HeroClix A to Z – Legacy Marquee Primer: Part 4 – Super Rares

[AZS]

WizKids posted these stats last week, and some lucky players were fortunate enough to get their hands on Legacy over the weekend at the Pre-release tournament.
For the rest of us, the Marquee is still several weeks away, but that doesn’t mean we can’t play in a few friendly sealed games before then.

This review is posted in 4 parts:
Part 1 – Commons
Part 2 – Rares & Uniques
Part 3 – Cards
Part 4 – Super Rares

This final portion of the Marquee Primer will look at the “Super Rare” figures, essentially the Limited Edition prizes that you can pull out of a booster. Whether you can use the figure on your team or not, you should already consider yourself a winner for getting your hands on one of these prized collectables.
If you can actually use one on your team consider yourself doubly lucky!



click on comments below to read the review.

[AZS]

Standard Intro:
This review and rating system is for a 300 point, 3 booster Sealed event only. This doesn’t take into account how these may play in constructed and open format tournaments (where some might be better or worse.)

This review uses a star (*) rating system.

* Steer clear of this figure.
** Not so good. Should be considered with caution.
*** Fair. Based on how you need to fill out a team or have Wildcard options.
**** Good. Definitely consider this figure.
***** Great! Should be a top choice for your team.

There will be very few one or five star ratings, so please realize that even though your favorite character might not have gotten five stars like you think it should, I’m just trying to be fair.

Everything written here is in the most general form possible.
Since the specific combination of figures drawn in a sealed booster tournament work together to determine which are more playable than others.

Lastly, this review is just my opinion. And these are a lot of work to write, so I ask you very kindly, please don’t get angry at me for my ratings. I give reasonable explanations for each choice. If you disagree (and you are welcome to do so), please try to do the same.




Super Rares

Victor Fries (Mr. Freeze)
54 – Batman Enemy
Depending on how you look at this, he’s either a Rookie+, or a lesser Experienced.
Either way, he’s fantastic for the points. 8 range, barrier, Incapacitate, RCE, and Stealth, with a good AV, and a Team Ability your Wildcards can share.
This is a Super Rare well worth playing.
SR - ****

Roy Harper Jr. (Arsenal)
39 – Police
A variation of the Exp and Vet Arsenal, the Super Rare changes up slightly with the Police Team Ability. This drops his cost a bit, but adds to his usefulness. This is a TA your Wildcards can get good use out of, especially against the higher defenses in this set. Besides the TA, Roy is a decent figure for the points; starting with running shot and double target, then push him once and he gets the cover of Stealth. He’s still not great but for only 39 points he’s certainly worthwhile.
SR - ****

Drake Burroughs (Wildfire)
127 – Legion
Take everything good about Wildfire, and give you basically a 4th option. At just 5 more points than the Exp, you get an extra click of Running Shot, but everything else is pretty much the same. Even if this LE doesn’t stand very far apart from his REV, the extra bit of mobility will go a long way in the Marquee, and you won’t exactly get to choose which Wildfire to play.
SR - ****

Lois Lane (Superwoman)
102 – Crime Syndicate
The pros and cons of this Super Rare are her cost and her Team Ability. For around a hundred points, hopefully you’ll pull a slightly better attacker. Lois Lane is OK, but her combat values don’t really elevate her to “good.” On upside though, the Probability Control granted by the Crime Syndicate Team Ability could mean the difference between making an important hit against a high defense target, or whiffing terribly.
Keep in mind though, this TA requires that you give one of your teammates an action token, so make sure you have a big enough team to spread the actions around without pushing them too much.
SR - ***

Etrigan (The Demon)
88 – Mystics
Sweetness! All the goodness of the Demon, but without that annoying activation click! Plus, he’s cheaper than the Exp, but still has the Mystics Team Ability for your Wildcards to copy.
His 17 defense is also very good, and between Super Strength and Blades/Claws/Fangs, Etrigan has the potential to deal consistently high damage.
SR - ****

