Issue 2 May, 2008

Welcome all to the second issue of the local Clix and Wizkids games newsletter, Michiana Clix. Please share this with your Clix playing friends. If they'd like to subscribe have them send me an e-mail to MichianaClix@gmail.com. The goal is to have this published monthly, with special "alerts" when necessary.

You can also find a copy of this along with periodic information, polls and reader feedback at michianaclix.blogspot.com.

How Lucky can we be?
The South Bend/Mishawaka area has the luck of having 4 very active Wizkids Venues within a 20 minute drive of each other. BuyMeToys.com, Fantasy Games and The Griffon in South Bend, and Uber Geek Gear in Mishawaka. Each month a different Wizkids Venue will be profiled here. This month we'll get the details on Fantasy Games!

Fantasy Games, 52025 State Road 933, South Bend
Fantasy Games has been open and hosting in store gaming since 1995. They began their affiliation with Wizkids when MageKnight was introduced to the gaming world in 2000. Now, they cover all aspects of gaming, including pre-played videogames, miniatures, CCGs, RPGs and accessories as well as hosting a variety of CCG and miniature games.

Their spacious gaming areas can seat 40-60 participants depending on the game being played and always with comfort, room to spare and access to plenty of "gamer fuel" at the register!

In addition to the sales floor and gaming areas, the Fantasy Games website offers news on upcoming special events and products, a discussion area, and a calendar of events to plan your gaming fun.

Fantasy Games is open Sun & Mon Noon – 10 pm, Tue thru Sat Noon – Midnight! Short term parking is available in the front and parking for games is located just behind the storefront.

The Anti-monitor is coming
The Anti-monitor Action Pack is due out April 30^th. The set contains the Colossal Anti-monitor figure; the Veteran level is a 1000 point, 25 click, beast that can be used as either a scenario piece of as a force unto itself! Also included are a Shadow Demon and Qwardian Thunderer and a sculpted Event Dial to recreate The Crisis as never before possible on a HeroClix Map!

Check your favorite Stores for availability, $29.99 MSRP

Secret Invation/Fantastic Four Previews
Expect Previews for upcoming HeroClix sets, the Fantastic Four Starter and Secret Invasion set to start the week of May 2^nd. Check Wizkids' website for the latest details.

New Terrain Tiles for MechWarrior
April has also seen an update to MechWarrior terrain. The formerly featureless shapes now have a variety of images and color coding for type to add to the game. They also included new shapes and hybrid tile featuring multiple forms of terrain on the same tile.

The tiles can be found on the MechWarrior site and are downloadable as both High and Low res PDFs. Linked here.

The Winners circle
Periodically we will look at winning teams and players from our local games. This month we'll look at the team that Jarimy Springer (Jarimy123) brought to Fantasy Games for the Crisis Week 7, 500 point Floor:50% event.

Spectre 234 w/Protected 8
Shazaam! 105 w/Monster Hunter 3
Klarion 76 w/Inside Info 4
Scarlet Witch 35
Scarlet Witch 35 both w/Alpha Flight 0
- 500 mystical theme team
BFCs: Ordinary Day, Loyalty, Poor teamwork

Jarimy had wanted to use Spectre again, but having recently tried a successful run building around the Justice Society Keyword, he opted to try out the piece as part of a mystical Theme. Jarimy tells us,
"This immediately took me to R Shazam! and the Scarlet Witches. I thought I'd be screwed with the floor … but then I found Klarion. I hate that figure but he got me to floor, got me to the keyword minimum for a theme, and offered perplex and a tie up mystics piece."

The +5 to initiative helped Jarimy out, as he built this team to go first and take advantage of terrain and careful use of Special Objects.

"I also pray[ed] for 1 heavy and 2 lights [objects]. 1 heavy for the Generator, 1 light for the El Vine, and 1 light for the telephone booth. My plan was to carry out Shazam! with 1 Scarlet Witch to the telephone booth and get him going right away. Spectre would go out and get the generator. I always move Spectre out his full 10 move into hindering, [and] always have protected if he does get hit ... The other Scarlet Witch would carry Klarion to hindering, and within range to perplex Spectre's range if needed."

A part of Jarimy's overall success is paying attention to game variables. In this case, carefully choosing which Battlefield Condition to play against which opponents was one aspect of a winning strategy. Round 1 brought him against a Deathstroke/Black Panther centric team with plenty of Probability Control from 2 Klarions and a Scarlet Witch along with a Marvel Girl for added mobility. He chose to play no Battlefield Condition saving them for later.

After defeating his first opponent, he went on to face a wildcard exploiting team of Alex Luthor, Pied Piper and Trickster, R and E Ragman, Dawnstar and Bronze Tiger. His opponent played Armor Wars, but Jarimy had selected his Ordinary Day to use in the second round.

His final opponent (after securing a second victory) was another well known local player MD McNally (ND MadDog). Having a feeling he would have to faceoff against McNally he had saved both his Poor Teamwork BFC and his Theme Team "Cancel" and it paid off! "He throws Ordinary Day, I throw Poor Teamwork, I ignore Ordinary Day..."

Jarimy went on to defeat MD with just minutes left in the final round. Jarimy's approach to pre-planning his moves, carefully selecting which of his BFCs will fit against his opponent and willingness to try new figure combinations are some things that keep him in the winner's bracket so often.

