RavenProject
04/02/2003, 01:30
Adrian Toomes (http://www.hcrealms.com/cgi-bin/get_unit.cgi?num=ic164)
Infinity Challenge #164
Based on: Vulture
Type: V+
Current eBay Value: $28.79 (01 April @ 11:15 PM)
Okay, on Monday we covered DC's winged wonder, Carter Hall. Today we step back over to Marvel and another pinioned pugilist, Adrian Toomes.
Vulture is one of those characters who still hasn't had a serious challenge from any of the sets that followed. Mind you, that's because he does one thing and one thing only: he flies. He can't hit worth a ####, he'll get pummeled by even the cheapest Thug, but he flies and that was good enough, right? He's one of the only figures where you rarely consider the fact that he has Experienced or Veteran versions; the Rookie does everything you need it to do.
Question is, how do you make the LE a genuine prize? At the time, they did something really amazing, but as new sets debuted it stopped being quite so special.
For the Vulture Taxi Service, there's one number more important than anything else: Speed. That's how Adrian became such a serious value when he was released -- he was the cheapest 10-Speed flier in Infinity Challenge by a long shot. While most players would have been satisfied there, WizKids did try to make the birdman a little more self-sufficient as well. The single click of Charge on V Vulture became three on Adrian, and he held on to his 2 Damage for three full clicks as well. The purpose was clear: Adrian was intended to be more than just a flight pack.
Everything I said about Carter Hall's Flying Charge on Monday applies just as well here, so I'm going to direct you there (http://www.hcrealms.com/forum/showthread.php?s=&threadid=34236) to refresh your memory. As before, having a charging taxi gives you the chance of scoring two hits instead of just one. If it connects, that's a nice bonus.
But then, that's also the problem. WizKids tried to turn Adrian into a better combat contribution by raising his Damage and giving him those extra clicks of Charge, but none of it means anything if his blows can't connect. With an Attack rating that starts at 8 and falls steadily from there, you'll be hard-pressed to take advantage of that Chare ability. If you happen to be in position, you may as well take the shot, but I wouldn't count on it.
Still, all those combat bonuses were simply icing on a very sweet cake: His 10 Speed. Of the original Infinity Challenge set, the next-cheapest flier with that speed was R Firelord at 66 points -- hardly good taxi material. If your taxi could outdistance your opponent's taxi, that could give you a tremendous advantage in the game. So at the time, Adrian was an extremely valuable asset for players.
If you stick solely to Marvel, he still is the best bargain in high-speed taxi service. Clobberin' Time's cheapest 10-speed flier was V Human Torch at 73 points, and XPlosion introduces V Iceman, V Storm and Green Goblin at 47, 52 and 62 points respectively. While all of those figures have other obvious uses, it leaves Adrian Toomes as the best pure taxi if you need that sort of range.
If you play mixed games, however, DC steals the show. With R Booster Gold at 28 points, V Man-Bat at 31 and R Hawkman at 32, Adrian is overshadowed by these figures with better combat values (Man-Bat), free moving (Hawkman), ranged attacks (Booster) or a deeper dial (all of them).
Which brings me to Adrian's biggest liability: His extremely short dial. With only five clicks of life and a peak defense of 16, it won't take much to clip this bird's wings. Clever positioning can minimize the amount of danger you put Adrian in, though, so don't discount him right away. Just be aware that your opponent could wipe him out at any opportunity, so you need to watch for his potential strikes.
Ultimately, the worth of Adrian Toomes as a playing piece depends on whether you'll mix Marvel and DC. Adrian's easily the most efficient high-speed taxi on the Marvel side, but in DC he faces serious competition from a couple of common Rookie figures. If you like to keep your sets separate, or don't mix heroes and villains, then he's a wonderful choice.
As a collector's item, Adrian Toomes has always seemed to be one of the more rare pieces to acquire. Couple that with his utility, and even today he sells for close to $30 consistently. If I'd been doing these reviews back before Hypertime debuted, I might have actually said that was a fair price -- that 10 Speed is just too sweet a tactical advantage on such a cheap flier. But now, with mixing fairly common and so many solid choices among DC Nons, that's changed from unbridled enthusiasm to reserved recommendation. If you can get him for under $20, go for it.
*** *** *** ***
As I said, today we hit the character who looks like he should be Hawkman's counterpart in Marvel. But in terms of LE's, there's a third figure who offers similar tricks but with his own unique twist. We'll deal with him on Monday. After that, were going to count down to the XPlosion Marquee with five straight reviews of Marvel's Marquee Prizes, including a pre-Marquee look at Kitty Pryde and Dmitri Bukharin!
Actually, I could use a tiny bit of help on that front. At the Infinity Challenge Marquee, which was First Place, which was Fellowship, and which went to the Judge? Thanks!