Todd Rice (Obsidian)
65 – JLA
Another nice variation on a theme, this Super Rare is cheap and effective. All of Todd’s stats and powers are very good for the points, and his JLA Team Ability is a nice addition as well. Plus with 8 range, 9 AV and 3 damage with Psychic Blast, he can hang with the big guns. All around a very good deal for only 65 points.
SR - ****

Jennifer-Lynn Hayden (Jade)
74 – JSA
This Super Rare is a nice medium between her Rookie and Exp. Jenny is a few points more than her Rookie, but gives you a better range and attack value. Those two changes make all the difference between a mediocre support figure (thanks to TK), and an effective secondary attacker. Jenny-Lynn is a great piece for the points, and an excellent TK figure for your team. She loses the shortcomings of her Rookie, without the excessive cost of her Exp. The JSA TA also goes nicely with her 17 Defense that she can share with her teammates. Also, be on the lookout for mid dial Barrier that will allow her to help out her team defensively. All around, a very nice package.
SR - ****

Sinestro of Korugar (Sinestro)
82
Very similar to Jennifer-Lynn, the Sinestro Super Rare doesn’t have the Team Ability, but does have the added mobility of Running Shot. He will be similarly useful on a team thanks to TK, and can then get into the fight quicker thanks to Running Shot. Just be careful not to overwork him, he only has one click of RS, and two of Toughness.
Like Jenny, he has Barrier mid-dial, but he also has a final click of Outwit.
SR - ****

Roland Desmond (Blockbuster)
90
A little cheaper and a little better than Rookie Blockbuster, Roland still beefs up as he takes damage. In a set without any healing of any kind, having a figure that can take a few lumps is certainly useful. Since you can throw him out there to rough it up while the rest of your team hangs back waiting for the opportune moment to strike.
What sets Roland apart from his rookie, besides the reduced cost, is slightly better stats; namely his 5th click with a 10 AV and huge 5 damage (plus super strength!). Although you almost always click right past the middle clicks on dials like this, its still a deterrent for your opponent to attack. (Or if they do attack, they feel obligated to throw everything they have at him, all at once.)
None-the-less, Roland Desmond is still a little difficult to use, and won’t necessarily be worth nearly a 3rd of your team, particularly if your opponent chooses to simply ignore him rather than attack him, since it will take you the entire game to push him onto his best click and then once there your opponent will just ping him off that click anyway.
A fun figure in less critical games, or where you can build a team to work around his shortcomings, but this SR might be a little risky in the Marquee.
SR - **

Conner Kent (Superboy)
115 – Superman Ally
Unlike his Rookie, this version of Superboy with the Superman Ally TA, actually has a ranged attack! And a good one at that. Even though he’s still stronger in close combat, his 8 range and 3 damage are certainly enough to deal with those pesky stealthers. Plus your wildcards would be more than happy to copy that fantastic TA, since even against non-stealthers it will still give them a ranged advantage by ignoring the hindering terrain modifier.
None-the-less, I have a hard time giving anything more than 3 stars to a figure over 100 points with only a 9 attack value. As good as he might be, there are enough 17 defenses in this set that his 9 AV will struggle against many opponents.
SR - ***

Nyeun Chun Ti (Persuader)
116 – Calculator
Wow, just.. wow. Great stats, killer damage, deep dial, - top it all off with a Wildcard TA and you’ve got one solid package.
Blades/Claws/Fangs mid dial replaces CCE on the REV. B/C/F is less reliable than CCE, but is also seemingly cheaper, as exampled by Nyeun’s lower cost. (Granted, he also loses a click of charge and EW versus the Veteran.)
As with any wildcard figure, his final usefulness will be partly determined by what other teams you pull to go along with him, but with such a good starting base, just about anything more you add here is just gravy anyhow.
SR - ****

