Thanks for coming back for another edition of Clix Bait! I hope you’ve had a great week, and are ready to dive into some new topics that the news of the week has brought us. If you’ve got something you want to talk about that I didn’t mention here this week, I invite you to follow the link to the Facebook page and start a conversation. There’s a lot to talk about, and I barely scratch the surface!

Since I’m going to spend the bulk of this week talking about Silver Age, I’m going to start off talking about the upcoming Modern rotation. And while the rotation is pretty small, it still leaves plenty to talk about, not just based on the pieces cycling out of modern, but the timing as well (even though it’s technically the same as always, circumstances make it feel different). If you want the full details, you can follow thins link to the announcement.

So let’s start with that…why does the timing feel strange? Well, I, for one, am used to seeing rotation after Origins, where we normally have the U.S. Championships. But this year, Origins has pushed itself back to the end of September/first of October, and we have no confirmation at this point if WizKids will be running any events there. In fact, Origins is on shaky ground, as it is, and is hedging its bets by not opening up registration for attendees until June. So it’s not like WizKids is doing anything bad by not announcing events yet…they’re just waiting to see if the storm will pass like the rest of us are. But the point to all this is that we are unlikely to see any major events prior to rotation.

This has a bit of a nasty side effect. I know of several players who used the rotation announcement to start shedding pieces before they rotate out and lose value. This would be the time that you could expect Firestorm from BtAS hitting the market for a reduced price, but not a huge hit, as there are still some folks trying to get things in to make the next few big events. Since those events aren’t happening, funding the future with the past has become a little trickier.

But then, by opening up with the Silver Age announcement, they softened that blow. WizKids hasn’t always hit home runs, but the timing and the set-up for the new format are some of the best bits of planning they’ve done. I know they’ve been looking for a new format to adopt for some time, and this one feels pretty solid, but even more important, it allowed what could have been a painfully disappointing rotation seem less painful.

The pandemic was definitely considered in the announcement of Silver Age, but the rotation itself considered its effect as well. This is definitively the smallest rotation we’ve seen, as I’m sure WizKids wanted to give players a chance to get to use some sets that would have been otherwise slighted given the circumstances. And this means we’re going to have a deeper pool of figures in the coming year, which I hope will spark more variety in teams. I’m very curious to see how it plays out – hopefully the back end of the rotation will still have some gems to contribute to modern.

On the surface, one might think the biggest loss would be the first wave of Troubalerts cycling out, but honestly, Firestorm is the only one of the original wave I see a lot of any more. Tri-Sentinel isn’t quite the hit it was before it was errataed, and Lockjaw lost favor quite some time ago. So really, the most impactful piece rotating out is probably Vulture prime. On a personal level, I am sad to see Lila Cheney go away, but I can’t be too upset, as I haven’t used her in a while. So while the rotation feels bad because of the timing, I don’t look to it to drastically change the Heroclix landscape right now.

There were also errata issued this week, which you can find by following this link and scrolling down to the section on Future Foundation. Two erratas caught my attention – one as it was being argued over quite loudly, and one because it fixed the wording so it could no longer be argued about (though most people I know ruled it correctly). First, DJ Doom’s wording was fixed so it is clear that the dice are removed from the card instead of outright replaced, meaning he gets to use the ability two or three times a game instead of continually switching out dice. I think a lot of people feel better for this clarity. Doom, the Annihilating Conqueror was fixed too, replacing and with or in the keyword list, which means that there can no be no confusion on his keyword fixing ability.

So I said I was going to talk about Silver Age this week, and I think it’s time to get to it! In Strategy Bytes, I’m going to re-introduce you to five pieces that you may have overlooked, but will be awesome in Silver Age. I’ll also be using one or two of them to build a Silver Age beatstick of my own. Work in Progress this week is going to be about adding dimension to your game…namely the third dimension in map design!

So I’m sure there’s more than a few people starting to dig through their collections to see if there are any gems they can bring back to make some awesome teams. Some will be more apparent choices than others (the watch list for Silver Age really gives people a great idea of where to start looking for all-stars), there are other pieces that due to either rules changes or the addition of new pieces have become better in this new format, and probably are worth your attention. So here are five pieces you may want to give some consideration to when putting together your Silver Age teams.

Green Arrow (EW #049): This is probably the most obvious choice on this list, as he’s always been REALLY good. But now, with the new rules, he could equip the Goblin Glider, gain Running Shot, and STILL be able to use his Ranged Combat Expert. He ignores everything but blocking terrain for targeting, has a good range, and shuts down opposing characters defenses for the turn, so that effective 13 attack for four damage means that he’s more than just a set-up piece, especially if you can find some decent enhancement for him. And with the new theme team rules, Martial Artist becomes a strong keyword, especially in this format…but I’ll give you more on that later.

