ADVANCE REVIEW: WizKids HeroClix The Orville 8 Figure Starter Set

–Review and photos by Scott Rubin

WizKids has a long history of experimenting with HeroClix, bringing in different and unexpected licenses beyond the “Big 2” of DC and Marvel Comics. The practice goes all the way back to the game’s second year, when the Indy set gave players all sorts of fun characters from independent comics in 2003. Over the years they’ve added everything from Street Fighter to Pacific Rim, Lord of the Rings and Hobbit to Kick-Ass 2 and Iron Maiden’s mascot Eddie, and many more. Recently HeroClix has had a run of Star Trek sets (including last week’s release of Away Team: The Next Generation – To Boldly Go – see our review of that expansion HERE), and now the miniatures game is returning to the future with something a bit different: HeroClix The Orville 8 Figure Starter Set! We’ve got your first in-depth look at this cool new set that comes with a large cast and everything you need to play HeroClix including rulebook and Powers and Abilities Card, a new map, dice and tokens, and more. Let’s dig in, shall we?

The Orville debuted on Fox in 2017, and it hasn’t looked back. A love letter to Star Trek by series creator (and star, and writer, and producer) Seth McFarlane, The Orville tells the tale of Captain Ed Mercer and the titular ship as its crew explores the galaxy, meets alien races, engages in diplomacy and sometimes combat, and learns what it means to be human along the way. If that sounds a heck of a lot like Star Trek itself that’s no surprise, as McFarlane is well known to be a huge fan, and the production hired many Trek alumni in cast and crew. Some call The Orville “Star Trek with raunchy jokes,” but that’s really doing it a disservice. The writing and storylines, not to mention the characters and technology, would absolutely fit in with a Star Trek TV series, and are at times transcendent of their inspiration. And yes, there are dick jokes.

Starter Sets are designed for a couple of different purposes, including providing new players with their game components, updating existing players with new materials, and offering cool new figures and maps. The Orville pack succeeds in all three of those categories. Most modern starter sets have included six standard-sized figures though there have been variations (four Star Trek ships, five normal sized figures plus a 2×2 colossal, etc.), and it’s definitely cool that WizKids went for a bigger offering this time to include all eight of the main characters from the TV show: Captain Ed Mercer, Commander Kelly Grayson, Dr. Claire Finn, Lt. Commander Bortus, Isaac, Lt. Gordon Malloy, Lt. Alara Kitan, and Lt. Commander John LaMarr.

Those figures and all of the game content comes in a hefty box, with a big clear clamshell on the front showing off the minis and 3D renders of them on the back with a breakdown of the included contents. The gameplay materials are nothing new, and will be quite familiar to veteran HeroClix players, but they’re great for new people. The core rulebook and Powers and Abilities Card has all of the rules and special abilities you need to learn, while the token sheets include objects (for bashing each other!) as well as special terrain like water, hindering, blocking, and even debris. Lastly there’s the old standby of two plain white d6s with black pips. Look for HeroClix Fast Forces for cooler themed dice.

Let’s move on to the figures themselves. Since this is a Starter all on its own you won’t find any other versions of these characters in a booster set, and likewise this is the only place to get these sculpts. All of the figures look great and screen accurate even at their tiny size. All eight members of the Planetary Union are immediately recognizable from the show, and there are some neat little details that really bring them to life. For example, I love the poses they’ve chosen for Bortus, Isaac, and Kitan especially, each one perfectly matching their personalities. Plus, the texture of the Moclan’s bumpy head is excellent.

Some of the others are a bit static, but like with the Star Trek sets we’re looking at starship officers who spend a great deal of their time sitting or standing while exploring and even fighting about their ship. The paint applications are great almost across the board, with vibrant colors on the Planetary Union uniforms, a nice sheen on Isaac, well done faces and eyes, and expertly applied Union emblems. If I had one small issue it’s that Malloy is oddly portly, but I suppose like the camera the HeroClix figure may add ten pounds. Now to decide if I need to customize my Bortus to sport his iconic moustache…

On the tabletop the Orville figures perform much how you’d expect, and compare quite well to the characters in the recent Star Trek Away Team releases. Here they range from the 25 point Dr. Claire Finn to the powerful Kaylon android Isaac at 75 points. The point values are all in multiples of 5 for easier team building, though without secondary starting lines they’re not super customizable. Powers are generally what you’d expect from sci-fi action, with lots of Sidestep and Running Shot, Incapacitate, Willpower, Super Senses, some damage reducers, Leadership, Perplex, and Support. Kitan and Bortus are your dedicated melee bruisers while Isaac can do pretty much anything, and all figures have at least a 5 range.

All the figures have at least one special power or trait, and best of all they all have a way to buff their allies! For example, LaMarr gives his teammates Precision Strike to attack an enemy he damaged first, Grayson lets an ally re-roll Leadership, Shape Change, or Super Senses, and Malloy boosts his friends’ defense. Similar to other shared bonuses we’ve seen lately these will work on any teammates who are adjacent but all Planetary Union friends no matter where they are, so you’re encouraged to play the Orville crew as a team.

You will find a few generic keywords among this bunch too, mainly Scientist and Soldier with Warrior, Police, Robot, and even Deity making appearances. There are tons of references to great lines of dialogue and jokes in the names of the traits and powers on their cards, and Dr. Finn has the ability to generate a Lt Yaphit bystander! Strangely, Malloy does not have the Pilot keyword, and I would’ve expected him to have some way of moving around his friends whether by carrying them or Telekinesis. Maybe in the next Orville set!

Alright, I’ve teased you enough. Want to see their dials? Let’s go!

UPDATE: WizKids has issued an errata for Commander Kelly Grayson.

The included map (single-sided) takes players to the Orville Bridge (indoor). There you’ll find an interesting layout right out of the show with the forward command center, banks of consoles and chairs (hindering terrain), a spiral staircase (blocking terrain), and walled off smaller rooms including the captain’s ready room with a model of the Wright Brothers’ plane on the table, a conference room, and lounge. The forward section is surrounded by special terrain designating the exterior of the ship, and its special rules note that those squares are blocking that can’t be destroyed, moved through, or have markers placed there.

The Orville Starter Set will be available wherever you buy your HeroClix later this month, with an MSRP of $34.99. It’s a little more expensive than other Starters but it also has more figures than usual. Obviously, this pack is a must-have for fans of the Orville TV show, and these are currently the only collectibles of the Orville characters! This set will also appeal strongly to sci-fi HeroClix players who collect and play with the Star Trek expansions, and it’s just plain fun for anyone who plays the game. It’ll be very interesting to see the experiences of new players who grab this as their first foray into HeroClix since it has the rulebook, etc.; I’d love to see it bring new sci-fi fans into the game. If you’re interested in the Orville starter but are not sure where to find HeroClix in your area then check out the WizKids Info Network.

Visit HeroClix.com for even more info as well as downloads of rules and maps, and stay tuned to Figures.com as we continue our reviews of new HeroClix!

Review and photos by Scott Rubin

Review sample courtesy of WizKids Games