Sadly a player that we knew from our road trips playing Heroclix committed suicide. Jay organized a charity event in support of suicide prevention with donations going to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. If you feel lead to add a donation, here’s the link to the charity.
This event is being run as an online tournament with the format being virtual sealed using the newest set, Fantastic Four Future Foundation. With all the low point figures in this set, we get to use 3 boosters to build with. The buy in is $10 with mulligans permitted at increasing intervals. We also have the ability to purchase or donate up to 5 uses of probability control per game. I had some Eagle friends cover my probs this time for pod play – helping me out after the last charity event where I donated to cover other people. For my pulls, I ended up doing 2 mulligans and said I was keeping whatever I got with those 3rd pulls. Here’s what I had to build with:
016 Jack Power
003 The Thing
022 Ms. Thing
039 Awesome Andy
052 Blackbeard & s003 Stones of Merlin
003 The Thing
013a Mad Thinker
029 Alex Power
037 Adolf Impossible
018 Mr. Fantastic
014 Valeria
006 She-Hulk
027 Wu
042 Lyja
031a Wizard
My team ended up being a Fantastic Four theme team of:
50 Lyja
90 Blackbeard
35 Awesome Andy
75 She-Hulk
25 Adolf Impossible
20 Mad Thinker
Sideline: Wizard
My first opponent in pod play was Matt G in Alberta. He was playing a team of Thing Robot, Korr x2, Paibok, Kristoff, Invisible Woman and She-Hulk. I won map and put us on Negative Zone Prison. I brought us into the middle of the map with my shape changers in the front. He moved people up and was able to get an energy explosion off with Paibok, KOing Mad Thinker right away. Korr made their pogs and one of them did a ping damage to Adolf. He positioned the pogs such that I couldn’t get to his figues without KOing them first. Even with probs and 2 attackers, I couldn’t hit to get them out of my way. Next turn he was able to get Awesome Andy. I was finally able to get one of the pogs but it was my only successful hit, again, even with probs. He outwitted She-Hulks defense and charged in with his She-Hulk and hurt her severely. I charged his She-Hulk and finally hit, but he got impervious and I couldn’t hit with my other attack. He was able to finish off my She-Hulk. I tried to KO his Kristoff but missed. He finished off Adolf. I finally hit She-Hulk for 2 damage after impervious. He was trying to finish off Blackbeard when time got called. It was a good game with great positioning on his part and inability to hit anything even with a zillion probs and dice manipulation on my part. I lost 0-155 and 0-1.
My second pod game was against Joe K in New Jersey. He was playing a team of Human Torch, Ms. Thing, Valeria, Diablo, The Thing and Vil. He won map and put us on Testing Grounds. He moved up to almost center of the map. I moved up to a similar position on my side of the map, positioning so he couldn’t get a single target pulsewave off. He chose to instead charge with The Thing on Adolf to take him out. I was able to one shot Diablo with Blackbeard using a heavy object and knocking him back into blocking for the KO – we both used up basically all our probs on this interaction. Then I outwitted Ms. Things defense with Mad Thinker and used charge with She-Hulk and a heavy object and adjacent to Blackbeard for the empower and hit – also knocking her back, dropping her off elevation for the KO. I chose to clear Lyja instead of pushing her. He attacked with The Thing and Human Torch, missing both attacks. I outwitted The Things defense and charged with She-Hulk and a light object and hit. I charged over with Lyja to finish him off. He got a single target pulsewave off with Human Torch on Lyja and hit, but couldn’t knock her off the building because of She-Hulks positioning where she would have landed, so Lyja got to survive – totally unplanned bonus for me on that positioning. He moved Valeria and Vil over to block my path to Human Torch. I moved Mad Thinker over so a follow-up pulswave won’t be single target and outwitted his running shot so he couldn’t move from where he was. I charged with Blackbeard on Valeria to take her out. Lyja punched Vil but didn’t roll high enough blades to KO him. I charged with She-Hulk to finish him off. All he had left was a double token’d Human Torch and cleared. I was about to charge over and try to do some damage on him with She-Hulk when time got called. He played super well for someone newer to the game and unfortunately for him, my team got to do what it was designed to do and I won 225-25 so I’m now 1-1.
