Another set means another “Marquee Primer” review! WizKids posted these stats last week, and some lucky players were fortunate enough to get their hands on Legacy over the weekend at the Pre-release tournament. For the rest, the Marquee is still several weeks away, but that doesn’t mean we can’t play in a few friendly sealed games before then. This review will be posted in 4 parts: Part 1 – Commons Part 2 – Rares & Uniques Part 3 – Cards Part 4 – Super Rares

Today’s review looks at the “Commons.” Rarity levels 1 – 3, and the figures you are most likely to pull.


click on comments below to read the review.

Weekly Poll: What should be the tiebreaker for players with equal win/loss records?

This portion of the Marquee Primer will look at these Common figures and rate them based on how they may work with the rest of the Legacy set in a sealed tournament.


Standard Intro:
This review and rating system is for a 300 point, 3 booster Sealed event only. This doesn’t take into account how these may play in constructed and open format tournaments (where some might be better or worse.)

This review uses a star (*) rating system.

* Steer clear of this figure.
** Not so good. Should be considered with caution.
*** Fair. Based on how you need to fill out a team or have Wildcard options.
**** Good. Definitely consider this figure.
***** Great! Should be a top choice for your team.

There will be very few one or five star ratings here. So please realize that even though your favorite character might not have gotten five stars like you think it should, I’m just trying to be fair.

Everything written here is in the most general form possible.
Since the specific combination of figures drawn in a sealed booster tournament work together to determine which are more playable than others.

Lastly, this review is just my opinion. And these are a lot of work to write, so I ask you very kindly, please don’t get angry at me for my ratings. I give reasonable explanations for each choice. If you disagree (and you are welcome to do so), please try to do the same.




Part 1 – Commons (Rarity 1 – 3)

It used to be that the commons were also synonymous with “fodder.” These were generic, low cost figures that you used to round out your team or add bits of utility and small attacks. But since the generics appear to have migrated over to the Bystander Tokens, the common figures have stepped up to being not only Named figures, but sometimes heavy hitters, and often very useful utility pieces as well.

Spoiler
15 / 17 / 22 - Batman Ally
In previous sets, a 15 point figure with Leap/Climb and fair stats would be a great piece for rounding out your team. And Spoiler is no different. However, if you pull any Feat Cards that work well with the rest of your team, consider them over her Rookie and Exp, who are little more than just filler.
However, her Veteran will shine in this format thanks to her Team Ability. With 2 different teams of Wildcards available in this set, a super cheap Bat-Ally will be a little gold nugget. However, don’t expect that just because she is a “common” that she’ll show up a lot. Look at how rare the Veteran U-Man was in Mutant Mayhem for a comparison.
R - **
E - **
V - *****

Hyena
38 / 47 / 59
In a set that has no Support (healing) of any kind, a figure like this that can take a hit or a push and not only stay playable, but actually get stronger, can be a key part of a team. Hyena also starts with Charge so she’s mobile and her Defense spikes as well. Blades/Claws/Fangs allows her to deal good damage, and she finishes out her dial with Stealth for protection.
For all this goodness, she does have to push past an activation click, so it will be several turns into a game before she can actually get into the mix. It’s that activation click that lowers her stock a little for the sealed format.
R - **
E - ***
V - ***

Enchantress
60 – Mystics / 67 – Suicide Squad / 75 – Suicide Squad
Like Hyena, Enchantress also has an activation click on her Rookie and Exp version. That hurts her a bit, especially since the Rookie only has a few useful clicks on her dial for her 60 points. However, as a particularly cheap Mystic, she’ll be awesome on teams with a few Wildcards that can take advantage of her TA. Still, if you just have 1 wildcard, or a couple of mediocre ones, her Rookie isn’t going to make your team great. Hold off on her unless you have particularly good wildcards to use the TA.
Enchantress’s Exp is a little better with many more clicks of Psychic Blast and more defense. The Suicide Squad TA is a little weird to use, but in a set without any healing, it can be a huge benefit. Also remember it for your Wildcard figures, this is a TA that doesn’t get used much (if at all) and is very easy to forget about. It also goes awesome with bystander tokens. Push a an adjacent bystander to KO, and Enchantress gets free healing!
Finally, the Veteran is a great fig for the points thanks to Psychic Blast, and can be a good secondary attacker if you face tough or Impervious figures. But only use her if you have other figs on the team that can deal real damage, otherwise if you face a team with 5 medium cost figures you’ll spend the whole game just picking away at them.
R - ***
E - ***
V - ***

