Finally, the retirement list is official, with the following sets rotating to Golden Age in July:

• JUSTICE LEAGUE New 52 and its Fast Forces set
• CHAOS WAR and its Fast Forces
• DARK KNIGHT RISES and its starter set
• GIANT-SIZED X-MEN FAST FORCES
• WAR OF LIGHT Fast Forces
• AVENGERS MOVIE and the starter set
• GALACTIC GUARDIANS and the ANNIHILATORS Fast Forces
• INCREDIBLE HULK and Fast Forces
• SUPERMAN and its Fast Forces
• INFINITY GAUNTLET OP set

 

And now Heroclixin’ laments the 10 figs we’re sorry we didn’t play more

 

Superman [Justice League New 52 001]

This Superman released in late August 2012 was a refreshing change from the point-and-click common one from a year earlier, in that it really plays more like a Superman should. It was also a new costumed variety for my “Kal’s Closet — What The Well-Dressed Superman Is Wearing This Season” collection of all the Superman outfits. But it was overshadowed by the identical-looking 125-point Fast Forces one and by later Supermen with costs less awkward than its 204.

 

Ant-Man & Wasp [Chaos War]

At 168 points, this Tiny Size duo … really … WASN’T so tiny-sized. And so they rarely made it onto teams. Then came this new power called Precision Strike, which drastically cuts into their effectiveness since most of their worth is based on attack evasion. So it feels as though their time has come and gone, like bugs in the wintertime. Except that now it’s summer.

 

Gabe Jones [Avengers Movie]

His SP granting him the equivalent of the Grenade trait ability looked great, especially for his inexpensive 45 points. His trait, though, sort of required him to be played with a Captain America to get the most out of him, and he was constantly being squeezed off teams for flashier figs. Plus, his keywords were a bit limiting.

 

Agent Coulson [Avengers Movie]

His ability to effectively be untargetable by costly enemy tentpoles looked meta-worthy, and his being a Perplex piece helped his cause a lot as well. So what happened? Why didn’t Coulson get run like every month or so? Heroclixin’ thinks it was the SHIELD keyword that did him in — there just weren’t enough favorites in the theme to build teams for Coulson to join. And by the time there were, there were better choices.

 

Mr. Sinister [Chaos War]

Such a great ability to turn X-Men and Brotherhood of Mutants into themed teams of Marauders was undermined by A) His appropriately high 225 cost and B) the existence of characters that Heroclixin’ prefers that don’t fit the keyword/team ability requirements for the arch villain’s trait or who mess up the points.

 

Speed [Chaos War]

As happy as Heroclixin’ was to see the Young Avengers team completed at last with this fig’s release, we’re not sure we ever actually saw said figure on the field outside of sealed events. We certainly haven’t run the Young Avengers in years, because those characters and dials, never very good to begin with, have aged HORRIBLY. So it’s no surprise that Speed was little played in Modern Age. Not certain Golden will be much kinder…

 

Swamp Thing [Superman]

On paper, his ability to warp through and Poison from printed hindering looked like so much effective fun. On the actual paper of a MAP, it worked out a lot less well thanks to a lot of hindering-light fields and his total lack of moving attack powers and a surprisingly soft defense for a nearly 150-point character. A tentpole he’s not. And yet, Heroclixin’ wishes he’d seen the field more in Modern Age.

 

Crystal [Chaos War]

Despite being one of Heroclixin’s Top Ten faves of 2012, Crystal almost never got played. Perhaps it was because we don’t care much for Inhumans. Maybe it was due to her slightly less-efficient cost of 105 — why play her when one more point gets you CW Hawkeye with Thunderbolts ATA? Or maybe it’s ’cause she’s a ginger. Whatever the reason, she remained on the shelf a lot more than I ever intended. A LOT MORE

 

Lyra [Incredible Hulk]

Oh, for some Willpower to make this fig work, because she does not push well at ALL. That’s why I almost never played her, but I always WANTED to anyway. Sure, I know I could give her a Resource to overcome her weaknesses, but Heroclixin’ has always found that distasteful.

———

So much retirement, then. It’s nice to see the broken garbage rotate out and sad to see some standbys meet restrictions. Keeps the game fresh, I think. And there’s always the mercurial “Silver Age” that welcomes all figs.