Bringing Indy Back – Lycanthropos
Featuring Star Wars

In a world where Heroclix is hounded by set after set of DC or Marvel characters, let’s take a moment to stop and dwell on the potential of the Indy sets. We’ve seen Yu-Gi-Oh, we’ve seen lord of the Rings. What could be lurking around the next corner? So many sets from the serious to the wacky remain to be explored! In this edition, the spotlight is on Star Wars!

For those of you who are unfamiliar with the franchise (Though I would be honestly surprised if someone isn’t at this point.), Star Wars is a futuristic science fiction story told primarily through episodic movies. While there is an excessive amount of content in media other than the movies, known as the Expanded Universe, it has been recently eliminated as canon by Star Wars’ new owner, Disney. For this reason You’ll only see movie based characters in this article, as much as it pains me to leave some behind, it’s just impossible to determine who ‘exists’ anymore and who doesn’t aside from what appears on the big screen. I’ve tried to keep this set projection (mostly) limited to the latest installment, episode seven, and because it’s likely the most familiar.

What would the set look like? Maybe something like this…

Common
001 BB-8
002 R2-D2
003 C-3PO
004 Clone Trooper
005 Storm Trooper
006 Rebel fighter
007 Rebel Pilot
008 Maz Kanata
009 FN-2187
010 TR-8R
Uncommon
011 Captain Phasma
012 Chewbacca
013 General Leia
014 General Hux
015 Poe Dameron
Rare
016 Han Solo
017 Rey
018 Kylo ren
019 Finn
020 Anakin Skywalker
Chase
021 Darth Vader
022 Darth Sidious
023 Darth Maul

Potential Powers and Traits: Star Wars has a vast array of characters that could easily cover all of the powers and traits fairly easily, however I think there are a few potential unique powers that could really make a Star Wars set shine. There is a lot of room for character switching, an ability like Alter Ego, or Battlefield Promotion. This could be seen in several characters, FN-2187 to Finn, or Clone to Storm trooper. Beyond that there is some room for the seemingly evergreen duo trait, probably between Leia and Han (Or would it be Chewbacca? Either way it could be awkward). Most characters would become melee or ranged based mostly on whether or not they are just a trooper/shooter or if they are a force wielder. They’re would be exceptions of course, when Finn uses a lightsaber or TR-8R who throws away his gun in favor of a twirly-shocky-thing.

Out of Chronology
As I mentioned in the before the set list, and as you no doubt noticed there is a discrepancy between two characters here, the Clone trooper and Darth Maul, Darth Vader is also out of place depending on how much you consider him being ‘present’ in Episode VII. I added the Clone trooper for the sole reason as to add a certain measure of flavor to the Empire faction generics in my list, so that there could be a measure of change and progression across the groups. As for Maul and Vader, I think a cycle of Sith chases would bring a measure of intimidation and power to the table that no other pieces could in a set like this. I would prefer to see Star Wars in a larger, full sized set, that could accommodate some of the characters that deserve it. Alas, Star Wars would probably be a smaller gravity feed set like many other Indy sets.

Faction. Faction. Faction.
Star Wars, as the name suggests is about a war. A war raged between the Jedi and the Sith, and between the Rebellion and the Galactic Empire. As we’ve seen a few times before well done faction keywords and abilities can encourage players to play pieces together. This is what I would like to see personally from a Star Wars set, a line of Empire troopers facing down a group of rebel shoulders. The Keywords are easy enough to guess, Empire, Rebellion, Sith and Jedi, but how would they interact the game? I think the Empire could use an ability similar to the Police or Hydra team abilities, rewarding them for grouping up and taking on targets together, while we could see Rebels getting bonuses for taking cover, to really reflect their guerilla like tactics.


Spotlight Characters


TR-8R
This character deserves a spotlight simply for his unexpected popularity. His actual designation is FN-2199, who is explored more as a character in a preceding book series. For the readers who are bad with capitalized words and numbers close together, TR-8R is the Storm trooper who pulls out that spiny shock baton to fight Finn in Episode VII. The internet then subsequently dubbed him for his only line in the movie: “Traitor!” hence TR-8R, get it? But there is more to this character than a clever pun for a name, once clixed he would have the advantage of being both ranged and melee oriented. First he uses the standard trooper blaster, but then switches to his shock baton, a weapon that can impressively stand up to a lightsaber. As such, I could see him being a sort of aggressive ranged dial, a mix of charge and running shot to get him in close where after taking damage he switches over to close combat expert, or if Wizkids really felt like doing something unique, close combat energy explosion. And for the pure flavor of it I would want a power giving him a boost when attacking Rebels.










