A BLAST FROM THE PAST (aka a post I scheduled literal years ago but never hit the publish button)

The scenario: Modern Age* game with no characters over 75 points.

*This game was held before July 1, 2015, when Amazing Spider-Man, DC 10th Anniversary, Fear Itself, and Streets of Gotham sets were retired from Modern Age play.  

The team: Animals.

 

Lockjaw [Guardians of the Galaxy ] 75
Rocket Raccoon [Guardians of the Galaxy Movie 005] 75
Vixen [Streets of Gotham] 74 + Justice League: Generation Lost ATA 3
Alyosha Kraven 70
Dex-Starr [War of Light] 68
Catwoman [DC 10th Anniversary 008] 35
+ Bat Signal 2

= 399 points.

The opponents:

Derrick and his Stargirl [Superman and the Legion of Super-Heroes]+Ion entity, Boodikka, Riddler [SLOSH],  and Phoenix Force
George and his Bizarro [SLOSH 039], Tony Stark [Iron Man], Lockjaw [GotG], Sister Sercy, Captain America [Marvel 10th Anniversary 001], two Alpha Primitives and Book of Skull+Angrir’s Hammer.
Matt and his Red Lanterns Dex-Starr, two Recruits, Rankorr + Black Hand entity, Boodikka + Butcher entity and Power Battery+Sapphire ring.

The results:

2-1. The animals squeaked out a 1-point win over Derrick by KOing his 3-point Phoenix Fragment-wearing 75-point Boodikka while losing the equal-priced Lockjaw and wasting the 2-point Bat Signal in a missed attack. But the second match against George couldn’t have gone more poorly unless I rolled actual critical misses. From an unexpected one-hit KO of Vixen by a hammer-wielding Bizarro who landed on Hypersonic Speed EVERY SINGLE TIME he could act, to a seemingly inconsequential failed breakaway Sidestep to an actual late-game misplay that absolutely killed off any chance of scoring a single other KO, it was a complete disaster that should have been a closer game by rights. I had to take it out on Matt’s team in the third round.

As usual, Alyosha served as the engine of the Animal team and Vixen, as its potential lead attacker. But the additions of Rocket, Lockjaw and Dex-Starr gave the team much more shooting, mobility and swarming power than usual.

 

 

It’s been a literal TWO many years since our most recent Atlantis Attacks F.U.N. Focus: a whole Modern Age rotation (figures denoted by italics) has come and went without us reviewing them. Here’s an attempt at a mea culpa.

First things first: Nearly every Atlantis piece got an upgrade with the 2017 rules overhaul: The Dolphin speed symbol grants the Swim keyphrase, which now not only allows unhindered movement through water, but also adds +1 defense against range attacks.

That stacks on top of the identical Atlantis ATA effect:

Nice +2 DV for Golden Age games!

Second: The frequency of water on maps has increased a LOT in recent sets. We’ll look at your best choices at the end of the article. Now, let’s get into the figures, in order of points and newest pieces first. We’ll note when a fig should TEAM UP with certain allies and when a Golden Age piece has CARDS TO CONSIDER.

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^^^^^ Below 50 points: shrimps and chum ^^^^^

 

Giganto & Namor [Avengers Infinity G017] 15 points

The whale is a walking paradox, being a colossal yet the least expensive Atlantis piece one can field. With just 4 Speed, he’s only there to fill points and for Colossal Retaliation.

King Aquaman [Elseworlds 045] 20 points

He’s Immobile, but useful to give a beached Atlantis team water terrain anyway. He can add a square of water each turn and use it to nudge an enemy out of it. And if a crit hit strikes an ally, he transforms into a formidable fighter. Caution: his anti Outwit/modification trait doesn’t work at this level.

Atlantean Warrior [Avengers Defenders War 016] 25 points

Great filler for Atlantis, especially TEAMED UP with a leader that also has the Ruler keyword to give him +1 AV.

 

Dolphin [DC Rebirth 036] 30 points

Though only 3 clicks long, Dol has some skills with Sidestep 4 range 10 AV Incap with 2 arrows. And with her 2 damage, you’ll maybe lean on that power. Or at least you WOULD if she didn’t have the FREE ability to flip to a second dial with 10 Charge — full Speed in water! — and 11 BCF with Battle Fury. Push her and flip back to her first dial to help pals with Empower. Really solid; just make sure to TEAM UP with water-making allies.

