Scenario: Gears of War Deathmatch!

For our Gears of War Release Tournament we ran a sealed event where each player bought one booster and we all played on one map with the figures we pulled in a Deathmatch format. In playing the format, we used a HorrorClix map, and used the blood splatter squares to randomly respawn the characters when they were KOed.

Wouldn't you know someone pulled General RAAM and it ended up being a match based around who could take him down. Part of the problem that we had with the format was keeping straight which blood splatter counted as which number for random spawning and what to do if there was already a character in the spawning square. That said, I've been working on smoothing out the format. One thing that I've done is created 12 spawning squares that can be printed out and randomly placed on any map. You'll need a d12 if you're using all 12 squares. However, if you're just using 2 d6, you can just leave the 1 square off the map, since no one would be able to roll a 1 anyway.

When we played the format, we played it for 60 minutes, although we only had 7 players. If you had more players, or just want more fun, I'd definitely add more time. We also placed 2 Scorpio Keys and 2 Crimson Gems on to board, and played them as a "Grab and Keep." People didn't really have much luck picking them up, but it was a pretty cool idea. If you'd like to download the scenario card to print it up and give it a try, click here! Feedback is always welcome.

"Captain America Lives Again"

Once, a long time ago (2002-2003-ish) I submitted an article to the Wizkids site when they were taking fan strategy article submissions. That article was called "All Purpose Avengers", and was my first foray into what has basically become known as "blogging". Since Allan has invited me to participate in this, his latest HeroClix related project, I think it is fitting to once again let ring the call "Avengers Assemble" for a variety of reasons. Among them, the reason for writing "All Purpose Avengers" in the first place - The Avengers are my all time favorite super hero team, because this is the 4th blog to go up on the Cantina, which neatly segues into Avengers #4, which also segues into my favorite character on that mighty team of heroes - Captain America.

In fact, Marvel HeroClix: Captain America has recently been released and so it gave me an opportunity to rebuild and restructure this team with a Cap figure from that set, as well as give the also recently released Marvel HeroClix: Hammer of Thor Fast Forces set some love.

"Captain America Lives Again" is an Avengers HeroClix team that uses figures that (not surprisingly) appear on the cover of the classic Avengers #4 by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby. It uses figures that are representative of the Avengers from that day and age. In some cases, this will cause me to show options of deviations at different point costs, which will change the
point totals of the team correspondingly. Also, since it is impossible to play this team as a Modern Age team, I will be using other game elements to buff the point total as needed, since you will essentially be playing an under-built 500 point team no matter which team you decide to use.

Before we get into the teams themselves, I want to point out a couple of things where figure selection is concerned. When building a 'comic accurate' team, I always try first to build a team with the specific version that would apply in mind. Sometimes, that doesn't jibe with playability or point total, but almost always with continuity. Failing that, I try to get a version of the character that seems closest in terms of feel. I will almost sooner not build the team than make a substitution unless the substitution is so close that it is more or less academic. This principle will be seen to a degree in the teams below.Most notably, Iron Man is the main focus of these kinds of assessment. For a guy with so many versions in the game (15 not counting Ultimate versions and reprints) it is Iron Man that seems to give one the most difficulty in selecting a version to fit on the team and is appropriate to the team being built. For 'newer' versions of the Avengers, choices abound. But for the classic days, 'ol Tony is not very cooperative.

A note on Special Objects. By rule, you are only allowed one special object on your force as per current build requirements, so in a tournament situation where the objects are not house ruled, you will have to make a decision regarding which one to use. Because Iron Man is the stinker, I suggest going with whichever one will make him better.


"Captain America Lives Again" - V.1
112 Thor (Supernova 082)
117 Iron Man (Xplosion 076)
90 Captain America (Armor Wars 080)
82 Giant Man (Avengers 038)
37 Wasp (Avengers 059)
Total: 438

Feats (50 point limit) -
12 Contingency Plan (Captain America)
8 Protected (Captain America)
20 Trick Shot (Iron Man)
10 Endurance (Thor, Iron Man)

Object
0 Mjolnir
5 Crimson Gem of Cytorrak
Total: 493

Commentary:
The initial version of this team is using the oldest figures I could use without feeling like I was playing to lose. There are older versions of Cap, Thor and Wasp. However, those figures are so woefully outdated that including them on any version of this team is just something I won't do.

