Incapacitate. It’s almost a given: if a figure appears to be overcosted, one is rarely surprised to see multiple slots of Incap on its first few clicks.

Sure, Incap is great:

• against Mystics (if they already have a token AND if they can’t use Willpower)
• with multiple targets
• with Stunning Blow
• against tough targets…IF they already have a token
• on low-damage pieces

But, aside from those circumstances in my mostly-humble opinion, Incap is a power that doesn’t enhance playability nearly as much as other comparably bank-busting powers like:

• Outwit.
• Perplex.
• Hypersonic Speed.
• Invulnerability / Impervious.
• Leadership.

In fact, that final power’s potential to remove tokens directly hits Incap’s bottom line. Add to that the growing number of characters with the Indomitable ability, and you’ve got an increasingly lame power.

Therefore, the number one needed change to HeroClix is this rewrite:

“INCAPACITATE: Give this character a close combat or ranged combat action to make an attack that deals no damage. If the attack hits, give the target an action token; it can’t make free actions (that aren’t part of a non-free action) until the beginning of your next turn.“

I think this is in the spirit of the power (as seen in the classic Spider-Man Incap maneuver of webbing someone in the face). If someone is sufficiently bound/webbed/disoriented (by, say, Vertigo), they shouldn’t have the mental wherewithal to Outwit or Perplex — and certainly should not be able to perform any of the game’s increasing numbers of trait- and special power-granted free actions.

This change would make Incapacitate worth every point, even on the high-damage types.

That wraps up Heroclixin’s list of most-needed changes to HeroClix. For the most part, I stuck with simple but effective tweaks to overcosted powers (except for the case of Mind Control, where I may have gone a little overboard) rather than more popular ideas like guaranteed healing with Regeneration or ability to draw line of fire to adjacent characters regardless of, well, anything. Cheap powers such as Smoke Cloud or the Swim ability were passed over because, while they are of pretty limited use without SPs or certain other elements upgrading them, they are, as I wrote, very inexpensive. Low cost = lower utility.

Coming in January is a pretty much solid month of Top Tens, starting with HeroClixin’s Top Ten figures of 2011. And believe you me, the competition this year is FIERCE!!