In principle, legacy cards have been a F.U.N. way to bring some old fan-favorites back into Modern/Silver play and rework some old figs that never really worked right before (or don’t anymore due to rule changes).
In practice? These reviews get harder and harder. And my hopes that WizKids entirely fixes their QA problems remain unfulfilled. But I’m going to try a much easier short version look at these cards this go-’round.
By set number:
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L001b JOSIAH X
(Captain America and the Avengers, 2020)
THEN: A common prime with Empower who granted penetrating reduction. OK for 50 points at the time but not a great use of the prime slot.
NOW: In addition to a new trait “The Crew” giving Manifold (er, them) bonuses if played with same, he also gets Super Strength that mods his and adjacent pals’ DV when he’s holding something. His Empower SP now also adds Enhancement and Leadership. But his penetrating reduction only works for Crew members now, and he’s still a prime. 40 points.
F.U.N.? Because of the theme limitation, yeah, he’s pure F.U.N. with near-zero meta potential.
AM I GETTING THIS? Absolutely. I’m a fan of The Crew.
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L003 STORM
(Uncanny X-Men, 2016)
THEN: Back in 2016, she was a FREE Smoke Cloud piece and a taxi, with an X-Men TA-activated trait that was mostly useless in practice because she was rarely attacked or attacking.When she got an early wave legacy card in 2021’s Rise & Fall set, that Smoke Cloud SP was replaced with SP Energy Explosion that hits all foes within TWO squares of the target, with Passenger 2 and Leadership via a new trait. But STILL no one played her.
NOW: She’s slimmed further to 40 points, and more in her first dial’s character, she sports SC again (but not FREE) that can knock back targets in her cloud 1 square in any direction. She also give Wakanda TA members the X-Men TA.
F.U.N.? Does not seem meta with her Smoke being non-free. So yeah.
AM I GETTING THIS? Absolutely. I need every Storm.
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L036 CLOAK
(Superior Foes of Spider-Man, 2016)
THEN: A cheap wildcard taxi with Defend and light damage-dealing. OK for 35 points but why? Especially since you had to play him with the 35-point Dagger to use him as that taxi and get, well, TWO underwhelming figs for a fourth of your squad.
NOW: He makes a Dagger pog (when he Phase/Teleports) so you can save those points now. (That Dagger deals 1 penetrating to all targets and heals a friendly when she hits.) Cloak also gets Shape Change that self-damages foes when it works. Lost his conditional taxi skill but you’re only paying 30 points now.
F.U.N.? Definitely not meta.
AM I GETTING THIS? Absolutely.
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L037 MANIFOLD
(Avengers Assemble, 2015)
THEN: Mega-taxi for Avengers and Secret Warriors, he also had TK and Barrier and could push to Prob Control. 58 points used to be inexpensive for this sort of support guy.
NOW: Just 35 points gets same mega-taxi skills but with no keyword limit. He can also POWER: do a no-damage attack that immobilizes and practically Immunizes the target — while shutting off its powers and abilities for a turn. Also a member of The Crew with those skills.
F.U.N.? That trait attack will find a way into the meta even though it’s not degenerate.
AM I GETTING THIS? Absolutely.
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L040 PLUTO LC
(The Mighty Thor, 2017)
THEN: With no moving attack, this 200- or 125-point big bad was just, well, bad, despite his Outwit immunity early on and ability to spawn Warrior Soul pogs when 50-point-plus characters die. At least his two STOP clicks meant he couldn’t get one-shot easily.
NOW: Nerfs non-Deities’ DV -1, has Prob and Perplex immunity, and is a Grave terrain maker. His new SP loses Perplex but keeps the Prob and adds both CCE and anti-STOP when he attacks. His price drops to 125 and 75. His new STOP clicks heal him when figs are KO’d.
F.U.N.? Being a Grave maker means he works with certain meta-level characters. But overall he’s just a casual threat — and a much better-made piece.
AM I GETTING THIS? I have the fig but don’t really care about him.
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L042 SERSI
(Avengers Assemble, 2015)
THEN: 194 points for a stationary Mind Control piece looks bad until you consider her trait turning buffs from then-ubiquitous relics and resources into nerfs. Her Running Shot on her 125 dial was maybe a little better, but not much. Also had +/-2 Perplex, back when the brown damage power worked on damage.
NOW: She can’t be Shape Changed out of her attacks, and non-Deities can’t Super Sense her. New top-dial SP is Prob, Shape Change and FREE replacement of terrain markers with Blocking, Smoke or Water. Later is an attack SP of Blades, CCE and RCE.
F.U.N.? She’s still kinda bad, but at least she’s only 80 and 50 points now. And Cosmic Energized.
AM I GETTING THIS? Another character I don’t have great affinity for.
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L044 AJAK
(The Mighty Thor, 2017)
THEN: One of the Eternals of that set, he had the shared trait to give up Power Cosmic TA (and its Outwit and pushing damage avoidance) to use +2 self-Perplex instead that turn. Also, SP Prob that could fire off a second time to reroll an Eternal. A heavy 110 points for very little fighting ability.
