{"id":14907,"date":"2021-02-03T15:22:13","date_gmt":"2021-02-03T20:22:13","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/67272bb316.nxcli.io\/heroclix\/?p=14907"},"modified":"2021-02-03T15:26:47","modified_gmt":"2021-02-03T20:26:47","slug":"design-insight-captains-sidekicks-and-allies","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wizkids.com\/heroclix\/2021\/02\/03\/design-insight-captains-sidekicks-and-allies\/","title":{"rendered":"Design Insight \u2013 Captains, Sidekicks and Allies"},"content":{"rendered":"

Hey HeroClix Masterminds! Previously we mentioned that we\u2019d be utilizing more Cross-set Mechanics<\/a>. Now we\u2019re going to dive into one that will be premiering in Marvel HeroClix: Fantastic Four Future Foundation<\/em><\/strong><\/a>!<\/p>\n

Sidekicks<\/strong><\/p>\n

Sidekicks have long been a critical element in superhero lore. Reed Richards\u2019s idea for the Future Foundation takes it to a whole new level. Reed assembles a brilliant team of kids so they can solve the world\u2019s problems and implement a better future.<\/p>\n

There were lots of ways we could\u2019ve done this for HeroClix, but to match the flavor with something that could combine with upcoming HeroClix sets was a neat design challenge.<\/p>\n

Sidekicks have a \u201cSidekick\u201d designation in the top right of their characters card (similar to Secret Identity from previous sets). Being a Sidekick does not grant these figures any special effect in and of itself, but Sidekicks work like sponges… they will be granted powers\/effects from the Captains and Allies on your team.<\/p>\n

Individual Sidekicks are pretty straightforward\u2026 but they have the potential<\/em> to be very powerful en masse and\/or with a number of Captains granting them different capabilities. Since they could<\/em> do a lot, we didn\u2019t want them to begin with a huge number of powers. By trying to keep them as a blank slate we were able to keep their point costs low, meaning that you can build a team with multiple Sidekicks with plenty of room (i.e. points) for Captains. It is even feasible to build teams that have a \u201csquad\u201d of a few Sidekicks with a Captain partnered with other non-Captain\/Sidekick figures.<\/p>\n

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Sidekicks are great at low rarity because even before players have collected the entire set, they will get to collect figures that, by themselves, will fill an obvious role on their team and their utility\/capabilities will grow along with your collection of new Captains that will grant them different effects. In playtesting we\u2019ve seen teams utilize as few as 40 points of Sidekicks to over 100 points of Sidekicks depending on the strategy.<\/p>\n

Captains<\/strong><\/p>\n

Captains are the muscle of this strategy. They\u2019ve got longer dials and better abilities than Sidekicks, but what makes them \u201cCaptains\u201d is their traits that grant powers\/abilities to Sidekicks.<\/p>\n

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With luck on your side, Spidey and Andy are going to keep your Future Foundation Sidekick characters safe while those Sidekicks provide support or even some offensive capabilities with their shin kicks and techno-wizardry.<\/p>\n

Another thing that\u2019s cool about this mechanic is that even as characters get multiple abilities, players will be able to easily categorize who does what. They\u2019ll learn that all<\/em> their Sidekicks have Super Senses while Spider-Man is on the map. This is easier to track than 4 different defense powers across 4 characters. Even players who might only buy 1 booster at a time instead of a brick will have fun team building options with these characters.<\/p>\n

Allies<\/strong><\/p>\n

Allies are the top-tier of this mechanic granting bonuses to both Captains and Sidekicks. The Future Foundation Allies are all members of the \u201cCouncil of Doom\u201d brought together for their different specialized knowledge.\u00a0 As such, these Allies provide bonuses against specific keywords relating to their areas of expertise. \u201cAlly\u201d traits are Sideline Active, so you can benefit from their sage advice while they are on the map\u2026 or assign them to your Sideline without any commitment of points.<\/p>\n

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We\u2019re excited to see what kinds of teams HeroClix players come up with using Captains, Sidekicks and Allies. We suspect many players will be eager to see how some of their favorite heroes and supporting cast might be imagined as Captains, Sidekicks and Allies in future HeroClix sets!<\/p>\n<\/div>

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