Welcome back HeroClix fans to the article series that highlights three figures from the pre-carded age of HeroClix, showing you that there's no school like the old school! In this edition, we focus on three martial arts type pieces meant to go all Bruce Lee on your opponents!

Hi guys and gals! Welcome back yet again to Issue #3 of my article series “Old School”! Super excited to give you folks some history, strategy insight, and a walk down memory lane of the relics of the past!

Let’s start out with one of my all time favorite brawlers: Karnak!



Caption: “I got a big green head, an’ I’m not afraid to use it!”

Basic Strategy:

Karnak is still arguably one of the best all around martial arts pieces in the game, even today! A starting 11 attack, Charge, and a 3 damage value with Exploit Weakness means even Superman, Thanos, and Thor break out in a sweat when he gets in close. His second click is even better, trading Super Senses for Toughness, and upping his damage value to a solid 4…! Unless you have Perplex around, (And really…Why don’t you…?) I would advise to push to click #2 if given an opportunity, especially in larger point games where Karnak doesn’t have a bullseye on his head.

Story time: I remember this one game I played years ago, I had a small Inhumans team at the time, and my buddy had a Vet Supernova Thor with a couple other Avengers figures. (Supernova was all the rage at that time.) I don’t remember all the details, just that I piled onto Thor with Black Bolt, Lockjaw, and Karnak, with Karnak delivering a mortal blow of 4 damage via Exploit Weakness…I took down my buddy’s Thor that day, and although Karnak wound up a casualty, it was glorious to see the mighty Thor crumble in defeat!

Throughout the rest of the dial we see some Combat/Reflexes, a little Flurry, (and B/C/F too!) some mid-dial Perplex which is always useful, a random click of Willpower, then we end with a low attack but high defense and damage value, with Charge to make sure he gets where he needs to be. The great thing about Karnak is his 8 click long dial, meaning opponents who aren’t familiar with him will have to hit him most likely two-three times to finish him. His attack remains fairly steady throughout his entire dial, and his damage is off the charts. Only issue is his defense, but there are ways around that. I submit exhibit A: The Lockjaw Maneuver. This strategy is best for when your opponent’s big gun is doubled. Keep Karnak waiting in the background next to, say a Vet Lockjaw from Fantastic Forces, and the split second the big gun pushes, teleport Karnak next to him, karate chop his butt back to the stone age next turn! Even if your opponent doesn’t fall for this trick, and refuses to push his heavy hitter, you gain some tempo, as you are (or should be) free to push your primary hitter onwards. If ya get lucky, you may even get knocked onto his Flurry/B/C/F click.

To sum up, Karnak should be able to take a chunk out of whatever Thor, Thanos, or Superman is giving you problems that day. Just place him with caution. Karnak takes strategy to win, he’s not like Ultimates Thor where you just point him in the right direction, then go to work. Characters with range are his downfall, so keep him out of the line of fire, and he may be able to earn back up to double, or even triple his own point value.

Recap: Good News: Low cost; Monster close combat attack/damage values. Long dial; Good ending clicks. Bad News: Low defense means he needs protection.

Feats:

By far, the best Feat for Karnak. He only has a couple clicks of 2 damage mid dial, so Nanobots isn’t worth it. Protected means he can block all but 1 damage dealt to him, as long as you remember not to push him. Solid gold, right here.

In Contact w/Oracle can beef up his defense a little; Book of Destiny can be a shocker on his first click, and Alias is good to use in conjunction with Super Senses on his first click. Maneuver could come in handy if you’re duking it out on a roof top.

Resource: Utility Belt is VERY good for Karnak. Indom, and the ability to cancel out TA’s? Yes please. But the best Resource is Book of Skulls, IMO. Drop Angrir’s Hammer on him. Boom. Done and done. Pandora’s Box is good for giving him ES/D and Sidestep, and the Phoenix Force can give him Invuln.

Relics: Crimson Gem, any of the close combat Hammer’s, or Sin relics are all excellent. The Batsignal is great for yanking him back to base if the goin’ gets too tough to handle.

Fun Fact: For many years, Karnak had the highest KO list of any of my HeroClix figures, hands down.