 

Shark [WizKids DP16-007] 30 points

This companion piece to the con-exclusive surfboard Batman is absolutely no good out of the water, so make sure you field a way to make some. Good damage potential with Charge and Exploit (which it only has when in water). TEAM UP with water-makers such as the next entry,,,

 

Aquaman [Batman The Animated Series 065] 30 points

Superfriends Aquaman is another who needs the water to be at all successful. Fortunately, he always brings it with him via his SP. At this point cost, he’s maybe better backing up pals with Empower. Do not give landlubber foes (who get +2 AV or DV against him if they’re out of water) easy shots at him.

Mermaid [Superman/Wonder Woman 022] 33 points

11 AV Incap and +2 DV against non-Willpower’d foes is all she offers alone. It’s why she must TEAM UP…

…with Lori Lemaris [Superman/Wonder Woman 042] 45 points

When she or Mermaid is KO’d, enemies nearby are dealt 2 penetrating. A little Willpower and Mind Control give her some use beyond that, but she’s maybe better dead than alive. TEAM UP with Aquaman [Brightest Day 005] to possibly deal even more payback damage.

 

^^^^^^ 50-75 points: barracudas ^^^^^^

Aqualad [DC Rebirth 012] 50 points

He’s the latest source of Telekinesis for Atlantis, so he’s a good pick for this keyword full of other Charge pieces. He can make a good mid-game fighter once he pushes off that sole TK click into five straight of BCF+Reflexes (and landing on Flurry, too). Very efficient. Teen Titans TA might be wasted if you can’t TEAM UP with others with the symbol or wildcard status.

Aquaman [DC Rebirth Fast Forces 001] 50 points

A piece starting with 9 Charge, 11 BCF and Perplex is pretty darn good for just 50. But the real reason to play this brand-new bearded version of the sea king is his “Lord of Atlantis Reborn” trait that not only grants Leadership but allows him to make a FREE close attack after being carried, if he’s dropped in water. So for best results, TEAM UP with a flier or a Great Size piece.

Giganto & Namor [Avengers Infinity G017] 50 points

This was one of our Top 10 figs of 2018, and I’ll quote: “…when you have an Indomitable colossal figure that can full-move Quake while wrecking terrain on the way with 18 DV Invincible and a STOP click to protect from the inevitable fire coming at it, along with the ability to shoot with Energy Explosion+Incap SP or clobber with Super Strength AND Colossal Retaliation for just 50 points” it means this is a must play on every Atlantis build that allows Marvel figs. Just be careful not to block allies’ attacks with too much hindering terrain.

 

Aquaman [Batman The Animated Series 065] 50 points

Like his guppy 30-point self, seahorse Aquaman needs water to work and he temporarily brings it to the field. But this sea king can actually fight with Charge, Exploit and 10 AV. Note that because his watery terrain SP only has 4 range and his targets get a big +2 DV bonus when not in water, his 5-square Charge speed is more like 3 actually. Use his POWER to make autonomous Average Fish bystanders to tie up those potential targets, maybe.

 

 

Namorita [Civil War Storyline 033] 60 points

Stealthy and, if next to blocking, Shape Changing, Namorita is better than most Atlantis keywords when high and dry. Though it’s maybe hard to land without Charge and with only 10 AV, her Acidic Touch SP that degrades good armor to just Toughness for a turn has some potential. Trouble is, such a move is likely to put her in harm’s way and may not be worth it.

Tempest [DC Rebirth 028] 75 points

A long-needed remake (not really seen since Crisis in 2008), grown-up Garth here is also another water generator for Atlantis, with FREE Smoke Cloud that makes water instead of hindering. He also has a great free damage move with the same trait that can act either as a no-attack-roll Incap or as a 6-ranged Poison. Starting Perplex is really useful, too, and he can fight with 6 range and Charge+SStrength. His weakness is only two clicks of Toughness and soft clicks from there on. TEAM UP: Wild cards and Aqualad to get the Titans TA heal.

