This week, we have a very special edition of The Best At What They Do, a series that is kind enough to loan its title out for this relatively unrelated article. I promise, I'll have a new title when I've settled on a new article series.

One of the best things about Heroclix is that it's based on comic books, and over the decades comics have gone through a lot of phases. There were the gritty 80s, the psychedelic 70s, and the propaganda 40s. Really, comics are a pretty non-discriminatory medium, and Heroclix reflects that. It's only in a game like this that you can make an entirely playable theme team consisting only of animals.

But when you undertake the task of a monkey team (as every player should at some point in their clix career), where should you begin?

Guidelines for this article:
-In order to be included on this list, at least a portion of the figure must be a monkey. A Skrull may be capable of going simian, but none of them are choosing to, so forget about it.
-You'll need to use any tactical advantage you can to make this team work, so we're going to make this team fit an Animal theme and get map choice and a few uses of Probability Control. Brainiac 5 may have a monkey on his shoulder, but he's not an Animal, and while that Outwit would be a benefit to this musclebound force, map choice is too significant to simian success to forfeit in the name of some fragile Outwit.
-Some of these monkeys (but surprisingly not many) have an entire REV to choose from. I'm not going to waste time examining the minute differences between Experienced and Veteran Gorilla Grodd, so it's up to you (and points) to determine if the level I recommend isn't the ideal fit for your team.
-I'm going to assume Battlefield Conditions aren't in effect. That's because monkeys are relatively resilient to BFCs, and they'll be able to use their theme bonus to cancel the one that might. I won't discuss Feats either; if you have space for them, you can figure out which will fit your playstyle.
-I will be rating the monkeys on a 4 scale:
You're better off leaving him in the barrel.
If the monkey suit fits...
A fine Diddy to your Donkey.
This guy means monkey business!

The King of Kong
Someone's got to keep your apes in line, and these are the big monkeys capable of doing the job.


aa010 V Gorilla Grodd
Team: No Affiliation
Range: 0
Points: 157
Keywords: Animal, Brute, Psychic, Rogues, Ruler

7 11 18 3

7 11 18 3

8 10 18 4

8 10 17 4

6 10 17 3

6 9 16 3

6 9 15 2

6 8 15 2

6 8 14 2

KO KO KO KO

KO KO KO KO

KO KO KO KO

(Speed) Your Will Is Mine: Gorilla Grodd can use Leap/Climb and Mind Control (as if he had a range of 8).
I just love the 'ode to Hypertime' pose of this ape. Gorilla Grodd is the first of three iterations I'll be highlighting, and probably the one you'll be using. I say that because he's one of the most capable centerpiece options for the team, he's extremely easy to get a copy of, and he's probably the figure you've been wanting to use that finally pushed you to the ape team. There's just so much going for Grodd! 8 range Mind Control is a fantastic ranged option for the hand-to-hand oriented apes. Later, he picks up Telekinesis, though you'll probably choose to Charge with his 4 damage instead. Opening with Outwit is fantastic, and the fact that its long run only gives way to Exploit Weakness means Grodd can bypass damage reducers his whole dial. Finally, Indomitable gives him a full dial of Willpower. On many teams, Gorilla Grodd will be passed over in favor of a less awkward dial layout, but when you're dealing in monkeys, it's on like Donkey Kong!



aa047 V Ultra-Humanite
Team: No Affiliation
Range: 8
Points: 177
Keywords: Animal, Psychic, Scientist, Time Stealers

9 10 17 4

8 10 17 3

8 10 17 3

7 9 16 3

7 8 16 3

7 8 15 2

8 8 15 2

8 9 14 2

8 10 14 3

KO KO KO KO

KO KO KO KO

KO KO KO KO

(Speed) Mental Might: The Ultra-Humanite can use Mind Control, Outwit, and Psychic Blast.
At just a little more expensive than Gorilla Grodd, the Arkham version of Ultra-Humanite brings a lot of the same tricks. Ultra-Humanite also has Indomitable, also has a lot of Outwit (what is with these smart monkeys?), and also can mix it up in close combat or at range. However, this centerpiece alternative is the first to have a natural range, and an 8 at that! Ultra-H is much more damage resiliant, with Invulnerability and Mastermind highlighting his long dial. The latter ability is especially useful, as figures of the simian persuasion are prone to be good damage sponges, and you won't want to lose the Psychic Blast Ultra-H offers. All in all, the great white ape makes an excellent choice for a centerpiece, compensating for all the attributes a primate force lacks.



aa104 E Grodd
Team: No Affiliation
Range: 8
Points: 161
Keywords: Animal, Legion of Doom, Psychic, Sinestro Corps

