Welcome to the second Design Insight article for the new HeroClix 400 line! As mentioned in the Warriors of Wakanda article, HeroClix 400 is intended to be a step up in complexity for new or returning players interested in exploring new themes or more nuanced team building. Marvel HeroClix 400: Cap’s Kooky Quartet is jam-packed with utility and flexibility, guaranteed to keep your opponent guessing!

Back in the mid-60s, when the original Avengers were looking to take a break from their super-heroics, Iron Man, Giant-Man, and the Wasp started to interview potential replacements. They found Hawkeye, Quicksilver, and the Scarlet Witch ready to heed heroism’s call. Led by Captain America, they became the second roster of Avengers.

All the figures on Cap’s Kooky Quartet have three starting lines, at 100, 75, and 25 points, offering tremendous flexibility in how you apply them to constructing a force. It will be easy to run them as a complete team, whether you prefer 300- or 400-point games. If you already have some Avengers in your collection that you love playing with, the Kooky Quartet can slot in alongside them using their 25-point lines to give you an even more exciting squad. Much like Captain America, you’ll find a route to victory with an unlikely collection of heroes!

Before we dive into looking at the individual figures, let’s look at their Kooky common trait. The competition between the members of the Quartet was so high that when one of them has success in combat, it drives the others to push even harder, allowing them to either clear an action token so they can act faster or push past an injury and gain some health back. Now, let’s see what the individual members of the team can do.

Captain America is known for many things, including his determination as a leader and the tenacity of his training. His leadership and combat prowess are on full display in Cap’s Kooky Quartet, as is his iconic ability to ricochet his shield off walls and foes, rattling them in the process.

Captain America brings Improved Targeting to the team, allowing him to throw his shield at foes on any elevation. At 100 points, demonstrate exceptional mobility and charge into battle with Running Shot. Is an enemy using tricky positioning? “Shield Bank Shot” targets enemies around corners! Does your team need a pep talk? “Leading a New Team of Avengers” grants both Leadership and Perplex to improve other figure’s efficiency! His 75-point starting line focuses on leading the team and loses some damage reduction. At 25 points, he changes tactics all together, focusing on Charge and utilizing terrain instead of his shield for brawling in close-quarters.

But Cap’s not done there! He’s got one last trick up his sleeve: during force construction, recruit any ‘Past’ character to the Avengers and share with them all the team ability benefits of joining forces with Earth’s mightiest heroes. Not only will this boost your entire team’s combat values, it also lets the existing Avengers take advantage of any keywords the new recruit brings to the table.

As the first recruit for Cap’s Kooky Quartet, we have the master marksman, Hawkeye! Clint isn’t just out to prove that he’s the world’s greatest archer, but also that he’d be a better leader than his Star-Spangled compatriot. With the support of his Avengers allies, he can extend his range and increase his damage. He also brings along his quiver of trick arrows, with something spicy for every occasion.

At both of his higher start lines, Hawkeye’s desire to outshine Cap shows through with his Running Shot and “Whatever You Say Glamour Pants” powers, allowing him to attack for free if he’s adjacent to his team leader. Depending on his starting line, you’ll get either penetrating damage or Energy Explosion. Both are great options paired with his ability to attack multiple targets and Improved Targeting. Even at 25 points, Hawkeye offers great options, moving slower but adding the always-welcome Willpower ability. With “Just Try to Make Me Look Good, OK?” available through Hawkeye’s entire dial, he is an even more dangerous addition to a team full of characters with the Avengers team ability.

Our second recruit is Quicksilver, often shown running circles around everything from the moving vehicles, to an attacking contingent of Moloids. Like Hawkeye, he feels he could be a better leader than the stodgy captain, but unlike Hawkeye, Quicksilver tries to prove it by helping everyone move across the map more effectively.

At his higher start lines, his abilities earn him several defensive powers to leverage while combatting his foes, by way of his “I’m Running Circles Around Ya!” trait. The combination of Combat Reflexes, Super Senses, and Willpower make him hard to hit and hard to slow down. He also runs up walls and automatically breaks away from opponents. At 100 points, Close Combat Expert helps land punches with extra power, and Precision Strike ensures that damage is almost always gets through. At 75 points, he trades some combat prowess for some additional defense with Shape Change. Like Hawkeye, his 25-point version moves slower, swapping Charge for Hypersonic Speed and simplifying defenses to Super Senses and Shape Change. With “Keeping the Team Moving” useable at every click and every point line, he demonstrates utility by boosting the speed of all teammates who have the Avengers team ability.

The third, and possibly most interesting recruit, the Scarlet Witch brings many useful mystical abilities to the team, which includes granting a mystic shield to each of her teammates. She comes in as the ultimate support piece, sporting combinations of all the best support powers. However, don’t second-guess this witch; Scarlet Witch can hold her own in a fight! She makes a capable secondary attacker in a pinch.

Regardless of the line Scarlet Witch starts on, she’s going to bring something interesting to your team. At 100 points, she starts with Sidestep, Telekinesis, Super Senses, and her “Hexed, Vexed, and Perplexed” damage power. This damage power lets her use Outwit, Perplex, and Probability Control, making her a dangerous piece against even the most villainous teams. Effective mobility makes utilizing these disruptive abilities a breeze. At 75 points, focus on Outwit to vex your foes. At 25 points, Scarlet Witch uses Telekinesis to float teammates where they need to go. If she’s paired with her brother, Quicksilver, her 7 movement ratchets up to a 9(half of the standard HeroClix map!). Finally, like her partners, she also grants an ability to teammates with the ‘Avengers’ team ability: Mystics! This normally uncopiable team ability exacts a toll on your enemies every time they deal damage, adding extra offensive capability to this flexible support piece.

Cap’s Kooky Quartet is a great group of Avengers to run as a force straight out of the box, but they can also serve as only the beginning of an unstoppable army of heroes from every era. Marvel HeroClix 400: Cap’s Kooky Quartet helps highlight the importance of force-cohesion and the power of team abilities through these four dynamic new figures. Share your builds using these heroes on social media and tag us!

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