5 things D&D taught me about HeroClix

Before I go into detail about the D&D/HeroClix crossover, I have an announcement:

I'm published!

Check out this issue of Beckett Magazine's Game Strategyst (on newsstands now) for a glimpse at my second HeroClix article titled:

Four Things D&D taught me about HeroClix.

Unfortunately I had more to say on the subject but (unlike a blog) magazine page space is limited, so I had to edit it down to four things.


Now for obvious reasons, I can't copy and paste the content herein, however I can share a gem I had to cut from the piece I submitted:

#5. Always Check for Traps

Adventuring groups are a paranoid bunch, probably because a little healthy paranoia goes a long way in keeping a character alive. In HeroClix checking for traps translates to knowing your opponent’s attack capabilities. Just how far can Joker move towards Batman while remaining out of the Dark Knight’s range?

To elaborate, in HeroClix many equate "checking for traps" with a term called "Swing." Swing, loosely defined is an opponent's effective attack range measured in board squares.

For instance, Cyclops has a range of 8, with Running Shot and a speed of 8 showing on his dial. Cyclops can move 4 squares and shoot another 8 squares, giving him an effective swing of 12 (4+8), which means if you were playing against Cyclops you'd want to park your force more than 12 squares away from the one-eyed x-men when possible. Positioning this way would force Cyclops to use two actions to get a target instead of moving and attacking (and possibly damaging your team) with just one action.


As a new player, the "trap" I always fell into was that I would forget about Perplex when taking my opponent's swing into account. If Emma Frost uses Perplex on Cyclops she can modify his range or his speed +1, granting him a 13 Swing.


Checking for traps is not always as easy as just counting squares. Other things that affect swing include map elements and different types of terrain.

If Cyclops starts his turn in hindering terrain, his 8 movement is instantly halved (to 4), then halved again for Running Shot (to 2) curbing his swing from 12 to 10. If Cyclops starts his turn and immediately must enter hindering terrain he must stop his movement, dropping his swing from 12 to 9. Going into battle with knowledge like this will help you advance on ranged threats like Cyclops and keep an opponent from getting a first strike in.

Three final words, three easy steps -

BUY THIS MAGAZINE!

Game Strategyst contains a mash-up of collectible games (Yu-Gi-Oh, Pokemon, Bakugan, Naruto), board game reviews, previews and information any game enthusiast would find interesting. HeroClix takes up a small part of every issue, but you can help change that if you:

1. Buy the magazine
2. Make your voice heard, and
3. DEMAND MORE CLIX COVERAGE!

So there you have it - buy this magazine and you too can learn how Doctor Doom is like a gelatinous cube.