Welcome back to the article series that highlights three figures from the pre-carded era of HeroClix! In this series, I show you that there's no school like the old school! Today I'll be focusing on three HeroClix pieces as nominated by you, the players!

What’s up, everybody! I’m Owlman166, and welcome back to Issue #4 of Old School! Wow, time flies…Least for me, anyways…As I promised last issue, I will be showcasing three figures as nominated by you, the fans! Please give a warm welcome to our first guest, the Veteran Ghost Rider, from Ultimates!

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Caption: “Outta’ ma’ way!”

Basic Strategy:

Ghosty here was the first Rider we ever got in HeroClix, which is somewhat special, seeing as we have multiple playable Ghost Riders nowadays. The thing that stood out to me when I first ran Ghosty a while back, is his super high attack and damage stat boosts…I mean, one push, and boom! 11 attack and 4 damage meant in an Ultimates sealed tourney, flaming head n’ crossbones could put the beat down on most other figures. At 93 points, he’s over priced by today’s standards, but still a threat nonetheless. Smoke Cloud on his top couple clicks are…Nice, but…Really, who’s gonna use Smoke Cloud when you can charge several spaces for a smack down…?

After he gets hit, his stats drop per usual, although he does gain Incapacitate which can help slow down enemy figures; kinda wish he had something to do besides run away or Incap on his last couple clicks…Outwit or Perplex would have been a nice addition. Ghost is best used in higher point games IMHO, because of his higher cost. But like all our oldie figures, those who are unfamiliar with Ghosty won’t know what hit ‘em! Best advice, push off that first click asap, then get either TK’d or taxied into battle. Ghost Rider has one job: Charge the nearest heavy hitter and take a chunk out of him before he goes down. (Or go after a mid level supporter or attacker. If they ain’t packin’ any defense cutting powers, take advantage of that opportunity!)

Recap: Good News: High attack/damage values; Leap/Climb enables a fast get away back to a medic; Long dial; Bad News: Activation click; Stats drop after a few clicks; Nothing game changing after Charge is lost, dial-wise;

Feats:



As shown, Nanobots is really effective once he gets clobbered. Having an object around ensures he’ll get healed enough to inflict damage again. Shellhead could work; Protected works for everyone, and Swingline can surprise opponents. That +1 speed really helps.

Resources: Angrir’s Hammer would REALLY help out Ghost Rider. A LOT. Any of the Box Relics are great; Nul’s Hammer gives him Willpower. The Power Plant could give him some useful tricks.

Relics: Crimson Gem is great; M’kraan Crystal makes him tough to KO; Power Gem grants Close Combat Expert, alowing for a follow up gut punch;

Fun Fact: Ghost Rider was the first HeroClix figure ever sculpted riding a motorcycle.

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Caption: “Man, we really need better costumes…Also Health Insurance...And do we get dental...?”

Basic strategy:

I personally only used the Experienced HIVE trooper a few times many years ago, but the Vet was requested, so here we go! (Also, let’s see how many bee puns I can cram into this paragraph…)

At a mere 25 points, back then, that first click was amazing! Most low point D list attackers had an 8 attack for starters, but not Buzz Light Year here. Stealth, Willpower, and a 9 attack/2 damage (not to mention he’s packin’ a jet pack) meant that one on one, a single HIVE trooper ain’t that scary. But in swarms of 4-5 troopers, the stingers come out! Great for taxing, harassment, mobile blocking terrain, or simply mastermind fodder for your Dr Evil Mc-Genius, multiple squads of these guys made players think twice about engaging them. All they need was a dash of Perplex, and they suddenly became a real threat! (Speakin’ of which, when are we gonna get a HIVE generic/Queen Bee…??)

They are excellent for Soldier theme teams as well, and 4 of them make a decent 100 point squad. Energy Explosion is fun, if you pull it off, but by that time, they’re relegated to the mobile blocking terrain/tie up section. Oops, almost forgot…8 range…?? Jeez Louise…Never noticed that until now… Talk about a fly in the ointment…GAH!

All in all, HIVE Troopers have one job, really: To harass the hec outta the competition, and inflict casualties whenever possible.

Recap: Good News: Affordable; 8 range! Stealth, Willpower w/9 attack; 5 clicks of health; mobile blocking terrain; Bad News: Once they are hit, they ain’t much use as an attacker; other than that, not much else…!

Feats:

*Evil Grin*… ICWO is PERFECT for these little buzz kills! (I did it again…Somebody stop me!) Add Legacy (U) Oracle to the card for much needed Perplex or Outwit, and these flying insects go from Honey Bees to Killer Bees in no time! In large point games, choose Perplex, assign the Feat to 4-5 (or more) HIVE Troopers, and go to work, son!

Resources: IMO, they really are too cheap to warrant one…But if you're dead set on it, I suggest dropping a few Hammers on them…Or the Penguin Resource; it’s cheap, and can be unpredictable.

Relics: Eh, again, they are great as is, but the Crimson Gem turns a HIVE trooper into a demigod; the Lust Deadly Sin relic would be perfect! Sidestep, Plasticity, Combat Reflexes?? Yes please!

Fun Fact: The Vet HIVE Trooper was the first Stealthed Flyer “generic” figure in HeroClix, to the best of my knowledge.