8 11 17 3

7 11 17 3

7 10 17 3

7 10 16 3

7 10 16 3

6 9 16 3

6 9 16 2

6 8 16 2

6 8 16 2

KO KO KO KO

KO KO KO KO

KO KO KO KO

(Speed) Giant Yellow Paws: Grodd can use Barrier, Force Blast and Plasticity. Immediately after Grodd resolves a use of Force Blast against a target opposing character, Grodd can use Barrier as a free action, but he must place blocking terrain such that the line of fire from Grodd to the target is blocked.
(Attack) Weaponer's Ring: Grodd can use Barrier, Ranged Combat Expert, Super Strength and Telekinesis.
You are looking at 9 clicks of Barrier that will never be used, but Grodd is all about the options. Running Shot for a gorilla is huge, as is his 8 range. But a combination of Ranged Combat Expert and Outwit will encourage you to stay in place and deal Grodd's full 5 damage to any opponent you choose. Flight makes Grodd a rare taxi option, and late in the dial he can push opponents away from himself (and whatever primate pal he's brought along). If you're lucky enough to own this sinister version of the great Gorilla Grodd, he can take your planet of the apes in a whole new direction. But Grodd, while fun, is not at all indispensable.



cd084 V Monsieur Mallah & the Brain
Team: No Affiliation
Range: 8
Points: 138
Keywords: Animal, Brotherhood of Evil, Scientist

8 11 16 3

8 10 16 2

8 9 16 2

7 9 15 2

7 8 15 2

7 8 14 2

7 8 14 2

6 7 14 3

6 7 13 3

KO KO KO KO

KO KO KO KO

KO KO KO KO

We've seen a lot of smart simians already, but occasionally a monkey's got to be content with bringing brains with him. One is a genius, the other's insane; Mallah knows he's a grunt, and provides the physical side of this dial while the Brain does all the thinking. Together, they provide an amazing 11 attack, long 8 range with two targets, and Running Shot! An opening click of extremely useful Outwit breaks for a long run of Perplex, which to some means Brilliant Tactician (though I'd caution you to avoid it). Occasionally, Mallah is thinking what Brain's thinking, and that adds up to Psychic Blast opportunities. If you're building to 400 or more, there's no excuse for leaving Mallah and Brain off the team, and at 300 builds you may consider them as your centerpiece as you try to take over the world.



mu040 U Devil Dinosaur and Moon Boy
Team: No Affiliation
Range: 0
Points: 151
Keywords: Animal, Fallen Angels, Monster, Past

10 9 18 4

10 9 18 4

8 10 17 3

6 10 17 3

6 10 16 3

7 10 16 3

7 9 15 3

6 8 15 3

5 8 14 2

KO KO KO KO

KO KO KO KO

KO KO KO KO

There is a demographic out there for monkeys and dinosaurs, and with Moon Boy filling the missing link between man and monkey, you're in the clear if you want to centerpiece the Devil Dino on your simian squad (so long as you call this duo Moon Boy and Devil Dinosaur; give the brains of the operation his due). A giant target in every way imaginable, a well-chosen monkey map will compensate for this odd couple's primary weakness. No other ape can match their potential damage output, and MBDD provide rare feat-free transportation available to a mass of monkeys. There are plenty of reasons to consider this prehistoric pair; ultimately, it depends on just how ape you wanna go.

Second Bananas
A primary attacker is no good without backup, and the monkeys have plenty of options for it. Take a look!


sv019 R Super Apes: Igor
Team: Minions of Doom
Range: 4
Points: 50
Keywords: Animal, Super-Apes

9 9 17 2

8 9 17 1

8 9 16 1

7 8 16 1

7 8 15 1

6 7 15 .

KO KO KO KO

KO KO KO KO

KO KO KO KO

KO KO KO KO

KO KO KO KO

KO KO KO KO

Despite all sharing the same point cost, Igor got labelled the Rookie. Maybe it's because he's the smallest. Whatever the reason, don't think for a moment he's the weakest of the Super Apes. Igor is an effective tie-up, and his dial is nothing if not irritating. Igor is among the apes smart enough to have a supporting power; his mid-dial Perplex is an asset worth protecting on an Animal team. Unfortunately, one of his biggest assets is largely wasted on a monkey team: the Minions of Doom team ability. Changeling/Beast Boy might make himself useful swapping clicks with him, and Ultrahumanite offers access to the Society ATA, but neither option is exactly potent. I trust I don't have to mention why Grodd's Injustice League is a waste of time...