The Drowned [DC Rebirth 064] 75 points

This chase figure of an alternate universe female version of Batman that became a villainous Aquaman type (don’t ask) is defensively soft with only Super Senses or Reflexes, so she needs her Stealth to keep her safe. Fortunately, her first trait makes water into hindering terrain for line of fire, and shooting at her in clear terrain still gives her at least +1 DV thanks to a third trait.

Forcing most foes to get close is good for her full dial of Poison, and all her damage is penetrating when she’s in water. Offensively, her damage peaks at 3 and drops to 2, but she has her second trait to help:

 Reckless Disregard For Life: Once per turn, when The Drowned targets and hits a single opposing character with a close attack, after resolutions deal each other character that is adjacent to either The Drowned or the target 1 penetrating damage. (Includes friendly characters and usually the target.)

Not bad. She’s Indomitable so you probably want to run her as a berserker to do maximum damage before she drops.

Aquaman [Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice Fast Forces 004] 75 points

A rare source of Barrier for Atlantis. And it’s a FREE when in water. Charge Exploit is almost just gravy.  The downside: Only 4 clicks of life at this price.

 

^^^^^^ 76-100 points: sharks ^^^^^^

Aquaman [DC Rebirth 045] 80 points

With Charge, 11 AV S.Strength, 17 Indomitable Invulnerability and Leadership, the latest version of Arthur Curry is kind of standard and even a bit weak with an unarmored middle dial (Reflexes). But there’s his “Leading the Charge” trait, which, combined with his FREE 4-square move in water, extends his swing greatly and grants Justice League pals Exploit Weakness. There’s also his FREE Mind Control of dolphin speed characters, which is only really good against same. He’s OK, not great.

 

Namor [Earth X] 80 points

Though his starting stats (8/10/18/3) are … OK … his DV spikes +2 when in water (thanks to a trait; as a flier, he doesn’t get the Swim bonus against range), so that’s his sweet spot as a meat shield. Out of water, he gets Poison. AV rises to 11 down dial with Flurry and his Indom. to press the attack. Still, he’s pricey for 5 clicks of life.

 

Aquaman [DC Rebirth Fast Forces 001] 100 points

Twice the price of the 50-pointer only buys two more clicks of life, though well armored with Invulnerability, and armed with Super Strength and CCE for much better damage dealt. But for that much more, one needs his 17 DV to start at 18 and his damage to be greater printed 3 — especially to get more use out of his traited FREE attack.

 

Giganto [Avengers Infinity G007] 100 points

He starts with a Phasing SP that makes hindering in his destination squares to give him a little cover against shooters. But his real skill is to MOVE and smash blocking with no cost Quake afterward. On an Atlantis team, you have to be very careful not to block your fellow swimmers from moving through the huge amount of permanent hindering terrain he makes.

Namor [Secret Wars: Battleworld 062] 100 points

Though priced with the stats of a fighter, this odd Indomitable piece is more of a Leadership taxi and medic with his SP to carry 4 and heal 1 if he can move far enough. Mid-dial he becomes an offensive force before shifting back to his taxi skill later with a shot at Regen. TEAM UP: The Trench, Atlantean Warrior

Mera [Harley Quinn and the Gotham Girls 035] 100 points

A Modern Age source of TK for Atlantis, Bombshell Mera only has a single click of the power and you don’t really want to push off her starting numbers. OTOH, maybe you do want to push to her SP Quake that can rack up Bombshell tokens (that can grant her FREE attacks or serve as armor upgrade to her trait Toughness) in a hurry, though with a 9 AV that might not be happening. She’s a piece all over the place, gaining PPB late dial and with two scattered Regen clicks. Probably better for bigger games.

Aquaman [WizKids DP16-006] 100 points

A strong Aquaman that guarantees some water terrain (adds 7 squares if you’re 2nd player and you get stuck on a dry map). he also gets Reflexes and Willpower when in water while gaining quasi-Stealth against foes trying to see him from land. TEAM UP: Superfriends Aquaman or King Aquaman at 20 points really increase his flexibility.

 

Giganto & Namor [Avengers Infinity G017]100 points

Though superb at 50 points, doubling the price literally doubles this piece’s lifespan. Not a bad move if you can spare the points.

