Monday, September 04, 2006

Object Lesson

As regular readers will know, we like to make our occasional contribution to the Fine Art of Heroclix. Usually, it's just showcasing the fine work of Totaltoyz in creating custom figures, chosen by our readers in polls, such as:

Lately, we've been branching out into creating bystander tokens (a.k.a. "pogs") , such as:

We'll continue to do all of that, but we're also going to take the next step, by contributing some Object Tokens.

As Heroclix players know, there are two types of Object Tokens, standard objects (which come in two flavors: yellow-bordered Light Objects and red-bordered Heavy Objects) and special objects.

Standard objects are just blunt instruments; characters with Superstrength are allowed to pick them up and smash them over people's heads or throw them at opponents. Many's the Heroclix player who has, over the years, developed a phobia of gumball machines and trash dumpsters.

Special objects (which have a blue border) do special things, like blow up when you throw them or affect the adjacent spaces.

We're going to add our own types of "special objects": green-bordered Portable Objects (which anyone can pick up and carry) and purple-bordered Personal Objects (which only certain people can use). These objects will all have a "point value"; that way, you can either include them as part of your team, or, if all players agree, simply include them in the ordinary distribution of objects around the board.

There are tons of objects we could make; I welcome your suggestions! In fact, I'll make you a deal: if you buy a custom clix from Totaltoyz through the Big Monkey Ebay site, I'll design you an object or bystander token of your choosing -- for free! -- then post it here on the blog for all to enjoy. Provided the request is reasonable and appropriate, of course; no "Power Girl's panties" requests will be honored.

When conceiving this project, I had no doubt whatsoever which would be the first Portable Object I would make...

Faster than a test pilot's reflexes!
More powerful than a Green Lantern's will!
Able to "klomp" Hal Jordan in a single sound!

It's ...



Special Yellow Lamp Rules
  1. Anyone may throw the Yellow Lamp up to four spaces as an attack.
  2. Characters with "Superstrength" may throw it up to eight spaces.
  3. If the attack succeeds, the Yellow Lamp does one click of damage.
  4. If the attack is against anyone wearing a GL ring, it ignores all protective powers (those that reduce damage, avoid damage or increase defensive value).
  5. If the attack is against Hal Jordan, it automatically succeeds; no dice roll is necessary.
  6. If the attack is against Hal Jordan, it not only does damage, but "Incapacitates" as well.

17 comments:

Anonymous said...

The red Beatle wig, only to be used by Jimmy Olsen.

Anonymous said...

How about a purple-bordered Brain pog that only Mallah can throw, as he did in Doom Patrol #34.

Steven said...

Kryptonite seems kind of obvious. Does it already exist?

'Course RED kryptonite could be even funnier.

Bully said...

The Rolling Head of Pantha, of course!

Scipio said...

I've made the kryptonite pog already, but haven't posted it yet. How would a red kryptonite pog work...?

The Rolling Head of Pantha is already a bystander pog.

Art Williams said...

Um, veteran Green Lanterns are no longer vulnerable to yellow. Just throwing this out there...

Scipio said...

Perhaps that would make a good house rule?

Bully said...

Oh, shoot, I didn't spot the Rolling Head one.

How about a Grant Morrison one? He causes meta-awareness and confusion in those near him.

Anonymous said...

You should make Joker fish. We can all use a smile. :D

Steven said...

Since it usually leads to bizarre but temporary mutations, maybe Red Kryptonite could turn Superman or any other Kryptonian within X range into some randomly selected OTHER HeroClix for Y turns.

So, depending on whether the pulled figure was better (or more likely worse) than Superman, it would probably hurt, but COULD actually help!

Ragnell said...

Veteran Green Lanterns are still vulnerable to stupidly leaving their defenses down and getting hit on the head...

Zaratustra said...

Is Alex Luthor's Perez Cannon/World Moosher too big to be an object?

S Bates said...

How about a purple-bordered Cosmic Treadmill (useable only by Flashes) which, when used, turned all the other characters on the 'board' into their Earth-2 counterparts or vice-versa?

Harvey Jerkwater said...

"The Mighty Marvel Plot Device"--a mysterious object that, when hurled against an opponent, causes a "misunderstanding" that forces a player's characters to fight each other for one turn.

For the sake of play balance, maybe it's only the character hit with it who lashes out at his or her nearest teammate? Or it causes a massive free-for-all, but the other players have to hold back for that round and let the players have their turn of "misunderstanding?" It'd be a wicked powerful piece.

"Dude, I thought you were a villain!" is a mainstay of Mighty Marvels past. I say enjoy it.

S Bates said...

And...and what about "The Pounding Fist of Evil Superboy" which, when hurled against a suitable barrier, causes various random things to completely change in the game.

Hmm, needs more thinking about. Still a little vague.

googum said...

I don't play Heroclix, although there's a pile in my basement fighting Unicron or something...but the Hostess Fruit Pies are great!

What about, say, Flash Facts or a McCauley Omnicom (from Legion): when played, target must recite either an obscure science fact or pre-Crisis trivia, or lose...something.

Martin Wisse said...

But, but, what about Golden Age Green Lantern?

You need something humiliating and woody for him...