ADVANCE LOOK: WizKids Games DC HeroClix Superman / Wonder Woman Release OP Kit

[Malevolus]

New 52 Action Comics Debut Superman & Thematic Map...

HeroClix players have enjoyed a summer full of Marvel Comics releases, but now November brings a huge new DC expansion that already has the fan base buzzing with excitement. With not one but TWO headlining fan-favorites Superman/Wonder Woman is chock full of fun heroes and villains including several versions of both of its titular characters and great sub-themes like the Justice League Elite, Olympian characters, and more. Plus, the new set features the return of the Super Booster with a series of colossal characters! Along with the booster set Superman/Wonder Woman has a Fast Forces pack celebrating the characters of Earth 2, Dice & Token packs, and a Release Organized Play Kit for stores to run events like sealed tournaments. Today we’ll be looking at that brick and mortar-exclusive pack featuring a Limited Edition New 52 Action Comics Superman figure and a new double-sided map!

While the main Superman/Wonder Woman booster set has lots of different Superman figures, WizKids saved one recent incarnation for this pack. One of the headlining revamps of 2011’s New 52 was the update of DC Comics’ venerable Action Comics. Grant Morrison and Rags Morales told the tale of a young Clark Kent and his rookie adventures well before his inclusion in the Justice League. Other than the age and demeanor of the character the book was notable for its redesign of Superman’s early costume, this time consisting of sturdy boots, jeans with patches on the knees, a blue t-shirt with red and yellow “S” logo, and a red cape. That look is fully captured in the Superman/Wonder Woman LE Superman figure.

An inspiring hero making his way in a new world, Superman stands tall in a classic defiant pose, erect with his fists at his waist, chest puffed out, and head cocked to one side as he listens for trouble. Of course, this figure mixes one of the Man of Steel’s iconic poses with the New 52 costume, and all of the details are there. As a young man he doesn’t have a huge physique (yet) but he’s still muscular and shows off his arms. Superman’s clothing also has creases and seams, with lots of details in particular on the pants on belt. His subtle cape looks cool too with the slight billow and lots of texture. Clark has a pretty light skin tone that contrasts nicely with his black hair, dark blue shirt, and bright red cape. The figure looks good and captures a very specific snapshot of the character that was controversial and noteworthy.

With a whole slew of Superman figures in this new set WizKids has lots of opportunities to give the players unique takes on the Man of Steel, and this one is a great example of that. The young Superman is 150 points (great for team building at half of your team in a standard game) with the Superman Ally team ability, flight, Indomitable, a good 7 range with one target, and a powerhouse trait called “Hide as Clark.” Capturing the character at the start of his heroic career the figure starts out moderately strong and only gets more powerful as his dial progresses. He starts with average numbers and a standard close combat assortment of powers: Charge, Super Strength, and Invulnerability. Superman’s stats remain frozen until click #5, one notch past his shift to ranged combat with Running Shot, Penetrating/Psychic Blast, and Impervious! The end of his dial sees all of his numbers spike until on his last regular click (#7) he’s rocking a 12 movement Hypersonic Speed, 11 attack with Super Strength, 19 defense Impervious, and 4 damage with Shape Change. Now let’s look at that trait. “Hide as Clark” says that once per game when Superman has two tokens you can give him a free action to turn him to click #11. There he has middling stats (as his alter ego) with Incapacitate and two special powers; one lets you prevent a nearby enemy from using free actions and another that spins Superman back onto his regular dial when he takes damage! Done at the right time, “Hide” can extend this figure’s life and get him back in the game like crazy. Superman has to work a little harder for theme teams at the beginning of his career with only the keywords Kryptonian, Metropolis, and Reporter.

In addition to the Superman figure the Release Day kit includes a new double-sided map so you can play all of the cool figures in the set on thematic battlegrounds! On one side is the mythological Mount Olympus, an outdoor map that features some fairly standard elements like lower elevations in the starting areas and a large central blocking terrain feature. However, Olympus mixes it up with a diagonal theme including starting areas in opposite corners! Statuary provides some hindering and blocking terrain, and the center of the map is comprised of special “Temple of Mount Olympus” orange squares that are blocking which can’t be destroyed or replaced, even by characters with Improved Movement or Targeting that destroys that type of terrain.

The other side of the map brings the fight to Metropolis and the Daily Planet building! The indoor/outdoor map depicts an upper floor of the building with about two-thirds of the map inside the newspaper offices and the rest outside on the balcony and open air. The symmetrical office space has large pods of desks and copiers/fax machines for lots of hindering terrain, and in the center is a large office with desk and chairs. Outside there’s more hindering terrain from plants, and the map is interesting for having no blocking, elevated, or water terrain. There are two different types of special features on the Daily Planet map. The first consists of “Open Air” squares running down the long edge of the map that’s outside; this type of terrain that we’ve seen on previous maps drops characters who can’t fly, damaging them and returning them to their starting areas. There are also “Glass Walls” around the central office and the borders between the indoor and outdoor areas; they are walls that don’t block line of fire and are destroyed when attacks pass through them.

The Superman/Wonder Woman Release OP Kit is only available to brick and mortar stores, and participating in events at your local HeroClix venue is the only way to get your hands on this cool Action Comics Superman and the dual battlefields of the Daily Planet and Mount Olympus. Make sure your favorite comic book/game store has the Kit on order as it hits stores next month alongside the full booster set!

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 Samples Courtesy of WizKids Games

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