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Continuing my final 2011-related countdown: my FAVORITE pieces of the year,  stating:

  • Why it’s a favorite that I want to play
  • Why I don’t play it all the time
  • When and how I’m planning to play it next

#8

Amadeus Cho (Incredible Hulk 027)

WHY I WANT TO PLAY HIM EVERY WEEK:

Ever since his introduction in a nifty 8-page story in the 2004 Amazing Fantasy anthology, Amadeus Cho has been a favorite character. In a comic world full of world-smashing Hulks and jaw-busting Hercs, this little Korean-American guy keeps pace by being the 7th (or 8th) smartest man in the world and able to parlay those brains in the physical world without the benefit of the money and tech that a Reed Richards or Tony Stark can leverage. This piece represents that pretty well by not only being loaded with Outwit and a bit of Probability Control, but also having a low-damage Penetrating Blast SP.

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WHY I DON’T:

He works best with a Hercules, and although the Lion of Olympus made the Top 10 list, he’s not a favorite. Cho’s 59 points are also a little steep for his fragility and short life.

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I’M PLAYING HIM NEXT:

He’s got the Avengers keyword, so he’s probably going on the next non-movie-inspired one I play. But I’m really holding out for the next Celebrity team to put him and Herc on.

Speaking of Avengers, the next person on the list is one. See you the–

Wait. What’s this?!?

"Khazad!!! Khazad ai menu!"

Gimli (Lord of the Rings 005)

As I’ve been cobbling this list of favorites together, a short but doughty red-bearded dwarf kept clamoring for a spot. “But,” I argued, “I’ve only played it once and never done it again. I haven’t even planned any teams for him to be on. How can he possibly make the list?”

Then another part of me argues back, “Don’t you always wish you’d thought of him, afterward? And haven’t you wanted to run him again, frequently?

“Isn’t the only reason he hasn’t been played more often is because of A) a dearth of LOTR-centric events coupled with B) your own desire to play any and all unplayed figures in your collection before returning to any given well?”

Yes, dammit. YES. True to his stubborn dwarf nature, Gimli refuses to go away, and thus finds himself a surprise tie with Amadeus Cho just as I was finishing the young genius’ writeup.

WHY I WANT TO PLAY HIM EVERY WEEK:

C’mon, he’s a dwarf. The jokes write themselves. More to the point, I always liked Gimli in the books and films (I secretly rooted for him in his body-count contest with Legolas). He’s a playable piece, too, with the stoutest defense of any of the Fellowship — even before factoring in his Epic Action trait, “Hold Your Ground!” granting +2 DV for himself and pals for a round —  and great melee ability in an Indomitable, quasi-Incapping package.

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WHY I DON’T:

The aforementioned lack of LOTR games are one reason — especially since at 107 points, he begins to feel a bit inefficient with an opening 9 AV (though that improves further in his dial) and downright overcosted when he can’t use his Epic power. He’s also quite slow and may have trouble getting into fighting range as a result. Finally, he’s stuck with just one useable keyword, Warrior, which tends to be a bit light in dwarf-tossing (TK) or toting (taxi) methods.

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WHEN I’M PLAYING HIM NEXT:

So hard to say, with the rarity of “Rings” games in these Gauntlet-obsessed days. I’m pretty hesitant to run the Fellowship in a standard Golden Age game. But he’ll be a lock for a “Fighting With Your Hands Full” scenario.

OK…that digression over, my next favorite also shares a quality with Gimli. Check out #7 next week!

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Continuing my final 2011-related countdown: my FAVORITE pieces of the year,  stating:

  • Why it’s a favorite that I want to play
  • Why I don’t play it all the time
  • When and how I’m planning to play it next

Cyclops wears black and hides his face behind his so-needed visor. These guys wear black and hide their faces in thin air, being more ghost than human…

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#9

Black Rider/Ringwraith/Nazgul/One Of The Nine/Servant Of Sauron (Lord of the Rings 016/006/101/102/020)

WHY I WANT TO PLAY THEM EVERY WEEK:

I could explain that I’ve been a fan of Lord of the Rings since reading the saga at age 12. I could also write how I love generic figures, even high-cost ones like these. And I could mention how playable they can be, especially when the different versions are fielded together (the Black Rider as taxi, the Ringwraith as defender, the Servant as the damage booster, the One as the healer and the Nazgul as the Incapper). But ultimately, maybe their theme music tells it best. Hit it, YouTube!

