Local Tournament Report – 3/19/14 Comics & More

/ ninwashui / 2 Comments
That's why there's no Superman in this set.

That’s why there is no Superman in this set.

The Format: 400 SLoSH sealed. No outside anything.

What I played:

SLOSH003 Lightning Lad

SLOSH011 Sensor Girl

SLOSH024 Lex Luthor

SLOSH041 Universo

Total = 400 Points

Round 1: Facing SLOSH039 Bizarro (at 150 points) and SLOSH055 Validus.

The map we played on featured a large patch of elevated on the left side of the center of the map. My opponent was able to take up a position on the elevated terrain that wouldn’t let me get off a running shot with Luthor or Lightning Lad. I could try moving further towards his starting area, but he could also move closer to his starting area and nothing would change.

I knew my team was defensive minded. I put myself in a position near my starting area where Validus could charge my characters next turn and Bizarro might be 1 square out of range depending on what he randomly rolled at the start of his turn. It worked. Bizarro ended up on a charge click with low speed and couldn’t move and attack me in the same turn. Validus charged the front of my group which was Universo and Sensor girl. He asked what the defensive powers were on each and made the decision to attack Universo. I missed shape change. He attacked and rolled an 8. I used prob from Sensor Girl. He rolled a 7. Prob from Luthor (who could see Validus because he was a giant). He rolled a 4 which was a miss.

On my turn and based by both Valiudus and Bizarro, things weren’t looking great. Even less so when I realized he was going to Pulse wave my whole team for 2 damage as a free action the beginning of my next turn. Used Luther’s TA to outwit defense on Validus and Lightning Lad to RCE him from the back row for 4 damage (RCE for +1 damage and +1 attack). That softened him up, but I was still going to get pulse waved. At that point I remember my opponent telling me a story before the game that he played Validus once before and someone mind controlled him to just run away. He disliked Validus for that reason. I used Universo to pull exactly that trick again. Suddenly my 400 point team was just facing a 150 point Bizarro. Things were definitely looking up. Luthor did a running shot on Bizzaro and hit for 1 token worth of damage.

On my opponents turn he swung with Bizzaro. Facing two probs, he missed. Validus moved to charge range and stopped. On my turn I had my available guys take two more tokens off of Bizzarro. Bizarro and Validus cleared. Another outwit from Luthor and a attack from him and Lightning Lad finished Validus. Bizarro fell a few turns later after hitting Luthor with an RCE attack and knocking him to click 4.

Luck was on my side this match and Luthor was the only one hit with an attack.

Round 2: Facing Hypefox withSLOSH054 Persuader and SLOSH040 Emerald Empress.

This time I took the elevated patch in the middle, but HypeFox got off the first attacks. Emerald Empress flew in and hit everyone on my team with a 1 damage Pulse Wave that I can’t use prob on. Persuader charged Sensor Girl and rolled a 5, just missing. Luthor gets a Successful Psyblast off on Emerald Empress knocking her to click 3. Due to his traited combat reflexes I’m having a hard time hitting Persauder. That is until I roll a 2 which I prob and get a 4. I prob again and get a 12. Turning a crit miss into a crit hit really turns things around. Persuader does manage to quake my entire team off a building, but only Universo takes damage. Eventually Universo is KOed, but I take out Hypefox’s team with time to spare in the round. My defensive abilities and prob control really shine this battle.

Round 3: Facing SLOSH002 Saturn Girl, SLOSH012 Tyroc, SLOSH026 Mister Miracle, and SLOSH036 Glorith

My opponent and I met on the elevated terrain in the center of the map. I got off the first shots this time with Lightning lad and Luthor both targeting Saturn girl. Only Luthor ends up hitting. On my opponents turn he attacked with everyone available, but with my probs and defensive abilities he couldn’t touch me. Sensor girl even probed a stealthy Mister Miracle into missing. The next round I took out Saturn girl and damage Tyroc. The round after that Tyroc is KOed and the round after that Glorith goes down. He doesn’t touch me with a single attack.

With At least 30 minutes left in the round my opponent decides to forgo attacking for the rest of the game and starts what shall forever be referred to as the Mr. Miracle dance. I fire all out at the stealthy Mr. Miracle after having Universo and Sensor Girl combine to outwit his stealth with the Superman Enemy TA. If I hit he adds an action token. If I haven’t hit him last round and he has no tokens he runs to a different position. Over the next 30 minutes with my whole team firing, I manage to make Mr Miracle push only twice. At that point he picks up side step and can just start dancing over some blocking terrain and make it real hard for me to keep up. I finally get the bright idea to push lightning lad to get precision strike when the judge calls time.

I actually liked the Mr. Miracle dance on my opponent’s part. It turned what was otherwise a one sided match into something fun and challenging that I’m going to remember a lot longer than any of my other matches that night. Kudos to my opponent.

What I learned

  • The team I chose was possibly the best one I have ever fielded in a sealed event. I knew I wanted to use Universo and Luthor since I had named them some of the best characters in the set. Lightning Lad I liked for adding damage. Sensor Girl I threw in because the points fit. They worked together better than I ever dreamed. They were a defensive powerhouse with just enough damage to win.
  • Sensor Girl didn’t look like much when I added her to my team but she turned out to be my MVP. The ability to use prob on just about anyone near her regardless of how pieces were placed was just huge. She would target someone in stealth from behind two other pieces. Just ridiculous. She was a little short on offense, but exceptional in every other way. I will definitely look for a reason to play her again.
  • Luthor was the Glue holding the team together. His TA was incredibly useful since everyone else on the team was a wildcard. His 18 defend was just dominating when combined with his prob and Sensor Girl’s prob. Also at the time I didn’t realize his powers were uncounterable. He was great without even noticing that. I will definitely look for a reason to play him again.
  • Universo was everything I said he was in my set review article. Standing at the front of my team he was almost completely unhittable.
  • Lightning Lad was Lightning Lad. Exactly what you think he is. Decent for the points but there really is nothing new to learn about him.
  • Bizarro’s  only taking one damage at a time is really great. It took my whole 400 point team 3 rounds of focus fire to KO the 150 version of him. I would love a chance to use that character if I happen to get one. I see why he did well at a recent ROC.
  • Validus almost ate my team in match one. If not for Universo he would have done it. My opponent wasn’t thrilled with Validus and actually traded him to me at the end of the night. I would love to try him out myself except I traded him to Hypefox for FI029 Colossus that same night. If I happen across another one, I’m totally going to play him.
  • Mister Miracle won’t win you many matches with offense. But if you can get your opponent fixated with him, he makes a hell a distraction. If you aren’t adding tokens to him with useless actions like attacking, your opponent won’t be able to KO him before time is called.

99 Figures But A Superman Ain’t One!! (Or, A Second Opinion on SLoSH!!)

/ HypeFox / 2 Comments
That's high praise!!

That’s high praise!!

The title of this entry notwithstanding, I’ve decided NOT to open with some lame, jokey observation about how–unless you pull an exceedingly rare Chase–Superman is completely missing from a set that has his name in the title. But only because, at this point, everyone has beaten me to it.

Having said that, my initial impressions were similar to those of Ninwashui. Not a ton of filler crap, and most of the really weak figs aren’t commons for once. At the same time, I feel there are several comments I need to make about the set as a whole before I highlight certain figures.

1. Even more so than IIM, Improved Targeting is going to be a THING going forward (don’t get Hunter Smith and the guys at Dial H For Heroclix started–they’re all but convinced this mechanic will destroy the game), and figures that see through blocking or (Lord forbid) elevated terrain without some sort of MAJOR restriction are going to be extremely tough to deal with. Let’s take a quick look back at IIM–remember we told you that Iron Pharaoh’s day was going to come (Ninwashui even wrote up a few army builds that have since popped up in one way or another in some recent ROCS), since his Golden Falcon, Soaring let you see through just about ANYTHING? Well, the Pharaoh is VERY good, but he does have one major restriction–his falcon can only “soar” three spaces, and he can only draw a line of fire three spaces from the falcon, so his range with that Improved Targeting: Everything, You Bastard! is fairly short.

I am a thing, going forward. Ever forward...