sv020 E Super Apes: Mikhlo
Team: Minions of Doom
Range: 0
Points: 50
Keywords: Animal, Super-Apes

7 9 17 3

7 8 17 3

6 8 17 3

6 7 16 2

6 8 16 2

6 8 15 2

5 9 14 1

KO KO KO KO

KO KO KO KO

KO KO KO KO

KO KO KO KO

KO KO KO KO

First off, take Peoter and Mihklo down to the shop, exacto-knife them off their dials, and glue them on each other's dials. Now your apes are accurate. Tolerating that mistake is akin to accepting Fandral atop Hogun's dial.
There's nothing wrong with a 50-point figure capable of 5 damage on his first click. But there's also little that makes that a necessary addition to a gorilla gang-up. With two other 50-point options competing to round out your team, I'd reach for Mikhlo last, who brings more of the same to an already repetative team. (Having said that, there's surprisingly little straightforward Super Strength among Heroclix monkeys, but compare Mikhlo to Congorilla and you'll see little need for that.)



sv021 V Super Apes: Peoter
Team: Minions of Doom
Range: 6
Points: 50
Keywords: Animal, Super-Apes

8 9 16 1

7 9 16 1

7 10 15 1

7 10 14 1

6 8 14 1

6 7 13 .

KO KO KO KO

KO KO KO KO

KO KO KO KO

KO KO KO KO

KO KO KO KO

KO KO KO KO

Peoter is an excellent figure, monkey team or not. 50 points to gain Telekinesis is already considered acceptable, but with a wildcard team ability, pushable dial, and some Force Blast for good measure, Peoter is rock solid. With that in mind, it's counterintuitive that he's actually LESS necessary on an ape team. Like Igor, he has few wildcarding options. TK is actually an easy ability to find among the monkeys. And with the close combat orientation of the team, Peoter will likely spend the majority of the game seeking out objects to throw at people, as he lacks the damage potential most monkeys possess naturally. If you chose not to run Ultrahumanite, and if you chose not to run Grodd, and if you can't wait for Gorilla Grodd to pick up Telekinesis on click 3, then Peoter is indespensible. But those are some of the figures that drive you to try a monkey team. Look at Peoter; he already knows he's sitting this one out.



ha029 V Gorilla-Man
Team: No Affiliation
Range: 6
Points: 61
Keywords: Agents of Atlas, Animal, S.H.I.E.L.D.

8 10 17 2

8 10 17 2

8 10 16 2

8 9 16 2

7 9 16 3

7 9 16 3

7 8 15 3

6 8 15 3

KO KO KO KO

KO KO KO KO

KO KO KO KO

KO KO KO KO

A monkey with a gun is an extremely useful thing to have, as Animals are a bit short on ranged combat options. Gorilla Man can fill a number of roles- tie up, ranged interference, late-game beatstick- making him a flexible inclusion on your roster. Most players emphasize the end of Gorilla Man's dial as where he really shines, as he can easily deal 6 damage in one turn with competent combat values. However he ends up contributing, at around 7.5 points per click, he's in no peril of not earning his keep.



cd082 R Monsieur Mallah
Team: No Affiliation
Range: 6
Points: 55
Keywords: Animal, Brotherhood of Evil

8 9 16 3

9 9 16 2

8 9 15 2

8 8 15 2

7 8 14 3

7 7 14 3

6 7 13 2

6 6 13 2

KO KO KO KO

KO KO KO KO

KO KO KO KO

KO KO KO KO

The french gorilla is in a lot of ways similar to Gorilla-Man, but the biggest difference is opening with Charge. If 61 points for 8 clicks is good, then 55 points for it is fantastic. Mallah is cheap enough to serve solely as mastermind fodder, but can do a lot of damage if let loose on an opponent's army. This is one case where I say ignore uniqueness; a monkey's a monkey, and just because you're using Mallah and the Brain doesn't mean you should pass over Mallah.



io012 V Beast Boy
Team: Titans
Range: 0
Points: 86
Keywords: Animal, Doom Patrol, Teen, Teen Titans

10 9 16 3

8 8 16 2

8 8 15 2

7 7 15 2

7 7 14 1

6 6 14 1

6 6 13 1

KO KO KO KO

KO KO KO KO

KO KO KO KO

KO KO KO KO

KO KO KO KO

Look at Beast Boy. Now look at Gorilla-Man. Now back to Beast Boy. Now back to Gorilla-Man. Sadly, Beast Boy is not Gorilla-Man, and it shows in an 80+ point collision of powers that don't have the stats to back them up. Flight is great for monkeys, and a Charge/Quake combo can be quite successful. But all in all, this Boy just doesn't have what it takes to hang with the monkeys. DC75 has a promising looking Beast Boy, so perhaps we'll finally see him contribute to a team. For the time being, leave him out and run with a Gorilla-Man, man.