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WHY I DON’T:

The LOTR set isn’t considered Modern Age, so they get sidelined a lot. Also, in order to play them effectively, you need to be able to field multiple types and a lot of game builds just aren’t big enough for that. Moreover, I want to be able to play their leader, the 130-point Witch-King, along with them. But that 930-point squad then requires 70 points of filler that dilutes the theme. Finally, for all their powers, their shared opening AV of 9 (for the Nine!) isn’t exactly fear-inspiring, especially at epic-level builds.

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I’M PLAYING THEM NEXT:

Probably the first non-Modern Age game I can get of 600 points or more, especially if I can fit their leader the Witch-King in. And I will play that music.

I’m knee-deep in extra work these days, so my publishing schedule’s become erratic. But probably later this week, you’ll see #8. (He’s not dressed in black, promise.)


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OK. After owning up to and rectifying my mistake of not reviewing WizKids’ biggest mistake of 2011, it’s time for me to begin in earnest my final 2011-related countdown: my FAVORITE pieces of the year,  stating:

  • Why it’s a favorite that I want to play
  • Why I don’t play it all the time
  • When and how I’m planning to play it next

#10

Cyclops (Giant-Size X-Men 008)

WHY I WANT TO PLAY HIM EVERY WEEK:

Cyclops is an old favorite, ever since I first saw him on that episode of “Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends” guest-starring the X-Men. But he didn’t really catch my eye until I actually started reading Uncanny X-Men in the issues leading up to issue 200. That was the first time I saw the patented Cyclops bank shot. I don’t have a scan of it, but following a practice session in the danger room, he casually deactivates the session with a no-look optic blast bouncing bounced off the walls four or six times, drawing applause and rare praise from Wolverine in the control room: “Remind me never to face you across a pool table.”

Anyway, this Cyke is the first Sharpshooter version, the first with the Leadership that he so richly deserves, and the first with good stats and powers all around. Quite simply, it’s the first time the character’s truly been done well (although the “First Class” rookie in Mutations & Monsters wasn’t bad for the green, not-yet-field-leader Scott Summers).

Simply put, he’s a Cyke I’m not ashamed to play. And it’s about time.

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WHY I DON’T:

Although he’s great for X-Men teams, I’m not such a huge fan of playing X-Men teams. He’s also a lot of points to be so very soft, armor-wise, so I’m a bit leery of running him in general.

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I’M PLAYING HIM NEXT:

Still, I just won’t play an X-Men team without him. I’ve also had this hankering to play an all-Cyclops team, featuring all the past versions of Cyke in ‘clix. So far, though, I’ve resisted the urge, as the older Cyclopses are so mediocre that I’d just be handing the win to my opponents. I also lack some key representations of Scott — namely, his Hulked-out version, Hulklops, and the Cyclops / Phoenix duo. From there, then, I’ll want to run all the versions of Jean Grey, too, which causes that little theme idea to spiral right out of control.

So, yeah. Probably just sticking to X-Men.

Next on my list of favorites: More folks in black.

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I’m interrupting the countdown of my Top Ten Favorite HeroClix of 2011 to offer a rare, complete mea culpa. A few weeks ago, I listed the Top 10 Worst HeroClix of 2011:

Nomad (Captain America 016), Brute Honor Guard (Halo 029), Element Woman (Superman 016), Bruno Mannheim (Superman 020), Jigsaw (Incredible Hulk 024), Dhalsim (Street Fighter 103), Human Torch (Captain America 058), Guile (Street Fighter 105), Purifier (Giant-Size X-Men 002) / William Stryker (Giant-Size X-Men 019) and Princess Projectra (Superman 038).

