Everyone's aware of strategies like the LAMP combo
(Lockjaw + Armor-Piercing feat + Mastermind + Poison)
or the HSS+TK yo-yo (use Telekinesis on a Hypersonic
character with range to take a shot, then run said
character back to the TKer) or Alternate FF team abuse
and such. But I wanted to share some interesting,
sneaky tricks I've used or had used on me, many
featuring characters you might not consider using over
more common and efficient others.
Sue Storm-less FF TA abuse
Ingredients:
LE Ant-Man + Thunderbolts
R Shadow Lass
Alicia Masters + Fantastic Four
Ant-Man, an Avenger, T-Bolts to Defenders or JSA TA.
He stays adjacent to Shadow Lass, who copies his TA
and thus gains his 20 defense. She, then is able to
use her Defend to share that 20 with the adjacent
Alicia wearing the FF feat card.
Therefore, a POG can boast a 20 defense and share it
with every wildcard on the team, so load up with good
attackers. This was used against me pretty
effectively, although I still got some good hits in.
Naturally, battlefield conditions like Disbanded or
Isolation will kill this strategy, so pack your
Ordinary Day.
Big Red Beast
Ingredients:
V Sinestro
V U-Men or E HIVE Trooper (x2)
V Sinestro is a dangerous figure by any standard. With
Running Shot, 4 damage + Outwit, and natural 18
defense + Invulnerability, he can wreck your day by
himself. But the cheap enhancers makes him deadlier
still. They can boost that damage to a whopping six
clicks that anyone un-Fortituded will have to take.
Against V Sin, un-stealthed figures have to use
terrain carefully to not be targeted. Here's where the
two enhancers are handy. One can enhance the other to
blow holes in walls, saving Sinestro or other
attackers the trouble of doing so. Therefore, your
character you thought was safe for a turn at least is
suddenly wide open for Sinestro to Running Shoot,
carrying the remaining Enhancer, for no less than 3
clicks of damage. And then Sinestro can trust his high
defense to keep him safe from counterattacks.
Clocking in under 200 points, this combo is fine for
builds of 300 or more, and is more or less immune to
battlefield cards. The U-Men's Toughness makes them a
slightly little better choice than the HIVEs. One
player uses this combo against me well.
The World's Mightiest (im)Mortal
Ingredients:
U Shazam
Nanobots
Double-Time
objects placed away from the main battlefield
Shazam has too-great damage on his dial to use
Nanobots while he's on Hypersonic Speed (HSS), so most
people don't bother using the feat with him -- not
when cheaper figures can be run with it continually.
But most of those others can't hit as hard as Billy
here -- or present such an inviting target (more on
that later).
First, be sure to place your items (light ones
especially) in a safe spot. Canny opponents will blow
objects up to prevent you from using Nanobots. In your
first turn, use Double-Time to push Shazam immediately
from his activation click, and hide in a spot that he
can potentially attack from in a few turns. When the
chance comes, do the usual HSS hit & run, moving from
cover to cover to help Shazam's mediocre defense value
until he loses HSS.
With just a little luck (especially if you don't push)
even a heavy hit will knock you only just below his
HSS clicks and onto his Outwit clicks. Few will have
dared to base Shazam due to his Exploit Weakness and
Outwit powers, so you should be free and clear to move
about. If you are knocked off HSS, pay close attention
to the damage and defense, for that will determine
your next move:
--If the damage is 3 and the defense Invulnerability,
you're in good shape. First, Outwit someone. If you
can move without pushing, then use Double-Time as much
as 18 squares straight to one of your hidden objects.
Double-Time will push you to his first 2 damage click
and he can Nanobot back up to a HSS click in relative
safety, or wait until next turn to make his earlier
Outwit action stick.
--If it's 2 + Invulnerability, don't use Double-Time.
Without pushing, Outwit the most dangerous power and
retreat toward Nanobot-able objects. When in range,
heal back up to HSS and return to battle. If you've
been knocked down to Toughness, you won't be able to
Nanobot back to HSS clicks in one turn.
I've won two tournaments using this combo. Thus
equipped, Shazam can work very well as a dangerous and
self-sufficient brick for the next two combos listed
below.