I am a thing, going forward. Ever forward…

So we fast forward to SLoSH, and the designers have decided that they suddenly don’t need to be as careful with range any more. I’m not going to give away the store here (just keep reading for my TOP TEN!), but when rating these figs, I’m starting from this premise:  If a character sees through ANY type of Terrain, that’s a huge bonus. If they have a Range greater than 8, that’s also really good. But if a character can see through at least one type of Terrain AND has a Range greater than 8? These are the characters most likely to break the game–and if/until they end up on Watchlist 2: The Reckoning, they are going to be the characters you will want to be fielding when you really want to build a cutthroat army!

Shawties.

Shawties.

2. The sculpts are very cool in this set! They’ve finally found a way to scale size so that the Giant figures actually ARE gigantic compared to normal-sized figs and yet are just a bit shorter than Colossals WHILE STILL FITTING IN A 5-FIGURE BOOSTER. Yes! Well done, WizKids!

3. Remember early Clix, when seeing a Wildcard team ability on a character not named Spider-Man or Doctor Doom was so rare you could count them on one hand? Well, this ENTIRE FREAKING SET has either the Legion of Super Heroes TA or the Calculator TA. Even characters who have other team abilities (like Mon-El or Emerald Empress) STILL HAVE ONE OF THE WILDCARD ABILITIES! That means two things:  First, in sealed, any non-wildcard TA has even more value than usual because, chances are, EVERY OTHER MEMBER OF YOUR ARMY CAN COPY IT! Second, when constructing an army for an event with SLoSH pieces, many of the tentpoles in this set get much better depending on what TA’s they can copy, so you’re going to have to be really careful in who you surround them with. This is a change from IIM, when you were much more focused on what keywords your supporting figs had.

Alright! Let’s go right in to five…. HONORABLE MENTIONS!!

5. Slosh046 Superboy (Super Rare): Yuck. I hate when I let Ninwashui do his set reviews first, cuz sometimes we end up with the same conclusions. This is a very solid figure; Mon-El is simply better in every way for the points. It’s the same argument I made back in the IIM set review we did a few months ago, and I’ll continue to harp on it here:  don’t pay retail value for figures that you can get on a moderate to steep discount! Case in point:  between Mon-el and Superboy, they both have the same TA’s, they both offer Leadership and move and attack powers, but Mon-El’s stats and power distribution are simply better (Hypersonic Speed where Superboy has Running Shot and–eventually–a limited form of HS, etc.). Superboy is a better supporting piece with his top dial Enhancement and Trait that offers Willpower to those less fortunate souls on your team who didn’t come equipped with it, but honestly, in a three hundred point game, who’s running a 175 point piece to support smaller priced figs? And yet, Superboy can still hold his own as a main attacker; he’s just not Mon-El. In higher point games, where you want to swarm your opponent with a legion of, well, Legionnaires, Superboy starts to gain ground on Mon-El for the extra few damage-free actions he’ll give his teammates. And of course, if you’re already using a Prime elsewhere in your build, Superboy would become your selection by default. But there’s just not many build situations where Superboy and another Prime are going to be better than Mon-El any whatever you want to team him with. Superboy is good, but everything he offers is just not quite enough to crack the actual Top Ten…

4. Slosh004 Science Police Officer (Common): Now this is a cool lil’ supporting piece. His Damage SP (TACTICAL DEPLOYMENT: When an opposing character within 8 squares is given a free action, if that character has been given a non-free action this turn, after actions resolve, deal that character 1 unavoidable damage.) is nifty and annoying to your opponent, but I’m actually more impressed with his 6 Range and Police TA for 45 points. 

3. Slosh011 Sensor Girl (Common): The definition of a pest. She sees through Hindering Terrain (i.e. Stealth) and other characters, she has Shape Change and a Traited Perplex-lite ability that does juuuuuust enough to be annoying (ILLUSIONS SEEM REAL: Sensor Girl can use Perplex, but only to modify an opposing character’s attack or defense value.). Combine that with a Wildcard TA, 10 Attack and Probability Control, and you have a 75 point nuisance that can really grind some of your best characters down in really subtle ways, as I found out firsthand at my venue’s SLoSH sealed event (Stupid Sensor Girl. Grrrrrrrr…).

2. Slosh024 Lex Luthor (Uncommon): The usual sort of Luthor piece that we get, except someone Frankensteined all of the best Luthor powers and abilities from past figs together into a 150 point piece of aggravation. He gives the Superman Enemy TA to any adjacent lower-costing figure, he also gives them 18 Defense through his 18 Defend, he starts out with Flying and Invulnerability AND 3 damage with Probability Control. Just a bucket of yuck if you’re sitting across the table from this piece. And if you’re actually playing him… where are you in your life? How did it come to this? Harvey Dent once said that “You either die a hero, or you live long enough to see yourself become the villain.” Well, brotha’, by playing this piece… you’ve finally lived long enough to see yourself become the villain (What? Bitter? Me? Why would I–well, yeah, I did get beat with a Luthor/Sensor Girl team at the SLoSH sealed, but that has no bearing on my impartiality as a set rater, I assure you…).

My opponent from the SLoSH sealed event.

A portrait of my opponent from the SLoSH sealed event this past week.

1. Slosh008 Phantom Girl (Common): Wow! Where did she come from? A lil’ 72-point package of usefulness, Phantom Girl sports some good keywords (Future, LoSH), good Defense values (17 w/Super Senses that eventually turns into an 18 w/Energy Shield/Deflection!), a top dial Move and Attack Special Power (PHASING ATTACK: Phantom Girl can use Incapacitate. When she is given a move action, after actions resolve, she may be given a close combat action as a free action, targeting any one opposing character occupying a square she moved through.) that lets her suppress figures that your opponent intentionally leaves behind his main attack force (medics, barrier technique guys, Iron Pharaoh or Fantomex, just to name a few) and another ridiculously awesome top dial Flying/Phasing Special Power that can nerf your opponent’s heaviest hitters (INTANGIBILITY AND DISRUPTION: Phantom Girl can use Phasing/Teleport. When she uses Phasing/Teleport and passes through any squares occupied by characters holding an object, she may remove any of those objects from the game. When she uses Phasing/Teleport and passes through characters assigned any relics or resources, those characters can’t use those relics or resources until your next turn.).

So let’s break this down. I give her a Move action with Phasing/Teleport. She moves through, say, an opposing Batman who’s been assigned the Utility Belt and that I couldn’t otherwise see because of Stealth. Suddenly, Batman can’t use the Belt next turn and–after I’ve safely hidden Phantom Girl around a corner, or on Elevated, or wherever, I get a free close combat attack that will at worst feature a 10 Attack with 2 damage. Again, for emphasis: She COMPLETELY NERFS opposing resources and relics just by Phasing through the figures using them. In yet even MORE words, Phantom Girl uses move actions to turn your opponent’s precious Infinity Gauntlet into a soft, spongy orange children’s toy. And they snuck her in as a Common. Okay WizKids. Good game. You got me with this piece. I did not see Phantom Girl coming (which, I guess, was the point, right? I mean, she IS called Phantom Girl, after all).

Whew!! Okay, we’re just getting started here, so now that we’re done with the preliminaries, I give to you… the Top Ten Figures in SLoSH!!

Darkseid saw your meme, destroyed it, and replaced it with his own.

Darkseid saw your meme, destroyed it, and replaced it with his own.

10. Slosh044r Darkseid (Rare): I keep hearing oh, he’s too many points to build around. Oh, he’s too many points for what he does. To which I say, uh, no, y’know, uh, I kinda, y’know, I’m gonna go ahead, and with all due respect, y’know, I’m just–I’m gonna disagree, kinda, and stuff, if that’s cool? Y’know, with you? Oh, wait, that’s not what I say at all. That’s actually my opponent talking after I’ve made him COWER BEFORE DARKSEID.

I’m going to go back to my premise from above:  Does he see through at least one type of Terrain (Oh yeah–3 different types, actually!)? Is his range greater than 8 (Yup again–it’s 10–with 2 bolts!)? As Ninwashui likes to say, when a figure does something that no other figure or very few other figures can do, someone, somewhere out there, is gonna figure out how to break that figure. He can Outwit figures that can’t even see him. He can shoot through blocking with no fear of a forced reroll because your Prob specialist can’t see him either until it’s too late (or unless her name is AvX Scarlet Witch, but that’s a whole ‘nother discussion).

