Welcome back to Design Insights, where we are talking about the kaleidoscope of new tools and interactions present in the newest HeroClix set, DC HeroClix: Lantern Legacy! Today, we are going to take a focus on one of the most interesting elements of The Emotional Spectrum, the differences and intricacies in how each Lantern wields it! 

In DC Comics, each of the Lantern Corps have their own distinct identities, with each drawing their power and abilities from the emotions associated with them. The burning rage that fuels The Red Lantern Corps gives them the ability to spew burning plasma from their mouths, while the hope for a better tomorrow that powers The Blue Lantern Corps strengthens their surrounding allies.

In HeroClix, these power identities translate as key standard powers or abilities associated with each Corps. The fear that The Sinestro Corps weaponizes to control the actions of their enemies is embodied as Perplex, allowing them to limit the options of opposing characters. The compassion enforced in its membership by the Indigo Tribe is represented by Support, allowing members to pick each other up from the brink of a KO to get back into the fight. The adaptation of The Green Lantern Corps into HeroClix is best displayed by this set’s Lantern Recruits, whose generic nature boils each Corps down to its simplest form.

Green Lantern Recruit represents the essence of The Green Lantern Corps. As a Green Lantern, they naturally have Willpower through their trait Patrolling Together. This trait allows them the additional option to remove an action token from another Green Lantern Recruit instead of themself when they succeed on Willpower, representing the more refined and regimented nature of The Green Lantern Corps when compared to the other Corps. This emphasis on teamwork and synergy is furthered by their 15-point dial, granting them enhancement to power up the more experienced members of their team. Finally, they possess the Team Player Team Ability, which gives them the ability to adapt to the unique leadership styles of the veterans on the team.

Outside of the recruits, the central defining power for each Corps built upon by each member, as each character harnesses the power of the emotional spectrum in their own way.

For example, Soranik Natu’s history is heavily influenced by her father’s actions as one of the greatest Lanterns the universe has ever seen, as well as a tyrant over his and his daughter’s home world. Soranik Natu’s efforts to overcome the lasting legacy of Sinestro establishes her as a respected individual on her planet in both The Green Lantern Corps and The Sinestro Corps. This is reflected in her particular brand of Fear during her tenure as the leader of The Sinestro Corps, Fear of my Father.

When Soranik Natu uses her Perplex, targeted figures cannot use Willpower or Leadership until your next turn, subverting their chain of command and action economy. This effect is particularly devastating to teams that depend heavily on these powers, such as The Green Lantern Corps or One-Man Armies. Additionally, she has Leadership, giving you a potential two-action shift in Action Total from one character! She truly earns her place as Sinestro’s successor in leading The Sinestro Corps.

Soranik Natu’s interaction with Fear, and by extension Perplex, differs greatly from her father Sinestro’s, whose mastery of the yellow light of Fear knows no rival. As the founder and often leader of The Sinestro Corps, it only makes sense that Sinestro’s manipulation of fear would permeate the entire battlefield!

With his trait Parallax Tamed, Sinestro indirectly empowers his entire corps. By preventing characters’ combat values from being positively modified, the negative Perplex associated with The Sinestro Corps gets even more devastating, as there exist no positive modifiers to offset it. This effect also combines nicely with his Pulse Wave, allowing him to terminate any opposing uses of Perplex from characters caught in it. As the master of fear, Sinestro stands as a piece who will truly inspire great fear in your opponents!

These unique intricacies in each Lantern persist across all 10 Corps of the Emotional Spectrum. Look forward to discovering and playing with these unique Lanterns when DC HeroClix: Lantern Legacy boosters and other products arrive at your local game store and online!