Now, I know a lot of people don't care about
Heroclix, and a lot of people don't care about Aquaman, so I guess this post is for those tasteful few who care about both.So, please, I beg you, if any of you appreciate them, intend to use them, or are even simply amused by them, let me know. A good deal of work goes into such things, and nothing is worse than the dead silence of "no comments" on such on blogpost.
I've long threatened to produce marine animal pogs (or, as I prefer to
think of them, "fishclix") to serve as Aquaman's finny friends in Heroclix games. They're actually much handier than you'd think, at first. The main problem with the Aquaman heroclix figures is their lack of range (oh, if only someone would give him his water balls!).
The fishclix help because they can run interference as self-sacrificing blockers who keep opponents from picking off Aquaman at a distance, allowing him to sneak up and clobber his foes at close quarters.
And they're cheap as dirt! They each cost fewer than 10 points, so it's easy to sprinkle a few --or even a lot -- on any Aquaman team.
Note that each of these piscatorial pogs has the Aquaman symbol at its apex. That's the 'finny friends' ability! It gives them Aquatic movement and, as long as Aquaman remains on the board, they have Willpower & Battle
Fury (because they're being controlled by Aquaman, of course).
Notice also that most of them have the JLA Team Ability, which allows them to move without using up any of your allotted actions for the turn. That's important if you want to put a bunch of them on your team.As for their individual powers, a short trip to the aquatic encyclopedia (as well as H's Finny Friends Compendium) provided guidance. Many fish have natural disguise and evasion capabilities, which I chose to represent variously with Stealth, Deflection, Shape Change, and Supersenses. They are born "blockers", perfect for guarding the King of the Sea.
Poisonous fish like the Scorpionfish get Poison, unless, like jellyfish, they can reach out and touch someone. The shy squid gets Smoke Cloud, which he can use to help out his stealthing companions, but the bold octopus will also use his Elasticity to tie up your opponents. Bioluminescent lanternfish help you see better underwater so they have the Police Team Ability, which improves the ranged attack values of adjacent friends.
More fishclix are possible, of course. Which ones would you want?
34 comments:
Whales!
I really like the squid and lanternfish. My only question is using the PD team ability. It only modifies ranged attacks, right? Do any of the Aquamen in clix have range? My usual fig is the V Icons one, and he doesn't.
I'd love to see you take on a swordfish, maybe some Exploit Weakness or something?
I'm so using these. I'm going to dig out my heroclix and play a battle if I have to hold a gun to somebody's head to get them to play with me. I am SO using these. These make Aquaman actually work as Aquaman.
Hammerheads would be good. Give them charge and let them batter the enemy with their hammer like blows as they do in the old comics. I suspect real hammerheads are more cautious with their heads, but hey, its Aquaman...
what about the giant pink seahorse Aquaman used to ride in Superfriends?
incidentally...assuming your adventures are happening in deep-water (200+ m), jellies and squids are just as likely to have bioluminescene (in some cases MORE) than lanternfish. And lanternfish aren't really much good in adventures near the surface owing to their living largely below sunlit waters.
Thank you all! Based on your response, more fishclix will be forthcoming, cetaceans included.
Laura, I particularly glad to be of service to you with these. I didn't know you played Heroclix. You might also be interested in my custom clix for Mera, Koryak, Aquagirl, Aqualad, Topo, the Sea Devils, Officer Malrey, the Eel, the Fisherman, Black Manta and his Mantamen, and Ocean Master. I would be happy to share with you which dials I chose and connect you with my custom-maker.
The point about the Police Team Ability of the lanternfish is quite correct. I use it with Koryak or Mera, both of whom have "hardwater" distance attacks. You can also use it with the Experienced Aquaman; he has range.
And, yeah, I'm definitely going for a "hey it's Aquaman" approach with these rather than perfect Jacque Cousteau. I won't go as far as walrus that breathe underwater, however...!
If anyone is interested I will also share my house rules for playing an "underwater" map ...
Electric eels!
"just not in an octopus love kind of way."
Oh, sure, I believe that...! Go ahead, embrace the Love That Dare Not Ink Its Name!
Okay.
Hammerhead, swordfish, whale, electric eel. Water map rules.
Got it.
How about the dreaded Candiru (sp?)-. The fish that tries to swim up the urethra?
Whales are mammals and not fish.
Electric Eels and Swordfishes (can free entangled characters?). also yeah the candiru. and uhh shark?
Wouldn't a whale be one of the giant sized pieces?
I'll confess that I used to skip over your Heroclix posts. I didn't play, so I didn't understand them, so they didn't interest me. But now that I have a working knowledge of the game, they're some of my favourite posts.
I wish I could play Heroclix. I've bought a bunch of them, but no one wants to play with me. It's like grade school all over again. I wish I lived in D.C., where apparently people actually play and also make cool home-brew rules.
... wait a minutes. First you get me into comics, now I have to beg money off my friends and family members so I can get them. Then you get me into Heroclix, but I can't find anybody to play. What's next, you fiend? My life's blood?
