Greetings HeroClix fans!
The previews roll on for the upcoming DC HeroClix: Justice League -Trinity War set, this time with Earth’s Mightiest Mortal, Shazam!
Having his powers bestowed upon him by The Wizard Shazam, Billy Batson displays his worth with his trait, Pure of Heart, which allows Shazam! to use Defend. Having 8 clicks of life, Shazam! will be able to utilize his higher defensive values that follow after his activation click, showing him transform from the boy Billy Batson to the mystical mortal, Shazam!
As he’s just a normal teenager on his first click, naturally he begins his movement with Earthbound/Neutralized, before moving onto Charge, which he possesses on his second, fifth, and eighth clicks. He also has a special power called Shazam! on his third, fourth, sixth, and seventh clicks which grant Shazam! the ability to use Flurry, Sidestep, and the Quintessence team ability. Remember, with Quintessence, Shazam! can choose to ignore pushing damage, and his powers cannot be countered!
Zeroing in now on his attack, Shazam! begins his dial with a special power called A Gift from the Wizard for My Friends. This power allows Shazam! to be given a free action, letting him to choose any adjacent friendly characters and dealing him 1 unavoidable damage. In exchange for that damage, however, you’re able to modify the combat values of the chosen characters by +1 until your next turn – even if the power is lost! Shazam! also carries Quake, symbolizing the lightning called down when he says the magic word, as well as Super Strength! The Big Red Cheese is here to fight!
An incredibly consistent specimen on the defensive side of things, Shazam! begins with a click of Combat Reflexes, representing his quick feet and reaction times as Billy Batson. However, after turning into Shazam!, his defensive abilities ramp up, giving him two clicks each of Impervious, Invincible, Invulnerable, and finally one final click of Regeneration, allowing him to stay in the fight for as long as possible! His damage powers run the spectrum of godly abilities as well, beginning with Outwit on his first, sixth, and seventh clicks, Probability Control on his second, third, and eighth clicks, and Perplex on his fourth and fifth.
Magical in nature, Shazam! possesses the Mystics team ability, allowing him to deal 1 unavoidable damage to any opponent that deals him damage. While he’s a cost investment at 183 points, the overall strong levels of his abilities and combat values will pay out, especially on Mystical themed teams. Also of note is the return of the long dormant Fawcett City keyword – break out those Mary Marvel and Captain Marvel, Jr pieces for a fun 489 point Golden Age team!
Of course, if you want to have fun with a Modern Age team, you could always pair Shazam! with the Trinity War prime figure – Freddy Freeman!
While he doesn’t come loaded with a powerful trait like Shazam!, he’s more than capable in a fight. Possessing the Speed of Mercury, it should come as no surprise that Freddy Freeman comes loaded with move and attack powers on each click. His dial has four clicks of Hypersonic Speed, while also possessing Charge on clicks 2 and 3. Alongside those powers come strong opening values for his movement, beginning at an 11, sliding down in value before eventually closing at an 8.
On attack, he opens with three clicks of Super Strength, and given his 112 point value, he’s able to pick up Ultra Heavy objects, increasing his damage value by +3 during close combat attacks. Following that, and on his final 3 clicks of his 6 click dial, he has a power called Call the Lightning, a power which grants Freddy Freeman the ability to use Pulse Wave as if he had a range of 9. Even better, should he do so, after actions resolve, Freddy Freeman is healed of 1 damage for each hit opposing character. Even with that healing bonus, this is a great power for Freddy Freeman, as it allows him to be a little sneaky with his positioning, given his printed range of 0.
Defensively, Freddy Freeman has incredibly consistent values, with his Indomitable dial bouncing between an 18 and 17 depending on what click he’s on, and he carries damage reducers on each click. Opening with Impervious, Freddy Freeman then transitions into 2 clicks of Invulnerable, before finishing out with 3 clicks of Toughness. His remarkable consistency carries over to his Damage as well, where Freddy Freeman begins with a 4 value, before moving between a 3 and a 2 for the remainder of his dial. Also, don’t overlook his two clicks of Exploit Weakness, which couple nicely with the aforementioned Super Strength – 6 penetrating damage in close combat with an Ultra Heavy object is nothing to sneeze at!
While he’s not the main Marvel Family attraction, Freddy Freeman is actually a bit more versatile than Shazam! with regards to being a part of a theme team. Fitting in on Fawcett City, Mystical, Outsiders, Teen Titans, and Young Justice teams, Freddy Freeman can utilize keywords released in the majority of the DC modern age sets, taking strong advantage of the DC HeroClix: Teen Titans set, adding some much needed punch to otherwise more finesse teams.
That’s all for today’s previews HeroClix fans, but be sure to check back soon for more great previews from the DC HeroClix: Justice League – Trinity War set. Until then, may all your hits be crits!