I stand by that list. Each piece richly deserved its spot on the virtual wall of shame. And yet, for all that, none are completely worthless. With a little help, even these losers can shine:
  •  Nomad’s a candidate for the Loner feat to bump his DV to a quite respectable 18. Brute Honor Guard’s  Covenant TA means he can carry his fellow alien troops to serve as a shield for him, and Charge+Flurry is still one of the game’s best power combos. Element Woman is a decoy who can’t be safely ignored, and the Infiltrate feat can help her move about more freely at minimal additional cost.
  • Though his dependence on Intergang Underbosses is a weakness, Bruno with a trio or more of them is a wall of Outwit and fairly long-lasting Mastermind fodder that served me well when I played it. Jigsaw’s worked for me — and against me, thanks chiefly to his  Willpower making him a kamikaze hitman. You can’t completely dismiss a character like Dhalsim with the Street Fighter TA, nor a character with the big 4 damage that Human Torch brings to the table.
  • Even the horrid Guile has stung me with his short-range penetrating damage. The Purifiers have Predator X to do the heavy lifting they’re unable to do. And Princess Projectra was  instrumental in handing me a loss with her clutch Barrier and Super Senses rolls and wildcard ability, showing that even poor pieces like Her Royal Badness can play a role in victory.
But while I was compiling this list of mediocre-at-best pieces, I completely overlooked a figure that really does not have anything going for it at all, even in a set full of weak little Halflings. Perhaps it’s because she was disguised as “Dernhelm”…

Eowyn (Lord of the Rings 017)

A Rare in the LOTR set (equivalent to Super Rare in a normal set), she’s one heck of a disappointing pull for playability purposes.

  • With no range, no armor, and no move and attack to start, she’s no good in a fight, even with Willpower. Not without Perplex to help that 1 damage, anyhow.
  • But hark! What is this “White Lady of Rohan” SP? She can use Perplex and Support!…only on characters with action tokens on them. So what could have made her a solid support character leaves her only mediocre.
  • But wait! She’s also got a trait allowing her to ignore the effects of characters on movement and carry a cheaper character…only when she uses Charge.
  • Which she doesn’t get until click #2. So in order to use that “Fearless Charge” ability, she has to push, thus losing her Willpower and a point apiece of AV and DV. At least she gets Combat Reflexes to help.
  • Her Speed goes up from her starting 6(!) to 8, but if she’s Carrying she can only Charge 2 squares (8 halved to 4, minus 2 for using Carry).
  • She still can’t do any damage to speak of and her chances of hitting are worse than ever…unless she pushes again to get Blades/Claws/Fangs. OK, now we’re talking!
  • Too bad she just lost her “special-needs” version of Perplex, leaving her to continue flailing with an 8 AV.
  • Too late, on her final two clicks, she regains a decent 9 AV. She simultaneously slips to an indecent 14 DV only marginally aided by the Combat Reflexes. The appearance of Outwit on her final click is  more like a target on her forehead.

Gimme my fifty points, woman!

So, let’s recap. She’s nerfed as a backfield supporter, a poor fighter until mid-dial, with a DV unlikely to allow her to see much fighting time. What’s really horrid is that most of her Hobbit set-mates are all better at various support roles AND at fighting for LESS POINTS.

It’s completely unworthy of the courageous shieldmaiden who rode into Pelennor in the face of the mumakil charge and defeated the dark captain of Sauron’s forces. And it’s the worst HeroClix dial by far of 2011.

You are unworthy of the Warrior keyword.

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Once again (though MUCH later than I did last year) it’s time for me to do my final 2011-related countdown: my FAVORITE pieces of the year.

