Welcome to Part 1 (of 5) of "This Old FF" where we build the New Young Fantastic Four. Since the combined point values of the Veteran FFers from Clobberin' Time is a Perfect 400, we're going to follow suit and build a 400-point FF team (though I'm sad because that means that Mutant Mayhem Spidey won't be joining the fray). First up is our young hothead who makes us wonder if we should play with him or just set the bronze Limited Edition/Super Rare Johnny Storm on fire.

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".
Johnny Storm
Fantastic Forces #204, 109 points
Range: 8
Targets: 2
Team Affiliation: Fantastic Four
Based on: Human Torch
Type: V-
(please click "Replies" below to continue...)

Who is Johnny Storm?
Check out Whoclix!

How well the figure does what it is supposed to do.
Johnny is actually a mean customer with some good stats and powers; it's only his Attack Value (AV) at a standard 9 that keeps him from absolute awesomeness. While 8 range is good, there are just too many folks with 10 to say that it's great. The Running Shot (RS) definitely helps out, but it is based on a standard 10 movement. With a starting base of 4 damage and a 16 defense with Energy/Shield Deflection (ESD), there are ways to improve the movement and AV to make Johnny better enough that he's worth tacking on In Contact with Oracle or having a Perplexer on your team.

Looking beyond that first click, Johnny has 6 clicks of ESD! If there isn't any Outwit on the board, then, up until the 7th and final click, ranged attacks will always have to deal with no lower than a 16 defense. Otherwise, the numbers themselves drop to a 14 after 3 clicks of damage. A second click of RS (8 movement) keeps him mobile. Five clicks Poison will keep some figures at bay.

Feat-wise, Damage Shield, Armor Piercing, and Force Field are all good choices. (There is more detail below in the "Relevant Battlefield Conditions and Feats" section.)

GIVE ME A D! Do you want to ensure that folks at your venue bring Disbanded!? When Johnny is with his sister (LE Sue Storm) and they're using the Alternate FF TA, Johnny picks up a 21 defense against ranged attacks (19 from Sue + 2 for ESD). Add in some hindering terrain and that becomes 22. Mwahahahahahaha!!

Is Johnny worth playing? Yes
Rating: 7/10 Stars

How the figure compares to the REVs.
Mutant Mayhem had Jean-Paul Beaubier.
Legacy had Capt. Nathaniel Adam.
Fantastic Forces has Johnny Storm.

For seven points more than the V, Johnny, on his second-to-last click, has ESD and his AV is 7 instead of 6. Oh, and there's an extra click of Poison instead of EE. Wow. These are the ways in which Johnny is "better" than the V, and if these were the only differences, then Johnny would be picking up a 0 for at least being a "V+ not worth the point difference". Sadly, tragically, unhappily, Johnny ensures that no one will be playing a named FF team because it's the best FF team one can put together, but rather simply because it is a named FF team.

Here's where Johnny don't be good:

• Starting AV down from a 10 to a 9
• Base damage on second click down from a 4 to a 3
• Defense value on the second click down from 16 to 15
• No "Nova" click

It's really those first two points that make me rate him V- instead of V+. If Johnny were 7 points less than the V instead of 7 points more, then the differences would be acceptable, no big deal. On the flip side, there are ways around a lower AV and Power Dampening Field makes the damage value reduction a moot point. As it is, we'll be using V Human Torch in our line-up.

With respect to the REVs, is Johnny worth getting? N O
Rating: -1/10 Stars

Relevant Battlefield Conditions and Feats
Armor Piercing – Dual target figures are excellent candidates because they can pop Invulnerable and Impervious figs for 1 click of damage by dealing 1 click of damage instead of 3. Also, with Poison, any figs that Johnny bases or decide to base him will have to deal with that Poison damage.
Darkness/Deep Shadows – With RS, Johnny can capitalize on all figs having a maximum six range. Besides, dropping from an 8 range to a 6 is really no biggie.
Damage Shield – With six clicks of ESD (and five of Poison), Johnny can really dish back some damage if someone decides to duke it out mano-a-mano. More evil: With Armor Piercing also on Johnny, the Damage Shield damage can't be reduced.
Force Field – With six clicks of ESD, that's a lot of Toughness for only 10 points more.

New Young Fantastic Four -- The Roster
1) V Human Torch... 102 points
2)
3)
4)
==============================
TOTAL.............. 102 points

Hey ... why dont you try the "NOVA BLAST" LE? I think that its even better than the veteran (no ESD, but double barrier with sue will rock!).

Very cool review... sad to see the LE being almost worthless... guess if you want a name to go with the clix, then it's OK, otherwise no...

euh there is no such thing as double barrier (wish there was)

Double barrier = two figs in the same team with barrier ... which means that your team can set up barrier every turn without pushing.

Classic!

If I had been drinking milk, my laptop would now be ruined.

I thought about Mr Mail Away, but I went ahead and kept to the LE/SR because 1) He's in the packs and available for winning at the tourneys, and 2) That would require another review and I'm lazy. I'll be getting to NOVA BLAST at some point in time, and then we'll see if he's better than the Veteran. Since I am the ultimate authority for determining such things. [/sarcasm]

Thank you thank you! I'll be here all evening. As I was writing this review, I suddenly pictured Michael J Fox singing "Johnny Be Good" in Back to the Future.

i started singing the song when i read it to..... :disappoin ......does this mean i am old.....

Good Review! Another LE i don't need.

He really isn't worthless. That is the one thing I disagree with on the review is that he does have a purpose outside of the REV.

If you take the LE version of each Fantastic Four and give them their respective card you get:

119 LE Johnny Storm + Armor Piercing(or Damage Shield but I'd go with AP)
128 LE Ben Grimm + Unstoppable
59 LE Sue Storm + Force Field
92 LE Reed Richards + Brilliant Tactician
Alt FF TA

398 pts

You get a really nice team that is specialized to defense for the Fantastic Four. That extra ESD has use in this team with the 19 defense on the Sue Storm PLUS Ben Grimm has a defense that goes back up to 17 and then back up 16 so that will come in handy with the ESD also. I am looking to get the LE Johnny Storm just for this team because it is a nice streamlined specialized one.

But other than that....good job spiderfly, another fine review!

Cool! I hadn't noticed that they're practically 400 points w/ respective feats. Perhaps they'll babysit another dimension's FF's Franklin Richards and come out at 400 perfect.