Generic Generic Review -- Hand Ninja!

Always appearing like tidal waves of red cloth and glimmering blades these guys strike most often across the street-level heroes of the Marvel Universe. Often clobbered, and yet always threatening, they can only be the...Hand Ninjas!

To read all about the neverending hordes of The Hand... just keep reading!

License Plate: NDSHDWS

The Face of the Hidden Faces!

Retirement of recent sets has phased a lot of generics into the Golden Age, and one joined a LOT of previous versions of itself there. I'm speaking of the Hand Ninja (specifically from Hammer of Thor). He came on the scene with a very interesting special power, so let's peek at the dial:

ha003 R Hand Ninja
Team: Hydra
Range: 6
Points: 38
Keywords: Martial Artist, The Hand

8 9 16 2

7 8 16 2

6 8 15 2

6 7 14 1

KO KO KO KO

KO KO KO KO

KO KO KO KO

KO KO KO KO

KO KO KO KO

KO KO KO KO

KO KO KO KO

KO KO KO KO

(Damage) From the Shadows: Once during your turn, if Hand Ninja occupies hindering terrain and has no action tokens, he can make a close combat attack as a free action.


Union Strong! (playing only these pieces)

As they're 38pts each, fitting these guys comfortably into a team can be tricky, but the smaller the build, the easier it is (particularly at 200pts).

Much like their DC Counterparts from last time they play simple enough. Use their stealth to get into position (play on the Shadowland map or in The Park) to better your chances to advance without getting picked off, because their lack of any other defense top-dial is their vulnerability.

Just like with the Elite, you're going to need your luckiest dice with these guys and you're going to want to make sure you've got pieces free to take Theme Prob tokens, too. It's not just to make the attacks, but also to get decent Blades rolls while on that top click. You'll need to make every hit count -- because let's face it, you might not get too many!

If you're concerned that the Stealth isn't going to get the job done then take a look at The Hand ATA:

The Hand - 7pts
On the right maps, it could help your progress and hinder those pesky anti-Hindering and anti-stealth TAs and pieces... but because it bumps the cost of these figures up to 45pts each, it makes the team building work out pretty poorly.

And this is one time where you'll want to be very careful against figures like the Chaos War SR Crystal as well as figures with Grenades and even the often lamented Energy Explosion.

The sad truth is that once a Hand Ninja has been knocked off its top click, it is no longer a threat to pieces with Invulnerability or better. They can help each other out with their short-ish range and Hydra TA, but again the weak damage is going to prevent them from slowing down an approaching bruiser.

Figures like Rare Magog and CW Micro Set Wonder Man are potentially going to be able to pick off more than one of these guys per attack and never be very threatened by them... and that's not even considering HSS characters or those with Flurry (or both!).

Really consider never playing just these guys. The limits are just too constraining and frustrating knowing you'll probably never even get to use that special power.


Wave After Wave (playing them with a leader/support)

Just like with the League Elite last time, options abound for leaders and include the extension of The Hand ATA.

Where Leadership, Outwit, or Perplex in your leaders is going to be worth its weight in points, there's on thing that's going to be more useful due to the Hand Ninja's special power and that's the Carry ability. If you break theme and want to get some value from that Hydra TA, then consider the BatB Lex Luthor and Brainiac Duo. Their ability to carry a LOT of Hand Ninjas into place (hopefully on a map that's got some hindering) and benefit from that Hydra TA can make for a potentially exciting opportunity.

Within generic theme, consider some Man Bat Assassins to improve mobility and use the ninjas as stealth blockers while you get into position to make your strikes. After mobility, check for Leadership to get tokens off of these guys and hopefully give them the chance to cut into an opposing figure.

Even less within theme though, a TK cannon or two could plant a couple ninjas right into a square of hindering for a flurry-like pair of attacks (hopefully with Blades).

Sad as it is, you'll have to really think outside the ninja-shaped box to find the best synergy to get some damage dealt by these guys. Their own Hand crew is almost better off without these pricey filler pieces, especially considering their older comrades from the Xplosion days have dials not vastly less powerful for well under half the points.

Seriously, go check out how crazy those old ninjas are considering the TA and their points. Then look at this guy. The HoT Hand Ninjas are solidly in the realm of "good in theory, stink in practice".

Hired Goons

You've got a lot of choices these days when it comes to filling your army's ranks. When you want a sky full of red to drop down on your unwitting target, then heck, try these Hand Ninjas. Other than dropping, I'm not sure they're good for too much, wish though I really do.

When's the right time to bring them out? Maybe an all blades game...or something...? Really, using a few might work out if the opponent spends more time on other targets, but to really get your points worth out of them is going to be a challenge. Keep that in mind when you bring them to the map. Reasonable expectations might possibly be met... though probably not exceeded.

Thanks for reading and check back next time for another spotlight on another of the unnamed masses of generics!

Psylocke has the Hand keyword and TK, woot!

Psylocke has the Hand keyword and TK, woot!

True fact, and totally overlooked in my pokings around. Thanks for the good catch!

If you want to break theme, Ch'p from the old green lanter starter can carry something like 8 squares, then push to move again, to end up on 18 Defense with Defend, bringing 8 ninjas with him. Makes swarm teams like this much more mobile with better defense numbers.

I remember people flipping out when the Hand Ninja was first revealed, because they were absolutely certain that all those free attacks were going to break the game.

Obviously, this did not happen.

-J

Hand ninjas are fun to play.

The Hand is probably my favorite theme team to play. The fast forces wolverine was a nice addition to this team. That ATA is more of a pain than people think. I use Chaos King on the team ( closest fig that would represent the actual 'Hand' diety ) and then to run hand ninjas in front of him after he's attacked, makes the team just so threatening. Underestimated figs like Black Turantula and Gorgon that can use their move and attack powers to get next to a wall, attack, and then be pretty much immune to pulse wave, outwits, perplexes, etc is just delightful. Fuuuuun team. Hope we get a Silver Samurai with the keyword soon

*Psssssst* Your review says your reviewing League Elite again *Psssssst*

Good review. Wish I owned some of these. But I don't

I like to play these with a HSS figure. They make for some fun tie up if you can keep them in hindering.

I still wish that special power read close combat action and not close combat attack. A free B/C/F swarm...yes please! That would have made them a million times better, like the Shadow Assassins in DKR are now.

I like to use groups of them with Psylocke and Darktar. Darkstar breaks theme, but i quite like using her free smoke cloud and then TKing two of them out allowing for both to attack twice. Fun times, especially whem you start hitting 6 on the blades attack.

"Ninjas aren't dangerous. They're more afraid of you than you are of them." - The Tick

Its the Inverse Ninja Rule, or the Law of Conservation of Kung Fu in effect.

One ninja, say Daredevil, is awesome because all of the kung fu power is funneled through one fighter. His Kung Fu is strong.
The Ninja horde however, is easily handled by the lone fighter because all their kung fu is divided among many. Weakness multiplied does not make an army strong.