So I thought some more about my countdown list.

There are a lot of figures on that list that simply have not aged well and, if I made their respective years’ lists today, might not have been considered a favorite. So I went to my checklists, looked at names and asked again as I did in 2016’s countdown:

“When I see this figure in my storage box, do I immediately wish I had a team it could be a good fit on?”

Hence this addendum to the Favorites countdown!

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Alternate V (added 3/19/2022)

Dr. Claire Finn (The Orville 003) 2019

THEN: She came out so late in 2019 that she didn’t make that year’s top 10 list.

NOW: She’s a mainstay on my All-Black Everything team with her super Support skills and her blobby pal, Lt. Yaphit.

NEXT: She’ll be on any team I can reasonably fit her on, whether Hidden Figures (female Black scientist themed team) or a force that needs a healer.

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Alternate U (added 10/21/2021)

Frenzy (X-Men: The Dark Phoenix Saga 027) 2019

THEN: She *almost* made it to my top 10 list proper. If Taylor hadn’t had any nominations back then, she’d have squeaked on.

NOW: Frenzy is one of those “I wish I had a team for you” pieces I look at longingly every time I come across it. I also realized that XDPS was completely unrepresented in the decade list and was the ONLY full set missing.

NEXT: Acolytes and Femizons she’ll always be on.

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Alternate T (added 10/21/2021)

Storm (X-Men: The Dark Phoenix Saga 023b) 2019

THEN: One I had to have because I collect all the Black characters in HeroClix. She’s also quite good and when it came time for my decade bracket tournament and I found the 2019 squad sorely short on points, I added her without delay.

NOW: She’s a bit less potent with new rules but still very F.U.N.

NEXT: I’m still planning a big Storm vs. Cyclops throwdown.

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Alternate S (added 4/16/2021)

Dee Jay (Street Fighter 010) 2011

THEN: A bit of a slow-burn fave but one who just got crowded off the highly competitive keyword teams fits, Celebrity and Martial Artist. But dang if I don’t want to play this piece EVERY time I see it. So here he is.

NOW: That 2 damage was never much good and less so at 75 points. But in the Golden Age games he plays well in? LUNGE. The Lunge feat all day, every day.

NEXT: He will see new life in HeroClix 3.0 (aka the 2021 rules overhaul).

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Alternate R (added 3/16/2021)

Superman (Superman 055) 2011

THEN: An alternate-Earth version of Supes was notable for his ability to start with a heavy object already in hand and to deal penetrating when using it. This piece, more than probably any other, was responsible for my now-stalled drive to collect every distinct Superman/Clark Kent costume variation because I love “Super-Hoodie” here. I can’t believe it didn’t make my list of favorites that year!

NOW: With objects doing less damage these days and his stats having been fairly well power-crept past, he feels overcosted.

NEXT: It will not stop me from playing him — especially in the massive Lex Luthors vs. Supermen solo battle I might try after Wonder Woman 80th Anniversary comes out.

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Alternate Q (added February 2017 and 3/16/2021)

Patriot (Civil War Storyline 021) 2016

THEN: So in 2017, when I needed to fill out some points to face off against Sceritz’s team of favorites from 2016, I added this Young Avenger:

“Once one of Heroclixin’s top needed remakes, this new version of the Young Avengers’ leader is just what we wanted. A Leadership figure for his team. A secondary attacker. Indomitable. A new favorite.”

NOW: Changes to Leadership made his SP version superfluous. And the 2021 changes might make nearly his whole existence superfluous. But he remains a favorite, if only an alternate, and should have been on the list a year ago. So here he is for posterity.

NEXT: He’s pretty much only for Young Avengers squads.

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Alternate P (added 12/22/2020)

Thor (The Mighty Thor 061) 2017

THEN: This armored suit from late in Thor visionary creator Walter Simonson’s legendary 1980’s run made this a must-keep in my collection even though it was one of the most money figures in the game for a while thanks to his meta-as-hell Mjolnir equipment. But me, I insisted on only using the equip on its true owner even though I’m not a huge Asgard fan and rarely play the theme — or this piece.

NOW: Even now, I see this fig and just wanna put it on a team even though he’s a little un-F.U.N. and yet still too many points.

NEXT: He made an appearance during quarantine.

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Alternate O (added 9/22/2020)

Faust [Superman/Wonder Woman 056] 2015

THEN: This was a top F.U.N. fig in 2015, one of the years when I split the FUN from my personal favorites. Soft and hard to play but with a then-unprecedented 3d6 attack roll skill and enhanced Sidestep SP.

NOW: But in going back over the faves list recently (for… reasons…) I was somewhat stunned that I’d not added him to this list of alternates. So here he is.

NEXT: I’ve been wanting to run an Outsiders theme and he’s a lock on any Golden Age build of that keyword I EVER play.

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Alternate N

Impulse [DC75 Anniversary 104] 2010

THEN: I loved that annoying Shape Change SP that kept him from being the usual Hypersonic hit-and-run piece, though it was hard to fit him on teams without good keywords.

NOW: He’s cheap (49 points) but fragile. He’s also been lapped by newer Impulses.

