RavenProject
03/10/2003, 01:02
Felicia Hardy (http://www.hcrealms.com/cgi-bin/get_unit.cgi?num=ct108)
Clobberin' Time #108
Based on: Black Cat (http://www.hcrealms.com/forum/showthread.php?s=&threadid=19639)
Type: E+/- (depending on your point of view)
Current eBay Value: $46.00 (09 March @ 11:45PM)
Last Friday I smacked down the Ben Grimm LE for being a downgrade of V Thing. That one was pretty straightforward -- why accept a figure with fewer powers for a miniscule point savings? Today things are a little less straightforward.
Probability Control is a staple of many HeroClix teams. A glance at fantasia's probability chart (http://www.hcrealms.com/forum/showthread.php?s=&threadid=22062) will remind you why -- that second chance can be a godsend at the right time. As the cheapest PC in the game, you used to see a lot of R Scarlet Witch appearing on teams. She had a good run of PC and free-move to boot, allowing her to be where you need her pretty easily. Problem was that PC was all you could use her for. Her attack score and damage were negligible. It gave you a useful piece, but a limited one.
CT raised the stakes by introducing E and V Black Cat. Probability Control was back. Mobility improved with the introduction of Leap/Climb, and her combat values made her a fair support piece instead of just sitting there and looking at you funny. She was only lacking one strength of R Scarlet Witch: Free movement. But wait! There's that little blue-and-red spider on E Black Cat's dial. As a wildcard, the Black Cat could just simulate any other ability on the board... allowing her to gain that free movement from one of her teammates, as well as any other team abilities you had in play. That wildcard ability combined with a low price made E Black Cat an immediate staple for many Clix forces.
But what if it wasn't there?
By the numbers, Felicia Hardy is a straight match for E Black Cat. However, there's a significant trade-off made on the LE figure that changes how you'll play her. She's in exchange for giving up the Spider-Man team, Felicia gains one extra click of Probability Control and shaves three points off of her cost. Obviously the points say that it's a fair exchange, and gameplay bears it out... conditionally.
I say "conditionally" because it comes down to how important that wildcard is to you. With the arrival of inexpensive wildcards like Doombots or E Black Cat, many players have begun to take advantage either by loading their forces with cheap team abilities (R Quicksilver being a personal favorite), or using cheap wildcards to borrow the abilities of other team members (such as pairing Doombots with V Bullseye). On teams like that, stick to E Black Cat -- she suits your team concept, and you're going to be able to take advantage of her wildcard effectively.
However, not every team is built to suit that style. Take a look back... you were building your teams with R Scarlet Witch for 29 points, right? Felicia Hardy is the same cost. Go back to those old teams, see how they functioned, and consider if you can swap out for Felicia and make them work again.
Okay, so it's not a perfect adjustment, primarily because she doesn't have free movement. You'll need to devote actions to getting her where she needs to go. For that reason, you'll need to be a little careful in staging your force's position. Instead of spending actions moving Felicia to where the action is, establish a killing zone where she can have as many of your guys as possible in sight while remaining protected. Take advantage of Leap/Climb to maneuver around enemy positions, and get her quickly onto elevated terrain. Once you've found that spot, hold steady as best you can.
Keep in mind that you did gain an extra click of Probability Control in the exchange. If you have to move her to keep up with a hot running battle, then you can push her without worrying quite as much. She keeps L/C and her movement only drops to 7 on her later PC clicks, so you maintain that edge in mobility.
While you're at it, don't forget that Felicia is still capable of contributing to the fight. While a seven or eight attack at four range isn't spectacular, PC gives you a fair chance of hitting and two damage is nothing to sneeze at. She's not the greatest support fighter you could have on the board, but it's still a better contribution than Scarlet Witch.
However, Felicia retains that low Defense. Even with PC, she remains terribly hittable. The extra click of PC means that your opponent will have to muster a really big hit to knock her out of it, but it's still possible. If that happens, she's also driven past L/C. Stealth will give you some small advantage as she tries to reach the medic, but it's not going to take much effort for your opponent to finish her off *and* you'll be devoting actions to getting her away.
That's all strategy if you decide to use her. Whether you will or not is decided by the wildcard ability. If you can use it, do so. Unless there's no other way to find those three points, the wildcard advantage will probably do you more good than that extra PC click. But if you won't be using the wildcard, then you may find a better use for those three points. If nothing else, you won't be giving up as many points when your opponent inevitably goes after her. Let's be honest: if you hadn't seen E Black Cat with the wildcard, you'd think this figure was remarkably cool. She is, she only suffers by comparison.
Of course, that also assumes you *have one.* When I did my customary eBay search, I found only one completed item under "Felicia Hardy," and that one came it at a stunning $46. Now, Felicia's a nice figure, but that's a *lot* to pay for the utility. For playing purposes, I wouldn't recommend dropping that much on her -- she's a nice variant, but not a radical one. If you can bring her under $20, though, jump on it.
*** *** *** ***
There, a happy review of a "name" figure. Y'all satisfied?
I wanted to thank people for the sudden wave of interest my LE reviews gained on Friday. Helps a lot, knowing you appreciate them. I'll do my ####edest to stay on schedule from here on!
Speaking of... Wednesday's review is going to tackle my first reader request. If you don't know who that is, go back and look it up. And tell me who you're looking for as well, so I know who to do next!
