HeroClix

HeroClix is a collectible miniatures game that uses the Clix system. Originally designed and produced by WizKids, it is now owned and marketed by NECA. Players construct teams of comic book heroes, villains, and other characters from popular video games such as Street Fighter, Gears of War, and Halo. Build your team to your liking and play out a battle between the teams turn-by-turn on a grid map.

Contents

History

HeroClix utilizes the combat dial system created for Mage Knight, which keeps track of a figure's game statistics via a rotating dial in the base. As the figure suffers damage, the dial is turned to reveal new stats and special abilities. HeroClix was designed to appeal to comic book fans, players of wargames, and collectors. The base set, Marvel's Infinity Challenge was released in 2002. The original HeroClix figures were all from comic books printed by Marvel Comics, but later expanded to include sets from DC Comics and from various independent publishers such as Image Comics and Dark Horse Comics. Later expansions also added new card-based mechanics such as Feats and Battlefield Conditions, expanding the game beyond the addition of new characters. As of March 2009, there are approximately 3,300 different HeroClix figures, maps, and game play items (as listed on the BattlePlanner web site).

The expansions won three awards at the 2002 Origins Awards including Best Science Fiction or Fantasy Game Board Game for Marvel HeroClix: Infinity Challenge.[1]

WizKids had a prize support system for organized tournaments at comic book and hobby shops, as well as regionally and nationally, consisting of special limited edition variant figures given to winners. It is expected that full scale organized play and prize support will resume, now that WizKids has been purchased by NECA. (The new NECA subsidiary will be known as "WizKids".)[2]

List of HeroClix game designers
Person Time
Monte Cook 2002
Jeff Quick 2002
Mike Mulvihill 2002
Jon Leitheusser 2002–2003
Jeff Grubb part of 2003
Jon Leitheusser 2003–2005
Seth Johnson 2005–present
Kelly Bonilla part of 2008

Sale of WizKids

WizKids was acquired by The Topps Company in 2003. Topps later announced that as of November 10, 2008, Wizkids was ceasing production of all its product lines, including HeroClix.[3] Scott Silverstein, CEO of Topps, said “This was an extremely difficult decision. While the company will still actively pursue gaming initiatives, we feel it is necessary to align our efforts more closely with Topps' current sports and entertainment offerings which are being developed within our New York office.” The property was expected to be sold to a 3rd party in May 2009, but the deal failed to close in April 2009.[4][5] Topps was believed to be considering producing the next HeroClix expansion ("Hammer of Thor") under its own banner, (possibly for release at the US GenCon convention) prior to any future sale of the franchise to a third party. While a Marvel license "to manufacture figures and card games" had been acquired by Upper Deck, this license did not specifically relate to HeroClix. Topps still owned all the rights and licenses for all versions of HeroClix, and Justin Ziran of Topps said that the Upper Deck deal would not prejudice the manufacture of further HeroClix product.

There were three companies known to be interested in acquiring the WizKids properties: Catalyst Game Labs, which works primarily on print role playing games; Piñata Games, formed by HeroClix enthusiasts and former Wizkids employees with the primary purpose of buying and continuing the HeroClix line; and a newly-formed third company. However, after Catalyst apparently withdrew, the third company failed to get funding, and Justin Ziran of Piñata joined Topps, NECA announced that it had purchased the majority of the Wizkids properties, including HeroClix, on September 15, 2009.[6][7] As of July 28, 2009, NECA were selling the "Thor's Mighty Chariot" big figure at a convention in America. As this had not been released by Wizkids (although pictures had been seen) prior to Topps closing WizKids down, it came as no surprise that NECA were the purchasers of the brand. The relaunch of HeroClix occurred with the release of "Hammer of Thor" in November 2009.

Gameplay

Each HeroClix figurine is modeled in roughly O scale and has various statistics associated with it:

These statistics are all printed on a dial that serves as the base for the miniature. When a piece takes "damage", its base is turned a number of "clicks" clockwise, revealing altered stats to correspond to the damage it has taken. Most damage weakens characters, although some actually get stronger when wounded, to represent a transformation or rage.

Pieces have point values representing how powerful they are. Opposing teams are restricted to a predetermined total point value, which is usually a multiple of 100.

Near the Number of damage dealt is the range and how many times they can attack, which is shown with a number with one to three lightning bolts next to it.

Battles are played out on maps, overlaid with a grid of 35 mm x 35 mm squares. These maps come in two different sizes 3 ft by 3 ft (36" by 36") or 2 ft by 3 ft (36" by 24") (with the exception of the Marvel Universe Starter Map which was 13 by 13 squares). The maps used are of different locations found in a typical comic book story. The older maps were generic places but recently the maps have taken on more comic-book-specific places, such as the Justice Society Museum.

Rare and chase figures

The rarest figures released for the game include:

Buy It By The Brick figures

Starting with the set "Galactic Guardians," brick figures will no longer be distributed in booster packs or with the purchase of a brick. However, venues will be given "Marquee Figures" which could be used as brick figures or tournament prizes.

