Today’s article is meant to give you ideas when building your next force of  how to add a little versatility. The attributes I’m reviewing today are a great way to have your force adapt to the circumstances of a battle during the battle itself. A way to customize your forces to any given situation. I’ll be covering in this article Alter Ego, Revert, Split/Merge, Resurrection Effects, Battlefield Promotion, and Morph.

Alter Ego – AKA “I’m Batman”

Alter Egos may bring the least amount of customization to your force, but they are definitely still worth mentioning. The idea is that you get to choose between a (usually) low point civilian guise or change to a super hero of the exact same points. Some characters can have several super hero identities to choose from. But most of the time there are only two options, stay as a civilian or become your one super hero identity. Keep in mind at their low point cost, most of these guys are super for only about three clicks. Some of the Alter Ego pieces are pretty useful as just themselves (like CW010 Donald Blake). Some are just pieces you want to jog around in a circle until they push to their Alter Ego power (like IIM016 Pepper Potts). All of them offer you at least a little mid battle customization. For example, If you are playing CW010 Donald Blake and your main attacker is KOed then you’re going to want Thor to join the battle and you should push Donald to his alter Ego power.

ASM007 Johnny Blaze is a standout in this Category because if an opposing character sheds innocent blood in his presence they will immediately have the Spirit of Vengeance to reckon with. Similarly if you shoot at AVM013 Bruce Banner or IH202 Bruce Banner, it might be the “other guy” who spits out the bullet.

Here’s a listing of all the available Alter Ego figures in Modern:

• IIM016 Pepper Potts
• IIM017 Happy Hogan
• BCTV002 Bruce Wayne
• BCTV004 Dick Grayson
• ASM007 Johnny Blaze
• ASM036 Kaine
• BM002 Bruce Wayne
• BM027 Dick Grayson
• BM102 Matches Malone
• CW010 Donald Blake
• CW011 Tony Stark
• DKR003 Bruce Wayne
• DKR202 Bruce Wayne
• AVM013 Bruce Banner
• AVM209 Tony Stark
• IH002 Bruce Banner
• IH202 Bruce Banner

Revert – AKA From Hero to Zero

Revert is similar to Alter Ego in that it gives you some extra options at the end of a powerful characters dial. Unlike Alter Ego instead of becoming a new character of the same points at the top of (usually short) dial, your usually trading down in points. So When 155 FI020 Red She-Hulk reverts on click 5 she becomes a FI006 Red She-Hulk on click 5 (with an attack and damage bonus due to the trait). Why would you do this? Well usually by the time a character gets to their revert clicks, they past the point of being really useful. There are also bonuses to reverting if you are playing one of “the mighty” or relics that come into play with “The Worthy”. With some characters only have one revert option in modern (Like FI025 Skirn) and some have an incredible amount (like FI030 Spider-Man). You can have veritable army of revert options figures waiting for you to choose from. You should also remember that reverted heroes can work with the duo “merge” power. For example, you could play IIM035 Dreadknight, revert him to CW039 Hawkeye, and combine him with FFCW005 Mockingbird to form CW054 Hawkeye and Mockingbird (likely healing Hawkeye in the process).

130 point SLOSH052 Highfather stands out in this category for being the only figure to revert to a higher point figure (175 point SLOSH051 Takion). FI020 Red She-Hulk and FI018 Iron
Fist both revert into characters that have the ability to heal back up to their top clicks (and keep the nice att/dam bonus). Probably the most versatile figure in this Category is FI031 Wolverine. His revert click is also a stop click with regeneration on it. Meaning that on your next turn you can regenerate and keep that figure in the battle or you can go to any one of his 9 different lower cost figures. You can even decide to revert to a more defensive figure as a free action (like TABM-004 Wolverine) after you fail a regeneration roll with FI031 Wolverine.

Here’s a listing of all the available figures with Revert in Modern:

• SLOSH052 Highfather
• IIM035 Dreadknight
• FI016 Black Widow
• FI017 Ms. Marvel
• FI018 Iron Fist
• FI019 Hawkeye
• FI020 Red She-Hulk
• FI021 Dr. Strange
• FI022 Nerkkod
• FI023 Mokk
• FI024 Greithoth
• FI025 Skirn
• FI026 Kuurth
• FI030 Spider-Man
• FI031 Wolverine
• FI032 Nul
• FI033 Angrir
• FI200 Skadi

Split/Merge – AKA I’ll be there for you

“Merge” gives you the option of combining two smaller characters into a larger one with possibly a completely different power set. If you merge a damaged character with an undamaged character the new bigger character is undamaged. “Split” makes two smaller characters out of a large duo figure. This allows various combinations that can produce positive game effects for your team. You can split WXM101 Colossus and Kitty Pryde into WXM002 Colossus and WXM003 Shadowcat so that Shadowcat can taxi Colossus into battle. Then after Colossus takes a hit, merge them back into their duo figure for a quick heal. Another example is Splitting a mildly-injured CW059 Thor and Hercules into IH026 Hercules and CW010 Donald Blake and then using Donald Blake’s support to heal Hercules back to full health. The following turn you can merge into a full health duo again.