Talia
36 / 46 / 56
As one of the lower cost figures in this set, she could be very useful for filling out your team. Her powers are fairly useful as well, but not so great as to demand her a place in your ranks. 17 defense on the Exp and Vet will be hard to hit, and Incapacitate or Exploit Weakness will let her hunt down even the big guns. However, with only a 2 damage, unless you have outwit she might be little more than a nuance against many of the figures you’re likely to face in this set.
However, later in the game after you've worn down the opposition, using Talia to attack two turns in a row (thanks to willpower) can really put your opponent against the ropes.
R - ***
E - ***
V - ***

Hourman
65 / 85 / 100 – JSA (all)
Yet another figure with an activation click. There are enough in this set that it could seriously sway your team building choices. One is ok, two might be a stretch, but any more than two on a team and you’ll have to spend all of your actions from your first two turns just to push your figures. Meaning your opponent will have 3 full turns to move up on you.
That aside, Hourman is one of the beefier figs with that blank first click. Once he doses up with Miraclo, he gets seriously good. Charge, Super Strength and Invulnerability are staples, as is Close Combat expert later on to keep his damage high. His AV is consistent, so he can take a hit and keep swinging. Particularly good in a marquee, when you don’t have to coddle your pieces. His price range is also pretty good, though at 100 points for the Vet you’ll have to be careful about who else you put on the team. There are so many figs in the 100+ point range that you could easily end up with a small team. And when a significant portion of that build total can’t get into the game until turn 4, that’s a bit of a setback. In this set in particular, the Rookie’s low-ish AV might be a hindrance. The Exp and Vet do a little better.
R - **
E - ***
V - ***

Mr. Terrific
58 / 72 / 80 – JSA (all)
I stared at this one for a long time, trying to figure out what to say. I both really like and dislike this figure. I like the willpower, double incapacitate, and Outwit. I dislike his vulnerable first click, and the Rookie’s short range.
From a playability standpoint, you’ll probably have the same difficulty figuring out whether to play him or not. His rookie offers cheap Outwit and JSA team ability. But at only 5 clicks deep, he’s easy to take out.
The Exp has a better range, and Mastermind at the end, but doesn’t bring you much more functionality than the rookie for a higher cost.
The Vet is a great figure with good stats, but at 80 points for only 6 clicks of life and max 2 damage, he doesn’t completely pull his own weight.
The usefulness of any of these figures will depend largely on who you pull to go along with him, and Since Mr. Terrific’s comic counterpart is such a big team player, I suppose it is only appropriate.
R - ***
E - **
V - ***

Star-Spangled Kid / Stargirl
40 / 49 – JSA / 63 – JSA
Stargirl/kid will probably find her way onto a lot of teams. Not just because she has a lot going for her, but because she’s one of the cheaper figures in the set, and may just end up filling out points.
For only 40 points her Rookie has a lot of versatility: Charge, Incapacitate, a ranged attack, and Super Senses as an attack deterrent. She won’t be much good against all the big guns you’re bound to go up against, but she can give other mid cost figures a hard time. Her Experienced version is very similar, but with better stats plus the JSA TA. The increased attack and damage on her starting click will allow her to harass the big guns, although if they try to swat her they can probably knock her out in one hit.
The Veteran Stargirl changes her MO significantly by becoming primarily a ranged combat figure. Running Shot and big damage are great for only 63 points, and her high defense plus Energy Shield/Deflection will be a big factor. Use her JSA TA with other high defense teammates to help each other out.
If you face off against her, take notice of which version is being played, since the R and Exp are close combatants and play drastically different than the ranged Veteran.
R - ***
E - ***
V - ****

