WizKids has posted the 2021 HeroCix Comprehensive Rulebook! What do you think?

First thought: It's as ugly as the WW80 version is pretty

Second thought: Might need some clarification. For example, the comp book still lists a maximum of 5 TTPCs (for non-standard games). But I'm still going through it.

I just did a quick glance at it and I understand they are trying to cover any issue. But 66 pages is a lot for a rulebook. I know 40K rulebooks are larger and with more pages which I also play. So I know their is larger rulebooks out there.

For the experienced heroclix player, I feel that this is an asset and hopefully will make it easier when questions arise since it did look like their trying to address every issue. Hopefully looking up answers will be easily done when they arise. Now for the new or young player or those interested in joining the game. Seeing this rulebook is a downer since a person can't just pick up the book and a couple boosters to play with a friend after a few minutes of looking at it. It might push them toward another game.

Sure, no graphic design to speak of, but this is what everyone has been asking for. I think it's great so far.

I have fully read it and outside of appearence and a few grammar errors (for such a large doc, not bad at all), it was very clear and covers everything well.

I could have swore I saw that destroying barriers did not generate debris markers, but the comprehensive guide says you do. That was my only questionable item.

It addressed one of the main questions I had. Can you apply multiple effects that are "instead of normal damage" now that many powers are passive. Answer is you choose one.

One thing that I thought was interesting. The way many powers are triggered now, you can choose to use certains ones after you have rolled. For example, I can attack and decide to incap after I have determined hit targets and am ready to calculate damage.

where did you find the reference to:

Can you apply multiple effects that are "instead of normal damage" now that many powers are passive. Answer is you choose one

How does the concerns regarding multiple effects on your attack stacking?

flurry/exploit weakness/quake/steal energy for instance

Section 12.4b of the new comprehensive rules:
For flurry/EW/quake/steal energy it doesn't apply because only quake says "instead of normal damage." so you could charge and flurry, then use quake to target all adjacent opposing characters for one or both attacks, and deal 2 damage to all, which EW would make penetrating, and you can heal one click using steal energy afterwards if you hit (two clicks if you hit and deal damage with both attacks). In this situation, if you choose to target all adjacent opposing characters you must deal 2 damage from Quake.

The multiple "instead of normal damage" thing comes in if you decide, for example, to make a close attack and you have quake and incapacitate. You can target all adjacent characters through quake, then you have two instead of normal damage options; (1) quake says you may deal 2 damage to all hit targets and (2) incapacitate says that you can give them all an action token instead of normal damage. The active player chooses which of those effects to use.

I'd still like to them update the PAC to include Team Abilities and maybe a "basics of LoF" section.

Honstly, the change to water terrain is Terrible. Before, pieces like Phoenix Namor,048 aquaman, or any other piece that makes water terrain,were so good because you could drastically change the battlefield, but now that everyone can swim as fast as they can run, they got drastically worse and team comps based on them are just dead. Hell, my entire collection was based around using water terrain to get a leg up, but now...it feels like playing an online game where you put all your skill points throughout the years into one stat, just to come out with an update saying half of what made that stat good is now gone. It's so dumb and it feels like I wasted so much time and money.

There it is

Effects may increase or decrease your action total (usually temporarily), but regardless of effects you’re Action Total has a minimum value of 2 and a maximum value of 10 (regardless of the game’s build total).

I am only glancing and spotted that typo

Wrong your/you're (hint: this is the possessive, so 'your' is correct)

First glance 79 pages. Really simplifies the rules for new players making it fair for everyone. 1 step forward and half a dozen backwards. We are pretty much back with the notebook with all the Errata's and up to date rulings from +5 or 5+ or more than 5 years ago. Geesh can't the power do what it says it does and leave it at that.

Hello again all.

It was unnecessary, and they shouldn't have done it.

Given that they DID do it, it has seemingly now over simplified the game (-which is bad-), but (I grudgingly accept) has clarified a few rules wrinkles which were "muddy", at best. (-so that's good-). Certain things (changes which impact on knockback, falling damage, and pushing damage) are easy changes to implement and rule on, but make virtually NO sense - and in my view weaken the gameplay. The change to Theme Team advantages is annoying, but not actually game breaking / damaging.
The water-terrain changes are unfortunate, to put it mildly, and should be retconned back to the pre-WW version.

My main criticism is that it made far too many changes all in one go - which WILL impact negatively on the player base, I believe. Changing the game by the addition of new stuff (Legacy Cards / Captain and Sidekick, / new pogs / new Heroclix boxed games, and the like) is good. Introducing a considerable number of rules changes when all that was needed was an occasional clarification, is not.

Is the document useable as a meta-tournament document ? Yes. Will it be read, or even looked at, by all the "we only play at home" players ? No. Is it going to have any impact on collectors ? Yes - as certain figures are now "better" and will become more expensive / sought after, whereas it damages other figures who will now "drop down the lists".

All in all, an awful lot of work has gone into something that, IMHO, should not have happened. This, coupled with the (in my view) deeply unpleasant scale change etc raises the issue of "why make these changes at all", especially given that we had just had (and still have, mostly un-played, due to the pandemic) five excellent sets - namely JLU ; Avengers MoE; Black Widow; Fantastic Four, and SpideyCarna-Venom ! I love the game and will keep running and playing and collecting it, but SERIOUSLY Wizkids ?!?

I looked at it for the first time, trying to see where/if the rules preventing carried characters from taking actions are.. I couldn't find them. Anyone care to give a guy a clue?

It’s on the PAC under the CARRY ability.

Ah, of course. Why would it also be in the "Comprehensive" rules...