I'm curious as to whether anyone would support a "Feats Can Only Be Used On Figures Without Special Powers" rule. Probably not, because people like to go apeshizer.

I'm probably behind on what is currently in print or recently printed...but there are some core-feats that I think need reprinting every few sets:

Armor Piercing
Fortitude
Repulsor Shields
Shell Head (with an indomitable inclusion)
auto-regen
trick shot
camouflage

In addition, they need more simple feats like lunge that have wide utility. And EVERY WILDCARD NEEDS AN ATA, as does each "free move" team ability (because the JLA or Avengers team ability is so useful with the average cost of figs these days reaching 100 points...)

I'd sooner support a rule of not making figs with more than 1 or 2 specials...way too many these days....and preferably keep specials to no more than 20-25% of the set.

How about instead of relying on cardboard to "fix" a game element that is unbalanced, a rules tweak is put into effect?

How about when a character that can use Stealth makes a ranged combat attack [if the character occupies hindering terrain?], the ability to use Stealth is countered until the beginning of that player's next turn.

How's that different than running an Avengers team with Crystal, or a Doom Patrol team with Beast Boy, or a JLA team with Major Disaster?

In the case of Black Panther and Luke Cage, there's an easy workaround: Don't assign the ATA.

-J

I'd be pro this, or at least go back to prerequisites for feats cannot come from special powers.

I'd like to see Feats (and ATAs) removed as a separate element. Everything they represent can be done on the character cards via traits and special powers.

As a tangent to this suggestion, I was hoping that instead of SWP WizKids would have made character cards with "optional" traits (for a fixed cost) instead of feats. This would have assuaged my pain at lack of REV for force builds....so we could get a Vision for a certain "dial only" cost, and one with "Nanobots" for an extra 10. That certainly would go a long way to addressing the feats that seem particularly non-thematic (Nanobots on KC Flash for example).

For example, almost every Wolverine/Sabretooth *should* have something like Automatic Regen, but it's something I generally wouldn't want to pay extra points for. See also Lazarus Pit and Ra's a Ghul, Trick Shot on Deadshot, etc.

There are other feats that seem so utterly generic, I'd rather they stay as is; for example "Submerged" as an option rather than forcing SWP like Aqualads.

Every Game system has flaws in the cracks. I like the idea of Feats "Fixing" game mechanics, as it seems to cause less confusion than constant rule changes.

Why not just tweak ATAs so that characters who can use them require the Keyword instead of the TA? That way Black Panther and Luke Cage can use their FF ATA, while restricting it enough so that it won't be so abused.

And Gentlegamer, I like your idea about tweaking Stealth. Makes sense too: if a Batarang comes out of the bushes, common sense would dictate that people would know Batman is there. I'd only add in that if you're beside a person with Stealth, you have the ability to counter their powers. This garbage about "Black Panther can't Outwit Batman because he can't see him while he's standing in a bush" has got to go.

While we are tweaking, can we have a better Legion ATA please?

I love the legion, but playing them as a theme is a curse. I'd love to have an ATA (or even non wildcard TA!) that actually does something positive.

I have to disagree with this. I like special powers, as long as they're thought out, kooky and interesting and clearly worded. I find myself mildly disappointed at new figs that come out without special powers, because c'mon, it's wide open!


I'm sorta in favor of phasing out feats, but I like the idea of them to be used just for older figs that need the boosts. Of course, then there are still figures with special powers who desperately need any boost they can get, too - Super-Adaptoid with Life Model Decoy, for example, helps make his #### powers a little less crappy. And I do love Fortitude for my Hulks. It's a tricky call.

I hate it when characters come out with lame SPs, like "self Perplex". That one has been done to death. Out of the Shadows, Unpredictable Omnipotence or Murderbots: those are the really cool SPs because they're all unique. Most SPs are just either a regular power slightly modified (like Namor being only to use Regen when he's in the water) or a bunch of regular powers (like either of Mandarin's SPs).

As you can no doubt tell, I'm big on originality.

I don't totally disagree, but aren't there enough other BFCs that deal a blow to Stealth, though? Inferno? Krakoa?

Damage Shield would be good to see back. Armor Piercing is annoying and the biggest equalizer in the game. I'm glad to see it out of the rotation to make even the weakest damage reducers worth something. I won't cry if it returns, though. Trick Shot always seemed too powerful. It should cost 25 points.

In Contact With Oracle should never, ever be remade. EVER.*

Submerged would be welcome in the restricted game now that it actually works as it was designed to. Swingline was always a little bit too good for its cost: ignore hindering, kill Soaring AND permanent +1 to speed?

Agreed. I'd like to see it cost a bit less, too.

Yeah, kicking wild cards out of the Alt-FF family makes this a viable feat for a rerelease.

How about just leave it gone? But having to pick a TA for the whole tournament would be OK.


I nominate The Society for an encore, with the Calculator symbol also qualifying as a prerequisite.

Snipers are effective because they're hidden even after they take their shot(s). Stealthy snipers, even more so. So no to this.


*(E-V-E-R!!!!)

Self Perplex is a great special power because it is hard to misunderstand. I actually dislike special powers over 2-3 sentences. I love special powers that are a mix of regular powers.

this is not to say I dislike odd special powers, just that I think they need to be easily understandable. My Ideal character with Special powers is Apocalypse.

Let's say there's a new Thunderbolts ATA tied to the Keyword instead of the TA on the dial.

== Mechanics Problem ==

The ATA can therefore be played on Baron Zemo, Fixer and Songbird.

Songbird would be getting the benefit as it was planned and priced because she has the Avengers TA.

Fixer would be getting the equivalent of the Avengers TA for free.

Zemo would be getting the equivalent of the Avengers TA instead of the more-expensive Masters of Evil TA.

Thunderbolts isn't really the best example because it has a fixed cost as well as replacing a TA, which gets you into the issue of a ten-click figure getting more out of it than a five-click figure. But consider it with zero-cost ATAs like Fantastic Four (Thing/Luke Cage/Lockjaw) or Green Lantern Corps (Hal Jordan Unleashed REV).

== Thematic Problem ==

Go ahead, search for threads complaining about Keywords being inaccurate or incomplete. Now imagine how much more howling you'd get if they had an even stronger reason to exist. Or how many players you'd find trying to shoehorn borderline figures into a keyword just for the benefit. (The "Thunderbolts Army" was the worst thing to happen to them for Clix...)

-J