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Pojo's HeroClix "Click of the Day"
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WildWill |
Name: Ghost Rider
Set: Ultimates
Numbers: 58-60, (220)
Rarities: 2-4, (LE)
Cost: 60, 71, 93, (88)
Health: 8, 9, 9, (8)
SSADD: (NOTE, these are second click stats) 10/10/15/3, 10/11/16/4,
12/11/16/4, [12/11/15/4 on the first click, with no activation]
Powers: Charge, Leap/Climb, Smoke Cloud, Incapacitate, Invulnerability,
Toughness [Note – the LE doesn’t have Smoke Cloud]
Exp and Vet add no new powers.
Ranged Attacks: 1 Range 4, 1 Range 4, 1 Range 6, (1 Range 6)
Team: None (all versions)
Danny Ketch was the SECOND Ghost Rider (the first was of course, Johnny
Blaze), and I don’t remember how he got the Spirit of Vengeance coursing
through him, but he does. Hey, he’s a Demon on Wheels, literally. What else
do you need to know? Another fan favorite, Ghost Rider has supported a
couple books over the years, and at one point Marvel featured him as part of
their Midnight Sons imprint, which was a sort of Vertigo influenced section
of the Marvel U. It was so popular, that some fans are still bummed that
it’s gone the way of the do-do. I’m not one of them.
Let me just state, for the record, I HATE CLIX THAT NEED TO BE PUSHED TO
ACTIVATE THEIR POWERS! It makes no sense whatsoever. If he’s in a battle,
he’s on the bike. That’s why I listed the SECOND click of stats, because if
I listed the first click, you’d say “Wow, he sucks!” and you’d be right.
But looking at the rest of his dial, you MIGHT come to the same conclusion,
and you know what, you might not be wrong there either. The only thing he
has going for him is that nice fat 4 damage on the Exp and Vet versions. And
a 10 or 12 Speed? So basically WK is telling us that a motorcycle has the
same speed as say…well…Carnage that we looked at yesterday? That’s stupid.
If it took 4 expansions to get GR into the game, at least they could have R&Ded
him a little more. Maybe come up with some different rules and make him a
Bat-Sentry/Giant Man size piece. Meh.
Now, when we look at REVs with LE’s you know I always try to look at the LE
too. Ghost Rider’s LE (Daniel Ketch) is actually a decent, playable piece,
THAT DOESN’T REQUIRE PUSH ACTIVATION. Obviously it’s cheaper than the Vet
version (the LE’s almost always are), and it’s stats are slightly better.
Sure it omits the Smoke Cloud power, but really, who uses that anyway?
Sets of Ghost Rider’s REVs are going for anywhere between $5 and $15 so far.
I would think that’ll come down as he becomes more widely distributed. Your
mileage may vary. The LE isn’t out yet, as the tournaments he’s a prize in
are this month and next.
(Playability First, then Collectability)
Rookie 2,3
Exp 3,3
Vet 3,3
LE 4,5
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Shooter |
Well, my review will be a little different today…we’ve
been asked to review all versions of a fig, so it’s probably going to be
longer than normal (it’s long already, I know, but you know you love it :p).
So basically, I’ll post the stats on each of ‘em first, then I’ll try and do
a general review of the fig, followed by some highlights of each one, and
then of course the ratings…and trust me, you won’t want to miss a single
moment of review goodiness.
Ghost Rider (Daniel Ketch)
R: 60 points E: 71 points V: 93 points LE: 88 points
R/E: Range 4; 1 Target V/LE: Range 6; 1 Target
R: 7 clix of life E: 8 clix of life V: 9 clix of life LE: 7 clix of life
Charge (R: 1 click E: 2 clix V: 3 clix LE: 4 clix); Leap/Climb (R/E/V: 5
clix LE: 3 clix); Smoke Cloud (R: 2 clix E/V: 3 clix); Incapacitate (R/E: 3
clix V/LE: 4 clix); Invulnerability (R/E: 1 click V/LE: 2 clix); Toughness
(R: 3 clix E: 4 clix V: 5 clix LE: 4 clix)
Wow, you have no idea how long that took to type ;p. Well, I have to say
that I am quite happy with Ghost Rider’s sculpt. You can’t really tell from
the pic, but the flames on his head and wheels are semi-transparent, making
him look really cool in my opinion. While his sculpt is good, the
translucent flames just put him into the great sculpt category. But I think
that having the flames just be regular plastic wouldn’t be accurate to the
character, so it would have been a major disappointment if they didn’t do
what they did.
