So I had this idea for an eventual Top Ten list: The Best Animals for Vixen (Streets of Gotham 028) to run with. Remember, she topped my Favorites of 2012, especially when I thought her “pick a power” trait might be way more awesome  than it really is.

It didn’t stop me from trying her out for pretty much the first time since said ruling some time ago on an Animal team in a Modern Age 400-point scenario in which a character on your force can use a game effect similar to White Tiger (Incredible Hulk 020): “Once per game, when White Tiger would be KO’d, you may instead heal her to click #3. If you do, at the beginning of each of your turns while she is on the map, deal 1 unavoidable damage to another friendly character.”

The team really did look like a lineup of partners for Vixen.

Loki (Fear Itself 101) 100
Alyosha Kraven 70
Beast Boy (Pterodactyl) (Batman 019) 60
Ka-Zar (Incredible Hulk) 55
Catwoman (DC 10th Anniversary) 35
and, of course, the 74-point Vixen herself, along with the Justice League: Generation Lost ATA.
FIRST, I faced judge Bill and his Leash (Teen Titans 031), Raizo Kodo (Fear Itself) and four Mole Men (Galactic Guardians) on my new Blitzkrieg DC map. The team should have decimated me on Turn 1 but he couldn’t roll a 5 in three tries. That was the only bullet I needed to dodge to dominate and win this time-shortened game, though I needed one more piece of dice luck to avoid a last-second LOSS.

Best Vixen move: Having been hit to Poison, she Tantu Totemed Loki’s Outwit to get Raizo off his Impervious click.

SECOND round was on the other side of the Blitz pack map against Stephen’s Dracula (Amazing Spider-Man), Asgardian Troll (Fear Itself) and Werewolf times SIX. This one I did narrowly lose in the final rounds when Kraven was taken out by an unlikely hit from a Werewolf that I missed repeated easy shots on earlier.

Best Vixen move: Taking Catwoman’s Willpower to make a shot on an unsuspecting Werewolf. Unfortunately, I crit missed and crippled her ability for the rest of the game.

THIRD round, on the same map, was versus Lenny’s Midnight Sons: Ghost Rider (Amazing Spider-Man), Blade (Amazing Spider-Man 004), Frank Drake and Daimon Hellstrom. Although Loki was again hit early to his far less effective late clicks, I was able to recover and wipe out the enemy.

Best Vixen Move: Possessing the ATA and superior range, she copied Loki’s Outwit to take Frank Drake out of the equation.

By piece (and how each benefited Vixen):
Alyosha Kraven, of course, is THE essential Animal-themed team player; you don’t run this keyword without him. But he’s also great for Vixen aside from his metagame factor, chiefly for his opening Combat Reflexes. More than once, I’d use it to gain a respectable 18 DV from melee on top of her natural ESD. Ideally, his later-dial Outwit will never be usable because he never gets hit, but it’s there if you need it.

Loki (Fear Itself) at 100 points is the new other shortlisted partner for Vixen on Animal teams. That Outwit combines well with her long 8 range to real effect. If she needs some armor, there’s Toughness available, too (though the 30-point level is better for that). Down the line, Loki’s loaded with the other support powers, Perplex and Probability Control, and both certainly come in handy for Mari.

Aside from backing her up, Loki is fine as a Hypersonic Speedy fighter in between all the Outwit and whatnot. He’s also a great taxi, especially at the lower cost.

Beast Boy (Batman 019) in Pterodactyl form gave the team a Charging, weakness-Exploiting attack taxi. It also gives Vixen one more way to deal with armor when she Charges in herself by copying Exploit Weakness.

I morphed BB into the prime Gordian form (Teen Titans 005b) and back for the stat boost after. It slows down the team some, as the alien form can’t carry anyone but fellow Titans. But it always paid off in the end. EDIT: However, this Morph has been ruled illegal because it violates the one-prime-per-force rule despite it being a sideline figure.

Catwoman (DC 10th Anniversary 008) is probably the best Modern Age partner for Vixen in the game, even more than Alyosha. For just 35 points, she helps the African superheroine on defense (via Stealth), offense (Exploit Weakness) and action advantage (Willpower), all on her opening click. Of course, she’s fine as a piece in her own right with the above powers as well.

Ka-Zar (Incredible Hulk) was the one relative dud. As a Duo fig, he was untaxiable so it was very difficult to get him into proper position. He also lacks the high damage that makes Duo Attack a worthy ability and is too cheap for his Leadership to be effective most of the time. He’s helpful enough for a Vixen partner, offering Combat Reflexes or Stealth to aid her defense. And once in a while, she may want to use his Leadership if there’s no better option, I guess.

Finally, there’s the Justice League: Generation Lost ATA, three points that just oughta be put on Vixen from now on. Her AV is low enough that she can use the boost when shooting at her target through hindering.

Heroclixin’ will revisit this subject periodically as new — or old — Animals come up in the game to our attention. Because a Vixen should never be alone.

