Back in 2016 when I started Clix Fix, I ended the year with a two-part article highlighting my favorite figures from the year. I think it’s time to revisit this topic! While the year isn’t over just yet, we’re done with releases, so let’s get started.

2018 was a pretty decent year, but absolutely had its pitfalls. Mainly, the comic world took a big hit as Stan Lee passed away just two weeks ago. I’ve never been one to be effected by most celebrity deaths (Steve Irwin excluded), but Stan’s passing was extremely hard for me. I don’t want to turn this into a tribute article as I feel countless others have done that very well, and it’s not really the right place for that, but I had to say something since in an odd way, we’d never have this game if not for Stan.

Excelsior, Stan! I miss you greatly. Hope you’re surfing the starways with Norrin Radd.

Regarding 2018 for Heroclix, it was a pretty good year in my book. We didn’t have the set fatigue that we did in 2017, there were some great new ideas for sets, and the competitive scene saw a fairly large shake-up. Looking beside the point that DC fans aren’t treated too well to begin with (that’s a whole mess of stuff that has to do with DC themselves and the Marvel movies), there was something for everyone this year.

It’s not all sunshine and rainbows though. We were finally pulling into a Modern age with no ID cards when X-Men: Xavier’s School showed up and cancelled those plans. Plenty of folks believe this was a terrible idea and a lot of competitive teams are still resorting to hard to kill characters that might not be great by themselves but are powerful ID batteries. We also saw the return of resources with The Blackbird, aka Quinjet 2.0, however, it’s interesting to note that the bird didn’t fair all that well in ROCtober. We’ll see if that changes with Worlds.

Before I jump into the lists, keep in mind that these are my personal favorite figures from the year. They might be really good, they might be really bad – all that matters is that I enjoyed them. This is more of a fun article than it is a serious one and my hope is that some folks will see these figures in a different way and further their gameplay. Just like last year, I’m going to kick things off in chronological order with major sets first. I’ll get through mid-year with this article, and then pickup over on Two Clicks From KO with the second portion which will include LE’s released this year. Once that article is live, I’ll link it right here.

X-Men: Xavier’s School – February, 2018

Moira MacTaggart 007a – What a fantastic way to kick off the X-Men’s return to competitive Heroclix. We all know the Headmaster trait by now, and what sets Moira apart is just how much you get out of 25 points. Picking up Outwit on click 2 makes her even better than she already is which shouldn’t be possible, and the free ID card topples her cost. Let’s face it, Moira shattered what 25 points means.

Hellion – TK absolutely isn’t the power it used to be before the rules overhaul in 2017. Had Hellion been out during that era, he would have easily been a top-tier support piece and might have been enough to push X-Men over the top. However, he’s still shockingly good. Sidestep and Leadership give him so much added value that a lot of people overlook when they see him as just a multi-use TK piece. I’ve used him on almost every X-Men team at home since his release and he never lets me down. Cool pose, too.

Mercury – I feel like Mercury was passed by way too easily. The value on this figure is just stupid. Plasticity, Shape Change, AND Super Senses makes her one of the hardest figures to deal with, and her values are fantastic at her point cost. Precision Strike up front and Exploit Weakness in the back (with Blades) means she’s always a threat too, not just tie-up like oh so many Plasticity figures. All this for 35 points? Count me in.

Storm – I think we all felt it was going to be impossible to replace the Uncanny X-Men common Storm at 50 points, yet Ororo came back with this excellent rare. Sure, she can’t use Smoke Cloud for free, but she can taxi 3 X-Men AND she has TK to be more of a multi-use support rather than just help figures hide. If she’s pushed, she’s quite the capable attacker that people generally forget about. The sculpt is also gorgeous, but that damn ankle makes an unbroken figure pretty much the holy grail of the set. If not for that, she would be my go-to Storm forever – or until a better one comes in 2 years.