Thanks again!
-J
PS: No, the title is not a typo. :)
Clobberin' Time #108
Based on: Black Cat (http://www.hcrealms.com/forum/showthread.php?s=&threadid=19639)
Type: E+/- (depending on your point of view)
Current eBay Value: $46.00 (09 March @ 11:45PM)
Last Friday I smacked down the Ben Grimm LE for being a downgrade of V Thing. That one was pretty straightforward -- why accept a figure with fewer powers for a miniscule point savings? Today things are a little less straightforward.
Probability Control is a staple of many HeroClix teams. A glance at fantasia's probability chart (http://www.hcrealms.com/forum/showthread.php?s=&threadid=22062) will remind you why -- that second chance can be a godsend at the right time. As the cheapest PC in the game, you used to see a lot of R Scarlet Witch appearing on teams. She had a good run of PC and free-move to boot, allowing her to be where you need her pretty easily. Problem was that PC was all you could use her for. Her attack score and damage were negligible. It gave you a useful piece, but a limited one.
CT raised the stakes by introducing E and V Black Cat. Probability Control was back. Mobility improved with the introduction of Leap/Climb, and her combat values made her a fair support piece instead of just sitting there and looking at you funny. She was only lacking one strength of R Scarlet Witch: Free movement. But wait! There's that little blue-and-red spider on E Black Cat's dial. As a wildcard, the Black Cat could just simulate any other ability on the board... allowing her to gain that free movement from one of her teammates, as well as any other team abilities you had in play. That wildcard ability combined with a low price made E Black Cat an immediate staple for many Clix forces.
But what if it wasn't there?
By the numbers, Felicia Hardy is a straight match for E Black Cat. However, there's a significant trade-off made on the LE figure that changes how you'll play her. She's in exchange for giving up the Spider-Man team, Felicia gains one extra click of Probability Control and shaves three points off of her cost. Obviously the points say that it's a fair exchange, and gameplay bears it out... conditionally.
I say "conditionally" because it comes down to how important that wildcard is to you. With the arrival of inexpensive wildcards like Doombots or E Black Cat, many players have begun to take advantage either by loading their forces with cheap team abilities (R Quicksilver being a personal favorite), or using cheap wildcards to borrow the abilities of other team members (such as pairing Doombots with V Bullseye). On teams like that, stick to E Black Cat -- she suits your team concept, and you're going to be able to take advantage of her wildcard effectively.
However, not every team is built to suit that style. Take a look back... you were building your teams with R Scarlet Witch for 29 points, right? Felicia Hardy is the same cost. Go back to those old teams, see how they functioned, and consider if you can swap out for Felicia and make them work again.
Okay, so it's not a perfect adjustment, primarily because she doesn't have free movement. You'll need to devote actions to getting her where she needs to go. For that reason, you'll need to be a little careful in staging your force's position. Instead of spending actions moving Felicia to where the action is, establish a killing zone where she can have as many of your guys as possible in sight while remaining protected. Take advantage of Leap/Climb to maneuver around enemy positions, and get her quickly onto elevated terrain. Once you've found that spot, hold steady as best you can.
Keep in mind that you did gain an extra click of Probability Control in the exchange. If you have to move her to keep up with a hot running battle, then you can push her without worrying quite as much. She keeps L/C and her movement only drops to 7 on her later PC clicks, so you maintain that edge in mobility.
While you're at it, don't forget that Felicia is still capable of contributing to the fight. While a seven or eight attack at four range isn't spectacular, PC gives you a fair chance of hitting and two damage is nothing to sneeze at. She's not the greatest support fighter you could have on the board, but it's still a better contribution than Scarlet Witch.
However, Felicia retains that low Defense. Even with PC, she remains terribly hittable. The extra click of PC means that your opponent will have to muster a really big hit to knock her out of it, but it's still possible. If that happens, she's also driven past L/C. Stealth will give you some small advantage as she tries to reach the medic, but it's not going to take much effort for your opponent to finish her off *and* you'll be devoting actions to getting her away.
That's all strategy if you decide to use her. Whether you will or not is decided by the wildcard ability. If you can use it, do so. Unless there's no other way to find those three points, the wildcard advantage will probably do you more good than that extra PC click. But if you won't be using the wildcard, then you may find a better use for those three points. If nothing else, you won't be giving up as many points when your opponent inevitably goes after her. Let's be honest: if you hadn't seen E Black Cat with the wildcard, you'd think this figure was remarkably cool. She is, she only suffers by comparison.
Of course, that also assumes you *have one.* When I did my customary eBay search, I found only one completed item under "Felicia Hardy," and that one came it at a stunning $46. Now, Felicia's a nice figure, but that's a *lot* to pay for the utility. For playing purposes, I wouldn't recommend dropping that much on her -- she's a nice variant, but not a radical one. If you can bring her under $20, though, jump on it.
*** *** *** ***
There, a happy review of a "name" figure. Y'all satisfied?
I wanted to thank people for the sudden wave of interest my LE reviews gained on Friday. Helps a lot, knowing you appreciate them. I'll do my ####edest to stay on schedule from here on!
Speaking of... Wednesday's review is going to tackle my first reader request. If you don't know who that is, go back and look it up. And tell me who you're looking for as well, so I know who to do next!
Thanks again!
-J
PS: No, the title is not a typo. :)