-J
Infinity Challenge #164
Based on: Vulture
Type: V+
Current eBay Value: $28.79 (01 April @ 11:15 PM)
Okay, on Monday we covered DC's winged wonder, Carter Hall. Today we step back over to Marvel and another pinioned pugilist, Adrian Toomes.
Vulture is one of those characters who still hasn't had a serious challenge from any of the sets that followed. Mind you, that's because he does one thing and one thing only: he flies. He can't hit worth a ####, he'll get pummeled by even the cheapest Thug, but he flies and that was good enough, right? He's one of the only figures where you rarely consider the fact that he has Experienced or Veteran versions; the Rookie does everything you need it to do.
Question is, how do you make the LE a genuine prize? At the time, they did something really amazing, but as new sets debuted it stopped being quite so special.
For the Vulture Taxi Service, there's one number more important than anything else: Speed. That's how Adrian became such a serious value when he was released -- he was the cheapest 10-Speed flier in Infinity Challenge by a long shot. While most players would have been satisfied there, WizKids did try to make the birdman a little more self-sufficient as well. The single click of Charge on V Vulture became three on Adrian, and he held on to his 2 Damage for three full clicks as well. The purpose was clear: Adrian was intended to be more than just a flight pack.
Everything I said about Carter Hall's Flying Charge on Monday applies just as well here, so I'm going to direct you there (http://www.hcrealms.com/forum/showthread.php?s=&threadid=34236) to refresh your memory. As before, having a charging taxi gives you the chance of scoring two hits instead of just one. If it connects, that's a nice bonus.
But then, that's also the problem. WizKids tried to turn Adrian into a better combat contribution by raising his Damage and giving him those extra clicks of Charge, but none of it means anything if his blows can't connect. With an Attack rating that starts at 8 and falls steadily from there, you'll be hard-pressed to take advantage of that Chare ability. If you happen to be in position, you may as well take the shot, but I wouldn't count on it.
Still, all those combat bonuses were simply icing on a very sweet cake: His 10 Speed. Of the original Infinity Challenge set, the next-cheapest flier with that speed was R Firelord at 66 points -- hardly good taxi material. If your taxi could outdistance your opponent's taxi, that could give you a tremendous advantage in the game. So at the time, Adrian was an extremely valuable asset for players.
If you stick solely to Marvel, he still is the best bargain in high-speed taxi service. Clobberin' Time's cheapest 10-speed flier was V Human Torch at 73 points, and XPlosion introduces V Iceman, V Storm and Green Goblin at 47, 52 and 62 points respectively. While all of those figures have other obvious uses, it leaves Adrian Toomes as the best pure taxi if you need that sort of range.
If you play mixed games, however, DC steals the show. With R Booster Gold at 28 points, V Man-Bat at 31 and R Hawkman at 32, Adrian is overshadowed by these figures with better combat values (Man-Bat), free moving (Hawkman), ranged attacks (Booster) or a deeper dial (all of them).
Which brings me to Adrian's biggest liability: His extremely short dial. With only five clicks of life and a peak defense of 16, it won't take much to clip this bird's wings. Clever positioning can minimize the amount of danger you put Adrian in, though, so don't discount him right away. Just be aware that your opponent could wipe him out at any opportunity, so you need to watch for his potential strikes.
Ultimately, the worth of Adrian Toomes as a playing piece depends on whether you'll mix Marvel and DC. Adrian's easily the most efficient high-speed taxi on the Marvel side, but in DC he faces serious competition from a couple of common Rookie figures. If you like to keep your sets separate, or don't mix heroes and villains, then he's a wonderful choice.
As a collector's item, Adrian Toomes has always seemed to be one of the more rare pieces to acquire. Couple that with his utility, and even today he sells for close to $30 consistently. If I'd been doing these reviews back before Hypertime debuted, I might have actually said that was a fair price -- that 10 Speed is just too sweet a tactical advantage on such a cheap flier. But now, with mixing fairly common and so many solid choices among DC Nons, that's changed from unbridled enthusiasm to reserved recommendation. If you can get him for under $20, go for it.
*** *** *** ***
As I said, today we hit the character who looks like he should be Hawkman's counterpart in Marvel. But in terms of LE's, there's a third figure who offers similar tricks but with his own unique twist. We'll deal with him on Monday. After that, were going to count down to the XPlosion Marquee with five straight reviews of Marvel's Marquee Prizes, including a pre-Marquee look at Kitty Pryde and Dmitri Bukharin!
Actually, I could use a tiny bit of help on that front. At the Infinity Challenge Marquee, which was First Place, which was Fellowship, and which went to the Judge? Thanks!
-J