RECENT
Awesome Clix: Silver Samurai
HeroClix 2016 Changes
KC Revisited
How It Works: ClixFX
Awesome Clix: Karate Kid
Clix Combos: Oberon & Mister Miracle
Probability and Statistics
Pow! Deadshot

OTHER
Pow! Atomic Skull
Awesome Clix: Daredevil
Awesome Clix: Iceman
Awesome Clix: Cosmo
Awesome Clix: FCBD Thor
Awesome Clix: Rip Hunter
Awesome Clix: Green Arrow
Awesome Clix: Roy Harper Jr
Awesome Clix: Mr. Fantastic
Awesome Clix: Dr Voodoo
Worst Clix Ever: Thor's Mighty Chariot
Pow! H.E.N.R.Y.
Awesome Clix: Max Fury
Clix Beat: Cobra
Pow! Rag Doll
Pow! Turbo
Carded At The Door: Hank Pym
How It Works: ID Cards
2015 HeroClix Set Rotation
Pow! Ghost Rider
Worst Clix Ever - Avengers Taskmaster
Pow! Felix Faust
Pow! Spider-Ham
Pow! Superman (MOS 001)
Pow! Wonder Woman (DC10 002)
Pow! Batman (AO 001)
Awesome Clix: Scarlet Witch
Worst Clix Ever - World's Finest
Hypersonic Reviews: Age of Ultron Movie Starter
Hypersonic Reviews: The Irish
Awesome Clix: Tigra
Awesome Clix: Bug
HC MAPS
Awesome Clix: TK Masters
Awesome Clix: Green Arrow
Awesome Clix: Taskmaster
Awesome Clix: Thor
Slade Files: The Flash
Clix Beat: Thanos (IC)
Hypersonic Reviews: GOTG Movie Starter
Hypersonic Reviews: Deadpool
2014 Set Rotation
Clix Beat: Flash (HT)
Clix Beat: Green Arrow
We Need To Talk About Spiral
2013 PAC changes
Slade Files: Moon Knight
Clix Beat: Zuvembie
Slade Files: Dracula
Slade Files: Spider-Man
Slade Files: John Constantine
HeroClix Vehicles Rules
HeroClix ID Rings!
Clix Beat: Kantus
Clix Beat: Quasar
Slade Files: Drax
Clix Beat: Dr. Strange
Slade Files: Super Skrull
Clix Beat: Skrull Assassin
Clix Beat: Nick Fury
Slade Files: Black Widow
Clix Beat: S.H.I.E.L.D. Enforcer
Team Ability Changes (2012)
Slade Files: DR. DOOM
arrowTake 'Em Down: Nightcrawler
Take 'Em Down: Spider-Man
Critical Clix: 2011 Rules
HeroClix 2011 Rules Changes
Spring of HeroClix World
Juggernaut Helmet Token
Slade Files: Magneto (GsX)
Who is ClixKid?
Web Tokens!
Fall of HeroClix World
Slade Files: Carnage
Slade Files: Spider-Man (Black)
Rev: Ultimate Cap
Slade Files: Superman
Slade Files: Spider-Man
Slade Files: Ultron
Watchmen Day 3
Jonah Hex Review
Vegas Odds: B/C/F
Slade Files: Venom
Accessories: Capital City
Slade Files: Thor
PaC: Smokey Cap
PaC: Red Arrow
AlphaClix: New Beginning
PaC: Spidey (si)
Rev: Thor's Chariot
PaC: Robin (aa)
Rev: Crisis Nightwing


