Greetings HeroClix Fans!
Today’s another double-dose of HALO goodness as we check in with the ground forces of the USNC. We begin our preview by spotlighting the Orbital Drop Shock Troopers, or ODSTs!
The ODST begins play manuevering onto the battlefield via his Orbital Insertion special power which allows him greater mobility thanks to Phasing/Teleport and an increased speed value (so long as he begins his turn in your Starting Area), while front loaded Invulnerability offers protection from harm while the ODST prepares to go on the attack.
After his first click, the ODST picks up the And Stay Down! special power. This special power grants the ODST the use of both Ranged Combat Expert and Exploit Weakness ensuring that he’ll be dealing damage whether he’s shooting at or punching the opposition! The ODST loses Invulnerability in favor of Toughness, while late-dial Toughness gives way to Combat Reflexes and then Willpower.
While not terribly mobile after the first click, the ODST’s consistent attack values make it a good offensive piece for Armor, Soldier and USNC theme teams, while the UNSC team ability and Grenade special ability are both useful additions to ranged combat-centric strategies.
Next up we have the quintessential USNC Marine, Sgt. Johnson!
Early-dial, Sgt. Johnson lays down suppressing fire via Running Shot and Energy Explosion, while likewise avoiding enemy attacks via Energy Shield/Deflection. Leadership demonstrates Sgt. Johnson’s ability to get more from his troops on the battlefield while the Indomitable ability ensures Sgt. Johnson will be attacking the foes of the UNSC at every opportunity!
Sgt. Johnson picks up both Toughness and Outwit for a couple of clicks towards his mid-dial, both representing his tough-as-nails experience fighting on the front lines against the likes of the Flood and the Covenant.
Late-dial, Sgt. Johnson returns to his familiar tactics of both Running Shot and Energy Shield/Deflection, and a new special power appears as well: On Yer Feet! grants Sgt. Johnson the use of both Leadership and Perplex, and when he uses Leadership Sgt. Johnson can treat friendly figures up to 4 squres away as adjacent. A very handy ability on the battlefield!
At 89 points, Sgt. Johnson is a very capable addition to several different strategies. His UNSC team ability as well as his ability to add 2 Grenades to the Grenade pool make him a very welcome addition to a variety of team builds!
That’s all we have for today, but be sure to join us next week as we spotlight even more favorites from the upcoming HeroClix release, HALO!