He’s got too many powers to list here, but one (BOOM TUBE TECHNOLOGY: If Darkseid has no action tokens, he can use Running Shot and Improved Movement: Ignores Characters. If he has one action token, he can use Phasing/Teleport, and when he does, he may be given a ranged combat attack as a free action after actions resolve.) bears special mentioning. When you combine Boom Tube Technology with all of his Improved Targeting powers and vast range, there’s not really anywhere to hide from Darkseid. If you’re on the map, he’s gonna come find you. He’s certainly not unbeatable, but you have to be SO damn careful with your positioning (while knowing full well that it just may not matter!) that’s it’s mentally exhausting. That’s not a part of the game we cover too much, but it is a factor. You’re going to make mistakes playing against Darkseid; you just have to hope that your opponent doesn’t capitalize on all of them.

9. Slosh201 Cosmic Boy (Common): Another duplicate from Ninwa’s list, although I have him a shade higher. I love figures that allow armies to exist where otherwise there would be nothing; he’s not quite Duhg, but he’s close. His Trait (WELCOME TO THE LEGION: When you build your force, choose one character of 50 points or less. That character gains the Legion of Super Heroes keyword and “wing symbol” this game. If your force includes other characters with this trait, you may increase the point value of your chosen character by 50 points if this character doesn’t use this trait.) is actually shared by some other Legionnaires, so it’s not exactly proprietary, but he is the best fig with which to Welcome folks to the Legion for two reasons:  firstly, he takes up the least amount of points in your build. Seems straightforward enough, but this is not the last time a figure will make it on this list simply because it’s the most cost-effective use of a broken or near-broken Trait. Second… Cosmic Boy is actually MORE than just the trait. He’s got top dial TK, Willpower and Perplex–all for 70 points. That makes Rokk Krinn one of the more efficient dials in the whole set, even before you throw in his Trait!

8. Slosh 17b Cheetah (Uncommon PRIME): Another good dial that starts getting silly when you add in some Wildcard potential with the Calculator TA. She’s got a Movement SP (POUNCE MY PREY: Cheetah can use Leap/Climb. When Cheetah resolves a move action, you may give her a close combat action as a free action.) that gets her into the fray quickly AND lets her make an attack right away, and her 19 Defense against close combat attacks means she probably isn’t going anywhere, unfortunately for your opponent. But the best part? She’s only 90 points. It’s like they took all the best aspects of the most efficient Charge/Blades pieces from the last couple years and distilled them into this Cheetah.

Good luck.

Good luck with all of that.

7. Slosh Solomon Grundy (Super Rare): Grrrr! More agreement with Ninwashui. Well, that’s only going to increase as we get closer to the top. Grundy here is as ridiculous as Ninwashui made him out to be. Solid to slightly above average Attack values, solid to above average Damage values, a fairly easy way to auto heal a click of damage every turn or two, some move and attack… and, oh yeah–he’s almost impossible to KO. Strike that–you can KO him; he just ain’t gonna stay dead for any length of time. Your best hope is to Outwit Impervious and knock him straight through those Invincible clicks. Good luck.

6. Slosh055E Validus (Super Rare): Awesome sculpt. An even better figure. His Trait is (stop me if you’ve heard this before) COMPLETELY RIDICULOUS (MONSTROUS BODY: Validus can use Super Strength and can’t be targeted by Penetrating/Psychic Blast. At the beginning of your turn, roll a d6, and on a result of 4-6, Validus can immediately use Pulse Wave as a free action with a locked damage value of 2, ignoring friendly characters.). Improved Pulse Wave for free. Every turn, there’s a chance that happens. Whaaa… ? I know what you’re thinking, and yes, he’s a freaking WILDCARD as well. They really did give everyone a Wildcard TA. Here, now and for the first time, I present the minutes from one of the development meetings at WizKids from the time SLoSH was being created:

Designer 1: “Uh, hey guys, we gave him 12 Attack, Psychic Blast and you already said he’s immune to opposing Psychic Blasts…. and now you want to give him a chance to bust off an improved version of one of the best attack powers in the game every turn. Are we sure we want to release him like this? No one’s gonna want to play against a figure like that.”

Designer 2: “You’re right. No one will play him. Let’s make him a Wildcard too.”

Designer 1: “That’s not remotely what I was suggesting.”

Designer 2: “No, that’s good work. Great suggestion.”

Designer 1: “[Heavy sigh.] I’m going to lunch.”

Behind the scenes at the WizKids figure development lab...

Behind the scenes at the WizKids figure development lab during Validus playtesting…

5. Slosh048 Tellus (Super Rare): Another “army enabler,” Tellus possesses some of the best top dial skills (Probability Control, Telekinesis) and this Trait (LINK TELEPATHICALLY: Friendly characters within 4 squares can draw lines of fire and count range and squares from the square of any one friendly character within 4 squares of Tellus.). You will want to build armies around this guy. He is extremely “breakable.” It may take a month or two, it may take six months, but you will see Tellus become a top performer at ROC.

4. Slosh040 Emerald Empress (Rare): She comes packing her own relic (EMERALD EYE OF EKRON: At the beginning of the game, place an Emerald Eye of Ekron relic token in Emerald Empress’s square. This object doesn’t count towards your force and is described on the back of this card. Emerald Empress automatically succeeds when rolling for the Emerald Eye of Ekron. When Emerald Empress is assigned the Emerald Eye of Ekron and has two action tokens, she can use her speed powers as a free action.) and she knows how to use it:

(EMERALD EYE OF EKRON (SPECIAL OBJECT):
Immobile
Relic Roll: 6
This character can use Mind Control, Incapacitate, Improved Targeting: Ignores Hindering Terrain, Ignores Characters, and isn’t dealt unavoidable damage from Mind Control. When this character takes damage from an attack, Emerald Eye of Ekron is placed in an adjacent square. Characters may attempt to be assigned Emerald Eye of Ekron more than once per game.).

Four damage top dial with Outwit? Sure! Free Mind Control or Running Shot after her second action token? Okay!! Even at 190 points, she’s highly efficient and will help you out-action your opponents with her relic.

3. Slosh059 Guardian (Chase): Comes equipped with the best Chase Trait I’ve ever seen (THE GROWING DARKNESS: At the beginning of the game for all friendly characters with this trait, you may remove one attached game element from an opponent’s resource and, if it is a relic, assign it to a character with this trait. At the beginning of your turn, roll 2d6 for all friendly characters with this trait. If the result is lower than the sum total of all of these characters’ click numbers, then modify all opposing characters’ combat values by -1 until your next turn.), 9 Range (with 2 bolts for the Energy Explosion he gets mid-dial), 11 Attack with Penetrating/Psychic blast, Running Shot top dial and an 18 Defense. And all that is assuming that your opponent isn’t playing the Utility Belt, Infinity Gauntlet, Book of the Skull or Power Plant. Cuz if he is, Guardian gets even better! Also, he’s the only Chase fig with 2 stop clicks (PACE WARP: When this click is revealed, stop turning the dial. Guardian can use Phasing/Teleport. When he does, after actions resolve, he may immediately use Regeneration as a free action.)! Definitely worth his 207 points… cuz you can still play him with our #2 fig…

2. Slosh057 Lydea Mallor (Chase): Okay, imagine that same “The Growing Darkness” game-changing Trait that Guardian had; now put it on a figure who’s less than 80 points. She’s also a close combat nuisance who can zip around Hindering Terrain, but her Trait is the reason she’s so highly sought after. That Trait shouldn’t appear on any figures less than 150 points; Lydea Mallor is 79. Where I come from, that’s a bargain!!

"I'm a bargain no matter where you come from, genius!"

“I’m a bargain no matter where you come from, genius!”

1. Slosh005b Mon-El (Common PRIME): Well, it might be anti-climactic, especially since I broke Mon-El down in Superboy’s Honorable Mention blurb, but the facts are the facts… Mon-El is a beast. If you want to compare him to IIM’s number one figure, I’d still rather build around Silver Centurion (who was also a Common PRIME), but it’s close. The Torpedo secondary attacker that SC brings with him (along with the fact that he’s immune to Psychic Blast and Pulse Wave, the two best attack powers in the game) give him the advantage. But Mon-El is still destined to power some really NASTY teams in the future.

Well, there you have it. I’d do a 5 Worst Figs section as well, but Ninwashui pretty much nailed it (Toyman is an admirable attempt to inject fun builds into the game… and a complete failure at the same time. So useless…).

