Welcome to another installment of Design Insights! Today we take our first in-depth look at a dynamic and exciting new product line from WizKids – HeroClix 400! The upcoming HeroClix 400 offerings are meant to help learning HeroClix players who are ready to take their game to the next level. Refine team-building practices,  sprinkle in some recognizable themes and you’ll be the most fearsome player at the table in no time!

Each HeroClix 400 box set comes with four all-new characters! With multiple starting lines, along with other bonuses, these figures are perfect next steps to expand your growing HeroClix army. As you find yourself assembling your next force, the HeroClix 400 line gives an abundance of team-building options. Whether you want to play every character from the set together as a ready-made 400 point force, or choose just the right lower cost starting lines to intermingle with your favorites from your collection, , the HeroClix 400 sets contain a cosmic amount of versatility.

Leading the charge into this new age are four of Wakanda’s most famous inhabitants: The noble T’Challa. The brilliant Shuri. The fierce M’Baku. The cunning Killmonger. They’re all ready to crash into the fray at your next HeroClix game. In designing this group, we took some of our favorite concepts from the Marvel HeroClix: Black Panther set (like Vibranium tokens) and built upon them to bring you new and unique takes on these colorful characters. Let’s take a closer look at what these combatants bring to your team

Our goal with T’Challa was to strike a balance between his brilliant mind and his legendary heroics. A nice selection of keywords starts us off, giving a nod to his time as an Avenger, a scientist, and more. Much like his allies in the Black Panther Boosters, he adds Vibranium tokens to your sideline. Although he does it better than any other character: adding a whopping three tokens at the beginning of the game!

At 100 points, Black Panther starts off with an impressive amount of offensive capability. He maintains that strength with above average attack values throughout his entire dial. But don’t think for a second that T’Challa is only on your force to deal damage! As his ‘Tactical Genius’ special power shows, he also utilizes your Vibranium tokens to make sure he gets the most out of his Blades/Claws/Fangs and Leadership rolls, the latter of which comes with a special effect that helps you push the momentum over the top.

Black Panther also comes with a clever 60-point option that trades his in-your-face Charge for a tricky bit of Leap/Climb and a special defense power that will surely annoy your opponent. However, you’ll have to play carefully; maximizing this king’s potency gets taxing on your resources. Make sure to save a few Vibranium tokens to help make the most of his dial down to the final click.

Next up is the Princess of Wakanda, turned hero, turned Queen: Shuri. Like Black Panther, we sought to blend a healthy mix of offense and support on Shuri’s dial, allowing her to do a little of everything… Not only does she add Vibranium tokens to your pool at the beginning of the game, but true to her nature as one of the most innovative characters in comics, every time she succeeds on a Super Senses roll, she adds even more. With a pile of flexible abilities, Shuri will always have something helpful to offer your team.

Shuri is a focused attacker on her 100-point starting line. Moving quickly across the map with Hypersonic Speed, she has multiple options for making sure her damage sticks. Attacking multiple targets, Shuri has Precision Strike and Exploit Weakness at her disposal to ensure her attacks connect with all but the nimblest targets. Don’t be deceived by the modest movement number printed on Shuri’s dial; this panther has tricks!

Available right away on her first four clicks, including the first click of her 60-point line, Shuri has the ‘Rapid Innovation’ special power: a potent combination of Exploit Weakness and Perplex. It gets better! When Shuri uses Perplex, remove a Vibranium token to add an impressive bit of mobility to any friendly character even herself! Whether she is placing friendly characters in position for maximum impact or using Quake and Exploit Weakness against a pack of opposing figures, you will not be disappointed with the utility offered by this member of the Wakanda royal family.

A perpetual thorn in Wakanda’s side, Killmonger joins  the inaugural HeroClix 400 set as a tenacious wildcard. Killmonger is a consummate soldier that relishes what he does, but is also known for his nasty habit of coming back from the dead!. We made sure his dial stays true to this multifaceted foe.

Like many other Wakanda figures, Killmonger makes skillful use of your Vibranium tokens. But where many other characters use them for altruistic reasons, like Shuri using Vibranium tokens to enhance friendly mobility, Killmonger uses them to fuel his endless series of resurrections. This ability comes at a heavy cost, requiring three tokens to keep him in the game. Incredibly, Killmonger sustains his own endless cycle of resurrection by adding additional Vibranium tokens by hitting and KOing opposing figures that stand in his way.

To make things even nastier for your opponent, this would-be king is an effective leader. Available right away when played at 100 points, his special damage power adds an action to your action total, gives your dice rolls a little insurance, and most importantly, keeps your opponents from getting the upper hand.

Once one of Wakanda’s oldest rivals, now a staunch ally, M’Baku is the undeniable bruiser of the Warriors of Wakanda set. It was important we design a dial that features fantastic consistency. M’Baku is a relentless brawler, shrugging off attacks while he pummels your foes.

Like the others, M’Baku starts the game by adding Vibranium to your stockpile. But he uses the tokens in a unique way: to deftly traverse the map. Placing himself into nearby hindering terrain, he darts quickly around the battlefield, repositioning himself even between the movements of Hypersonic Speed!

And don’t worry too much if you do take a few clicks of damage. Not only will M’Baku keep swinging, but with four clicks of Steal Energy on the back half of his dial, he’ll keep healing as long as he keeps smashing the opposition. Dishing out damage and shrugging it off with his full dial of Impervious, you will immediately see the spine-crushing value that he brings to your teams.

As you can see, the first HeroClix 400 set, Warriors of Wakanda offers four dynamic characters that enhance every team you add them to. With dials that feature a considerable step up in complexity from what’s found in a HeroClix Starter set, as well as strategic options unique to these pieces, there are an abundance of possibilities for newcomers and veterans alike, ensuring that players everywhere will be excited to keep it 400!