The Player’s Pulse – Top 15 Clix in the Metagame – Travis Roberts

Welcome back to the Players Pulse! As always I am Ares Edge bringing you the content voted on and discussed by the community! Not too long ago I asked what people thought about the current “competitive” landscape. Where was it at this moment and where could it potentially be going. I also asked what people thought were the top 15 figures in the game today! Let me tell you, some of the results were shocking but also some very predictable, let’s jump into it…

(Click to Buy!)

#15 – Tie – Trader/Jason Wyngarde

Now I’m a little surprised by both of these being here. One, Trader was a mainstay on a lot of cosmic teams. In all honesty I’ve said it a lot that Trader is what makes most of the cosmic teams as versatile and dynamic as they are being able to swap around equipment like he’s able to do. Maybe he took a hit because of his “adjustment” with the watch list? Without him seeing much play recently because of “paupermania” we will have to see how the watch list effects his play.

Jason I’m surprised he’s here just because he hasn’t seen a lot of map time, which will be a common trend in this top 15 where a lot of stock is being put into figures in a small sample size. Sure Jason looks good on paper. He’s able to generate a plethora of bystanders from the sideline, he’s PROTECTED outwit, and has two rollouts! But he’s squishy, he relies on being hard to hit but without damage reducers he’s very squishy. Only time will tell about him.

#14 – Asgardian Storm (Con LE)

Again we enter into the realm of potential here. She’s very versatile being able to come off of 2 ID cards ( one granting energy explosion the other 3 targets ) but also to be main forced with Asgardian, Avengers, Deity, X Men keywords. Also only being 85 points with a starting 10/11/18/4 and 6-Range and having Pulse wave she could see a lot of playing time from the sideline or on select X-Men/Avenger teams that need a decent damage producer.

#13 – Astronomer

Another figure I’m not super surprised to be here but thought would come in a little higher. Astronomer is another cosmic figure that was also featured on some non theme teams as well helping out making more teams mobile with his double TK feature and being able to start the game with a gem with a discount. On top of an 11-Range with improved targeting elevated and hindering, Probability Control and sporting an 11-Attack, 3-Damage on both starting lines. He gives you the ability to be a very good support piece but also a very good secondary attacker as well. Did I mention he’s Power Cosmic too?

#12 – Gardener

Gardner dodged the Watch List Hammer! Sooooo why so low on the list? Another figure that saw major play at Worlds and leading up to the event, somehow slides onto the bottom half of the list. Another discount Gem Bearer can start the game at 45/50 points generate a free hindering marker anywhere in its range. Yup just range, Gardener spits in the face of your “line of fire”, and then can make a free attack targeting anyone occupying one of his hindering terrain markers regardless of adjacency. He also has Smoke Cloud if the one free hindering marker isn’t enough. After you hit a character you can then choose if they can or can’t use Battle Fury which can really cause issues with the opposing teams strategy. Also has Power Cosmic, and being so affordable can have tons of utility packed around him.

#11 – Groot

Another Cosmic mainstay making the list. You need a free attack, something the generates Pogs, maybe some leadership, yea he’s got all of that. I don’t have to tell you how good he is, you should already know.

#10 – Ultra Chase Thanos

This guy for me is the Dallas Cowboys of Heroclix, really over rated. Sure I get it, another cosmic piece to add to the pile we already have. So he can have plenty of support that he needs. He has the bells and whistles, but there are better options out their, some of which have already come up on this list. But because he’s Thanos and he’s an ultra chase he gets a lot of hype. He’s played often and does make some cuts, but still hasn’t won anything to my knowledge. There are some on this list that haven’t gotten a fraction of the playing time yet that I would play over him. But this is just my opinion, obviously others feel differently because here he is at 10.