All-New Wolverine – She didn’t see the play I thought she would, but I LOVE the flavor on Laura this go-round. From the new costume that’s based off of the utterly fantastic comic of the same name (seriously, read this one), to the generation of Jonathan, Gabby’s pet wolverine, to her ability to jump on so many theme teams, this is a really fun dial, if not slightly overcosted. I just wish her sculpt wasn’t so damn tiny!

Professor X – In my book, there will never be a better Professor. This guy is just nuts for what he does while also perfectly portraying his pacifism. No damaging abilities but all the tools he needs to neutralize the opposition by turning a blind eye is what he’s all about. Many players at my venue, including myself, have been frustrated by his insane sphere of influence that you cannot hide from. I almost always use him at 50 points because he’s just so potent without having to drop 75.

Magneto, Realist – Again, a perfect Magneto in my book. He doubles as my favorite Title Character because of how well he runs. There isn’t a bad click here, and his Mutants Must Force Change ability makes ranged-based teams turn into a band of killers. His values are fantastic and that sculpt is just wonderful, almost Giant-Size X-Men good. The only down side are his Keywords, but for the time he’s from, they work.

Cyclops 052 – The iconic pose goes a long way since I never tend to pick up Cyclops since I think Scott is a douche canoe. But this dial… He and Logan are just absurd. If you need a sniper for an X-Men team or as an ID summon, Scott is your guy. Very playable at 150 and downright stupid at 50. The finishing touch is that these two are basically also Colossal Retailators on X-Men teams.

Wolverine 053 – There’s no way he doesn’t make the list. Hands-down the best Wolvi we’ve ever had. THREE STOP clicks?! Sidestep, Charge, Flurry most of the time, stellar combat values, free attacks, Leadership, Perplex, Blades the entire dial, Indom – where the hell does this dial end?! Wolverine has become the bane of ranged teams existence as once he closes the gap, either on 150 or 50 points, you’re pretty much dead. It takes so much to put this guy down and you’re in trouble if you don’t. Plus, that sculpt. I still want to run all three of mine at 150 points in a big game.

Old Man Logan – I never really got into Wolverine solo books, but I absolutely love Old Man Logan. He’s a fantastic character and it was about time we had a non-LE version that anyone could get. He’s slow and doesn’t do well after taking some damage (although he’s certainly not bad at all), but he pays in dividends if you can get him to your opponent’s starting area.

Avengers Infinity – May, 2018

Moondragon 006 – TK is a power that the Avengers are almost always missing, and Moondragon is a great candidate. While 60 points is a bit much to put TK on your team these days (especially with Exospex running around giving anyone the power for 12 points), Moondragon has a great dial on top of that. Flight makes her a good taxi, Mind Control gives her options, Close Combat Expert makes her deadly if you come in close, and Indom makes her push-friendly for whatever you need. She’s still a little expensive for me to run her all the time, but she’s a great common.

Gamora – A wonderfully deadly dial to match the deadliest woman in the galaxy. The numbers are no joke here with that opening 12 attack with Precision Strike AND Super Strength. What sets Gamora apart is not only Probability Control with a minimum range of 8, but the fact that she donates the power to anyone on your team. So she has great protection on her approach and gives you essentially two Prob characters for 65 points.

Venom, Space Knight – Like Cable back in Deadpool and X-Force, Venom is a big package for 125 points. There’s really nothing bad on this dial, except for the low attack values on his last two clicks. Perplex adds so much variety to this figure, and the return of the Alien Symbiote trait makes me remember why the symbiotes were so mean in Superior Foes in 2016. His sculpt is just beautiful and it kills me that I have yet to play him.

Drax – At first glance, this dial isn’t very good with a 10 attack up front, but that’s quickly eroded away by Flight, Indom, Invincible, Battle Fury, Protection to Outwit and Perplex, and his insanely strong Power Gem that more or less gives him Close Combat Expert modifications as FREE. I love that this version of Drax is the same guy that was foiled by watching cartoons on Earth, looking for clues as to where Thanos was.

