HeroClix A to Z: Fantastic Forces Marquee Primer, Pt 1 – “Commons”

[AZS]

Another set and another Pre-Release means another “Marquee Primer” review!

WizKids has been posting ‘sneak peeks’ fast and furious, filling out the last few gaps in the set. So far we’ve had all of the Giant and Transporter figures revealed, so they get the honor of being reviewed for part one.

WK has also added a few venues to the Pre-Release tournament schedule so even more people will be getting their game on this weekend.

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 will be posted in 4 parts:
Part 1 – Commons
Part 2 – Uncommons & Rares
Part 3 – Uniques & Super Rares
Part 4 – Cards & Bystanders

Today’s review looks at the “Commons.” Rarity levels 1 – 3, and the figures you are most likely to pull.


click on comments below to read the review.

[AZS]

This portion of the Marquee Primer will look at these Common figures and rate them based on how they may work with the rest of the Fantastic Forces set in a sealed tournament.


Standard Intro:
This review and rating system is for a 300 point, 3 booster Sealed event only. This does not 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 1 or 5 star ratings here. 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.




Part 1 – Commons (Rarity 1 – 3. ‘Giant’ and ‘Transporter’ figures)

It used to be that the commons were also synonymous with “fodder.” These were generic, low cost figures that you used to round out your team or add bits of utility and small attacks. But since the generics appear to have migrated over to the Bystander Tokens, the common figures have stepped up to being not only Named figures, but sometimes heavy hitters, and often very useful utility pieces as well.

In Fantastic Forces, the ‘commons’ take on a whole new level as Giant and Transporter figures. The distribution/rarity may be different and these may not technically be commons, but since you’re guaranteed to get 1 per boosters, that’s about as common as it can get.

Lockjaw
24 / 29 / 38
The cheapest of the Transporters, Lockjaw is surprisingly useful for his cost.
He’s mobile and fast, and he can carry other figures into or out of battle.
He can also use his double sized base to block and protect his passenger.
Also, as long as he’s carrying someone into battle, use the Transporter “hypersonic-lite” attack ability to take pot shots, you may get lucky and hit.
His vet is the cream of the crop, with a better AV, high damage, and a deep dial with lots of Toughness. Plus he has Phasing until his very last click, so he can always grab his passenger and high-tail it out of danger.
(Trans)
R - ***
E - ****
V - ****

Black Knight
54 / 64 / 77 – All Avengers
Another Transporter with no range, but this one more of an attacker than just basic transportation.
A fair number of characters in this set have a defense of around 15 or 16, with a smattering of 17’s, so BK’s starting AV of 9 has a perfectly average chance of hitting most opponents. His Exp and Vet step it up a bit to 10 and improve his chances. Charge and Exploit weakness are of course great together, but even after he loses his up front Charge, he can still use the Transporter ability to move and attack with an AV that stays relatively strong.
He’s definitely a first strike figure though, and his own low-ish defense doesn’t help the fact that he has a double sized base that can be targeted from range.
The deep dial in his Vet is a good bargain for the points though.
(Trans)
R - ***
E - ***
V - ****

Mirage / Moonstar
55 / 66 / 90 – All X-men
As with Black Knight, M’s low-ish AV is balanced by the generally average defense numbers in this set. Even though making a ranged attack means she may suffer the hindering terrain modifier occasionally.
The rookie’s low movement and limited range hurt, and her fairly short dial and lack of damage reducers doesn’t help either. But she’s still cheap for what you get.
Her Exp is a little better with more range and a click more life. Her AV is also consistent, so she can push and still stay somewhat strong.
The vet is the strongest of the bunch, but is also very pricey for what she does. 90 points for an unprotected 7 clicks of life is pushing it. Also, with only a base 2 damage she won’t be dealing the kind of heavy damage that someone who takes up almost a third of the team should be. Against figures with no damage reducers, she’ll still only be dealing 2 damage, and a minor annoyance at best.
(Trans)
R - ***
E - ***
V - **

