Top Ten best Women of Heroclix

First, let me say this was no easy task. How I made these selections, was to take all the female characters and separate then into "point classes". Then I had to compare what all the figures offered for their perspective points. I also considered how long dials were, traits, some popularity via players, and their stats. Finally I also considered how many ways the character could be played, as in how many versions are out there. Some of this list is obvious, the rest will surprise you. In any case, while opinions vary, you're sure to enjoy playing these beauties:

10: ORACLE: From Legacy, this 27 point gal offers some serious strategic power. The drawback is that you have to play her card with her to get the most of it. That can make her a point sink and a half for most small teams. Still, the access to leadership, outwit or perplex along with altering combat values by +1 is nothing to sneeze at. Being golden age and a bit costly puts Oracle at number ten.

9: GHOST WIDOW: From City of Villains. For 54 points, this spider-lady has a lot to offer. She's basically a mystic with her team ability, she has phasing at 9 spaces, poison, support and an 18 defense. Her points give her perfect room for a feat card, Armor Piercing, to make her poison hit home. She may have a short dial, but if you don't take her down right away, you will get bit.

8: DOMINO: From Giant Sized Xmen for 69 points. Stealth, 8 range, high defense from range, and 3 damage with probability control are what she has to offer. Oh, but lets not forget her special power, Lucky Shot, that increases damage to a critical hit by 3 instead of 1! She's a great background piece that supports her team nicely. When not in hiding, she gets running shot and super senses. Nice arrangement of powers and the Xmen team ability lends it's own support.

7: SPIDER-GIRL: From Secret Invasion for 77 points, this lady is a warrior. Her special powers load her for bear with charge, running shot, and leap climb in a single power. Incap and force blast on another and super senses with combat reflexes together on defense. It would be better if she had super strength on open but she does gain it later along with exploit weakness. The Spider-man team ability helps her use any team ability on your force, making her very team flexible.

6: STORM: Giant Sized Xmen brought us the best Storm ever! For 86 points she has great range and damage that increases on an outdoor area of map. Just click through her dial for a great arrangement of powers to include telekinesis! Storm is epic and fits beautifully into any team arrangement.

5: BLACK ALICE: From DC75th for 94 points. Black Alice is truly dangerous. She has the probability control with 3 damage to start her off, like Domino. But she has a nasty special power. She can outwit any standard power and then use it for herself! Phasing gets her into position to do this really fast and her defense at range is 19! Add that to being a mystic and it hurts to hurt her! Black Alice is a thorny adversary and worthy of the mid spot on this list.

4: MOON DRAGON: From Hammer of Thor for 134 points. Mind control, 10 range, psychic blast and super senses, start out this cosmic lady of the Infinity Watch. If that's not enough for you, she changes mid dial into a giant dragon with powers to match. That includes running shot, 3 damage, and an 18 defense with toughness. She also has perplex and telekinesis along the way. Well stocked for her points, though an extra click of life or two would be nice. Still, that's a lot of power in just 8 clicks.

3: SUPERGIRL: For this, I chose the 178 point version from Crisis. You could just as easily play the 200 point version Legion of Superheroes and do just as much damage if not more. They both have hypersonic speed, super strength, and impervious with some shooting range for heat vision. And which is better, the Superman team ability or ability to copy it for just 22 points more? Mystic opponent? She'll smack them with a dumpster, take her click and probably knock out the mystic in the process. And she'll still be dangerous.

2: WONDER WOMAN: You can pretty much take your pick of all the current versions of Wonder Woman, they're all mean. Arkham Asylum gave us a Wonder Woman for 248 points with charge, super strength, a 12 attack, 5 damage, impervious and indomitable (built in willpower). The fact she can also incap two figures adjacent to each other is just cake. Of course, she would rather just crush them. Just about any Wonder Woman you can play today, can hold her own in point value on this list and win. Yes, range is her enemy, but at 10 opening movement with charge, it won't take her long to close the gap. Her 12 attack laughs at your 19 defense and her incap works at a range of 6. Heck, play the white lantern and don't worry about the range. Feel like being brutal today? Wonder Woman is the way to go.

1: PHOENIX: I'm not talking about a colossal, but you have to admit, she's the only woman with a colossal figure out there. Two of them actually. Giant Sized Xmen gives us a Phoenix for 297 points with a trait, hypersonic speed, 10 range, 3 targets, telekinesis, impervious, and 5 damage just to kick things off. Her trait will save her life once per game and her ability to heal when she uses support on someone else is just awesome. She can stand alone against 300 points and I've seen her do it. Down her dial she gains psychic blast while still at 4 damage and perplex. Not only that, but the Power Cosmic team ability gives her willpower and protects her from outwit. It's this combination and all the ways that Jean Grey can be played, along with being a Colossal in two forms, that make this the most powerful woman in heroclix. It's why she's HOT and NUMBER ONE.

