Over the past 17 years, thousands of us have grown to love this crazy little game with plastic super heroes, flying across a paper map and teaming up in ways that we never thought were possible. We’ve been to tournaments, local events, and even the grandest stage in the land, but how important is it to prepare for these events?

 

It’s that time of year again. Nationals is upon us, and this week we are going to step aside from the community spotlight to execute a crash course on what you need to be prepared for to step on to the big stage and compete against some of the best players in the world to become the Heroclix: United States Champion! Buckle in, this is going to be a long read.

 

This year, as in years past, Nationals is taking place at Origins Game Fair in Columbus Ohio. For information on the dates, times, qualifications, and specifics of events being ran, check out the links at the bottom of the article. In this article we are going to be talking about one event in particular: Singles on Saturday. Each player who has qualified for this event will get the opportunity to participate in several rounds of swiss with a single elimination top cut. This has the potential of pouring over into Sunday Morning, so everyone who is playing should be prepared to stick it out for a very long day(s).

 

Nationals has always had a special place in Heroclix due to it usually being the first event after modern legal rotation (usually June 1st.) which means a fresh new meta for everyone to adapt to. This year, however; things are being ran just a bit differently. Rotation has been pushed back to July 1st which means massive bloat mode for anyone brave enough to participate. Every set since the summer 2016 organized play Civil War to the Marvel Heroclix Avengers: Black Panther and the Illuminati will be fair game. Let this sink in, we have main set figures who still use the old card convention that can be played alongside the brand-new infinity gauntlet from Black Panther and Jakeem Thunder, Mini Shredder, and Tri-Sentinel. This is going to be quite the event to attend.

 

This article is going to cover a lot. I am not able to attend Nationals this year, so this is as close as I can get to participating with everyone else. I plan to talk about the team archetypes you should expect to see, what to prepare for, what to consider playing, and all on which maps to utilize. I think it goes without saying that I cannot and will not include everything, It’s too much. Without further ado, let's hop into it.

 

SECTION 1 – What will you see?

 

Perhaps will be the broadest section of this monologue, figuring out what is possible to be seen at nationals is a roulette table full of thousands of figures, and millions of combinations. Needless to say, I probably will just be listing off everything I can think of. We will get much more in depth during sections 2 and 3. By no means are these meant to be in order of prevalence or dominance.

 

  1. Avengers Theme Teams – With Hawkeye? With Hulk? With both? Every team built should be prepared to face these guys. If your opponent speaks those bone chilling words “I am a plus 8 Avengers theme” be ready for him to be in your face turn two and your build in shambles if you aren’t careful.

  2. Cosmic Theme Teams – Uni-Mind, Starfox, Groot, Lockjaw, Starro, Cosmic Panther, Unseen, Captain Marvel, and featuring what seems to be every single figure in the new Black Panther set releasing the first week of June, this keyword is handed out like general store tootsie rolls. Massive themes with the use of Flora Colossals, cheap leadership with Groot, and some hard to kill beefy tent poles, cosmic has been a safe bet for a long time now, and it most certainly will see play at Origins.

  3. X-Men Theme Teams – Those darn 50-point wolverines and Cyclops’ mixed in with some Moira MacTaggart, blackbird, longshot, or even Doop. Many think that Hawkeye and Vulture can prevent these guys from seeing the sun, but their time is just beginning. Always be prepared to deal with 9 attacks in one turn.

  4. Alpha Strike Teams – Perhaps one of the most versatile archetypes available. Always consists of your taxi (Overdrive, Lila Cheney, Rennet Tilley, Phil Coulson, or Kite-Man “Hell Yea”) your muscle (Sam Cap, Cap Resilient, Shredder Clone, Doc Oc, Captain Kirk, Foot Elite’s, or anything that can do something after being carried) your support (Wizkid, Moira MacTaggart, Ape Batman, FF Domino, and really anything else that is cheap, and has perplex, prob, or outwit. Take your pick) and finally retaliation (yes to all.) Put them all together and you have yourself a simple task. Turn one, survive, turn two, cross the entire map and wipe out your opponent. Their biggest weakness is typically that there is no theme, leave it to Phil Coulson to ruin that for us.