Hawkeye
61 / 71 / 84 – All Avengers
Hawkeye is probably the most offensively capable Transporter. His own long range and Running Shot makes him a capable attacker, but his high AV will allow him to use the mini-HSS transporter ability more effectively, especially in his Veteran.
Even though all three versions are versatile and powerful, they’re also fairly fragile. The rookie for example is 61 points for only 5 clicks of unprotected life.
The Exp and Vet are obviously more pricey for just 6 clicks of life. So he can’t take nearly as good as he can give. His small saving grace is that unlike many other characters, Hawkeye maintains a strong AV, and gets very useful powers on the second half of his dial. So if he’s not taken out in one hit, he’ll still be able to hit back. For a short time at least.
Running Shot with Triple target Incapacitate at the end of the Vet’s dial can be particularly devastating.
Even so, his cost versus life holds him back in this format. On constructed teams where you can account for his fragility he will probably fare better.
(Trans)
R - ***
E - ***
V - ***

Awesome Android
96 - Doom / 125 - Doom / 131 – Spider-man
Like any good Wildcard, how good he is will at least partially be determined by who else you pull for him to copy.
Aside from that, he is capable on his own as well, although he suffers from the same maladies that hurt all Giant figures, namely that he can’t be carried or TKed, and that lines of fire to him are never blocked by other figures.
For a fair cost of 96 points, the Rookie isn’t necessarily strong, but he’s very durable. He keeps a good AV and his 3 damage for most of the dial, and when his damage drops, he gets CCE to compensate. It may be tough for him to front a team, but if you don’t have any other damage dealing options, he could work.
His Exp is just a little better than the Rookie, but for a substantial point increase. At the very least though, he is also extremely durable and will still be able to dish out the pain even after taking a big hit.
His Vet is most worth the cost though, with a better starting AV, Impervious for the chance to completely avoid damage, and better base damage with which to deal it out.
His lack of mobility will probably hurt him, but with his durability that may not be a big factor.
(Giant)
R - **
E - **
V - ***

Goliath / Atlas
94 – MoE / 107 – Avengers / 125 – Avengers
Given the option between Awesome Andriod’s consistency, and Goliath’s higher starting damage, I would probably go with Andy. You probably won’t get that choice though, so make due as best as you can.
When Goliath becomes Atlas, he gets a little better thanks to Charge and Impervious. Like his Giant compatriot from Legacy, Steel, Atlas also has Charge and Quake, a fun combo on a Giant figure. His high base damage gives him the nice option to Quake or just hit for solid damage.
The Exp and Vet’s usefulness for their cost is fair, but without charge the rookie suffers lack of mobility, and for being a big target.
Also, due to Giant figure’s extended adjacency rules, they are great for dealing with close combat threats like Tigra, Thing, and a few others.
(Giant)
R - **
E - ***
V - ***

Yellowjacket
107 / 129 / 144 – All Avengers
Mixing it up a little bit, Yellowjacket actually starts with Running Shot, then gets Charge.
This will help give him more range on the board, and he keeps his high mobility with Charge after RS, and then getting it again mid dial, always keeping a good base damage.
His AV is also strong, and he has lots of Invulnerability so he’s durable too.
The rookie is a little limited with his paltry 4 range and quick drop in AV. For his 107 points I’ll look elsewhere to fill out your team.
The Exp and Vet however are very strong contenders, and the Vet manages to carry his otherwise expensive 144 points.
(Giant)
R - ***
E - ***
V - ****

Ghost Rider
68 / 85 / 102
More Running Shot on a Transporter… and also with Psychic Blast.
Still, GR manages to separate himself from Moonstar thanks to much better offense and defense.
Starting at 68 points the rookie is a great secondary attacker. Good for getting a first strike on a target with damage reducers, or just for general use and as a taxi.
The Exp and Vet are a bit stronger, with the Vet having a better 8 range.
Also remember that you can use the Transporter attack option to attack figures in close combat to attack figures in Stealth, or to avoid ES/D (thus giving you even odds versus shooting them, or improved odds if that shot would cross hindering terrain!)
Also use GR’s L/C to move out, shoot, and move back into safety.
(Trans)
R - ***
E - ****
V - ****


Hopefully the rest of the set will be revealed today and I'll be able to post the rest of this review.
Also, for anyone who realized that there's 3 parts left, but only 2 days until the Pre-Release, rest assured. I'll post parts 3 & 4 on Friday. :)

Thanks for reading!

[Hellboy]

fair assessments. we'll see how they hold up when the figures are released. thanks for the analysis!