 

^^^^^ 101-125 points: maneaters ^^^^^

Namor [Civil War Storyline 111] 110 points

Lounging Namor is a pog factory, spawning bystanders (equivalent to click 2 of the Atlantean Warrior) with the Atlantis keyword. But his real boon to teams is his +1 AV boost to the whole Atlantis force. An absolute must play for that reason alone.

King Aquaman [Elseworlds 045] 110 points

Where his cheap 20-point level is a team player, this Exploit Weakness Charge piece is a lead attacker. Being immune to Outwit and enemy Perplex is nice, as is the Kingdom Come team ability to possibly dodge shots. At only 6 clicks, he might go down fast as foes prioritize his 12 AV threat. He needs friends to block and draw fire.

Aquaman [Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice 006] 110 points

Gaining Super Senses and Hypersonic in water make this one of the most dangerous Atlantis pieces — to yourself! That’s because with only 3 damage, he doesn’t hit very hard and could overextend. He needs to be part of a one-two punch for best results.

Aquaman [Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice Fast Forces 004] 125 points

Meanwhile, his sculptmate gets a +1 DV for his action tokens but might be more involved with tossing up FREE Barrier every turn to gain the bonus. Starting Perplex makes him a boon to Atlantis as well.

 

^^^^ Above 125 points: apex predators ^^^^

Namor [Earth X 033] 130 points

Gaining three Battle Fury-ous clicks of life compared to his 80-point level doesn’t seem like the best upgrade, even with a couple bearing Impervious over the Invulnerability and Toughness. No, you want this full-cost version for his SP Charge+Flurry with 4 damage. Add to that his Super Strength and Poison-when-dry ability, and you get a figure that can do a LOT of hurt across a couple of turns.

Namor [Nick Fury Agent of SHIELD 054] 140 points

Compared to his newer version above, this Subby looks overcosted and less powerful. But one must take into account his SP:

MASTER OF UNDERSEA TRAVEL: If Namor occupies a square of water terrain and has 0 or 1 action tokens, give Namor a free action to place him in another square of water terrain within 6 squares.

On a properly waterlogged map, that can effectively more than double his Charge speed. And with 11 AV Super Strength 4 damage, coupled with a trait that busts through Smoke Cloud and Barrier, that’s good for an alpha strike. He also has a long 9-click dial. Caution: He has Flight instead of Swim.

 

The Drowned [DC Rebirth 064] 150 points

At double the price of her lower dial, full value The Drowned adds three clicks of life well-armored with Invincible and Impervious, plus an opening 4 damage. It’s probably even more important that she have plenty of water terrain at this point level — the Stealth will aid in her not getting shot/Outwit and she absolutely needs to be able to land that big penetrating hit.

 

Giganto [Avengers Infinity G007] 200 points

Like his rarer sculptmate, doubling his price also doubles his life. He also gets a long string of 11 AV. Lack of Willpower is a bigger problem here than with his 100-point level.

 

Giganto & Namor [Avengers Infinity G017] 200 points

The top point cost only offers six extra clicks of life and no better stats other than a little extra speed. The only reason to play at this level is to fill points for really huge games.

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^^^^^MAPS FOR ATLANTIS^^^^^

Water has also grown far more common on maps. While your competitive Golden Age choice should always be ATLANTIS from Trinity War, in Modern Age, consider:

• WEIRDWORLD: A good 30 percent of the map is water, and with a lot of blocking terrain to grant extra cover from landlocked shooters, especially snipers on elevated terrain. Downside: those snipers are far away from the water, so you won’t be able to fight back.
• NY HARBOR: Like Weirdworld, there’s a lot of water here (even more) and strategically placed blocking terrain. This is also a map with a Location bonus that spawns extra objects, good for a Super Strength-laden keyword like Atlantis. Caution: Also like Weirdworld, there’s elevated terrain easy for snipers to shoot from and hard for swimmers to reach.
• MUIR ISLAND: Water on three sides of the map plus a lot of walls and blocking make this an OK field for Atlantis. The downside is that much of the fighting will likely be on dry land no matter what, so the sea is only really good for early defensive positioning.

