Hello HeroClix Players,
We hope you are all looking forward to playing in the upcoming Pre-Release events starting today, Wednesday, October 21, for the DC Comics HeroClix: Superman/Wonder Woman set. To find a store near you running a DC Comics HeroClix: Superman/Wonder Woman Pre-Release event visit the WizKids Event System.
As we enjoy the early look at the set, you may have seen a recent Comicbook.com Unboxing Video which showed a sneak peek at the new Super-rare Eclipso figure. He uses some new terminology that we’d like to touch upon, as there are other items that have been released using similar wording and future game elements will also use that wording.
Before we begin, let’s take a look at the wording for Eclipso’s Trait:
Black Diamond Possession When Eclipso is KO’d or if you pay 25 points when building your force, equip this character to a friendly character and link it to that character’s dial. (To equip, place this on the standard character’s card. The character can use its effects. If the character is KO’d or equipped again, KO the previously equipped game element. A linked dial is always on the same click number as the dial it’s linked to.)
EFFECT: At the beginning of your turn or after this character is clicked, you may choose 1 power on the equipped dial and 1 combat value on the equipped dial higher than this character’s same printed combat value. This character can use that power and modifies that combat value by +1 until your next turn or clicked. (A character is clicked whenever it is damaged or healed.)
So the first thing we notice is that Eclipso works the same as previous “Possessor” type characters. This time though, he is treated as an equipped item. With that being said, let’s discuss equipment.
“Equip” will be a new term going forward to indicate when and how a character can be assigned a game element. A character with such a game element on their card will be “equipped” by that game element. Once equipped, the equipped character can use the effects as described on the item’s card. Most importantly, by default, a character can only be equipped with one item at a time (unless a specific game effect says otherwise). During force construction, a character can’t be equipped with more than one game element. During the game, if a character is equipped with a second item, the previously equipped item will be KO’d and scored for your opponent if appropriate.
The reason for this change in wording to what we have seen on previously released figures with similar mechanics is that the new term “Equip” will serve as a key term to describe this particular game mechanic without having to write out the underlying rules for it on each character’s character card. The “Equip” term, it’s restrictions and game effects will be included in the next HeroClix rulebook—but for now, we have included explanatory text on special powers/traits that utilize this mechanic in parenthesis (as seen in the Eclipso example above).
To equip, place this on the standard character’s card. The character can use its effects. If the character is KO’d or equipped again, KO the previously equipped game element.
Another restriction to equipping will be that most equipment will only be able to be assigned to a “standard character”. What is a standard character? Let’s find out.
This is the official definition of a standard character:
A standard character is a character that is not a bystander and does not possess the 
,
, 
, 
, 
, or 
combat symbols.
If a character is not a standard character, then it can’t be equipped. Using Eclipso as an example, he can’t be equipped to a bystander character, or any character that possesses one or more of the listed combat symbols.
The rationale behind the change to the definition of “standard character” is to address newer combat symbols that did not exist at the time of the original wording which we deemed were necessary to include— for the reason of game balance— as restricted to utilize game effects that are limited to “standard” characters.
In general, a game element that is equipped to another character is still whatever the game element normally is (Relic, Resource Attachment, Special Object, etc.). The exception is with characters that become equipped items. A character that becomes equipped to another character is no longer considered a character on your force or for any game effects that refer to “characters”. Other than any effects they provide as an equipped item, they would no longer be able to use any of their other powers or abilities. They would, however, be affected by effects that refer to equipped items. Using Eclipso again as an example, if you choose to pay his 25 point cost during construction to equip him to a standard character on your force, he would not count as a character for any other parts of force construction, or later for any game effect that affects “friendly characters”, etc. This means his keywords would not apply to Themed Teams, he could not be assigned ATA’s, he would not count towards your initiative roll, etc.
PLEASE NOTE: Following up on this article, we will be posting an official errata for figures that previously utilized the “Possession” wording (DC Comics HeroClix: War of Light Entities and Marvel HeroClix: Age of Ultron Jocasta) so that they will now be updated to use the new “Equip” language.
One final new term to review is the term “linked”. “Linked” will be a term used to describe the interaction with equipped items and some other game elements that have dials that we want to always turn the same way. When a dial is “linked” to another dial, the linked dial must always match the click number of the character the dial is linked to. For example, if a dial is linked to a character that is on click #3, the linked dial must be turned to click #3 as well regardless of what other click number it was on before it was linked. No game effect can prevent a linked dial from matching the dial it is linked to. If a linked dial is turned to a KO click after the resolution of effects, the linked dial will be KO’d. A linked dial is also KO’d if it can no longer be turned to a matching click number. For example, if a character’s dial is turned to click #15; unless the linked dial also has a click #15, the linked dial will be KO’d.
Similar to the reason behind creating the key term “Equip,” the creation of the term “Linked” is for the purpose of being able to have a single key term to communicate the underlying rules of the game mechanic without having to write out the rules for the game mechanic on each individual character’s card that features this mechanic. The term “Linked” will also be included in the next HeroClix rulebook.
Thank you all for joining us for some Design Insight looking at some of the new game terms and rules we’ll be using. We hope this has helped you get a better understanding of how to better use the figures. Please make sure to visit your local game shops hosting the DC Comics HeroClix: Superman/Wonder Woman Pre-Release events for your chance to pick up Eclipso and many other great figures!
Until next time!
ADDENDUM (Reason: Further clarification of scope and timing of changes)
The information listed in this article applies specifically to game elements that uses the “Equip” terminology (and game elements that we specifically have changed to use the “Equip” wording). Other game elements that use different terminology such as “assign”, “attach”, etc. are not affected by this change and would not be held under the same game restrictions.
Game elements that are affected by these rules are affected by these rules immediately.
