Now it’s time for Heroclixin’s favorite countdown: Its Top Ten Favorite Figs of 2013!

But first, we’ve got to cop to a blunder in the Top Ten list re: Team Bases.

Heroclixin’ considered Justice League, Trinity of Sin and Shi’ar Imperial Guard to be in a three-way tie as the best of the once-broken, now merely powerful team base characters. But, still swoony over the sheer alpha-striking strength of TBs pre-Watch List, Heroclixin’ completely overlooked a challenger for the title outright:

Hellfire Club Inner Circle [Wolverine and The X-Men T006]

Like the other three, it deals high damage and starts with its best Asset Dial abilities (in its case, it can’t be Mind Controlled, Psychic Blasted or targeted by unfriendly Perplex and has Mastermind and Stealth). By using Solo Adventure to drop off Black King as Mastermind fodder, Hellfire Club becomes very difficult to KO.

Its weaknesses are that unlike the others, it has zero moving attack, has shorter range and is more dependent on map choice to properly leverage its Stealth. But with a well-armored dial that’s a full three clicks longer than any of the others on the Top Ten, who really cares? Feel free to replace your least favorite choice of Heroclixin’ Top Ten with this one.

OK, on with the F.U.N. stuff!

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Here’s the usual honorary mention from the previous year that got released too late to truly shine in its calendar year but got its due the following one.

Black Lightning [Batman]

WHY I WANTED HIM IN THE FIRST PLACE: First of all, I collect all the black characters in the game and he’s an old favorite. But he’s also a solid update of the character: Evocative of the old Collateral Damage Vet, he bears the same Running Shot, Willpower and Outsiders TA combo. His boost comes from his Special Power granting Energy Explosion, Penetrating/Psychic Blast and triple-targeted, Sharpshooter Incap. In all, he’s a great example of the general excellence in modern clix design.

I WANT TO RUN HIM EVERY WEEK BECAUSE: He became a piece I considered running all the time during the No Man’s Land events of 2013. With Outsiders TA, he was the rare counter to the Utility Belt’s too-frequent stat bonuses. And even now, he’s a figure that fits my F.U.N. playing style.

I DON’T PLAY HIM EACH WEEK BECAUSE: He’s still more of a piece I use in competitive games than friendly ones. But that purpose is undermined by his soft, middling defenses and the uncopyable TA.

I’LL FIELD HIM NEXT: On an “electrify” team of him and other figs with electric sculpt elements. He’s a lock anytime I try out a Politician keyword team.

Next: My fave list begins in earnest with what might be the blackest character of all…

So here it is…the crud at the bottom of the slop trough. The scum of the sewage runoff. The nasty stuff that grows on that forgotten leftover dish in the back of the fridge.

No. 2

Pepper Potts [Invincible Iron Man 016]
Alter Ego figs are always a bit clunky to field; most of the time, they’re just whiling away rounds, trying push — or get hit — to their transformation clicks. In the meantime, what do you do with them?

In Pepper’s case, nothing. Not unless she’s paired with an Iron Man or Tony Stark, to whom she grants immunity from Mind Control and P/P Blast from 150 points or less. And from whom she gets to switch to AE for free if she’s about to be KO’d next to him.

But by herself? Absolutely useless…until she gets to her AE clicks. Then she’s suddenly a half-decent medic with 14-13 Defend and 7 AV. So…do you use her as a medic, or swap in a Rescue suit and get stuck with a token or two and less healing ability?

She’s called Pepper but she’s not so hot.

BUT…she’s quite the meat shield for an Iron Man or Tony Stark thanks to her trait

No. 1

Mandarin [Iron Man 3 104]
Starting with Stealth, Perplex and Shape Change, Mandarin looks like a stolid supporting piece. But he’s only any good on an A.I.M. team., and only if he’s the beefiest member. When the beefiest member is only leveraging 2 damage and 5 range, all the traited Leadership and Mind Control in the world likely won’t help — especially as his mid-dial Mastermind-only-when-next-to-AIM SP lacks Stealth to guard it. This 100 points is indeed a fraud, only rivaled by his sculptmate…

Mandarin [Iron Man 3 004]
At first he looks so much better, being able to hide within the start zone [via “Terrorist Mastermind” on clicks 1-3] and attack from same [via “Activate the Sleeper Cells”] like certain other figures in years gone by. But the latter’s activated by and through non-free actions by AIM personnel — and, worst of all, it doesn’t even show until click #4 [of six].

His third SP, “Message of Terror,” grants Leadership, Outwit and Perplex along with a super version of the latter two if the Extremis Explosion power ever gets used. Good luck with that: Because he’s stuck in the start zone, until then he’s not going to do much Leading, Outwitting or Perplexing, ever. And even if he self-pushes to mid-dial where he can use his “shoot-from-start-zone” SP, he’s by then lost Message of Terror and only has 8-9AV and 1 damage. 120 points is TWICE as much as this bum is worth.

BUT…well, maybe he can lead an AIM team, maybe? Blegh.

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Next: A dubious bonus round of dishonorable mentions

No. 4

Prodigy [Fear Itself 004]

The booby prize of many a Fear Itself booster. Though his “Flawed Leadership” could work at times, and his first click is OK, he’s practically done after just one click of damage [losing his Invuln.] and totally useless as anything other than a meat shield after two. Really not worth running for the 75 points; there are nearly a hundred better choices for the exact cost in Modern Age alone. I’m pretty sure the word “prodigy” means like the complete opposite of this piece.