Take 'Em Down: Nightcrawler
Eric Schaen (09/08/2011)
 Page:  1  2  3  4  5   

Goto Comments

Take Them Down! 
By Eric Schaen
Subject: Nightcrawler
The Giant Sized X-Men set introduced players to an all new version of Nightcrawler. Some players love this character and others feel he is too good for an 86 point character. In the hands of a skillful player, Nightcrawler has the ability to create sheer chaos on the battlefield. Let’s explore some options for ways to take down that opponent who keeps building teams with this fuzzy blue elf. 
First a look at Nightcrawler’s dial:
(Insert dial here)
His pros: Hypersonic speed, Stealth, Shape Change, Super Senses, the X-Men team ability, A high starting defense, Uncanny special powers, a very useful trait and he’s only 86 points. 
His Con’s: He’s a very top heavy Character. Once he’s taken 2 clix of damage, he is no longer a major threat. Also, his damage values are not terribly impressive either. 
(Obviously your opponent will have other characters teamed with Nightcrawler. For the purpose of this article we are going to keep the focus on ways to defeat Nightcrawler.)
Ok, here are some tips for taking him down:
•Go for the Alpha Strike. If you have an opportunity to attack first use it. Move and attack powers like; Hypersonic Speed, Charge and Running shot are vital here. If you can’t catch Nightcrawler, you won’t be able to hit him. If the opportunity presents itself to attack Nightcrawler before he can attack you, make full use of it. Don’t wait or you could find one of your best characters plucked from its position, and placed adjacent to the likes Wolverine or within Cyclops optic blast range. As always, Telekinesis can be a very effective way to extend your ability to land the first hit.  
•Use the two P’s. With powers like Stealth, Shape Change and Super Sense, Nightcrawler has quite a few ways to avoid being hit. The first P is for Pulse Wave. Pulse Wave is without a doubt Nightcrawler’s Achilles heal. It ignores all of his powers to guarantee damage as long as your attack is successful. That brings us to the second P, Probability Control. Having Probability Control readily available in case you miss the attack is imperative. Keep in mind though; you have to place the character with Probability Control outside of the Pulse Wave range in order to use the power. If you do hit Nightcrawler with Pulse Wave, he has to take the full damage, so you don’t want to mess this up by rolling an 18 and not being able to take a second shot at it. (Remember Tip # 1 and use Running shot combined with Pulse Wave to catch him off guard.)         
•Force him to push. Another tactic for dealing with Nightcrawler is to try and force him to perform a push action. This of course will cause him to take a clix of damage and slow him down by adding a second action token, forcing him to clear on the next round. Indomitable characters can be very effective with this strategy. (Once I was able to fly a HOT Ultron adjacent to Nightcrawler who had already pushed last turn. After he cleared, I managed to roll a critical hit with Pulse Wave for 5 points of damage. Bu-bye Kurt.) Another clever way to accomplish this tactic is to base him with a character that has the power of Poison. Since poison is not an attack, Nightcrawler’s spiffy powers and high defense value won’t help him to avoid the damage.    
•Bait him to come to you. It can be a bit of a risk putting a character within Nightcrawler’s hypersonic reach. However it can be a great way to bait him into an attack position. Make sure if you use this tactic, you use a character you don’t mind losing so much. Don’t forget to make sure you have actions available to take advantage of the situation if he does take the bait.
•Damage Reducers can go along way. Nightcrawler has no way to penetrate damage reducers on his own. So powers like Impervious and Invulnerability can be very effective when adjacent to him. Just be aware of Nightcrawler’s teammates. If Beast and Archangel are his teammates, you may want to re-think this strategy.
Golden Age Games 
In “Golden Age” games, Feats and Battlefield Conditions are sill legal components of team building. Two Feat options I like for taking on Nightcrawler are; Heightened Reflexes and Double-Time. Heightened reflexes will give characters (that meet the prerequisites: Combat Reflexes or Energy Shield/Deflection) a chance to evade Nightcrawler’s attacks. While Double-time gives a character the ability to march right up to Nightcrawler and base him. This is best applied when Nightcrawler currently has an action token. This can be a surprise move that will force your opponent to either push Nightcrawler to escape, or clear and give you a chance to land an attack of your own. Transporters work best with this strategy, since they don’t take pushing damage for using this feat. 
When it comes to choosing a battlefield condition; Bright Lights is a good choice. Bright Lights ignores characters Stealth powers; this is a great way to get some ranged advantage on Nightcrawler. Inferno is another interesting choice. Inferno should keep Nightcrawler on his toes and out of hindering terrain. Inferno causes any characters that start their turn in hindering terrain to take a clix of damage. Talk about a hot foot! 
So there you have it. These tips are just some options that can be effective when you are taking on Nightcrawler. With the game of Heroclix, there are many choices of what strategy you utilize. That’s what makes this game so fun. Coming up with a strategy and having it work is its own reward. 
Next time I’ll be exploring ways to take down the new 300 point Superman, see you then.  

HeroClix Take Em Down NightcrawlerTake 'Em Down is a new series of articles by Eric Schaen. Take 'Em Down focuses on just one HeroClix character, and explores ways you can beat the crap out of it.

 

The Web of Spider-Man set introduced players to an all new version of Nightcrawler. Some players love this character and others feel he is too good for an 86 point character. In the hands of a skillful player, Nightcrawler has the ability to create sheer chaos on the battlefield.

Let’s explore some options for ways to take down that opponent who keeps building teams with this fuzzy blue elf. 

 

Continued Below...

HeroClix Nightcrawler Dial

 

His pros: Hypersonic speed, Stealth, Shape Change, Super Senses, the X-Men team ability, A high starting defense, Uncanny special powers, a very useful trait and he’s only 86 points. 

 

His Con’s: He’s a very top heavy Character. Once he’s taken 2 clix of damage, he is no longer a major threat. Also, his damage values are not terribly impressive either. 

 

(Obviously your opponent will have other characters teamed with Nightcrawler. For the purpose of this article we are going to keep the focus on ways to defeat just Nightcrawler.)


 Page:  1  2  3  4  5   

Back to Top

Your Comments:
the bullseye from hammer of thor works well too. thunderbolt him to ultimates and his defense is pretty much useless. one hit for three and hes a non factor.

Posted by: inspired stranger on 10/21/2011 11:50:24 AM
I think that that panacea of adding 'Pulse Wave' to your team to deal with Nightcrawler or Metron doesn't really work for team construction. There are just too few characters that have top dial Pulse Wave that can survive long enough after a Nightcrawler attack/drag to be effective. Poison and Force Blast are easier to come by and are just as effective. While not Modern Age legal, Nightcrawler is going to have to reckon with the new Gears of War aliens with their mini-force blast team ability. There are definitely options out there that don't involve relying on Pulse Wave to carry the day. If you do need to Pulse Wave to get him, Noh Var is probably the best Running Shot/Pulse Wave character in the game right now, then the SI Johnny Storm LE.