A Few New HeroClix Errata and FAQ
A new set of rules documents was released on April 15^th. Highlights of that include:

• Clarification that all figures that have two or more spaces worth of base (double based, World's Finest…) follow the restriction that double based figure do.
• Re-inclusion of "First Round Immunity" in print.
• Star Abilities Cannot be cancelled
• Corrections to Keywords documents released in February
• A number of errata for Crisis figures
• Correction/clarification on BFC Skyscraper (CR), elevated terrain in Starting Area of the Legion of Super Heroes map is considered clear terrain, plus what happens when Skyscraper and Wasteland are both in play
• A Boost to the Mercenary (OR) FEAT, by now including Special Powers that give team abilities to figures counting as well
• Interaction of Nanobots (AW) Feat and the Dark Caldron (AV) SO are redefined

Players can find these documents on the Wizkids' Rules to All Games page (linked here for easy access). Take a few minutes to read up and keep yourself on the cutting edge of the game!

Goodbye Clint!
In early May we say goodbye to a longtime player, Clint Osborne (BigBaller). We wish him all the luck in his move to Tennessee. It's been fun, and don't be a stranger!

Hero Clix Approved Play for May
HeroClix continues the Crisis series of events in May. This month features some BIG point tournaments all with a 5% (30 point) cap on Feats and bystander tokens combined!

• Week 9: 600 point Floor: 75% event. Build your team with at least 75% of the build (450 points) consisting of DC HeroClix: Crisis Figures, Feats and Bystanders.
• Week 10: 600 point Special Unrestricted Event. Build you team with game elements from any DC HeroClix Set.
• Week 11: 600 point Restricted. Build your team from any tournament legal sets.

Tournament Legal Sets
Marvel: Armor Wars, Danger Room, Sinister, Days of Future Past, Fin Fang Foom, Supernova, 2099, Avengers, Mutations and Monsters

DC: Collateral Damage, Spectre, DC Giants, Green Lantern Corps, Origin, Legion of Super Heroes, Justice League, Crisis

Indy: City of Heroes/City of Villains, Invincible, Hellboy and the B.P.R.D.

Retired DC Sets: Hypertime, Cosmic Justice, Unleashed, Legacy

Michiana Clix Calendar

Thu 5/1 MechWarrior Special Storyline6:30 pm Fan
Thu 5/1 Crisis Week 8 7 pm Fan
Fri 5/2 Sealed HorrorClix 7 pm Grif
Sat 5/3 Special Marvel Only tournament 1:30 pm UGG
Thu 5/8 Sealed HorrorClix 6 pm BMT
Thu 5/8 MechWarrior Unrestricted 6:30 pm Fan
Sat 5/9 Crisis Week 9 7 pm BMT
Sat 5/10 Crisis Week 9 1 pm Grif
Sat 5/10 Crisis Week 9 5 pm UGG
Tue 5/12 Mechwarrior Unrestricted 6 pm UGG
Thu 5/15 MechWarrior Constructed 6:30 pm Fan
Thu 5/15 Crisis Week 9 7 pm Fan
Fri 5/16 Crisis Week 10 7 pm Grif
Sat 5/17 Crisis Week 10 1:30 UGG
Sun 5/18 Crisis Week 10 1 pm BMT
Tue 5/20 MechWarrior Constructed 6 pm UGG
Thu 5/22 MechWarrior Unrestricted 6:30 Fan
Thu 5/22 Crisis Week 10 7 pm Fan
Fri 5/23 Crisis Week 11 Grif
Sat 5/24 Crisis Week 11 1 pm Fan
Sat 5/24 Crisis Week 11 1:30 UGG
Sun 5/25 Crisis Wk 11 1 pm BMT
Tue 5/27 MechWarrior Unrestricted 6 pm UGG
Thu 5/29 400 point Constructed HorrorClix 6 pm BMT
Sat 5/31 400 point Constructed HorrorClix Grif

Venue Guide

BuyMeToys.com (BMT)
6327A University Commons
South Bend, IN 46635
In University Common across from University Park Mall

Fantasy Games (Fan)
52025 State Road 933
South Bend, IN 46637
N of the Toll Road

The Griffon (Grif)
121 W. Colfax Ave.
South Bend, IN 46601
At the corner of Colfax and N. Main, next to the LaSalle Grille

Uber Geek Gear (UGG)
2441 Miracle Ln.
Mishawaka, IN 46545
In the Town and country shopping center near Dairy Queen

Free Comic Book Day
Saturday May 3^rd, 2008 is the 6^th annual Free Comic Book Day. Check your favorite Comic and Gaming stores for participation.

Locally, BuyMeToys.com will once again be hosting the biggest Free Comic Book Day celebration in Indiana. Among the thousands of comics that will be given away, you can find your favorite heroes and villains, new characters and new publishers as well as forgotten favorites to share with your friends! Best of all, it's free! In the age of $3.75 a gallon gas, free is really good!

Also available is the FCBD Marvel HeroClix: Iron Man figure. This new version of Iron man uses the fantastic sculpt from Armor Wars with a whole new set of powers all in a compact 100 point figure.

About the author

Jon Loftus has been a HeroClix player since day one and became an Envoy in September of 2002. He is currently the regional "Level 3" Envoy for Wizkids. That means he helps with any issue that come up for Wizkids players, new and existing venues or other Envoys as well as runs games regularly. Jon works as a technician at the University of Notre Dame's Center for Environmental Science and Technology. He and his wife, Christy, will be celebrating their 10^th anniversary this summer. You may see Christy and their daughter Emma at area events along with Jon.

Remember that May 6 is the Indiana Primary Election.

Take time to vote!