Well, Ghost Rider on the whole is a big Charging good damage piece with an
activation click (with the exception of the LE) for relatively cheap. None
of his versions cost more than 100 points and all can Charge at least 5
squares for at least 3 damage at the start of their dials, and they’ll
likely hit since all but the Rookie starts with an attack of 11 (R starts
with a 10). The REV have activation clix, which obviously has to be factored
in, but activation clix don’t seem to be a major detriment to most figures
(Hawk gets a whole lot of play regardless). His Smoke Cloud is pretty much
never going to be used. The Incapacitate is a very viable option since it
shows up late dial when he loses Charge (note that the LE has 1 click with
both Incap and Charge), and often your opponent will forget about his range
and expect you to move (whether it’s to base a character or to get back to a
medic). Then you can use that chain to slap an action token on an enemy and
leave your opponent very much so not amused. Also, don’t forget that he can
use his range to do some serious damage as well. Don’t think just because he
has charge it doesn’t mean he can’t wrap an enemy around the head with his
chain for 4 damage. Overall, speed values are great, attack values are very
good and decently consistent (REV’s having a last click low of 7, LE having
a low of 8), defense values are above average (14 – 16, LE has 1 click of
17), and very good damage values, dropping off to 1 on the R and E on the
last click only.
The only real differences between any of them I can highlight are those
between the REV and the LE. Yes I could point out how the LE and Vet can
charge and extra space and have an extra click of Invulnerability, but these
things don’t really effect how or how often a fig will be played. So looking
at the LE, the first thing you notice is the lack of an activation click.
This is actually a pretty big deal since it means he’s gassed up and ready
to roll up to 3 turns earlier (2 for pushing then 1 to clear, of course you
can just pulse wave…). Look a little closer and you can see that overall his
stats are better…it’s subtle, but they are better. For 5 points less than
the Vet, you get an extra click of 11 attack and extra click of Charge with
12 speed, and higher defense values during toughness, including 1 click of a
very nice 17 defense. However, you do lose a click of “activated” life, you
have lower defense on the Invulnerability clix, no Smoke Cloud (whoopty doo…),
and higher toughness defense values (which means it’s harder to heal him).
So how do you choose between the two??? The way I see it, you look at what
kind of team you’re running. If you plan on striking hard and fast (TK a
must), use the LE. If you want to take your time and play by highly
strategic positioning, use the Vet.
In terms of how to play this wheelie popping spirit of vengeance, it really
depends on the point level. If you plan on using TK or even his natural
speed to hit hard and fast, either use the LE or get a good Pulse Waver to
knock him onto his activated click. If you want to have some supporters tie
up the enemy while GR positions himself and gets ready to attack big, then
use an REV. Pick which one by seeing how you want to use him, and what the
point cost is (for example, if you want a secondary attacker for a 300 point
game, use the R or E, but if you want a primary attacker, use the V). I
would just suggest that you don’t underestimate the Rookie, he can make a
very nice clean-up attacker in large games being able to do good damage to
even big enemies.
Ratings out of 5 (R, E, V, LE):
100 points: 4, 2.5, 2, 2
200 points: 3.5, 4, 4, 4
300 points: 3.5, 4, 4.5, 4.5
400+ points: 2.5, 3.5, 4, 4
Next time…a cloud of smoke and he appears, and you are blinded by the shine
from his fishbowl head.
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Gemini77 |
Ghost Rider is one of the coolest looking figures in this
set, if not the game. The first vehicle mounted click in the game.
The REV versions all share the same power set Charge, Leap/Climb, Smoke
Cloud, Incapacitate, Invulnerability and Toughness. The LE, Daniel Ketch,
has the same powers with the exception of Smoke Cloud. The three non-unique
all have an activation click, the LE does not. Once activated, Ghost Rider
is a good figure. At 60 points, the Rookie has a Charge of 5, 10 attack, and
3 damage. Excellent stats for an under 200-point game. The Exp, at 71 pts,
increases the damage to 4 and the Vet, 93 pts, has a 6 Charge. The base 4
damage and Invulnerabilty make these 2 good for 300+ point.
