The Tease of Things I Don't Need

Thusfar I've not spent a dime on Wizkids' latest game: Horrorclix. For once I'm being the near model of restraint and letting someone who normally is the cautious one dive in, plumb the depths, check the temperature and pH, answer questions and ultimately tell me if it's fun.

Earlier, Grant had run a couple superhero battles against the Great Cthulu, a piece he'd bought from Wizkids at Wizard World Chicago. A colossal figure like the Spectre I picked up, while I can show you what he looks like and direct you to that piece on him, thusfar Wizkids hasn't included his dial or rules on their site. In one game they managed to turn back the Great One and momentarily banish him from their plane, but in another game he took down a mixed team of Justice Leaguers and Avengers.

This sort of match, involving Heroclix pieces mixed with horror elements, would be my target in all this. While Horrorclix on its own may very well be a fun game, I'm not a gamer and that's not a strong enough theme on its own to pull me in. I want zombies, werewolves, demons, vampires, ghosts and insane killers to import as elements in Heroclix games. It's just that simple.

As we were told early on that there was a roughly 80% compatibility I was immediately put on the fence about this. There would have to be adaptations, it wasn't clear if a fair meeting point could be arranged, and with all the money I already pour into the Heroclix hobby I would have to tread very carefully here.

The game hit the streets August 30th, by the 31st Grant'd bought a starter and a brick, and was soon beginning to report on some games he'd run with his son and some things he'd thrown together on his own as they learned the rules.

Zombies vs vampires gave a predictable result in the end, as vampires proved the more efficient hunters of human victims and eventually tore through the zombies. Oh, the zombies got to swarm over an opponent or two, just as one expects, but the tougher vamps tore them to chunks.

In successive games they worked through mixes of the various groups, including the human and near-human guardians -- characters whose aim is to protect humans and slay the monsters. (Technically every character that isn't a pog/victim is a "monster" - it's just convenient shorthand for the sake of simplicity in the rules.)

Eventually they worked up to a 400 pt monsters vs Heroclix heroes match. (The decision to play the monsters under Horrorclix rules and the Heroclix under that game's rules was one of the ground rules.)

Establishing the scene as a mix of heroes investigating individual occult, vampire and werewolf attacks leading them to the mansion of Agatha Harkness - currently believed dead - where they found the first order of business being saving a group of teenagers and a few adults who'd picked the wrong house for an amateur's investigation into the paranormal.

Someone with a cell phone had managed to get a call off to the police, but nothing more, so a police SWAT rookie was stuck looking into it on his way home as his shift was almost over. Anticipating it being just another crank call surrounding the local "haunted" house he approached cautiously and quietly just in case he might be able to catch some kids and put a scare into them.

So, arriving all at nearly the same time were:

Dr Strange V FF 110
Nighthawk E SN 42
Moon Knight V CM 34
Hellcat V UT 38
Wolverine FCBD 57
Valkyrie E SN 60
Blade V MM 41
Swat Heavy Weapons R CM 18

And what they found in the mansion - along with the 12 people they tried to rescure - were:

Reaper of Souls U 105
Dire Werewolf U 100
Bane Wolf E 35
Dire Wolf V 35
Blood Vamp E 30
Vampire Enforcer V 50
Executed Convict E 45

The heroes' speed allowed them to save 7 of the 12 people, the other 5 having been slain - some devoured - by the creatures within.

The heroes fought bravely, scoring hits here but missing there, and, unfortunately, mostly failing to do sufficient damage to do more than enrage some of the creatures. The tight corners and restricted spaces in the house favored the monsters. Trying to get in shots past or around allies was difficult, often all but impossible.

Fierce strikes landed on both sides, but Valkyrie and Nighthawk were the first to fall. A combined effort took down the Bane Werewolf, but the Dire Werewolf killed Wolverine. Blade fell next.

Dr, Strange managed to exorcise the Executed Convict, but a blow landed on the Dire Werewolf by Hellcat resulted in a powerful counter-attack, which she failed to dodge. She was gone.

Dr. Strange ran afoul of a Vampire Enforcer and was lost. The SWAT Rookie was killed by the Dire Wolf, and the Reaper, whom Moon Knight had landed several blows on, finally cut MK down.

Grant was afraid going in that the heroes were going to prove too powerful, so he didn't attach any Feats to them. However, the fact that Horrorclix monsters don't take pushing damage, and that once they've slain a victim become Blooded, granting them move and attack powers -- all that combined with the close quarters of the house to result in the heroes' downfall.

As an aside, I'm fine with the differences in mechanics between the pieces, as supernatural beings and madmen aren't going to operate quite the same way as others do.

Grant's definitely quite taken with the game as might be divined by either today or tomorrow (no word from him since last night, so I'm not sure) seeing him open his third brick of the stuff.

While I'm not completely sold on the set yet I must admit there's an appeal.

As with so many things, if the relative dearness of money weren't an issue I'd be go for it quickly, but that's not the reality we live in, and I'm not at the stage where I'll want to cut back on Heroclix spending in order to make room for what I'll largely view as accessories.