ht070 R Gorilla Grodd
Team: No Affiliation
Range: 6
Points: 54
Archenemy: Flash (Yellow)
Keywords: Animal, Psychic, Ruler

9 10 15 2

9 9 15 2

8 9 14 2

8 8 14 2

7 8 13 1

7 7 12 1

6 6 11 1

KO KO KO KO

KO KO KO KO

KO KO KO KO

KO KO KO KO

KO KO KO KO

The last Grodd we'll examine is the original, and the Rookie of that REV progression as well. Why the Rookie? Because at 54 points, you're not spending too much on him; he's still a Mind Controller with a ranged attack and late dial Outwit; and you don't have to stare at the useless Injustice League team ability. If you need a monkey with a ranged attack, or want to dabble in Mind Control, and if you're not already centerpiecing a Gorilla Grodd with similar abilities, then this budget shooting simian may be right for you. Late dial, he'll take a serious nosedive, so shuffle him back to a Mastermind monkey if you have one, or send him forward as a tie-up. And recite Hamlet. He's begging you.



un089 U Ultrahumanite
Team: No Affiliation
Range: 0
Points: 80
Keywords: Animal, Secret Society of Super Villains, Psychic, Scientist

8 9 15 3

8 9 15 2

7 8 15 2

7 8 14 2

6 8 14 2

6 7 14 1

5 7 13 1

5 7 12 1

KO KO KO KO

KO KO KO KO

KO KO KO KO

KO KO KO KO

86 points of Beast Boy looks pathetic next to the original Ultrahumanite. Taxiing has nothing on Telekinesis, and Outwit will go a long way backing up your team. Ultrahumanite begins quite respectibly, with nice stats and good damage reduction. He falls hard though, so consider keeping him in reserve throughout the match, using his TK to shuffle your attackers to new targets without wasting their actions on movement. 80 points is substantial, but Ultrahumanite can make it up in a hurry, especially when paired with low-cost-to-click figures like Gorilla-Man and Monsieur Mallah. At the end of his dial, Ultrahumanite picks up Mastermind, which you should never, ever use.



#020 V Solovar
Team: No Affiliation
Range: 8
Points: 98
Keywords: Animal, Ruler

9 10 17 3

9 10 18 2

9 10 17 2

8 9 17 2

8 9 17 2

8 8 16 3

8 8 16 3

KO KO KO KO

KO KO KO KO

KO KO KO KO

KO KO KO KO

KO KO KO KO

Once again we have a monkey with 8 range. Once again, a monkey with Telekinesis. Once again, Psychic Blast, and once again, Outwit. The downside to Solovar is that his most useful abilities all come at the wrong time. Leadership serves almost no point on a team where even the generics cost over 50 points, and keeps his Outwit buried late in the dial. Look at what an 80-point Ultrahumanite offers, then tell me Solovar is more effective. It's not at all that Solovar is a bad figure; you'll likely find he plays just fine, but in a low point game, you'll find yourself longing for the other monkeys on the list.


Monkey Swarm
Now that you know who your significant players are, you can round out your force with these cheap options:


No Animal keyword is no problem for this two-faced primate. The ape-in-disguise makes for perfect filler on your team, and actually brings with him a couple neat tricks due to his unique 'flip me!' ability. Turning human given Congo Bill a ranged combat option (uncommon for the apes), as well as Willpower. As Congorilla, he can carry objects around, which he can then drop when he Bills back. Moving around area-effect objects is a solid strategy, and can act as a very specified counter with the right objects (Aerial Baffler, Shield Disruptor, to some degree the Kinetic Absorber).



Another cheap monkey, Ken Hale can fill in a point build nicely, but there's nothing terribly special about him. Use him if you need him.



ht064 R Changeling
Team: Titans
Range: 0
Points: 31
Keywords: Animal, Celebrity, Doom Patrol, Teen

6 6 12 .

7 10 15 2

6 9 13 2

5 8 12 1

4 5 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

Monkeys are NOT cheap. Sure, there's Congorilla and Ken Hale, but if you want a 3D sculpt, the cheap chimps will still set you back 50 points. That's why I'm glad Changeling/Beast Boy is so fond of his evolutionary cousins. 31 points gets you a half-man, half-ape that offers 10 attack and erratic power progression. As a throwaway piece, there's nothing wrong with rounding out your point total with him, but don't make space for him if he doesn't fall into place. Note that if you run any of the Super Apes, the Titans team ability may be the best option available.



