"Why can't you be more like your brother/sister?" Although parents just don't get kids these days, we wonder which sibling is better. Is the bronze Limited Edition/gold Super Rare Todd Rice more powerful than the bronze Limited Edition/gold Super Rare Jennifer-Lynn Hayden? Inquiring minds want to know!


The review is broken up into two parts:
How well the figure does what it is supposed to do.
How the figure compares to the REVs.

"Type" tells you how the LE ranks compared to the REVs. "+" means "better than", "-" means "not as good as", and "~" means "a variation of".

Todd Rice
Legacy #206, 65 points
Range: 8
Targets: 1
Team Affiliation: Justice League
Based on: Obsidian
Type: R+

Jennifer-Lynn Hayden
Legacy #207, 74 points
Range: 8
Targets: 1
Team Affiliation: Justice Society
Based on: Jade
Type: R+

(please click on "Replies" below to continue...)

Who is Todd Rice?
Check out Whoclix!


How well the figure does what it is supposed to do.
The Justice League has picked up some Psychic Blast (PB) goodness with Todd. Beyond having a standard PB click to start (a 9 Attack Value (AV), 16 defense, and a base 3 damage), Todd has a steady drop in stats with some mid-dial Stealthiness. This is nice because if you've parked him over some hindering terrain and 3-4 clicks of damage get past his Super Senses, then into the gumball machine... I mean the gumball machine's shadow he goes! With four clicks of PB followed by two of Incapacitate, Todd has the ability (though with an 8 or 7 AV he might not be likely) to keep on hurting the big boys.

Todd's 10 movement and Phasing will help him flank the enemy, and carrying a more fearsome teammate can help keep him alive a little bit longer so that he can attack as well. (Just remember, you can't combine Phasing with the Justice League Team Ability (JLA TA) because Phasing is a Power Action while the JLA TA only works when the character is given a Move Action.) With Todd's first six clicks staggering down from a 16 to a 14, it's that final click that is a Medic's dream, a 12 defense. In fact, if you heal him for 6 then he'll be back at full power!
Is Todd worth playing? Yes
Rating: 7/10 Stars


How the figure compares to the REVs.
Todd is different enough from his REV brethren that it's a mostly a matter of personal taste, scenario involved, and purpose that will drive whether or not you play the Rookie, him, or the Experienced. In that order, the points move from 46 to 65 to 72.

To get a feel for his worth, let's discuss his R+ classification. For 19 points, they've replaced the Justice Society TA (JSA TA) with the JLA TA, increased the range from 6 to 8, and traded in an activation click for the standard PB click. Although 19 points can be a lot to ask for, it enables Todd to be useful from the get-go and it gives him one click above an 8 AV. But wait there's more! If you're willing to spend 19 points to upgrade the Rookie to Todd, then you might also want to take at a peak at the Experienced as well. For 7 points more, you lose the TA, gain a target, get an annoying Super Sensed 17 defense, and keep the base 3 damage for an extra click.

As such, Todd's strength/appeal lies more so in his good first click and his range than anything else. Collecting-wise, it's his TA that holds sway; however, when the TA is of no consequence, the Experienced easily outshines Todd by a mere 7 points. Of course, if WizKids does a "Justice League Antarctica" feat card ala the "Thunderbolts" feat card, Todd could be heckuva bunch more worthwhile.

With respect to the REVs, is Todd worth getting? Meh
Rating: 5/10 Stars

Relevant Battlefield Conditions and Feats
Bright Lights – Todd is ranged fighter, so neutering Stealth is a good thing.


Who is Jennifer-Lynn Hayden?
Check out Whoclix!
How well the figure does what it is supposed to do.
The problem with figures with front-loaded Telekinesis (TK) is that our brains immediately relegate them to transport duty. Since Jenni's TK (push away) is antithetical to her Justice Society Team Ability (be adjacent), rather than use her as a strict TKer, let her carry figures around and share that good 17 defense. In fact, if you've given her Trick Shot, then she can stay behind the person she just taxied and take pot shots on figures that should be heading towards the KOed pile. With a starting Attack Value (AV) of 9 and a base 2 damage with Ranged Combat Expert (RCE), most people will not want to chance leaving their figures within her 8 range. As such, even if you don't get to shoot, you're dictating your opponent's moves.
Here's my beef with Jenni... with 7 clicks of life, I really only like the first three, and even then I'm using "like" loosely. Clicks two and three have an 8 AV but do keep the base 2 damage with RCE. The defense falls one point per click, but Jenni's still hitting back (or at least trying to). If you're using Trick Shot, then click #3 is pretty cool because she switcher over from TK to Energy Explosion (EE). EEing stealthy figures is fun-fun good times. > After those three clicks, Jenni sports a constantly falling defense starting at 15 (which is moving from Toughness to unprotected Barrier and Willpower), a dropping 7 AV, and no RCE.
When Jenni hits clicks 4 & 5, keep her out of the fray and use her 8 range and Barrier to full effect. More than likely, this will cause your opponent more problems than her trying to roll a 9 or better to hit. (If you're going to push her for Barrier, make sure that you're on click #4 so that the Barrier doesn't go away when she takes the push damage.) If Jenni has taken damage, keep in mind that the JSA TA can work in reverse for her--the figures who were receiving her 17 defense can now share their 15 & 16 defenses.
Although she's goes from lioness to kitty after taking three clicks of damage, if she can keep out of harm's way then she'll remain a poisonous thorn in your opponent's side. For those who hate AVs that are lower than 9, Jenni is not your bird since any damage whatsoever will immediately put her on a "bad" click. The people who will like Jenni the most are those using medics or those who are good with front loaded figures.
Is Jenni worth playing? Sorta
Rating: 6/10 Stars