Ravager
30 / 40 / 50
Another inexpensive but very capable figure, Ravager will also likely see a lot of play in the Marquee. Also as one of the few figures with Stealth, she’ll probably be used as mobile blocking terrain. She’s a great cheap attacker too, a-la Skullbuster, thanks to her 3 base damage and Blades/Claws/Fangs. The Exp and Veteran add to the fun with Willpower and Perplex at the end of the dial. Coupled with Leap/Climb, she’ll be hard to pin down and finish off while she moves around helping out her teammates with Perplex.
Versatile to the very last, Ravager will be an MVP on many teams.
R - ***
E - ****
V - *****

Power Girl
97 - JSA / 105 - JLA / 120 – JSA
There’s a few interesting things going on with this figure. For starters, she’s one of many JSA figures in this set, but one of the few with a particularly high defense. Especially the Exp and Vet. If you happen to pull a few other useful JSAers (or any of the abundance of wildcards), that high defense will come in handy.
Beyond that, she’s also one of very few characters with the oh-so-fun combo of Charge and Quake. However, keep in mind that there are many, many mid to high point figures in this set, and most of them have damage reducing defenses. What that means is that her Charge/Quake combo might not find many good groupings to target, and if she does, it might not do much harm. This combo will probably play out much better in constructed games, particularly where you expect to find lots of little guys.
Her damage has an interesting progression. She can’t use CCE with Charge, so she can charge for at most 3 Damage. However, she has staying power thanks to CCE plus increased damage & Super Strength later in her dial. She has 2 clicks of Charge in all her versions. That will be handy if she Quakes, so she can Charge again for a follow up attack.
The Rookie is pretty solid for nearly 100 points, but probably won’t be a first choice for many. Both the Rookie and the Exp are mixed bags in this format. If you have others to share her TA with, the Exp could be good, but otherwise she’s a little too top heavy.
The Vet is the best bet of the bunch because she still has a useable AV when she gets to her clicks with 4 damage, dnd her Defense is pretty impressive too.
R - **
E - **
V - ***

Impulse / Kid Flash
47 / 59 – JLA / 81 – Titans
Put Hypersonic Speed on pretty much any figure, and their stock in trade at a Marquee automatically goes way up. Beyond that, Impulse has a few other killer qualities that make him soar in this format. His Defense is an exceptional 17 with Super Senses, so he’ll be very tough to peg. His AV is tremendously consistent, and he finishes out each dial with two clicks of Charge + Exploit Weakness, so he’s a scrapper to the very end.
His Exp and Vet stand out more – The Exp for being able to move and attack as a free action! Thanks to the JLA TA. That’ll be huge in a game where actions are at a premium. The Vet stands out for being the ONLY figure in the entire set with front loaded Perplex. (Even the Joker doesn’t have it.) The only thing holding back the Vet is the low damage for his 81 points. Taking up that big a chunk of your team, you’ll need him to hit better than that. Even with Perplex.
R - ****
E - *****
V - ****

Kid Quantum
49 / 61 / 80 – Legion (all)
I didn’t put a lot of stock in Vertigo in Mutant Mayhem, with her multiple target Incapacitate, but limited range and zero damage, but a lot of people swear by her. And here, there’s something about Kid Quantum that makes this take on that formula a little more palatable. The two biggest additions are Running Shot and the Legion (Wildcard) team ability. Running Shot helps her short range a lot. And the Wild Card TA is as good as you can make it with whatever else you pull. However, one of the drawbacks to having so many wildcards in this set is that you may end up with more copiers and not enough to copy.
Running Shot also only goes so far, and with a shorter movement and range on the Rookie, she’s not cut out for this format. Particularly when you figure that she is 50 points for only 4 undefended clicks of life.
The Exp steps it up quite a bit, and is actually the best of the bunch. She’s reasonably priced and has good combat values to back up her triple target Incapacitate. Any other teams you pull to add to her functionality are just bonuses.
The Vet however tips the scale back out of her favor by being a whopping 80 points for only 5 clicks of life. Again, undefended. With the number of figures in this set that can deal 4 or 5 clicks of damage in one hit, you’re pretty much asking for her to be a huge target. Plus, with so many high cost figures in the set, Leadership doesn’t net you enough added value to justify playing her.
Of course, as with any Wildcard, the other figures you pull to augment her will affect her overall ability. On her own though, this is her rating:
R - **
E - ****
V - *