King Shark (HQ #054): Again, this guy was good when he was legal, but the new rules make him even more beastly. Put him in water, and targeting him gets difficult, and man, can he move! His stats are a bit on the low side by current standards, but if you get him on a team of six, that gets better. The new rules didn’t just buff the dolphin symbol, but also the animal keyword. Or pair him with Blackbeard to get the Pirate theme going, AND give him a +1 to attack. The thought of King Shark with the Space Gem on a team with Blackbeard, Lt. Sulu, and Golden Skull kind of makes me smile for the sheer mobility of consistent offense.

Mud Man (FFTMNT4 #B006): I know a lot of people were happy to see this little guy cycle out, and given the things that were on the watch list, I was a bit surprised not to see Mud Man there. While the rules changes don’t do much for him, the addition of one piece makes for a truly interesting team design – Dr. Alia Gregor. So now you’re looking at an 11 attack for four damage for 20 points that is annoyingly hard to kill…and doesn’t break theme. So you can build Scientists with Mud Men, and possibly throw Forge on the team, too, for a damage buff. I suspect we’ll see a team or two try and take advantage of these guys.

Serpent Spider-Man (WK M17-B001): Unlike Mud Men, this bystander gets a real boost from the new rules, as it can use Blades/Claws/Fangs with Hypersonic Speed! So yeah, with a base damage of two, you’ll definitely be rolling for your damage, and if you can get the map bonus from Earth X: Wakanda, it looks even more intimidating for just 15 points. While the keyword won’t make any difference when establishing your theme, the fact that it has the animal keyword can help out with other effects (such as the High Evolutionary prime using Isotope A). It also makes building around Gorilla Grodd from the upcoming Wonder Woman set a little interesting.

Captain Kirk (TREK:OS #049): He’s only a little better than he was, but we’ll take it. The rules changes now allow him to use Close Combat Expert with Charge, and so he gets a little boost in his flexibility. The main use for him is to carry then attack, and in a way, the changes hurt him a little bit, since now it’s going to be a straight +1 to attack and damage, meaning you can’t double-bump the damage, but he’s still worth looking at. He’s got the soldier keyword, so the changes make that a little bit more important as well. So he pairs with Captain America from Avengers/Defenders War to make for a decent start to an Alpha Strike team.

I’m sure there are more pieces that will benefit from the new rules in the Silver Age, so don’t hesitate to share your thoughts. I think I’ll start a topic on that on the Facebook page, so feel free to tell me what you think is going to great in this new format.

I got to looking at the pieces I had available, and knew I had to make use of one of my favorites…Elseworlds Green Arrow. The thing is, as the concept developed, it turns out he’s not the biggest threat on the team, and it has a LOT of good ways to hurt and opponent. So, you have two archers competing to be the best, and a support cast that could be a bit frightening in and of itself!

Link: Chris Cottrill – Silver Age Archers

When you talk of an epic showdown of archers, you can’t talk about Green Arrow without talking about Hawkeye! With the Power Gem, he’s going to do multiple Running Shots with a 12 attack and four damage at a range of eight…ow! Give Green Arrow the Goblin Glider so he can now combine his Ranged Combat Expert with Running Shot, and he’s great to shut down the defense of your opponent’s biggest threat. Spider-Hamurai makes them both Spider-Man Family, so if you get your charge out of him, you can end by placing one of your archers in a prime spot to do some damage. Give the Ham the Barrel, and he can manipulate placement to better set up Hawkeye, if necessary. Mary Jane will help get Hawkeye equipped, and Samurai can either send Green Arrow to the object or bring it to him with his special TK. There’s also a chance that later in the game he can get tokens off characters while placing them to strike. Dad-bod Spidey gives you access to the PD team ability for Hanurai and Mary Jane to copy, making the hits easier for your archers. He can also conceivably get one of your archers out of the way if things go poorly, like an unexpected missed shot with Hawkeye.

With the new initiative rules, you can’t really do anything to more or less guarantee winning map, so you’re going to have some issues on maps with a lot of hindering terrain, as that will limit where you can safely place Green Arrow, and will also make Hawkeye’s shots more difficult. Hawkeye’s close defense is very low, so keeping him out of close combat will be pretty important. There is very that you are likely to one-shot with any of the characters on this team, but good coordination of your actions can remove a good threat in one turn, while significantly softening up the rest of your opponent’s team. Retaliation may cause you some problems with this build, as well.

Still, it’s a dangerous build. How dangerous? Well, it’s hard to say until you see what other folks come up with. But I think the various threats will force your opponent to be very careful with their placement, and may lead to overly cautious play. I’m looking forward to what other folks come up with!

I need to apologize, as this segment is rather rushed this week (I thought I had a guest writer lined up, but there may have been a miscommunication). Having said that, I want to go into some more lessons that I have learned recently, and go into the differences between layering, washing, and how the two might be combined to look really great, as well as some pitfalls I’ve discovered with each painting technique.

