Appeasing the Heroclix Dice Gods

We’ve all shared this moment: the attack has been declared, the dice rolled, a six thuds down, the other dice, spinning. The anticipation deepens, this is the most important roll of the game . . . only for the second die to fall just one short! The clix dice gods have not been appeased. Victory has been denied. So, what offerings can you make to appease the gods?

This post can’t help you suddenly roll boxcars. But, it can help you minimize the distance between your paltry attack value and your target with the lofty defense. With new tournaments, and hopefully an influx of new clix players to the game, this article will help clix players of all skill levels appease the dice Gods.

Training Day:

For the newer players out there who can’t hit the back end of a Hypertime dial, consider the following, are you:

- Rolling to hit the target with your highest attack value first?
- About to target a character with ES/D from afar? Likewise, make a close combat attack adjacent to a character with combat reflexes?
-Playing characters with an a dial that ‘hulks’ up, or similarly starts with a high AV, but then nosedives faster than Snoopy after a bout with the Red Baron?
-Being mindful of terrain?
-Use figures that possess probability control, or build theme teams for the re-roll bonus?
-Lastly, and perhaps most egregious: are you perplexing up damage instead of attack?

As a friend pointed out to me when I was learning this game: it doesn’t matter how much damage you can dish out, if you can’t hit the target. So, position yourself correctly, be wary of what you need to hit, take a deep breath, and plan accordingly.

Got Skillz:

So, you got skillz, but the other guy brought it too. What to do?

-Character selection. Forget about the Witch. What about Immortus? Throw on Dawnstar, to help your whole team hit that slug in a jar. (Warning: awful segue ahead) Make a Warriors Three team with Volstagg and his special power, and then get stupid ugly by adding:
-Feat Cards. You may not like ‘em, but if you can’t roll, then roll with them. These feats will help you with that impossible roll: Inside Info, ICwO, Contingency Plan, Streak of Luck, and Opportunist, to name a few. Volstagg with Inside Info is going to get ugly. But good news: he didn’t spill his beer.
-Are you utilizing TA’s that can maximize your attack value? Ultimate X, 2000ad, the Alpha flight feat, etc, will boost AV, but consider throwing on Hydra or PD TA’s on your team to add a nice bump as well. Superman Allies and Ultimates will ignore that pesky hindering terrain modifier.

Honorable Mention: Sinister Syndicate or Batman Enemies can chain that hefty attack on all your characters throughout their dials, but lack other attributes that make them competitive. However, to be competitive, you could Thunderbolt your Avengers to Sinister Syndicate, for the same effect (instead of always T-bolting to Mystics!).

So, convinced you are the greatest player on earth, but can’t win a game with your WK dice? Then these tactics are for you:

Regulators, Mount Up!:

-Throw statistics out the window. Bad dice? Change em.
-Don’t psych yourself out by dreading the attack roll. Relax, and roll the dice.
-Don’t always turn off your stealth. Remember, if you turn it off for you to Prob, then your opponent can too.
-Likewise, the Batman TA will allow you to reroll your attack, but will prevent your opponent from the same, without having to turn off your TA.
-Know your target’s dial: Don’t hit Spectre onto his nasty 19 defense if you can manipulate your damage.
-Along the same lines, use things like barrier, double based figures, force blast, or the maneuver feat to separate high defense TA chains, or Defend clusters.
-My favorite: Single Target Pulsewave. Won’t ignore terrain, but makes hitting that shape-changing Warskrull so much easier.

Lastly: Not So Honorable Mention:
-Winning without rolling the die: Poison + AP + Armor Wars BFC = Fast win. Bringing along a Structural Integrity Field in a Battle Royale. Using Malice against a tent pole. I don’t recommend any of these strategies, as it sucks the fun out of the game (and don‘t look for the fellowship vote). But, if you have to win at all cost, then . . .

At the end, if you’ve only lost because of your unmerciful die rolls, then don’t despair: If you’ve done everything right. It was simply outside of your control. Luck keeps this game alive (and it’s just a game!).

Good luck on your next game, and thank you for reading! What other ideas do you have?

[This article was orginally posted on the front page of HcRealms. Thanks!]

Heroclix Returns: Will the Players?

Growing Back The Clix Community

Heroclix is back!!! But, many people who once played the game may not be. The player base is smaller. To me, Heroclix has once again become a grass roots game reminiscent of the Jordan Weisman years. Neca is a new company, and I get the feeling that there is going be quite a bit of ‘testing the waters’ with the release of HoT. We must get out there and get new players, ensuring long term sustainability and growth of the game we all love. To this end, we can empower ourselves to act as envoys. We can be the driving force that really grows the game to keep our heroes on the shelf, long after HoT. So, what can we as players do?

