At long, long last, HeroClix Organized Play is BACK! For those who don’t know, Organized (or Approved) Play is a system of tournaments held at gaming and comics shops nationwide where HeroClix players can compete for Limited Edition prizes that cannot be found in random boosters like the other pieces.

One popular format for both players and the company is Sealed, in which each player buys a couple of boxes and builds a team out of what’s inside. It’s a great equalizer between the veteran collector with thousands of characters to choose from and the new player who only owns an even dozen.

Today’s battle report is on the 300 points sealed Hammer of Thor tournament! Here’s what I ran:

= 295 points. This “Asgardian” keyword team lacked range, but I hoped Fandral’s Leap/Climb and Heimdall’s immunity to most move & attack powers would mitigate that weakness somewhat. The Troll was both filler and a damage-soaking tie-up piece. Now I turn it over to my “narrator”…

“At long last, we of the golden realm of Asgard hath exited our year-long sleep to enter the light of HeroClix day! But no sooner hath we blinked the matter from our eyes than we find the realm assailed by invaders!!

BATTLE ONE:

“Immediately I recognized the wicked Amora the Enchantress leading the miscreants: the lord of rock trolls Ulik and a Phalanx Soldier from a galaxy in Midgard’s heavens. They would not escape mine eyes. Battle was joined; our compelled Rock Troll drew Amora’s wrath as Fandral and I battled the incredibly tough-skinned Ulik. Even sharp-witted Fandral could find no chink’s in the fiend’s armor. The Rock Troll was defeated after many, many blows from Ulik and Enchantress and mine own forbearance against Ulik nearly cost us everything when he managed to wrest himself from our grasp. A merry chase they led us on, but eventually we ran them to ground. FOR ASGARD!!!

As we caught our breath and tended our wounds, we were startled to find our selves facing yet more invaders from the mortal realm’s heavens…”

BATTLE TWO:

“One calling himself Air-Walker and his dimunitive, furred companion Rocket Raccoon claimed Asgard for his master Galactus. Having seen long ago his dismissal from his role as herald for that infernal planetbreaker, I for my part dismissed his threat as mere bluff, but soon found that he was not to be taken lightly.

Fandral suggested we approach slowly, for while I could see his movements to avoid his attacks, he and our troll could not. And indeed, Air-Walker dealt his share of wounds to my stalwart ally. But we fought on bravely, waylaying the duo with blows that would have done even Thor proud, forcing this artificial being to self-repair again and again. Meanwhile, we also ran the animal to ground.

I know not when Fandral fell, but eventually it was I alone against the herald. And I failed, giving him a chance to self-repair and flee once more. At last my own sight failed as well and I took grievous harm. No longer able to strike with my usual vigor, I could not stop him from self-repairing one last time to seal my defeat.

It was fortunate indeed that this Air-Walker had not been in the thrall of his celestial master.”

BATTLE THREE:

“And yet it was not ended! A third group of interlopers appeared at the gates of Asgard: the reformed villain Songbird, Thor Odinson’s mortal ally Captain America, both accompanied by a Valkyrie of the realm and…by Odin’s beard!…another Fandral?!??

‘This deviltry needs be met with care,’ Fandral said. And so with care did we tread: myself using the Bifrost Bridge to widen my zone of movement and Fandral using his wits and agility to keep his opposite number in sight at all times. Meanwhile, we sent the troll ahead to act as diversion.

Mine eyes had seen what Captain America was capable of with that shield of his; not for nothing does he command Thor’s immortal respect. Fortunately, whatever madness impelled him to assault the golden realm also prevented him from fully using his ability to ricochet his shield to even unseen targets. Instead, his companion Songbird flew him into the fountains. And now it was time to strike.

The troll was ready to obey my command to rush forward to engage, but the woman surrounded him in solid sound–and nearly ensnared me. But I was free and clear to attack in the next moment, and did, rendering her utterly unconscious. Fandral then joined the now-free rock troll in engaging the Captain while the other Fandral engaged me. But the troll fell to the combined assault of the Captain’s fists and the rogue Valkyrie’s spears.

Now it was Fandral’s duty to engage the Captain, and I was left to battle dark Fandral alone. Alas, I could not best him. The last thing I saw before darkness took me was Fandral defeating the Captain, yet somewhat the worse for wear compared to his doppelganger.

“And now it falls to me, Fandral the Dashing, to relate the end of this grim tale. It is said that one who flees may live to duel again, and thus did I to the nearest rooftop. My doppelganger followed. Pushed to the edge of endurance, I successfully kicked him stoutly enough that we were now at the same level of endurance and forced him to draw his blade and show me the full measure of his skill.

He lunged. I parried and riposted. My blade struck true and deep; my opposite number went down and I was the victor.”

