Puuka here, and today we're taking a closer look at the Hank Pym ID Card and the best ways to use it!

Carded at the Door is a new series that gives you the best strategy options for using HeroClix ID Cards. It's written by Jason "Puuka" Statham.

The card is as follows:

Name: Hank Pym
Real Name: Hank Pym

Inspiration: Modify range value by +3 when using Outwit or Perplex. Modify defense value by +3 when attacked by an opposing character with the Robot keyword.

Inspire:  When a character friendly to an ID Character is in an adjacent square, they can use that ID Character's Inspiration.

 
Right: Hank Pym HeroClix ID Card; Click to see full image

Why Play this Card
With the Age of Ultron set being full of characters with the Robot keyword, this is actually a pretty useful card. It gives characters adjacent to the figure a +3 defence when being attacked by a character with the Robot keyword. Also, if they have Outwit or Perplex you can modify the range by +3.

Related: How It Works: HeroClix ID Cards

Who is the Best Choice
In modern age games, you have a few choices for this card. With the Ant-Man collectors box, you can use all the figures in there except for the colossal Giant-Man. They didn’t put the Real Name on his character card. There is also a Hank Pym and an Ant-Man in the Age of Ultron Storyline event boosters. The Classic Avengers set also has an Ant-Man in it.

Age of Ultron 001 Hank Pym – Use a character with Sidestep to bring him in, then side step two back, then have Hank Side Step towards opposing characters, then use his Pulse Wave. Between the two side steps, you should still be within the required 5 squares, but outside of his 3 (half of 5) range Pulse Wave attack. He also has Outwit and Pulse Wave. He also has a Trait that gives friendly characters a +1 attack against characters with Ultron in their name. Also while he’s on the map, characters with Ultron in their name can’t target this character unless all other friendly characters on the map are named Hank Pym. This makes him an excellent tie up piece or blocker for line of site.

Right: Hank Pum AOU001 Dial (click to see full image)

Age of Ultron 003 Ant-Man – Bring in this guy at the start of your turn, then use Poison, or, if needed, Side Step then Poison. He can also give adjacent friendly characters the Giant or Tiny combat symbol.  He can also use Charge with Exploit Weakness.

Age of Ultron 201 Hank Pym – This Hank gives you Telekinesis, Barrier and Side Step. Either get a character up the map with TK or throw up a wall to protect them for a turn to give them a chance to clear tokens.

Age of Ultron 202 Ant-Man – Precision Strike with either Perplex or Close Combat Expert.  Also allows you to have Ant Tokens follow opposing characters if they are moved or carried.

Age of Ultron 203 Goliath – Charge, Super Strength with a 11 attack and 4 damage will let him do up to 7 damage with an Ultra Heavy object. Allows for a big strike against an opposing character in the middle of the battle.

Right: AOU 003 Ant Man (click to see full image)

Age of Ultron 204 Yellowjacket – Running Shot with Penetrating/Psychic Blast for 3 damage. Also allows Ant Swarms to use Exploit Weakness.

Age of Ultron 205 Ant-Man – Outwit with either Incapacitate or Sidestep and Poison depending on the point level chosen. Also lets Ant Swarm Tokens deal 1 penetrating damage to all adjacent opposing characters if they’re missed with an attack.

Age of Ultron 206 Wasp – Leadership with both Running Shot and Energy Explosion or Sidestep and Blades/Claws Fangs depending on the starting line you choose. 

Fast Forcers Original Agengers 001 Ant-Man – With his two starting levels, he can use either Precision Strike and Outwit, or Charge with a special power that lets him use Close Combat Expert as a Close Combat Actions instead of a Power Action (meaning he can use CCE with Charge).  He also gets the Normal damage symbol which allows him to block line of sight until your next turn.

Right: AOU 206 Wasp (click to see full image)

In a golden age setting, there are many choices but only a few can do anything the current modern age figures can do better. Of note, there is the Chaos War Giant-Man which you could bring in at 300 points with Charge and Super Strength with 5 damage. He also has a Damage power that lets you deal 1 penetrating damage to all characters on an adjacent section of elevated terrain. There is also CW014 Hank Pym has a special that allows him to choose any standard attack power when he occupies a square with a light or heavy object.

The Hank Pym card gives you a lot of choices when facing your opponent from a 7 damage dealing brick, a Running Shot Penetrating Damage figure to finesse pieces giving you TK, Outwit, Perplex or Poison. You just have to make sure you pick right at the start of the game.