For what we have here, we aren't doing too bad. Since Thor and Iron Man will be doing the heavy lifting I gave them boosts appropriate to their roles. Iron Man has a paltry 8 attack...to start. He has a consistent 7, though. I included the Mjolnir special object mainly for Iron Man, to boost his offensive power. Good luck rolling the 6, though. Thor got Endurance (as did Iron Man) in order to minimize the damage from pushing and hopefully giving him an offensive boost - smack an opponent on the first turn (he's able), and somebody else on the following turn (if necessary). If you do, be mindful of the rule for Endurance - ANY action causes you to roll for the effect. Captain America has two feats on him: Contingency Plan, which is mainly to buff the attack of Iron Man, and Protected (because I ALWAYS put Protected on Cap - he's on the card, after all). Cap's role here is not to be out front, but to play the back field and work as a secondary
attacker. Giant-Man and Wasp are mostly (on all these teams) harassers/carriers. Either of them can carry Captain America closer to the fight in order to have save him from using an action (thus ensuring Contingency Plan will get the appropriate amount of tokens). Of the two, Giant-Man is the preferred 'taxi', because he moves faster than Jan, however she will do in a pinch. The Crimson Gem could be used for anyone, but I'd probably target it for Cap or Thor.

This team is not terrible, but we can certainly do better.

"Captain America Lives Again" - V.2
150 Thor (Hammer of Thor Fast Forces 005)
89 Iron Man (Armor Wars 076)
72 Captain America (Hammer of Thor 040)
82 Giant Man (Avengers 038)
37 Wasp (Avengers 059)
Total: 458

Feats
12 Contingency Plan (Cap)
8 Protected (Cap)
4 Hold the Line (Thor)
6 Alias (Giant-Man, Wasp)

Objects
5 Crimson Gem
4 Zodiac Key
Total: 497

Commentary:
Out with the old, and in with the new(ish). This team comes in closer to 500 points, which allows less room for Feat Cards. With the automatic investment of 20 points (Contingency Plan/Protected) for Cap, Thor gets Hold the Line to attack multiple based characters, and Giant-Man and Wasp both enhance their harrasser role with Alias. On this team it's all about the special Objects. The Zodiac Key is best used for Iron Man, but it certainly could enhance the value of Captain America's already potent Deflection Trajectory Special Power. The Crimson Gem could benefit anyone, but again Cap becomes a logical choice, while I'd opt for Iron Man to be the other (which potentially means he could go for both). One thing about the new special objects though: In a pitched game of HeroClix there will be times that time will be a factor and you will have to leave the objects alone. There is a risk to using them that isn't limited to the roll of the die. In this set up, Captain America will be less inclined to stay in the backfield, but
will still benefit from being carried closer to the battle. I'd go with Wasp on this one. Iron Man, without the aid of Objects might actually be less effective than the Marvel HeroClix: Xplosion version, because he simply isn't doing more than 2 damage unless Giant Man takes a beating first. Thor, or the other hand is much more effective despite his bump in price. It might even out, but I think the real key is for Iron Man to gain either Psychic Blast, or a dial wide +1 to damage for him to bring anything substantial to the fight.


"Captain America Lives Again" - V.3
150 Thor (Hammer of Thor Fast Forces 005)
83 Captain America (Captain America 040)
82 Giant Man (Avengers 038)
70 Iron Man (Mutations and Monsters 055 - with an Xplosion sculpt)
37 Wasp (Avengers 059)
Total: 422

Feats
25 Fortitude (Thor)
8 Protected (Captain America)
4 Hold the Line (Captain America)
3 Not So Special (Thor)
3 Alias (Giant Man)
5 Endurance (Thor)