  5. Don’t Die Teams – Haha Joker, Lockjaw, FF Shredder, Flora colossal, etc. These teams require you to unload an excessive amount of hits just to get anything accomplished. It takes forever, with usually little to no results. Fighting these teams can be a pain, which of course, is why people play them.

  6. Mystical Themes – An excessive amount of control with Sheriff Strange, some crazy low costed support with Alex Wilder and Billy Battson, mixed with the baddest retal in the business, my boys three: Tri-Sentinel. Mystical can appear very weak on the surface but incredibly potent underneath.

  7. Shredders – Anytime you see more than one figure with the “Shredder Elite” trait available, it immediately becomes a shredder build. Whether you sit across the table from a peace machine, tons of retal, or equipment to keep them alive, anytime a figure gets off free damage just for existing makes them potent. While they have faded from the meta a bit due to the excessive amount of attacks and the shredders typically being a little soft around the jaw, you bet your butts at least a handful of people will be ready to give shredders their last ride sendoff they deserve. Be ready.

  8. Tent Poles. – Typically classified as taking up half your build or more, these figures are hard to take out initially, especially when paired with pick a power and some crazy good equipment. Uni-Mind at 150, Black Panther at 150, Goblin King at 175, and even Jakeem Thunder. They can pack a big punch and survive the onslaught that follows.

  9. One Man Armies – Funny enough, many of the figures that were listed on point number 8 make a reappearance in point 9, just at their highest point values. Uni-Mind at 275, Panther at 250, Goblin King at 275 are all on this list and for good reason. If their dice go hot and they hit those rollouts, there is simply nothing you can do to defeat the annoyance that comes with 11 clicks of life, high defense values, and three rollouts no matter what. Always be ready for this matchup, because there is always someone that will run it.

  10. Control Teams – Teams that utilize an overabundance of control type elements. Imagine playing against a team consisting of Infinity and the Thanos Copter, or sheriff strange, Darwin, and Citizen steel. Anytime you must face lockdown, things become heavily annoying.

  11. Monster Theme Teams – With a front line of whales, and a backline of Surtur, Groot, and Carnage, and any other goodness that can be stuffed in to make it work. These teams can be tough to kill, deal a lot of damage, and almost always win map.

  12. Justice League Theme Teams – Some may think this isn’t a thing, but then I would direct you to top 16 of Worlds last October. These figures have great synergy and when piloted properly, can give their opponents a run for their money.

As stated previous, there are plenty of elements that are available that have been left out, and that does not mean they won’t make an appearance or do incredibly well. Be ready for anything.

 

SECTION 2 – What to prepare against.

 

With so many teams available in the meta scene, it is impossible to playtest against everything. There is simply too much to work out. In section 2 we will dive a bit deeper into what you should be ready to face, how to face it, and what on your build might not be the greatest against it. I am saving the special objects for last in this list, but always assume any of these figures I list have access to them unless a trait says otherwise, which only enhances their potential to be powerful pieces.

 

DISCLAIMER: I think it goes without saying that there are just too many figures for me to include in one article, so I won’t include them all. Just because I do not list a figure does not mean it is good or worth playing. Also, I will not be double listing figures intentionally (may happen unintentionally who knows?) so if you do not see a figure in a section you were looking for, try another section. Many of these figures are versatile and can be played on several types of builds.

 

SECOND DISCLAIMER: I was originally going to showcase pictures and dials for the figures shown here, but after writing this article, I have determined that it is just going to be way too much. If you want to see what these figures look like, or review their dials in full, be sure to visit the links at the bottom.

 

COSMIC

 

TMT 058 Uni-Mind: Let’s start this one off with everyone’s favorite and least favorite green blob. This guy has so much junk that gets packed in his trunk, we might as well dedicate a page length just for the heck of it. Through erratas, direct counters, oppressive rulings, and some nasty equipment, this dude stays a contender every time. He will be played both at 295 and 165 (adding in 5 points per eternal) and likewise it will be important to have a game plan to face this madman.