NOW: For 60 points, he still doesn’t fight well, but is a better support fig. That old SP double Prob adds double Perplex for Deities. Like his fellow Eternal, Sersi, mortals’ Shape Change and Senses are useless against him. He’s got 2 STOP clicks, too.
F.U.N.? CCE means he can fight some, now. Great for casual; could find a home if the Deity keyword takes off.
AM I GETTING THIS? ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
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L044 COLLEEN WING AND MISTY KNIGHT
(Amazing Spider-Man, 2013)
THEN: A 2013 Heroclixin’ Favorite, they were nevertheless too heavy at 140 points (despite their unprecedented 12-click dial) and both anemic at 70 even at the time.The Colleen dial was too soft defensively — only 16 printed DV — and Misty got all the (not so) SPs (5-range Incap, Leadership plus POWER remove a token from a Heroes For Hire).
NOW: Sliced to 40 apiece or 80 together, both dials get Avengers TA and have IT:Adjacent now — important if the full dial switches from melee-focused Colleen to range-powered Misty. Speaking of whom: Her new attack SP drops the Incap and offers KNOCKBACK and nixes Shape Change when she’s shooting. Her other SP gives the team a shot at scoring 5 extra points if a chosen target is KO’d that turn. Lost the Heroes For Hire activation and Leadership, though.
F.U.N.? Yep, even though they can make two attacks at 80 points, they’re still a little too heavy and weak-statted to be competitive.
AM I GETTING THIS? Absolutely.
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L051 ODIN
(Hammer of Thor, 2009)
THEN: He was the most expensive single-base fig legal in 300 points to date. But with no moving attack until almost dead, and a distressing 4-click weak run of Super Senses instead of armor mid dial, he was easily scored once cracked.
NOW: He’s only 150 points. That old soft spot remains but is bolstered by his ability to borrow the superior DV of his raven pogs. He can also mega-nerf an enemy fig as “unworthy” for FREE. And he reduces penetrating damage, while gaining Sidestep for some minimal moving attack ability.
F.U.N.? You can finally build around him. And that makes him F.U.N.
AM I GETTING THIS? Maybe. I have the fig.
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L052 VENUS
(Hammer of Thor, 2009)
THEN: At 125 points, she was by far the priciest member of Agents of Atlas (a theme I played a LOT in the early days of Heroclixin’) but her defenses and damage were all too low. Her CLOSE “Incap everybody” SP wasn’t worth it at all.
AM I GETTING THIS? Probably, even though she’s kinda bad. I used to play Agents of Atlas a LOT and would like to again.
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L053 SETH
(Hammer of Thor, 2009)
THEN: 10 range almost made up for the lack of Running Shot and low damage and lack of reducers. But then he had to get the Snakeform SP making him a Battle Fury’d giant with only Toughness and Regen to save him — and Great Size didn’t sport half the advantages back then. A waste of 120 points.
NOW: He’s only 20 points cheaper. Good thing he got traited Invincible and Stealth for actual defense at last. But KOing him deals 2 damage to every enemy adjacent to a select ally, and that giant-sized SP now also sports Perplex, Prob, and a needed +2 to DV and AV. Oh, and he’s another Egyptian god like Khonshu and Co., giving his avatar Steal Energy and Mystics TA.
F.U.N.? Maybe? Though like his sideline compatriots, he’s likely to never be on a starting force.
AM I GETTING THIS? Nah. It’s one of the few pieces I no longer have and couldn’t reacquire.
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L056 IRONHEART
(Captain America and the Avengers, 2020)
THEN: She was one of my Top 20 of 2020: a solid attacker and supporter in one, with 7 range, 11AV Penetrating/Psychic Blast Running Shot and double Prob. When she hit, she made no-cost Barrier around the target, so it was worth it to burn both Probs on her own attack if needed. Later, thanks to her trait, she could use Perplex or Outwit twice each when they appear on her dial. A little bit overpriced at 85 points.
NOW: Drops to 70, losing the Barrier trick but keeping the double powers. Also gets a Wellprint … er, Wellspring … um … WellSOMETHING marker that ups her AV and DV +1 along with giving her Cosmic and Mystics TAs when she’s next to it.
F.U.N.? Since that WellWHATSIT marker is beginning of game and immobile, it’s a strong telegraph of your game plan. A surprising deep cut from the comics lore
AM I GETTING THIS? Absolutely.
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L058 BLACK PANTHER
(Avengers Defenders War, 2017)
THEN: this topped our Worst of 2017 list.
Although he gives a +1 AV to Wakanda keyword figs (including himself), this is a 65-point character that can barely fight, requires a load of extra points just to function — likely giving up victory points to the enemy in the process in the form of easily KO’d Warriors — and doesn’t even do well as a support piece. He’s a backfield fig that’s mostly a waste of points there and woefully unsuited for the frontline.
He NEEDED a legacy card.
NOW: Slashed more than half to 30 points, he’s lost the global +1 to Wakandans and the Warrior generation. SP is just Leadership and Outwit. But he gains a singular ability to deny opponent’s use of two Sideline items from game start.
F.U.N.? High-key meta. He’s going to be on nearly every team for a couple of years.
AM I GETTING THIS? Absolutely. I’m just upset I don’t have two so I can run both the legacy and the original on a Wakanda build.
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