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watchmen

Dr. Manhattan (Watchmen 005) 276
Dr. Manhattan (Watchmen 011) 105
Comedian (Watchmen Fast Forces 006) 100 + Not So Special 3
Silk Spectre (Watchmen Fast Forces 002) 75
Nite Owl (Watchmen Fast Forces 003) 75 + Utility Belt 13
Ozymandias (Watchmen Fast Forces 004) 75 + Brilliant Tactician 20
Rorschach (Watchmen 001) 57
799 points.

Ran this last summer.

FIRST vs. Lenny with Supergirl (Fast Forces), Eradicator and Superman (Superman 001) among others from Metropolis I can’t recall on the Days of Future Past map. I had to work very hard to get shots on big Supes and Supergirl and Eradicator, having to bust walls and sacrifice Rorschach to do so. Alas, I was not able to take out either before running out of time.

SECOND vs. Stephen’s Haunted Tank, David Cain and other Soldiers on the Dr. Manhattan’s Lab map. The tall Dr. got an early long-range Running Shot on a target that I almost chased down for the win — but I wound up having to win on a roll-off. The sitting Dr. M. resisted all attempts to hit him — narrowly.

FINALLY against Henry on the Bridge: Iron Spider, Hawkeye (Chaos War) Mockingbird (Chaos War) and more. Still a new player, he moved too aggressively and I made him pay for it. A more seasoned opponent would have made it much harder for me and I probably would not have won. I lost Rorschach, Silk Spectre and Comedian but KOd Hawkeye, Mockingbird and Iron Spider for the advantage.

By piece:
Dr. Manhattan (Watchmen 005)
Lotus-position Dr. M spent too time TKing and not enough time shooting. His lack of Willpower is also a liability. But it’s nice knowing he’s a potent piece of backup for the rest of the team.

Dr. Manhattan (Watchmen 011) 105
The tall Doc, OTOH, was a real workhorse. He was the most mobile shooter of the team, a second taxi, a barrier builder (instrumental in my last win) and a boon to other shooters through his Enhancement. Oh, and there’s that 2x Energy Explosion thing, too.

Comedian (Watchmen Fast Forces 006) 100 + Not So Special 3
Despite his great AV, he never quite had the effect on the game I expected. I used him over the longer-ranged, double-targeted original for the damage boost. Perhaps I should consider the older piece in the future and use an additional feat card to make up the points difference.

Silk Spectre (Watchmen Fast Forces 002) 75
With both her boyfriends on the team, SS is a legit melee threat well worth the extra point cost, even though she took a lot of fire.

Nite Owl (Watchmen Fast Forces 003) 75 + Utility Belt 13
Definitely a linchpin of the team due to his ability to carry Silk Spectre, Ozymandias, Comedian and, most importantly, sitting Dr. Manhattan into position for next-round attacks. The Utility Belt is VERY thematic on the Watchmen universe’s Batman analogue. The Willpower helps a lot, too. Today, with the release of the Batman Cowl, I’d add that costume for Stealth action.

Ozymandias (Watchmen Fast Forces 004) 75 + Brilliant Tactician 20
He’s a bit tricky to use because you want to have him carted about by Nite Owl, but his LOF to the rest of the team tends to get blocked that way. But of course Brilliant Tactician makes him superb for the team.

Rorschach (Watchmen 001) 57
He’s a needed Stealth wall and Leap/Climb tie-up for the rest of the team. With the boost to CCE, maybe he’s a potential fighter, too.

I like running the Watchmen more than ever with the superior Fast Forces versions. This team will see the map again.

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With Wednesday’s release of the Wolverine and the X-Men set, the core roster of the not-so-mighty GLA is complete.

Great_Lakes_Avengers1_9471

  • Mr. Immortal: 46 points of undying frequently dying tie-up;
  • Doorman: 45-point taxi extraordinaire with 11 Speed and the ability to open a wall or blocking terrain for a round;
  • Dinah Soar: The other taxi. Not quite as fast but makes it up in quantity by carrying 3 GLA teammates for 20 points less;
  • Flatman: A conditional Outwitter of 100-points-or-less figures;
  • and Big Bertha: Just 4 clicks long for 56 points but with Charge and Plasticity and a DV power that only takes one click at a time. Strong, too.

= oh, look! They’re exactly 200 points! …withOUT their tailor-made Additional Team Ability. :(

This team has great mobility options in Dinah and Doorman, and Mr. I and Bertha are good tie-up. But it’s sorely lacking in damage output. None of the characters have greater than 2 printed damage and most have ONES almost the entire dial! Outside of Bertha’s brawn, the GLA will often NEED Flatman’s limited Outwit SP to be able to deal with even the lightest armor.