Washing, or inking, as I’ve discussed earlier, it taking VERY thin paint and applying it to your mini with the intention of having the pigment settle in the cracks and crevices on the sculpt in an effort to add depth to the look of the mini. It’s a relatively quick technique, but it’s easy to mess up, as well, and it may not quite achieve what you’re after. For example, with this Paparazzi bystander I created, the ink DID bring out the recesses of the sculpt, but it also had a general “dirtying” effect on the piece, making the paint job look dull and sloppy. Part of the reason for this, looking back, is that I was not careful with the inks. After apply the ink to the brush, I would recommend running a swipe or two on a paper towel before applying it to the miniature. When you’re applying the ink, it may not look like much is going on the piece, but once it’s had a chance to dry, you’ll see a more dynamic effect.

Layering, on the other hand, tends to use lighter variants of the base color to try and simulate light hitting the sculpt. This is what I’ve done with this Flash Thompson. I show his back side, as it is illustrating a potential pitfall when layering. If you have too dramatic a color shift, then it looks unnatural. You also have to be careful of where you apply it to the sculpt, as folds in material will require more layering than broad patches. As you can tell, I went too liberal with the layering on the back of his jacket, and it just looks awkward. Don’t forget when layering, you still want to thin the paints, and you’ll make several passes over the areas you’re attempting to highlight. As you get lighter with the paint shades, you’ll want to be more particular about where you apply the color, and probably want to use a more detail oriented brush.

So yes, you can combine the two techniques to make a miniature that really pops…unfortunately, I don’t have an example handy to share this week. The trick is, you want to remember the order to apply things to make your life as easy as possible, and give you the best opportunity to correct mistakes. Since inks and washes sink into the depressions, after you have your base coat down, I would apply any washes that you’d like to use. This has a few benefits…it allows you to clean up any over-applications you may have done, and it also helps you see more accurately where you need to apply your highlights when layering. Just remember when painting to start with the deepest recesses of the miniature and work your way out from there, and you should be able to create a pice that looks great!

If you’ve got any tips or suggestions you’d like to share, feel free to email me at clixbait@digitaledengames.com, and include some pictures of your work so I can show them off for you! I love to learn about new ways to make my minis look great, so give me your tips!

I wanted to do something a little different for this segment this week, so I’m not going to break down a single piece or map, but rather let you know what I think about a very small set of pieces. This week, I’m going to rank from worst to best, my thoughts of the Fantastic Four Deep Cuts pieces.

#6 – Mr. Fantastic: I really see no use for this piece. There’s the potential for some amusing placement shennanigans, but other than that, I don’t really see any redeeming qualities in the piece, outside of a deep dial for 75 points and a STOP click. He’s just very uninspiring.

#5 – Silver Surfer: I’ll probably get arguments putting him this low on the list, since he has Hypersonic Speed that can place characters into squares one square away, but that’s pretty much all he does. His attack and damage are decent for his points, and his keywords are a bit more useful than the Thing’s, but I still don’t love this guy.

#4 – The Thing: He’s pretty dull, with a bit of an evolution of Mr. Fantastic’s knockback shennanigans. Still, he has offensive potential, and his Empower means he could be a decent choice at 20 points to help you support a close combat team, especially since he has a STOP click to help him survive. His keywords are also very limited. The STOP click and Empower are really the only reasons I like him better than the Surfer.

#3 – Invisible Woman: I like things for free, and her free knockback can help get people where you want them for attacks from your stronger characters. I probably wouldn’t ever play her at 75 points, but if you chose to, then the Quake is nice, as is the Barrier. At 20 points, she fits on Sidekick builds which can make great use of her 18 Defend. Since the knockback trick for her is a trait, she gets it at either point level, which is pretty nice. Her keywords are limited, but since you can do a Fantastic Four sidekick build, it doesn’t feel as restrictive as it does on the other characters.

#2 – Human Torch: Between Torch and Doom, the choice was a bit more difficult than you might think. Running Shot with a solid attack and damage value makes him a decent piece, and his Enhancement could help with your ranged builds, especially if you play him at his 20 point value. While his free action Barrier only places one square, it also adds a little knockback effect in, which can help you with your positioning. Unlike the Thing, however, he doesn’t get to choose the direction of the knockback, so be sure to choose where you place the marker to make the most out of it.

#1 – Dr. Doom: OK, on second thought, it wasn’t really close. Doom fits on more teams, and his special Energy Explosion can really scramble an opponent’s formation – especially with two attack arrows allowing him to get the most out of the shot. He’s traited Leadership, so regardless the point value you play him at, you’re going to get it, and at 40 points, he’s going to start off with an always-useful Perplex. He’s also got a crapton of keywords to allow him to play nice with a variety of teams. I’m not sure if any of the pieces in this set are meta, but this is as close as it gets, to me.

That’s all I’ve got for you this week, On the Horizon, Comics and Games in Columbus is going to be hosting an event…I’ll give you more details on that next week. If you can go, I would recommend it…Jay Major always runs a top-notch event, and it’s great to be able to get out and play in person again. I regret that I won’t be able to be there, as I have a family obligation that weekend, but I’m looking forward to hearing what people are playing, and seeing what comes out on top.

As for me, I may check with my local store, the Rusty Scabbard, and see about running a Silver Age event. We’ve been discussing another event, but we’ll just have to see how things turn out. On both of these subjects, I’ll be sure to keep you up to date. Have a great week!