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REVIEW: WizKids DC HeroClix Flash Expansion Set
Flashes, Speedsters, Rogues, And Lots More Cool Figures...
As the year comes to a close WizKids Games has come full circle with one last HeroClix expansion set, this time returning to DC Comics. If you’ve been keeping track, 2014 began with DC’s Superman and the Legion of Super-Heroes before bringing Marvel’s Deadpool, then the tournament series War of Light, and finally two Guardians of the Galaxy sets (plus there were even more small releases!). Now HeroClix players are feeling the need for speed... and they’re getting that need met by the Flash! One of the most character-specific expansions to date, the Flash set is chock full of Flashes and other speedsters as well as the traditional villains of the red-suited runners, the Rogues. Add to that some cool sub-themes like A.R.G.U.S., Authority, and Flashpoint and you’ve got something really special. Plus, Flash also has great new mechanics for speed (and countering it) plus popular SwitchClix chases and much more. Read on to find out all of the Flash Facts about this latest HeroClix expansion!
Over the years WizKids has evolved how they do thematic expansions, and it’s always interesting to see how close one sticks to the titular character or team. Sometimes it’s fairly loose and there a lot of sub-themes, while at other times there are tons of allies and enemies of one particular hero. When it was announced that a Flash set was on the way, many players expected it to be one of the former; sure there would be some speedsters and Rogues but probably a lot of other unconnected stuff as well. Lo and behold this set digs deep into the Flash pantheon of characters, fully celebrating the legacy of that name and the characters who have used it plus their many friends and enemies from Golden Age to modern day New 52. As with the other releases this year, Flash came in five-figure boosters (in bricks of ten) plus a ten-figure Primer Gravity Feed with single-figure packs featuring re-used sculpts with new dials and the Rogues Fast Forces pack with six figures and new maps. WizKids also tried out something new with Flash; instead of a full Organized Play kit there was a “Release Day” kit with one new (and very cool) Flash-themed 3D object and maps. We’ll start by taking a look at the full booster set, breaking down the figures you’ll find in 18 commons, 17 uncommons, 17 rares, 13 super rares, and 3 chases.
With such a close-knit theme all of the figures in Flash fall into one of the following categories: dudes named “Flash,” other heroic speedsters, evil speedsters, Rogues, general Flash villains, A.R.G.U.S. agents, Authority members, generic mooks, special additions, Flashpoint, and Trinity of Sin. If that sounds like a lot to you, take a look at some other recent sets and see if you can narrow them down that much! Starting with the commons we’ll find most of those categories including some themes that will extend throughout the set. Right off the bat we’ve got the Flash (in this case Jay Garrick) along with his Prime counterpart in the evil speedster Rival. Jay has back up with fellow runners Max Mercury, Jesse Quick, and XS, while the Rogues start off strong with Chillblaine, Captain Boomerang (Owen Mercer, also an evil speedster), Trickster (Axel Walker), and Girder. The few generics in Flash are found in these most pulled figures with the A.R.G.U.S. Agent, Central City Police Officer, S.T.A.R. Labs Technician, Gorilla City Soldier, and Samuroid with Mob Rule straddling the line between generic and Flash villain since you can play as many duplicates of him as you like. The commons end with two Authority members (Doctor and Swift), a trend we’ll see at each rarity level until the chases!
Moving into the uncommons we find more of the same themes with great character selections starting with the long-awaited first ever figure of Steve Trevor (an A.R.G.U.S. Agent if you’re following along at home)! He’s followed by the next Flash, this time Barry Allen, whose Prime version is a Flavor Flav-looking Bizarro Flash. There are no fewer than NINE Rogues to give the Flash trouble at this rarity level with a fantastic new Mirror Master, Pied Piper, Trickster (James Jesse), Captain Boomerang (Digger Harkness), The Top, Golden Glider, Rainbow Raider, New 52 Daniel West Reverse-Flash, and Tar Pit! A few more villains fill out the uncommons with the unique and unexpected Fiddler, Thorn, and awesome Flash adversary Turtle before we get to the end... which means two more Authority members featuring Jenny Quantum and Jack Hawksmoor.
Leading off the rares is an honorary A.R.G.U.S. member in the new, svelte version of Amanda Waller (the logo is on her clipboard!) before we get to young speedster heroes from the future Impulse and the Tornado Twins. The third Flash is appropriately Wally West in a powerful new figure, and his Prime is his path-not-taken mirror version in the Dark Flash. Feel a hankering for more Rogues? Rares have you covered with some of the most famous and popular including Captain Cold, Dr. Alchemy, Weather Wizard, Heat Wave, and Murmur. Evil speedsters get more of their due here too with long-awaited Savitar and a new version of the creepy Zoom who will make you better.