Or they can get a little help from other keyworded friends:

  • Squirrel Girl: With a good run of Exploit Weakness and then Incap and BCF, she gives the group a little oomph. Unfortunately, her 59 point cost is awkward.
  • Hawkeye (Avengers 056): Finally a bit of actual 3 damage for the team. His 9 AV is suspect, since he’ll need to use Running Shot instead of sitting still for the +2 AV standing still version. At 56 points is also tough to tack on to the rest of the team’s 200.
  • Then there’s Hawkeye (Chaos War), a nearly perfect fit to make the team 300 points. The trouble with him is he still prevents use of the ATA and his natural Spider-Man Ally TA is completely wasted on this team. Same goes for…
  • Deadpool (Web of Spider-Man): Way expensive at 158 points, but worth every one as he gives the GLA what it sorely needs to help its fighting strength: Perplex. Though he’s such a good fig that he threatens to steal the show…like Deadpool NEVER, EVER does in the comics. 😉
  • What about Hawkeye (Fear Itself)? 135 points allows another pal such as Squirrel Girl to get in on the action in a 400 point game. His Revert click works well with CW Hawkeye. The only drawback is that the GLA ATA is STILL crowded out.

But IS that ATA even worth using?

“During an attack made by a character using this team ability, opposing characters cannot use Probability Control unless a friendly character has already used Probability Control during this attack. Uncopyable.”

3 points just to stop enemies from forcing rerolls on your attacks seems overcosted.

Anyway, the Great Lakes Avengers are only supposed to be a F.U.N. team: certainly Friendly, kinda Nifty….barely Useful.

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So I got to a venue too late and too broke to get in the scheduled Fear Itself event and instead joined a battle royale with this team:

Clark Kent (Man of Steel 009) 115
Lois Lane (Man of Steel 00) 39
Harve Bullock (Streets of Gotham 016) 32
Roy Raymond, Jr. (Batman 026) 74
Miranda Tate (Dark Knight Rises 012) 70
Pepper Potts (Iron Man 3 007) 70
= 400 points of plainclothed clix…no costumes, no weapons, nothin.’ I had a few pieces running for the first time.

VERSUS three others in a battle royale:
MATT with Superboy (Teen Titans 026)+Belt, Kid Flash (Teen Titans 039), and something I can’t recall. Solstice, maybe?
DOMINIQUE’s Thanos (Galactic Guardians 045) and Terraxia.
JASON fielding Superman (Man of Steel 101) and Superboy (Teen Titans 026). And I think that’s all.

I knew that Thanos was the big threat, but Matt & Jason went at it first anyway because they’re noobs. I crept about toward Thanos, using Stealth (thanks, Harvey for giving it to yourself and fellow detective Roy) for cover. Eventually, I made my move:

  1. Based Thanos with Roy Raymond Jr. for the -1 DV trick
  2. Knocked down T’s DV further with PD TA
  3. Perplexed it down one more time with Miranda…
  4. …so she could Mind Control him to kill Terraxia nearby!

But Thanos himself missed, leaving me with Miranda taking MC damage and Roy all set to just get one-shot by Thanos. :(

Fortunately, 5 damage is not enough to one-shot Roy, so he lived to use Outsiders TA for many more rounds to come. That proved key to dealing with Matt’s Superboy’s Belt-fed modifications.

In the end, it was only Lois Lane and Kid Flash. A late misplay cost me a shot at a most unlikely victory for the overachieving star reporter.

By piece:
Clark Kent (Man of Steel 009)
Traited Stealth and SP Willpower made him the solid core of my team’s offense. I happily landed on his second such click, with HSS and Perplex. Maybe I erred in healing him off it (though with only a natural 8 AV, who could blame me). Great piece that literally flies under the radar.

Lois Lane (Man of Steel 007)
Amy Adams, as noted above, nearly won the whole shebang with her nosy reporting ways. A fine use of 39 points.

Harvey Bullock (Streets of Gotham 016)
Key for his ability to Stealth fellow cops and detectives. His TA also came into play. All told, he was worth way more than his cost.

Roy Raymond, Jr. (Batman 026)
Been wanting to get this unusual figure on the field. He’s tricky to use because his Outsiders and maxxed-Outwit beg for him to stay away from the fight. But his Combat Reflexes and ability to -1 adjacent DV means he ought to be in foes’ faces. With no Stealth or other defense against range, his 16 DV is an easy target. Use with care…but do use him on plainclothes teams like this one.

Miranda Tate (Dark Knight Rises 012)
Still one of my faves, she had so many ways to mess with the team (Perplex. Outwit. Mind Control). Both underestimated and a priority target, she always served her purpose on this force. On a future build, I’ll want to couple her with Bruce Wayne 003 from her set to gain Batman Ally TA and a Defense boost.

Pepper Potts (Iron Man 3 007)
Great for drawing fire early on — as she need not fear being one-shot — then for fighting after taking the big hit. Gwyneth is a winner for this theme. On a Golden Age team, I’ll run her with Loner for the DV boost.

That is, if I can still fit her on after adding the ultimate plainclothes clix piece: 

crispus

Crispus Allen (Arkham Asylum 101).

—-

Tomorrow, one more installment of “Token Totin’ Titans,” and I think I’m done with the set (minus a few whose high rarity have kept me from readily getting pix: Wonder Girl 065, Wonder Woman 068 and Zookeeer). Then on Friday, a look at a F.U.N. Force I’d like to run.