Smoke Cloud is incredibly thematic for the superhero genre. The smoke cloud escape is used by some of the best heroes and villains in comic lore. And yet, as it exists in Heroclix, Smoke Cloud appears as the 'irritant' and an inferior one at that (see Barrier in a few months). It takes an expert grasp of dial design to create a figure who makes you want to use Smoke Cloud.

Sneak in to see not only the best at using Smoke Cloud, but also some of the best uses of this under-represented ability!

Smoke Cloud was a power that was destined to always be considered second rate. The obvious variation on Barrier, Smoke Cloud lays out not Blocking Terrain, but the much more manageable Hindering Terrain.

Let's take a look at the power right off the bat...

Easy enough to understand. The first thought that comes to most people's minds when reading this power is, "I can give my Stealth figs cover anywhere!" Which is, indeed, a fine use for the power, albeit a limited one usually redundant of the hindering terrain and objects already available to hide in on the map.

Let's examine a few more uses:

1. Giving your teammates +1 defense from ranged attacks. A mere variation on the Stealth tactic, all this really says is you can expand your view of who can benefit from Smoke Cloud. Usually, this isn't worth a power action, but on occasion you might find it worthwhile.
2. Drawing a 'line in the sand' to separate your team from your opponent. Especially effective indoors, this tactic can stop moving close combatants from getting close enough to hit. Toss a line between your teams and call it good.
3. Locking down an opponent. While Barrier does it better, Smoke Cloud can be used to stop an opposing grounded character from being able to move. Just surround him with smoke and watch the Flash die a little inside. This is really most effective when you have a Smoke Cloud figure with a long range.
4. Perhaps the rarest use of Smoke Cloud, you can lay out hindering to trigger characters' special powers. Cave Carson can't Quake? Not after a quick assist from Batgirl! And maybe Out of the Shadows Batman has nowhere to go? Give him access to any space he wants; simply lay some cover for him!

There may be a few more uses I'm not thinking of, but many of these aren't on people's radars, and opening your mind to alternative Smoke Cloud can really shine new light on some old figures!

As for who's using Smoke Cloud well, let's start with a few Basic options before we touch the variations.


cd001 R HIVE Trooper
Team: No Affiliation
Range: 6
Points: 15
Keywords: HIVE, Soldier

6 8 15 2

6 7 14 1

5 6 14 1

5 5 13 1

KO KO KO KO

KO KO KO KO

KO KO KO KO

KO KO KO KO

KO KO KO KO

KO KO KO KO

KO KO KO KO

KO KO KO KO

Puffing smoke keeps this HIVE safe while he provides cover for friends. 6 range means he'll often have the opportunity to use Smoke Cloud aggressively, and at 15 points, he's not really a hit to your action advantage if you burn his action on Smoking.


ht009 V Checkmate Agent
Team: No Affiliation
Range: 8
Points: 16
Keywords: Checkmate, Task Force X

6 8 14 2

6 7 13 1

5 5 12 1

4 4 11 1

KO KO KO KO

KO KO KO KO

KO KO KO KO

KO KO KO KO

KO KO KO KO

KO KO KO KO

KO KO KO KO

KO KO KO KO

For a point more than the HIVE Trooper, this classic Checkmate Agent adds 2 to his range, giving him serious reach to block in most Hypersonic Speedsters while they play hit and run. Don't forget the Checkmate Alternate Team Ability that debuted today; you may find use for that Power Action Perplex on occasion.


un061 R Shade
Team: No Affiliation
Range: 4
Points: 27
Keywords: Central City, Mystical

7 8 15 2

7 8 14 1

7 8 14 1

6 7 13 1

6 7 13 1

6 7 12 1

KO KO KO KO

KO KO KO KO

KO KO KO KO

KO KO KO KO

KO KO KO KO

KO KO KO KO

Shade takes a serious hit to the range value, making him pretty much a defensive smoker; however, he makes up for it with Willpower, granting any Stealth allies using his cover two consecutive turns of safety as opposed to the usual one. Higher levels are worth examining too, but they may find themselves smoking less and less as Shade gets more experience.

Basic Smoke Cloud figures are most useful at low costs. But once you add something to that Smoke Cloud via a special power variant, even high point characters may find themselves opting to Smoke over attacking.


si014 R Mass Master
Team: Fantastic Four
Range: 0
Points: 30
Keywords: Kid, Power Pack

8 8 16 1

7 9 15 1

7 8 14 1

6 7 13 1

KO KO KO KO

KO KO KO KO

KO KO KO KO

KO KO KO KO

KO KO KO KO

KO KO KO KO

KO KO KO KO

KO KO KO KO

(Attack) Cloudform: Mass Master can use Smoke Cloud. When Mass Master is given a move action, after moving he can use Smoke Cloud as a free action but can place hindering terrain markers only in squares he occupied or moved through that turn.
Mass Master is like the gassy kid in class, crop dusting everywhere he goes. While most Smoke Cloud figs act from a stationary point, Mass Master has the advantage of being able to reposition every time he uses Smoke. That's pretty useful, as long as you've got places to go.
"It's nice, but I think it's a little small..."
"Totally, and it smells like fart!"