Again, it’s very different from the “official” Heroclixin’ one. Instead of listing, as I did with that list, all the reasons each fig was a playable, winning piece, I’ll be stating:

  • Why it’s a favorite that I want to play
  • Why I don’t play it all the time
  • When and how I’m planning to play it next

I’m starting with one that was actually sort of released in late 2010 as an honorable mention because it was a tournament prize that most didn’t get until this year:

Impulse (DC75th Anniversary 104)

WHY I WANT TO PLAY HIM EVERY WEEK:

The young Bart Allen was a super-fun character early in his career as the aptly named Impulse. But my affection for the character is outshined by his play style.

Although perfectly capable of being run as the usual hit-and-hide Hypersonic Speedster, his 17 DV+Combat Reflexes and special Shape Change (if he’s a solo target and gets the roll, he gets to base the attacker) conspire to encourage you to stay in a bit closer. This twist on HSS makes him a F.U.N. (Friendly, Useful, Nifty) little annoyance piece — well in keeping with the annoying spirit of the actual character.
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WHY I DON’T:

There are characters that are MUCH better than him at his price point, and I manage to talk myself into using one or more of those pieces practically every time I’m almost about to field lil’ Bart on a team. His keywords are only so-so for me as well.
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I’M PLAYING HIM NEXT:

Man, who knows? I could try to squeeze him onto my next Legion of Super-Heroes team, thanks to the seeming synergy between that group and the Future and Teen keywords, but there are enough essential Legionnaires who lack one or the other that Impulse is liable to get benched yet again (like I did just this past weekend). But he’s going to run amok in an upcoming game sooner or later.
Next time, later in the week, check out who’s my #10 favorite HeroClix character of last year! Here’s a hint: Always bet on black!

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Finally…the worst of the bad. Read on, if you dare.

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#2 is sort of a tie.


Purifier (Giant-Size X-Men 002) / William Stryker (Giant-Size X-Men 019)

OK, so admittedly minions, by definition, aren’t supposed to be all that super by themselves without their leaders. But the Purifier is pretty pathetic even by peon standards. 3 clicks of life and Toughness and some range and a click of 2 damage make him decent Mastermind fodder but little more.

Maybe his Minion power will help? He gets Willpower — that’s good — and a hefty +2 AV boost if his leader’s present. Great! But he’s still stuck with just 2 (or less) damage and thus has no way to crack heavy armor, unless his leader can help.

That, then, is the problem. The leader, William Stryker, is just as weak, with only a little Leadership to help his already Willpowered minions to act. Worse, he doesn’t get the much more effective Outwit until mid-dial (and thus almost dead) and by that time, he’s likely to have either lost his Purifiers or he’s getting KOed before they can take advantage of his Outwit.

Since I hate caricatures of religious people like this Stryker guy, I get a little satisfaction from the fact that even though he and the Purifiers are supposed to work well together, they don’t, actually.

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#1


Princess Projectra (Superman 038)

Everything’s wrong with this caster of illusions.

  • Why would you pay 70 points to give Super Senses to just ONE fellow Legionnaire only if they stand next to her?
  • Why would you pay 70 points for 4-range Barrier — especially when it really takes 8 range Barrier to really be good at it?
  • Why would you pay 70 points for a weak DV of 16 that, incredibly, only sinks lower and lower after that first click? Super Senses is poor consolation.
  • Why would you pay 70 points for single target, 4-range Mind Control — that you have to PUSH off that precious 16 DV to get to?
  • Why would you pay 70 points for the much better power combo of Stealth and Probability Control, when it doesn’t show until she’s half-dead?

 

Seriously, the only things good about her are that she’s a flying wildcard, like nearly every OTHER Legion member…and you’ll want to use any one of them before you should even look at her. In fact, the only reason to even glance her way is if you’re trying to build a Legion team…a big one, where she’ll be so barely significant to the action that she’ll be ignored in favor of your big guns — or somehow draw fire from them.

Proof that royalty doesn’t always equal superiority, Princess Projectra takes the crown as the worst HeroClix figure of 2011.