 

Beginning with his dial and powers is a solid starting point. Your opponent can pick powers from the eternals on the sideline. Having access to both defensive and offensive powers not normally available can really spike up the damage output and survivability potential.  Access to Shape Change, Stealth, Super Senses, Invincible, Probability Control, Running Shot, Hypersonic Speed, and Sidestep are all mandatory in my opinion. Oh, and these powers are Protected: Pulse Wave so he still gets to roll for Super Senses and Shape Change if picked through the power, or if he picks Stealth, you just can’t Pulse Wave him at all unless you have improved targeting: Hindering Terrain. Always expect Uni to have them. On his dial there are stop clicks that have STOP: Impervious on defense and Hypersonic Speed, Steal Energy, and Outwit on Speed, Attack, and Damage respectively; meaning if you do not finish him off, he may heal back up. Always have a game plan for the double tap. Uni also has Improved Targeting: Hindering and Double Circle Arrow, meaning that powers such as Stealth and Combat Reflexes have limited uses against him and just because you base him with your plasticity figures, doesn’t mean he can’t shoot your colossals behind them. Lastly, it’s important to look at his stats and his last trait “Channeling Vast Reserves of Cosmic Energy.” Uni has a printed 10 range, so he can see almost the entire map from the middle meaning he can sit in a hidey hole and make pot shots while you struggle to get anywhere near him. On top of that, his traited Perplex allows him to utilize a +2 Perplex once, plus one additional time for every two eternals on the sideline, giving him the potential to make his stats bonkers without warning. While most of you are well aware of the potential of Uni-Mind and what he can do, it sometimes can be important for a refresher, so consider yourself warned.

 

How do we take him down? It comes as no surprise that this answer is not simply cut and dry. Typically you will see Uni-Mind equipping either the 6 point Symbiote from SFSM or the 4 point Venom Symbiote from EX. Both pieces of equipment give the all important Shape Change, Plasticity, and auto break away. This paired with the Super Senses he can pick from the Eternals on the sideboard, gives Uni-Mind 2 roll-outs, Invincible, a potential 21 defense with the use of Perplex, and a stop click or two that make tagging him such a chore it's almost unbearable. When facing Uni-Mind you must have options available. An archer like EW Green Arrow or a colossal retaliator like TMT Surtur can be of major helps since they turn off defense powers in their own right. Unleashing as many attacks as humanly possible ensures the law of averages will eventually secure your success. XXS wolverines and walking woods can be highly effective if you can get them into position.

 

Always remember that a good Uni-Mind player is never going to make this easy for you. They will utilize Mind Control to prevent retaliation and their un-Pulse Wave-able Stealth to shut down any ranged offense you have (Barring Green Arrow of course.) Having to remember that he is only around half of the build makes things even that much worse. Keep practicing though, and you’ll get it :)

 

AI 048 Starfox: This 80-point beast does two things incredibly well. He stays alive and gives your figures some rad stats. A +2 Perplex mixed with an 18 defense, the Power Cosmic team ability, Super Senses that leads to STOP: Mastermind (that can be used to send damage to a Lockjaw, Flora Colossal, or Walking Wood) and Steal Energy on clicks 2 through 5 make this lover boy very tricky to tag if you don’t have a proper game plan. Mixed with a stellar object like the Exospex and Starfox is a force to be reckoned with. Having no reducers can mean that Starfox may fall prey to the likes of Poison, Shredder Elite, or the odd Tri-Sentinel Barrier destruction. The Chamber call-in is known to be pretty good at the ole’ 1-2 punch by hitting Starfox to stop and then finishing him off with an instant poison. The Pym Pocket Tank also comes to mind for mispositioning and executing this lovey dovey buddy. Starfox is one of my favorite figures to play due to his usefulness in so many ways on the field. He will be played. He will be played well.

