He can use SHIELD in your example to boost both range and damage if you give him an power action, the range increase is not an action at all and just requires adjacency.

I Must have missed something, how does he get the Shield TA that I keep seeing people mention here?

Via Johann Schmidt--;)

Amazing when part of a Hydra team with Schmidt, but also a really handy piece to have your long range cannon to carry around. I had Eradicator carry him around with decent results. The -2 speed penalty for carrying is a great trade for giving Eradicator the Hydra bonus, plus enhancement and perplex is awesome when you need a first strike blast. Even better if you can stack the Reign of Supermen trait on it as well.

Really wish this was a more accessible piece, along with the 039 Hydra Footsoldier. The demand is crazy high for these two.

Having an army of fodder for Red Skull is so much cooler when you sprinkle some 039/040's in there for an Enhance/Perplex + Willpower/Psyblast. Now if there was a Hydra equivalent to A.I.M. Renegade that had Barrier/Outwit...

But you're telling me 6 Hydra Soldiers, 2 Hydra Footsoldiers, and 2 Hydra Technicians equate to ~$100? That's Warhammer 40k ballin, and I ain't bout that life. Make me finna rob my comic book store for some AVM Team Packs nawmeen.

Just. Plain. Awesome.

Just used two of these guys on a Scientists team with Johann and Prof X. Perplex Xavier's attack to a 12 and use double enhancement, plus give 1 of them the SHIELD TA giving Xavier 5 damage psychic blast split between two targets. Yup. These guys are good.