WizKids top executives initial reaction to the reveal of Toyman's dial...

The initial reaction of top WizKids executives to the reveal of Toyman’s dial in a preview on Heroclix.com…

And you know how much I hate agreeing with him…

And that brings an end to our coverage of the SLoSH launch! Hope you enjoyed it! See you Sunday night for the Weekly Roundup!!

Snow News Is Good News? (Or, The Weekly Roundup for 03/16/2014!!)

/ HypeFox / Leave a comment

Roundup

Snowmageddon hit southeastern Michigan for what seems like the thirtieth time in the last twenty-nine days, followed by a localized internet blackout for yours truly. But we’re back up and running! SLoSH sealed was cancelled and rescheduled for this week, and the weather made it impossible to get anywhere on time from late Tuesday night to midday Thursday. I used to love Winter, but come the #$@& on already! This is ridiculous.

All of which is to say–to quote the BareNaked Ladies–it’s been one week!! (Yeah, that was a pretty long way to go for that.)

IT’S TIME FOR THE WEEKLY ROUNDUP!!

Podcasts:

Dial H

–Dial H for Heroclix was brand new again–when isn’t it? That’s consistency, people!!–this week with Episode 36! The guys engage in a roundtable review of the new Captain America: The Winter Soldier dials that should finally be in a hobby store near you as you are reading this! [SPOILER ALERT–Agent 13 is freaking GOOD!! And so is the S.H.I.E.L.D. Agent who–oh, heck, just listen to the podcast–or simply check out the last feature in this column for more info!)

Clixcast

–ClixCast was dark again this week, according to their iTunes feed.

Closed for business?

–Still dead, Jim.

Push to Regen

–Push to Regen is, of course, still on its two-month hiatus.

This is Ultimate Play, b!tches!

ROC’n the Clix.

–The Quarry was back new again this week as DarkLogos and the gang continue their MARCH MASS HYSTERIA with a breakdown of the Canadian 1k Open!

Welcome... to the ROC!

Welcome… to the ROC!

ROC:

–The ROC is changing their Map! No more Wrestling Ring. Instead, say hello to the… MAYAN TEMPLE!

–Some more new Tourney announcements, which you can find right here!

Hi! I'll be your Meta for today. What can I getcha started with?

Hi! I’ll be your Meta for today. What can I getcha started with?

–A Kentucky-set ROC Super Qualifier went down, and a Brother Voodoo/GCPD Cruiser team came out on top. But there was PLENTY of Lydea Mallor–she is definitely the figure that’s most wanted from SL0SH–at least, for now…

–Speaking of results, plenty of results to peruse from the Western Canadian $1K Open Realms Open Championship Super Qualifier.

Preview

Previews:

–Another X-Men: DoFP preview, and it’s an Uncommon bomb: Nightcrawler. Really, really like this piece. Very strong, especially for his points. Outside of the Outsiders TA, you’re gonna have to deal with his 19 Defense.

Entertainment News:

–Lady Sif kicked some butt on Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. last week, and now the show is dark for a bit. Instead, we get a Marvel Movie Special on ABC tonight, which will preview Cap II, GotG & future eps of S.H.I.E.L.D. .

–And I have not yet decided on an Entertainment News segment logo…

Critical Missives:

–Ninwashui released his Top Ten SLoSH figures, which also contained a general overview of the whole set along with his five WORST figures, which I think will surprise a lot of people…

–Captain America: The Winter Soldier has released in both Hobby shops AND Targets nationwide, which means it’s time to revisit my DEFYING GRAVITY column!

This is how you defy gravity... LIKE A BOSS!

This is how you defy gravity… LIKE A BOSS!

To recap, my prediction for the main set (both Hobby and Mass Market) was:                                                   The actual setlist was:

CATWS#001: Captain America                                                                                                                                                  CATWS#001: Captain America (Yay! 1 for 1! I cannot be stopped!)

CATWS#002: S.H.I.E.L.D. Strike Agent                                                                                                                               CATWS#002: S.H.I.E.L.D. Soldier (Bah. Close, but no cigar! This is like 1 and 1/2 for 2.)

CATWS#003: Alexander Pierce                                                                                                                                                CATWS#003: Black Widow (Right character, in that she’s definitely in the set, but wrong #. 1 and 1/2 for 3.)

CATWS#004: The Winter Soldier                                                                                                                                            CATWS#004: Batroc (For some reason, I thought he’d be a rare. Freaking Batroc. 1 and 1/2 for 4.)

CATWS#005: Black Widow                                                                                                                                                         CATWS#005: S.H.I.E.L.D. Agent (Bah. There were 3 freaking S.H.I.E.L.D. generics? 1 and 1/2 for 5.)

CATWS#006: Nick Fury                                                                                                                                                                CATWS#006: Falcon (1 and 1/2 for 6.)

CATWS#007: Crossbones                                                                                                                                                             CATWS#007: S.H.I.E.L.D. Commander  (Turned out Crossbones’s only version was the rare Brock Rumlow. 1 and 1/2 for 7.)

CATWS#008: Sharon Carter                                                                                                                                                        CATWS#008: Winter Soldier (1 and 1/2 for 8. Bleeecccchhh.)

CATWS#009: Howard Stark                                                                                                                                                        CATWS#009: Steve Rogers (Howard Stark? Not even in the set. 1 and 1/2 for 9.)

CATWS#010: Batroc the Leaper                                                                                                                                                 CATWS#010: Brock Rumlow (1 and 1/2 for 10.)

CATWS#011: Maria Hill                                                                                                                                                                  CATWS#011: Maria Hill (Boom!! Nailed it! 2 and 1/2 for 11.)

CATWS#012: Falcon                                                                                                                                                                         CATWS#012: Captain America (Annnnnddd… more failure. 2 and 1/2 for 12.)

CATWS#013: The Winter Soldier                                                                                                                                               CATWS#013: Agent 13 (Oh, I’m stupid. I’m really, really stupid. Of course she was #013. Btw, for her 55 points, and   with her defensive shutdown SP, she is the best fig in the set, imo. Check her out. They put a better  version of Malekith’s defensive shutdown SP on a figure that costs almost 200 points less. Crazy! 2 and 1/2 for 13.)

CATWS#014 Peggy Carter                                                                                                                                                              CATWS#014: Agent Sitwell (Talked myself out of this one. He is awesome too, btw. S.H.I.E.L.D. swarm teams got some HUGE additions with this set. 2 and 1/2 out of 14.)

CATWS#015 Machete                                                                                                                                                                        CATWS#015: Nick Fury (This is possibly the BEST Nick Fury they’ve ever made. This Target set is AWESOME! 2 and 1/2 out of 15.)

CATWS#016 Captain America                                                                                                                                                       CATWS#016: Winter Soldier (2 and 1/2 out of 16.)

CATWS#017: Captain America and Winter Soldier                                                                                                             CATWS#017: Captain America and Black Widow (This is the Hobby Chase. I thought Falcon would be on one of these. I was wrong. It’s fun, but not really Meta. Still cool. 2 and 1/2 out of 17.)

CATWS#018: Captain America and Falcon                                                                                                                               CATWS#018: Captain America and Bucky (Well, I ALMOST had it. This one has the Howling Commandos keyword, which–along with S.H.I.E.L.D. and Avengers–got a HUGE boost with this mini-set. FINAL TALLY: 2 and 1/2 out of 18. Yeeeesssh. Back to the minors for me!)

Okay! So there’s the update! Look for a second opinion on SLoSH late Wednesday or some time on Thursday.

Until then, Stay Safe, and Watch Your Lines of Fire!

Superman and His Amazing Friends? I don’t remember that cartoon… (Or a set review for SLoSH)

/ ninwashui / 6 Comments
I'm not even in this set, but I'm still in this article. Why? Because... I'm Batman!!!

I’m not even in this set, but I’m still in this article. Because… I’m Batman!!!

About the set:

I liked this set in terms of playability, but as far as big name characters it’s doesn’t have a lot. No Batman, no Wonder Woman, no Green Lantern, no Flash, and barely a Superman. A true title for this set would be Legions of Heroes, Villians, and Doom.

As for playability most of these figures aren’t going to completely change the meta, but they are all at least average. There aren’t many real stinkers. Even the generics (blight, daxamites, science police) are all pretty good. It should be fun for sealed play.