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Caption: “So ya got a doctor and a patient. The Doc says to the patient, I have bad news and worse news! the patient says, what's the bad news, doc? Doc says ya only got 24 hours to live! Patient goes that's terrible, but what's worse then that?? The doc says... I've been trying to contact you since yesterday! HAHAhahahaHAHAHAhahAHA!

Basic Strategy:

I was super excited when a Realmser suggested I do the Clown Prince of Crime, the Legacy Jokers! I figured I had to preview all three versions, as the Veteran is arguably not the best version. The name of the game with Legacy Joker is unpredictability. The Joker’s stats are bonkers. The key to their success, IMO, lies in one key factor: Memorizing their dials. Once you accomplish that, they can become a royal nightmare for those unfamiliar with them.

So for starters, the Rookie version starts with Outwit, and Super Senses. A 4 range ain’t that great, but it’s a decent first click; Click #2 provides Perplex, Blades, and Stealth. Click #4 gives him good defense, but also low attack and damage. Clicks 3 and 5 are where he really shines! Mastermind and Poison are a great combo, as well as Exploit Weakness. Low defense may make you balk, but as long as no Precision Strike, Pulse Wave, or Outwit is nearby, you should be ok. His last click lets you go out with a running joke. It’s a killer… In all honesty, pointswise, I nominate the Rookie as the best version, simply because of the points you save. For 72 points, Rookie Joker is the economical version.

The 85 point Experienced Joker trades Super Senses for Combat Reflexes, Poison, Exploit, and mobility via leap/Climb. Jump down next to some mid level sucker and assassinate him next turn. Click #2 leaves his defense out in the cold, sadly, but gains Stealth, Outwit, and a monster attack value at least. A scattering of Perplex and Smoke Cloud can come in handy, and end dial Mastermind can save his bacon if you have a low level lackey nearby. (And if you’re running the Joker, that’s all but mandatory.) His range jumps up to 6 with dual targeting, which is a nice perk as well. His joke of a dial ends the same way: a sky high attack of 12 this time, with a 4 damage value with Outwit to make sure he has the last laugh. Hopefully you can pull off the attack before he gets zapped, because he will. A 12 defense is indefensible, even with Toughness. (Lame pun intended.)

The Vet version gains an extra click of life, but that ain’t sayin’ too much. For 100 points, he definitely could have packed a bit more of a punch. Click #1 is good, dual Incap is great, 18 defesne with Toughness is good. Outwit is annoying, and his Leap/Climb so he’s mobile. Click #2 is meh…Click #3 he’s very nasty. Exploit with 11 attack can put a dent into Superman, but his Stealth is all that protects him. If you know a character has a 3 base damage value, move adjacent, taunting them. Once they hit him, insult them in a Mark Hamil or Heath Ledger Joker voice, and proceed to rip them to shreds. After his third click, ther’s nothing too spectacular, just the usual suspects, Perplex, Willpower, Blades, etc…And his god click, of course. He won’t live long once that pops up, so take advantage, and make sure you hit someone. In sum, the Legacy Joker’s aren’t meant to be super competitive. They are wildly erratic, but if you know their dials, with a little careful positioning, you can find a method in their madness.

Feats:

C’mon…you knew this was coming…

I mean, it’s thematic! Joker taunts people. He makes wisecracks. He jokes. He murders people while laughing hysterically. If you really want to be competitive, Protected is the way to go. ICWO is always great, blah blah blah…ooh, if ya wanna be creative, give Starstruck Admirer to him! He can Incap two dweebs from 8 squares out, and you can crack that lame joke you’ve been saving for the past 3 weeks while you do it. Also Streak of Luck is fun, if “you’re feelin’ lucky, punk”… Not so Special really helps his attack.

Resources: Take yer’ pick: Bat Belt…Pandora’s Box…Penguin…Phoenix Force…Gauntlet…You name it, any and all are effective on Joker. I love the Penguin and Box Resources best, but the Gauntlet could be fun, if you want to get him to Emperor Joker status… Oh and the Power Plant would be wicked fun!

Relics: The Straight Jacket…Aw yeah… Also the Electro Blast and Impact Rings would be epic! The Bat-Cuffs would be super fun to use…

Fun Fact: The Legacy Jokers were the first dials in HeroClix to have super inconsistent (and often clashing) stats and powers.

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And with that, I bid my fans adieu! Hope you enjoyed this article, as nominated by you guys! Until next issue, God bless fella’s, and may all your hits be crits! Toodles!

I now want to run any version of Joker with Taunt and a Straitjacket.

Haha sweet! I don't have a Straight jakcet yet, it's on my to-do list though.

I'd have nominated E Hypertime Booster Gold if I was aware that nominations were going 'round. That's unfortunate.

And while I never cared about HIVE Troopers, that Ghost Rider was one of my favorite pieces when I started playing. These days the answer to "Activation Click" is Blind Al, but even back then he was worth it; 93 points for those stats is pretty good. And on the positive, his Smoke Cloud at least lets him ignore other characters' Smoke Cloud -1 attack penalty, something that wasn't a thing way back when.

Legacy Joker is always interesting to play and see in play. No two ways about it.

Used to play me a bunch of them Hive folks, hard to beat for the points. Nice article.

Played the hell out of some Hive Troopers back in the day! Believe it or not, you actually could.

Power gem on ghost rider would actually give him rce not cce.
Good write up as always