Welcome back to Part 2 of my year-end wrap up! As I mentioned last week on Clix Fix, it’s time to revisit this topic and talk about my personal favorite figures from the year that’s almost over.

If you didn’t get to read Part 1 of this article, I suggest you go there first as this series is done in chronological order. Last time, I started with the first set of the year, Xavier’s School, and made it up through TMNT4: Unplugged, so today I’ll be looking over the last two sets of the year along with the LE releases that I liked. YOU CAN FIND PART 1 OF THIS ARTICLE ON CLIX FIX RIGHT HERE.

I’ll go ahead and repeat some information from the last article for those of you who are just getting here:

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

Batman: The Animated Series

The Joker 003 – How can you possibly say no to Probability Control for 30 points what actually has decent combat values? I like this Joker a lot because he isn’t overpowered like most Joker’s we’ve seen in the last 2 years. It’s a Joker I don’t feel dirty playing, and he’s incredibly efficient.

Alfred 006 – What I like about this Alfred is that he’s incredibly efficient for a ranged team. If you have two of these guys, you’re getting +2 to all ranged damage with Stealth that get to move for free when anyone named Batman is given a MOVE. So you could easily play the Super Friends Batman at 30 points with two of these Alfred’s and use them as a 70 point single action caravan that can cause a ton of damage just being there.

Batman Beyond – I loved the futuristic look and feel of Batman Beyond, so I’ve been waiting for a new version of Terry and he did NOT disappoint. This kid is incredible for 100 points and his ability to combo with old man Bruce makes a killer 140 point team up. He’s just on the edge of being broken for his common rarity.

Maxie Zeus – Here’s a figure that I totally took for granted when the set released, and then I realized how stupid good he is for 40 points. Maxie can give you attacking characters every single turn without using any of your actions, either to make them or have them attack. He’s terribly efficient for his points, and he’s one of the best cheap characters to abuse Troubalert. He’s done HUGE work for me every time I play him.

Batman 040 – As far as I’m concerned, this is the best Batman we’ve ever gotten, full stop. The amount of damage he can put out is just insane, and when paired with the common Alfred, he puts out so much damage and quite easily thanks to his 12 attack value. While he doesn’t have the power picking of Trinity War Bats, he’s just absurdly strong and hard to put down. That Batarang is just stupid.

Batgirl, Shadow of the Bat – ROCtober showed us just how good Barbara is, and it seems she’s taken the mantle of Best Title Character. There’s just so much Barbara brings to the table for just 70 points including the holy trinity of support powers. I haven’t played her much, and I regret that a lot.

H.A.R.D.A.C. Batman – I know a few people aren’t too thrilled with robot Batman, but I like him quite a bit. With the ability to improve over time with every DC set (because every set will have Batman), H.A.R.D.A.C. has so much damn utility, especially on a team with Bruce. Good reducers, Stealth, and a STOP click make him quite hard to put down for his 75 point investment. Is he Jakeem Thunder Super Rare Prime good? Heck no, but in a world without busted SR Primes, he’s quite strong.

Clayface 056 & Man-Bat – I wrote about this pair earlier this year, so I figured I’d group them together. By far my favorites in the show and the sculpts are just beautiful. Both of them are just incredible for their points and offer so much. With new equipment like Exospex, they both appreciate so much more. I’ll never get rid of these two, possibly even after I eventually do stop playing some day.

Hawkman & Hawkgirl – THIS is what Power Man and Iron Fist should have been in Superior Foes of Spider-Man. A duo dial with incredibly strong values and power combinations that you often find yourself struggling to pick which side is better for beating your opponent to a bloody pulp, AND they have a get-out-of-KO ability once per game. I’ve never seen them fall, and they always pull their weight.

Zatanna – Man oh man, did we get spoiled with her. Talk about your end-all, be-all support piece. Zatanna brings it all with TK, Prob, and Perplex, not to mention the Mystics team ability to protect her from harm. The true value in Zatanna though comes from her ability to generate those damn Bats that are honestly overpowered. Sure, two Alfred’s are good, but why not just run Zatanna to get the double Enhancement that can easily be carried around, AND get the huge support package along with it? I feel like every team I build, I need to save 75 points to add her in.