The chases are pretty cool and just like previous sets their all share the same trait. It’s an awesome trait designed to literally end the “Hammers raining from the sky” meta all by itself. You’ll want at least one in your collection for that cheesy guy that still plays the Book of the Skulls at your local venue.

The current meta:

In my listings below I judge the current meta based on what I’ve seen from recent tournament reports. (Mostly from the ROC) Unlike the last time I looked at the Meta, today’s Meta is wide open. There has been a movement away from resources, team bases, and colossal figures at tournament venues by player demand. That combined with the watch list changes has caused the field to be wide open. Brother Voodoo seems to be the consensus for the most powerful figure available, but beyond that there seem to be no other patterns in winning tournament teams. Almost anything has a shot now.

My 5 honorable mentions for best figures in the set:

5. SLOSH046 Superboy – This is a great figure that in another set would likely have made the top ten. What’s the problem? SLOSH005B Mon-El is in this set with the exact same point cost, almost the same keywords, and purpose on the battlefield. There just aren’t many times you’re going to reach for Superboy when you have Mon-El available. That’s also why you aren’t going to see another mention of SLOSH018 Ultra-Boy in this review.

4. SLOSH038 Black Manta – He’s probably not going to win the next ROC, but his trait is fun and it seems like a really good representation of the character. On the right map he’s literally invisible. On the wrong map he’ll look like a fish out of water.

3. SLOSH021 Wildfire – I loves me some stop clicks. Stop clicks with Regeneration are even better. Add Impervious to that same click and it’s just awesome. This is a tentpole that won’t be KOed without a fight. The only thing keeping him from making the top ten is that his combat values are low for his point cost.

2. SLOSH022 Gates – If you’re going to play the Legion of Super Heroes on your team then this answers the age old question of how to carry a bunch of flying characters. Even outside of this set he can carry any flyers you have. Green Lanterns – check. Kryptonians –check. Once his taxi usefulness is at an end he can be an effective tie up piece thanks to his high movement and defensive ability.

1. SLOSH041 Universo – He has an incredible array of defensive powers for his point cost. Unfortunately, his offense is only mind control. If you’re opponent is playing lots of small characters then this guy is great. If your opponent is playing 1 300 point character, then Universo’s usefulness will be limited.

The top ten figures from the SloSH set:

10. SLOSH201 Cosmic Boy – At 70 points Cosmic Boy can be a great support piece, but the real reason he made it to the top ten is his “welcome to the legion” trait. Suddenly all your wildcard pieces can gain almost any TA and not lose theme team. Try this: SLOSH201 Cosmic Boy + SLOSH005B Mon-El + TT001R Robin = 295 points of win. Batman, Superman, and Titans TA all together on a theme team!

9.  SLOSH037A The Riddler – You can leave this guy in your starting area if you wanted and he could irritate your opponent all game. He has stealth to keep him safe and smoke cloud to frustrate opponents. For 55 points his perplex anywhere power seems really good.

8. SLOSH049 Solomon Grundy – For 200 points you get one of the Hardest to KO figures we’ve ever seen. He’s essentially 11 click long (or more) with a stop click after click 8. He’s got super strength and outwit for his entire dial and invulnerability is his worst defensive power. If you give him a team that supports him well (aka a tker) then he can do quite well.

7. SLOSH027 Kalibak – Step 1 grab object. Step 2 clear tokens. Step 3 three teleport and hit opposing tent pole for 6 damage on the other side of the board! You’ll want to wait for good positioning so he doesn’t get piled on by the opposing team after teleporting, but this guy in the right circumstances can end a match very quickly.

6. SLOSH024 Lex Luthor – Back in 2002 CT043 Invisible Girl showed us that 18 defense with defend is a great thing to have. It’s still true today. Lex here is a capable attacker and makes a wonderful leader for just about any team of smaller characters. Probably the best Lex ever made.

5. SLOSH055E Validus – 12 Attack with 8 range, running shot, and psychic blast makes for a great ranged attacker. His defense isn’t great, but trait granted super strength and his crazy pulse-wave-every-turn trait make him just as deadly up close as he is at range.

4. SLOSH048 Tellus – This figure has good defenses, but the only reason to play him is his “LINK TELEPATHICALLY” trait. I’m not sure of the exact way to break it yet, but it seems like this is the best candidate in the set for a new watch list. Someone is going to figure out a way to make this trait unfair.

3. SLOSH057 Lydea Mallor – All of the chases are at least good. This one is the best. She’s a close combat attacker that resembles JL001 Batman, but she also flies and has that crazy trait that nerfs resources to uselessness. Oh and a fun stop click power at the end. I loves me some stop clicks (with regeneration and a built in escape mode).

2. SLOSH042E Helspont – This piece does everything well. 7 range and outwit for offense. Impervious, shape change, and self healing for defense. TK, leadership, and perplex for support. Just a really solid character.

1. SLOSH005B Mon-El – 12 attack, 10 range, hypersonic speed, super strength, 18 impervious/defend, Superman TA, Wildcard, 175 points. This is the best 175 point character I have ever seen. This is likely the best tent pole character under 200 that I have ever seen. 10 Range rarely show ups on modern figures under 200 points. The same thing with 12 attack (unless you’re batman, wolverine, or hawkeye). To have them both on the same figure is just awesome. Add in the defend that provides 19d to team mates and you’ve got a winner.

The five worst figures from the SloSH set:

5. SLOSH047A White Witch – 87 points for a character with that hardest promotion power power ever printed. I’ve rarely pulled off regular promotions, good luck with this. Her MYSTICAL ENERGY power is situational and in general your opponent can mostly ignore her and focus on your figures that actually do something.

4. SLOSH051 Takion – This character wields ultimate power… for 3 clicks. Then his dial turns into incompatible powers. Steal Energy and Energy Shield Deflection? That’s not a great combo.

3. SLOSH052 Highfather – His trait stopping the opponent’s highest cost character from attacking had better come in handy because he doesn’t offer much else. If an opponent’s best character is 100 points and you’re spending 130 points to stop it, then your opponent has the advantage. Plus you’ll have to leave him in the back, because one successful attack on him cancels his whole trait.

2. SLOSH037B Edward Nigma – A character’s normal version should not outshine its prime in usefulness. This one has that problem. His mind control is good, but he has to be within 6 to use it and with only shape change for defense he’s likely going to get shot up setting up his attack.

1. SLOSH050 Toyman – Attaching toys mostly provide defensive abilities, but that’s pointless because he has no offensive capabilities. Outwit is the limit of his support capabilities on click one. He’s 87 points for him and 1 attached toy, but his dial without a toy would be worth 40 points at best. He has mastermind, but you wouldn’t want to use it because any other figure you could put damage on is probably better. He’s completely ignorable in any real battle.

Delayed Gratification!! (Or, The Weekly Roundup for 03/09/2014!!)

/ HypeFox / Leave a comment

Roundup

Well hullo there!!

Another week goes out, another weather system moves in… and it’s time for another Weekly Roundup!!

Podcasts:

Dial H

–Dial H for Heroclix was new again this week with Episode 35! The guys discuss, among other topics, how SLoSH will affect the current Meta, but first they discuss What They Played! This segment was extremely interesting to me this week as I designed a team that Drew selected to play for this month’s Best Build! You’ll have to listen to the show to see how Drew did with my team, but I had a lot of fun building that force.

Also, a new Dial H Dial Design Contest for March over on HCRealms.com should be up by the time you read this. This first week has a St. Patrick’s Day theme, I believe.

Clixcast

–ClixCast was dark again this week, according to their iTunes feed.

Closed for business?

–No news is, well, NO news, I guess, on the Duo Attack front. Looks like it’s still dead, Jim. In fact, none of the Awesome PodCast Network shows have an update on the APN Facebook page more recent than February 14th.

Push to Regen

–Push to Regen is, of course, still on its two-month hiatus.

This is Ultimate Play, b!tches!

Oh, it’s called the Quarry cuz it covers the ROC. I get it!

–The Quarry was back new again this week as DarkLogos and the gang prepare themselves for MARCH MASS HYSTERIA!! There should be shows coming every week now dissecting the recent Top 16 results of major ROC tourneys. The ESPN-like roundtable segments are my favorite thing on this podcast (it’s awesome to hear top-level players talking about why teams should–or in some cases, shouldn’t–work), but often host Edward Shelton will interview winners, judges and top finishers from many of these events as well. Check it out.