[XStreme]

Pretty good job azs....I think I would of ranked Hawkeye a little higher...I'm actually REALLY hoping to pull him at the prerelease tournament(and the thunderbolts card would be nice to maybe give him stealth or ultimates)

But other than that I think I agree with everything....keep it coming, this helps alot! :)

[warden]

WizKids has been posting ‘sneak peeks’ fast and furious, filling out the last few gaps in the set.These previews seem overdone - like showing all of a movie in the trailer (I'm regretting looking at the Firefly trailer which seemed too much of a spoiler). I'm going to a pre-release on Sunday but much of the novelty of the set has long since evaporated because of all these previews.

Andrew

[XStreme]

These previews seem overdone - like showing all of a movie in the trailer (I'm regretting looking at the Firefly trailer which seemed too much of a spoiler). I'm going to a pre-release on Sunday but much of the novelty of the set has long since evaporated because of all these previews.

Andrew


You don't HAVE to read them...


I'm competing for a full factory set of heroclix...sure I want to have fun first and foremost but I love competition and I love that prize so I like getting a brief rundown of the characters so I'm not going in uninformed...

[sniksder]

Awesome Android
96 - Doom / 125 - Doom / 131 – Spider-man
Like any good Wildcard, how good he is will at least partially be determined by who else you pull for him to copy.
Aside from that, he is capable on his own as well, although he suffers from the same maladies that hurt all Giant figures, namely that he can’t be carried or TKed, and that lines of fire to him are never blocked by other figures.
For a fair cost of 96 points, the Rookie isn’t necessarily strong, but he’s very durable. He keeps a good AV and his 3 damage for most of the dial, and when his damage drops, he gets CCE to compensate. It may be tough for him to front a team, but if you don’t have any other damage dealing options, he could work.
His Exp is just a little better than the Rookie, but for a substantial point increase. At the very least though, he is also extremely durable and will still be able to dish out the pain even after taking a big hit.
His Vet is most worth the cost though, with a better starting AV, Impervious for the chance to completely avoid damage, and better base damage with which to deal it out.
His lack of mobility will probably hurt him, but with his durability that may not be a big factor.
(Giant)
R - **
E - **
V - ***


Here's the thing if you use V Andy on an Avengers Team that is using the Thunderbolts card to copy the Batman team ability, then you could have a giant figure that is steatlh......

[Buddyhoss]

Awesome Andy won't be getting stealth in the pre-release, unless you pull Batman. :)

[Buddyhoss]

Without thinking about it, I posted. I suppose you're right, he could copy a Thunderbolt copying Batman.

Silly me. :)

[Trader2699]

Nice job azs, I was wondering when these reviews would pop up.

Personally, I don't really care for the giant figures, although sometimes they can be a hassle for an opponent to deal with. As for the transporters, they bring an interesting game mechanic to the table and I am looking forward to playing in a sealed event with them.

Looking forward to the rest of the review. :)

[SimonMoon5]

Here's the thing if you use V Andy on an Avengers Team that is using the Thunderbolts card to copy the Batman team ability, then you could have a giant figure that is steatlh......

Or you could skip the middle-man and just use Atlas with the Thunderbolts card to get a giant stealth figure (plus, it's more thematically correct, too).

[Nighthawk]

AZS, nice workman-like job as usual. Are you going to talk about the new game mechanics in the 4th part of the preview?

[Mister J]

I think that the Giant figs should in general get a slightly lower rank in this set, largely because of the other double based figs. 3 of the 8 double based figs have either RS/PB or Charge/EW(and since the charger is a flyer he will be able to fly right up to the giant fig and not have to stop one square out). Since the giant figs are all paying a lot for thier damage reducers they will have a serious problem with all the damage reducers running around out there. With 3/8 double based figs having penetration powers, and 3 boosters per person, more than 75% of the people at any given event should pull at least one of these. That means that most people have access to damage reducers just off of 1/3 of thier figs, before you even take the normal sized clicks into account. They might not all play them, but it should still be a big concern before you put 125 points in one fig that he is easy to hit and his damage reducers might be wasted points in fully half of the games you play.

[nivco43]

I can see the Thunderbolts feat being quite the game decider in sealed events considering you get to choose the TA after seeing your opponents team. Hope to get at least one with a avengers to go with it.. Hawkey or Atlast

[Phantom]

These previews seem overdone - like showing all of a movie in the trailer (I'm regretting looking at the Firefly trailer which seemed too much of a spoiler). I'm going to a pre-release on Sunday but much of the novelty of the set has long since evaporated because of all these previews.