Hidden ClayFist
Ingredients:
V Clayface
V Iron Fist
a transporter (V Lockjaw recommended)
a brick
a heavy object
Misdirection is the name of this game, which I
conceived of and have used well a couple of times.
While other pieces are doing the main fighting, hold
Clayface, Iron Fist and Lockjaw in reserve. Make sure
Lockjaw is ready to carry Clayface no further than 8
squares from Iron Fist's location, and make sure
Clayface has a heavy object at hand (or soon will).
With the rest of your force, draw the enemy into Iron
Fist's movement range. Then have Lockjaw phase
Clayface within charging range of the target, ending
with the dog blocking the way to Clayface. Your
opponent will register the threat, but Clayface's 9 AV
is not very scary by itself, and Iron Fist can't
Pounce effectively from that range across all the
terrain -- even if he could use the feat at all.
Next turn, determine where Clayface will charge the
target from, and mark it. Leap/Climb Iron Fist to a
square adjacent to that mark, and declare him copying
Clayface's Batman Enemy TA. That way, when Clayface
charges with that heavy object with a natural 4
damage, he's suddenly got a 12 AV instead of 9. And
even if he misses, he's got ShapeChange and a natural
18 defense to help him tie up the target. Even if
Clayface takes the damage, the target still has the
even more dangerous Iron Fist to contend with. And
then there's your other attacker still out there.
This 198-point combo requires another solid attacker
to draw attention from the Clay-Fist trap, so it's
really only good for 400 points and up. And while
Disbanded, Poor Teamwork and Isolation will each screw
this strategy over badly, the figures in question are
solid enough to survive those conditions.
Terrific Team of Fate
Ingredients:
V Mr. Terrific + Protected
E Dr. Fate
a brick or good shooter
This is another trick format, born of my wanting to
use V Mr. Terrific effectively. The brick/shooter is
your main attacker and should be used as such, but
he/she's not the main threat again. In fact, at first
you shouldn't even use him much.
Instead, have Dr. Fate carry Terrific to some
hindering terrain with a decent view of the
battlefield. Then let them sit, taking minimal
actions, and wait for someone to attack them while you
maneuver your main attacker for either engagement or
undercover.
With two unstealthed, relatively high-point figures
out there in the open, most players will want to take
a shot at them. But Fate has a 17 defense + Energy
Shield/Deflection for a potential 20 on hindering.
Tough shot to take, esp. since Fate has Probability
Control to help him. Mr. Terrific is the much more
inviting target. Even sharing Fate's defense, thanks
to the JSA team ability, his defense is only 17-18
depending on terrain. For a chance for an easy 80+
points and to eliminate a serious harrasser, most will
attack Mr. Terrific. And thus they fall into the trap.
Protected is such a good card that most will play in
on their main attacker. When I play it on Mr.
Terrific, most forget he has is. So if their attack
actually hits the 17+ defense -- twice, thanks to PC
-- for a bunch of clicks, you play Protected. Mr. T's
Willpower prevents any push damage.
In order to attack you, the enemy has most likely
entered within outwit range and thus can be countered
by Mr. Terrific. Some opponents may also attempt and
succeed in a second attack on the now-unProtected
Terrific. Even this works to your advantage; a light
hit will knock him into Stealth and double your
Probability Control capacity while a heavy hit knocks
him back into Outwit clicks and makes him very
healable but still hard to hit thanks to the JSA TA.
Either way, your main attacker, held in reserve until
now, will be able to take on the suddenly vulnerable
target. Then Fate can carry Terrific to another
vantage point or stay there so they can PC and Outwit
at will.
This 201-point combo is best for 400 points and up so
you'll have room for the other attackers. Disbanded,
Isolation and Poor Teamwork hamper its effectiveness
while Darkness helps. It's also a bit of a one-shot
trick; once Protected is gone, it's gone. Adding
Stunning Blow to Terrific helps.
And there you go: 5 team foundations you might not
have thought of using. Enjoy!
Rurouni KJS [rurounikjs@yahoo.com]
(P.S. to the Clix crew: I wouldn't mind doing Click of
the Day reviews. One of the current reviews suggested
I try out. )
