The greatest figure in HeroClix has made its return! Follow the link for a brief introduction to a classic HeroClix strategy of the past and to post your own thoughts on the modern playability of an old classic, the LAMP!

Now that the F4 OP kits and figures have entered wide circulation, it's time to talk about LAMP. Long ago, in the era of FEATS, a dominant strategy was to not rely on attacks to cripple teams, but to base opposing figures and apply Poison, along with the Armor Piercing feat to hurt the top-dial figures with damage reducers that would otherwise shrug it off.

Classically the LAMP team was something like:

L = Lockjaw, who could carry a figure a long distance, and whose deep dial made excellent Mastermind fodder.
A = Armor Piercing, assigned to a figure with both
M = Mastermind and
P = Poison.

The preferred figure with Poison and Mastermind was Icons Experienced Joker, who also brought top-dial Outwit to the table:

In the modern era, things are a little different:

• Feats are no longer a thing,
• Invincible (and certain Traits) allow figures to shrug of penetrating damage.

The F4 OP kits have given us two elements that offer the potential for LAMP to come back in a big way, even with those modern considerations. The first is the return of the GREATEST HEROCLIX FIGURE OF ALL TIME, Lockjaw, now at only 80% of his original cost!



Lockjaw no longer needs to carry a figure with Mastermind, as Lockjaw can give Mastermind to figures he shares a keyword with. The ONLY loss from the original Lockjaw is , which practically only offered a "Hail Mary" MOVE+ATTACK (at -2 attack value) so there is no real loss here. In the modern game, this version now also has:

• High move with Phasing/Teleport
• Passenger: 4 (with shared keywords)
• The chance to give Immobile to opponents (even better than Plasticity!)
• 8 clicks of life, to back up Mastermind.

Looking for a character with a shared keyword that can Bring the poison? How about the OP kit The Thing?



When paired with Lockjaw, these two figures take up less than one-third of a standard 300-point team build.

We haven't addressed the issue of how to get the Poison "to stick", but with 210 more points to play with, and so many Fantastic Four keyword Sidekicks in the game, I suspect that enterprising players can come up with some potential strategies.

As for myself: I never found LAMP particularly appealing, I simply liked Lockjaw for his ability to bring close-combat monsters up into the grill of opponents, no matter what the map was. I would take the 90 points above and just use them as backup for someone MUCH nastier capable of dealing with figures that would otherwise shrug off Poison.

One suggestion:

150 HoX 059b(v) Apocalypse
60 FF2021 103 The Thing
50 F4 053a Ghost Rider
30 FF2021 L003 Lockjaw

=290 points (no theme)


Apocalypse can make both Lockjaw and Ghost Rider Horsemen, which in turn grants them Steal Energy and can infuse them with powers and abilities like Poison or preventing other figures from healing. The Thing is too many points to be a Horseman himself, but it's no great loss given his dial. With the shared keyword Lockjaw can now carry Apocalypse and Ghost Rider.


There is no reason NOT to simply plan to make attacks using Apocalypse. With adjacent Mastermind fodder courtesy of Lockjaw, and the potential to have Energy Shield/Deflection from Ghost Rider on top of his already impressive defensive powers... I recommend simply letting the big guy go out on the town.



Ghost Rider's primary responsibility is to make it slightly harder for opponents to take cheap shots at Lockjaw and Apocalypse with opening attacks, courtesy of Defend and ESD. A Apocalypse with Energy Shield/Deflection should be willing to stand fast and swing at opponents.

Lockjaw? Horsemen? Bah! Heroclix is about characters, not this dog and pony show you've trotted out!

Nicely done Tidge! He's gonna be meta and everywhere as the inhuman sponge he is! I would also say that area of effect (idk what to call it “aura?”) figures could make interesting cohorts:





Anyone packing an emotional modifier?

I don't like to suggest items, mostly because there are usually many good choices.

For the oddball team I posted, I'd consider spending the last 10 points on WW80 s006 Wonder Woman's Golden Armor, and let Lockjaw equip it. Adding Invulnerability to this sweetheart makes him that much more loveable (as Mastermind fodder)!

ww80s006 Golden Armor
Points: 10
EQUIP: Any. UNEQUIP: KO.
EFFECT: , Invulnerability. // If the equipped character has [Wonder Woman Ally team ability] and is on their starting click, they take a maximum of 1 damage from attacks. // FREE: If the equipped character is named Wonder Woman, remove this object from the game and don't score it. If you do, equip that Wonder Woman with any other Wonder Woman Equipment from outside the game. Light Object.

IIRC, courtesy of the 2021 Comprehensive Rules update, 1x2 "peanut" base characters now qualify as Standard Characters.

Understood. My apologies. Just thinking it's a marvel that “closing the gap strategies” will be harnessing the power of a 17 year old figure! awesome...

No need to apologize! Writing only for myself, elements other than the figures themselves tend to slow down my play, which is a big reason why I generally work on the teams first and then consider 'extras'. I didn't always take this approach, but it is sort of where I am today. I'm far too fickle, and there is such a wide variety of different figures I want to play that I no longer have the willpower to fine tune specific teams like I once did.

A 40-point figure that does everything the (Legacy) Lockjaw does, plus 8 clicks of Invulnerability seems crazy to me.

I LOVE reading other players' suggestions on items!

On less pun-filled madness, I’ve got that Thing, and a Maggot. Porting over and generating the critters for their poison would be kind of funny.

Now if you wanted to be real mean, you could note that Maggot isn’t unique. And is also super cheap. 4 Mags and a Pup is only gonna run about 2/3 of the build, if my math works.

Of course, by cheap I mean points, not money.

I faced two sets of these in a 500 point game. 500 points meant I had plenty of force to kill the dogs. Kill the dog. Watch Joker poop his pants once the dog is gone.

Yeah, but once you go past 300, all bets are off. It’s not that the game is “balanced” to 300, whatever that means, but it does allow the most efficient meta at 300. LAMP, SIF, SuperICWO, BeltRider, all that was because at 300 there’s a limit to your garbage. I could, and have! dropped a pair of Worlds teams onto a map at 600 points, but I ended up getting slaughtered for exactly what you’re pointing out.

Since we’re using 2021 rules and Lockjaw is no longer a ‘Transporter’ (I’m dating myself here), can he be TK’d?

That would go a long way to helping him be more effective imho…

The WW80 PAC specifies that Telekinesis is movement of "friendly single-base" figures.

Thanks Tidge.
It’s almost like I should’ve just looked at the PAC��

I’ve honestly mostly been looking at Lockjaw’s ‘He Won’t Let Go’ power the most. It’s potentially amazing, I just don’t know how to effectively get a bite in…

(A missed bite I mean)

I completely agree. Making opponents immobile would have been an awesome element of LAMP "back-in-the-day", which really make me wonder if this Lockjaw wasn't resurrected specifically because of LAMP. I really like it because if Lockjaw can immobilize opponents, and he has previously positioned teammates to Snipe / Giant Reach enemies.. this could add an extra layer of frustration to opponents.

I seem to recall (last year? earlier?) there being some WizKids post about an upcoming OP kit element the would "melt your opponent's face!" or some-such, and while not everyone was ever as excited by FF Lockjaw as I was... I certainly think that this (more than legacy card Thanos, more than legacy card Doom) is what they would have been referring to.

I mean these days, that 9 is gonna miss most attacks.