Tell A Friend!
There are friends who have left the game, sold their collections and picked up other interests. It is not their fault that they are not as hard-core as the rest of us. But, if Clix is to survive, we need to get these people back! The best chance we have at growing the game quickly is by filling its ranks with players already familiar with Heroclix. So, build a spare team, call them up, and get them back to the game! Then, branch out and talk to other people. Strike up a conversation at work. Keep a couple of cool sculpts on your desk. Geek is the new Jock! So, don’t be ashamed to tell your friends, you might be surprised by who is interested.


Friendly Venues
Neca has made available venue prize support, and given the community the control to essentially run the game ourselves. This is going to make the tournament scene so much better. Gone for now are the floorced events and constant sealed tourney‘s. Gone too, are a lot of the power gamers and prize sharks. We are what is left, the true fans of the game. As venue prize support kits seem simple to attain (as of this writing), prize sharks and power gamers should be few and far between, as there should be enough prizes to go around. Really, what this means is each venue should pretty much be fun and relaxed. This is the atmosphere needed to attract new players. I am not saying there isn’t room for competition, but let’s foster a friendly atmosphere first. If the venue has stopped Heroclix tourneys, now is the time to see what we can do to get games back up and running again. For established venues: Run demos. Play Clix during high traffic times, take the time to talk to bystanders, bring some cool Clix to display, but most importantly, keep it fun! Other people will notice your laughter.

Advertise!
Although this has been mentioned many times, it is important to stress again: each event should be accompanied by a nice, full color flyer with a detailed description of the event, posted in the front window of the venue, well in advance of the game. If you can talk with your venue owner, ask to rubber-band some extra flyers onto the first few boosters of Heroclix lining the shelf. The new Wizkidsgames website might not be fully operational for awhile. And posting on HCRealms only works for those already in the choir. Really, even with a nifty website, this is a job we can take on ourselves with each independent venue. The best form of advertisement is still word of mouth.

This article was originally posted on the front page of http://hcrealms.com/ Many thanks!

Axis and Allies: The Early Years

I don't know how WoTC are going to pull the next set of Axis and Allies miniatures off. Granted, I haven't been on any of the forums for a while to get the thinking behind this set. But, superficially, it doesn't make much sense.

This expansion focuses on the early war. but, let's not forget that the war started at different times for different countries. Japan was involved in its conflicts in China long before 1939. Italy would have been a powerhouse when Mussolini rebuilt Italy's armed forces from scratch and invaded Africa. By the time Hitler recruited him, Italy's military was antiquated. So, it is surprising that the set designers have deigned 1939-1941, the early war period. I assume that means there will not be any U.S. units in the set? A bold move.

Another thing to consider: Powercreep. With each set that is released, it is not uncommon to find a more powerful unit that comes at a cheaper cost. Powercreep keeps people interested in the new stuff, and competitive at the tournament scene. It's a way to sell boosters. Hypothetically, this newest set would also contain some powercreep. So, it will be interesting to see a set based on early war weapons potentiality being more powerful than some of the more advanced weaponry of earlier sets.

I guess I'll have to wait till December 15th to figure this one out.

No Autographs, Please

I fail to see the need to get every cover or story done signed by the artist. When I'm in line with my favorite book by the author, it kills me to see someone ahead dump a library on the author's lap. I don't see why people do it. Even more surprisingly, I don't know why the artist will sit there, smiling, signing every last one of them. Maybe they are happy that they are selling that many books. Maybe they are hoping for a case of carpal tunnel so they can collect the insurance money and retire. Maybe that's why I always worry that their wrists are going to lock-up just as they get to me. Sorry sir, thanks for waiting 3 1/2 hours in line, but I'm all out of autographs.

I usually only bring at most, a couple of different things to be signed. It'll be something that is sentimental, and I usually ask them to sign it to my name. I know people get things signed just to resale it. That thought is against the concept of autograph seeking to me. If it's not important to you, don't waste their time (0r mine, if I'm in line behind you!). That's why, when I was in line for Robert Kirkman at the recent Baltimore Comic-Con, I got him to sign my Invincible Heroclix figure! Now that, is an autograph.

Baltimore Comic-Con

While not miniature game related, I spent Saturday in Baltimore at Comic-Con. Between the Comic-con, the Baltimore marathon, and an Aerobics function also at the convention center, I have never seen so much spandex before in my life. I have loads of pictures. Too bad they are all stuck in my phone, with no apparent means of escape (I lost my phone software). I spent my time trolling booths, looking for the odd thing. I did manage to scrounge a few generics for assorted Heroclix armies. Apparently, I'm told that I missed a Hellfire guard.

While a enjoy comics, I am not an aficionado. I don't have any rare Neil Adams Batman covers. I had to re-buy copies of Crises of Infinite earths, just so I'd have something for George Perez to sign for me. Really, I actually had more fun hanging out with the likes of Greg Horn, Matt Fraction, Georges Jeanty, and Jo Chen. The lines were shorter and the conversation, longer. Oh, and for the Whedonverse fans out there: look for a graphic novel about Shepard Book. It'll probably be there inside a bowl of soup (inside joke, sorry). Also, there was a guy dressed as Dr. Horrible pulling it off to a 10. No pic yet. Stupid phone thingy.