BUT…that Leadership SP does work. Sometimes. On really huge-point teams

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A fellow player reminded me of the Kick-### 2 set and its generally underwhelming figures. As I looked at them, I repeatedly found myself agreeing with him but also saying to myself something like, “But…this character’s only like 35 or 40 or 50 points.”

Except in this case.

No.3

 

Battle Guy [Kick-A## 2 009]

If he had normal Perplex to help his low stats (7/9/15/2), he’d still be mediocre but at least playable as a third-line fighter in addition to his pit crew role of boosting others’ stats with his nerfed version. Even being only 35 points doesn’t save him from the ignominy of being among the very worst that 2013 had to offer because he only bears a short four clicks of life in comparison with the five or higher possessed by his setmates (who aren’t exactly great themselves).

BUT…he’s going to be a backfield piece anyway, so he doesn’t need to be that great, statswise, and he’s just long-lived enough to become a half-decent tie-up piece unless the enemy devotes a really strong blow to him

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No. 6

Layla Miller [Wolverine and the X-Men 026]
At first glance, she looks like a meta-worthy piece, loaded to the gills with pit crew powers including a SP bundle of Outwit and Prob Control (the latter with a rider allowing her to drop tokens from herself or adjacent X-Factor pals) and the power to revive a KO’d friend. But when one sees that

• her range is just 4 and
• her DV is just 16 and
• her AV is just 9 and
• her damage is just 1 and
• her resurrection SP doesn’t show until mid-dial and
• it only works on adjacent figs costing 150 or less and
• the revival only last for a turn anyway and
• she’s liable to be KO’d before she gets to use it during her 5-click life,

then even her wild-card Minions of Doom TA is unlikely to truly make her playable at her nearly 80-point cost. Her tagline is “I know stuff,” but you ought to know not to use her.

BUT…there are those pit crew powers and that TA. She could still work a little

No. 5

Zach Hale Comstock [Bioshock Infinite 012]
Outwit and Leadership with a 15% chance at a bonus immunity to Outwit for pals within 4 squares seems OK. But…it’s just 4 squares. That doesn’t offer much flexibility at ALL. With 1 damage all dial long, his offense is nil and a total waste of his 10-11 AV. And his uncopyable Founders TA just kills his use with other teams that could otherwise synergize with him. He’s 70 points of geriatric junk.

BUT…don’t ever count Stealthed Mastermind out completely. Surround him with fodder and go to town

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Next: Excrement in clix form

The countdown — with the emphasis on DOWN — marches on.

No. 8

Secret [Teen Titans 040]
Bearing Phasing/Teleport and Poison-plus that halves the Speed of foes whom it doesn’t outright damage, the 50-point Secret would seem like a great cheap tie-up figure and thus not worthy of a spot among the Worst. Her trouble is that even with Super Senses her 16 DV is a bit below average. Shape Change would balance that little weakness out a fair amount if you didn’t have to push to click #2 to see it. This is a secret that should be kept…off your teams!

BUT…both her AV and damage “hulk-up” down her dial. She could be a “Secret” weapon against the unsuspecting.

No. 7

Fairchild [Teen Titans 003]

With Impervious and 6-only-but-traited Shape Change, this statuesque fig seems like an odd choice for the Worst list. Starting with Leap/Climb and 9 AV are what doom her. For 100 points, she either needs to move-attack or have a better shot at landing her blow with the heavy object she’s likely toting. It doesn’t help that her 2nd click has the 10 AV she could use, but that she’ll never see because you’re NOT GOING to push this Indomitable gal for just that modest upgrade. On top of it all, she’s MUCH more playable on her 75-point level, so C-Note Fairchild should be roundly ignored.

BUT…she’s got a nice butt? Seriously, just use the 75-point version unless you just gotta fill points

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Next: Poop on parade

After a brief break following the more-than-a-week-straight Top Ten countdown,  Heroclixin’s look back at 2013 continues. This time we look at the WORST clix the year had to offer!

An earlier draft of this countdown, pre-Watch List, was going to consist of two different categories: the usual “worst” pieces — those you wouldn’t be caught dead fielding in a game you hoped to, y’know, maybe win — and a second list containing the worst pieces to FACE. But after the Watch List results, most of the second type were relegated to the dust heap of HeroClix history, and the remaining stuff just isn’t that scary. So it’s on with the crap countdown!

Though “crap” may be a bit harsh. There are very few totally bad figures being made now. For each character, there might be a way for these turds to possibly — POSSIBLY — shine like, well, pewter maybe.

No. 10

Hammer Industries Drone [Invincible Iron Man 005]
75 for 5 range, 9 AV and 2 damage unless you push to click #3 — for just ONE click of 3 damage? And the AV slips to 8 from there? And it requires carrying one of the just three cheaper Hammer Industries characters to get a DV boost from its SP? Even Improved Targeting: Hindering isn’t enough to save this from being a hunk of junk.

BUT…one of those Hammer Industries figs is the deadly-versus-armor Justin Hammer, who could use the DV bonus. And there’s also the 55-point Gravity Feed drone whose shorter dial has more utility and could also benefit. So maybe this trash could be someone’s treasure.