The category of “special additions” was made for the rares with two unique figures - the DC Fan Vote winner Etrigan the Demon and Harley Quinn as designed by 2013 Golden Age HeroClix World Champion Jake Williams! Authority adds to its ranks the most famous members and awesome couple Apollo and Midnighter.
Harkening back to the commons, the elite super rares start off with a Flash, but this time it’s an epic update on the Kingdom Come version of Wally! In the race for dominance he’s challenged by both Professor Zoom and Zoom, the former crossing over into Flashpoint and the latter his Prime alternate sculpt. Also from the epic universe-shattering Flashpoint event are the similar but different takes on Deathstroke (a pirate!) and Captain Thunder (Shazam). By this point the Rogues have begun to peter out adding only Abra Kadabra and Magenta, but they’re backed up by cool villains with the first ever Cobalt Blue and the latest incarnations of Gorilla Grodd and Shade. The Flash standard figures close out with two interesting and powerful ladies of the Authority: Engineer and Jenny Sparks!
Until this year’s Marvel sets, chases were usually based on a subtheme that fell under the main set in some way. Deadpool and Guardians of the Galaxy changed up that tradition with SwitchClix chases in their own world, and that’s sort of what’s going on here in the Flash with the Trinity of Sin. While they don’t have a specific connection to Flash, the trio of Pandora, Phantom Stranger, and the Question were integral parts of last year’s DC Comics Trinity War event... and that’s coming to HeroClix in 2015. So, these three are somewhat of a preview for that set as well as SwitchClix that can swap out their previous versions on the Trinity of Sin team base. And while many people assumed that these would be repaints, they’re actually three new sculpts!
With a set full of speedsters and their often flamboyant and flashy enemies it should come as no surprise that there are quite a lot of amazing looking figures in Flash. WizKids has really stepped in up when it comes to capturing the sculpts of the various Flashes and their enemies, and the use of speed trails and duplicate effects is here is pretty awesome. Even the Flash who’s standing still (Barry), radiates a trail of Speed Force energy and lightning, and the others just up the ante! All of them look great, but it’s the Kingdom Come Flash that takes the cake with his wall of constantly moving duplicates melded together; on the villain side you’ve got even more cool effects on figures culminating in the visibly vibrating Zoom and the hurtling Professor Zoom. There’s some truly great texture work in Flash with the padded armor of the Samuroid, melty and burned skins of Tar Pit and Heat Wave respectively, and of course the armor and demonic skin of Etrigan. And while there are amazing sculpts in the upper echelons of the set like super rare Captain Thunder flying into a column of lightning, there’s great stuff to be found in every booster from the sleek armored forms of the A.R.G.U.S. Agent and Mob Rule as well as the dynamic Trickster in the commons to the laid back Top spinning within his energy vortex in the uncommons and the rare Weather Wizard wielding his staff to call down the storm. As always, special care has gone into making the chases exemplary figures, and the Trinity of Sin members rock super detailed sculpts with the Question standing out in particular.
As with the great sculpts, the Flash set notably has a plethora of bright and colorful paint jobs befitting the weird and wacky characters contained therein. A quick glance at the full group shows off a lot of red and yellow which basically covers the Flashes, Zooms, and more. All of the speedsters have translucent speed effects of varying shapes and sizes, but they all look cool. One of the best is that on Rival, the common Prime, with a multi-colored translucent effect that extends throughout the figure itself! Other interesting figures incorporating clear plastic include Reverse-Flash who erupts from an energy rift, Captain Cold with his subtle translucent frozen fists, the dynamic magical energy sword and wings of Cobalt Blue, and the gradations of Phantom Stranger as he phases into existence. It’s hard to pick out favorites when it comes to paint in this set because so much is so good, but a few particular examples of cool details include the writing on Girder to break up his solid metal look, the extreme colorfulness of Rainbow Raider, common Trickster’s metal arm, and Jenny Sparks’ perfectly rendered Union Jack t-shirt. Two figures I absolutely have to call out in particular are Fallout for his amazing etched nervous system on top of his clear body and the fantastic new Mirror Master with an actual mirror!
