Welcome to web of webhead #11, in which the King side Knight threatens the Queen's Bishop.



In this issue...we'll make some brief allusions about how HeroClix is like Chess, and then discuss the three phases of the HeroClix game.

(please click on Comments below to continue...)

I can't imagine I'm the only one here that has a hard time explaining HeroClix to friends and family members that don't "speak geek". I usually boil it down to something I'm guessing about anyone can understand..."it's like chess only with comic book characters". The response I get from this rather candid comparison is usually the knowing nod that I give people that are talking to me in a noisy room when I really can't hear them. But is comparing HeroClix to Chess in any way accurate?

I'd say yes...considering our target audience at least. Both games use a game board divided into squares. Both games use small figures to represent combatants. Truthfully, that's close enough for the uninitiated I think.

But on further review, I see further similarities between the two games...one of which I wish to focus on today. Following is an excerpt from "Chess Step by Step" by Frank Marshall and J.C.H. MacBeth...

Heady stuff to be sure. However, much like Chess, a game of HeroClix has three fairly distinct phases as well. Mind you, this discussion will be constrained to the context of the individual game, not the processes by which you prepare for the game, team building and the like. Instead of Opening, Middle and End Games, I'll use the terms Positioning, Attack, and Clean Up.

Phase One: Positioning A big difference between Chess and HeroClix is the initial board setup. In Chess, all of the pieces are arranged identically each and every game. In HeroClix, even the starting positions of the figures is highly variable. So, for HeroClix, the Positioning stage begins as soon as you begin to place figures on the map. At this point, your strategy for the game should already be coming into play...if you are going first you are placing first, so you might be tipping your hand a bit as to how you might be grouping your figures. However, the board is yours, on some maps you might be able to force your opponents hand when it come to their placement. Going second, you have the advantage of at least seeing how your opponent is setup.

If you see any weakness in their setup, you can take advantage of it, if you see any ridiculously clear lines of attack, you can position to avoid them.

Once the game starts the positioning continues. First turn immunity provides at least one round of positioning. In this early point in the game, figures with activation clicks are activated, and you begin to position your forces, teaming up attackers with fighters or lining up your TK routes. Keep in mind when you are advancing your force, any figure that you place inside your opponents total range (that is not attacking the same turn) is basically bait.

Phase Two: The Attack

Once the first attack roll is made, the game has moved to Phase Two, The Attack. The Attack can begin as early as round two, or as late as near the time limit. In this phase, the players shift from using actions for positioning and powers to using them to attack. This is the meat of the game, where careful planning during positioning hopefully pays off by achieving a first strike on the opponent. There are two general tactics used during the attack phase, focused attacks and attacking to degrade effectiveness. These are not mutually exclusive tactics during the course of the game. A focused attack is where you use all available attackers to target a single opposing fig, ideally attacking until that figure is KO'd and victory points are scored. When attacking to degrade effectiveness, you are typically targeting several figures in a given round, attacking not for the KO, but to simply knock them off of their best clicks. The vast majority of figures have their very best stats and powers up front, normally, dealing 2 to 3 damage to a figure will greatly reduce their effectiveness.

During the course of the attack, normally one side or the other gains the upper hand...which takes us to our last phase...

Phase Three: Clean Up, or, not letting a game you have well in hand get away from you. Whereas there is, in my mind, a very clear line between phases one and two, the delineation between the attack and clean up is not always apparent. Or rather, it is not always apparent to the casual observer. Phase Three begins when one players achieves a significant advantage over the other. This might be the KO'ing of the centerpiece of a "tent pole" team, or the complete degrading of all of an opponents figures. Clean up plays out very differently for the two players. The player with the advantage has the goal of sealing the win, they have the game well in hand, but need to seal the victory through protecting their weakened figures and finishing off the opponents stragglers. The player at the disadvantage at this point must pull out all of the stops and make every effort to regain some control of the game...even if it means taking normally ill-adivised chances and counting on low percentage rolls.

So, there you have it...a rather glossy view of the three phases of the game. To be certain, each phase is deserving of a more in depth treatment, but that is something for future weeks.

That's it for this time, see you in seven!

I generally describe the game as "Chess, if you had 300 different pieces to choose from."

That allows for a comparison to chess, without the stigma of comic books.


Great write up Webby. I know when I'm playing a game there's definately a phase shift.

You could be positioning for a while, but as soon as one person makes an attack, its like 'breaking the seal' and the game moves into full on offense.

Clean up may be a little different in Clix, since some games aren't outright wins, like in chess where you take the king. You can stay in phase 2 for the rest of the game, and have it come down to points.

I have always described it as "Chess with Superheroes and dice", good article. Did I get first post?

great analogy and btw first post !!

azs beat me!!!!

doh denied lol

Great article. I use that same analogy with people I meet who know nothing of the game - I just tell them it's like chess but with superheroes and dice. The dice, in my opinion are the single biggest difference.

In chess you don't roll to hit. It's just skill against skill and you remove your opponents pieces at will. In Clix - dice, baby, all dice. Case in point: at my Marquee in my first game I made only one successful attack roll. One. Even with the help of PC, I couldn't get a 5 when I needed it. It doesn't matter how good my strategy was (or wasn't), when the dice abandon you, that's it. All in all, my poor rolling made the game just a laugh riot. My opponet rolling 9's, or better most of the time, and me unable to roll better than a 4 - save for one successful pulse wave before Jinx died. If we were playing chess, it would have been a very different game.

I didn't just beat you to it, I beat you and I wrote a full response.




BTW, Webhead, now you'll have me thinking as I play games at what point the game changed from Phase 2 to Phase 3. Though often times I guess its when you finally KO one piece that's either a strong center, or has been eluding you all game.

Heck attack phase can start in turn one. Player 2 can attack player 1 if he's moved at all.

Nice job Webby. Gives a person more of a framework to think about the game in.

I love the comparisons to chess, webhead.

Good article. (One that's going to get printed out and put on the wall next to Scott Udell's "Chess A Wargamer's Review" that I clipped from and old issue of Computer Strategy Games Plus.)

Excellent read. Thank you.

I used to play chess a lot, so I am familiar with the concept, but I couldn't have drawn the comparison between play phases in chess and clix so eloquently. Nice work.

Typically, I will play with drawing out the position phase as much as possible, then moving through attack as fast as possible, and let clean up happen. I think in tourney play, I've seen a lot less positioning, and then staying in the attack the majority of the game (most of the time, not even getting to the end phase).

I do have one issue with the article:
So my TK'ing out a force blaster and launching people off building doesn't count? Or a poisoner and waiting a turn? I'm just kidding.

I recall a long ways back there was an article on the WK site about Heroclix and "tempo" which was another great read that drew from chess into 'clix. Call it one of the zen's of gaming, but taking the strategy from one game and applying it to another can be enlightening.

I often use the same analogy and comparsion and also, I made sure that the team building is included in comparsion to chess' pieces at positions, so that way people will say "OH!".

Nice job! curiously you using that for English class? Your article is great! You would get an "A" for writing essay. Maybe you can send that article to Englsh teacher as an example of what the essay should look like?

I've alway said "it's like chess but, with dice rolls to take out the opponents peices."