Posted by: Dr. Faustin on 9/12/2011 7:17:51 AM
Wow... all these suggestions involve an attack roll.

My suggestion is twofold.

Poison, and Force Blast.

Nuff said.

Posted by: A_Higher_Level on 9/11/2011 10:14:53 AM
@abin-sur

except the ohter article was more of a joke piece, and really didnt give any tips on how to defeat him. I like this article and found it to be useful.

Posted by: Marcus on 9/10/2011 9:18:09 PM
WoS Bullseye. 'nuff said...

Posted by: Owlman166 on 9/10/2011 1:07:19 PM
I just say enough of nightcrawler talk.

Posted by: taskmatster on 9/9/2011 10:23:32 AM
Play crappy wild card team with 2 mindless ones and make his team pay for every single attack, the new Legion Clixs are a good choice Starman or is Stay Boy, bring some TK and superior #s. If he has a 4 clix team build an 8, make him plow through all the garbage clixs for a price

Posted by: Deltron 30/30 on 9/9/2011 9:42:07 AM
Why does Nightcrawler keep saying "Da"? That should be Colossus, since he is Russian. Kurt is German, and should be Ja-ing it up.

Posted by: dairoka on 9/9/2011 5:32:11 AM
hey dude, yeah good article but this was not needed.
yes i know he is an anoying piece and everything, but why put 2 articles up about taking him down?!
if anything the previous one was not needed as it was made up for this figure, seriously you could have given us another article that had new content, not one that more or less says the same thing.

Posted by: abin-sur on 9/9/2011 1:22:58 AM
Inferno is a terrible idea! I played against him once with Inferno in play, and all he did was poof in, pick my guys up, and drop them in hindering. Dying in a flamming tellephone booth is a pretty crappy way to go. Also, don;t forget all WOS Ballseye!

Posted by: TheGodofRock on 9/8/2011 10:53:31 PM
I've said it on the last article, but Force Blast is a much easier way to knock him off those first two clicks than some of those mentioned. It is worth pushing just to run up to him and knock him into that brick wall he sits on. It's not like you have to roll to hit him!

If your opponent is a cheesemeister, it is worth a laugh to bring out the WoS Iron Man that can move and Force Blast as a free action. Do this two games in a row and YOU will be the one called cheesy :b

I speak from experience. My friend racked up almost 14 wins in a row with a team largely consisting of Nightcrawler, SI Iron Fist and WoS Deadpool. He would hide Iron Fist and another nasty close combat boy behind a wall and then repeatedly kidnap figures and teleport them into the "rape closet", while nasty Deadpool stood out front and acted as bait/tentpole.

My biggest problem with this tactic is that it was difficult to picture Kurt Wagner and Danny Rand being so very very evil!

Posted by: Kragnorak on 9/8/2011 10:22:04 PM
The problem is, is that he is actually quite pushable if you have other X-Men on your team. And ignoring him isn't isn't alwys an option since he can rearange your team. Feats and BFC are quite limited depending on where you play. And while armor protects from him damaging, its where he puts you that can can make it really hurt.

Posted by: Mr.X_20XX on 9/8/2011 10:16:39 PM
Double time should not Hurt indomitable figures. Iron man from wos is meta game material against the fuzzy blue f^*{er

Posted by: Sparkdemon on 9/8/2011 10:15:07 PM
I'm not trying to brag or anything I'm just trying to help. The last time I faced a team with nightcrawler my opponent was kidnapping my figures away from his guys. I have an aggressive play style and sometimes that can pay off. Other times not so much. In the case of nightcrawler it doesn't hurt. Remember that he isn't the meat and potatoes of any team he is on.

Posted by: Killersavage on 9/8/2011 9:59:53 PM
See if it were me I would have been doing my best to have already been in range of his entire force. Targeting the biggest threat(by biggest threat obviously I mean other than nightcrawler) while I'm at it. By ignoring him I don't mean hiding in the corner hoping my opponent rolls over. What good is nightcrawler for kidnapping you if you've already engaged the people he would kidnap you to. Whatever though folk can either cry about it or get in there and roll some dice.

Posted by: Killersavage on 9/8/2011 9:54:17 PM
I tried ignoring him once, he took my highest point character and parked it within range of his entire force and procedded to waste him all in the same turn. 202 points of junk after that.

Posted by: Zack on 9/8/2011 8:02:34 PM
All I know is it's worked for me so far.

Posted by: Killersavage on 9/8/2011 8:00:31 PM
ignore em? pfft and let em wipe your team

Posted by: mario on 9/8/2011 7:41:50 PM
I my limited experiences against him I've found it best to ignore him. The best that you can anyhow. If you have no other targets and opportunity presents itself then take the chance on him. Otherwise go straight for the supporting cast and don't waste actions and effort on him. Once his friends are gone you can whiff away on him.

Posted by: Killersavage on 9/8/2011 7:29:44 PM