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The badness continues and is only getting worse. Behold!…

#4
Human Torch (Captain America 058)

At first, Torchy looks great; 4 damage, Running Shot, and a fair amount of Toughness that other versions of Johnny usually lack. But he’s got this thing called Nova Flame that drags him high (low?) onto the Worst list.

  1. He’s got to push to even get to the Special Power that allows him to TRY to add the Nova Flame. Pushing means he loses that 4 damage and he’s stuck there for a turn, anyway, on top of that.
  2. THEN he’s got to push AGAIN, via double power action, to get the Nova Flame, leaving him a sitting duck AGAIN. Better hope he actually managed to hit something while he’s hurting himself…AGAIN.
  3. Better hope he doesn’t get hit, because taking any little bit of damage from the attackers who fire at this sitting duck removes the Nova Flame and he’ll have to start all over again.

Paying an extra 20 points over the next cheapest versions of the youngest member of the Fantastic Four because of that stupid, almost-useless power makes him one of the worst of the worst ‘Clix of 2011.

No wonder Johnny's cryin' himself a kiddie pool.

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#3

Guile (Street Fighter 105)

The famous flat-topped Street Fighter makes the list for having an even more stupidly useless power than Torch’s, his “Flash Kick” that moves him 1 whole square to deal 1 whole damage — MAX! — and add one whole token. If that didn’t sound weak enough, wait — there’s more:

  • It’s a power action, so it doesn’t work with the Street Fighter TA at ALL.
  • His damage is only 2 to start with. Why would you lower it?
  • Because you HAVE to move to do it, it’s basically shut down when he’s based. Sure, you could make a break away roll…to do less damage and give the target a token it’ll clear before Guile does HIS. Yeah, no thanks.
  • Guile has no armor, so if he gets hit while based before or after using this power, he’s stuck on Penetrating/Psychic Blast and Energy Shield/Deflection, both beyond useless in adjacency.
  • Playing keep away is difficult with his paltry 4 range (which is also a problem for his using the above powers).

Continue? Only if you get to switch characters!

This Guile just “ticks” me off. #3 Worst HeroClix of the year.

I’ll give you all until next week to brace yourselves for the very worst of the bad ‘clix 2011 had to offer. In the meantime, have a weekend as good as these ‘Clix are lousy!

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#7
Bruno Mannheim (Superman 020)

For almost a C-note, points-wise, you get 16 DV Mastermind and 1 damage? Even with Exploit Weakness, that’s subpar. His 2nd target is almost totally wasted unless he’s using Mind Control against multiples.
But wait — his SP Mind Control only works on 50-points-or-lower characters. So the 2nd target is STILL likely to be dead weight.
He doesn’t get into real fighting shape until halfway through his short, six-click life, and while he’s formidable at that point, he’s also an easily-targeted-and-shot-or Outwitted Giant.

Too many liabilities and too few teams to truly support him — he all but NEEDS the similarly weak Intergang Underbosses around — Bruno Mannheim proves that, in this case, crime most definitely does NOT pay.

Not listenin' to your EXCUSES!!

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#6

Jigsaw (Incredible Hulk 024)

The trouble with Jigsaw, other than his mediocre stats, middling range, and inflexible keywords is the fact that he’s GOT to take damage to be at all effective. Trouble is, by the time he’s taken enough shots to be effective, his stats have sunk even lower. So you’re faced with the devil’s choice of boosting his AV to hit for light damage or sacrificing more to hit a little harder but with poor AV; you can’t choose BOTH, ever.

That’s as ugly as his face and reason enough to rate deep in the Top Ten Worst ‘Clix of ’11.

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#5
Dhalsim (Street Fighter 103)

This stretchy-limbed character, in the Street Fighter games, is a slow, floaty character that excels at mid- to long-range attacks. But in close, he’s easy to hit despite his teleport moves (which have too much lag to use effectively, in my memory).

  • So why are his only powers Super Senses and Phasing/Teleport?
  • Also, he’s got a full-screen projectile in the form of his Yoga Fireball. Yet he only has 3 range, even shorter than other Street Fighters’.
  • And his damage and DV are too low for a 50-point tie-up piece, which is his chief role.