Jinx
44 / 48 / 54 – Calculator (all)
Wow. Just, wow. I’m having a hard time believing just how good Jinx is. Not just for this format, but overall.
From the top: Phasing lets her be mobile. Probability control on a cheap figure is a Marquee favorite, and with so many high defenses out there, being able to take two shots (or re-roll an opponent’s lucky hit) will be HUGE. More than that, her Psychic Blast lets her run with the big boys, and her AV is even good for her cost. Pulse Wave and Energy Shield/Deflection are great powers later on, and of course its all that much better thanks to her Wild Card TA. This is one killer package, and the very first figure I’ve ever rated that gets 5 stars across the board!
R - *****
E - *****
V - *****

Mr. Freeze
49 / 66 / 77 – Batman Enemy (all)
There’s a lot of Running Shot and Charge in this set. Not to mention a lot of Range, and not a lot of Stealth. With that, a Barrier figure can be huge for an entire teams’ defense. Add that Freeze can hide in Stealth himself while erecting a Barrier and you’ve got double the potential. Triple and quadruple when you look at his Incapacitate and regular ranged attacks as well.
Double target incapacitate on the Vet is particularly good. Then, team him up with a higher AV Wildcard and he can really cut loose.
Freeze will be one of the best all around utility pieces in this set, let alone in the Marquee. If you’re not a convert to the benefits of Barrier yet, try it out with Freeze and you’ll see what the fuss is about.
R - ***
E - ****
V - ****

Speedy / Arsenal
28 – Titans / 44 – Titans / 62 – Outsiders
Arsenal is really a bare bones kinda character. His rookie starts off with a minimal Energy Explosion and Incapacitate attack with just a 6 range. He’s not very good, but he is decent for only 28 points. And if you have a lot of higher point figures, 28 points will probably round out a team nicely. However, if you pull a good Feat card or two, those will probably do more for your team than this rookie.
The Exp changes his MO drastically with a single starting click of Running Shot. This will allow him to get in a first hit, and he’s got the numbers to pull that off. However, after that first click, he’s all numbers and fairly exposed. The Vet at least has a click of Stealth for protection. That will be good in constructed teams for him to use the Outsiders TA. But as was pointed out with Impulse, there’s not a lot of Perplex in this set at all. So the Outsiders team ability probably won’t come into play much in the Marquee. As such, this Vet is pretty pricey for what he offers, but you’ll probably be able to do better for your team with another figure in his general cost range.
R - **
E - **
V - **

Wildfire
89 / 123 / 145 – Legion (all)
A serious heavy hitter in all 3 versions, Wildfire could easily be one of the MVP’s of the set, if there weren’t already so many! For only 89 points, his rookie starts off with a solid 4 damage with Running Shot and a fair defense. This one makes for a good secondary attacker, but doesn’t really have the guns or the depth of dial to front a team. (If you have a team of all mid price figures, R Wildfire will make a good addition to a team like that.)
The Exp and Vet step it up a bit with more Running Shot, more clicks of 4 damage, and better range options. Either of these are good, relatively low cost figures that could front a team. And as with all of the Wildcards in this set, they’re better depending on what other teams you can pull to go with them.
Lastly, keep track if you can, of the amount of damage you’ve taken (or if you’re facing him, damage dealt). The funky last click on his dial represents Wildfire’s containment suit breaching and him becoming a blob of floating energy. He also gains Impervious and Phasing on this click. Since there’s no Support to be had, getting onto that Impervious click could very well save Wildfire’s life. But if someone is keeping track, they might know when he’s on his second to last click and make a point to deal him a killing blow of *3* damage.
R - ***
E - ****
V - ****

Superwoman
93 / 118 / 141 – Crime Syndicate (all)
Yet another heavy hitter who could be a good choice to anchor a team. Her rookie starts off with very good stats, although her Damage could use a boost from picking up an object. Both the Rookie and Exp only have Damage reducers on their first 4 clicks, so be weary of pushing her and giving up a click of defense. Especially on the Exp who only has 17 w/ Impervious for 1 click. Willpower late in the dial changes that 180 degrees, so you can use her every turn if you like, to press an attack or just retreat.
Superwoman’s Vet is a particularly good deal at 141 points. She has great numbers all the way down her particularly deep dial, and more damage reducers than her other two versions.
The Crime Syndicate TA is also a great addition, as Probability control is always a welcome addition for any figure. Keep in mind though that this Team Ability cannot be copied by your Wild Card figures, and that you will have to give a teammate an action token as well.
(Strategy tip! With so many characters in this set with Activation Clicks, the CS Team Ability can actually speed the process up. Give your character an action, then on your opponent’s turn use Super Woman’s CS Team Ability and assign your character a second action token, then ~viola~ they’re pushed in just 1 turn!)
R - ****
E - ***
V - ****