aa005 E Floronic Man
Team: Injustice League
Range: 0
Points: 47
Keywords: Scientist, Secret Society of Super Villains

8 9 17 2

8 9 17 2

7 9 17 2

7 8 17 2

7 8 16 2

6 8 16 2

KO KO KO KO

KO KO KO KO

KO KO KO KO

KO KO KO KO

KO KO KO KO

KO KO KO KO

(Attack) Wild Plant Growth: Floronic Man can use Smoke Cloud as if he has a range of 4; when he uses Smoke Cloud, he can place up to 8 hindering terrain markers if all markers are placed 2 or fewer squares from him.
(Damage) In Touch with the Green: Damage dealt by Floronic Man is increased by 1 if the target of the attack occupies or is adjacent to hindering terrain.
Making every attempt at Poison Ivy look bad, Floronic Man pumps out more hindering per turn than any other character. Granted, he has to keep it all within a rather small radius, but for a defensive Smoke Cloud, you can't ask for much more. Unfortunately, In Touch with the Green can never overlap with Wild Plant Growth (unless you're compelling Floronic Man, and then I have to ask 'why?!').


aa026 E Nightshade
Team: Mystics
Range: 6
Points: 50
Keywords: L.A.W., Shadowpact, Suicide Squad, Spy

9 9 16 2

9 9 16 2

9 9 15 2

8 8 15 2

8 8 14 2

KO KO KO KO

KO KO KO KO

KO KO KO KO

KO KO KO KO

KO KO KO KO

KO KO KO KO

KO KO KO KO

(Attack) From the Land of Nightshades: Nightshade can use Smoke Cloud. If an opposing character ends its turn occupying a square containing a hindering terrain marker placed by Nightshade, that character is dealt 2 damage.
The first tournament staple that comes to mind when asked about Smoke Cloud, Nightshade has more ways of damaging you without attacking than Spider-Man has clones. Mystics is a great power for sharing with Wildcards, and it's incredibly easy to deal 2 damage to an opponent simply by surrounding them in smoke.


aa034 V Robin
Team: Batman Ally
Range: 6
Points: 66
Keywords: Bludhaven, Detective, Gotham City, Martial Artist, Teen, Teen Titans

9 10 16 2

8 10 16 2

8 9 16 2

8 9 15 2

7 9 15 2

7 8 15 2

KO KO KO KO

KO KO KO KO

KO KO KO KO

KO KO KO KO

KO KO KO KO

KO KO KO KO

(Speed) Batline: Robin can use Charge and Leap/Climb. When Robin uses Charge, he ignores the effects of elevated terrain on movement.
(Attack) Tear Gas Grenade: Robin can use Smoke Cloud. When Robin uses Smoke Cloud, after he places all hindering terrain markers he can immediately use Incapacitate as a free action but can attack only a single opposing character occupying a square containing a hindering terrain marker he placed that turn; ignore the effects of hindering terrain on the attack.
Robin is all-around useful, but folks seem to like using his Tear Gas Grenade. Offering a way to use Incapacitate on pesky Stealthed foes, Robin follows up by keeping his opponent at half speed moving out of that cloud next turn.


aa020 E Anarky
Team: Batman Ally
Range: 0
Points: 70
Keywords: Gotham City, Politician, Teen

7 9 16 2

7 9 15 2

7 8 17 2

7 8 17 2

10 8 15 1

10 7 14 1

KO KO KO KO

KO KO KO KO

KO KO KO KO

KO KO KO KO

KO KO KO KO

KO KO KO KO

(Speed) Boom Tube: Anarky can use Phasing/Teleport and the Carry Ability.
(Attack) Tools of Change: Anarky can use Quake and Smoke Cloud. After Anarky uses Smoke Cloud, he can be given a move action as a free action.
(Damage) The Essence of Anarky is Surprise: Anarky can use Outwit. Anarky can use Probability Control if before using the power you remove an action token from an opposing character not currently taking an action.
I feel like Anarky should keep a certain date in mind. Actually, I think a lot of the world would have been thrilled if Anarky had actually been the guy I'm thinking of. Instead, this oddball plays a backwards game of Flashbang, dropping smoke and running away before anyone can see him. If you're gonna move anyway, why not leave a cloud behind? His other specials aren't terrible either, but keep in mind he can't Phase if he wants to smoke. There's no smoking in the Boom Tube.


cr018 V Red Arrow
Team: Justice League
Range: 10
Points: 73
Keywords: Checkmate, Justice League, Outsiders, Star City, Suicide Squad, Teen Titans