Nova 032 – Richard has been a favorite of mine ever since I started reading Comics in 2004. He was a wonderful character to read about as he was the last Nova, helping anyone he could in a lonely galaxy. Unfortunately for him, he’s almost always had bad dials that were way overcosted and didn’t do too much (read: Avengers Assemble). This dial however is absurd. There’s so much here and while his stats do drop a little too quickly, it’s a great new click for one of my favorites. Good sculpt too, if you can find one without a rock-’em, sock’em robots neck.

Quasar 037 – Like Rich, Wendell doesn’t get fantastic dials, but he does a little better. This outing is quite strong for him and while the lack of Outwit protection does hurt, I love that he gets to use Barrier at no cost after hitting. There’s all kinds of ways to abuse this too, since it’s at no cost rather than FREE. Give him Flurry from Exospex and he’s throwing up 8 pieces of blocking terrain. Another wonderful sculpt, too! I really want to play him against bigger targets for that Avengers Infinity trait.

Cosmo – I have a special place in my heart for Dogs, and Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning’s Guardians of the Galaxy run that gave birth to the characters we know from the films today introduced us to the cosmonaut pup that spoke in telepathy with a Russian accent. This dial didn’t quite live up to they hype, but he’s still a blast to play, and quite difficult to hit. He’s had a great time on my Good Boy! team.

Wasp – Newer characters that have links to classics don’t always go over well (hey there Daken…), but Nadia wasn’t the case. She is so much fun to read about, so I was eagerly awaiting her release in Clix. I have yet to try her out, but she has a wonderful dial with all the nuisance of her name-sake while being super smart like her pops. It does still highly bother me that she didn’t get the Champions Keyword.

Starfox 048 – I can’t help but pick the brother of Thanos as my favorite of the Chases in this set, but they’re all fantastic and gorgeous. They all play very similarly, but I chose Starfox because he has the best power suite and the fact that we have a competitive Starfox astounds me. This guy has always been a laughing-stock character in the game, and he’s made a place for himself as the go-to 100 points or less cosmic character. Plus, I do think his sculpt is the best of the Chases.

Rocket Raccoon 100 – The LE has become my favorite Rocket in the game. While he doesn’t have dice rerolling or numbers advantages on being hit, he’s just an all-around good Rocket with fantastic values. The fact that he sees through hindering and characters and has a great way of breaking maps that stop ranged teams, along with those killer attack values, goes a long way. The Ranged Combat Expert with high attack values at the end of his dial doesn’t hurt, either.

Colossals

Giant-Girl G001 – The mechanic of taking practically any point cost alone makes Giant-Girl one of the best Avengers pieces to ever come out. Thanks to her Indom and size, she has become an auto-include in every Avengers team, and the fact that you can include her for 10 points, retaliate and KO someone, and then heal (and keep healing through the game) just adds to her overwhelming value. She’s also the only “play her just for retaliation” figure that doesn’t have Colossal Indifference, so she’s free to swing away on anyone. She’s here just because I think she’s the most versatile figure we’ve had in years.

Dune Buggy – Everyone laughed at this piece. They clowned on it saying we didn’t need a generic vehicle in a set so cool with so many options. Well jokes on you because this thing is silly-good. Who doesn’t want to add 7 clicks onto a primary or secondary attacker for 30 points, with a big Charge value? As terrain, it’s incredibly annoying for teams that can’t deal with the obstacle and it’s miserable if it wrecks by your force. It’s also great for modding!

Giganto & Namor – I didn’t believe in this figure until I watched ROCtober and saw the insane Monster theme team that ran two of these guys and nothing but retaliators. It was insane and super fun to watch. At 50 points, they’re just so difficult to chew through, and nothing gets in their way. They do a great job of carrying figures and they actually get a ton of attacks for free. They’re also a “whoa” moment when you show your friends.