 

MP18 005 Lockjaw: 75 points of pure WTF what was Wizkids thinking? Lockjaw mixes pick a power with a crazy dial and a token mechanic that replaces damage with simply removing 1 token instead. Meaning you have to strike him 6 times before you can finish him off. While there may be some fun cheese strats you can employ using a map such as the Bifrost and Mind Control or Incap should the doggo land on click 6 while having an action token, typically this pooch remains unskinned till the end just because he is so annoying to try and take on. His point value ensures he has some great options for call-in potential and his pick a power mechanic ensures he will always have the right tools for the job. His trait which forces you to roll a d6 and travel to the corresponding click number can be a blessing and a curse. If you land on a click number that displays a power that was chosen, the doggo gains +1 to stats until your next turn as long as that he remains on that click number. It can also mean the worst if you happen to have a token and then roll a 6 as it can mean an early KO for everyone's favorite borker. One saving grace could be that Lockjaw is not a standard character per his trait, so no equipping or piloting for this pupper.

 

Strategies against LJ usually include ignoring him till the end of the game or pumping as many attacks as possible, as quickly as possible, in the hopes you can remove him from the map immediately. Neither are great options, but it is what we got so deal with it I guess? Oh, always have access to Incapacitate, you’ll thank me later.

 

AI 043 Unseen: Fury, Nicholas J (balls O’) returns to the limelight with a twist. Those of us that experienced the beauty and horror that was the 120 point mandatory ID card option will know that the 9 range Probability Control and sudo Outwit that could traverse characters, elevated, and hindering terrain were one of the most important game elements for over three long years. Unseen brings back some of those good feels with a prob outwit special power that guess what, has 9 range with Improved Targeting: Characters, Hindering Terrain, and Elevated Terrain. While it may feel like he never left, there are some noticeable differences with this rendition of everyone's favorite S.H.I.E.L.D. director. Unseen has a 0 attack and 0 damage, meaning he will not be dealing any noticeable damage on the field of battle. Wizkids decided to replace a sense of substantial damage output with raw, cold blooded, unadulterated utility. Traited Phasing/Teleport and Stealth that allows him to create his own hiding spots any time he moves will ensure you can’t see him, but he can always see you. Sidestep for his entire dial creates hightended mobility that mixes with his stealth beautifully. The 18 defense that has a special Super Senses that succeeds on a 4-6 will surely make or break someone's day when he remains unscathed or one shot after a Wolverine Flurry or Cyclops half court shot. The last and sometimes forgotten power is one that puts a power dampener on the Colossal Retaliation trait we have all come to rely on so heavily. Anytime a figure uses Colossal Retaliation while Unseen is on the board, they gain a -2 to their Attack Value. I like the idea of making a Giant-Girl have an 8 attack.

 

Strategies for this hooded dude are a bit  up in the air. You can either ignore him until he’s all your opponent has left and then hope you are up on points, or try and get their utility off the board quickly and risk him probbing and sensing out of every attack you make. The choice is yours, chose wisely. He does fall prey to the same fate as starfox where the lack of reducers can mean sometimes not attacking him at all will be effective enough through passive damage sources, so perhaps that is the avenue you may want to travel down.

 

RE 052 Mister Oz: Welcoming a rather new addition to the competitive scene, we gain another cosmic source of utility. Mister Oz feels rather similar to certain Kingdom Come figure that likes to mess with dice rolls from across the map. You will typically see Mister Oz piloted at 40 points and will be played heavily in this coming National tournament. His special attack power allows Mister Oz to mess with the fundamentals of Telekinesis as he gains the ability to reposition figures both friendly or opposing that are placed with the use of the power. This means you gain back the glorious 8 square TK while your opponent might be relegated to 4 squares. This can shift the tempo heavily to your favor as your reach will instantly dwarf your opponents. With his special damage power, Oz channels his inner KC Spectre and gains the ability to use Probability  Control with a 12 range and Improved Targeting: Blocking, Elevated, and Characters. Mixed with his Superman Ally team ability on dial, the father of Superman can prob you if he is within 12 squares, period. Oz also has an interesting power set defensive wise. Stealth and Super Senses of course are always useful, but it is dialed up to 11 in this case, as we see a use of a team ability that has only been used 3 times in the past 5 to 6 years. Mister Oz can use Hypertime which prevents opposing figures from moving adjacent if they botch a mandatory dice roll (unless they ignore characters for movement of course.) You will see him played on Cosmic and non-themed teams religiously.

