by Kaleb Redick
Hello Apex Insiders! My name is Kaleb and I am here to discuss a new team that, given the current errata released by Wizkids, does not work as this team was designed for but I will go over how it went and why the Wonder Woman LE got the errata that she did. The current meta is very alpha heavy. The top contenders are Thanos for his long range mind control and barrier tech, Apocalypse LE for his undying capability and pog generators, X-men with their ability to bring in a ton of attackers and Beast/Leech who can eliminate stop clicks or any powers that are PROTECTED: outwit, and non-theme which brings in Scarlet Witch/Agatha and their rune markers that also take away STOP clicks and any powers. Here is the team:
(Mystical Theme +5)
XMRF 055v Blackheart @75
XMRF 055v Blackheart @75
WKDP21 Wonder Woman @50
WKDP21 Wonder Woman @50
XMXS 053b Mad Jim Jaspers
XMXSSOP s019 Soul Sword (starts on one of the Black Hearts)
MXDP s004 Cloak of Levitation (starts on one of the Wonder Women)
Tarot Cards:
-The High Priestess (once per turn, reroll a single D6 in friendly character’s roll)
-Queen of Wands (when a character rolls for an effect using a single D6, increase the result +1)
-Ace of Cups (when a character uses Super Senses, increase result +1)
-Page of Pentacles (characters can’t use Improved Targeting Abilities; characters that can use Stealth have FREE: place this character in a square of hindering terrain within 6 squares)
-Ace of Swords (when a character uses BCF, instead roll 2 D6 and choose one to be used as the result)
-Knight of Wands (when a character uses Leadership, increase the result +1)
Sideline:
Emotional Modifier
Golden Armor
Soul Sword (SLOP)
Redwing
Carnage Symbiote
Black Bone of Amduat (main set)
Warlock
Wonder Woman Bracelets
Miramasa Blade (main set)
Tarot cards were picked to increase my chances of Leadership, Super Senses, and the Blades attacks for the Wonder Women, Blackhearts, and the Guards, increase the chances of Mad Jim Willpower, and to prevent a Thanos from using IT abilities. The Soulswords were the go to and I think they are best on Blackheart given his constant ability to heal himself via KO’ing Guards, being able to heal off the STOP click with the sword’s trait, and being able to deal two penetrating damage instead of one if I wanted to. Blackheart has been popular since his release but has seen a downtick in play since the figures I mentioned earlier can just take away the STOP clicks and one-turn him fairly easy. He also gives up a lot of points with the Guards he produces being 25 points a pop. The Guards are great Mastermind fodder but are costly. Once they are changed to click 9, they are monsters with Charge/Flurry/Blades/Exploit/Flight, an 11-Attack, and printed 3-Damage. Since the STOP clicks do not read ‘may’, even if you are surrounded and have no adjacent square, the guards are plopped in their next closest square. So they are generated with any successful Leadership and when each stop click is first revealed. The amount of attacks that Blackheart can dish out during a turn is pretty shocking. If the opponent is close enough, he can Running Shot EE, sac’ a Guard, and Running Shot/Charge for FREE. He can also power convert a Guard to click 9, they Charge Flurry Blades, then he can sac’ a Guard and do Running Shot EE/Charge as FREE. That is just ONE of those monsters.
As for the next fig, Wonder Woman. It has been decided she needed a fix for her trait and rightfully so. Her trait reads: Once per game, when a friendly standard character would be KO’d (including Wonder Woman), you may instead turn that figure to their last non-KO click, then roll a D6 and heal them equal to half the result. Protected: Pulse Wave. So, this trait allows both Blackhearts and also the Wonder Women to be saved from a KO once per game. For Blackheart with a Soulsword, this means you have to attack him to first STOP click, take Mystics damage, he drops a Guard, then deal with the Guard and hope to get Blackheart to second STOP click, take a Mystics damage and he can choose to heal off the second STOP click after the second Guard is made, then you have to attack him a third time to get him back to the STOP click. Then a fourth time to KO meanwhile taking TWO Mystics damage on that last click. Then one of the Wonder Women use their trait to put him to click 4, roll a D6, and heal up potentially back to top. That can be done not once but TWICE. For Wonder Woman, she only has one STOP click but with SS and the WW team ability, you have to deal with the roll outs, Mystics damage, and her own STOP click with a nice 19-Defense who can also be healed back to top. The Tarot card for increasing single D6 rolls can also increase the healing if needed.
Meanwhile, Mad Jim is swapping items around, equipping the second soul sword, using free/power Barrier, Perplexing, and can make your figs more defensive or offensive depending on what items you put on the sideline.
Overall, this is a super tough team to take down. Points are scored relatively easy due to the Guards being created and KO’d by Black Heart, but the main force figures are incredibly tough to KO.