I have mixed reactions to the sculpts as seen online, and while I know that almost without exception Wizkids' sculpts look better in person than they do in the photos of what are usually rushed prototype pieces I'm still not sure. While many of them look quite cool, I find it hard to believe that even with a snazzier paint job that the Terror Demon is going to really come anywhere near fitting the bill. On the other hand, he has an intimidating dial that gets even better once he kills another monster and transforms.

Also, it's important to remember the lessons of life. Sometimes we have to learn what's truly fearsome, initially failing to see beyond the mask to the true horrow within.

Come to think of it, shouldn't Ann have business cards that read "Terror Demon"?

Storage space could be a minor concern.., but not much of one. It isn't as if I'm looking to buy this by the case. Getting the 48 clix in a brick will fit in a smallish place. One of my Westfield boxes would likely hold all my Horrorclix through the second expansion.

The distribution of figures is something to consider, though, as I'm going to want more of a given type of figure than of others, so a brick could leave me with what I would consider to be gaps. On the other hand, zombies are the generic monster I'd want the most of, and there are four varieties of zombie, each represented by an REV set; so, chances are I'd pull a usable assortment of the rotting undead from a random brick.

Here's a link to the Gallery of monsters for this set. It's a fun assortment.

Each character has a card associated with it describing what the colors mean for that piece. Many of them undergo a transformation as a result of some action (usually the slaying of one or more victims) at which point their dials are clicked to a red starting line and the card flipped to reveal the color codes for that transformed state.

Horrorclix expansions are composed of monsters and characters from folklore, public domain sources or something the people at Wizkids just made up. Licensed properties will be handled in collector's sets -- the first two of which will deal with Aliens and Predators via the Aliens vs Predators license.

So it is that in the main set we have maniacal slashers in clown makeup, Nosferatu, an Avatar of Cthulu, evil leprechauns, and Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde. A few characters there to remind us of the way copyright laws were created to work for the betterment of culture, not perverted into "protection" unto eternity for family dynasties or immortal corporate entities.

Still, that didn's prevent them from creating some characters who are fairly close analogues to characters they would otherwise have to license. It likely won't cause them any trouble, and for all we know negotations are already in place to formally license one or both of the following as future collector's sets.

Ghostfinders, for instance.

Jumpsuit-clad, high-tech equipped ghost hunters, may remind you of a few guys from the '80s. Shown here is the veteran, but each of the three levels are different both in dial characteristics and appearance, with the rookie and experienced being caucasian.

The Vampire Slayers might spark a note of recognition for some of you. As far as I can tell the three sculpts all seem identical, but the dials and corresponding cards are different enough that having more than one level of these would be good. Even casually looking around the messageboards I found that I wasn't the only one who found the reckless combat style (a solid Defense - the first four clicks are 17, but no evasive powers beyond it) and preference for violent close combat fighting (as shown with a Blades/Claws/Fangs effect they call Decapitate) of the experienced version making her a passable analogue for Faith, while the veteran appears to fit Buffy at roughly the peak of her skills.

The lack of Toughness (or whatever they'd choose to call it) on any of the three levels is the only thing that doesn't fit the not-official-source material. Still, the Rookie and Veterans have the Martial Artist ability over much of their dial, which is a super Super Senses evasion that gives them a 50:50 chance of evading an attack that's managed to hit their Defense. Roll a 4, 5 or 6 and the opponent hasn't touched them. That's a powerful extra level of protection likely to cause frustration for an opponent.

If one's combing through the set for other Buffy-associated simulations the three levels of Field Agents - paramilitary agents - could easily fit The Initiative. They're equipped at each level with different weapons and associated abilities, but all three have the same Martial Artist attack-evading ability we saw on the rookie and veteran Vampire Slayers.

(These bring me back to the figure distribution issue. Both the Slayers and Agents are in the upper tier of the REV portion of the set, which I know from Heroclix production means that even in a full case one's likely to find two rookies but only one experienced or veteran of anything at this level, so in a random brick buy I could and most likely will find myself out of luck on most scores for these. A lucky buy, however, could take care of the situation reasonably well in a stroke. Those who've tried completing recent heroclix sets solely from brick buys or loose boosters will know what I'm referring to as they consider what it likely took to find an experienced or veteran Captain America, Iron Man, Daredevil, Kraven, OMAC or Superman.)

Meanwhile the tall, grinning, black-clad men with long knives hidden behind their backs - Mr. Fright - could work as stand-ins for The Gentlemen. Conceptually they're both figures intended to paralyze their victims with fear.

Thusfar the game appears to be successful, at least to the degree that they'd sold through the production run at the manufacturer and have had to go back for a second one. This is reportedly allowing them to address a variety of errors discovered on various pieces -- yes, this wouldn't be a Wizkids game without an errata sheet. (That link opens a pdf.)

No, there's no way of knowing by looking at the package if it's from the first or second production run. Or, if there is, they're not telling.

So... while I haven't placed an order for anything, I must confess I'm still considering it.

I didn't get out of work until almost 11:30 Thursday night, and I'm going to be back in there before 7:30 am Friday, but I had to do something else when I came home rather than just head for bed. It isn't as if I'm going to get a proper night's sleep anyway at this stage.

So, if in the light of day this looks rushed, slipshod or otherwise incompetently done... that's at least part of the reason.