Clix Conundrum

Free Iron Man

...this Saturday. (Edit: We-e-e-lllll it may not swing quite that way based on some late reports. It appears Diamond -- Wizkids exclusive distributor -- may have dropped the ball and some stores may not get theirs until after FCBD. Oh, those wacky scamps... Similarly, some stores may not be seeing their Anti-Monitor Action Packs this week either, despite tomorrow being the official sale date for them. Edit II: Dial added.)

Heroclix' contribution to Free Comic Book Day (May 3) will be an Iron Man piece using the sculpt from Armor Wars but with a new, 100 pt dial and SHIELD TA. It's an interesting combination, and unlike more recent FCBD pieces there's no purple ring, so it's eligible for team builds in official tournaments.

All info, along with commentary, below.





Not bad, both for 100 points and especially for a free piece. An interesting addition to SHIELD, and at least we have the Avengers connection there, too. Having Invincible pop back up in the middle of the dial is a nice touch, though one's likely to simply blow past it. A single target and the lack of Outwit or Perplex are steps back, but it's still a good set of options to have for a combat-mode Iron Man.


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The Coming Invasion

The following piece is from today's ICv2 report. (Reprinted at the bottom of this entry.) Not much new information of substance to those of us who've been watching, but this is the first time I've gotten to see the (not so pretty -- I'm not a fan of Yu's work) booster artwork -- presumably just half of it, since the pattern's been to split it up over four boosters.

As I'd dropped the Bendis-written Avengers series (New Avengers & Mighty Avengers) in '07 and have also been skipping the Secret Invasion miniseries by Bendis and Yu I've only been following it in some peripheral titles and occasionally checking the Wiki article on it for updates.

So far I haven't had anything shake me from the notion I went into this with: The core idea - that there's been a covert invasion by the shape-shifting Skrulls ongoing for a long time, recently kicked into high gear, was at the very least influential in the formation of the recent Avengers teams, that they've come up with a way to make themselves virtually undetectable, and that they're strategically targeting the greatest threats - is an excellent one, but that it will be much more enjoyable in a synopsis form, smoothed out. Hints of nuances of Skrull culture, including elements of religious fervor and how they view some of the Earthlings they know, Reed Richards ahead of all, are also appreciated. While I enjoy Bendis' work in some places he's much better off when he's handling relatively small casts and he really hasn't proven himself up to the task of handling a sweeping arc which tries to work with long-term character history.

And, if somehow, against the odds and experience, it turns out to be solidly crafted it's going to be collected in various trades by 2009.

Aside from the info below, the other info related to this set is that the MSRP will be taking another $1 spike, going to $11.99, and will almost certainly be felt by retailers attempting to sell product locally. I'm anticipating that those of us pressing on with Heroclix will be moving almost entirely to online sources, be that case buys and/or ebay bulk-buys of complete sets or subsets. Buying loose boosters with any serious intention of collecting a set has become the act of a lunatic or moron.

Indications are that this set won't have chase pieces (though October's DC Rogues set is supposed to have two, as Crisis did), but that as with Crisis we'll be looking at a limited edition, numbered Buy It By the Brick promotion. Given that that turned into a debacle when their limit of 5,000 turned it into a miserable race with far too many losers, I'll be interested to not only see what the piece is but what the production scale will be.

HeroClix Secret Invasion
Cross-promotion Planned
April 29, 2008

WizKids and Marvel are cooperating to incorporate a current editorial event in Marvel Comics into an upcoming HeroClix set. HeroClix: Secret Invasion will be released in late July, with special Secret Invasion packaging.

WizKids, Marvel, and Diamond/Alliance are collaborating on a cross-promotion to expose customers in stores that carry only games to comics; and to expose customers in stores that carry only comics to HeroClix. A display that will hold both HeroClix boosters and comics has been created. Alliance Game Distributors will select 400-500 game stores that don’t currently carry comics and send them the display with ten free copies of a special HeroClix edition (carrying the HeroClix logo) of Secret Invasion #1. Diamond Comic Distributors will select 100-200 comic stores that don’t carry HeroClix to receive the display with four free HeroClix: Secret Invasion boosters.