#9 – Uni-Mind

This is about where I would place Uni these days. He’s middle of the pack meta. Still can be piloted to some wins, still can remain consistent, but is about to take his victory lap on his way out of modern. He WAS the gold standard! He won some, he lost some, but is one of those figures that helped shape the way figures are being designed and the way Heroclix players play and think. I honestly won’t miss him when he’s gone, but I know a lot will as it kinda closes the chapter on the Jakeem, Goblin, Uni, style figures.

#8 – Tri Sentinel

I know somewhere Lucas Tom Van Holland just smiles and rubbed the heads of 127 Tri- Sentinel figures he owns. But in all honesty very solid spot for the Mystical Machine! Colossal retaliating Pulse Wave, do I need to say more? Oh and it destroys blocking with that Pulse Wave and of your opposing figure is next to any of those squares it takes a penetrating. When the Tri-Sentinel moves it destroys blocking, and if an opposing character was adjacent to one or more squares it takes a penetrating. This thing is a tank, locking down figures with its Plasticity and Sidestep. It has protected: Mind Control and has Energy Shield making it a 20-Defense from range, and has a 9-Range, 3-targets so it’s hard to hide anywhere!

#7 – Prime Vulture

Another one that avoided the Watch List Hammer. Here comes my hot take of the list…Vulture doesn’t belong in the Top 15! Sure he’s played a lot and Patrick Frazer did pilot him and Hawkeye to a U.S. NATS title but the Vulture needs a lot of support to make him do what he does. As a stand-alone figure he’s ok. With a few Big Tony’s, a Harley, Starfox, or now Everett K Ross with a double Perplex as well, slap a set of octopus arms on him and get someone with TK to toss him and yea he’s ready to rock and roll! Now I’m not taking anything away from those that do play Vulture as it is still an archetype of the game and is quite difficult to play sometimes, but Vulture alone doesn’t belong up this high.

#6 – Dark Phoenix

Another new figure to competitive play that hasn’t seen a lot of maps yet in tournament play and it comes in at 6! Why you may ask? Well let’s look at a few things here right from the start. The only line people will play her at is her 30-point line. I don’t see many playing her as a 300 point tentpole and having nothing else on the team. So what do we get for the 30 points?  NO COLOSSAL INDIFFERENCE! She’s got full authority to reign down hell on your opponent! 10-Range, 3-targets, Sidestep with 11-Attack, 3-Damage! She also can colossal retal and deal 2-penetrating and give action tokens to everyone hit….that’s also including friendly figures though. Also if she KO’s an opposing figure or if the character takes 4 or more damage Jean can heal past her starting line! She has both sideline and main force value which will appeal to the CosmiC and X-Men players or people needing extra punch to a team.

#5 – Unseen

Unseen sneaks into the top 5 of clix voted on by the players! Once a figure deemed by some as “not good” or “not worth the points” is now a powerhouse in the game! 65 points makes him a great “call in battery” calling in just about anything and everything you could want to call in. His Stealth, 18-Defense, and a 50/50 roll out chance with Super Senses being successful on 4-6 makes him very hard to hit! Add a Remaker Ring to him and now he’s able to potentially roll out twice and gives him poison if you decide to base him. He’s got a 9-square Range for his Outwit and Prob, but what really puts him over the top is how he can protect your team against colossal retal with his special Attack ability that makes it when your opponent goes to retal they have to modify their attack by -2! Did I mention he’s Power Cosmic so you don’t have to worry about Outwit….well unless….

#4 – Kobik

Unless your opponent is playing Kobik and taking your team ability from you! So I guess this will be another “hot take” but it’s something I’ve been saying for awhile, Kobik is good but needs the right team around her that makes her great! Her being at 4 is a little high up on the list in my opinion. What she can do with her Cosmic Cube attached is good, but it becomes great when she is paired with a figure like Trader being able to bounce around equipment. 8-Rrange with Mind Control and an 11-Attack makes it highly likely you can bend your opponent’s force to your will making it smash itself. Her special damage ability granting Perplex, Prob, and Shape change also make her hard to hit and helps solidify that you do convert your attacks. She really shines being able to FREE and swapping a friendly and opposing figures team abilities. So like I mentioned above your Power Cosmic is no longer safe with her on the board!

