During these quaran-times, I’ve been wanting to do more solo play in lieu of the online or in-person games that Corona World has demanded or denied, respectively. Games like this one fit the bill.
Which band of X-Babies wins?
NEW MUTANTS…
Cannonball (X-Men Regenesis 017) 60
Cypher (X-Men Xavier’s School 021) 70
Karma (X-Men Xavier’s School 022) 40
Legion (X-Men Dark Phoenix Saga 036b) 75
Lila Cheney (WizKids M17-015) 25
Magik (X-Men Deep Cuts 007) 50
Magma (Wolverine and the X-Men 073) 77
Moonstar (X-Men Regenesis 104) 65
Sunspot (Wolverine and the X-Men 018) 76
Warlock (Wolverine and the X-Men 046) 164
Wolfsbane (WizKids M15-002) 64
= 766 points
…or GENERATION X
Artie (X-Men Xavier’s School 008) 25
Banshee (X-Men Xavier’s School 040) 75
Chamber (X-Men Xavier’s School 041) 70
Gateway (X-Men Xavier’s School 054) 50
Husk (X-Men Xavier’s School 009) 40
Jubilee (X-Men Xavier’s School 026) 50
Leech (X-Men Xavier’s School 024) 30
M (X-Men Xavier’s School 042) 90
Mondo (X-Men Xavier’s School 027) 70
Penance (X-Men Xavier’s School 028) 75
Skin (X-Men Xavier’s School 029) 50
Synch (X-Men Xavier’s School 011) 45
White Queen (X-Men Xavier’s School 059b) 100
= 770 points
The match was played on the Latveria map from Fantastic Four Cosmic Clash. Generation X mostly got carried by Gateway on the elevated portion, forcing the less-mobile New Mutants to come to them. But get to the younger class they did. And although the mid-’90s squad held its own, the upperclassmen had a decided lead until the late game, when the depleted Gen X roster took down like FOUR figs in a single turn to make a real fight of things. It came literally down to the last two standing.
By piece:
Cannonball (X-Men Regenesis 017) put in work to give his team a shot at busting up the Gen X formation over and over again — though ensuring his “Blast Off” was clear of friendlies was tough to do at first. Grade: Excellent
Cypher (X-Men Xavier’s School 021) was even more useless in this fight than the classic character himself, with no ability to fight down the stretch, no enemy Outwit to thwart (White Queen never landed on the power and M never had access to it) and my failure to use him as a shield for the others. When I tried to push him to his fighting clicks in the late game, he got spun to KO before taking a single action. Grade: Unsatisfactory
Karma (X-Men Xavier’s School 022) made a solitary mid-game Mind Control and a clutch TTPC later. Unremarkable otherwise. Grade: Needs Improvement
Legion (X-Men Dark Phoenix Saga 036b) underachieved because he kept landing on his click #7, one he can’t push from but is also better than his other option, being far better defensively with Impervious and Prob. He still got KO’d there thanks to clutch Gen X rolls. Grade: Needs Improvement
Lila Cheney (WizKids M17-015) was the all-important taxi to get the Mutants into the fight proper. She didn’t last beyond that because I ensured she didn’t for the Gen X cause. Grade: Satisfactory
Magik (X-Men Deep Cuts 007) was only on the team because she was an unplayed piece. I had the points to fit the Regenesis version onto the force for an equally good taxi but better attacker. This one’s Prob Control was OK while it lasted, though. Grade: Needs Improvement
Magma (Wolverine and the X-Men 073) posed enough of a threat to draw attacks from better figures, but she never works like I hope she will. Grade: Needs Improvement
Sunspot (Wolverine and the X-Men 018) took some time to get into the fight and did OK once there, KOing Banshee with one heavy object shot. Grade: Satisfactory
Warlock (Wolverine and the X-Men 046) never truly pulled his weight due to his early game Telekinesis potential being snuffed and his whole life in the late game. 160 points is a lot to pay for a Perplexer. Grade: Needs Improvement
Wolfsbane (WizKids M15-002) got superb rolls on her trait over and over, effectively always on her best click and dealing lots of damage — or soaking up same. Grade: Satisfactory
GENERATION X
Banshee (X-Men Xavier’s School 040) was used as mostly an additional taxi, a decision that left him out of the fight and with a Teacher’s Assessment of Needs Improvement
Chamber (X-Men Xavier’s School 041) existed as a threat but didn’t get deployed as such until deep in the mid-game. He forced a devil’s choice to push or get poisoned (and dealt some Poison indeed) at least but still Needs Improvement
Gateway (X-Men Xavier’s School 054) did his job as a taxi and Prob Control. Teacher Assessment: Satisfactory
Husk (X-Men Xavier’s School 009) performed well down the stretch with Plasticity and heavy armor like Invincible, keeping attacks from more important teammates. Clutch Regen made her last deep into the late game. Grade: Excellent
Jubilee (X-Men Xavier’s School 026) landed Generation X’s first big blow with mass Energy Explosion of half the whole New Mutants team. She was also the first KO of the game, sadly. Grade: Satisfactory
Leech (X-Men Xavier’s School 024) pulled his weight with his Lockdown trait keeping Warlock from using TK to deploy his friends. His Outwit came into play in the late game, though never able to weaponize it on multiple targets as designed. Grade: Satisfactory
M (X-Men Xavier’s School 042) never got to use Outwit due to the New Mutants lacking the power, but she sure went for Perplex every time Warlock used it. Monet was one of the last Gen X figs standing because she’s Miss Perfect. Grade: Excellent
Mondo (X-Men Xavier’s School 027) was able to go it alone with his hindering terrain warp skills and was able to weather some attacks. But a crit miss during a Gen X trait attack left him in fatal shape. Grade: Needs Improvement
Penance (X-Men Xavier’s School 028) was probably the key to Gen X’s success, lending needed Battle Fury at clutch moments and being very effective with the Gen X trait and her claws. Grade: Excellent
Skin (X-Men Xavier’s School 029) kept the Mutants from gaining much early opportunity to attack with his zoned Plasticity. And his late game Barrier probably led to the unlikely KO of Legion. Grade: Satisfactory
Synch (X-Men Xavier’s School 011) is a terrible representation of the character but he really works on this Gen X team, with so many powers to take and boost with Perplex in addition. Grade: Satisfactory
White Queen (X-Men Xavier’s School 059b) was the better headmaster by far than Banshee, beefing up the class with ranged Empower deep in the fight. But she never landed a single Leadership, ever. Grade: Satisfactory
The last two standing?
Artie (X-Men Xavier’s School 008), who surged in the late game with multiple clutch Mind Controls that helped lead to several KOs. One of the crappiest Heroclix figures of all (No. 2 Worst of 2018) became the hero of this team — but in the end he couldn’t claim victory, with only 1 damage against an Invulnerable opponent. Grade: Satisfactory
Moonstar (X-Men Regenesis 104) landed the first and last attacks of her team to claim victory for the original X-Babies, the NEW MUTANTS. Grade: Excellent