CW060 Avengers Prime really stands out in this category for being a 1-man-army, or a 3-man-army depending on how you look at it.

Here’s a listing of all the available figures with Split/Merge in Modern:

• WKD-004 Superman and Superman
• WKD-009 Superman and Wonder Woman
• SLOSH053 Big Barda and Mr. Miracle
• IIM043 Iron Man and War Machine
• IIM044 Absorbing Man and Titania
• IIM045 Sin and Crossbones
• BCTV016 The Dynamic Duo
• WXM053 Professor X and Magneto
• WXM101 Colossus and Kitty Pryde
• NML006 The Joker and Harley Quinn
• IM3017 Iron Man and Iron Patriot
• IM3018 Iron Man and War Machine
• ASM044 Colleen Wing and Misty Knight (no split/merge possible currently)
• ASM047 Man-Thing and Howard the Duck (no split/merge possible currently)
• SOG103 Batman and Nightwing
• BM100 Nightwing and Batgirl
• JL52021 Fury
• CW052 Lockjaw and Hairball (no split/merge possible currently)
• CW053 Ant-Man and Wasp
• CW054 Hawkeye and Mockingbird
• CW055 Vision and Scarlet Witch
• CW056 Scarlet Witch and Wonder Man
• CW058 Dr. Doom and Kang
• CW059 Thor and Hercules
• CW060 Avengers Prime

Resurrection Effects – AKA Today is the Beginning of the Rest of Your Afterlife

This category belongs almost exclusively to the past lives of Iron Man and SLOSH049 Solomon Grundy has just recently joined the party. How do you qualify? You need to have the  power to be KOed and come back different then you were before. WXM020 White King doesn’t qualify because he only comes back as the same punching bag he always was. The past life figures are all slightly different for a customizable response to your Opponent. Fighting monsters? Bring IIM054 Iron Slayer (1890s) into the fight. Need stealth? Come back as IIM056 Iron Soldier (1910s). Facing tough defense? Resurrect as IIM053 Iron Paladin (1400 AD). You get the idea.

Here’s a listing of all the available figures with Resurrection Effects in Modern:

• SLOSH049 Solomon Grundy
• IIM038 Iron Man
• IIM052 Iron Viking (1000 AD)
• IIM053 Iron Paladin (1400 AD)
• IIM054 Iron Slayer (1890s)
• IIM055 Iron Engine (1900s)
• IIM056 Iron Soldier (1910s)
• IIM201 Iron Man

Battlefield Promotion – AKA Stabbing Your Way to the Top

The  Tenth Anniversary set introduced the idea of starting with rookie characters and upgrading them to their veteran selves through good game play. It’s an awesome thought to start with an 87 point rookie hulk and through great play (and lucky rolls) end up with a 350 point World Breaker. Some Promotions (like D10A021 Superman) are easier to attain than others (like M10A006 Marvel Girl). And some promotions just aren’t even worth it. I think 100 point D10A019E Martian Manhunter is actually worse than 90 point D10A003 John Jones. Remember that these recently promoted figures could qualify for a duo as well. If you promote 125 point TDW018 Thor into 200 point TDW001 Thor you could combine him with IH026 Hercules to make the 300 point CW059 Thor and Hercules duo (likely healing Thor in the process).

TDW018 Thor is real stand out figures in this category. He can be promoted by a single hit on an opposing character. That a pretty easy 75 point promotion. Similar TDW009 Algrim promotes simply by being hit. If they don’t want to hit him, he’s still really good for the points.

Here’s a listing of all the available figures with Battlefield Promotion in Modern:

• TDW001 Thor
• TDW009 Algrim
• D10A001 Batman
• D10A002 Wonder Woman
• D10A003 John Jones
• D10A005 Brainiac
• D10A006 Batgirl
• D10A008 Catwoman
• D10A011 Green Lantern
• D10A013 Lex Luthor
• D10A014 Robin
• D10A016 Blue Beetle
• D10A018 The Flash
• D10A021 Superman
• M10A001 Captain America
• M10A002 Hulk
• M10A004 Green Goblin
• M10A006 Marvel Girl
• M10A007 Storm
• M10A008 White Queen
• M10A010 Weapon X
• M10A011 The Thing
• M10A012 Iron Man
• M10A015 Magneto
• M10A016 Thor
• M10A017 Spider-Man

Morph – AKA The Masters of Disguise

These are the Cream of the crop when it comes to versatility. Most of them can take another form simply after a move action. Need stealth? Most of these have a stealth version. Close combat? Check. Ranged combat? Check. Their are a Swiss army knife on a dial.