#3 – Wendigo

The shining star from the X-Men: the Animated Series set isn’t a Magneto or Wolverine, oohhh no no no, it’s the WENDIGO! Another figure on the list that hasn’t seen as much map time as others but has been the most sought after figure from the set. People are hoarding these as quickly as they can because he will be played! Why you ask??? Because he’s a beast, literally, with 3 strong keywords, Animal, Monster, and Mystical. Let’s break him all the way down here so people can fully understand the greatness that is Wendigo. Multiple starting lines of 300/200/100/15, if I had to assume most will start him at 15. When an opposing character takes damage from an attack they get a wounded token and they can’t get rid of it unless they heal. Remember this as it plays a factor into a lot of the things going on with Wendigo. 15 points gets you a giant with Sidestep but only if you have wounded token handed out. Traited Colossal Stamina and Steal Energy, which allows you to heal past your starting line (another reason you get more back for your buck at the 15 point line). An 8-Movement with a special power granting Charge/Flurry (healing twice if you connect with both) and when Wendigo ends his movement after resolution he can make another close attack but only targeting someone with a wounded token (so if all works out heal that third click when you hit hopefully). He’s got a vanilla 11-Attack, what you’re mad after all that you don’t get a fancy Attack power too! 17-Defense with STOP, Invulnerability, but if you take damage and no wounded tokens are in play you don’t stop turning the dial, so kiss the stop click goodbye. Oh forgot to mention 3-Damage with Exploit! Yea….all that for 15 points! Dare I say the best 15 points in the game ever? That’s a discussion for another time.

#2 – Prime Q

This is surprising just because I figured it would be number one on the list but I’m assuming there are still some doubters of the ability of Prime Q. For him being only a 30-point figure his upside is waaayy more then some 30 point options. Now I know there are two point values for this figure, but most choose not to play the 175 option. The “Q” team ability is your Trek equivalent of Power Cosmic and he comes with the Cosmic and Deity keywords. He’s not there to pack a punch but he is there to completely mess up your day with his die manipulation. He’s not a standard character so no equipment or piloting does him. At the bringing of your turn of there is no D6 on your card you roll a D6 and put the result on Q’s card. When a character within range ( no LOF needed here ) rolls for an attack or super senses you may remove the D6 to replace one of the die in the roll. Now there were some questions about the timing of his ability always remember, you check to see if anyone is using probability control, if no one does you can then replace a die. At that point you CAN NOT decide to use probability control you opportunity is gone. Speaking of Q also has Probability control and part of that special damage ability is:

 

#1 – Mister Oz

Yea….you’re just as surprised as me. Mister Oz takes the top of the chart! He’s good but I don’t think number 1 in the game good. His 40 point line is what most utilize fixing him two clix of life. Hypertime team ability keeps him safe in stealth and makes your opponent have to roll to even see if they can base him while Superman Ally team ability makes sure he has improved targeting and movement hindering. 7-Range and Telekinesis is good and whenever a character is placed by Telekinesis, after resolutions you may place that character within 2 squares and line of fire of their current square. So you can move your figure a little farther if you like or mess with an opponents figure after it’s dropped in. Here’s where Mister Oz might be getting so much love from he has a special damage power that allows him to use Probability Control with a 12-Range. When he uses he can use improved targeting BLOCKING ELEVATED CHARACTERS. So unlike some on the list he can see through blocking, and if placed right can overlook all of the action to give you that prob when it’s needed!

 

That’s it! We’ve hit the finish line! Do you agree with the list? Do you agree with some of the things I pointed out? Only time will tell about some of these figures.

 

Thank you for your time, this is Ares Edge hoping all your rolls don’t need prob!