Captain Nathaniel Adam (Captain Atom)
161
Someone on the forum once said “Perplex is the ‘ketchup’ of heroclix.” That struck me as fairly profound, and in the case of Nathaniel Adam, particularly poignant. Like ketchup, Perplex takes something that is already good, and makes it better. In Adam’s case, he’s pretty good already, but could really use a little boost.
Much like Superboy suffers with his 9 AV and 100+ point cost, Adam takes it to the next level at a whopping 161 points, but with only a 10 AV. A little Perplex, or even the Police Team Ability would go a long way towards making that attack value a little more palatable, but in a set with very little of either, Adam ultimately suffers from his imbalance.
Besides his high cost and low-ish AV, this Super Rare also has a shorter ranged attack than the Veteran Atom (8 vs 10), which is yet another shortcoming. Factor in the Activation Click and this figure falls short on many levels and in this format he’s more ‘PFC’ than ‘Captain.’
SR - *

Clifford Zmeck (Major Force)
103
There’s very little difference between this figure and the Major Force rookie. A few stats are increased, and he has an extra (blank) click of life, which more or less makes up for the 8 point increase. He’s still just OK all around. In the extremely unlikely case that you don’t pull any other solid mid range figures besides this one, he’ll work fine for your team. If you do pull other options, weigh them carefully, as Zmeck offers some versatility and strength, but doesn’t really excel at anything.
SR - ***

The Demon’s Head (Ra’s al Ghul)
83 – Batman Enemy
The Demon’s Head is a fairly decent figure from a stats and powers perspective. But what it comes down to is a cost versus performance analysis, and in that regard this Super Rare falls short. All of his powers are good, but at 83 points for only 2 base damage (or Blades), he doesn’t really warrant the cost. There’s also the Stealthed Outwit, but using him as a support piece in that manner is also a waste of points. He has some utility, and may be tough to KO due to Mastermind, but tough to kill is not the same as ‘useful’, and ultimately the Demon’s Head is too pricey for his own good.
SR - **

The Red Hood (Joker)
26
A drastic departure from his REV, this version of the Joker will be a very sought after LE in or out of the Marquee.
As mentioned several times, there is very little perplex in this set, so anything that can increase a character’s Damage Value will be very useful. In this case, the Red Hood offers very cheap Enhancement, as well as the cover of Stealth. This means that your Rangers can use him to enhance their damage against one target, while he protects their flank from another. Mastermind is probably a waste here, since there’s only 1 character in the entire set cheaper than the Hood for him to shirk damage off to. (Well, actually he can Mastermind damage off to Bystander Tokens too, I suppose.)
Even so, cheap Enhancement and Stealth are two huge pluses, and he also has a short ranged attack.
An added bonus is that your opponent probably won’t realize right away that you’re playing with the SR, and may underestimate your team by thinking that you are fielding the whacky REV instead.
SR - ****

Bruce Wayne (Batman)
72
This is also a fairly big departure from the REV, but a sensible one. This is Bruce Wayne, *not* Batman, so he’s trying to maintain his secret identity. That means no throwing Batarangs or hiding behind gumball machines with the Batman TA. He’d also rather incapacitate or Outwit his target rather than outright damage them.
What that translates to for the Marquee though is a mid-price character with limited damage and Incapacitate but no range. What he ends up being is highly mobile Outwit, and little more. And after the first two clicks, he’s also a big open target.
He may make for a fun themed LE, but in the Marquee he’ll end up being more of a liability.
Its also ironic the role reversal that Batman and the Joker make. Bats rates very high in his REV, but low in the SR, and vise versa for the Joker.
SR - *


This is the final part of the Marquee Primer. Thanks for reading and discussing these reviews, and I wish you good pulls from your boosters at the tournament.

[Captain_Comet]

Awesome as always. This may be the best set of reviews I've seen in awhile.

[thugit]

All excellent write-ups.


I was quite disappointed when I discovered I had pulled Bruce Wayne and not the Rookie Batman.

He'll be great for themes, but man--what an awful LE.

[thespiderfly]

I agree with you, almost star for star. Excellent synopses/analyses.