The Heroclix: Secret Invasion release caps off a busy two-month period in which three HeroClix products are released. Batman Boosters will release in June (see “HeroClix Batman Four Figure Booster”), and Fantastic Four Starters (which will include seven figures, six unique), in early July.

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Questionable Lessons
The Coming of Batman Alpha

In June, Heroclix will be releasing a mini set of clix centered on Batman. It's intended to be used as a gateway to Heroclix for new players, and will be available in more mass-market venues, so initially I'm expecting them to show up in spots such as Target and/or Wal-Mart.

The booster format will be four characters, a Batman in each booster, the Batman piece visible. There will be character cards, but no Feats or Battlefield Conditions. There will be no Special Powers, though there will be character cards. There will be keywords for theme team consideration for when players integrate these pieces into regular Heroclix play. The character cards will allow those who play under the vastly simplified Alpha rules to play without referencing a Powers and Abilities Card since it will explain the power mechanics; more on that shortly. There will be no Team Abilities.

It will be a 30-piece set - 31 if one counts a Batman version they'll apparently be using to lure people in to a special event - using previously issued sculpts with new point costs and dials. Nothing in the set will have a rarity level higher than Rare, so they should all be easy to come by.

My initial observations about the expansion are as follows:
Bringing people into a game and teaching them not only different rules, but significantly different mechanics, is probably not the best way to get them to play the full and official game of Heroclix. (Take a look at the power key, updated as far as I have info to do so, and ask how many players will want to go back to half-Speed Charge and Running Shot, or leave behind Evade or Cover, or drop the wonderfully passive protection of Alpha's version of Outwit, among others.)
While the Batman family of characters will be affected badly by the lack of the Batman TA's perma-stealth, the Batman enemies have a better chance of being more solid pieces without that TA adding points and dragging them down.
This is a good opportunity for newer players to get hold of versions of rare sculpts such as Oracle and especially Alfred.

Here is a key of the known Alphaclix powers. While some, such as Toughness, appear to work as Heroclix players expect, most of the others are altered:

Charge: If you move and punch, use your full speed.
Cover: After attack, move up to 2.
Expert Punch: Replaces CCE - deal +2 damage.
Explosion: If you hit an enemy, deal 1 damage to every enemy adjacent to it.
Evade: After an attack, move up to 4.
Flurry: Once each turn if you hit with a punch, you can punch another enemy.
Force Blast: After you damage an enemy with an attack, you move the enemy to an adjacent open square.
Good Luck: Reroll dice once when you attack; use the new result.
Heal: Instead of attacking, give an adjacent friend 2 health.
Mastermind: You can be attacked only once each turn.
Mind Control: If attack hits, move enemy up to its speed instead of dealing damage.
Outwit: Enemies can't use attack powers against you.
Poison: Instead of attacking, deal 1 damage to all enemies adjacent to you.
Rally: Friends adjacent to you get +1 attack and +1 defense.
Shield: Add +2 defense when an enemy shoots at you.
Slash: If you roll doubles and hit with a punch, deal +2 damage.
Stealth: If you're in hindering terrain, you can't be shot at.
Super Strength: If you punch while in or adjacent to hindering terrain, add +1 damage
Toughness: Reduce damage taken by -1.
Weaken: Enemies that begin their turn adjacent to you can't move and attack. Enemies that move on their turn can't attack only you.

And here's what we know about the actual pieces in the set. No ranges, targets or stats, and one of these Batman pieces will not be in the boosters, but it's a good start. There are some at least initially promising pieces in here:

Batman
rookie 50 pts
keywords: Gotham City, Justice League of America
skills: Running Shot, Leap, Toughness, Leadership

Batman (Icons starter)
Veteran 70 pts
Keywords: Detective, Gotham City, JLA, Justice League, Outsiders
Skills: Leap, Charge, Cover, Outwit

The Masked Manhunter (Batman Legacy?)
Veteran 60 pts
Keywords: Detective, Gotham City
Skills: Stealth, Mastermind, Shape Change, Outwit

The Caped Crusader (Dark Knight Convention clix?)
Rookie 50 pts
Keywords: Gotham City, Martial Artist
Skills: Flurry, Evade, Toughness, Expert Punch