Objects
5 Crimson Gem
4 Zodiac Key
Total: 484

Commentary:
I thought I would like this team best, but I don't think that is the way it will go down in history. I decided to give Iron Man a completely different role on this team, considering my general assertion that you really arent' getting a lot out of "Iron Man" no matter what version of the team thus far. He is either a low-quality heavy hitter (Marvel HeroClix: Xplosion) or a ranged guy batting clean-up unless he gets buffed by objects (Marvel HeroClix: Armor Wars). These aren't terrible roles to play, but you don't want to lose out due to lack of offense. By adding "Zombie" Iron Man (with a sculpt swap), you gain front of dial Perplex and a somewhat more "quality" secondary ranged attack piece. However, you lose out on any mobile attack power unless you score the CGoC (Crimson Gem of Cytorrak). To make up for Iron Man's offensive capabilities, I decided to give Thor Endurance and Fortitude because he is likely to need them. Peanut Based "Shield Throw" Cap is an excellent piece, but I am somewhat worried about his lack of Leadership. However, he is much more awesome with Protected being Indomitable. As long as he is carrying his shield, he will be well-nigh unhittable at range. The ability to throw the shield 8 squares and hit two targets is excellent, but I would be cautious about when and how I apply this tactic. It might be better to wade into the thick of it and fight it out Close Combat.

"Captain America Lives Again" - V.4
150 Thor (Hammer of Thor Fast Forces 005)
100 Iron Man (Mutations and Monsters 200 - with an Xplosion sculpt)
82 Giant Man (Avengers 038)
68 Captain America (Captain America 060)
37 Wasp (Avengers 059)
Total: 437

Feats
25 Fortitude (Thor)
8 Protected (Captain America)
4 Hold the Line (Captain America)
3 Not So Special (Thor)
3 Alias (Giant Man)
5 Endurance (Thor)

Objects
0 Mjolnir
5 Crimson Gem
Total: 490

Commentary:
For the ultimate in themey-ness (assuming you have one), "Ice Cap" as he has come to be known - is a must for this team. By playing this Cap you are playing the bonafide Avengers issue 4 Captain America. And for the cost of 'waiting' four turns to get him you will be unleashing a "red, white and blue thunderbolt" on your opponent! If you really want to give your opponent fits, leave him in the back near Mjolnir for a potential 14 attack 5 damage Flight Running Shot
combo. Add The Marvel HeroClix: Mutations and Monsters FCBD Iron Man to give your team a bit of extra punch and survivability (and try to get him Mjolnir for +1 damage and full-dial Toughness). Of all the line-ups, this one seems to be the most 'competetive', and so is the one I would be mostly likely to field. It's a good thing it also just so happens to appropriately fit the theme, which is always my goal in team building - Competitive, but themey.

I hope everyone enjoys the article, and please do give feedback. Good or bad.

Product Review: Street Figher Boosters

If you are a fan of Street Fighter you should at least consider checking this product out. Ever single one of these figures look fantastic! Ever figure has some form of energy effect on the figure, and they're all in appropriate fighting poses.

Like the starter, point for point they may not look like they'll stand out with standard HeroClix in they're point-class, but like the starter, do not underestimate the Street Fighter team ability that every figure comes equipped with.

In sealed, M. Bison is king! But really, if you're a fan of Street Fighter II, which most of these figures are based on, wouldn't you expect a fight versus M. Bison to be an uphill battle? I honestly believe that every figure managed to get at least one really playable version, some (like Guile and Ken) got a few.

So with all my positives, where's the downside? The downside comes in how the display boxes are packaged. In the display boxes I've seen, and reports that have been pouring in on sites like HCRealms, it looks like the Rares and Chase figures are always packed in the 4 of the 6 boxes packed in the top, front of the box. Unfortunately, this means if you didn't buy a sealed display, or get to the display first, then you're probably pulling Commons or Uncommons. Not to say that those figures are bad, but if you want a chance at M. Bison or Akuma, you better hit the box first.

The other issue is this product is a new collation/distribution model for WizKids, and it seems like whenever the try out a new one, the first set always seems to have some growing pains. With this set (similar to Web of Spider-Man), Cases had near identical displays in them. The only variation being the Chase figure, and possible a slight variation in the Common and/or Uncommon slots.