Ten of the best heroclix traits ever

When they started adding "traits" to heroclix game pieces, they changed the face of the game forever. I think it's the most innovative change they made since Hammer of Thor. Better even than "white" powers.

A trait is a special ability signified with a star emblem on the card and dial. A trait is always in effect or available for use (unless stated otherwise on the card). Traits are the most powerful effect you can find on a dial because (as of yet) very little can cancel them.

Team abilities can be cancelled and virtually any power can be outwitted. Even feat cards can be stopped if the pre-requisite is messed with. I have gone through my entire collection and selected my own choices for the top ten best of traits ever. I had some pre-requisites about my choices.

1: 150 points or less: This is in order to fit in those 300 point teams. Awesome for low points, is hard to argue against right?

2: Benefit to team: Just being able to use a power is hardly the coolest you can do and this list should prove that. I do choose a couple of self serving traits, but mostly I wanted to select those that affect more than one figure.

So, lets' check out the list!

10: HARRY LELAND: Mass Increase: "Opposing characters within 4 squares of Harry Leland can't be given actions to use Charge, Running Shot, or Hypersonic Speed and halve their speed values when given a move action."

Harry is quite possibly the best tie up piece ever. He may not hit hard, but that really isn't his job. He slows people down so his buddies can hit them. For all he lacks in numeric stats he does have a nice 18 defense. Not bad for some fat dude that just stands there, eh? His 53 point cost is worth the effect, even if you lose him, he does his job to set up your opponents. Just have a heavy watching over and waiting to step in. And before you say his range for the power stinks, put him on the map and count spaces. Four in each direction means nine in a row. Finally, note that it says NOTHING about line of sight. To me, that means "works through walls".

9: LEECH: Power Negation: "Other characters within 6 squares can't be given power actions."

You know where Leech needs to be? Right next to Harry, that's where. Leech may affect your team too, but he doesn't cancel traits. Also, he doesn't cancel all powers, just "power actions". Not all powers require them. For that matter, what this trait stops is; charge, mind control, force blast, hypersonic speed, running shot, smoke cloud, telekinesis, barrier, regeneration, ranged combat expert, support, close combat expert and of course, any power that specifies it is a power action. The right characters can protect Leech just fine, such as a flurry/blades type. He doesn't last long or at all if hit, but he has stealth and can hide behind some characters. His power also says nothing about line of sight.

8: GREEN LANTERN (75th- Alan Scott): Light the Danger: "Green Lantern ignores stealth. When a character takes damage from his attack, that character can't use Stealth this turn."

Shut off someone's stealth with a damage dealing shot? Sweet! This is someone who could carry around Leech for kicks and giggles. He has willpower and impervious. Leech has no effect on those or the psychic blast. I know there are plenty of "ignore stealth" types out there. The point here is that he turns off stealth for the benefit of the rest of his team. So now, all your shooters can aim at the stealth guy. GL is a great ranged adversary and that indomitable (willpower) just makes him that much nastier.

7: CYPHER: Crack Enemy Communications: "At the beginning of the game, choose a team ability that an opposing character can use that isn't a Wild Card team ability OR a team ability that a Wild Card can't use. Friendly characters can use that team ability this game in addition to their other team abilities as long as Cypher is on the map."

I don't know if many noticed this, but most traits of this kind require a shared keyword. This one doesn't! So you don't have to have a themed team to abuse the heck out of this trait. Are your opponents Ultimates? So are you! Are they Mystics? So are you! Keep Cypher out of the action and let your heavies abuse and use your opponents team abilities, for just 38 points!

6: ROCKET RACER: Ain't nothing goin to stop me: "Rocket Racer ignores all terrain for movement purposes except indoor walls and indoor blocking terrain."

Yes, this is self serving, but it's a very good self serving trait. Yes, he's short lived and 60 points, but he can be a major thorn in someone's side and the Spiderman team ability doesn't hurt either. Heck, use him with Cypher! I realize this has happened before, but only as a special power. As a trait it's much more lethal. Even without his hypersonic, he can go about where ever he wants. That's awesome positioning power.

5: ROJHAZ: Living in harmony with nature: "Rojhaz can use Stealth, ignores other character's Stealth, and ignores hindering terrain for movement purposes."

Not only is this a great self serving trait, but it's great for three reasons. Count them above, he gets a three way whammy in ability. Since he starts with running shot on top of this and an "okay" 5 range, this comes in handy. I do note they missed putting the star on his dial, but it shows on his card. Oops. At 70 points, this makes Rojhaz a nice ranged support or even close combat attack piece.