My last pod game was with David M. He was playing a team of Uatu, Marquis of Death, Mr. Fantastic, Spider-Man, Kristoff, Thing Robot and Adolf Impossible. I won map and put us on Aunt Petunias. I moved up into one of the rooms. He moved over to the side of the map in the little hallway with Mr. Fantastic in front. I cleared. He got more into position but still with Mr. Fantastic as the only target. I moved up a little and grabbed heavy objects so I was in better position to strike next turn. He cleared. I charged with She-Hulk to break through the wall and missed (used a few probs). Then I followed up with Blackbeard charging and he missed too (with more probs). He got a good hit off on She-Hulk with Thing Robot and I missed my imperv. I attacked and missed. He got some more damage on She-Hulk, putting her on last click. I basically had to clear. He finished off She-Hulk. I came in with Lyja and ended up missing after getting probbed. Blackbeard hit Mr. Fantastic to last click. Thing Robot hit Lyja, getting her off the printed shape change. Awesome Andy came in to finish off Mr. Fantastic. He finished off Lyja and time was called. I lost 30-125 which puts me at 1-2.
Normally this would be me saying that’s it, I’m knocked out. However, one of the other matches in our pod had a 0 point tie – which is a double loss before the cut to single elimination. When I’m writing this, there is only 1 game left to play and it will be the decider of if I will make it out of pod play. David will be in for sure because he’s currently 2-0. Joe is out at 0-3. Matt is at 1-1 with 155 points. I’m at 1-2 with 255 points. This means that if Matt loses and takes less than 100 points, then I’ll actually make it in with my 1-2. If Matt takes more than 100 points or wins, then I’m out.
I decided to watch their game so I could see the outcome first hand. It was a slow first half of the game as they just slowly positioned and moved around. David stayed pretty much near his corner and Matt slowly got him self into a protected strike range. Matt was the first one to get attacks off but didn’t do much damage with the energy explosion. David was able to take out Invisible Woman. Matt took out Mr. Fantastic and then time was called. David won 40-30 – which means my perfect storm situation of Matt both losing and taking less than 100 happened. This means I’ll be bottom of the pack and playing 1 more game against the other bottom 8 pod players in the top 20 to see which 4 of use will make the top 16.
We will have a chance after pod play but before the top 20 people play to mulligan our teams if we wish to change them and play something different. I know there are a few who are planning to change their teams but there are others who are keeping them the same. I’ll be one that keeps it the same, even with my 1-2 record. I like knowing my team and what it does. I’ve always been one to practice a ton and get comfortable with what I’m playing – so even if it means I get knocked right back out, I’m ok with it. If I can get it to do what it does and continue on, then bonus! I’m just happy to be getting to play another game!
My bonus round to see if I make it into the top 16 was against Jay (Joy) P, the creator of the dials for this event. He mulligan’d his team and ended up with a Scientist team of Diablo prime, High Evolutionary, and lower points of Molecule Man, Nathaniel Richards, Dr. Doom the Sorcerer Supreme. I won map and put us on Aunt Petunia’s. I rolled for a die on Adolph, got a 6 and moved up everyone with carries as far as I could get, protected in the rooms. He moved up a little into the hallway and got a 5 with Molecule Man to block me out. I inched up to a closer room, but still protected from his range with stealth people protecting. He inched up a little and got a 4 with Molecule Man to keep me blocked out. I cleared to be able to go in fresh. He pretty much stayed where he was and I joked that this Molecule Man roll would be 1, and wouldn’t you know it was a 1! This was my chance. I only had the way of getting She-Hulk through – no one else was close enough or would have to stop in the hindering. I had She-Hulk charge through the wall to attack Molecule Man. She grabbed a heavy object on the way but didn’t need it with her printed 4 and him being only 3 clicks. The hindering from going through the wall covered up his smoke that was down, so I got around the -1 from the smoke by burying it in rubble – that was a happy bonus. I needed a 7 to hit and I somehow managed to roll 7 or more for I think 6 or 7 rolls in a row as he used his on dial prob and burned through charity probs to try and make me miss. I kept everyone else back and passed turn. She-Hulk was in a scary place against all his penetrating damage. She was thankfully in hindering to get a +1 on her defense so he was needing 8’s to hit. He running shot to get further away and missed with High Evolutionary after