Released sets

All the newest sets have also included "Key Words" for each character, which allow comic-specific teams to be constructed, and give such teams a slight advantage versus non "themed teams". These have now been extended to all previously released sets, giving a list of "keywords" for all existing characters, via an Adobe document available from the Wizkids site.

DC

Indy

Marvel

Other universes

Street Fighter, Gears of War, Halo, and Lord of the Rings all count as their own Universes, for the purposes of tournaments. All figures from all sets are mutually compatible, except Star Trek, and can be played in the same game in the Golden Age rules. While none of them, along with sets under the Indy brand, can be played in a Modern Age tournaments as the rules excludes anything not under the DC and Marvel brand. Street Fighter is expected to be made Modern Age-compatible when the 2012 Heroclix Rulebook is published (announced at the 2011 Alliance Open House).

Teams

Marvel teams

DC teams

Indy teams

Convention exclusive figures

The following figures were generally only available at comic book or gaming conventions, but in January 2007, WizKids announced that a selection of these figures would be available through general retail.

There are currently three different versions of Foom - the standard Green version, the much rarer Orange Limited Edition (Only at San Diego Comic Con and Essen Spiel'07), and the "Purple Pants" Foom (Only available at Venues participating in the 2008 Wizkids Convention Weekend).

A repainted version of the Galactus figure was released alongside the Avengers set (again, as a Tournament exclusive), as were new versions of Terrax, Firelord, and Silver Surfer, as well as Stardust who had not had a figure previously. Players should note that there are several printing errors on the Firelord dial (He is missing three clicks of Toughness, followed by three clicks of Energy Shield/Deflection).

Starro the Conqueror was released in October 2007 (Tournament exclusive, linked to the Justice League release), as well as Starro-controlled versions of Aquaman, Green Arrow, Green Lantern and Flash.

(see Announcement)

Thor's Mighty Chariot was released in July 2009 via the NECA Company at ComicCon in the USA. It came in Wizkids packaging, although it had not been released at the time of Wizkids closure. A release date of August 15, 2009 was given for its general market release, and it was generally available from September 2009 onwards.

The 18" tall "Big" version of Dr Manhattan from Watchmen was released in 2010 at the San Diego Comic-Con convention.

Other large figures

These large figures were available for purchase – all are on a 2x2 round base

Collector sets

Starter sets

The Infinity Challenge, Hypertime and Indy starter sets contained random characters from the full set. The Premiere sets contained specific figures. Starting with Universe, Starter sets contained collectible figures not found in boosters.

Action packs

WizKids is releasing action packs, themed sets of figures, as well as maps and cards, which are available via retail outlets.

HorrorClix crossover products

The WizKids HorrorClix game was designed in a similar way to HeroClix, however, it had only a limited compatibility with HeroClix. WizKids produced products that are compatible with both gaming systems but HorrorClix figures are not tournament-legal for HeroClix.

Limited edition figures

Marvel Zombie figures

Four Ultra-rare chase figures are available in 1 out of every 100 Marvel HeroClix Supernova boosters: Colonel America, Wolverine, Spider-Man, and Hulk. These are technically the first dual-branded figures as they appear in a HeroClix set yet come packed with HorrorClix monster cards, making them fully compatible. Although further Zombies appeared in the 2007 set Mutations and Monsters, the original four figures were not reprinted. These 4 figures may be used in both HeroClix and Horrorclix games.

Action packs

Indy HeroClix

Hellboy/B.P.R.D.

This action pack has seven figures, which may be used in both HeroClix and HorrorClix. The Figures include Hellboy, Abe Sapien, Liz Sherman, Hellbaby, Johann Kraus, Roger the Homunculus, and Captain Ben Daimio. It should be noted that a production error resulted in Johan Kraus being misrepresented as a flyer, and with some numbers missing from both his and Liz Sherman's dials. There was a replacement policy in place for the former.

References

  1. ^ "Origins Award Winners (2002)". Academy of Adventure Gaming Arts & Design. Archived from the original on 2008-05-14. http://web.archive.org/web/20080514043220/http://www.originsgamefair.com/awards/2002/list-of-winners. Retrieved 2008-08-15. 
  2. ^ http://wizkidsgames.com/
  3. ^ http://www.wizkidsgames.com/wk_article.asp?cid=41914
  4. ^ http://www.icv2.com/articles/news/14740.html
  5. ^ http://www.wizkidsgames.com/wk_article.asp?cid=41914 Topps announcement on closing of Wizkids
  6. ^ http://catalystgamelabs.com/2008/11/17/catalyst-game-labs-submits-offer-for-wizkids-properties/#comments Catalyst Games bid announcement
  7. ^ http://www.icv2.com/articles/news/13760.html icv2.com article on Piñata Games
  8. ^ http://heroclix.com/blog/2010/10/12/news-from-the-alliance-games-open-house/
  9. ^ "WizKids: Two Games to Rule Them All". http://wizkidsgames.com/blog/2011/01/18/two-games-to-rule-them-all/. Retrieved 2011-02-03. 

External links