Welcome... to the ROC!

Welcome… to the ROC!

ROC:

–The ROC is updating its prize structure! Basically, they’re getting rid of the $100 TCGPlayer.com gift certificates and instead awarding Convention Exclusive LE’s. Read all about it here.

–New ROC Super Qualifier announced for Hanford, California!

–Plenty of results to peruse from the Western Canadian $1K Open Realms Open Championship Super Qualifier.

Preview

Previews:

–Really just another X-Men: DoFP preview. Avalanche isn’t going to get anyone too excited, but he’s not bad for his point level.

Entertainment News:

–Movie Lady Sif is guest-starring on Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. this week. Which means that, should we ever get a MAOS TV set, we could see another Marvel Studios Lady Sif! Jaimie Alexander is fun to watch in that role, so count me in for this week’s episode!

–After a flurry of casting announcements the last few weeks, no real movement to report on Batman Versus Superman or Gotham.

Critical Missives:

–Well, SLoSH being slightly delayed means our SLoSH Top Ten columns probably won’t drop until late this week or early next week, as we haven’t had the chance to play with too many of these figs (our venue’s SLoSH sealed event is this Wednesday). More to come on this front soon…

–WizKids released a statement saying that Captain America: The Winter Soldier was delayed a week due to inclement weather related shipping issues and NOT because–as many Heroclix enthusiasts have speculated–a brilliant blogger managed to piece together the entire setlist on the eve of its release. Sooooo… yeah.  Heh.

Well, that’s all the news that’s fit to print this week. See ya later this week for more articles.

Until then, Stay Safe, and Watch Your Lines of Fire!!

Defying Gravity (Or, a Prediction of What’s to Come from the Next Marvel Movie Gravity Feeds!!)

/ HypeFox / 2 Comments
This defiance of gravity goes to 11.

This defiance of gravity goes to 11.

And now for something completely different!!

So, we know we’re getting a couple of Marvel Movie Gravity Feeds this year: Captain America: The Winter Soldier and Guardians of the Galaxy. CA:TWS theoretically releases (at least the “Core Hobby” version) on March 5, to be followed by the Target Exclusive version (or “Mass Market” version–man, I feel like an a-hole when I say “core hobby” or “mass market.” Can’t I just say “comic-shop” version and “Target” version?) at some indeterminate time in the future.

Core Hobby! Vis a vis! Mass Market!

Core Hobby! Vis-a-vis! Mass Market!

Guardians will be here in early-to-mid-July. In both cases, we have some idea of what we’ll see in terms of characters, but it’s always fun to try and predict which figures we’ll see in upcoming sets. So that’s the goal of today’s little lark–let’s see if we can predict which figures are coming in these Gravity Feeds!

Today, we’ll focus on the set that’s almost here–Cap 2!!

Cap 2

(Yes, that is the new poster.)

Okay, so let’s start with #001 and go in order. Why? Cuz that’s the easiest to predict:

CATWS#001: Captain America

Whew!! That was tough, but we got where we needed to go, people. Let’s double down. Usually, the second fig in a movie GF set is some sort of good guy generic piece. In Thor: The Dark World, it was Einherjar; in Iron Man 3 (these two sets are the most recent comps to CA: TWS, so that’s why we’re looking so hard at them for this) it was Iron Man Mark 42 (aka one of his many armors from the film–not quite a generic, but definitely a good guy piece).

With all that said, I’m going to go with:

CATWS#002: S.H.I.E.L.D. Strike Agent

I suppose it could be S.H.I.E.L.D. Soldier, or Technician, or Operative or any of a dozen different variations. But for the sake of this prediction (and because at least 3 different actors are credited as “S.H.I.E.L.D. Strike Agents” on imdb.com), I’ll go with “Strike Agent.”

Slot #3 is usually reserved for an “evil” character. In TDW, it was a couple different versions of the Dark Elf Scouts. In IM3, it was Iron Patriot–the Rhodey version, who was actually a good guy. Hmmm… I’m going to say they change it up a little here:

CATWS#003: Alexander Pierce

Pierce is played by screen legend Robert Redford and may–or may not–end up being the main villain in the movie. Which leaves spot 4 for the character who’s advertised as the main villain. TDW#004 was Malekith, and IM3#004 was the Mandarin, so this should be a no-brainer:

CATWS#004: The Winter Soldier

The fifth slot has been kind of a hodgepodge–it was a generic villain in IM3 and Lady Sif in TDW, so I’m going to say it’s a named hero in CATWS:

CATWS#005: Black Widow

We know she’s in the movie, and her piece will probably straddle the Avengers/S.H.I.E.L.D. keyword line like her AVM pieces did.

Speaking of, there are a lot of S.H.I.E.L.D. characters in this movie: In addition to Black Widow, we have Jasper Sitwell, Maria Hill, Sharon Carter, Nick Fury and at least some sort of flashback cameos by Howard Stark and Peggy Carter. Any one of these characters could be Clix’d, along with good ol’ Phil Coulson, who I’m betting does NOT make an appearance in this movie (and this would not be unprecedented; we got “Skrulls” in the AVM GF set along with Odin and Red Skull Chases, even though none of those characters appeared in Avengers. Tyr and Duhg showed up for maybe a combined 30 seconds of screen time in TDW, and yet both got Clix’d in that Gravity Feed set–hell, Duhg was a Target-exclusive rare, and a damn cool one at that!).

So, having said all that, I’m going to go with:

CATWS#006: Nick Fury

Just feels like he should be right about here. We also have Batroc the Leaper and Crossbones showing up as villains in this film, so next we’ll take:

CATWS#007: Crossbones

Back to S.H.I.E.L.D. for our next picks:

CATWS#008: Sharon Carter

CATWS#009: Howard Stark

I know he’s already  been Clix’d, but I think he’ll get a version here where he’s the first Executive Director of S.H.I.E.L.D. with a dial to match. It’s worth noting that with Howard Stark’s slot at #009 we’ve moved into the Core Hobby Rares section, so I guess he’s my first “rare” prediction.

CATWS#010: Batroc the Leaper

He’s kind of obscure and probably won’t have a huge role in the movie–Duhg anyone? I think he’ll be a Core Hobby rare.

CATWS#011: Maria Hill

Another high-ranking S.H.I.E.L.D. officer who I think we’ll combo well with other S.H.I.E.L.D. agents. So that’s

CATWS#012: Falcon

He’s gotta show up somewhere. I could also see him being a common and this slot going to ScarJo’s Black Widow, but on movie sets like this they like to make popular returning characters like Widow a Common, so more people will get her. Falcon (as the new blood with a ton of dial possibilities) seems like a much better bet to be a rare. We’ll see! By the way, that’s four Core Hobby exclusive rares, which means we can go right into the Target rares!!

CATWS#013: The Winter Soldier

Yep. I’m expecting them to double down on the Winter Soldier. At least. Why? Well, firstly, his name is in the title. And secondly, the main villain (I know, we’re expecting him to be a good guy by the end, but that’s not really relevant for this prediction) always gets a Common and Rare version (at least).

CATWS#014 Peggy Carter

Just as there will be a Howard Stark rare fig, I’m predicting we’ll also get a Peggy Carter Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. fig (with the Past keyword as well, obviously).

CATWS#015 Machete

This slot could go to any number of figs–they could opt to do a Rare Widow, a Rare Nick Fury or some Hydra henchman (or just general bad guy henchman) that’s impossible to predict until one has seen the movie. Still, I’m going to try. There are a bunch of Russian soldiers listed in the credits, so it’s possible that they’ll take up a generic slot or too. But there’s also a dude named Machete, so I’m gonna go out on a limb and say he’ll get a slot here as a “named” bad guy. Jasper Sitwell, another S.H.I.E.L.D. agent who will kind of act as the Phil Coulson of this movie, I’m guessing, could go here too, although he feels more like a common. Of course, if Coulson cameos in this flick this spot could go to him, too.

CATWS#016 Captain America

This is almost certainly Cap. Each main hero of the single movies so far has gotten at least one Rare version in their set.