probbing and I think I used my 4 reroll trait in here too on one that was a hit. He running shot to get further away and missed with Doom too. He did the same thing with running shot with Diablo, who had his potion on penetrating, but this time he did hit for 2, even with me using a few probs. He was now too far away for me to get to him with anyone so I moved Blackbeard in front of her with his invincible and shape change. I also moved Lyja closer and into hindering and Adolf in closer too, but protected behind She-Hulk. He tried to take some shots at Blackbeard. I rolled shape change successfully for everything but 1 attack, where I only took 1 damage after invincible and got to keep my Stones equipment. I charged in with Blackbeard on Diablo with the object and hit but he rolled super senses. I came in with Lyja to also try on Diablo and she hit for 5 (bonus from charging out of hindering plus Blackbeard’s empower) but this time didn’t get his super senses so he was KO’d. He tried to attack Lyja and Blackbeard with Nathaniel Richards but they both rolled shape change and then just had to clear the others as they were both pushed. I pushed Lyja to KO Nathaniel and moved She-Hulk out of hindering so she’d be closer to act and also moved Adolf closer, but protected, too. Jay used both High Evolutionary and Doom to psychic blast She-Hulk to KO her. I F4 team ability healed Blackbeard back to click 1 and Lyja back to click 2. I charged with Blackbeard, picking up the heavy object that She-Hulk dropped and used it on Doom as last action was called. I missed but had the 6 on Adolf to make it a hit that he couldn’t re-roll. He didn’t get his super senses, so with the knockback, he was KO’d and that was the game. I won 175-75 and got into the top 16. Thank you Jay for covering my charity probs for this round.
My top 16 game was against Joe P. He also mulligan’d and his team was now Dr. Doom (uncommon), Dr. Doom Sorcerer Supreme, Lyja, Alex Power, Bentley 23 and Dragon Man. I won map and put us on Aunt Petunia’s – he chose the side with the hallway. I moved up to almost the middle of the map, protected by rooms. He moved up the hallway and protected with free barrier. I moved a little closer but still protected in the room. He repositioned but stayed in the hallway. I chose to charge in with She-Hulk, breaking through a window, to hit uncommon Doom with a heavy object. Then I came in with Lyja to also hit him, putting him on last click. He outwitted shape change on Lyja and hit her to last click. She stayed alive in the follow up by rolling super senses. I finished off uncommon Doom with She-Hulk and couldn’t do anything else because of where he placed the barrier – I couldn’t get to anyone else. He finished off my Lyja and did some damage to She-Hulk. I moved everyone who was hanging back into a closer room and outwitted the psychic blast on Sorcerer. He charged with Dragon Man and quaked the group, taking out Mad Thinker and Adolf (with the help of my push for a theme prob and knockback). Now he had his psychic blast back and double targeted She-Hulk and Andy – hitting and between a perplex and enhancement from his Lyja, he took out Andy and did 2 to She-Hulk. Between getting hurt and all the healing from F4 team ability, She-Hulk was on her sidestep clicks now and tried to hit Lyja. Blackbeard took out Dragon Man, using the heavy he was holding. Joe finished off She-Hulk. Blackbeard charged around and picked up a heavy to take out Bentley – wanting enough damage to KO if he chose to mastermind. I think he hit me for 1 after my invincible on the next turn. I charged on Alex, picking up the light object that Dragon Man had dropped and with the knockback, finished him off. It was down to my Blackbeard vs his Lyja and Sorcerer when time was called and I lost 205-175. We had a great game with a whole lot of back and forth action and just getting in each others faces.
As always, I’m remembering my matches as much as I can after the fact. If any of my opponents are reading this and I’ve missed something, let me know and I’ll edit it! I did better than I ever thought I’d do – just to have made the cut and be in the top 16 was an amazing feeling. What I have enjoyed most though is the social aspect of it all. Hanging out in discords and chatting before and after games and just popping in to watch others games. Even though I’m now knocked out, I will continue to keep doing that. I look forward to watching the rest of the games and will be excited to see who wins it all!
Thank you Jay for putting this tournament on and raising so much for charity. I’ve always been one to support things to do with mental health – especially as a sufferer myself, which I speak openly about here in most of my blog posts to help stop the stigma around it and to help others know that they’re not alone. If you’re reading this and you need someone to talk to, I’m here.
Until next time, xoxo