The Demon
68 / 100 – Mystic / 119 – Mystic
Be careful with your character choices when building your team. The Demon can be a great addition, but too many figures with activation clicks can eat up your actions and hamper your team’s initiative.
With that said, Rookie Demon is a good middleweight bruiser (when get gets going.) Charge and Super Strength are nice, as is his particularly high defense. His attack stays high for a while too, so feel free to keep pushing him once he gets going. Also, don’t forget he’s one of only a handful of bruisers with a ranged attack! Its easy to forget that option when looking at figures with Charge and Super Strength (since we tend to assume they’re just regular bruisers.)
Exp Demon is mostly similar to the Rookie, only with Enhancement on his starting click and the Mystics Team ability. On constructed teams, the difference between rookie and exp would be a serious consideration for team building. In this case it’s doubtful you’ll get that choice. None-the-less, Exp Demon could be great for certain teams, particularly ones with good Wildcard choices to copy the excellent TA. His enhancement could also be good for any of the several figures with Running Shot. However, don’t hold him back from his ‘demon’ clicks just to use Enhancement, you’ll be depriving yourself of a good brawler.
The Veteran takes the good stuff from the other two and just steps it up a notch. He’s well priced for what he brings you, so keep him in consideration when building your team.
R - ***
E - ***
V - ***

Obsidian
46 – JSA / 72 / 110 – Mystics
This is a good figure with a lot going on throughout his dial. As a Phasing flyer, he’ll be very mobile. Psychic Blast is a great power in this Marquee since there are so many figures with damage reducers. Plus his own defense is sufficiently high, with Super Senses, to make him a nuisance to hit. The rookie has that annoying activation click, and if you’re picking between him and some other fig with an activation click, don’t dwell too long on Obsidian. However, if you have around 50 points to fill, other JSAers to share defense with, and a need for some transportation, Obsidian is an alright deal for his points. The Exp and Vet are the better of the bunch though, with higher range and dual targets, higher defense and damage, and of course, no activation click. The Exp is excellent for his points, and the Vet is similarly good, plus he’ll offer his Mystics TA to your Wildcards and thanks to Psychic Blast, he can hang with the big dogs despite his moderate damage.
Playtip – Use the double target option to split your damage among your opponent’s big guns. Keeping in mind things like Exp Wildfire only has Invulnerability for 1 click, or that Power Girl only has Charge for her first 2 clicks. So splitting up damage strategically in order to cripple a couple of opposing figures could be better than just dealing all the damage to a single target.
R - **
E - ***
V - ****

Jade
64 – JSA / 92 – GL / 107 – Outsiders
The first figure on the list with the highly sought after power – Telekinesis. However, unlike TK figs in previous sets, Jade is a little too pricey for the knee jerk reaction of wanting a figure solely for the TK assist. Besides, with the number of characters who have Running Shot and Charge, TK isn’t as necessary as it has been before. None-the-less, it is certainly helpful if you opt to use Jade. Besides the TK. Jade has a solid Ranged attack thanks to the RCE boost, and her late dial Barrier could be helpful for protecting teammates from KO late in the game.
There are also certainly enough JSA/Wildcard figures that her Rookie will likely have someone to share defenses with, although there’s also enough JSAers that she’s not necessary just so your Wildcards can copy the TA.
Not so for the Exp though. Her Green Lantern team ability could be a great thing for your Wildcards to copy, that is if you have enough grounded figures to even make it worthwhile! For her utility, the Exp is a much better deal than the Rookie. For mobility alone, the GL TA with Phasing and TK are great options. Her attack range and AV are also up to usable levels on the Exp.
The Vet steps it up even more with good defense and attack options. This allows her to step out from a support role and actually attack. However, you’ll be paying a lot of points for a TA you can’t copy and won’t really use anyway. With so many other figures in this set who deal 4 damage, she’s not necessarily worthwhile just as an attacker.
R - **
E - ***
V - ***

