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ADVANCE LOOK: DC Comics HeroClix Earth 2 The Wonders Of The World Fast Forces Pack
Latest Incarnation Of Legacy Heroes From A Parallel World...
While the full booster sets of new HeroClix expansions get the most attention, the side products are also super cool and give players a ton of options for building teams and celebrating their favorite characters. Unleashing upon the world in November is the latest DC HeroClix set from WizKids Games, Superman/Wonder Woman, and alongside the full set is the new Fast Forces pack: Earth 2 The Wonders of the World! Perfect for new players and veterans alike, Fast Forces sets include six figures with complementary point values so you can easily build a team (or teams) right out of the box and start playing. With the Wonders set you get half a dozen of the premiere heroes from the New 52’s Earth 2 with sculpts drawn from the Superman/Wonder Woman set and featuring all new and different dials. Check out Superman II (Val-Zod), Batman II (Thomas Wayne), Green Lantern (Alan Scott), Hawkgirl (Kendra Munoz-Saunders), Red Tornado (Lois Lane), and Doctor Fate (Khalid Ben-Hassin), plus a Helmet of Fate special object!
WizKids has standardized the Fast Forces packaging and the pack bringing players the Wonders doesn’t deviate. The tall clamshell is instantly recognizable, and you can see all six figures and the object clearly so you know what you’re getting. Behind the figures is a fairly plain red backdrop, though the rest of the pack has some very cool art from the Earth 2 comic book. The insert at the front features a shot of Val-Zod looking tough, and he’s joined on the side of the pack by Green Lantern unleashing some emerald energy. The back panel has an awesome image of Earth 2 Batman swinging into action along with info on the pack’s contents and how the figures can build teams of 300, 400, or 500 points. There’s even a basic rules sheet inside to help get new players into the game!
The parallel “Earth 2” of DC Comics has been around a very long time, and it’s been the home to some incredible characters like the older Kal-L Superman, Alan Scott’s magic-powered Green Lantern, Jay Garrick’s winged helmet-wearing Flash, the diminutive Atom Al Pratt, and many more. In 2011 DC Comics relaunched their universe with the New 52, and shortly thereafter debuted an entirely new and different Earth 2 populated by familiar names in brand new incarnations. Fighting against the forces of Apokolips after the deaths of Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman was a new breed of hero, men and women who stood up and were counted as “Wonders of the World.” These included a rough and rugged Batman using the drug Miraclo for strength (Bruce’s father Thomas), the Green Lantern empowered by the spirit of the Earth and life (Alan Scott), a pacifist Kryptonian newly released from captivity (Val-Zod, aka Superman II), a pistol-packing treasure-hunter given wings (Kendra Saunders’ Hawkgirl), the mind and soul of Lois Lane transferred into a powerful robot body (Red Tornado), and a troubled Egyptian man bonded to the mystical Helm of Nabu (Khalid Ben-Hassin).
The Wonders of the World is a group of very disparate heroes coming from different places on this world and others. And with their unique backgrounds and power sources they couldn’t be more different looking, and the Fast Forces pack celebrates that with six very cool figures that look just like the characters in the comic book. Khalid’s Doctor Fate summons the power of the Lords of Order with his arms spread wide and cape billowing; his ornate helmet and armor are bright gold contrasting with deep blue on his costume. With powers over air the robotic Red Tornado flies on a swirling whirlwind, Lois’ metal body with familiar red color and yellow pattern appearing from the waist up over a translucent red column. Hawkgirl doesn’t mess around, dual wielding pistols on two feet as she prepares to leap into the air with her intricately sculpted wings. Green Lantern stands firm against threats to the Earth in his costume of multiple green hues, his left hand held up and a translucent energy construct manifesting from his ring. Taking his cues from his son, Thomas Wayne stands like a dark sentinel against crime with a bat-inspired costume though he differentiates himself with somber red trim and bat symbol. Finally the new Superman wears an update on the iconic Man of Steel’s costume in blue and white with a stunning red and silver “S” logo!