“And so we defended the gates of Asgard with enough success to call it a truly Legendary Day.”

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Three excellent games. The one against Air-Walker may well have been my win if not for three solid Regen rolls by Tim, the venue judge and my opponent…a very epic game. The first round vs. Scott found him a bit stymied by his slight lack of grasp of rules that hampered his planning. He still played fine…he never made any serious errors. The last game came down to Fandrals on the same BCF/CR click against a towering 19 DV and I won out with a game-ending 5 BCF roll.

Went to another venue for another game. Pulled and played Air-Walker (seeing how effective he is in this format), Jimmy Woo, and MOLLY HAYES, who, as it happens, will be our narrator this time.

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“YAY! I got on the team!

The leader of the team was Air-Walker. He does walk on air, sorta, ’cause he can fly. He also dresses in pretty colors and is flaming. The other guy on the team was Jimmy Woo, who’s totally opposite. He wears a normal suit and looks totally normal. But I could tell  he was a little scary, too, in his own way. (And just between us, I think he was the REAL leader, not Mr. Walker.)

Me? I’m PRINCESS POWERFUL!!!!

Anyway, we got in a fight with some robots. Ultron was the scary-looking one and M-11 was the kinda hokey-looking one. Oh, and there was a ninja, too. We had the fight in a real CASTLE!

Ultron was scarier than the last time I remember. Mr. Walker’s first few attacks didn’t even scratch him! But now it was MY turn to fight! Mr. Walker brought me right in front of Ultron and I dared him to try and hit me.

M-11 tried to shoot Air-Walker but Mr. Walker dodged while I was dodging Ultron over and over. (I guess I’m smaller than he’s used to.) For some reason the Ninja jumped out of the open to fight me, but he couldn’t hurt me either. So while I was pounding on Ultron, Mr. Walker speeded away with Mr. Woo.

Then, because Mr. Walker has Cosmic Power or something like that, he and Mr. Woo shot Ultron with a HUMONGOUS energy blast. Then I hit Ultron with a humongous punch that knocked him out cold! YAY!

Mr. Walker and Mr. Woo shot M-11 right off the castle wall and in the moat. Then Mr. Walker double-shot the robot and the Ninja at the same time and we won!”

FIGHT TWO

“We went to a lab that looked like it was Iron Man’s or something and we fought some sorcerers named Enchantress (who’s really pretty) and Malekith (who’s not). And there was that Thunderbolt, Penance. He’s scary-looking.

Mr. Air-Walker and Mr. Woo told me to be careful because punching the magic man and lady would hurt me back like grabbing a live wire. I hate it when grown-ups try to tell me what to do! (Even when they’re right.)

Anyway, we were wondering how we were gonna get to the bad guys until they shot a hole in the lab wall. (OK, I guess THAT works.) Mr. Walker used his Cosmic Power to fly out and shoot Malekith really hard. Mr. Woo told Mr. Walker to carry me up to the hole because I’m the strongest and toughest one of us all. And I proved it when Penance tried to hit me and it didn’t even hurt! (But I hurt MYSELF trying to hit him one time.)

Both the grown-ups made short work of the bad guys, and we won again!”

FIGHT THREE

“We were in space now, but it was really weird. There was a fat guy, the Kingpin. And then there was an Asgardian Warrior, who looked and acted like a real-life Viking. There was Ultron AGAIN!!! Didn’t I punch him out? But the weirdest thing was seeing my friend Karolina Dean on the other team!! That’s not FAIR!!

Things started slow. Mr. Walker shot Karolina, sending her back to shield Ultron. (How wrong is THAT?) Mr. Woo told me to fight Ultron again, so I did. But this time I also had to fight the viking AND the Kingpin, who kept telling the other bad guys where to hit me so it hurts! SO UNFAIR!!!!

The worst part was that I was so scared that I hurt myself trying to fight again. And that made the viking knock me out with his sword.

Ugh, I HATE LOSING!

Mr. Walker told me later that Mr. Woo was so sorry I got hurt that he ran up to fight Ultron by himself, and lost. Then Mr. Walker was all alone but winning when he ran out of time. He said he was so sad about me that he forgot to focus on beating the Warrior instead of Ultron, which would’ve made us win ’cause he’d KOed Karolina already.

Well, DUH! He SHOULD’VE hit the Warrior, ’cause the Warrior hit ME! Sheesh.

Anyway, it didn’t have a good ending, but it was still a cool adventure. Mr. Air-Walker is really awesome in this sort of random fighting and Mr. Woo works good too ’cause he’s a secret agent of SHIELD. At least that’s what he says.

Y’know something, though? Nobody was paying attention then, but I’m not a dumb little kid like people think. Karolina TOTALLY shouldn’t have been on that team. Not only is she my friend, but:

= 344 points. I think someone’s math was really off.