I like to take a look at new and unique game mechanics that a set adds, and with Flash that can pretty easily be summed up in one term: Speed Force! Appearing on all of the true speedsters (and notably NOT Hunter Zolomon’s Zoom who actually has time control powers), the basic Speed Force trait applies a token to the character’s card when it moves and hits. Speedsters increase their speed by the number of tokens on their cards, and that’s just the tip of the iceberg with unique traits and special powers utilizing them all over the place! Jay can drop a token to Flurry, Max heals from them, several characters gain tremendous powers with more and more tokens on their cards, Professor Zoom can remove 10 tokens to gain an extra turn, and more. Other than speed, there are other cool features like Mirror Master and Mob Rule fielding multiples and switching between themselves. The Tornado Twins, Captain Thunder, and the Rogues’ Pied Piper can create bystanders. Improved Movement and Targeting make appearances, as do stop clicks, multiple starting point costs, and other current favorites.
Beyond the previously discussed Speed Force traits and special powers, etc., there’s an awful lot of unique and game-breaking stuff going on in this set. As you’d expect, a lot has to do with movement - both increasing and decreasing it. Speedsters have all sorts of cool ways to get around with Improved Movement and more, but the Rogues and villains are here to put a stop to it. In addition to lots of Plasticity, Smoke Cloud, and the generation of hindering terrain, you’ve got things like Tar Pit’s “Trapped in Tar” trait applying Living Tar tokens that reverse the Speed Force and “Living Asphalt” power to lay down Tar markers plus Captain Cold’s “Frozen Field,” Turtle’s trait hurting characters who move 5 squares or more, and plenty more. There’s a counter for everything, and speedsters are going to have a challenge with a field full of limitations. Other interesting and fun stuff include XS’ “Last-Second Save” to pick up friendlies in the middle of a move, Rainbow Raider’s color/power draining, “Power Like the Seasons” give Weather Wizard random powers and abilities, KC Flash’s incredible multi-attacks, Deathstroke penalizing enemy Carriers with “Take Their Vessel!,” and Engineer’s ability to switch out powers every turn with “9 Pints of Liquid Machinery for Blood.” Both “special addition” characters have fun abilities with Etrigan able to switch from demon to human form and back to heal and Harley’s nomination of a “Puddin’” whom she buffs... and then she hulks up when he’s KO’d!
Looking for even more Flash? Beyond the five figure booster set there’s a few more related products to fulfill your Speed Force craving starting with the Primer Gravity Feed. Single-figure blind boosters bring you a selection of ten figures from the main set with new dials and point costs featuring The Flash (Jay), The Flash (Barry), Max Mercury, Central City Police Captain, A.R.G.U.S. Researcher, Captain Boomerang (Owen), Golden Glider, Rag Doll, Gorilla City Commander, and Mob Rule. This is a great way to get alternate versions of your favorite characters for more options in your games, especially with the two Flashes bringing more powerful dials than their main set counterparts. In addition, this Mob Rule has a really cool trait that lets him spawn more versions of himself (either this one or the main set version) when damaged!
Meanwhile, the Fast Forces pack for the Flash brings you the Rogues, a six pack of figures again keeping the sculpts from the main set but giving them new dials. In this case Captain Cold, Captain Boomerang (Digger), Mirror Master, Weather Wizard, Heat Wave, and Pied Piper are each 75 points for easy and customizable team building! This pack also comes with an awesome two-sided map; one features a Central City Park and the other the Flash Museum. If you have two these maps can be connected end to end, and both feature “statue” imagery of real HeroClix figures!
Lastly, instead of a full Organized Play kit the Flash had a “Release Day” kit with more maps and a 3D special object of the unique Flash item the Cosmic Treadmill. A great looking miniature, the Treadmill sits on the board until a figure hops on; you then roll 2d6 and add your speed and if the result is high enough all of your figures remove tokens and you can use Probability Control! The kit’s map features another side-by-side connecting duo of Central City and Keystone City meeting at the bridge between them.
DC fans and Flash lovers everywhere are grabbing up as much of this set as they can, and for good reason. The character selection is awesome, there are tons of fun figures, and they look great. It’s also a great introductory set for new players who may be watching the Flash TV show. True, there are no figures specifically based on those versions of the characters, but players will recognize names and power sets like Barry Allen, Girder, Rainbow Raider, Captain Cold, etc. They’ll even wonder at the multiple evil speedsters in yellow suits and what that could mean... Your local comic book shop should have Flash boosters (both five figure and single-figure Gravity Feed) and the Rogues Fast Forces, but it never hurts to call ahead and make sure.
Visit HeroClix.com for even more info as well as downloads of rules and maps, and check Figures.com regularly as we continue our reviews of new HeroClix!
Review and photos by Scott Rubin
Review samples courtesy of WizKids Games
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