Team building is very interesting with this set, not least of which because the Wonders of the World have their own brand new Alternate Team Ability. As printed on each of their cards, the ATA costs 5 points per figure and lets characters heal their allies at the cost of their own health. A great introductory 300 point team would be Green Lantern, Batman II, Red Tornado, and Hawkgirl (all with the ATA), or you could swap out the attacker GL for a more supportive Doctor Fate on his lower point level. If you’re heading into a 400 point game you can go with a more hard-hitting force of Superman II, Green Lantern, Doctor Fate at 95, and Batman II (all with the ATA), and you have the option of switching out Thomas’ stealthy fighting for Red Tornado’s flying and Smoke Cloud. If you’re sitting down to an even bigger 500 point game then you can really load up on Wonders with full point Doctor Fate, Superman II, Green Lantern, Hawkgirl, and either Batman II or Red Tornado!
The best part of Fast Forces for fans of the characters is that they present more options for playing them with new dials, traits, powers, and even battlefield roles. Batman II gets a 10 point upgrade from his main set version, clocking in at 70 points with Indomitable, a slightly different power set with Precision Strike and evasion powers, and a cool stop click that gives adjacent allies Defend and lets Batman push off of it into final Miraclo-powered clicks for a free action! The Fast Forces Doctor Fate is also beefier with a 170 point dial (and 95 point starting line) that lets him start the game with the Helmet of Fate and gives him benefits for using it. This Khalid has a full dial of Phasing/Teleport, some Energy Explosion, hefty special powers on his front dial giving him Impervious, Willpower, extended Enhancement and Empower, and even a rules-breaking re-roll ability. Green Lantern sees the biggest change; his main set counterpart is a 180 point mobile gun while the Fast Forces version is a lean 95 point secondary ranged attacker and team player with the Green Lantern Corps team ability, Leadership that can remove tokens from higher point adjacent allies, and late-dial Support.
WizKids definitely had a challenge in translating Val-Zod into a game piece what with his huge potential tempered by his captivity and philosophy. The main set Superman II is 150 points who gets more aggressive down his dial while the Fast Forces version is 120 points with a “Bizarro” style dial that sees every stat increasing as he takes damage and on top of that he has a trait giving him enhanced abilities as he takes damage; starting on click #3 he has Flight and from #7 on he has Indomitable! Fast Forces Red Tornado is 25 points more affordable at 70 points trading Indomitable, Sidestep, and Telekinesis for a full dial of Force Blast and Smoke Cloud (with special effects), some amped up Super Senses, Shape Change, and a final pair of clicks that are solid purple (like previous Red Tornado figures). The new Hawkgirl is the greatest steal at only 45 points with Flight, traited Sidestep that takes her 3 squares if she has no tokens, Charge, Flurry, and layered defenses.
In addition to the six figures the Wonders of the World Fast Forces pack comes with a new special object that DC fans have been waiting for, the Helmet of Fate! Also known as the Helm of Nabu, this mystical headwear links its wearer to that Lord of Order and acts as a conduit for his power and influence. While it grants the user fantastic power it also makes him or her a vessel for Nabu’s possession in varying degrees. In HeroClix the Helmet is a very nicely crafted little piece, with the object of mystery atop a small pillar. There’s translucent plastic in the middle of the stand and below the helmet to make it look like it’s floating, and bright gold and a burnished bronze on the two sections look great. The object costs 7 points and can be equipped via a power action by a character (put on its card) to provide the use of Incapacitate, Mind Control, and Penetrating/Psychic Blast. However, any time the character uses one of these powers and hits it gets a Host token and you must roll a d6 and subtract the number of Host tokens. If the result is too low the Helmet is removed from your character and placed in the square of a hit target! Note that the Doctor Fate in this pack has a trait that lets him start the game with this object equipped for free, AND he removes a Host token when he clears so he’s more likely to keep it longer.
So there you have it, another awesome HeroClix Fast Forces pack from WizKids. The Wonders of the World are going to interest two key groups: fans of the characters and the Earth 2 comic book and players who want to utilize these figures and the special object. I’d recommend any HeroClix player give this set a look as the dials are fun and interesting and the figures look very good. Remember that all six characters are also in the main Superman/Wonder Woman booster set with different dials along with other Earth 2 characters Accountable, Huntress, Power Girl, Brutaal, and the colossal Atom you can find in a super booster! The Wonders of the World Fast Forces and the main Superman/Wonder Woman set will be available wherever HeroClix are sold on November 4th.
Visit HeroClix.com for even more info as well as downloads of rules and maps and a Store Locator, and check Figures.com regularly as we continue our reviews of new HeroClix!
Review and Photos by Scott Rubin
Review Sample Courtesy of WizKids Games
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