4: MENTALLO (Marvel): Mental Radar Sense: "Mentallo ignores other character's Stealth."

So why is this so awesome in this case? Mind control and psychic blast, that's why. It may be a self serving trait, but he can mind control someone right out of Stealth and into the open. Having the Hydra team ability doesn't hurt either.

3: DIRK ANGER: Insane Leadership: "Dirk Anger can use Leadership. Other characters can't use leadership. Opposing characters within 4 squares of Dirk Anger can't use team abilities."

I'm liking the amount of shut down in this list. Wipe out all other leadership use on the map and team abilities within 4? Note this also does not state "line of fire". Knocking out the power Cosmic and Mystics is super. Play him with Cypher and you can use them, but they can't? Awesome! Dirk's perplex and his own stealth are nice too, but his trait is a great game controller.

2: DOCTOR STRANGE: Eye of Agamatto: "Dr. Strange ignores the effects of characters and hindering terrain (including team abilities that give hindering terrain bonuses) when determining line of fire."

Shoot through anyone to target anyone, how awesome is that? He can perplex or psychic blast anyone he feels like within his range on the right maps. His 18 defense with the power to share (Defend) makes him a super all purpose tool. He could even hang out with Leech and still use most of his powers. He's the highest point cost on this list at 149 and worth it all.

1: NIGHTCRAWLER: Extra-dimensional Teleportation: "Nightcrawler ignores the effects of terrain and characters on movement."

It's only fitting that the winner of the 2011 World Championship (also played by several others at the same event) makes number one on my list of pieces with the best traits ever. Just having him with perplexers is insane, never mind the Gem of Cytorrak. His movement is long enough to get him past Harry and Leech. Worried about damage if he's not in a theme? Nanobots will take care of that. Put him with Dr. Strange for a chance at that double perplex and watch your opponent swoon.

I really think many of these figures could work in a team together, but any way you put them, they have the most awesome traits out there.

Honorable mention goes to Prof. X. The only reason he didn't make the list is because of the keyword limitation. Still, using his powers through any Xman on the map (so long as the Prof stays in his starting zone) is hard to ignore.

My DC 75th TOP TEN

Okay, this is info that's going to vary depending on your own personal interests and play style, so bear with me. But I want to get one more good post in on 75th before I take off for handling the holidays. Hope you enjoy this.

Qualifications for my top ten (what I considered):

1: Nothing over 200 points because I'm looking for playability in the 300 to 400 point formats. Something that absorbs over 50% of your team doesn't make the cut for me.

2: Tactics: What do they bring to the table and how does it weigh versus need for a themed team? Is it supportable or could it support a win condition? Or is it just too broken not to use (like Nightcrawler)?

3: Point cost versus what they do, comparable to the 200 point rule, but you get the idea.

4: No chase figures. I'm interested in listing figures you can reasonably get your hands on.

As I said, you may not agree with me, but I have my reasons and you have yours, so smile.

10: WARLORD: Surprised already? Warlord is an old favorite of mine from the comics and I'm really glad to finally see a figure for him. I once read a team up with him and Green Arrow, awesome. So why does he make my list? At fifty points, he's simple with an old school combo of charge and blades with a nice 11 attack. Combat Reflexes gives him an 18 up close for defense and might just keep him around long enough to do some nice damage. The only thing that would really make him better for his points is toughness. Sadly, one good hit can take him out. I see him going down easily from high damage, but used right he can soften up a heavy for you or play some great interception on other pieces. So he's simple in application, old school, good damage and attack, and his points make him fit very very well in your warrior themes.

9: ANIMAL MAN: Remember that combo I mentioned with Warlord? Animal Man has it even better with greater movement to make up a bit for the one point lower in attack. And he starts with even better defense. His trait makes him an excellent centerpiece for a big keyword for this set, ANIMAL. Team him up with Beast Boy or all the gorillas and duplicate their powers in Animal Man. The only drawback is that he can't use the power you name until the beginning of your next turn, but it still makes him an excellent tactical wild card. If you think ahead on your plays at all, you can make great use of Animal Man and he's only 79 points. He fits well with all the low cost animals.

8: BEAST BOY: For even less points than Animal Man (60) you get another wild card. Two of the interchangeable forms of Beast Boy are commons and I got extras in my case. Hypersonic speed in the cheetah or more charge blades combo in the bear? Super. Here comes more combo with Animal Man already. I also like that Beast Boy carries the Outsiders team ability for his low cost. There's some awesome tactical ability in being able to pop up and lock down someones stats so they can't be increased or decreased by any power or effect. Beast Boy rocks.