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Caption: “And three…My hand is on fire…!” (Rep for whoever gets that film reference first!)

Basic Strategy:

Here we have yet another old school martial artist, and while Iron Fist may not have achieved as a high a popularity as Karnak, he’s still a deccent enough threat for his point cost of 71. I choose the Veteran version, mainly because of his Wildcard status. The Rookie version for 39 points is second best, while the Experienced is the least effective IMO, points wise. For starters, an opening 12 attack is eye popping. 10 speed with Leap/Climb is good for positioning. 3 damage is good, although a 17 Super Senses is just meh…Definitely needs some help there. After he takes a punch, his stats tank, although he does gain Regeneration, which may be able to save him from a knockout, thankfully. As I commented earlier, the fact that he’s a Wildcard is his saving grace. Need safety from that Bullseye on the roof taking potshots? Wildcard to Batman Ally. Gonna get up close and personal for crowd control? Wildcard to Suicide Squad for healing. Want to punish your opponent for hitting Mr. Fist? Wildcard to Mystics. The list goes on…

Again however, we have a conundrum: Push to click #2 to gain Exploit Weakness/Charge, or stay mobile? I say if you have some Tk handy, keep him on click 1, otherwise, it’s better to push. Delivering a lethal blow to the big baddie you’re facing is better in the long run for your team, even if it means sacrificing Fist in the process. Because as we all know, "in Chess, the pawns go first."

In closing, Rand is a decent third string attacker, although his up front Leap/Climb should have been Charge. His wildcard status takes him from “meh” to a viable threat on the board. Most importantly, make sure to pack some good team abilities to make the most of Fist!

Recap: Good News: Mobile; high attack/damage; End dial Regen; Wildcard abuse. Bad News: Super Senses is mostly unreliable nowadays; low defense; damage drops quickly.

Feats:

Arguably the best feat for him, if you’re dead set on using him to his full potential. Pummel can be useful, and Protected is always gold. Nanobots is NOT recommended. Lunge could be helpful.

Resources:

I seem to always come back to the Box, and for good reason: Uber cheap Energy Shield/Deflection coupled with Sidestep is solid gold. (Or Platinum, if you’d prefer.) Hand Fist the Wrath Relic, and poof, you have Willpower. Also recommend…Waitasec….*Finish’s reading Power Plant Resource Card*…Great Caeser’s Toast!... Ahem…I would also recommend the Power Plant…Must confess I haven’t been up to speed on all the shenanigans that thing can pull, but assigning an Impact Beam to Fist can be sneaky…Not to mention +1 to all stats. Seriously, that Plant is stupid good…Moving onward…

Relics:

Indigo Ring could be fun, in group combat. The Crimson Gem is perfect for Fist, solving the upfront move and attack mobility issue. Legion of Heroes Ring is arguably the cheapest way to get Flight, Toughness, and Defend…(Hey, mebbe you have a couple bystanders on your force with a 13 defense…It could happen!)

Fun Fact: In his REV version, Iron Fist’s costume is green for his rookie/veteran levels, and red for his experienced level.

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Caption: “…Where’d that stupid question mark get to…??”

Basic Strategy:

Victor Sage. The Question. I’m sure some of you are thinking, wait, ain’t this guy some sorta detective/conspiracy theorist nut job…? You’re right. But he’s also skilled in the Martial Arts! Not exactly on Batman’s level, but still a decent hand to hand combatant, nonetheless. Again, I’m going with the Veteran version here, although all three versions are very useful. For 61 points, starting Stealth, Willpower, and Outwit is almost always handy. Sit back in a bush, and ask questions that need answering. If you’re about to be based by a stronger character, push to click #2, where Vic’s sittin’ pretty on an 18 (19 with Perplex) defense. Smoke Cloud is a nice touch. We got some Incap which can slow down the bad guy, and at that point, it looks like Question’s outta’ answers, but wait…End dial Willpower with…Close Combat Expert?? WHAM! Betcha’ didn’t see that one comin’…

Pro Tip: If you know for a fact that a figure can smack Vic for exactly 4 damage on click #1, and that they’re gonna PUSH themselves by doing it, let them clock him. They’ll be facing a double digit gut punch for the next two turns if all goes well. For 61 points, it’s worth it.