 

SWBW 061 Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is screamed with a hoard of Marvel Zombies in toe as the Black Panther marches onto the battlefield. King T’Challa brings some shenanigans with him as the Infinity Gauntlet empowers the use of a plethora of powers. Not going with the standard Pick A Power format, Panther gets to choose any click available on his dial every turn and return to the click he started the turn on at the end. His traits grant him the use of Super Senses and a PROTECTED: Pulsewave. The all caps signifies that he cannot be damaged or targeted by pulsewave, period. Panther is also Power Cosmic so forget about outwit on him either. Giving him exospex to utilize Stealth or a Symbiote for Shape Change can make the King of Wakanda incredibly tough to pin down. It is incredibly likely you will also see the EX Wakanda map bonus used with this cool cat which will also grant a once per turn re-roll of Super Senses if he occupies anything other than clear terrain on the map. Expect to see this menace make an appearance in the wars to come.

 

His weaknesses are fairly straight forward. Similar to Uni-Mind, Green Arrow and Surtur can be rather effective if used properly. Otherwise a barrage of attacks can also put him on his back. Panther also starts with Impervious instead of Invincible, so Shredders and Tri-Sentinels will be able to widdle him down if Panther does not stay on his toes.

 

WKMP18 001 Starro - Did someone say Mind Control? 10 range, triple target, and spawns bystanders upon hit, Starro can be a bit much to face. He can heal when he has all of his bystanders out at the beginning of the turn, has 2 clicks of Invincible, 2 clicks of Impervious, 2 clicks of Invulnerability and a STOP after a click of toughness. He is quite a bit to chew through. At only 100 points, it is really easy to pair him with some other nasty cosmic threats like Starfox and Lockjaw. Starro also being Colossal for easy lines of fire, mixed with his Sidestep, allows for him to always seem to be in position to cause Chaos. Having access to Mind Control also means that retaliation probably will not be targeting him any time soon. Oh, and he’s got the Quintessence TA so forget about using Outwit.

 

Starro isn’t too terribly hard to take down when you pump enough attacks in him, but with his healing capabilities, STOP click, and the fact that he only takes up ⅓ of the build, it never feels like a great option to go after him.

 

CMM 020 Ronan - Kree Justice Anyone? Ronan is back and badder than ever with his Kreetaliation and ability to go off like an Energizer Bunny. Pair him with some Perplex, a Mjolnir Equip, and a Telekinesis, and Ronan has potential to deal some massive damage as long as he keeps on hitting. Each time Ronan uses Close Combat Expert and hits, he can use it again to target a different character he hasn’t hit this turn. 14 attack and 7 damage to every figure on your force seems a bit terrifying if you ask me.    

 

PICK A POWER

 

JW 053b Jakeem Thunder – Ya boy might not be out of the fight just yet. Jakeem was a staple in the competitive scene for nearly a year and there is a chance some goodness in the upcoming Black Panther and the Illuminati may breathe some life back to this genie surfing bro. Jakeem has a mandatory Pick a Power which will require him to choose any two standard powers at the beginning of your turn, apart from a short list which restricts his options. He has great combat values, starting Sidestep, Energy Shield/Deflection, and Probability Control. The main ingredient Jakeem lacks is access to Willpower and a damage reducer. We may see something of the sort come out of the woodwork to save him last minute, and if we do, be prepared to see Jakeem taking one last ride before rotation.

 

WI 040 Goblin King – Primarily played at his 275 or 75 point line, the initial nerf that struct Norman Osborne in the summer of 2017 killed some of his initial momentum upon release. Goblin King still unleashes a mighty amount of utility with his ability to pick any two standard powers every turn with 0 limitation. At full dial, he has some great values and access to some heavy equipment that turns his survivability (barring some Pulse Wave) up to 11. At 75 he maintains a stance as one of the best utility figures available. Also sporting the Monster and Ruler keywords allows him to fit on some nifty theme teams. Not having access to Willpower and no PROTECTED: Outwit through the Power Cosmic team ability on his 75 and 175 point lines can mean he is a bit tougher to pilot but rest assured, I am sure someone will want to run the King of Goblins at least once more before rotation.  

