Superman 001 Man of Steel

Usage / Summary: Superman from the Man of Steel movie set is a versatile primary attacker on his full point level, or a great secondary attacker on his lower point starting line. It's a simple dial with no special powers, and that's a good thing. He has Running Shot with Sharp Shooter and the Team ability -- not many figures are going to be able to escape his sight (we're looking at you Batman!).  

Pros: Superman has Penetrating/Psychic Blast, which when mixed with his Sharpshooter and and his team ability means that his 4 damage is going to target characters and get through damage reducers. He also starts with Impervious then drops to Invulnerability, followed by Toughness, then if you're lucky enough to land on his last click, he can use Regeneration. He also goes from his Psychic Blast to Ranged Combat Expert, which, even if he's based, can be used thanks to his Sharpshooter ability. When he starts on his 100 point dial, he loses his Psychic Blast and starts with two target Energy Explosion and defense begins on Invulnerable.



Key Feature: This character is all about ranged combat. Running Shot, Psychic Blast, Energy Explosion, Ranged Combat Expert and Sharpshooter with  and all make for a figure that your opponent will either have to take extra precaution to position (so they can't be seen behind walls and blocking terrain) or sacrifice a character to base him and tie him up. If you start him at the 100 point level, Energy Explosion with 2 ranged attacks can be deadly when targeting groups.

Cons: Defense that tops out at a 17 makes him somewhat easy to hit; also, that attack value drops to 10 (then 9) pretty quickly for the last half of his dial. Even worse, the 100 point version only has 1 click of Invulnerability and one click with a 10 attack.

Theme / Keywords: With only one keyword (Kryptonian), most of your modern age theme team options come from the Man of Steel movie set. There have been a few other Superman figures in other sets, but are in the hard-to-get Super Rare or Chase slots.

Cost:  At either 100 or 200 points, you can build with him as the primary or secondary attacker.

Teammates: I like Lor-Van for him. She has a special that lets you knock her out instead of a character named Superman and put him on his last click, which will let him use his Regeneration, all for only 31 points. Kryptonian Scientist is also a good option for him as they have Enhancement and Barrier for 36 points. For 62 points there is Jax-Ur, who starts with Perplex, then goes to Enhancement, but also has a special that gives adjacent friendly characters the equivalent of Precision Strike on a result of 1-4 on a D6 and Penetrating if you roll a 5-6.

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On a 300 Point Team: At 200 points, Superman is your primary attacker. Your other 100 points should go in to supporting or protecting your tent-pole. If you're using him at his 100 point level, then you're looking at a secondary attacker that can't be ignored.

On a  400+ Point Team: At 200 points, he's half your team build and it gives you lots of room to throw support on.  

Final Rating:  A

At 200 points, he's a great primary attacker with adequate room for support. In higher point games, he can be a force on the team that will need to be dealt with.

Jason "Puuka" Statham is a freelance writer and avid HeroClix gamer. He also runs the ShaggyPuuka Etsy shop that features HeroClix Dice Bags and Dice Trays!