Vic is still an excellent support unit to this day, filling both the the tie up/support and also the third string attacker positions! You shouldn’t be surprised at all if you garner some good results by playing him against an unsuspecting newbie.

Recap:

Good News: Cheap cost; excellent support/third string attacker; closes dial with a bang; Bad News: No range limits him slightly; relies on Stealth for first click; Defense drops quickly once hit.

Feats:




This Feat comes to mind. Great for end dial or towards the end of a game. Can really turn the tide, if you’re lucky. Speaking of luck, Lucky Break is great in case you roll Snake Eyes. Flash Bang can be fun. Ambush could be handy on his first couple clicks. Protected/Nanobots never hurt.

Resources:

Book of Skulls, Power Plant, and the Bat Belt are all effective. I’d go with Book of Skulls personally. Penguin is cheap and fun.

Relics:

Angrir’s Hammer…Angrir’s Hammer…Hmm, did I mention Angrir’s Hammer…? Straight Jacket would be hilarious. The Bookcase from Batman ’66 set could be great for Question to lend support.

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Well that’s all for Old School: Issue #3! I sincerely hope you enjoyed it! Next issue will be a little different! Any and all are welcomed to send me a PM, with a character you would like to see make an appearance in my next article! Remember, they hafta be from the pre-carded age of Clix! (Pre-Avengers 2007.)

I can only pick three, so I can’t please everyone, but I can promise I’ll consider all PM’d characters for future articles! Toodles, and may all your hits be crits!

"And three. ..my hand on fire. "

The Pink Panther Strikes Again

Great choices. Iron Fist and Karnak still hold up today.

Vault was my favorite feat to use with Karnak: Push him early to mid-dial, then re-position to another square after attacking, to be taxied away or TK'd.

As someone who's been playing since xplosion, I love these articles. This is my favorite new series! Keep up the good work.

Wow thanks! I don't usually get that much feedback on these articles.

Feel free to PM me a figure of your choosing! Might get an article!

Thanks! I didn't even think about Vault!

I pulled the Vet Question in a sealed event and he was the last man standing on my team most of the time. I netted a LE Supergirl who at least looks cool.

Thanks for another very nice article! I play precarded with my children quite a bit, and my older son loves the V Question for the top-dial Outwit and the late-game pummeling.

One of my favorite old-school Martial Artist KW figs (although the character comes across as a plotter rather than a puncher-kicker) is this guy:



Great TA for the many martial artist wildcards, long dial, Perplex often arrives right on time perfect point value for Leadershipping other martial artists. Damage output looks very iffy, but back in the day Ra's almost always more than pulled his points for me.

Nice write up - and I second earlier comments; this is a great article series and IMO you're doing it justice!
I find I agree wholeheartedly with you on 75% of your inclusions but you always include a character which challenges my preconceived thoughts...
Keep up the great articles!

I discovered the game around the time the ASM set released so I've never really looked at the precarded pieces.
That Karnak with the modern Inhumans around him, wow. Inhumans and the Phoenix Force are possibly the most fun thing in heroclix for me. I'll be ordering him and Iron Fist tommorrow! The dial lengths are impressive.
Thanks for the article.

Really like these articles. So many good old figures. It's nice to see them getting some love.

Keep up the good work.

Another great article of this series. Karnak was always my golden go-to, and Iron Fist was another perennial. The Question, not so much, but you laid out great reasons why he should have been, and should be considered now for golden age stuff. I did horde over 10-15 of them from the old days for mod fodder in my body banks though, does that count? Those brick towers are pretty sweet once you pop off that red squiggly from the top of them! (which reminds me, anyone looking to get rid of these old question figures, hit me up). Keep up the good work, and I'm sure you'll hit even more old-time faves.

Those Karnak and Iron Fist are still solid. It was that Karnak, along SI Gamora and Crisis Batgirl, who got me hooked on "martial artists". Now I have to collect anyone with the keyword.

nice article though i think you should have included the karate kid from crisis he's great for the points and i still use him when i get the chance.