[DarkBlueAnt]

I don't think Bruce Wayne should have had Incap and that he should be 30 points less than he is.

Also, I may have been able to picture an LE of the old Batman as Bruce Wayne... but there's no way you'll find flight suit Batman at a fancy party. I'll need to replace that Mattel varient wannabe with a modified Lex Luthor I think... if only I had a second Lex... we need a generic with a suit...

[Wolverine_Hulk]

Great job.
LE Team with one Token if you were so lucky
SR The Red Hood 26
SR Victor Fries 54
SR Etrigan 88
SR Drake Burroughs 127
B Jimmy Olson 5

300

[sundown12]

I think many people (myself included) only think of Superman Ally as getting through stealth. Your point about using it just to ignore the hindering terrain modify is well taken. It makes those pieces with ESD not quite so hard to hit.

Great reviews!

[LeaLu]

Originally posted by DarkBlueAnt
I don't think Bruce Wayne should have had Incap and that he should be 30 points less than he is.

Also, I may have been able to picture an LE of the old Batman as Bruce Wayne... but there's no way you'll find flight suit Batman at a fancy party. I'll need to replace that Mattel varient wannabe with a modified Lex Luthor I think... if only I had a second Lex... we need a generic with a suit...

I suggest Two-Face. He's not a generic, but he's pretty common, I've found.

[thugit]

My friend TechLee suggested using a Lackey sculpt to replace Bruce Wayne.


Skull cap, jeans, long-sleeved black shirt---perfect for a "Year One" Batman.

[RevOnline]

Originally posted by DarkBlueAnt
I don't think Bruce Wayne should have had Incap and that he should be 30 points less than he is.

Also, I may have been able to picture an LE of the old Batman as Bruce Wayne... but there's no way you'll find flight suit Batman at a fancy party. I'll need to replace that Mattel varient wannabe with a modified Lex Luthor I think... if only I had a second Lex... we need a generic with a suit...

Mr Bones? Cheap at least, if not generic.

[Po Po]

Originally posted by DarkBlueAnt
we need a generic with a suit...
With a little paint and some simple modding, Two-face might work. Replace the pistol with a martini.

Good reviews, Azs, and I agree with almost everything. The one thing you didn't mention is that several people who pulled the Connor Kent SR discovered that he did NOT, in fact, have the Superman TA. The judges at my venue let the guy who pulled one play him like he did, but from the discusions I've heard this is going to end up being a production error like Hush's arch-enemy base, ie. 'we forgot to put it on, so he doesn't have it.' And frankly, even with the TA, he's not that great a piece. I destroyed him pretty easily with my Sinestro before he even had a chance to pop my stealthed Mr. Freeze.

[darthfatty]

I enjoyt the work you put into your reviews, and always make sure to read them before I go to any Marquee.

Lots of 4-star STR's in this set. Funny, the only one I have a different opinion on is Roland Desmond. I actually WANTED to pull him at the prerelease. However, with all the RS/PB hanging around, it probably wouldn't have worked out like I wanted. I still want the fig for constructed, though. He seems like everything the MM Hulk wanted to be.

Check this out--Connor DOESN't have range...that's a misprint on the WizKids site. I saw him at the prerelease, and that 0 next to his lightning bolt just sat there, mocking me. With that in mind, does he even get 3 stars? He reminds me of the Return From The Dead Superman from Hypertime.

[darthfatty]

Originally posted by Po Po
With a little paint and some simple modding, Two-face might work. Replace the pistol with a martini.

Good reviews, Azs, and I agree with almost everything. The one thing you didn't mention is that several people who pulled the Connor Kent SR discovered that he did NOT, in fact, have the Superman TA. The judges at my venue let the guy who pulled one play him like he did, but from the discusions I've heard this is going to end up being a production error like Hush's arch-enemy base, ie. 'we forgot to put it on, so he doesn't have it.' And frankly, even with the TA, he's not that great a piece. I destroyed him pretty easily with my Sinestro before he even had a chance to pop my stealthed Mr. Freeze.