How the figure compares to the REVs.
The moment that you assign In Contact with Oracle to R Jade is the moment that you take out Jenni and use her instead. For 10 points more than the Rookie, Jenni brings an extra click of life, an extra click of RCE, a higher AV (9 vs 8), a better range (8 vs 6), and a 17 defense to share with fellow JSAers instead of the Rookie's average 16. If you like your Jade and/or you like your JSA, getting Jenni is a no-brainer.
With respect to the REVs, is Jenni worth getting? YES
Rating: 10/10 Stars

Relevant Battlefield Conditions and Feats
Trick Shot - As mentioned above, it's the feat that offers the most versatility in play and can help protect her from retaliation.


WHO IS BETTER?
With Todd receving 12 total stars and Jenni picking up 16, it looks like Sis gets all the lovin'. Poor Todd... she's such a goody-goody two shoes. She's never tried to blanket the planet in darkness or aligned herself with evil.

Gee, will we be seeing more sibling and step-sibling pairs compared? Johnny and Sue Storm, Scott and Alex Summers, Nate and Rachel Summers, Brian and Betsy Braddock, Cain Marko and Charlie Xavier, Dormammu and Umar, and of course, Siamese to name but a few.

If Johnny and Sue end up being the last of the Fantastic Forces LEs to review, then quite probably.

I'd take Jenny over Todd too.

grood as always.

I disagree with your 'Type' for Jenny-Lynn. I would say she is ~e instead of r+. All of her stats and power (except for the phasing on the E) are the same, the only other difference is the JSA team ability instead of GL (GL being MUCH more expensive, makes up the point difference)

Also, i would say Todd is a ~E or E-. not having the rookie's activation clix make him a LOT more like the E than the R.

I've previously discussed various criteria than one can use to determine type, and it really depends on which differences you focus on and the amount of importance you give them.

For Todd, his point value lies between the R & the E so he's either R-+~ or E-+~. Secondly, his all of his clicks except for his first one are just like the R's clicks post-activation (#2-7). At this point, there is such a strong similarity to the R over the E at I'd go with R-+~. He's better, so he's either R+ or R~. With all of the clicks being almost the same, R+ is my final analysis. However, if you're basing your decision on purpose and use, then E- or E~ is definitely the way to go. In fact, the review includes comparison to the E more so than the R.

While I went with form over function for Todd, I switched back to function when evaluating Jenni's type. The criteria I felt were more important were differences in point values and use of the TAs--that is, she seemed closer to the R than to the E. On another day though, I might just as well have chosen E~.

***Slightly Off Topic***
Was it a good trade for me: My LE Todd Rice for his U 6-armed Spider-man?

I believe it is...I traded mine for a N'Astirh and I thought that was a decent deal.

Solid review and fair remarks.

My introduction to DC comics was in the All-Star Squadron Annual where Infinity Inc made a guest appearance so I've got a soft spot for the Inc'ers. I've got Jennie-Lynn, just need to get Todd.

Just two quick points:

Bright Lights with Obsidian isn't a great idea. It takes away his middle Stealth which could be invaluable. The upcoming Atlantis Rising will be much better. Combined with his Phasing, Obsidian could out-maneuver loads of grounded figures.

Regarding you remark on Jennie: "The people who will like Jenni the most are those using medics or those who are good with front loaded figures."

I think players who can use the end dial will have good success with LE Jade. Barrier is such a great power and it coming up in the middle of the fray is ideal. Add to that the end Willpower and Jade can easily escape, taxi around a figure for a final assault or make a few desperate attacks herself.

I like them both and they each give players a little something different to use. It will be interesting to see if Seth will continue Jon L's latest trend of making LE's that give a little twist to the figures...

Great review as always. I am looking forward to your look at the Fantastic Forces LEs.

Tyroclix, you make some excellent points. Part of the problem with front-ended figures, especially where defense is concerned, is that a good player will be ready to mop up the front-ended figure as soon as it's cracked. However, having Barrier then Willpower is perfect because you're either still attacking/working with the troops or you're hightailing it out of there just as quickly as possible. In spite of Bright Lights negating Todd's Stealth, I don't think that it's too big of a drawback simply because those two clicks are more of a surprise on your opponent than they are a calculated part of your plan (not always, but mostly).

Personally, I hope that Seth exceeds Jon L. Not that Jon L hasn't done well--it's just that there are too many "eh" pieces for me.

Enjoy the pre-release and come back next week!

I enjoy your reviews, but they seem to have gotten shorter. Was that just for this two for one combo?

Cain Marko and/or Reed Richards next?

They are shortening/did shorten. With all of the other articles out there, I felt that my third section (theme team) was both redundant and, quite frankly, not as good. As for using the character on a power/cheese team, I can easily cover that in section 1. Overall, my reviews should be about 25% shorter.

The FF are next and will be presented by unit number, Johnny Storm, Sue Storm, Ben Grimm, and Reed Richards. Reed will appear on the same week as the marquee, so there might be a bonus Cain Marko review that week.

Thanks for reading and for keeping your writers list going!