#004 E Gorilla City Warrior
Team: No Affiliation
Range: 0
Points: 56
Keywords: Animal, Warrior

8 10 17 3

7 9 17 2

7 9 16 2

6 9 15 2

6 8 15 2

6 8 15 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

Damage - Minion: Solovar or Grodd?: Whenever a friendly character named Solovar is within 8 squares, Gorilla City Warrior can use Incapacitate as if he had a range value of 8 and . Whenever a friendly character named Grodd or Gorilla Grodd is within 8 squares, Gorilla City Warrior can use Penetrating/Psychic Blast as if he had a range of 4.
Really priced as a 'second banana', the army build these guys represent makes me file the Gorilla City Warrior here. So that's the first thing to consider: do you want to add 1, or try to push an army of Gorilla City Warriors? Doing the second will likely cut any chances of using any ape but Solovar or Grodd. Together en masse, these simians just lack variety, and not in a good way. As the dial goes, it can easily claim its 56 point cost with a durable dial that can deal a fair amount of damage. Of the two, I recommend you run the Warrior with Solovar; Incapacitate is new for the apes, and 8 range with two targets means each 56 point monkey can monkey with two opponents with a good chance of success.
Solo under Solovar
Solo under Grodd
Either way, as an Army

Planet of the Apes?

So, now you've got your team together, but what map are you going to use? The temptation is to capture that congo feel with a map like the Dawn of Man from Crisis, but with lots of mobility (thanks to a bevvy of Leap/Climb) and a close combat emphasis, you're better off with narrow hallways, tons of obstacles, or lots of elevated terrain. Consider overrunning Stark Labs, breaking out of Prison, or ransacking the Junkyard. The map from the Anti-Monitor set offers a maze-like layout that will keep your apes out of sight of snipers, but offers little advantage as far as terrain to tie down your opponent's movement. On the other hand, the Secret Invasion Crash Site has plenty of hindering, but surprisingly allows for a lot of longer shots. Space is just thematically fun, but knockback rules could ruin your day. The map you choose will depend largely on which centerpiece chimp you chose, but as a general rule look for closed-off combat areas and hindering terrain that interferes with movement.

Once you've got all that in place, you should be ready for monkey mayhem of your own! Go ape!

A special thanks to littlebitte for being the first to post HCRealms-coded dials for Solovar and Gorilla City Warrior, allowing me to post this article in a timely fashion.

I Love Monkeys!

Wait. No Detective Chimp? tsk, tsk, tsk...

That said, an interesting and informative and amusing article. Well done, yet again.

Great article and insightful comments as always, Thanks for the read!

Grodd-"You are looking at 9 clicks of Barrier that will never be used"- Priceless!

You forgot the Detective Chimp pog.

This is fantastic.

And on a mobile, it's gonna be hard to edit Detective Chimp in! Sad... maybe later...

One of my favorite teams ever, I called "The Annoying Little *ers" and it included a Mystics-copying Igor with the Taunt feat card. It was tons of fun to TK out the little monkey and make an opponent's brick waste his time (and possible Mystics damage) on Igor. Copying the right TA, he's a solid little tie-up piece, but when you can make the opposition come to you, it's even more satisfying.


Also, we'll be getting another brainy ape in this set. Detective Chimp is a confirmed set. Unfortunately, not in his deer-stalker cap though.

Some background on this article. The idea came from a certain Realmser (who I'm sure will identify themself when they find this article) and their persistent campaigning for Ultrahumanite's inclusion in the series. As I was exploring options for post-PAC articles, the Ultrahumanite jumped out at me, as did an excellent title. I had to make the monkey feature!

About a week back, I got the urge to get on it. I blame it on Donkey Kong Country Returns, and its imminent arrival pushing me to replay the old SNES classic. So I pooled the dials and started writing notes on it to myself. It was Wednesday; I'd completed half my writeups, and the preview of Johnny Quick alluded to apes. That's when it all came together. I had a deadline.

Everything was finalized last night, including pictures for the two dials I suspected we'd get today. Sure enough, dials posted, and littlebitte was kind enough to HCRealms the dials for me. And thus we have possibly the fastest article review of a preview figure in clix history.

Hope you all love it!

I am familiar with all of the pieces you mentioned except for Solovar and the Gorilla city warrior.

What set are those from?

E.

New previews for DC 75, just posted this morning.

Grodd is awesome with Trick shot. He can always use it.

I wish the would have gave him hi t/a though And his invulnerable ruins a chance to use Force Field to have a full dial of Toughness

And you keep calling range a rare option for monkeys. Damn near every monkey in clicks has a range