It’s year’s end and Christmas and that means it’s time for Heroclixin’s annual Top Ten lists. Here are the ground rules for the first countdown, the Top Ten HeroClix of 2016:

• We’re looking at Modern Age only.
• We’re considering the 300-point game, which filters out certain high-cost pieces that might otherwise dominate the list.
• Figures only. Despite the overwhelming effect of resources and equipment and ID cards, they’re not being considered for a Top Ten Clix list.
• By the same token, any fig that needs a resource or equipment to be strong isn’t making the list. And that goes for ID card characters as well.
• But the top characters also need to be able to handle the presence of such tactics as resources or ID cards.

Enough talk. Let’s get to the list!

Or…not. Because as I and new contributor Sceritz began putting together our lists, an unwelcome question kept cropping up:

“What about Nick Fury [Nick Fury: Agent of SHIELD 056]?”

Heroclixin’s No. 1 Top Ten figure from 2015 has cast a shadow even longer than his cosmic sniper rifle over every piece since. Dark Angel [Uncanny X-Men 049] is an example of a figure that would have been a contender for top piece of the year. But at 200 points, he’s exactly the kind of power tentpole that Fury can eviscerate with little problem despite the vast 80-point gap between the two.  So even as we list our top selections, part of the criteria and discussion is how the piece can handle the Fury Effect.

Maybe it’s a little unfair to rate this year’s figs by his standard, but let’s face it: if it can’t hang with him, it’s likely not doing well against the Quinjet+Drone carrier teams, either — and the majority of those forces are going to have Nick on the sideline as an ID character. So for better or worse, Fury was the arbiter of quality this year.

Check back for the beginning of our two-fisted countdown!