 

ADW 053 Iron Man – While not as spectacular as some other Pick a Power options, Iron Man sports some great keywords and has solid combat values with a solid point value which allows good call-in options. I personally would not be recommending running this dude as I believe he dies just a bit too easily, but know he is an option, and you may see him come out of the woodwork.

SHREDDERS!

 

TMNT3 – 023, 032, 033, 034, 035 Shredder Elite Figures – I will be pairing all the Shredder Elite options together. While some options such as Mini or Clone may be the best options, they all do relatively the same thing and serve the same purpose. All 5 options with the Shredder Elite trait have Sidestep and an ability to deal free penetrating damage anytime the figure moves. This includes Sidestep and any other free move such as Title Magneto or Korath. Commonly utilized to take out retaliation quickly or chip away at your opponent with the use of the Carry ability paired with constant Sidesteps, any time someone can deal free damage (and penetrating at that) without having to make any sort of attack is a good option. You may see these guys paired with a figure that limits damage such as Peace Machine or a boatload of retaliation to ensure that once you hit them, they will find a way to keep on giving. They may seem very squishy at first, but when you realize they come back on click 4 when they would be KO’d, you start to understand just how annoying they can be. There are some crazy positioning combos that can surprise even the most established player. Be ready for these guys.
 

TMNT4FF 005 Shredder – A new chapter to be taken in the Shredder Saga, this 150 point tank decides to not be attacked unless you are adjacent. This means that ranged attacks simply do not work, unless you have Improved Targeting: Double Circle Arrow. Shredder also has access to STOP: Impervious on click 2 so a straight up Pulse Wave is just not effective against him. Paired with a symbiote that grants Shape Change, he can be incredibly tough to deal with. Always have a plan to take this bad boy down.

AVENGERS

 

ADW 067 Hawkeye – This is the only real starting point for an Avengers team at this point. The “One last ride” potential for this guy at nationals is staggering. Be prepared to play against this guy heavily as he has access to one of the most powerful combinations in the competitive play right now. Paired with the Proxima Spear and a hefty amount of Perplex, Hawkeye has potential to cripple or completely wipe out an opposing team single handedly by landing just a couple well placed shots. Each time he hits with a range attack while having access to his special power, Hawkeye can use Running Shot at no cost to target a figure that has not been attacked this turn. He really needs no introduction, Hawkeye is powerful and will be played heavily. The easiest way I can see right now to hinder him is to run a Mister Oz, as his full map reach will be severely hindered.

 

ADW 054 Captain America – Old Man Cap is the glue that holds Avengers teams together. Perplex, Outwit, and Leadership at 50 points is just invaluable. If you are running Avengers, make sure he is on your team.

 

TMTFF 106 Hulk – 50 points, move and Quake. HULK SMASH!! Commonly, two or more of these brutes will be ran together. Watch out for his synergy with the Exospex as well. They may be rather squishy at face value, but they can pump out a TON of damage very quickly. Some well placed Pen Psy shots can eliminate this threat rather quickly.

 

CMM 021 Captain Marvel - Carol Danvers makes a glorious entrance to form with the chase from the Captain Marvel Movie set. At 150 points she can emit colossal damage by being able to use Running Shot with Penetrating / Psychic Blast and follow it up with a Charge at no cost to target a different figure. She has incredibly solid values, the resurgence of the Avengers Initiative TA so stealth “Aint no Thang” and has a trait where if she should take 2 or more damage from an attack, she reverts to click 11 where she essentially turns to god mode until she takes more damage or ends her next turn. If you are going to hit her, it is best to use double tap as you really do not want to be the subject of a 5 damage Pulse Wave. Her main weakness is she does not have PROTECTED: Outwit so go crazy with that black damage power.

MONSTERS

 

AI 017 Giganto and Namor – We have seen these whales make a splash in more than one event. Part of the worlds winning team, these 50 point behemoths require at least 3 attacks to take out. Paired with colossal size, and a free Quake after being given a MOVE, there is little not to love about them. It’s straight forward, pair them with a Mini Shredder and a bunch of retaliation and just start swinging!