8 10 16 2

8 10 16 2

7 9 17 2

7 9 17 2

7 9 17 2

6 8 16 2

6 8 16 2

KO KO KO KO

KO KO KO KO

KO KO KO KO

KO KO KO KO

KO KO KO KO

(Speed) Fusillade: Give Red Arrow a power action. He makes two separate ranged combat attacks as free actions (making two separate attack rolls against two different target opposing characters). Resolve the first attack before making the second; if Red Arrow loses Fusillade before making the second attack, he can't make the second attack.
(Attack) Trick Arrows: Red Arrow can use Energy Explosion and Smoke Cloud. When he uses Energy Explosion, after resolving the action he can immediately use Smoke Cloud as a free action but the first hindering terrain marker must be placed in the same square as the target of the Energy Explosion attack.
The only guy to make this list who needs to make an attack roll first, Red Arrow doesn't need to hit when he uses Energy Explosion. Having the longest range so far on this list, and adding in damage-dealing capabilities that overlap well with Smoke Cloud, Red Arrow can smack a cluster of people, then smoke them all in. Just today, Brave and the Bold gave us Batman and Green Arrow, who mimic this guy but with Incapacitate instead. Now if only they cost 73 points, they might be as useful as Red here...


aa100 U Batman
Team: No Affiliation
Range: 10
Points: 208
Keywords: Sinestro Corps, Gotham City

10 11 17 4

8 11 17 4

8 10 16 3

8 10 16 3

8 9 16 3

8 9 15 2

8 9 15 2

8 8 15 2

8 8 14 2

KO KO KO KO

KO KO KO KO

KO KO KO KO

(Speed) Cloud of Yellow Bats: Batman can use Running Shot and Stealth. Once per turn, Batman can use Smoke Cloud as a free action.
(Attack) Yellow Constructs: Batman can use Barrier, Incapacitate, and Super Strength.
In a weight class all his own, Sinestro Corp. Batman can smoke without worry each and every turn. We're talking a constant cloud around this guy, or around an opponent within 10 squares. This is everything desirable about Smoke Cloud, wrapped up in a free action and thrown on a centerpiece. Smoke 'em if you got 'em.

Well, that's all I've got this week! Come on back next week, when we look at Poison! And stick around; I'd love to hear comments about YOUR favorite figs regulated to the smoking section!

Spitfire is another good one from a defensive standpoint since she can Smoke after making a HSS attack.

Huzzah! I named a good chunk of those figures! Granted Nightshade & Robin were the easy ones. The only figure I didn't think about was the Checkmate Agent, albeit I use that figure more for a cheap sniper over SmokeCloud.

W00T SC Batman, man I love that piece everybody at my venue says he's really annoying but all I can say when I play him is YOU CAN'T SEE ME!


Sinestro Corp FTW!

very glad batman made the list, when something is free it makes the power even better!!

I think you will be adding the Rookie League Assassin to your list...

But the best use of smokecloud you forgot to mention... as a sneak attack bridge for your own team... it lets you continue hindering terrain and connect your attacker to your opponent. Think Flash is stopped because he is surrounded by smoke cloud? Your own piece can place smoke cloud under Flash and now he can at least take advantage of his halved movement rate.

This is a good article! I have rarely used Smoke Cloud over the years, saving it for the end of the game when nothing matters anymore and never building a team around this power.

With the proliferation of Special Powers (see Nightshade and Sinestro Batman), the power has become more useful. On it's own, uses are still very exclusive. As a power, it would be neater if it could be used as a free action (maybe when a character already has an action token, just to prevent a perpetual smoke cloud).

Props again for the article!

Or, if Smoke Cloud didn't count towards your available actions, like a JLA or Avengers movement.

Standard SC just isn't that useful, except in specialized cases.

Where's The Question? I anyone is a smoke cloud abuser the Question should definitely be on the list!

What about the other chase Batman? Not as good a use of smoke as SinBats, but it's still pretty effective...

The Question isn't an Outwit piece?!

True that Flash would have half his move if it's placed under him, but if you place them around the Flash then he has to stop after that first square.

But one of the best pairings for SmokeCloud is with the new Hand Ninjas. Place it under them and they get to attack for free.

IMO, Anarky is one of the WORST figures with Smoke Cloud, because of his 0-range.

In a better designed figure, he'd be able to place the smoke cloud after his movement as to use his TA to avoid being sniped.

This excellent Brainiac 5 mod uses Anarky on some of my assorted Legion Teams, and it has been the rare circumstance when I have been actually able to use the smoke cloud portion of the power to *any* effect.

See, if you base my Anarky then I can use my Smoke Cloud to slow you down then move away to either other terrain or to be taxied. This also works well since you'll place the SC and then move out of retaliatory range.