Okay, someone's going to ask this, so I figure it might as well be me. I'm rather surprised it hasn't been asked already.

The new Superman figure has two point costs, 300 and 150, and there is a separate starting line on the dial other than the green one. Nothing on the previewed card tells us how to handle this. The text in the preview article says that we have a choice of point costs and if using the smaller cost, to use the 2nd starting line.

But nothing on the card tells us this and preview articles are not game text.

From the perspective of the card, this looks identical to that found on the "adult" version of every AE figure ever made. Take the card for Iron Patriot for comparison. Two point costs written on the card, a separate starting line on the dial, color of the second starting line matches that of the second point cost, nothing at all mentioned on the card about how to handle the situation. Indeed, the only possible indication at all is the very subtle AE color behind the figure picture.

It has been ruled consistently that AE figures cannot simply be placed on the board on the second starting line for the lower cost. The AE cost only applies if the figure is introduced by successfully using the AE power on the related figure.

Does Superman change the precedent? Is Superman going to needed to be given an errata so that he has a trait indicating how he is used?

If you look at the Player's Guide on page 4 under 'Starting Lines' it explains it.

Superman 001 for this set is not an AE. He simply has 2 starting lines. You get to choose whether you use the 150 point or the 300 point one when building your force. No fuss, no muss. As pointed out:

Hope we helped.

Three words: Shazam/Black Adam

You can play Shazam/Black Adam at 280, Black Adam at 140 or Shazam! at 140

The difference is that Blazam! has text on his card explaining how it works.

However, the latest Player's Guide updated the entry regarding starting lines:

Which I read to mean I can, if i choose, play that AE figure at the lower point cost as long as i start him at the corresponding line, yes?

They have an orange starting line, not red, blue, or yellow.

So, no, you can't do that with AEs.

Huh. Looks yellow on mine.
Just out of curiosity, can you explain the thought process that leads to "we don't want to allow that"? I'm just trying to understand why it would be a problem: if anything the figures should be over-costed for what they would bring, so it can't be game balance.

That would be a question for GD.

All I can tell you is that AEs can't start on their AE lines because that's the way they designed it.


(And, yep, barring a priniting error it is definitely orange. Also check the alternate point cost on the dial and the back ground on the character character cards for the civilian versions. All orange. Everything AE related is supposed to be orange so that you can easily tell they are AEs.)

I won't argue the color (or the ruling) but considering the color consistency issues we've traditionally had (is that silver or bronze? red or orange?) someone might want to suggest that using two such similar colors and having different rulings based on the color difference is not a great idea.

A better comparison would be the new Sentinel Mark II.

Or Frost Giant.

I picked him and my BatB Clark Kent/Superman AE yesterday as soon as I saw the preview (my clix are next o my computer, like a nerd ), and it was fairly obvious which it was. FG has no text on dial/card, whereas CK/S has AE printed on the dial top. That and a quick ctrl+F in the PG eliminated any confusion.

I haven't read through the new PG yet, so I missed that. Thanks, guys!