He’d be worth playing at 20 points cheaper. As he is, though, only two words come to mind:

Yoga FAIL.

Numbers 4 and 3 next time.

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#10
Nomad (Captain America 016)
At first, he doesn’t look like he belongs here. Running Shot, 3 damage and Willpower is a winning combination.

  • Then you notice his 4 range. Again, with Running Shot, that’s not a killer. But it keeps him from being one.
  • It also doesn’t help that he’s 63 points. In a game with far more effective fighters at far fewer points, he’s weaksauce.
  • Especially since he’s got ZERO KEYWORDS to pal him up with fellows to help him out, or vice versa!

With all these liabilities, he richly deserves his ranking as the #10 Worst HeroClix of 2011.

Actually, you'll find him in the bottom of your clix storage case. And you'll wish you hadn't found him.

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#9 is 
Brute Honor Guard (Halo )

Charge and Flurry, a power combo only made possible through Special Powers and Traits, is one of the game’s very best, and Brute H.G. here has it for much of his dial. So how could he possibly end up being one of the worst clix?

  • Low damage. Flurry is one of those powers that’s markedly better as damage rises. His natural 2 (or lower) damage means he’ll be restricted to hitting soft targets or getting help from Perplex for this combat value. That’s a problem because of his…
  • Low attack value. While not terrible, starting with 9 AV is NOT what you need from a 90-plus-point fighter (Heck, even that stinker Nomad starts with a 10!) who HAS to land his attacks, because…
  • He’s soft. A 17 DV with Defend isn’t good for a close combat fighter at ALL. Even though he’s got a SP that can Force Blast his targets so that they can’t punch him back, it only works if he lands his initial attack. (Sure, you could ignore his Indomitable ability and push to click #2 to pick up Toughness. But that’s a REALLY modest upgrade.)

Add his minimal range of 3 and poor Speed, and it’s no wonder this guy earns the DIShonor of being the #9 Worst HeroClix of 2011.

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Who’s #8? None other than Element Woman (Superman 016)
Plasticity, Poison and Exploit Weakness look like they ought to make her playable, not firmly ensconced in the Top Ten Worst list.

  • But her 17 DV with Toughness isn’t really enough to protect her much when she’s in close like her powers demand she be. And once she’s gotten hit — as she usually will be — she just gets worse.
  • This is assuming she can even close in in the first place. Her 7 Speed isn’t very effective with her being unable to fly or Phase, and that value only goes down, never up.
  • One solid hit, and her close combat threat is majorly blunted by her 8 AV (despite Blades/Claws/Fangs). Her DV is also an anemic 15, with Shape Change pretty much showing up too late to be any #$#^@# good.

Like Nomad before her, she’s just too many points for what she doesn’t do. A few powers swapped around, and she’d be good. But as is, well…

You'd beg, too, if you were THIS USELESS.

More badness to come in the days ahead. Commiserate with me!

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Not every HeroClix is good. In fact, some are outright mediocre. And in the year 2011, there were a few stinkers.

Or WERE there? Unlike last year, when it was easy to select 10 pretty awful pieces, the candidates this time around were a lot harder to identify.

For example, I selected Major Glenn Talbot as an early front-runner for the 10 Worst list. Sporting the same lousy 33-point cost and 16 DV + Mastermind and 1 damage as LE Bruce Wayne last year, he seemed to fit the mold.

But then I looked at how superbly the Major supports a Soldier team of shooters with his SHIELD TA and non-stop Enhancement and long run of Willpower. Even his Mastermind works OK, what with the copious numbers of cheaper Soldier or Hulkbuster characters in the game.

That’s why, much as I wanted to, I could not put Talbot among the Top Ten Worst HeroClix of 2011 after all.

That's RIGHT. Respect the uniform, MAGGOT!!!

 

So what ARE the 10 worst? Keep an eye out this week for ’em!