HeroClix Returns!

For those of you who don't know, HeroClix is a collectible miniatures game that was released by WizKids (which arose out of the ashes of defunct RPG company FASA).  WizKids actually revolutionized miniatures gaming with Mage Knight by making the hobby cheaper, easier to collect, and more accessible to those who don't have thousands of dollars to blow on a miniature army (just ask anyone who plays Warhammer 40,000).  HeroClix was based on comic book superheroes and had figures from many of the major comics of the day.  Primarily, they're divided by Marvel and DC lineups, but there was one series where they did figures from more independent comic companies, such as Top Cow, AD 2000 (the guys who made Judge Dredd), and even Dark Horse's Hellboy.  HeroClix quickly became one of the top miniatures games, easily outlasting any other product line that WizKids created.

I started collecting HeroClix not long after the game debuted.  I've got a decent collection.  I haven't been able to consistently collect them, so I have completely missed out on certain sets.  I have played in a few tournaments, but I can't find any of my friends who collects them or even shows the slightest interest in playing (something's wrong with these people).

WizKids was bought by Topps in 2003, but Topps had to shut down the company last year due to financial troubles.  For a year, HeroClix fans have been clamoring for someone to purchase the company and to bring back the popular game.  Some have tried and failed, but a collectible toy company, NECA, did actually buy WizKids from Topps and immediately set on finishing the last HeroClix expansion that was left unfinished after the close:  Hammer of Thor.

The new packs are in stores as I speak and I couldn't be any happier.  I picked up a pack to celebrate (if I had a better cash flow, I would have picked up more).  What I like about this set the most is that there are lots of Asgardian figures, which makes them great for adding into any sword and sorcery RPG (such as, say, Legends of Steel).  I would love to get back into playing in tournaments again, but I'm not sure if the new WizKids has anything organized yet.  They do have a new website, but all that's there right now is info on the Hammer of Thor expansion, including an awesome database for every figure in the set.  I'm sure the site will grow bigger in the coming months.

All I can say right now is that I'm so fucking happpy to have HeroClix back.

Kaiser out

Savage Monster Island Apocalypse

So here we go. If you want to play some awesome kaiju action, there's no better choice than Firefly Games' Monster Island. This isn't actually an RPG, per se, but it does use a simplified version of the Action! RPG rules from Gold Rush Games. This is a very simple miniatures game, where you can play a kaiju (or in other supplements, a human army or an alien invasion force) and knock the crap out of other kaiju (or army or invasion force). The simplified rules make this an easy game to pick up and play, after making you kaiju (or army, etc.), all you need are some d6s, and something to represent terrain and your character. The core book actually suggests two ways of doing this: you can either pull out a battle mat and use the figure cutouts provided in the book, using the grid or hex squares for movement and range, or you can, if you have them, grab any toys that would look good as a kaiju (for instance, I have collectable action figures of Godzilla, Voltron, Great Mazinger, Kamen Rider, and the original Megazord from Power Rangers - there's even a two headed dragon I've had since I was four that would work well) and use some random things around the house, such as felt cutouts, salt and pepper shakers, boxes of Hamburger Helper (Beef Stroganoff is the best), as terrain. Then grab a tape measure to gague distance for movement and range. While I can appreciate the "off the cuff" method of the second option, I prefer using the battle mat and miniatures. It just makes everything easier to manage. While the core book is plenty enough to get some kaiju brawling going on, there are supplements that expand on the carnage. Each supplement adds new powers for kaiju as well as expanded rules. In Escape from Monster Island, you can create your own human armies, complete with soldiers, artillery, scientists, and maser tanks (the ones that have a huge ass satellite dish that shoots concentrated electromagnetic energy). In Invasion of Monster Island, you can create your own invasion fleet of aliens, complete with mothership. Then there's Revenge of Monster Island, which expands on all the different factions, as well as rules for combat, terrain, and movement and a background of that hotbed of kaiju action, Tokyo. With all the options this game provides, you can have one hell of a battle, but I did notice something. If you only have two players, things can get pretty frustrating. Say you play a kaiju who has a radioactive blast attack (like Godzilla), but the kaiju you're up against not only can hit you with his blast attack, but is immune to yours (Immunity is one of the powers a kaiju can take). Basically, your blast attack is useless and you're most likely going to lose. That's where things can be a pain in the ass. There are two solutions to this: either create a roster of kaiju for you to select from and pay attention the the kaiju your opponent is playing, or have more people join in the fight for a multiplayer throwdown ala Destroy All Monsters. Personally, I recommend both. Two player fights can easily get one sided and more players means more carnage - everybody wins! The books have their own sample kaiju to use, but it's much more fun to make your own. I turned the Abdominal Snowman into a kaiju. I just gave him the Amulet of Dai'kithu and watched him grow. His six-pack looks more like a fleet of beer trucks now. If anyone wants to use him in all his abdominal glory, here's his stats:  

