Greetings HeroClix Masterminds!
As the Summer tournament season fast approaches, we wanted to discuss the various HeroClix formats, including some new formats that we will debut at this year’s events! HeroClix thrives with many varied types of play, and the team is excited to introduce some fresh formats to this year’s tournament circuit and beyond!
NEW FORMATS
The HeroClix team is happy to premiere two all-new organized play formats today! Adding new formats was not a decision that the team took lightly, as our intention was to not split the player base or dilute the fascinating, persistent discussions on the Modern and Sealed metagames. The team has developed these two formats to meet player demand in two specific areas, namely the play of themed teams and the addition of simplified, “entry point” play for players that may have new or smaller HeroClix collections. Without further ado, here are our two new ways to play!
Theme Format
The Theme Format puts flavor first, highlighting the squads of heroes and villains from the worlds HeroClix draws inspiration from. In a Theme Format game, all characters on a build, including those on the Sideline, must share a printed keyword. Additionally, all game elements are considered to be Unique, and Sidelines are capped at one game element per 100 points of the build.
Theme Format highlights force construction, rewarding players for finding the themes that can best synergize together!
The first Theme Format tournament will debut at Gen Con this year, as a 300-point Silver Age event with the following restrictions: No Additional Team Abilities, Battlefield Conditions, Characters that use a d20, Event Dials, Feats, Location Bonuses, Resources, or Special Terrain. Additionally, any game element banned in Silver Age is also banned for this event.
Pulp Format
Drawing inspiration from the pulp heroes of the first comics, some of which cost a mere nickel, we bring you the Pulp Format! Commons, Uncommons, and Rares are often overlooked but they’re the foundations of our sets and the Pulp Format spotlights them. In Pulp, only non-prime figures from DC Comics and Marvel booster sets that have white, green, or silver rarity tabs can be used, and all characters are considered Unique. Additionally, teams may only consist of characters; other than maps and standard terrain markers, no non-character game elements can be used.
Pulp’s focus on the least complex rarities rewards tactical play, with positioning and strategy outweighing intricate power interactions. It’s also an easy format for newer players to pick up, as they don’t need the prestigious power pieces and hard-to-find gems that often define the metagames of other formats.
Like with the Theme Format above, Pulp will have its debut tournament at Gen Con 2023! The debut Pulp tournament will be a 300-point Modern Age event.
Modern Age
The staple format of competitive HeroClix, Modern Age currently consists of every set released since July of 2020. With a narrower pool of legal figures, Modern Age provides an approachable format that is difficult to master and evolves on an ongoing basis. A great jumping off point for players aspiring to compete in higher level constructed events, Modern also provides the most discussion of “metagame” for organized play. Once a year, Modern Age “rotates” and sets roughly two years old are removed from the pool of legal sets. This makes it easier for players to hunt down all the figures they’d like to play. This year’s rotation will occur after the HeroClix World Championships in Memphis this September.
Silver Age
The Silver Age format is comprised of the contemporary era of HeroClix design, and includes all sets from the release of Superior Foes of Spider-Man in August 2016 to the current day. Players will discover many satisfying combos due to the deep pool of choices. The breadth of the build possibilities may be daunting to newer competitive players, but those willing to explore the intricate possibilities of Silver will find fun and exciting teams not possible in Modern Age. Silver Age does employ a small list of banned figures, which can be found on the WIN forums: https://win.wizkids.com/bb/viewtopic.php?f=33&t=16559&sid=a030412d8381686c099387927641d048
Golden Age
Golden Age is HeroClix play without limits: all sets are on the table! Some of the most powerful game elements ever printed reside in Golden Age: Team Bases, Resources, and Feats. Golden Age events are not for the faint of heart, and many events will have specific ban lists to limit access to the most powerful options in the Age.
Battle Royale
Battle Royales are a fast-paced free-for-all format for four players. Traditionally played as a sealed format where players open a booster pack and draft a team from the figures opened, in a Battle Royale KO’d figures don’t stay down. At the beginning of each player’s turns, that player returns their KO’d figures to their starting area. Whoever can score the most points in the game’s time limit wins!
HeroClix US Tournaments
If you’re excited to test your teams against some of the best players around, come compete at either the US Nationals or World Championships!
US Nationals: Gen Con 2023, Indianapolis IN, 8/3/2023
WizKids World Championships: Graceland, Memphis TN, 9/14/2023 – 9/17/2023
We’ll have more info on international events soon!
Thanks for reading this HeroClix format refresher! Before you go, we wanted to say “thanks” for your interest in HeroClix! Keep an eye out for upcoming news on international OP events soon. The team is working to finalize plans shortly. And sink your teeth into this sculpt from our upcoming Marvel HeroClix: Wheels of Vengeance set!