Batman 063 – I feel like the Super Friends Bats is completely overwritten because most only look to him as a Troubalert call-in, but this dial is actually very solid for just 60 points. You get a lot in this package and while he’s awfully susceptible to Headmasters and Battleworld Barons, his stats are monstrous for his cost. Limited power picking makes him that much better.

Wonder Woman 067 – At full points, she’s very capable and is quite the pain to deal with. At 30 points or a Troubalert character, she has pretty beefy values and Leadership to offset her own actions and possibly remove others. I also love that her sculpt has tiny bullet deflections on the bracelets!

The Joker 103 – Yeah, okay, let’s have another stupid-hard-to-kill Joker in the game. Sounds good. This Joker might not do a terrible amount offensively, but he is an absolute pain in the butt to deal with. There’s something to be said for a character that has no fear of bum rushing, and equipping Joker with something stupid like Exospex or even Proxima Midnight’s Spear will turn him into a deadly foe that you’ll have to plug in a terrible amount of attacks to have a chance at KO’ing. Not to mention he throws out free Light Objects for your dudes to dish more damage.

Poison Ivy 104 – Her dial isn’t anything to write home about, but Ivy’s ability to generate those deadly Biting Vine bystanders is killer and earns her a spot on my list. Another incredible way to summon Troubalerts thanks to their Flurry and Autonomous symbol, Ivy is also incredible at clogging the battlefield with deadly plants that can punish people for going certain ways. She’s a lot of control for 75 points, and potentially a TON of damage.

Secret Wars: Battleworld

Thanos 007b – I’ve gone on and on about Thanos Prime, so it’s obvious he makes the list. Simply put, this dial is too easily abused for what seems like a lot but not really at 175 points. His ability to take on any generic keyword makes him a Thanos that will see play for a LONG time.

Thorus – What can I say, I’m a sucker for terribly efficient support dials. Enhancement, Sidestep, and PD with 10 attack and 3 damage is pretty damn good for 30 points. Crack The Case is a welcome addition to suddenly surge your support character for a possible game-changing hail-mary play. While I don’t like his maybe-Probability Control, chances are he’ll stick on top dial or he’ll go down in a blaze of glory.

Worldbreaker – I played one of these guys at 50 points the other day and my god, he just wouldn’t go down. One could argue that 10 attack and only 3 clicks isn’t that good for 50 points, but with three clicks of Invincible, STOP at the end, and Super Strength, he puts out so much damage. If you play him at 100, good god, he’s going to just destroy everything. Besides, who doesn’t like a generic Hulk?!

Outrider – If I had to describe this figure with one word, it would be nuisance. This guy is such a pain in the ass and shuts down so many good abilities, while being hard as hell to hit. If he does fail his Shape Change and Super Senses, you’re only down 35 points and chances are good he held a lot back for it.

Molly Hayes – I have yet to play Molly, but I’m really looking forward to when I do. There have been numerous articles about how insanely efficient and deadly this dial is at 25 points and I can’t wait to give her a go. Protip: throw her in that Dune Buggy everyone talked trash about. Seems good.

Ultimate Thor – The Ultimates is the comic that got me into both Comic Books and Heroclix, so I have a terrible soft spot for anyone on that team. I still own my Critical Mass Ultimate Thor, and I really want to play the two of them together. This is a fantastic homage dial with Stealth busting and decent range, but I like how he’s evolved. Outwit on a Thor is really cool. Most times you’ll see him at 100 points for his insane movement ability, but I appreciate that we get two different options for him.

Boar Thor – I’ll make this reaaaaaaaally quick. It’s Thor with a freaking boar’s head. This sculpt rocks.

Maestro – In my honest opinion, there will never be a better uncommon. Maestro easily possesses a Super Rare dial and gives The Mighty Thor SR a run for his money. If you’re a jerk like I am and run two of them at either point value, it’s pretty much an unwinnable fight for anyone not playing meta-worthy pieces. Every click on this dial is incredible, and the fact that this kind of power is available to everyone is a good thing.