The Batman (Origins)
Experienced 60 pts
Keywords: Detective, Gotham City, Martial Artist
Skills: Charge, Leap, Cover, Outwit

The Boy Wonder (Tim Drake - Icons?)
Veteran 60 pts
Keywords: Gotham City, Teen, Teen Titans
Skills: Leap, Charge, Weaken, Evade, Rally

Nightwing (Hypertime?)
Veteran 70 pts
Keywords: Gotham City, Teen Titans
Skills: Leap, Charge, Evade, Super Senses, Leadership

Batgirl (Barbara Gordon- Unleashed)
Rookie 30 pts
Keywords: Detective, Gotham City
Skills: Leap, Evade, Super Reflexes

Robin (Robin - Icon starter?)
Rookie 30 pts
Keywords: Detective, Gotham City, Teen
Skills: Leap, Cover

The Clown Prince of Crime (Joker - Legacy)
Veteran 70 pts
Keywords: Gotham City, Monster
Skills: Charge, Poison, Shape Change, Exploit Weakness, Evade

The Joker (starter) (Icons)
Experienced 40 pts
Keywords: Gotham City
Skills: Explosion, Poison, Mastermind, Evade

Harley Quinn (starter) (Icons)
Rookie 30 pts
Keywords: Gotham City
Skills: Stealth, Super Senses, Expert Shot

Catwoman (Hypertime? Hypertime unique?)
Experienced 40 pts
Keywords: Gotham City
Skills: Stealth, Flurry, Slash, Outwit

Mr. Freeze (Legacy)
Experienced - 60 pts.
Keywords: Gotham City, Scientist
Skills; Bind, Weaken, Expert Shot

Riddler (Hypertime)
Rookie 60 pts
Keywords: Gotham City
Skills: Cover, Good Luck, Super Senses

Penguin (Cosmic Justice)
Experienced 40 pts.
Keyword: Gotham City, Politician
Skills: Force Blast, Cover, Shield, Rally

Killer Croc (Unleashed)
Experienced 90 pts
Keywords: Brute, Gotham City, Monster
Skills: Charge, Slash, Toughness

Bane (Hypertime)
Experienced 70 pts
Keyword: Brute
Flurry, Charge, Super Strength, Toughness

Poison Ivy (Cosmic Justice)
Experienced 50 pts
Keywords: Gotham City, Scientist
Skills: Mind Control, Poison

Ra's Al Ghul (Icons?)
Experienced 80 pts
Keywords: Gotham City, League of Assassins
Skills: Stealth, Slash, Mastermind, Regeneration

Scarecrow (Icons?)
Experienced, 60 pts.
Gotham City Scientist
Mind Control, Mind Blast, Mastermind

Two-Face (Cosmic Justice)
Experienced 60 pts
Keywords: Gotham City
Skills: Cover, Mastermind, Leadership, Heal

Commisioner Gordon (Hypertime)
Veteran 50 pts.
Keywords: Gotham City, Police
Skills: Bind, Defend, Leadership

Mad Hatter (Hypertime)
Experienced 50 pts
Keywords: Gotham City
Skills: Mind Control, Cover, Leadership

Talia (Legacy)
Experienced 20 pts
Keywords: Gotham City, League of Assassins
Skills: Flurry, Slash

Clayface (Collaterial Damage)
Veteran, 60 pts.
Keywords: Brute, Gotham City
Skills: Bind, Toughness, Shape Change

Oracle (Legacy)
Veteran 50 pts
Keywords: Detective, Gotham City, JLA
Skills: Mind Control, Shield, Leadership, Rally

Alfred (Origin)
Veteran 40 pts
Keyword: Gotham City
Skills: Stealth, Explosion, Heal

GCPD (Hypertime)
Rookie 20 pts.
Keywords: Gotham City, Police
Skills: Bind

Huntress (Hypertime)
Experienced 40 pts.
Keywords: Gotham City, JLA, Martial Artist
Skills: Running Shot, Cover

The Dynamic Duo (Batman and Robin duo) (Justice League)
Veteran 80 pts
Keywords: Gotham City
Skills: Charge, Flurry, Toughness, Outwit


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