Please see below the official changes to the Q3 2024 Watch List (Click HERE to see the original Q3 2024 Watch List post).

All changes are effective in all formats and are effective on August 19. Errata issued to game elements will be added to the WIN on that date, visible HERE.

WKM-M001 Search for Ammut’s Tomb

Result: Banned in all formats.

Explanation: This is Search for Ammut’s Tomb second time on the Watch List, and continues to accumulate Clue tokens at a rate that is not healthy for the game. Banning a game element from Modern is always the last option considered, but the ubiquity of Search for Ammut’s Tomb, the potency of its effects, and the degree of errata needed to correct that made banning it there the healthier choice for the game. Further, while we don’t have data for all formats, the potency Search for Ammut’s Tomb displayed in those we do have data for was enough to extend that Modern ban into a blanket ban.

DWX 016 Timebreaker

Result: The trait PANOPTICHRON EXCURSION PLATFORM will be errata’d as follows:

OLD: POWER: Choose an adjacent character. Place that character up to X squares away from their current square, where X is the number of DWX #016 Timebreakers and DWX #B005 Timebreakers adjacent to that character.

NEW: POWER: Once per turn for all characters with this trait, choose an adjacent single-base character. Place that character up to X squares away from their current square, where X is the number of DWX #016 Timebreakers and DWX #B005 Timebreakers adjacent to that character.

Explanation: Timebreaker hasn’t yet had much time to shine in Modern, but has already displayed some worrying results. To that end, we are implementing two changes. First, the placement effect can only be used once per turn for all characters with this effect. Second, the placement is limited to single-base characters. While we want to enable a powerful placement effect from a swarm of Timebreakers, we don’t want players achieving hyper-efficient alpha strikes, excessively lengthy early turns, or complicated placements (which sometimes include rules questions).

WoV 030 Blackheart

Result: Unbanned in Pulp. The trait PRINCE OF THE UNDERWORLD will be errata’d as follows:

OLD: FREE: Choose up to two adjacent friendly characters with the Monster or Mystical keyword. Place Blackheart in a square of hindering terrain within range, then place the chosen characters adjacent to Blackheart.

NEW: POWER: Choose up to two adjacent friendly characters with the Monster or Mystical keyword. Place Blackheart in a square of hindering terrain within range, then place the chosen characters adjacent to Blackheart. Characters placed this way can’t be given costed actions this turn.

Explanation: Blackheart is the premier placement effect in every format he is legal in, enabling aggressive early-game engagement. He is overly efficient in this role. While we considered banning him, we chose this errata in order to retain his unique ability to place multi-base characters. With this change he is still useful for placing/positioning your force, but no longer allows players to place and attack on the same turn. Since Blackheart teams slowed down, the HeroClix Development Team believes that Blackheart will be healthy to unban from the Pulp format.

WKX 001 Kong

Result: The trait WRESTLING DINOSAURS AND GIANT INSECTS will be errata’d as follows:

OLD: Kong can reduce penetrating damage. // Kong deals penetrating damage if he occupies elevated terrain or is attacking one or more characters with  or .

NEW: Kong can reduce penetrating damage dealt by characters of an equal or less point value than himself. // Kong deals penetrating damage if he occupies elevated terrain or is attacking one or more characters with  or .

Explanation: Kong has been a fan-favorite figure since his release, and we’ve been happy to see him take a prominent place in the metagame. Still, he has proven a difficult figure to handle. By introducing a way to workaround Kong’s defenses, we hope to encourage a greater degree of variety in team building.

R4R 015 Poison Ivy

Result: The trait GROWING OVER GOTHAM will be errata’d as follows:

OLD: At the beginning of your turn, generate a Plant hindering terrain marker within 4 squares of Poison Ivy or any friendly Plant terrain marker. This game, that marker has “When this marker hinders line of fire, characters instead modify defense +2.”

NEW: At the beginning of your turn, for all friendly characters with this trait, generate a Plant hindering terrain marker within 4 squares of Poison Ivy or any friendly Plant terrain marker. This game, that marker has “When this marker hinders line of fire, characters instead modify defense +2.”

Explanation: While Poison Ivy’s win rate has fallen off recently, the HeroClix Development Team suspects the other errata issued in this Watch List could hinder the alpha strike strategies that impair Ivy teams. In such an environment Ivy may become an unreasonably effective team, so we are taking a preemptive step to prevent that. Ivy can still perform all her tricks, but filling a team with multiple copies of Ivy no longer guarantees cross-map reach immediately.

Trick Arrow (all sets, all cards)

Result: All Trick Arrows are being errata’d as follows:

OLD:  A force may only contain one Trick Arrow equipment. Once per game when this (Trick Arrow) is equipped, place up to three Trick Arrow cards face down (you may look at them). // When this character hits, you may flip over a face down Trick Arrow Card and perform its ON REVEAL effect.

NEW:  A force may only contain one Trick Arrow equipment. Once per game when this (Trick Arrow) is equipped, place up to three Trick Arrow cards face down (you may look at them). // Once per turn when this character hits, you may flip over a face down Trick Arrow Card and perform its ON REVEAL effect.

Explanation: We’ve been excited to see players experimenting with the flexibility Trick Arrows can offer to a build. However, the capacity of some Trick Arrows to be “chained” together, allowing characters to attack many times in a turn, have increased the efficiency of teams to a greater degree than desired. To correct for that, we are limiting the use of Trick Arrows to once per turn.

Major Brock’s Bunker (2024 ROC Map)

Result: Temporarily removed from the map list

Explanation: Major Brock’s Bunker featured prominently at the US National Championship, and we considered banning it. However, with the removal of Search for Ammut’s Tomb and the other erratas on this Watch List, we expect the teams that could best exploit it have weakened enough that Major Brock’s Bunker can remain in Modern. Still, given the low distribution of this map, especially for international players, and its ubiquitous use at the US National Championship, we are temporarily removing it from the Modern Age Map List. We expect the map to become more widely available in the coming months, and will reinstate it after the World Championship.

While we strive to avoid making changes to figures after they have been released if possible, our ultimate goal is to have a fun, friendly, and healthy game paired with a positive gameplay experience for both our casual and tournament players. We do reserve the right to revisit and make changes to any game elements highlighted in previous Watch Lists, especially as new game elements are released. Thank you to our players and play testers for providing your feedback on how we can further improve the game of HeroClix.

– The WizKids Team