NEXT: Don’t know when or how to play him, just that I want to

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Alternate M

Nightshade [Captain America 027] 2011

THEN: She’s all about her SP to give an adjacent fig — friend or foe — Battle Fury and Blades at her turn’s start … neither of which can be used against her (she’s immune to that foe’s attacks their turn). She’s a lot of F.U.N. though her stats weren’t great.

NOW: She looks even worse today for 72 points — 9 AV or lower, only 5 clicks. But that SP still remains amazingly Useful.

NEXT: It’s been ages since I ran a M.O.D.O.K.’s 11 heist crew. Maybe need to get the gang back together for a job.

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Alternate L

Bard the Bowman [The Hobbit: Desolation of Smaug 009] 2013

THEN: There was a time I collected every archer in the game. But I was amazed at this one’s ability to shoot despite target defenses.

NOW: He costs 83 points — 3 more than Green Arrow [Elseworlds 049], who is better than Bard in every way except dial length. But that meta chase figure is also the reason I DON’T collect archers anymore.

NEXT: Every once in a while I play an archer squad and he’s always on it. And will be again.

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Alternate K

Batman [Gotham City Strategy Game 001] 2013

THEN: His Utility Belt SP giving him access to damage powers not on his card made him my go-to Batman for years.

NOW: At 115 points, he’s too pricey to take the top Bat-spot from others in that price range, and his once-unique SP has been outdone by far.

NEXT: Yet he remains in the collection for another one of those massive Batman teams someday.

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Alternate J

Hulk [Avengers Age of Ultron 105] 2015

THEN: This starter set piece (and its main set sculptmate) are the reason my 2012 No. 8 favorite and No. 79 piece of the decade doesn’t impress nearly as much anymore.

NOW: It’s a bit less overbearing than its sculptmate [Avengers Age of Ultron 008] in a timed game, so this one is my choice.

NEXT: He’s on the Hulk vs. Logan mega match.

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Alternate I

Batroc [Avengers Defenders War 050] 2017

THEN: He was Taylor’s No. 4 F.U.N. fig of 2017 and could have easily been one of my faves that year as well.

NOW: I kinda wish I’d put him on one of my lists so here he is

NEXT: I have a Golden Age team of every Batroc figure.

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Alternate H

Giganta [Legion of Doom 006] 2014

THEN: She flew under the radar a bit for a long time, but because I’ve always liked giants, I found a way to get her onto a truly F.U.N. meta team that surprised a lot of people. (If only I didn’t misplay it so dagum badly, over and over again)

NOW: I’ve retired her into Golden Age, but I still really like this figure

NEXT: Looking at an all-Giganta team someday. Points are funny, though

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Alternate G

Falcon [Avengers Black Panther Illuminati 041b] 2019

THEN: He’s pretty much the best Falcon they’ll ever make.

NEXT: It’ll be cool to run this with all these new Captains America we’re getting in a month.

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Alternate F

Photon [Avengers Infinity 036] 2018

THEN: Sceritz picked her as one of his faves of 2018, and the whole Heroclixin’ Board selected her as a top F.U.N. fig that year. She just got crowded out of my already overstuffed top picks.

NOW: She deserves much more play from me. SO MUCH MORE.

NEXT: I wish she had the Nextwave keyword SO MUCH

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Alternate E

Shang-Chi [Deadpool 047] 2014

THEN: Good representation of the character. Couldn’t wait to see him in action for me.

NOW: I look back on him failing for me nearly every time. But I still think he looks great and it’s just my luck that’s horrid

NEXT: It has been years since I ran an original lineup Secret Avengers squad, of which he was the first “new” member. It’s time to build the latest version

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Alternate D

Mysterio [WizKids M16-003] 2016

THEN: He was less flat-out F.U.N. than his sculptmates from 2013 (my No. 1 fave that year and No. 21 fave of the decade). But dang if I didn’t come close to using him and his Mysterio Illusion pogs to surround an enemy Spider-Man just like this!

 

NOW: All Mysterios are golden age and that makes me sad.

NEXT: I must play this very F.U.N. fig soon alongside all the other F.U.N. Mysterios

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Alternate C

Crazy Jane [World’s Finest 019] 2016

THEN: Her wild dial is not for planner-type players. But she’s great for F.U.N. players

NOW: I DO NOT PLAY THIS FIG NEARLY ENOUGH.

NEXT: I WILL PLAY THIS FIG A LOT MORE.

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Alternate B

Doctor Octopus [Earth X 034] 2019

THEN: I dropped him from my decade-long look back, but I really do like this piece a lot

NEXT: On that “White Suits” team I talked so much about!

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Alternate A

Silver Samurai [Wolverine and the X-Men 044] 2013

THEN: Love this piece to death. Sometimes literally, as I do his one-time FREE Phase into the heart of trouble that his 17 Invulnerability cannot handle. I do not understand how it did not make my extensive Honorable Mentions that year.

NOW: I will play this figure today on any team he fits. I did less than a month before this post.

NEXT: ANY. TEAM. HE FITS.

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