Dear HeroClix Players,
The Marvel HeroClix: The Mighty Thor set is on its way! One of the major features of this set will be new equipment— including the most fabled legendary weapons of Asgardian origin in addition to general arms and armor to fill out your HeroClix armory. We thought this would be a good time to review how equipment works and look at how the language has been simplified with the forthcoming Marvel HeroClix: The Mighty Thor set and the 2017 HeroClix rules. Additional rules details will be announced in the coming weeks!
For the most part, not too much is changing with how equipment works. As a reminder, here’s how equipment currently works:
- You give your character holding or occupying a square with an equippable object a POWER action to equip that object.
- When you equip something, you place it on the equipped character’s card and that character can use the EFFECT ability as listed.
- A character can only have one game element equipped to it at a time.
- When an equipped character is KO’d, replaced, or is equipped again, the currently equipped item becomes unequipped.
- You can only equip standard characters.
Now, here is some new information that will be seen on equipment cards and in the new equipment rules from the new 2017 HeroClix Rulebook… which will be available in the Marvel HeroClix: The Mighty Thor Starter Set (which also releases in August).
Indestructible keyphrase:
Previous equippable objects often had: “This object can only be KO’d by using it in an object attack or by its own effect”. This is now just being shortened to the Indestructible keyphrase. If an object has the Indestructible keyphrase, then the “This object can only be KO’d by using it in an object attack or by its own effect” rule holds true for this object. If an object does not have this keyphrase, then it can also be KO’d by using the CLOSE/RANGE Destroy action and not just by using it in an object attack.
Equip keyphrase:
Equippable objects will now have different keyphrases telling you who can equip the object.
- Equip (Friendly) – A friendly character in this square or holding this object has “POWER: Equip this object.”
- Equip (Any) – Any character in this square or holding this object has “POWER: Equip this object.”
The objects are still equipped the same as before, but if it says “Equip (Friendly)”, then only characters friendly to the object can equip it. If it says “Equip (Any)”, then any character (friendly or opposing) can equip the object. It’s important to note that objects you include on your force (special or standard) are always friendly to your force, so the distinction does matter.
Unequip keyphrase:
Equippable objects will also have new keyphrases telling you what happens to it if the character equipped with the object becomes unequipped.
- Unequip (KO) – When unequipped, KO this object.
- Unequip (Drop) – When unequipped, place this object in the previously equipped character’s square.
Before, when a character equipped with an object was KO’d or equipped with a new object, the currently equipped object was KO’d. Now, an object may be dropped in the previously equipped character’s square so that it’s able to still be used by other characters (or the same character if it wasn’t KO’d).
Future equipment will use a combination of these keyphrases. All past equipment, by default, will have the Indestructible, Equip (Friendly), and Unequip (KO) keyphrases.
Let’s take a look at an upcoming figure and object that uses these new rules.
Click to enlarge.
As you can see, Thunderstrike has the Wielder of Thunderstrike trait that allows Thunderstrike to start the game with his aptly named mace, Thunderstrike, already equipped to him. So what does Thunderstrike do? (The mace…not the guy…his preview is above).
Click to enlarge.
When Thunderstrike (the dude) has Thunderstrike (the mace) equipped, he can use Force Blast and Leap/Climb… with the additional effect that when he knocks back an opposing character (like, by Force Blast) he gets to heal a click. So, Thunderstrike makes Thunderstrike more mobile, gives Thunderstrike the ability to break up formations and provides Thunderstrike with his own means to heal… Thunderstrike.
Taking a look at the keyphrases on Thunderstrike (the mace), it has the Indestructible, Equip (Any), and Unequip (Drop). Since it has the Unequip (Drop) keyphrase, if Thunderstrike (the dude) or anyone else who is equipped with Thunderstrike (the mace) is KO’d he/she drops the object in their square instead of the equipment being KO’d. And, since it has the Equip (Any) keyphrase, this allows Thunderstrike (the mace) to be equipped again by another character regardless of it being friendly or opposing.
And while we are at it…
BONUS PREVIEW
Did you know that the Marvel HeroClix: The Mighty Thor set has Super Booster that include one of 8 different Colossal figures? Ok, smartypants… did you know that each of those Super Boosters include are a special bonus equipment? Well, now you do… within each Super Booster is the generic version of the Legendary Weapons (which are found in the 5-figure packs with their Legendary Wielders). Here is what the Mace equipment does:
Click to enlarge.
Want to add a little knockback to your life?… equip a Mace to one of your friendlies! The Mace has Equip (Any) and Unequip (Drop) keyphrases, so any character can equip it and when a character equipped with the Mace is KO’d, it will be dropped in their previous square. It does not however have the Indestructible keyphrase, so this equipment can be destroyed using the normal rules for destroying objects.
Well, this has been our sneak peek into new equipment, new rules and new characters coming out in the Marvel HeroClix: The Mighty Thor set releasing this August! We hope you are looking forward to equipping your HeroClix team and swinging for the fences!