Anyone else that made it out want to share?

The Honeymoon Period

Forums, by nature, are seemingly pessimistic cesspools of down-the-drain diatribes. I mean, why go through the rigor of typing out something positive? Way too much work. But, the feedback from the Heroclix community at the moment is overwhelmingly supportive and positive. The message boards are aflutter with butterflies. I'm in complete agreement. Tis' better to have clix back in one form or another than to have lost clix altogether. So, the new acquisitor of clix is blessed in my book. They're allowed to make many a mistake in the coming months. Just today, there was a pushback for the release date of the new Heroclix set. Even though the set will posssibly be delayed by two weeks, not one poster deemed this earth-shattering, the-sky-is-falling news.

But, I wonder how long this honeymoon will last? The positive person I am, I hope it goes on for as long as possible. The new company can shift partial blame for only the next couple of sets. They can also be forgiven for hitting the wall running during the learning curve. Hit happens. When Neca starts producing their own sets, creating their own sculpts (and as an action figure company first and foremost, they won't be easily forgiven if they produce a poor sculpt), and organizing events entirely within their own framework, the peanut crowd won't be so forgiving. It is the way of the internet. Fortunately for Neca, this has an easy fix: don't make any mistakes.

Oh, and make me a Spidey-themed set with Stegron the Dinosaur Man!

Organized Play

The moldy/musty smelling, poorly lit and ventilated, concrete floored, spider-infested man-cave is a popular hangout for all things Gamer. I'm lucky, though I have a basement, most of my toys remain upstairs. Partially because my wife plays, but mostly, I'm afraid of spiders (of course, I tell everyone that I'm just afraid of the basement flooding, thus ruining said gaming pieces). I'm not really afraid of spiders. Don't tell anyone, okay?

Actually, I'm even luckier than that. Once or twice a week, I get to play in a moldy/must smelling, poorly lit and ventilated, concrete floored, spider infested comic book store! For the last year, I have played many a game where organized play wasn't really an issue. We just kinda show up, and bust out our dice. But, with Heroclix coming back, and a bag of goodies as prizes, it makes me wonder what people think of the Organized Play structure.

These games don't play themselves. Without getting other like minded folks out of their stale pizza smelling man-caves from whence they were previously watching Season two of Terminator: Sarah Conner Chronicles on Blue-ray and playing Marvel: Ultimate Alliance 2, these games would die. Personally, I love what Neca just did for Heroclix approved play: for a small cost, venue owners can purchase a prize support pack, and then the venue has control over events and prize distribution. Smart. And I didn't even think that there would be any support.

How do you think Organized Play should be structured? Does it matter to you, so long as you get to build your 100pts of a WaS Russian minelayer fleet and watch as it is vaporized? Should events be left up to each venue to run, or by the company which makes the game? Should events be formal, cost something, and in turn, have a really *swell* prize, like a limited edition piece? Speak!

To Cheese or not to Cheese

What type of gamer are you? Don't take the easy way out. Answer honestly.

Do your teams come with cheese?
Do you play mixed units regardless of Nationality or License?
Are your teams min/maxed out?
If so, what is your definition of fun? Is it the obliteration of your opponents and the bragging rights of winning that championship?
Or
Do you purposely play underpowered pieces?
Is your team always themey, but lacking in some crucial aspect?
If so, how stringent of a personalized rule-set do you make yourself follow? If historical, is it not only nation-specific but year and campaign true too? If comic booky, does there have to be a corresponding comic-book cover to match your teambuild?

My hypothesis is that 'Fun' for the powergamer comes in pulverization, while 'Fun' for the thematic player comes from the team building itself.

Discuss.

It's Official! Heroclix Sold!

Today, Sept. 14th, is a great day to start a blog about all things miniature gaming. Why? Miniature games rock. All the time. But in particular, today is the day that NECA FINALLY officially announced the resurrection of one of my favorite miniature games: Heroclix. Not only that, but Neca seems to have bought most of the former Wizkids line, including the name. It's entirely possible (but speculation) to see the resurrection of other WK games including Horrorclix, Pirates Pocketmodels, and maybe even Mage Knight! And, because Neca is savvy at license negotiations, it is also possible, but entirely speculative, that these games could benefit from diverse licenses. Only the future holds the possibilities.

This blog is for all miniature game enthusiasts like myself. No game will be off limits, although the emphasis will be on the plastic prepainted kind. Table-top gamers and Warhammer style games can be brought up in comments, but I probably will still clear of actually writing about them. Games like Space Hulk, Talisman and the original AH Axis and Allies are also up for discussion.

There are so many great player created websites out there. This blog is not meant to step on any toes in regard to those great resources. If possible, I will even post links to relevant sites. Feel free to do so in your comments, so long as they are relevant.

Personally, I play: Heroclix, Horrorclix, Crimson Skies, SW: Pocketmodels, Axis and Allies Dry and Wet, Monsterpocalypse and many, many boardgames. What do you play?