Stick – I’ve only played him once, but Stick pulled so much more weight than his 45 point cost. Every click here is utterly fantastic, and on a melee-focused team, Stick gives you so much utility and free attacks it’s not fair. Pair him up with Destroyer Thor to easily get out of that pesky auto-miss trait.

Alex Wilder – How is there this much value in a figure that’s 25 points? Every Mystical team will run Alex until he rotates in 3 years, and rightfully so. A friend of mine almost exclusively plays Mystical, so I’ve played against this kid and run him more than anything else in the set, and he is a total pain to deal with.

Iron Goblin – I love this dude. From the unique set of armor to the fantastic dial and trait, Tony has a whole new look and playstyle. Do you play him at 100 and just get positive effects, or do you run him at 150 as a powerhouse and draft Mantis onto your Avengers team to negate that Battle Fury? The three clicks of Blades and Steal Energy along with Exploit makes him incredibly deadly the whole way through and a lot longer of a dial than he seems.

Captain Marvel 037b – Unlike any other vampire dial I’ve played, Carol has actually made her way into those bonus clicks and just stayed there. If you play her carefully, she’ll get into the fight, hit for big penetrating damage, and then heal up into 18 Invincible with Probability Control. Once she’s there, you’ll wonder why she’s just 100 points. This is the dial for Carol I’ve been waiting for. Who cares if she’s a freakin’ vampire.

Iron Man 038 – This sculpt is just gorgeous. Dial-wise, he’s okay. I like the ability to pseudo Running Shot by quaking no one and just shooting 4 squares effectively giving him both Charge and Running Shot on his first click. But that sculpt gets him here.

Viv Vision – Anytime we get a Champions piece, I’ll immediately go after it. Viv was a welcome addition to the team (and actually got the damn Keyword), and her dial isn’t all that bad. Of course, she has the typical Vision syndrome of mediocre attack and defense but tough to actually chew through the dial. On the right team, she’ll pull her weight.

Regent – I don’t own him, but Regent makes the list because of how faithful this dial is to the character. I enjoyed Renew Your Vows during Secret Wars, and Regent was a very interesting character. WizKids did a great job of recreating his capturing of heroes and stealing their powers.

Dino-Thor – He’s a freaking Dinosaur, how does he not make the list?! No but seriously, this dial is insanely strong. Scales of Justice alone makes him worth playing.

Witch Queen Le Fay – The overwhelming options Morgan has is unreal. She’s a monster no matter which way she engages or is engaged and a good player will make her seem like 150 points is way too little. I’m looking forward to seeing if she’ll pop up in competitive, but my gut says yes.

Thanos 058 – Of course this dude is here, he’s Thanos. Both the common and SR from the set are the first 200 points or less Thanos that are actually quite playable (read: very good). There’s no gimmick here, just fantastic stats and an incredible movement power that gives Thanos almost unmatched aggressive reach.

Destroyer Thor 059a – While most people are tracking down the Prime version, I like the regular Super Rare more. I wrote a team build about him on Clix Fix, so I won’t go into depth about him here. If you can play around his trait, he offers so much aggression and team play. He also has the best sculpt in the set.

Black Panther – I know Sheriff Strange is the most meta of this set, but I love this Black Panther both as his representation from his moment in Secret Wars to how utterly disgusting and impossible to KO the dial is. T’Challa took the Taskmaster dial from Civil War and applied all kinds of amazing Wakandan tech to it to gas the hell out of it. Just remember when you play him: HE HAS SHAPE CHANGE!

Iron Fist 064 – I doubt I’ll ever have two of these (let alone one), but I’ve never seen a better pure melee dial for under 100 points. This girl is destructive and toxic, and I’m sure she’s an absolute blast to play.

Odin – I got to play Odin recently and while he wasn’t the gigantic pain machine I thought he would be, he still did a lot of work. I dig this Odin because there’s no B.S. with him; just run and kill everything. Is he as good as I thought he was upon release? Not quite, but he’s still my favorite version of the Allfather.

LE’s & Convention Exclusives

Blackbird – While it wasn’t the iconic jet from the X-Men Cartoon, the Blackbird relaunched resources in a blaze of glory. Almost impossible to take down in a timed match at anything over 50 points, the bird turns an already fantastic X-Men team into a neigh-unkillable force of destruction. Not to mention it came with 5 of the best ID cards in the game.