Here’s a listing of all the available figures with Morph in Modern:

Shrinking Violet

• SLOSH007 Shrinking Violet
• SLOSH103 Shrinking Violet
• SLOSH207 Shrinking Violet

Beast Boy

• TT005B Beast Boy (In Gordanian Form)
• TT021 Beast Boy (Tiger)
• TT038 Changeling
• BM005 Beast Boy (Dolphin)
• BM019 Beast Boy (Pterodactyl)

Spider Man (75 points)

• ASM050 Hornet
• ASM051 Ricochet
• ASM052 Dusk
• ASM053 Prodigy
• ASM201 Spider-Man

Spider Man (100 points)

• ASM001A Spider-Man
• ASM001B Spider-Man
• ASM001C Spider-Man

Spider Man (125 points)

• ASM024 Spider-Man
• ASM054 Spider-Man
• ASM055 Spider-Man
• ASM056 Iron Spider
• ASM057 Spider-Man

Punisher

• IH010 Punisher
• IH011 Punisher
• IH023 Punisher

Hank Pym

• CW014 Hank Pym
• CW015 Ant-Man
• CW016 Wasp
• CW173 Ant-Man
• CW200R Giant-Man

Sentry

• CW035 Sentry
• CW045 Void
• CW057 Sentry and Void

Adam Warlock

• GG010 Adam Warlock
• GG020 Magus

Sample Armies

So now that I’ve listed all these great units in the article above, you might be wondering how you can use this information. Well, here’s some ideas.

The Easy to Promote Team

• TDW018 Thor
• TDW009 Algrim
• TDW003B Dark Elf Soldier
• (sideboarded) TDW001 Thor
• (sideboarded) TDW008 Kurse
• = 300 total points

Warrior theme team. Algrim taking one hit and Thor landing one hit might be enough to promote both of them into better figures. The “ramming” dark elf soldier makes a great distraction while you’re doing it.

The Dirty Tricks team

• FI019 Hawkeye
• FFCW005 Mockingbird
• (sideboarded) CW054 Hawkeye and Mockingbird
• CW033 Victoria Hand
• CW173 Ant-Man
• (sideboarded) CW014 Hank Pym
• (sideboarded) CW015 Ant-Man
• (sideboarded) CW016 Wasp
• (sideboarded) CW200R Giant-Man
• =300 Total Points

Avengers Theme team. Send Ant Man into the fray. When the opportunity arises go directly to giant man and stomp face. While that’s happening Victoria Hand and Mockingbird should help Hawkeye do as much damage from range as possible. Together they enhance his range +1 and his attack value +2. When Hawkeye takes enough damage to revert, do it and then immediately combine him into CW054 Hawkeye and Mockingbird.

An Army of One… Hundred

• TT005B Beast Boy (In Gordanian Form)
• (sideboarded) TT021 Beast Boy (Tiger)
• (sideboarded) TT038 Changeling
• (sideboarded) BM005 Beast Boy (Dolphin)
• (sideboarded) BM019 Beast Boy (Pterodactyl)
• (sideboarded) IH010 Punisher
• (sideboarded) IH011 Punisher
• IH023 Punisher
• (sideboarded) CW014 Hank Pym
• (sideboarded) CW015 Ant-Man
• (sideboarded) CW016 Wasp
• CW173 Ant-Man
• (sideboarded) CW200R Giant-Man
• (sideboarded) ASM050 Hornet
• (sideboarded) ASM051 Ricochet
• ASM052 Dusk
• (sideboarded) ASM053 Prodigy
• (sideboarded) ASM201 Spider-Man
• (sideboarded) ASM001A Spider-Man
• (sideboarded) ASM001B Spider-Man
• (sideboarded) ASM001C Spider-Man
• (sideboarded) ASM024 Spider-Man
• (sideboarded) ASM054 Spider-Man
• (sideboarded) ASM055 Spider-Man
• (sideboarded) ASM056 Iron Spider
• (sideboarded) ASM057 Spider-Man
• Book of Shadows with 6 hammers (24 points)
• = 299 total points.

This is the grand daddy of them all when it comes to versatility. 26 total figures. 4 in play and a side board of 22 figures. You start with stealthy figures in play and then the sky is the limit from there. Your opponent will be super confused. You’ll be super confused. Switch all your figures every round just because you can! It will be beautiful chaos.

If you do play this 26 figure team, I have a word of warning for you. With all the setup, placement, and decision making you’ll need to do to really play this team well it’s likely the game will go to time after only a few rounds. Of course if the person sitting across from you is a brand new first time player, it may only be a one round game before time is called. Then your opponent will likely quit. Quit Heroclix. Quit gaming. Quit Life.

Play this team cautiously.