Sinestro
102 – GL / 124 / 146
Another TK / GL fig. At 102 points, his Rookie is very similar in cost and utility as Jade. However, Running Shot makes him more mobile on his own, instead of just helping out his teammates. If you have Wildcards that can take advantage of the TA, or not many figures with mobility and could use a TK helping hand, Sinestro’s rookie can be good for your team. The ability to carry your whole team, and Sinsestro's 17 Defense are both great assets. But he's not strong enough on his own to front a team. So if you don't pull another figure strong enough to be a big attacker and have to rely on Sinestro, you might find better utility for those hundred points elsewhere.
The Exp and Vet step it up a bit as full on attack pieces. That the Exp still has TK is just a bonus. Look for the mid dial “lull” on these two where he gets Barrier and Outwit. This will change his utility from offense to defense for two clicks. But after he’s done briefly being a team player, he gets RCE back through the end of the dial along with Willpower.
The Vet is a solid figure to front a team too, all of his numbers are sufficiently high, and Running Shot and Outwit help round him out.
R - ***
E - ***
V - ****

I think my biggest beef on the pre-release for common figures (and this will hold try for any non-Battle Royale sealed event) is the sheer point cost of the figures. My lowest cost figure in the pre-release was 46 points. I only had 5 figures under 90 points. This means you had better really know the figures because you aren't getting many to a team.

I will say that Experienced Talia was my MVP. She is *very* useful.

I'd give EV Talia a 4, maybe a 5.

She has the ability to damage any figure, good stats and great powers.

I'm not with you on Jinx, though. Unless you pull Spoiler to go with her, you're giving points away.

As usual, nice review. As I found out in the pre-release, if you don't pull bright lights, stealth can really dominate the sealed event.

Of course this observation has nothing to do with how badly AZS kicked my butt. Nothing......nope, nothing at all....

Isn't Power Girl JLA in her E version?

Yes, you're right.
On the spreadsheet I have, "Justice League" and "Justice Society" look a lot a like if you read it too quickly, like I apparently did.
Thanks, its been fixed.

Real nice review. This has certainly been a pleasing change for 2005

You really ought to do split ratings for characters; the first for just the character, the other for that character with feats. For example, all versions of Mr. Freeze are at least one star higher when played with Stunning Blow. All bricks will be worth more when played with Fortitude, etc.

Well, that's the nature of a review like this, not everyone is going to agree exactly with my star rating.

As for Talia and Jinx though, I'm not following how you can have high marks for Talia, who is just ok, but not like Jinx who pretty much has everything that makes a figure useful for just about 50 points: Phasing for Mobility, Psychic Blast to go up against the big guns, and PC to help out your entire team. Top it off with the Wildcard TA, which is just like bacon, it makes everything better.
In this set, if you don't pull a single useful TA for her to copy, then that's not Jinx's fault, you just had a lousy pull.

Oh, I agree. We won't agree.



Talia is useful on her own. Jinx needs help. Teaming with JSA probably won't help that much, as there are plenty of people who can hit a 17 reliably, even with a re-roll.

If you pull her with Batman/Spoiler, she could be quite good. Without them, she's just "enh" in my book.

azs, great review as always. I would quibble on two points, Kid Flash is better than e Impulse in sealed because you will rarely be at a shortage of actions in this set...with most teams only fielding 4 figs, finding a spare action to attack with isn't difficult, however, Kid Flash is the only front loaded Perplex in this set...not to be underestimated. The second quibble would be Jade, especially the rookie, which I would rank higher simply because she IS the cheapest TK in the set, the only one that can kinda fit as a TK taxi.

OR I could include that in the Feat portion of the reveiw, which will be posted on Wednesday.

ahem.....


It's NOT a free action!


Sorry......just a pet peeve of mine....


Other than that, nice review....

I agree with Thugit on Jinx. 2 of the 3 teams I played against had her (one had 2 of her) and they were a non-factor. Defense is so low that even with PC, she's a breeze to hit, and with no defensive powers, one hit pretty much takes her out of things. She's good, and PC is useful, but 5 stars on all her versions is too high.