Now THIS is wierd...the Connor I saw had the TA, but no range...WIERD!

[AZS]

Ok, so we've got one report that says Connor Kent has not Superman TA, another that says he has no range.
At this point I'm wondering if someone's gonna tell me he has no dial!

Can someone who actually owns this figure chime in and let us know what his deal is?

Thanks!

(ps, Darthfatty, are you sure it was his Super Rare? The rookie has the Superman TA, but no range, and people have been know to mistake the yellow ring rookie for a super rare at a quick glance.)

[darthfatty]

Yeah, I'm sure. It said Connor...I was all set to trade til I saw the no range.

[thugit]

Originally posted by azs
The rookie has the Superman TA, but no range, and people have been know to mistake the yellow ring rookie for a super rare at a quick glance.)


Like me thinking I had pulled a R Batman!!!

[supermangl1]

Wow, I hadn't noticed till your review that Todd Rice had the JLA TA. He's a fantastic additon to my JLA teams!!!!! I'm excited now, JLA has some physic blast, and with the addition of PC in the E Batman, the JLA still has some serious clout!

:)

[Corwin]

Great reviews, although the Conner Kent production fracas adds four ?s to the usefulness, doesn't it?

After the drought of decent LEs in Mutant Mayhem, it's nice to see that Legacy is delivering desirable figs. For the last month, I've seen people who've won tournaments choose boosters rather than LE prizes ... Kinda like "second prize is two LEs, first prize is one LE ..." :rolleyes:

Unfortunately, the Marquee prizes are deservedly low-rated. Oh for the days of Unleashed and Ultimates where the prizes were great ... Was it a words that start with "U" thing?

[Grinner]

Originally posted by thugit
My friend TechLee suggested using a Lackey sculpt to replace Bruce Wayne.


Skull cap, jeans, long-sleeved black shirt---perfect for a "Year One" Batman.

That's what I was thinking! I liked that idea better than the tux, although there are some great suggestions for the tux out there.

[MJlover]

First of all, great job, as always, AZS.

Now, I don't see a whole lot of difference between these LEs and the MM LEs. Very few of these LEs differ greatly from their REV counterparts. Some give you a slightly better package for the cost than the REV, but still not very exciting.

[superfriend]

I pulled Connor Kent.
115 pts, no TA. I'll have to look at again to check the range.

[mohenjo]

Just a word to the wise - I pulled Todd Rice in the pre-release and he folded like an accordion. Took a big hit from V Capt. Atom and then he was almost useless.

I say almost because he did still have incapacitate, which helped whittle Capt Atom down, but for the points I could have chosen alot better.

[SumYungGai]

Most 65 point figures have a hard time surviving a 4 click hit. I think Todd is looking good with that Psychic Blast.

[supermangl1]

Todd Rice might be one of those "get hit to, so you can hit" pieces. He'll be a great piece to cut through IMP for the JLA. My friend always plays a Capt. Marvel (Shazam) or Gladiator EVERY time we play. JLA has a hard time sometimes cracking that IMP. But a nice hit for 3 with physic blast is just what the doctor ordered.

Besides getting hit for four with Todd, should put you on stealth, incap., and toughness, with 2 damage. Not too bad of a click to land on!

[supermangl1]

I realize that line didn't sound right, I meant he'll be a "take one for the team" pieces. Nail someone with Physic blast, but hope you hit your super senses roll.

[Draggor]

I've got Connor. 8 range, no TA, 115 pionts. Stats the same a s the Wizkids site.

[theLex]

Personally, I'd pick the E or B Demon over Etrigan BECAUSE of their activation clicks.

[Kiryu]

Enhancement is cool, but not cool enough to warrant waiting at til the fourth turn to use a 100 point figure.

Sign me up for Etrigan.

[Maakeff]

As someone who played the Pre-Release, I can confidently say that the LE Superboy "Kon-El" does NOT have the Superman-Ally team ability.

Someone's messed something up, somewhere.