I’m interrupting the countdown of my Top Ten Favorite HeroClix of 2011 to offer a rare, complete mea culpa. A few weeks ago, I listed the Top 10 Worst HeroClix of 2011:
Nomad (Captain America 016), Brute Honor Guard (Halo 029), Element Woman (Superman 016), Bruno Mannheim (Superman 020), Jigsaw (Incredible Hulk 024), Dhalsim (Street Fighter 103), Human Torch (Captain America 058), Guile (Street Fighter 105), Purifier (Giant-Size X-Men 002) / William Stryker (Giant-Size X-Men 019) and Princess Projectra (Superman 038).
- Nomad’s a candidate for the Loner feat to bump his DV to a quite respectable 18. Brute Honor Guard’s Covenant TA means he can carry his fellow alien troops to serve as a shield for him, and Charge+Flurry is still one of the game’s best power combos. Element Woman is a decoy who can’t be safely ignored, and the Infiltrate feat can help her move about more freely at minimal additional cost.
- Though his dependence on Intergang Underbosses is a weakness, Bruno with a trio or more of them is a wall of Outwit and fairly long-lasting Mastermind fodder that served me well when I played it. Jigsaw’s worked for me — and against me, thanks chiefly to his Willpower making him a kamikaze hitman. You can’t completely dismiss a character like Dhalsim with the Street Fighter TA, nor a character with the big 4 damage that Human Torch brings to the table.
- Even the horrid Guile has stung me with his short-range penetrating damage. The Purifiers have Predator X to do the heavy lifting they’re unable to do. And Princess Projectra was instrumental in handing me a loss with her clutch Barrier and Super Senses rolls and wildcard ability, showing that even poor pieces like Her Royal Badness can play a role in victory.
Eowyn (Lord of the Rings 017)
A Rare in the LOTR set (equivalent to Super Rare in a normal set), she’s one heck of a disappointing pull for playability purposes.
- With no range, no armor, and no move and attack to start, she’s no good in a fight, even with Willpower. Not without Perplex to help that 1 damage, anyhow.
- But hark! What is this “White Lady of Rohan” SP? She can use Perplex and Support!…only on characters with action tokens on them. So what could have made her a solid support character leaves her only mediocre.
- But wait! She’s also got a trait allowing her to ignore the effects of characters on movement and carry a cheaper character…only when she uses Charge.
- Which she doesn’t get until click #2. So in order to use that “Fearless Charge” ability, she has to push, thus losing her Willpower and a point apiece of AV and DV. At least she gets Combat Reflexes to help.
- Her Speed goes up from her starting 6(!) to 8, but if she’s Carrying she can only Charge 2 squares (8 halved to 4, minus 2 for using Carry).
- She still can’t do any damage to speak of and her chances of hitting are worse than ever…unless she pushes again to get Blades/Claws/Fangs. OK, now we’re talking!
- Too bad she just lost her “special-needs” version of Perplex, leaving her to continue flailing with an 8 AV.
- Too late, on her final two clicks, she regains a decent 9 AV. She simultaneously slips to an indecent 14 DV only marginally aided by the Combat Reflexes. The appearance of Outwit on her final click is more like a target on her forehead.
Gimme my fifty points, woman!
So, let’s recap. She’s nerfed as a backfield supporter, a poor fighter until mid-dial, with a DV unlikely to allow her to see much fighting time. What’s really horrid is that most of her Hobbit set-mates are all better at various support roles AND at fighting for LESS POINTS.
It’s completely unworthy of the courageous shieldmaiden who rode into Pelennor in the face of the mumakil charge and defeated the dark captain of Sauron’s forces. And it’s the worst HeroClix dial by far of 2011.
You are unworthy of the Warrior keyword.