BB-8
Let’s be honest, the droids are the true heroes of this franchise, as such I feel obligated to dwell for a moment on the newest spherical edition. Any of the droids would make unique clicks as they aren’t really meant for combat, they aren’t battle droids. Both R2-D2 and BB-8 are Astromechs, mechanics, meaning they’re supposed to fix things. As such they would be easy to cast into the support role and be done with them, but I think there is room for a unique click here. Beyond support, and perplex, I think an Incapacitate would be fitting considering the cattle prod like weapon occasionally deployed by the Astromechs. Another possibility might include mind control towards other characters with the Robot keyword as both BB-8 and R2 have demonstrated hacking capabilities before.








Rey
One of the new main protagonists of the series, Rey demonstrates exceptional technical capabilities. In dial, this could be demonstrated by a unique version of perplex that gives a bigger bonus to robot key worded characters. Depending on how flavorful her dial was, I think a top click of pure support followed by a few of ranged combat, then followed by a final few clicks of close combat would follow her development in the film well. However, I would like to see a slow inclusion of control abilities as well to show her slowly gaining force powers. Probability control, then mind control or telekinesis to show her growing powers.












Fin
A unique character who never can really seem to get ahold of the right weapon. He should be a ranged fellow, blasting away with his blaster. Which should be reflected in any sort of potential clix version of him. However, it is hard to forget that he ran around with a lightsaber for most of a movie. To truly represent that I feel he should have at least one or two clicks focused on melee, or a unique power that allows him to up his damage at the cost of his attack in melee, to reflect his inexperience with such a weapon. And let’s all take a moment to appreciate him as a Stormtrooper who can actually hit his targets.












Kylo Ren
As hard as it may be to fit all of those daddy issues into a dial, I shall try. Like any pure force-wielding lightsaber-carrying Sith should be, Kylo is all melee, at least with his lightsaber. While melee based abilities would be inevitable on his dial, this dependency could be balanced out by powers like telekinesis and ranged Incapacitate (to show his ability to paralyze people). Coupled together he could be a force to be reckoned with, pulling targets in and then slashing them up. Once up close, he could make full use of abilities like flurry, Blades/Claws/Fangs and battle fury.














Why Would Wizkids Make This a Set?
There are a number of obstacles to this becoming a set, licensing chief among them, but I think the problems are dwarfed by what can be gained, especially now with Star Wars popularity surging up again. However, I would like to see dial values that represent fair character playability, so that we might see some of these characters put into play outside of their own set. In addition to a larger set allowing for all of the major characters a chance at a slot on the set list.
However, I can’t help but feel anyone who played Storm troopers would inevitably roll critical misses all game long.

NICE write up!! I would pay big $$$ to have a BB-8 or R2-D2!!
Kinda makes me think they should have an intuitive mechanic ability like Forge from WATX.

I love this idea, although putting in Darth Maul and not Luke Skywalker just seems wrong. Other than that great article!

I'll start it: Where is the giant Rancor? Why won't they make the Rancor? Most wanted colossal? The Rancor. Rancor Rancor Rancor!

Where's Luke... I thought he would be a chase.

I would do a Rebel Pilot as a Common and Poe as a Prime
I would do Fin as an Uncommon and FN-2187 as his Prime
I would do Anakin as a Rare and Vader as his Prime
I would do Supreme Chancellor Palpatine as a SR and Darth Sidious as a Prime
I would do 4 Luke's as chases
- Pilot Luke
- Luke Blue Light Saber
- Luke Green Light Saber
- Luke as the Master Jedi (New Movie)

LOVE THIS IDEA

Love this.

Star Wars Miniatures actually began my love of table-top gaming, although I always thought that Heroclix had the cooler system (the ever changing stats), I never picked up Heroclix until well after WotC decided not to renew the license.

Being able to once again play my favorite characters from a galaxy far, far away would be awesome!

I would do 2 Fast Forces
Old Trilogy
- Luke
- Han
- Lea
- Chewy
- C3PO
- R2D2
- Death Star Plans (Special Object)

New Movie
- Fin
- Rey
- Poe
- BB8
- Old Han
- Chewy
- Special Object (Luke/Anakins Lightsaber)

Or Maybe a Darkside/Lightside FF
Darkside
- Darth Maul
- Darth Tyrannus
- Darth Sidious
- Darth Vader
- Keylo Ren
- Anakin Skywalker

Lightside
- Mace Windu
- Kit Fisto
- Obi Wan
- Qui Gon
- Yoda
- Luke Skywalker

How would you represent Kylo Ren's abiity to stop a blaster bolt mid-air?

traited super senses and shape change?

Nice article, but I hope they don't make star wars clix...

I support any move for more Indy Clix but I just wish this movie would just ... go ... away ... far far away ...

I would add a power or Trait to Kylo Rhen, to represent his mind reading powers:

I can see inside your mind: Kylo Rhen deals penetrating damage to characters without willpower, indomitable or battle fury.

What do you guys think?

That would be challenging. I think portions of Babylon 5 would fit attack wing better.