Rurouni KJS’s “almost” figs:
Spider-Man [Superior Foes of Spider-Man 049]
For years, WizKids made bad Spider-Men, OK Spider-Men and a few pretty good ones. But not until now has there been a Spidey that was basically perfect, with great moving attack in his melee-only Hypersonic Speed+Super Strength combo, Willpower and Perplex to start, and traited Super Senses immune to Precision Strike. He’s sensational. Spectacular. AMAZING. He’s completely unarmored; that’s his only weak spot. And for a front-line fighter of 100 points, that can be a danger. “Handstand” Spider-Man nearly cartwheels his way to a spot among Heroclixin’s Top Ten of 2016.
Quicksilver [Uncanny X-Men 054]
Quicksilver can use Flurry with Hypersonic Speed and, via his Speed Shadow token trait, hit from around corners, safe from enemy Prob Control. But no Willpower blunts the extreme threat he can represent, and both Plasticity and Smoke Cloud/hindering terrain can utterly ruin his attack access.
Devil Dinosaur [Superior Foes of Spider-Man 054]
He’s a fig who brings help to the fight, with his “Unusual Weapons of Mass Destruction” SP planting pogs similar to Dr. Demonicus in 2015. Indomitable, Devil Dino can then TK one into the fray. The giant-sized red reptile is limited to Sidestep and a plodding 2 Speed, but he’s got the equivalent of THREE STOP CLICKS to start his dial … and then an ACTUAL one to transition to a Battle Furious, Charging B/C/F machine. Thing is, he’s so darn slow that he can be worked around/ignored, and his pog army is more annoying than actually dangerous.
Element Man [World’s Finest 040]
Though his traited Shape Change, Giant Reach and Plasticity are all welcome, it’s his attack SP “Periodic Arsenal” that nearly win him a place on the top list. Being able to pick a power or two means he’s loaded with options. He also has an end-dial spike that’s bananas. And Outsiders TA is strong. If only his SP weren’t counterable or he had better numbers early on.
Raphael [Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 001]
His attack SP grants Flurry and penetrating in close attacks. Combined with 11 AV and Charge and he is a terror of a piece at just 50 points. Lack of Willpower is his undoing.
Harlequin [World’s Finest 053b]
Her “Murderous Jack-In-The-Box On My Back” trait lends some temporary aid in the form of a pog with Ranged Combat Expert and Blades/Claws/Fangs as a free action. This means she can essentially attack every single turn of the game — and because the pog vanishes after actions resolve, she is effectively able to avoid retaliation effects such as Mystics team ability. Later in her dial, she has the option of using a one-time mega Pulse Wave SP at the cost of the trait. She’s also got P/PB to aid her attack skills in between Box shots. Defensively, she relies on the updated Kingdom Come TA (basically Super Senses vs. range). Her weakness is a total lack of armor and limited keywords — just enough to drag her from the list as a Top Ten fig of 2016.
Sunfire [Uncanny X-Men 043b]
Running Shot with high-damage Pulse Wave is one of those archetype offensive power combos in HeroClix, and prime Sunfire is the best such piece this year, especially with his melee-punishing Poison and “Radiating Intense Heat” trait of Energy Shield/Deflection. Not having Willpower is his downfall at his cost.
Iceman [Uncanny X-Men 051]
Now this is an Iceman worth playing. Running Shot with good range and attack values are only the beginning: He can dish out action tokens to hit foes (literally, with two targets) from 7 out. But closing in on him is pointless and dangerous because he can free attack a foe whose square he moved through (With Flight and IM:Characters) but didn’t attack, then freeze that foe until its turn is basically over — no moving, fighting, getting taxied/TK’d away, Outwit/Perplex…nothing. He’d be on the top ten if his damage were higher or if he were cheaper or if he had Willpower.
Taskmaster [Civil War Storyline 026]
While some figs are about picking powers, Tasky is focused on dial control, able to click to the number he wants, then return to the click he started on. In addition to being able to gain the power set needed for the turn, he can take damage from pushing or Mystics or such, then effectively heal the damage. Also a wildcard and Thunderbolt, he can bring a great degree of utility to the right teams — especially if he stands with one who has better stats so he can boost one of his, since his native numbers are so modest.
Johnny Thunder [Joker’s Wild 053a]
“Pick a power” figures are rare and always tend to shine. Johnny is just a little overpriced for his modest numbers or super short-lived at his cheaper point to seriously consider for the tops.
SCERITZ’s “second team”