Abdominus, the 100 foot Yeti of Doom! A 45 point kaiju Attributes Strength - 8 Reflexes - 8 Health - 8 Mind - 2 Life - 40 Evade - 18 Toughness (including Armor power) - 13 Daze - 10 Move - 8 Damage - 4d6 Powers Armor (Invincible Abs) - 5 Clinging (can climb vertical surfaces) Entagle (Ice Breath) - 4 Food Source (can eat people to increase powers) Immunity (Cold) Swimming - 1

So, if you want to pick up the Monster Island game, go to the Firefly Games website. You'll find the core book (both in .pdf and print) and the supplements, including gazetteers for some of the major US cities, in their Catalog and a couple of freebies in Product Support. I better get going. Abdominus is having too much fun doing belly flops on city hall. Kaiser out

Savage Voltron Monsterpocalypse!

From days of long ago... From uncharted regions of the universe... comes a TV show that can kick all your asses combined! Any self-respecting kid from the mid '80s knew that Voltron was fucking awesome. It had everything we needed in a show: giant monsters, giant robots that combine to form an even bigger robot, cheesy dialogue (with cheesy voice acting), space mice (every show should have space mice), and an epic theme song (just try to get that song out of your head). Of course, what cartoon show worth it's salt doesn't have merchandise up the wazoo. Voltron toys were notoriously expensive, but fucking worth it. And I had every toy they came out with - I had the Lion Force Voltron, the Vehicle Force Voltron, the tiny Voltron figure with the digital clock in its chest, the dress-me-up Princess Allura doll... Okay, so I didn't have any of the toys. My mom was too poor. Still, I watched that damn show religiously. On the playground, we had these swings that were kind of designed like the frame of a cockpit (at least, to my imagination) and there were handlebars in front that you had to pump to swing higher. I always made my way to the black one (because I'll be damned if anyone else was going to be Keith - I was the leader and I got the bitches). I would be smashing Robeasts and forming blazing swords all throughout recess. To top it off, the show was "created" (I say that because it's really a severely edited version of Beast King GoLion) in St. Louis, about 30 miles away from my home. Of course, Voltron didn't always fire on all cylinders. The Vehicle Force Voltron wasn't as big a hit as Lion Force was. Which I can't say I remember much of Vehicle Force, so I'll hold any criticism until I've actually seen it. Then, there was Voltron: the Third Dimension - an updated 3D version. Let's not speak of that one, though. Plus, there's that live action movie that's supposed to be coming out. The Kaiser's prognosis on this one is not so good. Live action adaptations of cartoons are usually lame (anyone who plays the Transformers card should know that I thought the first one was "okay" and the second one was crap). Years later, they did what any good cartoon show in the '80s should do; they released the series on DVD. All of the Lion Force episodes are available and they're working on releasing the Vehicle Force episodes as well as the original Beast King GoLion (if you want to see the death and blood they censored out for American television). As I write this, Voltron is actually celebrating 25 years since its beginnings. And how do they celebrate? By coming out with Voltron figures for a collectible miniatures game. There's this game called Monsterpocalypse that puts the action of Kaiju battles onto your tabletop. Well the guys who made this game decided it would be really awesome if they made a Voltron expansion for the game. Obviously, they were right. Expect to see the Voltron expansion sometime next year. I don't really play Monsterpocalypse (I can't afford it - the irony), but I can definitely see myself buying the Voltron expansion when it comes out. By the way, here's the links for Voltron and Monsterpocalypse, if you want to check out more. Speaking of Kaiju miniatures games, there is one that I do know of that I like. I tell you more about that one next time. Kaiser out P.S. - I remember this unhygenically geeky girl trying to feed me this line of bullshit that Voltron was created from a hentai show and that Princess Allura was always getting raped by Prince Lotor. She said that they got the name of the show, Voltron, from a french vibrator. Yeah, that girl was retarded. Stupid bitch.