October OP KIt- Batgirls

Batgirl (Barbara Gordon)

At first glance Batgirl doesn’t have the most fantastic values with an attack that has more 9’s than 10’s and a defense with more 16’s than 17’s, but she does have 3 damage top-dial, which is enough to break reducers. For 75 points, she’s not exceptional, especially with only 5 clicks of life. Powerwise she’s a little more exciting with two special powers. Her movement power, which grants her Running Shot, Carry and Improved Movement: Ignores Characters makes her a little bit more offensive, but in my mind, the Carry ability is way more important, as it gives Batgirl more options to work with.

Her damage power is a little bit crazier, giving her Perplex, and then giving the character she uses it on Empower or Enhancement. This power is going to see some play, especially with swarm teams that can get great value from either of those powers, and it’s even better when you can grant it to part of the swarm. Defensively Batgirl is relying on her Combat Reflexes and Batman Ally Team Ability to keep her safe at any range. Otherwise, Batgirl has a pretty lackluster dial.

I think this Batgirl is going to be an incredibly valuable call-in figure. Calling her in grants the Batgirl Inspiration (+1 Attack) and then allows Batgirl to Perplex, give Empower or Enhancement, and then Running Shot for up to 4 damage. For 75 points that’s going to be incredible. Of course the downside is that, Batgirl can easily be picked off as she has no reducers and a short dial. Keep that in mind, but don’t keep it from using her, as her Inspiration and her special damage power can give an entire horde of figures +1 attack and damage.

Should you pick up Batgirl?

Definitely. Not only is the only modern Barbara Gordon Batgirl, it’s the first to feature the new costume and on top of that, she’s a really great figure!

Black Bat

Values-wise, Black Bat has the upper-hand on Barbara. With 11 attack, 17 defense, and 2 damage, she’s a mixed bag, with high attack and mediocre damage. She also has a low 5 clicks of life for 75 points.

Powers-wise she’s a little stronger with Charge, Precision Strike, Willpower and Battle Fury top dial, that gradually changes to Sidestep, Combat Reflexes, Close Combat Expert and a special attack power that lets her use Smoke Cloud as a free action at the beginning of your turn. This might not seem that incredible, but it’s her trait that really makes her special.

Her trait grants her 3 standard powers, Leap/Climb, Super Senses and Flurry, turning her into a massive potential for damage. With 1 Perplex she’s doing upwards of 6 damage, with an 11 attack on her top click, and defensively she can fall back on Super Senses and Stealth to keep her from being hurt. Black Bat is going to be an offensive powerhouse, especially when paired with a possessor like Eclipso or Proteus, who’s stat boosts will greatly affect her offensive performance (boosting her damage to a 3), and, in the case of Eclipso, giving her Impervious to increase her survivability by a ton. Black Bat with any support will be able to hit like a brick, making her the most offensive character in this OP set by far.

Does Black Bat have a chance to perform competitively though? My first reaction would be, sadly, no. There’s just not much room in the format for Charge characters, especially those that don’t have Improved Movement, or a stronger defense, especially when she only has 5 clicks of life. You can always back her up with Telekinesis and other mobility enhancing support, but at some point, the amount of points you spend getting a base 2 damage character into adjacency just won’t be worth it. Black Bat is a ton of fun, and really effective, but she’s just not pushing out effectiveness on every click, leaving her a little too lacking for competitive play.

Should you pick up Black Bat?

Definitely. She’s a fun figure to play due to her numerous tricks, and the potential she has for big hits. Black Bat isn’t going to change the game, but she’s offering a strong new piece for a lot of theme teams. If you’re looking for a new close secondary attacker, it’s hard to go wrong with her.

Batgirl (Stephanie Brown)

Of the three characters in this OP kit, Stephanie Brown has the honour of being the least expensive, and the least offensive. Coming in at 50 points, Stephanie Brown has 5 clicks of life, giving her a better points to life ratio than the other two. Her values are what you would expect from a 50 point figure, the only real let-down being her damage that never gets higher than 2, making her next to useless against characters with reducers, otherwise her values are average for a 50 point figure, leaving her in the uncomfortable spot of being a decent character if she can get a Perplex.

Powers-wise Batgirl is a little bit more interesting. She has the usually close attacker powers: Charge, Quake, Combat Reflexes, with a little bit of bat trickery with Sidestep and Smoke Cloud. But the power that really sells her 50 point cost is Probability Control. There just aren’t too many 50 point Probability Control users in modern age anymore, and certainly not many with her keywords. Finally, Batgirl has a special movement power on her last click, allowing her to return to click 1 when it’s revealed, but only if she’s the last character alive on your force. If it’s been a close game, and your opponents figures are beaten down, then this can be a life saver, but in any other case, Batgirl’s limited damage is going to keep her from using that last burst of life to finish off a bigger character.

Batgirl’s biggest purpose is bringing Probability Control to a few keywords that are in desperate need of it, including Birds of Prey and Batman Family. If somehow, you’ve managed to get your hands on an Ace the Bathound figure, Batgirl loses a lot of her luster on Batman Family Teams, but she’s the only modern Birds of Prey figure with Prob, giving her a little niche to fill, and a reason to pick her up.

Should you pick up Batgirl?

If you had to pass on one figure this set, I think it has to be Stephanie Brown. If her damage value was even 1 higher, it would be way more contentious, but as it stands, you’re only going to want her to fill in teams you might want to play in the future. If you’re a fan of The Birds of Prey, or Stephanie Brown herself, definitely get her, as even without that sweet 3 damage, she’s bringing enough to the table to justify her point value, she’s just a lot more niche than the other two figures. For an ID Call in she’s not awful just to spin the Quinjet or Round Table Dial, but she can’t compare to the one and only Barbara Gordon.

Overall

This OP Kit has been one of the best in recent memory, with two solid figures, and one that’s just a little weak, but fills in important gaps in the Modern Age. As a team, all three function well, with Barbara’s ability to carry, Black Bat’s attack power and Stephanie as support. All of these figures offer new options to the game, and fill fairly unique roles, making each of them worthy of being picked up.

Have any thoughts? Leave a comment below and i’ll get back to you right away.