That variation normally wouldn't be a big deal with a product that seems to be designed more for impulse buyers, with the exception of where the Rares/Chase figures appear. If they were at least mixed among the other boosters better, then it would be more encouraging to the casual buyer. However, this product seems to reward you better if you buy the complete display.

How ever you decide to buy the product, another piece of advice is, once you've bought a full display, I wouldn't buy another one to finish off your set, unless you buying the second display for a completely different location from the first. Too many of the displays at a single location are going to be too similar to be worth the expense. You're probably better off to trade for what your missing, or just buy from the secondary market.

Product Review: Street Figher Starter

Ever since HeroClix switched to figures with character cards, they have regularly put out one new starter a year. This year has been a bit different because WizKids (under their new owners NECA) have been doing some experimentation with the way they release products. So this year we've already gotten a couple of "Fast Force packs" which have been dubbed "mini-starters" by the regular players. As such, they've come with 6 figures, dice and a double-sided map.

With this product, we've gotten 6 figures, 2 smaller double-sided maps, the full rule book, and a new Powers and Abilities Card. The strange part is that it does NOT contain dice, which usually isn't a big deal, but it's a strange switch from the Fast Force packs which do contain dice, but no rules and PAC. The big problem for new players is that NONE of these products contain the object tokens and markers that have traditionally come in past starters. True a player could "print and play" these items, but that, in my opinion, is an unfortunate precedent to sent for new players, which presumably this product was created to foster.

Now, looking specifically at what does come in the starter, the new maps are great, especially for the new one on one format available in this starter. All four maps were created to simulate actual Street Fighter levels and grant a great variety of terrains to play on. Some veteran players may find the maps a bit claustrophobic, but they are excellent for those that want to play some quick games and really enjoy getting into each others faces and really slugging it out.

With the figures, they chose the six most logical fighters to highlight with the inclusion of Ryu, Ken, Chun-Li, Guile, Dhalsim, and my personal favorite Blanka. WizKids chose to make 50 point versions of each character, which considering some of the best Martial Artist in HeroClix come in at 58 point, seems like a logical choice both for the one on one format, and standard team building. That said, on first look all of the dials seem underwhelming, until one considers the figures' team ability. The Street Fighter team ability (which all the figures have) allow them to always have the ability to take a Power Action and move up to 3 squares to make a close combat attack Sure it's limited to a quick dash punch, but considering they'll usually be able to move their full 3 even out of hindering (because it's not changing their movement value, just limiting their movement) it's a pretty strong ability. Sure these figures aren't going to be the stars of the team, but they're likely to be a nuisance for the points, if you play them smart.

Ultimately, should you buy this product? Personally, I'd buy it for the updated Rules and PAC alone. However, if you're a fan of Street Fighter and/or you're looking forward to the smaller maps for quicker games, then the answer is, WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR!?!?!

Office Pranks!

I've been kicking around the idea to start my own HeroClix blog for a while now, and I'm finally starting it now thanks to a bit of silliness back at my office. As I expect with most serious HeroClix players that can get away with it, I have HeroClix on my desk at work. One figure that's front and center in my Office collection is Exprienced Icons Batman (still one of my favorite Batman sculpts).

Well, I came in last Monday to find this clue from the Joker on my desk.

 The full clue read: "If you ever want to see Bats alive again you'll play my little game. Look in the pantry freezer for your first clue." And here's what I found in the freezer. Your friend, The Joker

Once I thawed it out, here's what I found inside.

Back in my office, I flipped the white board around to find this.

Interestingly enough I had actually noticed this book out of place on the bookshelf when I had come in that morning, so I knew exactly where to look, and this is what I found.

The key unlocked a drawer in the cube next to mine, and in the drawer, I found this.

The whole adventure from start to finish took about 20 minutes. I got a good laugh out of it, and my co-workers learned that I was a pretty good sport about the whole thing.

Anyway, I thought that this was a good light-hearted way to start this blog. In the coming weeks I hope to do some more serious articles. I have a write up that I intended to do on Street Fighter HeroClix, and a special format that we created for Gears of War HeroClix. I'm also hoping that my friend Mel also starts contributing to the blog as well.

Until next time, keep the critical misses to a minimum!