High mobility and Charge make him a great close combat fighter. He is
able to get across the board quickly and get into the middle of the fight.
His 16 defense and Invulnerability allow him to stay awhile, all the time
dishing out good damage. After he takes a couple of clicks of damage, he has
Leap and Climb to pull him out and back to you medic. Ghost Rider's drawback
is the activation click. To fully utilize him on a team, you have to
compensate for it. Add some free move TA's so you have the extra actions
needed to push him or Pulsewave. A good hit from your opponent, while he's
un-activated will send you past his prime clicks and in want of a medic. But
don't heal him too much or you're right back into the activation click. The
LE does not have this drawback. Daniel starts with a 15 defense and
Invulnerability, but it goes up to 17 when he gets Toughness. He is also 5
points cheaper then the Vet.
If you make it to the Ultimate Marquee, be the nice guy, help your
opponent out even if he is giving you a good thumping. Joke with your fellow
players. Be the guy that gets Fellowship. Daniel is the best Ghost Rider.
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Monger |
Ghost Rider Veteran
Marvel Ultimates #060
Ahhh, about time Wizkids introduced this guy to the HeroClix scene. He’s
been a favorite of mine for a LONG time and I know there are thousands of
clickers’ out there that couldn’t wait for this fellow either. From reading
a few comic books as a kid, I can remember Ghost Rider being quite a butt
kicker and I was looking for the same in his clix as well. Fortunately for
all his fans, Wizkids did them a favor and made Ghost Rider one of the
strongest REV sets in the Ultimates collection. For this review, I will look
at the veteran version and ignore the first click, since everyone else will
do the same as well!
Speed / Range: A twelve movement with charge – NICE! Considering he rides a
motorcycle, I thought charge was a nice touch. Three clicks of charge enable
him to take a small beating and still run up to anyone within range. The
leap/climb was an odd addition, but I’m not going to complain at all. This
enables Ghosty to pack his bags and rejoin the rest of his team if needed
without any problems. The 6 range gives Ghost Rider some decent attack space
and I was somewhat surprised, I expected a 4 in this area.
Attack: Smoke Cloud? Did Ghost Rider never tune his bike or what? This can
be a useful ability if you have a few other figures on your team with
stealth. I wish smoke cloud was a free action, it would be nice to move up,
then throw a barrier or smoke, requiring your opponent to roll higher in
order to hit you. That would be NICE.. After the three clicks of smoke
cloud, he gains incapacitate, which is odd, since Ghost Rider has a base
three damage at the time, so why would you want to incapacitate a figure
when you could just deal some damage instead??? His attack values are high
enough that he’s an offensive threat at any point during a game, which is
how Ghost Rider should be.
Defense: Not really high on the actual numbers, but the abilities make up
for this I guess. Invulnerability can never be overlooked, and Ghost Rider
opens the game with two straight clicks of this. After this two clicks, he
drops to toughness (which I felt should have been energy deflection) and
keeps this power pretty much the rest of the way. Like I said, not really
high when it comes to actual numbers, which is kinda disappointing, but what
he lacks in numbers, he gains in damage reducing powers. Personally, I would
rather have a black 18 defense then a Invulnerable 16, but that’s just me!
Damage: Power house on damage! Combine these high damage values with charge
and Ghost Rider becomes a powerful primary or secondary offensive piece to
any team. Two clicks of four, followed by two clicks of three, the ending
with four straight clicks of base two damage. This is EXTREMELY strong for a
figure under 100 points.
Overall: T o be honest, I pumped Ghost Rider up, but I don’t see him
actually receiving much serious constructed tournament play time. He’ll
definitely be a power house figure in drafts and sealed tournaments, but he
just seems to be lacking the overall power that figures such as Hawkeye,
Punisher and Captain America offer. Don’t look down upon this figure by any
means, he’s defiantly playable, but I just don’t see him being a figure who
has any kind of large impact on the way Marvel teams are built and played.
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