Thanos MP18-003 – Look, it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out that a Thanos that makes Giant Hound Dogs would make my list. Thanos with the cube takes the cake for cheapest Thanos you can play and his dial is quite impressive. That STOP click is going to be an absolute pain to deal with and I can’t wait to run this stupid guy.

Thanos-Copter – I don’t normally regard vehicles that just do vehicle things as must-haves, but this thing is absurd for 50 points. You get to give any character Running Shot and Passenger: 1 along with 10 freaking clicks of life. I don’t care that there’s no reducers on this thing; you get to make one of your characters basically unkillable. Plus this thing is just goofy as all hell.

Gwenpool – Almost impossible to get in the U.S. as of right now, Gwenpool has a fun dial and an even cooler sculpt. I like CON LE’s that are just fun and not overpowered. I can’t wait to finally add one to my collection.

Lockjaw – Of course the cosmic pupper was going to make the list! Lockjaw saw astonishing prices of $300+ when he first became available. Luckily, he’s come down quite a bit, but once you play him, it’s easy to see why the dog fetched such a price. No Cosmic team is complete without this loveable mutt.

Daredevil MP18-007 – I’ve heavily enjoyed the Netflix Daredevil show, and getting a dial and sculpt that represents Charlie Cox’s version of the character is really cool. His dial is actually very good too, and is a bit of a steal at 50 points. Once he becomes more readily available, he’ll be my go-to Daredevil.

Death’s Head MP18-104 – This guy is fantastic anytime he shows in comics, so it was great to get a new version of him. But the reason why Death’s Head is here is for his single trait: Trans-Dimensional Bounty. As a Marvel fan, I LOVE a character that’s actively better when he’s killing DC characters!

Manta – She’s a little slow for a taxi, but good lord does Manta bring a lot to the table for a Taxi. PD, Enhancement, and Stealth-busting for just 40 points is a hell of a deal. She’s still a little steep in price for me for what she does, but once she hits that $10 mark, I’ll scoop her up right quick. Thanos from Battleworld will dig running around with her.

Tri-Sentinel – When I saw his sculpt, I thought “my god that’s unruly. I’m not getting him.” Then I saw the dial and thought “I need two of him”. Tri-Sentinel is going to quickly take his place as one of the top retaliators in the game, and for good reason. While I don’t like him at other point values, he’s a damn steal at 30 points, and I’m honestly a little bummed we got a new Shredder mechanic so close to their retirement.

Starro – We all know how brutal Starro is, so there’s no point in me going through how overpowered he is yet again. Starro is absolutely an issue for most teams, so it’s easy to see why he made the list. However, there are two big reasons why I really like him. His sculpt is seriously a thing of beauty, not just cool, and the fact that he has two different powersets depending on what point costs you look at him is really unique and interesting. I really do like that you can choose Starro to be a huge primary attacker or be more of a manipulation character. Figures that are this big and this cool that give you a lot of options on how they play means I’ll break them out a lot more often.

Batman WKDP18-006 – Quite a few of my players have this Batman and he’s fantastic every time he hits the board. The Batman Ally TA is a welcome addition to a giant with just Impervious at 150 points. While I don’t like how heavily he declines, the Jim Gordon pog he pops out gives him a lot more longevity.

Power Woman WKDP18-007 – I’m over the KC dials from World’s Finest and their style, but Power Woman makes her place on this list for an insanely unique ability – Leadership that isn’t Leadership. She’s now one of the only characters in the game that can give you another extra action per turn, and at 25 points, that’s a pretty small price to pay.

Hawkgirl WKDP18-010 – I collected all of the Bombshells and I really dig them, therefore it makes me quite mad that the best among them is a CON LE. Hawkgirl might have a very shallow dial for 75 points, but on a Bombshells team, she fills so many holes that the crew is missing. I can’t wait to get her.

That wraps up Part 2 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.

I’ll pick things up again next week on Clix Fix as I delve back into some more team building from Battleworld, or perhaps I’ll use one of the LE’s as I never get around to working with them. Hope you all are having a wonderful time closing out 2018.

Remember, the real fun begins when you’re Two Clicks From KO!