Thanos – C’mon, you knew he’d be here! Thanos had a rough start. His dial looks a LOT worse than it is in-game. Sure, you have to pay 50 points for one of his traits to make him worth it and the other is good but not necessary, but he is a beast on the board. I’ve never seen him lose, nor have I come close when I’ve fielded him. He’s by far the best Thanos sculpt we’ve ever gotten, too. His values are a little low for his cost but that’s fine.

Infinity – I wasn’t too familiar with Infinity since she hasn’t played a large role since 2004, but I love this dial and sculpt. She’s elegant and the bonus she provides is the harshest of the abstracts while providing some absolutely stupid shenanigans with her placement power. Barrier with 12 range, as well as Outwit, makes her terrible to play against, especially when you can’t counteract her abstract trait.

Eternity – I think no matter what Eternity’s dial had looked like, I was going to go after him. Thankfully, he didn’t disappoint, and there’s so much he can do since he has every keyword that your force possesses. That gives him a huge longevity as a golden age piece since he’ll fit on literally every team you build. His abstract trait is rather lackluster since it’s so hard to pull off, but he has some fun tools at every point value. And of course WizKids nailed his unique look.

Groot – Say it with me; too much for 20 points! Groot has become the king of Cosmic teams – hell, he’s the king of any team he can theme with if it isn’t Guardians of the Galaxy. The amount of overkill you get with him actually puts Carnage to shame to a degree, and he’s proved himself time and time again in competitive. He’s not the prettiest colossal, but he’s a must-have.

Giant-Girl FFG001 – There’s one reason she’s here WITH the main set version – she’s a retaliator that specifically says she can activate hers in addition to others. With a team of Giant-Girls (or even just 2 with another retaliator), it’s a scary day for your opponent. It’s so much free damage for just 10 points each.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Unplugged – June, 2018

Foot Soldiers (All) – This is honestly a reverse pick for me. I absolutely loathe these figures, and that’s because the main person I play Clix with (read: the only person outside our store) runs a swarm of these guys and he always, without fail, rolls incredibly well with them. The idea that so little points can get you so much damage, and be so insanely hard to kill gave me no choice but to plug them as one of the best.

General Traag – A resurrection mechanic with good values and powers and the ability to make free attacks on the right map (or with Barrier characters) makes Traag one of the regretful characters I didn’t pick up from the set. His huge reducers through the dial is fantastic and while 95 points is a bit high, he seems pretty good.

Shredder 024 – I still have yet to see him played and I was not lucky in tracking one down, but Shredder shows a lot of promise. This Shredder takes the Mystical Worms resurrection mechanic and doubles it, making it very tough to actually KO him. With Mastermind and Shape Change up front, he’s also going to be difficult to even hit in the first place. I like this Shredder because he’s great, but he isn’t broken like those in TMNT3.

Fast Forces Turtles – I don’t think I’ve ever seen a pre-built team that’s so freaking good. 4 dials that can be played for 200 points that you have to go through five KO’s before you score any points is just insane. No, like seriously insane. Sure, they aren’t that mobile, and they aren’t that hard to hit, and they don’t have the best values, but by god are they a damn nuisance. Pair them up with some aura attack boosting and some Leadership and these brothers will annoy any team to time (and death).

Mud Man – I don’t really like including a bystander, but this guy has to make the list. If you like characters that are tough to kill, then Mud Man is for you. This guy has Plasticity to hold his targets still and he has to be KO’d three times in order to finally get him off the board, which will be incredibly difficult thanks to his Shape Change and Super Senses. I hate seeing him across the board, as do my opponents when I run him.

That wraps up Part 1 of my favorite figures from 2018. Remember, this doesn’t mean other figures weren’t good; these are just my favorites. There’s a lot more I enjoyed this time around as I really dug the sets and just how good figures were this year. I also had a tough time slimming down my synopsis about each character, but I’m sure you all don’t mind.

Join me next week on Two Clicks From KO for the second part of this article series as I tackle the fantastic Batman: The Animated Series, Secret Wars: Battleworld, and the various LE’s released throughout the year.

‘Nuff Said!