Avoid these seemingly watery maps:

• GOTHAM CITY WATERFRONT: All the drawbacks of NY Harbor and Weirdworld and much, much less of the blocking terrain to keep from being shot. Pass.
• WAKAKNDA: Not only is it misspelled, but the special hindering terrain could prove a nightmare for Atlantis’ few shooters and trip up most of its swimmers from reaching foes deep in the brush. The main water zone is also easily shootable.
• ICEBERG LOUNGE: Though there’s the moat of water in the central part of the map, the blocking on top of the iceberg means there’s virtually no advantage to said moat. Pass.

 

We intended to do this a lonnnng time ago, instead of literally letting an entire rotation of Legionnaires come and go without updating the humongous LSH series from 5 years ago.

I was hoping maybe something in the new DC Rebirth set would be a timely reason to present some fresh, still-Modern Age clix for the keyword. But no. The superteens of the future remain on ice at DC and in Heroclix.

As a refresher, here’s a sort of ranking:

 This piece has a role best reserved for a huge Legion team.
 The piece is fine for most Legion teams of any size.
 This piece must be considered for any Legion team, big or small.

And we’ll also be looking at each Legionnaire’s Hidden Charm: some small element of their playability that doesn’t leap to mind immediately.

OK. Back to the future!

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Rond Vidar [War of Light 103], for 80 points, brings another Outwit. And like others in the WoL set, he has his Construct trait to gain any number of extra powers. He’s also got Stealth and Shape Change to make up for his lack of armor.  Hidden Charm: Assuming he isn’t hit too hard, you can warp him or his attacker back to their starting zone with the Time Cube trait.

Tornado Twins [The Flash 036] deservedly made our Ten Worst of 2014 list, but maybe on a Legion squad with the TK they need to get in position to rack up Speed Tokens, they can do something. Also, there’s the Hidden Charm of their quasi-STOP clicks and the fact that they benefit from some post-2017 rule changes (no more Damage Depletion).

XS [The Flash 004] is a must-play for the Legion due to her 1) Hypersonic Speed+Prob Control combo, 2) her ability to carry a fellow Legionnaire or snatch one away mid-movement. Maybe a bit pricey at 82 points but still worth it. There’s no Hidden Charm here; Jenni’s appeal is plain to all.

At 190 points, Supergirl [Superman/Wonder Woman 053a] is one of the most expensive Legionnaires, but you’d expect a 4 damage HSS brick like this to be so. Her Outnumbered trait likely won’t come into use on a big Legion team, but if it does, it’s her Hidden Charm: being able to get a massive +3 Speed topdial and a +1 to all stats if her allies all drop.

Though thoroughly void of Special Powers or traits, the latest Kon-El Superboy [Superman/Wonder Woman 031] brings not only a decent-priced Indom 100-point Invincible brick to the team (with Empower) but a trio of team abilities: Teen Titans, Superman Ally and of course LSH. He also gets Prob down his dial. Hidden Charm: TK along with the PC clicks. 

Lana Lang [Superman/Wonder Woman 029] starts as a mere reporter with Sidestep and Empower. At just 20 points, that’s not bad. But upgrading to 50 points shifts her downdial into Insect Queen to sport Charge and Blades, then Flurry and Poison, all with an SP granting Flight, Toughness and Senses. Hidden Charm: Early dial, if you can manage it, she can lock a foe’s stats from bonuses via her “The World Needs To Know…” trait. And if they hit her, she becomes the fighter.

Jimmy Olsen [Superman/Wonder Woman 027], like Lana, is pure supporter at his 25-point level, only with Perplex and ability to nix Shape Change and Super Senses for a turn. Pay 60 points and he’s a giant turtle boy with Charge, SStrength and Battle Fury.  Hidden Charm: If you’re running him on a team with Superman, he can POWER call Supes into position for next turn.

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Look for more keyword update articles on past F.U.N. Focus series such as Guardians of the Galaxy and Atlantis keywords. It’s all part of Heroclixin’s 10th anniversary celebration of all that’s F.U.N. IN Heroclix!

 

DC Rebirth is here and we at Heroclixin’ are liking/looking forward to a few pieces in particular.

