Clix Conundrum

Later today we're supposed to have the first of the official previews, but a bit past 4 this morning the latest icv2 email brought me pics of the sculpts and cards for three of this set's rogues: Riddler, Mad Hatter and Gorilla Grodd. (Yeah, I was too lazy to keep them proportional in the graphic, but you're smart folks and know to look to the size of the bases to get a better sense of relative scale.)

No dial info, but here are the three (click on each for a larger view) alongside their cards. They didn't show us the back of the Mad Hatter's card presumably because his powers all fit on the first side.

First: Riddler
An interesting package, especially at 90 points.

Stealth, then Leap/Climb, with Mastermind for Defense, he also has a couple of Special Powers:

Riddle Me This grants him the use of Incapacitate. If he chooses to gamble a little, it lets him do so as a Free Action against a single target providing he doesn't use another Free Action that turn (so, no Perplex or Outwit), and if he successfully hits the target he chooses a number between 1 and 6, then rolls two D6 dice. If the number he chose comes up once he can place one Incap token. If it comes up on both dice he can place two if the target doesn't have any. Considering that he could just use the first half of this SP to allow him to Incapacitate two targets (he has two lightning bolts on his base) and still be able to use Perplex and Outwit, I'm thinking the latter options aren't likely to be seen often.

His second Special Power is They'll Never Get This One, which allows him to use Outwit and Perplex. When he uses Perplex he can only use it to modify an opposing character's stat (other than Damage) by -2.

Will he be worth the 90 points? Show me the dial!

Next: Mad Hatter
Mastermind for defensive purposes is definitely thematic. A 6 range for Mind Control works well enough for him, as do two targets. Perplex is handier than ever these days.

His Special Power is Hypnotic Hats, allowing him to take no feedback damage if he decides to Mind Control a single target, but it also has a fun extra element for his fellow Batman Enemies. Anyone he's Mind Controlled remains for the rest of that turn a Batman Enemy, which means that if the target is next to a Batman Enemy (or someone copying that TA) they can borrow his Attack Value and use it against him. This could be fun.

...and then there's Gorilla Grodd

At 157 points it's hoped he has killer stats to back him up. He's something of a swiss army knife with Mind Control, Telekinesis and Outwit among his bag of tricks, and with Indomitable (the special symbol next to his Defense) he has the built-in Willpower to act two turns in a row without pushing. Some are concerned, though, when they see his point value and his having no damage-reducer better than Toughness.

His Special Power is Your Will Is Mine, granting him Leap/Climb and Mind Control with a range of 8, which strikes me as very character accurate. Hopefully while I expect him to start with this it won't be entirely front-loaded. I'd like to see Charge come in fairly soon, then fall back to this power again -- perhaps even more than once as Grodd shifts tactics between mind games and raw, physical attacks.

Eat the Hostages! (Steal Energy) is a tad gruesome, but fun -- hopefully it'll work well. We'll need to see what sort of Damage he's capable of on those clicks.

The Mastermind on Riddler and Mad Hatter is likely part of a trend for the core Batman enemies, and will underscore the utility of those 19-point Street Thugs we'll be seeing in this set.

Labels: Arkham Asylum, first previews, Heroclix

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