CATWS#017: Captain America and Winter Soldier

The first Chase slot (Core Hobby). These aren’t always Duo figs, but it would make sense here. I’ve mentioned before how kickass it would be to get a single-based S.H.I.E.L.D. Helicarrier as a Chase fig, but it well never happen (hey, if Yu-Gi-Oh! can have an entire floating castle on a single base…). Which, I believe, leaves ONE MORE FIGURE!!

CATWS#018: Captain America and Falcon

Well, the only thing better than one Duo Chase is two, right? This would be similar to what they did with Iron Man 3 (and both of those Duos turned out to be awesome).

There’s a remote chance we get another Red Skull Chase if he makes a cameo, or if Alexander Pierce somehow becomes the Skull (there’s, uh, some justification for this in the comics–SPOILER ALERT, I guess), that could be a possibility as well.

So, to recap, my prediction–which is sure to go wildly wrong in just a couple days–is:

CATWS#001: Captain America

CATWS#002: S.H.I.E.L.D. Strike Agent

CATWS#003: Alexander Pierce

CATWS#004: The Winter Soldier

CATWS#005: Black Widow

CATWS#006: Nick Fury

CATWS#007: Crossbones

CATWS#008: Sharon Carter

CATWS#009: Howard Stark

CATWS#010: Batroc the Leaper

CATWS#011: Maria Hill

CATWS#012: Falcon

CATWS#013: The Winter Soldier

CATWS#014 Peggy Carter

CATWS#015 Machete

CATWS#016 Captain America

CATWS#017: Captain America and Winter Soldier

CATWS#018: Captain America and Falcon

If my prediction is even remotely accurate, we should be getting a little boost to Avengers teams (just in time for the end of AvX!), a HUGE boost to S.H.I.E.L.D. teams and a small bump to HYDRA teams.

Good Luck with your pulls, and Happy Building!!

Ninwa and I will be back later this week with some tourney reports and more SLoSH coverage!

SLoSH and Slush!! (Or, The Weekly Roundup for 03/02/2014!!)

/ HypeFox / Leave a comment

Roundup

Well well well!! Another week (and a day!), the Oscars and a time when Matthew McConaughey was the guy who said “Alright alright alllllriiiiiggght!” instead of a serious dramatic actor with an Oscar to his name… have come and gone. Which can only mean but one thing.

TIME FOR YOUR WEEKLY ROUNDUP!!

Podcasts:

Dial H

–Dial H for Heroclix returned with Episode 34 (“SLoSH Sealed Advice”) wherein the guys discussed their first impressions of Superman and the Legion of Super Heroes and broke down the results of their recent sealed tourney with the set and gave their thoughts on what to look for when you’re playing SLoSH sealed.

As I mentioned last week, The Dial H guys also run a fun Dial Design Contest over on HCRealms.com. Basically they hand out three weekly dial design assignments each month, and then score each dial on a 1-30 scale. The highest total point getter each month receives some spiffy custom poker chip action tokens. February’s assignment just finished, and March’s should be starting next week.

Clixcast

–ClixCast was dark this week.

Closed for business?

Has Duo Attack Been Outwitted?

–No new news on Duo Attack.

Push to Regen

–Push to Regen is still on its two-month hiatus.

This is Ultimate Play, b!tches!

This is Ultimate Play, b!tches.

–The Quarry was also dark this week.

ROC:

–No real ROC news or results to report this week.

Previews: Forget previews–we had a major set release!! Our SLoSH review will be dropping later this week on Critical Missives!

Entertainment News: Well, the Oscars happened, and the show included two Avengers and Nick Fury as presenters! Also, SHIELD is new this Tuesday!

Critical Missives: Ninwashui put together a sick article on replacement figure effects. Go check it out here!

So, we’re keeping it short and sweet today, but look for a Top Ten SLoSH article later this week, along with some coverage of Cap II’s and GotG’s Gravity Feed goodness.

Until then, Stay Safe, and Watch Your Lines of Fire!!

An Army of One… Hundred (or a look at replacement effects)

/ ninwashui / 2 Comments

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.

Do you think Clark changes clothes behind the Verizon cart at the mall now that phone booths are out of style?

Do you think Clark changes clothes behind the Verizon cart at the mall now that phone booths are out of style?

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
"Opps. Time to Revert"

“Opps. Time to Revert”

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
"Robin I'll use my Dark costume to hide in the shadows. Use your costume to hide in that group of clowns."

“Robin I’ll use my Dark costume to hide in the shadows. Use your costume to hide… somewhere else.”

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

"I feel fine. I think I will go for a walk now."

“I feel fine. I think I will go for a walk now.”

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

"Um, Yeah... I'm going to need you to come in on Saturday."

“Um, Yeah… I’m going to need you to come in on Saturday.”

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
"I'm going to be a Master of Disguise. I'm going to be a Master of Disguise. I'm going to be..."

“I’m going to be a Master of Disguise. I’m going to be a Master of Disguise. I’m going to be…”

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.

Ain’t No Sunshine in This Post (Cuz It’s Still #@$%-ing Snowing Buckets in Michigan!!) (Or, The Weekly Roundup!! 02/23/2014)

/ HypeFox / Leave a comment

Roundup

Has another week come and gone already?! What’s that? Wait, it’s been another TWO WEEKS?! Yikes. Wow. That got away from me quickly. Nevertheless… This was your (LAST 2!!) week(s!) in Heroclix:

Podcasts:

Dial H

—Dial H for Heroclix has been new the past two weeks. The guys released Episode 31 (“I’m the Map… I’m the Map… I’m the Map… I’m the Map,” wherein the importance of map selection–along with a review of the best maps in the game for various army builds– was discussed) AND Episode 32 (“AvX Constructed Figs,” wherein the guys discussed, uh, AvX constructed figs. I’m mean, it’s right there in the title. Actually, this was a really thorough discussion of the best X-Men and Avengers keyworded figs for putting together builds for the monthly AvX OP events).

The Dial H guys also run a fun Dial Design Contest over on HCRealms.com. Basically they hand out three weekly dial design assignments each month, and then score each dial on a 1-30 scale. The highest total point getter each month receives some spiffy custom poker chip action tokens. Right now, February Week Two’s assignment (design a figure with the “Tiny” symbol) is just finishing up…

Clixcast

—ClixCast is up to Episode 140! Hosts Steve and Jeremiah talk about their 3 favorite maps (lots of map info these last couple weeks!) and also discuss the latest X-Men: DoFP previews.

Closed for business?

Closed for business?

–Has anyone seen Duo Attack? Cuz if so, you’d have more information about it than I do. Again, great podcast, but for whatever reason, it may be no more…

Push to Regen

—Push to Regen is still on its two-month hiatus. If you’re missing them, their most recent show (Episode 30) is still available for download. Their main topic was a “2013 Year in Review,” and their special guest for that discussion was none other than Brian Roll, the Creative Director of Heroclix.

This is Ultimate Play, b!tches!

This is Ultimate Play, b!tches.

—The Quarry has no official logo that I’m aware of, so I came up with my own. You’re welcome, Dark Logos. Episode 8 & 9 both featured plenty of ROC results reporting, along with some pretty entertaining ESPN-Style roundtable discussions about the teams that made the Top 16 at the most recent ROC’s. This podcast has gotten slightly better every week; the roundtable discussion usually yields plenty of insight in the current ROC-Age Meta. If you’re a high-level tourney player or a Meta addict, this and Dial H are the podcasts for you.

ROC:

–The ROC is going to Dragon Con!! They even have a tentative schedule of events that’s already up!

Previews:

–Outside of some Yu-Gi-Oh! previews, there wasn’t too much of note happening in terms of WizKids-approved sneak peeks. There were a couple of cool Toy Fair photos, however, showing off some of the sculpts from SLOSH, Deadpool and X-Men: DoFP. Validus, in particular, looks GIGANTIC. Which he’s supposed to be, I guess, but DAAAANNNG! This is like a return to the days of Bat Sentry or Ultimate Giant Man. Very cool. Oh, speaking of…

Validus

–Validus DID get a preview, actually, and he’s massive–in every way. A Super Rare, he can be played at two different point levels: 249 and 175. Both dials are pretty good, but at 175 he starts with a 12 Attack, 8 Range Special Psychic Blast power that gives an action token if his target already has an action token. Plus he’s immune to Pen/Psy at both point levels. Given that he’s also Indomitable, that special can go a long way towards keeping Validus from getting out-actioned too severely (since even at 175 he’s a pretty significant point sink). He’s not Silver Centurion (who is?!), but he’s pretty good. I’d be psyched if I opened him in sealed, that’s for sure!