7: ISIS: Now why would Isis (granted she's under a hundred points) beat out Beast Boy and the animal theme? How about Charge, flight, telekinesis AND quake locked at 3 damage? Normal quake is 2 damage to all opponents in base contact with knockback for those who don't know. Raise it to three and surround her with animals for all I care. If she doesn't hit one for three damage, she'll hit them all for three damage. Very nice. And she doesn't stop there for her points with Probability control on the same place in the dial as her special quake, she has mid-dial regeneration and then higher defense with willpower and a jump in damage to 4. Isis also has the "mystical" keyword, another big one with this set. You want tactics that fit in small teams? Isis has that in spades.

6: DEADSHOT: Lets face it, sharpshooter as a tactic RULES. Ranged combat expert directly in the face is a beautiful thing. Deadshot gains the ability to use that and have it be penetrating damage. You don't want to let him sit anywhere for long, but getting up close won't help you. His 12 attack with all that make him a deadly threat. Never mind finally being able to fill out the vaunted Secret Six teams people have been wanting for so long.

5: GREEN ARROW: He only beats Deadshot for place on this list by 9 points and one tactic that I love. Running shot to the face. Green Arrow's sharpshooter ability allows him to pull off running shot on his second click right into base contact. Then his defense increases by 2 for up close (giving him an 18) to make him a deadly tie up piece. And he keeps Ranged combat expert for most of his dial, so he starts doing four damage at a time to that close up target. His range is one better than Deadshot too. I have to say I find the 9 range weird and rare since most go right to 10, but I hardly care for what I get. Awesome tactics.

4: BART ALLEN: Kid Flash is back and better than ever! You gotta love hypersonic that ignores figures and hindering completely. But it can't be countered? Really? Yeah! That means NO outwit and no powers that would shut down his speed. It's not even listed as Hypersonic speed officially so it's fantastic. He has a decent attack value at 10 and a 19 defense against ranged combat. His speed allows him to stay out of reach and maybe even out of direct range. His damage isn't enough to take down heavies, but he can sure run interference on everything else. And since his points fit so well (like the rest of the Teen Titans in this set) it's not long before he can be the finisher for a piece softened up by one of his buddies. And he's a common! That's why he's number four!

3: OSIRIS: This member of the Shazam family starts out with a combo that's been a win condition in a lot of tournaments. I'm talking about the mix of Hypersonic speed with Super strength. He's mystical and I really don't care about his 3 range. Put him with other mysticals or his sister, Isis and get ready for some beat down. Starting out with Impervious in defense isn't shabby either. Even when he loses hypersonic (yeah, he only has one click of it) he remains a warrior. He's also themed for Teen Titans, though he doesn't get the team ability. I see mean possibilities for a hypersonic Teen Titans arrangement that could make opponents dizzy. Three of them are one this list and together they are still under 300 points.

2: BARRY ALLEN: One of the best Flash figures yet. He comes to the table with 14 movement (hypersonic), 11 attack, 18 defense (super senses) and a whopping 3 damage for a speeder of his type. Worried about not having that phasing trick one of the last incarnations had? Why? Later in his dial you get to put him anywhere on the whole freaking map to pull a double swing attack with flurry. That's better than phasing could ever be. Tired of that pesky medic and it's out of reach? Not any more. There's no where to hide from the Flash. You want to know a sick team up? Nightcrawler and this Flash. Need I say more? Throw in Bart, still be under 300 and I don't care if its themed or not.

So it's time for NUMBER ONE: GREEN LANTERN: Surprised? Green Lantern of All Star Squadron, carrying the JSA team ability is totally, totally awesome. Let me tell you why. First off, he KILLS stealth. He ignores stealth for his attacks and when he hits someone with stealth, he turns it off so all his buddies can shoot at the target too! That's a TRAIT so it never goes away. He's mystical too and starts out with a combo power of psychic blast and telekinesis. He's got Idomitable so auto-will power, push him with abandon and impervious. His opening click alone make him a jack of all trades and all purpose tool. At 145 points, he's about the best costed Green Lantern you can get. He's going to fit that All Star Squadron team all too well. He'll make it deadly too. Yeah, he's a super rare, but if you get your hands on him, hold on tight. He's worth it! Did I forget to mention his Running shot and 8 range? Probably because they're just icing on the cake. Oh, let me mention a nice built in wicked combo on Green Lantern. Pulse wave later in his dial, versus a slew of stealth targets. He hits them all for one damage that they can't avoid and they all lose stealth for that round.

So I hope you enjoyed my little top ten list and that you got lots of clicky goodness for your holidays and the one to come.