Andrew
First off, the Serenity trailer spoils NOTHING. I say this as someone who’s actually seen the full pre-release screening of the film. If that's all you've seen of the movie, then you'll be fine.

As for the review, I’m surprised that V Yellowjacket scores as high as he does, and that V Hawkeye scores as low as he does. Yellowjacket’s got his 4-damage running shot, but he’s also taking up half the price of the team and is limited by his 6-square range. He’s more effective if you pull the Thunderbolts card, but on his own I’m not sure he’ll be able to pull his weight.

Meanwhile, Hawkeye can make excellent use of that transporter ability with his 11AV, 10 range and triple-shot with a base 3 damage. He’s fragile if he gets hit, but an 18 defense at range and the ability to start and end his movements in soaring should help him avoid that.

[ciriquen]

I can see the Thunderbolts feat being quite the game decider in sealed events considering you get to choose the TA after seeing your opponents team. Hope to get at least one with a avengers to go with it.. Hawkey or Atlast

And with half the big figs being Avengers, your chances of pulling Thunderbolts and not being able to play it are really very small...

If only the same could be said about Fantastic Four :(

[tyroclix]

Nice job as usual, azs. I'm glad you're still doing these despite all the extra work you've heaped on yourself. Now if only Raven_Project would come back...

I agree with most of your assessments. I only wonder about the Yellowjacket and Atlas write-ups. I think Charge is more useful to a Giant Fig then Running Shot - especially a short rang RS.

While I love the idea of Yellowjacket running off Elevated Terrain to blast someone, on an indoor map YJ will have a load of trouble using his RS since becoming based ends his movement and ability to attack.

Compare that to Atlas who will be able to attack figures who don't have LoS to him when indoors.

If I pull a YJ, I'm choosing outside maps. If I have an Atlas, I'm going indoors...

[Glen Quagmire]

I think that the Giant figs should in general get a slightly lower rank in this set, largely because of the other double based figs. 3 of the 8 double based figs have either RS/PB or Charge/EW(and since the charger is a flyer he will be able to fly right up to the giant fig and not have to stop one square out).

Good point. Suddenly, in a set with no fortitude in the boosters, I'm not real sure I want to pull someone like Juggernaut. Well, not this weekend, anyway. He still has a lot going for him, like the X-Men ability on the vet, but I agree that the giants are the ones that are really going to be hurting as they can't even hide behind anyone.

[Kirby]

Thanks Azs! Simple but effective overviews of the figures as always. I find them great for the pre-release, but I still look at them as the most concise reviews when building regular teams as well.

With all the damage reduction, and not so much outwit, Ghost Rider, Asp, and Mirage/Moonstar are going to be the pieces that I will have up front come team selection time.

[Rokk_Krinn]

I agree with most of your assessments. I only wonder about the Yellowjacket and Atlas write-ups. I think Charge is more useful to a Giant Fig then Running Shot - especially a short rang RS.

While I love the idea of Yellowjacket running off Elevated Terrain to blast someone, on an indoor map YJ will have a load of trouble using his RS since becoming based ends his movement and ability to attack.


YJ not only has the RS but he also ends up with Charge in his dial (the first two clicks after RS and then later again in his dial so you do have a good chance of ending up on Charge), meaning he does have that as a "back-up" option. Vet. YJ's range of 6 and Move of 10 also gives him an effective "run and gun" range of 11 for 4 damage, which is pretty handy.

Truth be told though I just want to get YJ and the Thunderbolts card so I can confuse an opponent by declaring YJ's TA as "Kingdom Come" - trying to figure out how that works with "giant rules" should be fun (and, hey, YJ even has range to take advantage of the KC "stay back" ability :) ).

[XStreme]

And with half the big figs being Avengers, your chances of pulling Thunderbolts and not being able to play it are really very small...

If only the same could be said about Fantastic Four :(


Well there is 16 different FF figures we can pull so hopefully we can get a good one. :)

While I love the idea of Yellowjacket running off Elevated Terrain to blast someone, on an indoor map YJ will have a load of trouble using his RS since becoming based ends his movement and ability to attack.

I do believe though that a giant character is only based up to two squares away for movement and close cmbat purposes so you could still make a ranged combat attack even if someone is two squares away from you, someone would have to back me up on this though. :)

Giant characters should be able to ignore character bases for movement and ranged combat purposes just like hovering characters, that makes sense to me.