Introducing myself to HeroClix

In light of my likely not posting much for the next few months, I thought I'd post this from my practically defunct other blog. It's about my introduction to HeroClix. I should write another post about them later.

**First published May 13, 2014**

An little aside here before launching into this post. I can in no way say that I have ever been a super hero/comic book fan. I could probably count the number of comics I read in my lifetime on my fingers, I might have to borrow a toe or two. Not that I don't like them. I just never 'got into' them.

I did have a Dr. Doom action figure I got as a birthday present from my grade 1 teacher. It was totally by chance because she had a number of potential presents in a big bag and so my pick was quite random. Dr. Doom survived in our household for years and his career would include battles against G.I. Joe and Army Ants. I think he was finally sold at a yard sale in my late teens, his cape and weapons long since lost.

Fast forward to now and the relatively recent conversion of comics to cinema. Each movie has made me a little more interested in the genre. Except for some issues of Hellboy, I still haven't been particularly driven to 'get into' comics. But the interest is started and I'll admit that I have gone to the Marvel wiki to get current on some of the characters' back stories.

Then I found the Stronghold Rebuilt blog while I was looking at pictures of scratch-built airplane miniatures, or maybe for game rules, not sure which any more. The blogger there, calling himself Kaptain Kobald, put together rules for a superheroes fighting game he calls Clobberin' Time. His descriptions and photos from game sessions interested me more and I wanted to try it out, but it would take a third influence to push me to where I would actually do it.

That third influence was my daughter, who, through playmates and mass commercialization, has been exposed to some of the characters featured in the cinema franchises. She has an interest enough to be pleased in herself when she can name the characters appearing on the Avengers DVD case as well as to want to know the names of characters she doesn't recognize. Her current favourites are Spider-Man and Captain America.

My wife and I like to play board games and as parents we want our kids to at least have some experience with them, even if they decide later on that they don't care for them. The Stronghold game seemed simple enough that my daughter, 4, could grasp the concepts of how to play very soon if not right now.

So I bought a lot of 20 Heroclix (HC) figures on ebay for under $20 (including shipping). The lot was a random selection of used pieces, so I got to experience some of the joy that is inherent in the mystery of purchasing them new like the thousands of HC fans out there. Reading well enough about the game, especially complaints, I half-expected maybe getting a couple of heroes, a couple of villains, and the balance made up of various lackeys, red shirts, and other non-descript characters. With my limited comics background, I also expected not to recognize more than two of the characters I would end up with.

In between ordering and receipt of package, I did jump the gun and buy two sets that I spotted in Dollarama. For total of $5, why not? I debated it in my head, but one of the sets had Dr. Doom (the figures were visible in the package), and that triggered the nostalgia part of my reasoning (you know, the part that car manufacturers play on to sell Mustangs, Camaros, Challengers, and Beetles). So I came away with the Fantastic Four, Dr. Doom, and the Mole Man. The other reasoning decided that this way I would at least have a few characters that I knew who they were. But I mostly did it for Dr. Doom.

The lot arrived almost two weeks ago now. I was wrong in both of my expectations (though in the one, just barely). There were only three characters that I would put in the lackeys category. While I didn't recognize the majority of the others, I did recognize Daredevil and Johann Shmidt (only from having watched Captain America). But I am also counting Hercules, and Mr. Hyde in that while I didn't know their Marvel universe stories, I knew their traditional stories and figure the Marvel stories can't be too far removed.

So yesterday, for those who are interested, I finally played a little skirmish with some of the figures (by myself, which I see a lot of these games being in the future). I played a mix of HC rules and CT rules. I used the official figure values printed on the bases to create a couple of teams (as recommended in the HC rules). The teams were:

Team USSR: Crimson Dynamo and URSA Major (246 points combined) vs.
Team Hydra: Johan Shmidt, Scientist Supreme, a Hydra technician, and Jackal bringing up the points to a comparable sum (244 points combined).

I used the Clobberin' Time rules for movement and the clicky bases to keep track of stats, but I didn't use any kind of buffers or enhancements from powers indicated by the coloured portions of the click dials (might have turned out different if I had). As it was, Team USSR won handily, mainly due their high attack and defence stats and to low attack rolls by Team Hydra. I even forgot Crimson Dynamo's flight ability, allowing anyone to attack him.


Sorry, no pictures.

**End of old content**

I have since played another scenario combining Clobberin' Time movement rules with HeroClix combat rules. This pitted the Fantastic Four against Mister Hyde, Klaw, Mole Man, Cobra, and A.I. Marine Hulk. I played solo (of course) using half my in-laws' pool table (they all think I'm crazy to play by myself). I also decided on a playing card activation system to make the solo experience a little less biased.

The objective was for either side to find Blind Al and bring her back to their respective starting area. Only problem was that she could have been at one of three marked areas on the board, decided by a die roll of 6; die roll took place of a character's action and character must be on the marker token. It's been too long for me to remember a play-by-play of the action, but the bad guys found her first. There was fighting at all three sites. The Thing battled and defeated Mister Hyde, who had Blind Al. Marine Hulk arrived shortly thereafter to pick on the Thing who was now escorting Al. The Thing just barely avoided a K.O. when Invisible Woman showed up to help after leaving her fray with Mole Man undecided. Mr. Fantastic was K.O.ed as was Human Torch. I think only Mister Hyde and Klaw war K.O.ed on by members of the Four before the Thing successfully escorted Al to the Fantastic starting area. So, in all, a very close game and I remember it being quite intense, wondering if the Thing could take the punishment being delivered by two heavy hitters.

I really need to try the full Clobberin' Time rules sometime. I think they would make things very interesting.

Ch Ch Ch Changes

For the last 8 years I have been driving one hour and a bit to get to work every day. Barring the first 2.5 years when I was working on my thesis, my position has been a "soft money" position. Meaning that I could work so long as the company, then center, continued to win projects and receive funding to keep up the staff. This resulted in a number of times not knowing if I would be employed in two months. Then one month. Then at the end of the week.

Thus far, things have always worked out, but it has always been in my mind to get a more stable position, and hopefully one closer to home. That day has come. And with it, a different schedule that will see me with less time for home projects and gaming during the summer. And, with that, less time to write and less material to write about.

However, winter will hopefully see increases in those areas. So this might be my last post for a while (most likely).

I convinced my wife to let us play Conspiracy for our most recent game night with our Hill Spring friend, Andrew. I think I liked the game more than they did. Three spies had their covers blown (can't help but think of it as assassinations). Andrew won the game with some clever pay-offs and patiently biding his time to make his move. He basically waited for me and Jenni to finish killing off enough spies that we used up all our pay-offs and couldn't challenge his moves.

We also played Master Labyrinth, a game I really like. I don't remember who won, I just remember it wasn't me. Not by a long shot. Jenni and Andrew both doubled my final score.


I feel like this entry looks sad, being so short and all. But, the winter could see more detailed reporting, which I think I am looking forward to almost as much as the potential gaming.

Man, I want to win a game some time! Later, all y'all!