NO. 1

Black Panther [Avengers Defenders War 065]

Some years ago, I raved about this character’s iteration in Age of Ultron as being the first complete version ever made. Since then, every version of T’Challa has been solid (even the one that nearly made our worst of 2016 list was just a little disjointed).

Until this one. Uneasy lies the head beneath the crown and sorry is the butt that sits on this throne.

• He lacks opening Outwit, his signature power. Sure, he gets it later, but you’re losing the game at that point.
• He completely lacks the Stealth that is his other signature power.
• He’s not the least bit self-sufficient. He needs Mastermind fodder or he’s an easy, easy kill (see the above lack of Stealth).
• He also has no moving attack powers or range to make any sort of offensive effort — especially with the lack of Willpower.
• He only has 2 damage, anyway.
• So what about his Leadership trait that allows him to succeed 50% of the time instead of 33% and generates Wakanda Warriors? What good is that Leadership if it doesn’t work on his generated warriors, who enter the game with tokens unless he rolls the 6? Not to mention how absolutely your game craters if you fail many of these Leadership rolls.
• And then there’s the fact that the Wakanda Warriors are not good figures themselves.

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.

This king is dead. Long live the opposing force if you run him.

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That does it for the baddest of the bad. Next up for Heroclixin’ is a turn for the positive: Our favorite and most F.U.N. figures of the past year! Stay alert for 30 or so HeroClix you’ll love.