My very crafty husband has gifted me with props for enlivening my Heroclix games, with which I am delighted. Together we created an elevated, transparent and blank "supra-map" that I can put above outdoor maps to represent the airspace above and on underwater maps to represent the surface of the sea.
You can see it in use in the photo, where it represents the airspace above a public park where Hawkman and Hawkgirl (with some pals) are confronting some Manhawks, Satana, Byth, and Ira Quimby.
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| The Manhawks, Satana, Byth, and Ira Quimby are all customs. You have to be willing to put in the work for a Hawkman-specific Heroclix game. |
You can also see some of the aerial props he made (you should see the RAINBOW, not pictured).
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| Okay, fine; there's the rainbow. |
The rules adapt quite simply to a second level: there is no line of sight between the levels (it's too high up!); it costs one square to move up or down; a figure can only move up or down in one turn, not both. It really brings life and purpose to flying characters and battles!
Here's a photo of the supra-map being used to represent the surface of the sea in game where Aquaman and his finny friends are taking on Black Manta and his goons.
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| These are the props for use in temperate/cool waters. He made separate sets for Tropical Ocean and Polar Ocean. These things matter to me. |
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| The Tropical Ocean props |
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| Tropical surface of the sea close-up. |
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| The Polar Ocean props. Brrrr. |
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| The iceberg combo is a really nice touch. |
Anyway, this has reinvigorated my enthusiasm for the game and inspired me to make a new map of my favorite, freaky fictionopolis: Apex City!
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| As in my original Apex map, all of these locations (including the two bridges) and place names are from references in actual Martian Manhunter stories, which were always specific about just WHERE something was happening. We know more specific places in Apex City than in Metropolis. |
My inspiration for the map was post-war beach-town tourist maps and postcards. That really does seem like J'onn's natural habitat (to the degree that J'onn seems "natural" anywhere!).
I am eager to figure out a way to have random meteors, fires, and plane crashes occur during the game and threatening the Martian Manhunter as an added challenge.
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| The props are ready. |
I am also planning to make flocks of Apexians as "mobile hindering terrain". I just have figured out the game mechanism for their auto-movement.
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| Because what is Apex City without its flocks of panicked citizens? |
