~ Amber

The next preview on the docket is the Master of the Skies, Hawkman. This is the sixth time we’ve seen Hall within Clix – though it’s hard to say whether or not any of the precarded iterations were actually Katar Hol, while the newer ones based on Nu52 are technically both Carter and Katar (yay retcon)

The Sculpt

Hawkman is one of those characters that you just want to see flying. They’ve gotten really good at making dynamic looking flying sculpts over the last few years and it always feels like a shame when they don’t use them on characters you instantly associate with flying. That being said he still looks great, decked out in his full Nth Metal armour. The costume is taken right from the pages of Savage Hawkman though he seems to have traded in his new Battleaxe in favour of his traditional Mace.

The Dial

Hawkman is a solid 115pts for 7 clicks of life. He has Flight, Indomitable and the Justice League Team Ability. He’s got the named Justice League of America keyword alongside generic Past and Warrior, which leaves him open for some fun theme teams.

Starting off on his top click he has 10 Movement with his I Own the Sky Special Power, an impressive 12 Attack with Precision Strike, 17 Defense with Energy Shield/Deflection and 3 Damage with Close Combat Expert. That Special Power allows him to Charge at his full 10 Movement and on a successful hit he can then use Side Step that turn. This can either let him get out of the fray in order to utilize that Energy Shield/Deflection or put him next to another opponent for his Close Combat Expert (granted he successfully breaks away)

His stats stay pretty decent as his dial begins to turn. By click 3 his Energy Shield/Deflection is traded in for Close Combat Reflexes which he keeps for the rest of his dial and on click 4 his Close Combat Expert becomes Battle Fury (which in the age of the Star Sapphires has become an invaluable power) By click 5 we start to see him weaken with a switch to his power set. He loses I Own the Sky and gains regular Charge and his Precision Strike becomes No Matter the Odds, They Will Fall Before Me. This allows Hawkman to use Quake and if he’s a part of a Justice League of America theme team he can use Quake as a Free Action after having been given a Move Action. This may be the only time you actually use his Team Ability.

JUSTICE LEAGUE When you give a character using the Justice League team ability a move action, it does not count toward your available actions for the turn.

Now in a game littered with Free Actions this Team Ability just doesn’t get used (if it was ever used before) but you may find yourself using it in this case. Sure, Hawkman is still going to take that action token for having moved but it’s not going to count towards your action total for the turn and he does get to use that Quake as a Free Action afterwards.

Overall this Hawkman is very useable for his points. He obviously excels in a Justice League of America theme team, making sure to utilize all his powers but with that opening click I wouldn’t be turning my nose up at him in a sealed either. His major down fall is his lack of damage reducers, one good smack with a heavy or ultra heavy object can quickly cripple him but he does have those bonuses to his Defense to make that much harder to accomplish.