“STOP” clicks and new “STOP” key term
Hello HeroClix Players,
Over the past year, we have been exploring ways in which we can improve the game of HeroClix. One specific goal we are working towards — as stated in a previous Design Insight article — is to clarify the language of the game. In this article, we are introducing a new key term — similar to the key term “UNIQUE MODIFIER” we introduced in a previous Design Insight article. The intent of creating these key terms is to help keep the language in special powers and other game effects consistent not only for you the players, but for our design team as well. While we work on updating the HeroClix rulebook to incorporate these terms and other rules changes, we feel it is necessary to introduce some of these changes early, as we have designed figures/game elements that will be released prior to the new rulebook that make use of these terms in their powers/game effects.
The new key term we will be discussing today is STOP. Most veteran players should be familiar with what has been coined in HeroClix parlance as a “stop click.” These are clicks that have a special power that instruct you to stop turning the character’s dial when that particular special power is revealed while you are turning the character’s combat dial — even if the character was supposed to have taken more damage. An example of such a power can be seen on the recent preview of the Uncanny X-Men 005b Emma Frost:
INJURED BUT STILL HERE STOP. Emma Frost can use Invulnerability.
Prior to the STOP key term, that same power would have looked like this:
INJURED BUT STILL HERE Emma Frost can use Invulnerability. When turning the dial, if this click is revealed due to damage taken from an opponent’s attack, stop turning the dial. This power can’t be ignored.
What the new STOP key term does is take most of that wording and condense it into a single term. With the new key term, anytime you see “STOP” as part of a power, it is shorthand for the following game effect:
When this click is revealed due to damage taken from an opposing character’s attack, stop turning the dial. This power can’t be countered or ignored.
One benefit of key terms — besides the obvious one of reduction of words on a character’s card — is that they are a method to easily and concisely indicate a larger game concept/effect (in the case of STOP the concept being to stop turning the dial when the click is revealed). Another is to ensure that the game concept/effect is consistently implemented across all game elements (since the key term points to a base rule governing the game effect that is not dependent upon how the game effect is worded on an individual character card).
A few points to note about the game effect being granted by the new key term STOP:
- While some previous “stop clicks” may have had different triggers for you to stop turning the dial, with the new STOP key term you will only stop turning the dial when the power is revealed due to taking damage from an opponent’s attack. Revealing the power due to healing or taking damage from an effect that wasn’t an attack won’t trigger the power and cause you to stop turning the dial.
- Some previous “stop clicks” stated that they could not be countered and/or ignored, while others did not. The game effect indicated by the new STOP key term includes the phrase “This power can’t be countered or ignored” so it will always prevent the special power from being countered or ignored. This includes not only the “stopping” effect of the power but also any other powers/abilities/game effects granted by the special power (for example, the Invulnerability power granted by Emma Frost’s special power in the example above).
Keep an eye out for figures in upcoming sets using the new STOP key term as well as future Design Insight articles!
Read more: http://heroclix.com/design-insight/design-insight-stop/#ixzz44CpO9bd6