TAYLOR

Starfire [DC Rebirth 055]

They’ve never made a bad Starfire and this one is the best yet. Taylor touts her “10 outta 10 hypersonic Energy Explosion” but it’s her still-slim 100-point cost despite that SP and Titans TA and QUINTESSENCE TEE AYY that push her over the top for me as well. If she’s a bit less well-armored than most versions of the character (just one and two clicks of Invulnerability and Toughness, respectively), that’s to be expected to keep her price down. All three of us are hoping to pull this Titan in our boxes.

Taylor also likes Aqualad [012]: “Aqualad is the most push-able TK’er ever.” I’m unsure if I totally agree after I had poor results with him in a prerelease. But given that BLACKqualad has been on my Heroclixin’ Wish List since 2011, suffice it to say that I am stoked to have him in my collection.

 

SCERITZ

So in an unpublished article, Sceritz had some characters on his Clix Wish List back in 2017. Some of those got made in Rebirth:

Mr. Terrific [029] is one Sceritz is glad to see, but he’s not sure how well he likes the design. He thinks Mr. T’s completely soft, no-evasion defense might be just an easy KO. I tried to argue with him, but I can’t really deny it.

He also had a tad of criticism at first glance at Orphan [034], an updated version of Cassandra Cain that he and I have been longing for in HeroClix. “What is she doing with EMPOWER?” he said. “And all that low 10 AV?” we both said. But then we saw that she’s designed to ramp up her AV and DV for each adjacent foe. And now we get it and we love her now.

Raven [040] is a little too much a support piece for Sceritz’s taste — she’s a healer, Perplexer, Probber and Titans taxi — and not enough a fighter for Sceritz’s taste (because yes, Raven fights sometimes. But he’s glad another one on his clix wish list got a good version.

 

RUROUNI KJS

Ye olde webmaster is by far the most interested of the three of us in this set. Whereas in earlier full releases I’ve only sought out between 20 to 50 percent of pieces, this time I’m wanting some 55 of the 70 available. That’s the most since Superman and the Legion of Super-Heroes in 2014.

Like Sceritz, I’ve been fiending for a new Mr. Terrific. And unlike my friend, I see great potential in this uncommon piece (even if, like him, I also see great peril in running him) due to his ability to remotely make melee attacks via his autonomous T-Sphere bystanders. He’s a brilliantly balanced piece that, properly tricked out, could be highly competitive.

But even more useful will be Mr. Terrific [100], the release event OP figure, that simply ratchets the Rule Of Three down to the Rule of One. Also bringing Outwit and 18 DV for the JSA, he’s another dream come true.

Another on my radar is Billy Batson [026]. Not only is he a long-overdue Captain Marvel clix remake (via an improved “Alter Ego” mechanic) while still being an unclixed character, but he has that “The World Needs To Know” trait that I liked so well a few years back. So while I’m also looking to get his Shazam form (and his opposite number, Black Adam), I am just as eager to add the young man into the press corps ready to pepper some foe with journalistic questions.

But one character in particular I’ve been wanting in clix for about a year is the new Power Girl. No, not the JSA member Karen Starr we’ve all wanted a proper remake of since that overpriced points sink in 2010’s Brave and the Bold, but the occasional guest star/foil in Deathstroke’s comic, Tanya Spears.

I love giants, and her uncommon version’s ability to grown to Great Size is, of course, very much in my clix wheelhouse. I mean, she is GOING to be on a new Attack of the 50-Foot Women team.

She sports Outwit or Perplex to giver her great utility and has a nifty trait that encourages in-character play (she and other Defiance keyword figs heal when they hit but don’t KO enemies). I also like her common version, which is more of a standard light brick with Perplex.

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There’s more in the set we like — a LOT more, in my case — but these leapt to the top for us in the F.U.N. faction. Hope you pull what buys you the most F.U.N. in your Heroclixin’ life!

So here’s our customary pocket checklist in the style that WizKids used to produce in every booster back in the days when Topps used to own the company.

Here’s the actual download link for a full page of four checklists: RebirthChecklist

Thanks as always to the crowdsourcers across the web, especially those at HCRealms.com, for compiling the info to help me get this checklist set even before official release date.