With the Fall WizKids Open concluded, it’s time to once again take another look at the current state of the competitive scene. Did things change from the ROC World Cup? Are we still seeing the same teams claiming victory? Let’s take a look at some of the more interesting builds that were victorious and see where we stand.
Doop
Although Doop only made one showing in terms of winning, I think it’s safe to say that we’ll be seeing the little pickle show up more often moving forward. Combined with the Sloth Relic, this guy is incredibly difficult to take down, and he’s got the ability to completely negate the resource dial on the Quinjet with his trait. Doop brings Undying teams to a new level.
The Quinjet
Of course the Quinjet is still a major threat, however, we did see a drop off with only 4 
reported WKO wins. Everything that’s been true about the Quinjet still holds up, but it seems players may be pulling back a bit from the jet for cost reasons (those ID cards are no drop in the bucket), or maybe because it’s the number one team comp that people are expecting to play against. Still, The Quinjet most likely isn’t going anywhere in non-limited events.
Felix Faust
Faust was the big winner seeing play on 6 different teams and it’s easy to see why. The 
unmatched board control he grants for the low cost of 80 points is sheer insanity. He’s got a pretty shallow dial, but the issue has always been getting to him to shut him down without taking catastrophic losses in the process. Entering into the Limited Format, Faust is most likely only going to grow in power.
Lex Luthor
Amazingly, Lex is making a bit of a comeback, taking the win in two different events. It seems more people are opting for characters that are hard to deal with, much like the maestro of it all, Doctor Strange. Unfortunately for Lex, Limited will see him completely fall off as ID cards aren’t legal. Still, we might see him in the Winter in the next round of WKO’s.
Juston Seyfert
He’s always had a showing with Krang builds, but it wasn’t the Turtles 
Villain that brought Juston to the winner’s circle. It was actually SMWW Colossal figures. One team ran a Batman/Superman Robot at 150 points while another ran Solaris at 150. It’s been mentioned how brutal Krang is going to be in Limited, but let’s face it; Juston makes it all happen. These Colossals won’t be legal, but other robots will and Juston will be a more powerful figure moving forward.
Loki LE
Loki was another piece that only showed up in one winning team, but 
he’s worth mentioning. He’s another piece that’s pretty tough to deal with in that a lot of pieces in the modern format can’t draw lines of fire to him (okay, Faust can). With possession dropping off for limited, Loki probably won’t pop back up for a while as he goes down fast, but he’s still a really great piece for the points.
Ultron Swarm/Ultron Drones
With the popularity of ID cards and how effective they are, Ultron 
armies are seeing some more play. They continue to be arguably the most efficient piece in modern and show no signs of stopping. If you’re playing in a modern event that isn’t limited, you will see these guys. However, Ultron’s will practically disappear from limited with ID cards.
Chase Turtles (TMNT 1)
Raphael and Michelangelo took 2 wins in Central America and although it appears to be the same player, it’s still worth mentioning how strong these two are. When combined, they create a devastating 150 point duo that’s hard to hit and incredibly aggressive. Combined with Sins, these turtles aren’t messing around. These guys could have a large showing in limited.
Nighthawk Prime
Although Nighthawk only saw presence on one winning team, it’s important to note that this 
guy is going to show up in the coming months. As I mentioned, Krang is going to be a huge threat in Limited, and Nighthawk single-handedly counters him pretty hard. With the disappearance of resources and other strong elements, pieces like Nighthawk who grant board-wide effects will make more showings.
Colossal Retaliators
There is simply no better use of points on a team than a Colossal Retaliator, and these giants are proving that point in every single event. Sure, they aren’t going to necessarily win a game for you, but they constantly provide threat, regardless of where they are. Limited eliminates them, but they will 100% be played in the next WKO and the regular modern format next year. A whopping 10 retaliators made showings on winning teams (as actual retaliators).
Doctor Strange LE/Midnight Sons
Strange is exceptionally powerful, and when combined with Faust, it makes a gruesome team 
that no one really wants to sit across from. There’s a very good chance that Strange will see play for quite some time as none of the elements show any signs of rotating soon. Still, limited should see a drop-off since he needs a way to gain stealth to really be worth the point investment and possession is a no-go.
Kingdom Come Flash
Flash ended up winning an event, which is pretty incredible. Although he’s very good, he’s of 
a dying breed; the tent-pole team. Easily handled by Nick Fury and doomed by Plasticity, Flash is a tough piece to win with against an experienced player. However, he’s worth mentioning. Limited might see an increase in Flash as there will be virtually no “off the board” game elements that could threaten him at any time. I wouldn’t be surprised if we see Flash make a few more runs before he rotates out in June/July.
Amazingly, we didn’t see Devil Dinosaur win any events in this last WizKids Open. He may be going the way of Krang in that he does well, but just can’t seal the deal. Mr. Mxyzptlk did make a showing, but it seems he’s dropping off a bit as well. These two will probably see a large resurgence in Limited though so I wouldn’t count them out. They’re both extremely strong pieces.
It will be pretty interesting to see what pieces get picked up and played moving into the limited environment. With the Quinjet taking a bit of a break, and Faust continuing to be the dominant force he is, it’s an odd time for high-level play. What are your thoughts? Is there a piece that I haven’t talked about or hasn’t made a showing that’s waiting to be unleashed? What will Joker’s Wild bring now that’s it’s been released?
See ya next time, and Happy Thanksgiving!