Entertainment News:

What a bunch of A-holes!

What a bunch of A-holes!

–GUARDIANS. OF. THE. FREAKING. GALAXY!

Yep! Tons of news here. We already know we’re getting a regular 5-figure booster set based on the comics ALONG with an awesome Gravity Feed movie set. Well, we learned a ton more about the actual movie this week.

–The official trailer has dropped! That’s the new poster leading into this line item! New tagline? You’re Welcome! Heh. Love it! You can see it embedded here, along with more info about the poster.

–Go to Entertainment Weekly for a quick 30 second feature with director James Gunn and Bradley Cooper talking about Rocket Raccoon and you’ll get to hear and see 10 seconds of RR footage (if you’ve been curious as to what Cooper will sound like–here ya go! As much as you can make a judgement after one line of dialogue… I think Cooper will be great!).

–Vin Diesel’s got Groot fans covered as well via his Facebook page. Cool ass shot of Diesel (from the aforementioned Facebook page) on stilts playing the character (presumably for some mo-cap?!), plus a quick featurette, all available here.

–Over in DC news, Jesse Eisenberg has been cast as Lex Luthor in the upcoming Batman Versus Superman, and at least one site thinks his casting could have contributed to the year-long delay for that movie (which, again, is probably gonna get Clix’d). Still, I think this was a great choice for Lex. I’d assume at this point that he’d be the major villain in the film, but time will tell.

–FOX is prepping a major Batman prequel television series called “Gotham.” Several casting announcements have been made, including the OC’s Ben McKenzie as Det. Jim Gordon (this series appears like it’ll revolve around Gordon, rather than Bruce Wayne), Donal Logue as–well, click here to find out which famous GCPD member HE’S playing–and Sean Pertwee (whom Doctor Who fans may remember is the real-life son of Doctor #3 Jon Pertwee, as well as being the badass Sgt. Harry Wells in Dog Soldiers). Who’s Pertwee playing? Another very important character to the Batman mythos (and if you read the parenthetical I just wrote about him, you can probably already guess which character that is. But if not, click here for the answer).

Godzilla! We must flee! And no, this is just a nice custom someone made (presumably from some Pacific Rim figs), not what the actual figs will look like.

Godzilla! We must flee! And no, this is just a nice custom someone made (presumably from some Pacific Rim figs), not what the actual figs will look like.

–And finally, since I forgot to mention it last time, we’ve got pretty good evidence at this point that WizKids will be Clix’ing the upcoming Godzilla movie (out in May of this year) that stars Bryan Cranston, Elizabeth Olsen and Aaron Taylor-Johnson, among others. You can see the fairly awesome preview right about… here.

 

Critical Missives:

So NinwaShui was left in charge of the site this past week, and he did a decent job, I must say. We’ll have 2-3 more articles this week, including another Build column. The last BUILD  didn’t go so well for me. Thanos was great, but a little slower than I anticipated because I had to wait a turn to Hammer him up. I also substituted Stealth Suit Iron Man for Scarlet Witch, which proved to be my undoing! I went 1-2, and I had some of the worst rolls I’ve ever had. While Stealth IM was a great figure in his own right, not having SW’s Prob and healing cost me big time. I was also outplayed the first game by my opponent (he was playing the Serpent). With his move and attack (Running Shot, I believe) I should’ve just Hammered up and then retaliated. Instead, I ended up screwing up my positioning and losing fairly handily. Oh well. The lesson? Stay with your original plan! And bringing at least one Prob fig is never a bad idea. Especially if she’s borderline broken like the Witch. I would play Thanos again in a heartbeat; hopefully, I’d play him better (and field a better supporting cast!).

 

That’s all for now! Until next time, stay safe, and watch where you draw those lines of fire!

AVX – Who’s the best?

/ ninwashui / Leave a comment
I tried having everyone vote for their favorite, but after having to recount Florida three times I gave up.

I tried having everyone vote for their favorite, but after having to recount Florida three times I gave up.

With the latest organized play event AVX players have been given a choice of picking the Avengers or X-men starter to base their army around. Which one should you chose? Here’s a detailed breakdown of which one’s better.

Compatible figures:

  • X-men figures available in modern – 109
  • Avengers figures available in modern – 189
  • Sets with more X-men then Avengers – WatX, M10
  • Sets with more Avengers than X-men – Every other Marvel set in modern

Winner – Avengers

Power Level of Available Teammates (outside of the AVX Set):

  • Coolest mechanic available only to X-men – Teambases (Which probably won’t be allowed at your local venue.)
  • Cool Mechanic available only to Avengers – Morph/Past life. (Iron Man got a neat replacement effect in his set. Spider-man got a neat replacement effect in his set. Chaos War gave us Hank Pym.)
  • Best Support Figures for the X-men  – WXM040 Hope Summers, M10A006 Marvel Girl, FFGSX001 Professor X
  • Support Figures for the Avengers – IM3006 Tony Stark, CW010 Donald Blake, FFCW006R Scarlet Witch
  • Available X-men Primes – WXM037B Magneto, WXM047B Jubilee
  • Available Avengers Primes – IIM001B Silver Centurion, IIM029B War Machine, IIM041B Hyperion

Winner – Vampire Jubilee. Just kidding. Avengers take this category too.

 Top 3 Figures in the AVX Set:

Avengers

  1. AVX004 Spider-Man – Essentially this character has hypersonic speed with a 10 attack and 5 damage (including super strength). That’s really good for 125 points! The real story here is his defense which is the best of any figure in any set in his point range.
  2. AVX006E Scarlet Witch – 8 range, precision strike, probability control, perplex, and support. Support on a capable ranged attacker seems really good. She brings a lot to the table for her 100 point cost
  3. AVX003 Thor – Thor has a chance at penetrating ranged damage and a 12 starting attack. I will play that at every opportunity.

X-men

  1. AVX014 Magneto – For 200 points this guy is a worthy tent pole. If someone is going to take on Thor’s ranged attack value of 12, it should be this guy with his 20 ranged defense. If your opponent wants to close in Magneto can use Pulse Wave for full damage that bypasses defense. He just needs a 100 point close combat character to throw into the melee with his TK while he stays at range with his huge defense.
  2. AVX010E Emma Frost – This is a 100 point close combat character just begging to be thrown into the melee with TK. When it comes to her, everything is awesome. Outwit/Charge/and Exploit Weakness on offense. Impervious and Shape Change on defense. Even better she can’t have any of her powers countered. If you are good at rolling 5s and 6s she is going to stick around quite a while.
  3. AVX009E Cyclops – For 100 points this guy’s shoot through walls trick is really good. It’s even funnier when you outwit someone through 3 walls. He has close to no defense, but with the offense he brings for his point cost he might not need it.

Winner – Xmen. This was really close, but I think the top 3 X-men edge out the top 3 Avengers in AVX organized play. I think all the figures in the set are great for their point cost. The worst of the bunch are Iron Man and Namor. Besides those two, anyone else would be a great addition to a team.

All the Categories not related to Heroclix:

  • Best movie line for X-men: “Ok, you’re a D***”. (Wolverine proving his identity to Cyclops)
  • Best Movie line for Avengers: “We have a Hulk.” (Iron Man intimidating Loki)
  • Worst Movie moment for X-men: “Do you know what happens to a toad when it’s struck by lightning?” (Or really any scene in X-men 3)
  • Worst Movie moment for Avengers: Loki can’t mind control Tony Stark because his staff can’t hit the exact center of Tony’s chest.
  • Best Cartoon Series: X-men (mid 90s, not that crappy one where everyone is in high school again.)
  • Coolest Transportation: BlackBird (X-men)
  • Best Team to fight Dracula: Avengers (As seen in the Avengers assemble cartoon this year and fear itself.)
  • Coolest Movie moment: For shear wow factor, watching Wolverine pop his claws on screen for the first time ever was the best. The Avengers movie was better then X-men, but X-men had the best moment.

Winner – Xmen

Overall Winner

The X-men took two categories and the Avengers took two categories. Which means a tie. So the winner is… Whomever wins the popular vote in Florida. After their recount… Unless there’s another recount…