 

UND 002 Dr. Frankenstein – A rather underrated superstar of monster theme teams. Dr. Frank packs a perplex that can only target monsters, and a support that can be used as FREE! For 30 points I love fitting him into my scream squads!

 

RE 068 Barbatos – Barbatos is a relatively new addition with DC Rebirth. He has some massive lockdown potential paired with his trait which grants him Batman Ally and Batman Enemy. On a monster theme, he can share attack values with Surtur, prevent a Uni-Mind from using Perplex, shut down Cyclops and Jean Grey call-in options, and is all around just solid. He will be a fine replacement for Mini Shredder on monster theme teams.

MYSTICAL

 

SWBW 063 Sheriff Strange – One of my favorite figures in competitive right now, Sheriff Strange does a ton for Mystical and non-theme teams alike. Commonly played at his 50 point line, he has access to traited Leadership and Perplex. He also has a trait that forces opponents to take a double power action to use ID card, which severely kills momentum and forces them to think twice before using a call-in with a figure that lacks Willpower. Sheriff Strange also has his fair share of survivability with top dial Super Senses and an 18 defense, the Mystics TA, and a STOP which means he requires at least 2 attacks to KO and he is punishing you for it the whole time. Sheriff also has access to Precision Strike and Ranged Combat Expert so he can certainly pack a punch if you are not careful. With no reducers, Poison, Force Blast, and Shredders can end his day fairly quickly.

 

SWBW 031 Alex Wilder – The traitor is back with a wicked power set. At 25 points Alex has traited Shape Change and Stealth which gains Sidestep if he is within 4 squares of an opposing figure. He has top dial Mastermind to deflect hits to beefier friendlies or adjacent bystanders and has a sick damage power where your opponent chooses which of the three standard utility powers (Perplex, Probability Control, and Outwit) Alex cannot use, and then he gains access to the other two. His only downside is once he is KO’d he joins your opponent's force and they get all of his crazy awesome benefits. It does mean that if he is KO’d a second time, he does come back home as his trait is once per force and not once per game.

 

RE 026 Billy Batson – 20 point Perplex with a once per game STOP, or 40 point Perplex with a once per game STOP that reverts into Shazam if he was hit by an attack to get there. What’s not to love about cheap Perplex?

 

RE 040 Raven – 50 point taxi that has access to Perplex, Probability Control, and the Mystics team ability. Raven is rather solid for her points.

 

JW 052 Green Lantern - 35 points for traited Barrier that can also be used as a FREE and can potentially turn off opposing Stealth and grant a -1 defense in the process? Oh hell yeah brother. Very commonly seen with two or three at a time, I would expect Barrier tech to be out in force to combat the likes of Vulture, Hawkeye, and Hulk.

 

HARD TO KILL FIGURES

 

JW 060 Joker – We have to start this section off with the Clown Prince of Crime. 30-50 points and a 12 click dial with 0 KO’s, you have to force Joker to cross starting lines in order to KO him. You score 10 points per token removed, but it can be a bit more challenging than it first appears since his controller has to roll a d6 at the beginning of each turn and chose to damage or heal Joker half of the result. Paired with traited Sidestep and Super Senses, this guy can be tough to hunt down. His dial is a mixture of many types of characters, so you never know which power set he will have access to. Be ready for anything. Typically, I find that leaving him for last, unless you can Outwit his Super Senses and hit him for 6 a bunch of times, is the safest bet.

 

ADW 071 Iron Heart – a 25 point support figure, Iron Heart has potential to be the easiest or most annoying figure you will KO all day. A dial that runs through standard support powers and having access to the Wing Symbol for taxi potential, Iron Heart certainly is worth her points. Each time she takes damage though, you roll a d6 and compare to the number of broken armor tokens on her card. If the result is equal or less, she is KO’d; if it is more, you give her another broken armor token and turn her to the click number of the result you rolled. This means she could be taken out of commission by only 1 damage, or you may need to attack her up to 6 times before she decides to go away.

Continued on Part 2! https://roc.ionsuite.com/news/?journal_blog_post_id=58