Damn you (again), Garling! *shakes fist*
On second thought, I'm glad I don't live in D.C. By now I'd be so in debt to Big Monkey Comics, you'd have to have my legs broke.
Whales are mammals and not fish.
Aquaman can still command them. Pretty much any animal associated with water; I've seen comics where he commanded sea eagles and water buffalo.
I have no money for customclix right now, but when I do, I'd like to get the ones you mentioned, Scipio.
I played a lot of heroclix a few years back, but I haven't played much recently because I've been unable to get out much.
Derek,
Check out this link
http://heroclix.meetup.com/boards/view/viewthread?thread=1182975
It will help you find other Heroclix players in Joliet.
As for you friends, find some like comics. Ask them who their favorite characters are. Teach them how those characters work and let them play those. That will help interest them and their intereste may then expand to the other characters and the game as a whole.
And keep the game simple. Don't worry about all the fancy stuff like Feat Cards until everyone is perfectly comfortable with the basics of the game.
NARWHAL
Tad? Is that you?
Nope, just some random.
Filet-O-Fish!
No seahorse?
How about an Electric Eel and Giant Seahorse?
Does the Octopus have ranged attack? Aquaman often used to command them to hurl things like sand dollars and sea urchins at his foes...
Heh heh... you said "water balls".
Laugh at my water balls now, Michael ... while you still can!
We'll talk about the seahorses later.
Tune in next Sunday for:
Fishclix, the School of Attack.
Ariel,
I will give you your electric eel in person.
Where are the flying fish with Leap/Climb?
Awesome pogs, as usual sir. I would also be very interested in your take on "water rules"
BTW, I hate to be a shill, but if anyone is interesting in playing Heroclix online, the site www.creationmatrix.com has on-line play-by-post capabilities. There's one-off and league play available.
Working at an aquarium, I have lots of experience with crazy sea life...
Blowfish - Aquaman can compel them to wedge themselves in an enemy's throat and inflate, suffocating them. Plus, they are toxic.
Lungfish or Mudskippers - Can breathe air and crawl on land, so there's no aquatic limitations.
Tangs - These fish have scalpal-sharp spines at the base of their tails, earning them the nickname 'surgeonfish'.
Damselfish - Extremely territorial fishes, so they can keep their battle rage even without Aquaman's help.
Mantis Shrimp - Species can punch through glass, or bifurcate a passing fish.
Snapping Shrimp - Sound attack powerful enough to stun prey.
Torpedo Ray - Another electricity-generating species.
Stingrays - Surprised nobody mentioned these. The stings are designed to inflict incapacitating pain which may lead to death through shock, drowning, or blood loss.
Manta Rays - With a 'wingspan' upwards of thirty feet, the larger species can carry other teammates that might have lower movement. Imagine a manta ray with crabs or octopus clinging to their backs.
Barnacles - Proportionally have the longest male reproductive organs of any animal, but then you'd have to if you are a shrimp with your head stuck to a rock. Gotta reach! Not sure how that would be useful in battle, but it is interesting.
And this is just a few examples. I could keep going for ages...
PS Law Dog you have the spelling right. The Candiru is a blood-sucking catfish which swims into orifaces (including fish gills and human urethras), pins itself in place with large spines, and feasts on blood.
"Imagine a manta ray with crabs..." if I had a nickel for everytime I've heard that one!
And hey, Scipio, if you're doing requests, what about the fiddler crab? I don't think it does anythign special, I just like saying it.
Shocking! ;)
You are my aquatic hero Scipio.
I have to say, I found these very amusing, and well timed since I'd been wondering about the potential for a completely aquatic battle.
Out of curiosity, have you considered using any of those 'Smithsonian' toys you see in educational toy stores and museum gift shops to make some custom seaclix? Something like a Great White that demands more than a bystander token?
Great idea here. (Someone sent me this link when I suggested something similar on HC Realms, so I'm sorta tooting my own horn, but you're so much less lazy than me...)
I have to ask, though, why do none of the fish have the swimmer icon for movement?
Also, your "squid" picture is an octopus.
I wouldn't give Poison the power to venomous fish, because it doesn't really well represent a creature that has to bite or poke you to do damage. Poisonous creatures that have to bite should just do straight damage. The poison power is better suited for creatures that dish out damage to everyone around them.
Squid are MUCH faster than octopus. The octopus is relatively slow moving, and should probably be around 4 or 5. A moderately sized squid can move very quickly and should be at least 8 if not 10 in speed. Squid should also have a better range, because they can shoot out their tentacles.
Contrary to popular belief, octopus have 8 arms, but no tentacles. Tentacles are specialized elongated arms with grabbers on the end. Squid have two tentacles in addition to their eight arms. These are shot out at great speed to slap onto prey and pull it into their mouths, often in less time than a human eye can tell what has happened. Octopus really wouldn't get much range at all.
Yes, I'm this annoying all the time. : - )
Suggestions: Skates. Essentially, combine a stingray with an electric eel. Their ability to electrocute everyone around them could be a good use of the Poison power, or maybe Quake.
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