It seems to me that FB has many logical applications that are not being utilized when considering the DC metagame.

It knocks stealth figs out of hindering terrain. It knocks figs off of rooftops. It separates taxis from fares. And throws figs into walls.

So...why do we see so many stealth teams in DC, yet so few teams with force blast, which is capable of dealing with it?

Is it overrated? Hard to believe seeing that Blue Beetle's rookie is just 26 points and he can get a ride from a cheap taxi...

Any thoughts on this?

I personally like using force blast a lot. Using R Zatanna and her force blast on Vampire Batman to knock him out of hindering terrain in the marquee saved the day for me.

I just think some(most?) people would prefer to taxi in a heavy hitter like Bane and smash stealthed characters that way instead of trying to push them out in the open or knock them off a roof or into a wall.

I think its just ignorance of how the power works. Most people seem surprised to find that it is an automatic action that doesn't require a roll. For the most part I think people see this as more of a combat game rather than a strategy game so they don't see how powerful an ability force balst is.

I personally *never* use Force Blast. If it were usable at range, I'd consider it, but as is, it's a lot more expensive than people realize. You don't pay just for the force blaster, but also for a taxi good enough to get the FB character into base contact. Also, if you hope to keep Batman from running right back into the bushes or the fare from running back to his taxi, you have to base the force blasted figure *after* the FB as well. Mark down another taxi and another assault piece...
All this to do minimal damage. R Steel + E Saturn Girl are a much better and more efficient choice for dealing with Stealth. Copy Superman Ally, MC the target to walk out of hindering, then pound away.
The best use of this power is to pierce Impervious via knockback into a wall, but you'd better be prepared to lose your Blue Beetle or Zatanna after that one; you've only dealt one click, and now you've got a Superman or Wonder Woman toe-to-toe with your puny little Justice Leaguer.
Range would make sense for FB and help make it viable. Without it, it's just more trouble to set up than it's worth.

I tend to agree. I've almost never used force blast, although I do have one funny story about it.
I was playing a JLA vs. Brotherhood game and in the end it was Blue Beetle, a badly damaged Steel, and the Juggernaut.
Beetle was trapped on top of a build and Juggy was coming for him. A couple Force Blasts keep Juggy off of the Beetle long enouch for Steel to swoop in from across the map and carry him to safety. My opponent realized that while I couldn't really hurt him, he'd never be able to catch up to me and we called it a draw.
It was one of the few times FB determined the outcome of a game (in this case, keeping me from losing it).

It works, it's just that many of the figs with FB are otherwise useless, so I usually just pick the overall useful figs. Still, R Blue Beetle is pretty good.

I think one of the reasons people play stealth more than FB is that there are a hell of a lot more figures with stelth that also come with OW, RCE, and Perplex. I play in places that seem to heavily rely on stealth and FB counters that effectively. It might not seem like it's worth the points, but if it means knocking a Bat-Ally into LOS of other attackers, it's worth it.

Too funny. I guess that's the equivalent of being able to make a bunch of breakaway rolls late in a game. And I've seen that be done, too.

I haven't factored in Force Blast for any of my team strategies yet. I've got a E Blue Beetle, but he's involved in long-range combat more than close combat, so he tends to be knocked off his FB dials well before he's b2b with anyone. Zatanna just hasn't been worth the points to me as of yet.

Booster Gold & Blue Beetle: two great pieces that work great together.

Like peanut butter and chocolate baby!

For lower point games I also like E Zatanna with Saturn Girl; copy JLA for free taxi then FB people off rooftops. It's great for knocking that dangerous Green Arrow out of his Stealth click and forcing him to take his lumps like a man...

You got Booster Gold in my Blue Beetle! You got Blue Beetle in my Booster Gold! Hey, you're both right! (Man that is just one wrong statement.)

I'm very fond of ForceBlast. For 26 points an R Blue Beatle can 1) Tie up a much more expensive piece 2) Blow through impervious via knocking off roof for 2 clix or into a wall for 1 click 3) De-stealth anyone 4)completely annoy my opponnent and take him/her out of their game. I also like R Zatanna, and she can taxi too. Don't knock Forceblast until you've felt the sheer ecstacy of knocking Darkseid off a building for 2 clix with your 26 point Blue Beatle - and you don't even have to make a roll. I'll often wait for a knockback/rooftop set-up and make sure the figure I'm going to FB is pushed or at least marked so I can be sure to get the attack off before they can neither take out my BB/Zatanna nor can they get away without pushing. (ha! they take a click anyway!). Forceblast: under-rated, under-used hands down.

Good comments from everyone. Thanks.

One more point to note: in DC, many taxis have a movement of 10. If you play with 1 perplexer on your side, you can bump it up to 11, out of Gr.Arrow's range (or any 10-ranger) and make the full trip in 1 swoope to force blast him off the roof or his stealthed location.

Rookie Hawkman serves a just as effective a taxi as BGold, btw. JLA really helps pull off the combo in lower point games.

I like Force Blast; the trouble is, the only character who has it that I actually use is Ted Kord, for his double-target energy explosion; I won't put someone on the team *just* for force blast.

Spock,

In a DC game what is your preferred method of dealing with Stealth figs? Rookie Steel? Taxi-Punch?

Or do you prefer to play with a stealthy team instead?

Just curious.