HelmAverse Supers - Reinforcements Arrive

[Sherman Davies]

That looks like a fun take on Loki! Also, a fairly unorthodox approach for the Helmaverse, but occasionally bending design rules is a healthy thing and Loki is just the kind of character to do so with.

I think you may want to rotate the mini photo and straighten him out a bit though; right now he kinda looks like he's drunkenly stumbling at the reader.

[Tornado]

Damn, that is top notch.
A little more complex than the average Helmaverse card?
Very cool mechanics. The two figures at once is gold.
Gold Jerry, gold.

[quozl]

A+ 100%

[Matt Helm]

Thanks for all of the positive comments. Loki may be a stretch for the HelmAverse but we believe he is a natural progression. When playing, he's really not complex and I never have to reference the card. His mechanics are pretty smooth and placing/destroying of the clone becomes fun to play with.

We now have 5 sorcerers in the HelmAverse and each of them has a somewhat crazy mechanic that drives the opponent crazy. The funny thing is, each of the main players in our group has their own personal favorite they fall back on often.

Helm, Jr. = Dr. Strange
Lil'Helm = Dr. Fate
JStrikes = Rasputin
Nephew = Scarlet Witch
And now, Matt = Loki

It's only a matter of time before we have a 5 way free for all battle of the Sorcerers.

With Loki released, I had to look back at my old planned card list:

Originally Posted by Matt Helm

Meanwhile, here's the status of our factory with a few reveals:

Gh...Ghost Rider done
Lo... Loki very delayed
Gr... Green Lantern Corps. done
At... Atom delayed
An... Angel hopefully coming soon
Ca... Captain Atom delayed
Ma... Major Force very delayed
Ki... Kick Ass is ready for a card
De... Deathstroke done
Jo... Johann Krauss will likely be similar to my old Garada art card
Go... Golden Age Flash delayed (likely with a name change)
Ca... Catman very delayed
We... Werewolf by Night done
Co... Colossus done
An... Annihilus very delayed
Sa... Savage Dragon done
Sp... close to release
In...
Mr...
Bl...
Sh... close to release
US...
Be... Beast Boy is ready for a card
Nova is ready for a card
Psycho-Man update done with card to be posted soon
Titanium Man update pending to fix Stasis Beam
Falcon overhaul delayed
Liz Sherman update delayed
Abe Sapien update delayed

And of course, Sandwich Man is always on the radar.

This was in 2021 and Loki was "very delayed". He had been started probably in 2020 or so. That's 4 years in the pipeline... geesh.

So the current status, eliminating the green figures released as of that post:

Lo... Loki done
At... Atom done
An... Angel delayed
Ca... Captain Atom coming soon
Ma... Major Force coming soon
Jo... Johann Krauss delayed
Go... (Golden Age Flash) Jay Garrick very delayed
An... Annihilus very delayed
Sp... Spawn done
In... Invincible done
Mr... this card likely not happening
Bl... Blade done
Sh... Shang-Chi done
US... US Agent done

Liz Sherman update coming soon
Abe Sapien update coming soon

As for some new ones on the way:

Op...
Re...
St...
Ka...
Si...
Ro...
Cy...
Jo...
Ge...

And I'll add, after playing the "HelmAverse Plastic Man and Co. Tournament":
Plastic Man update coming soon
Wasp update coming soon

[streaky2007]

This is my current Top 30 Matt Helm wishlist cards. It looks like three of them (in capitals) might be happening soon.

Angel*
Bane
Banshee
Batgirl
Ben Daimio
The Blob
Catwoman
CYBORG
Doomsday
Elektra
Firestar
Gambit
Harley Quinn
Hawkman
Hercules
Huntress
Iceman
Johann Kraus*
JOHN CONSTANTINE
Kingpin
Kitty Pryde/Shadowcat
Mastermind
Mystique
Nick Fury
Poison Ivy
Psylocke
ROGUE
Tigra
Toad
Valkyrie

*announced above

[Matt Helm]

Great list, Streak-meister, we do have plans for a few of those. As for your three guesses I will only say that you are close.

But before we get to any new designs, we do have a few updates to share. Recently, the Helm family decided to partake in what we called "The Plastic Man and Co. Tournament". In this match, we had five players choose 1000 point armies but only had choices of characters that we all agreed were not drafted often in our recent games. In other words, Dr. Strange or Batman could not be taken. Instead players would have to select from HelmAverse classics such as "Plastic Man". The only other rule was that no character could be 300 points or more. Unfortunately, poor Abomination could not be chosen.

We thought this would be a chance for players to delve into uncommon combinations. Many of the cards have been used and enjoyed before but seemed to have slipped from the rotation. We ended up with cards like Attuma, Mako, Colossus, Ghost Rider, Wasp, Black Manta, Sabertooth, Titanium Man, Black Lightning, Nightwing, The Torch, Nova, Plastic Man, Raven, Radiant Black, Iron Fist, Mysterio, Quicksilver, ESS-1 Police, Vision, Guardian, Crimson Dynamo and Green Arrow.

For the most part, we really enjoyed the cards and the match as a whole. New cards like Radiant Black and Vision may end up in regular rotation. Older favorites like Black Lightning, Crimson Dynamo and Nightwing all shined and will also likely end up in upcoming armies.

Unfortunately, two cards fell flat as both uninspiring and boring. After the game, we all agreed that Plastic Man (the namesake of the the tourney) and Wasp needed updates. So after some quick brainstorming and a few Matt v. Lil'Helm playtests, we are happy to share these two new designs.

[Matt Helm]

DC

PLASTIC MAN

HUMAN
UNIQUE HERO
ADVENTURER
TRICKY
MEDIUM 5

LIFE: 5
MOVE: 5
RANGE: 2
ATTACK: 4
DEFENSE: 7

POINTS: 245

WIDER ENGAGEMENT
All figures within 2 spaces of Plastic Man are considered engaged with Plastic Man.

INTERTWINE
When Plastic Man is targeted and receives one or more wounds from an attacking figure who is not adjacent, choose an opponent's figure engaged with Plastic Man. If Plastic Man is not destroyed by the attack, the chosen figure receives 1 wound.

STRETCH
When counting spaces for Plastic Man's movement, ignore elevations. Plastic Man may Stretch over water without stopping, over figures without becoming engaged and over obstacles such as ruins. Plastic Man may not Stretch more than 40 levels up in a single Stretch. If Plastic Man is engaged when he starts to Stretch, he will not take any leaving engagement attacks.

Superstrength

-------------------------
The only real changes are:
1) the first power was changed from Plastic Wrap 11 to Wider Engagement.
2) he now has Superstrength
3) His points have increased significantly from 175 to 245

[Matt Helm]

MARVEL

WASP

HUMAN
UNIQUE HERO
ADVENTURER
CONFIDENT
SMALL 2

LIFE: 4
MOVE: 5
RANGE: 3
ATTACK: 2
DEFENSE: 6

POINTS: 150

AVENGERS ASSEMBLE
If at least one Order Marker is placed on this card and you win initiative, before revealing any Order Markers, you may move up to 3 friendly figures 2 spaces each.

TRIPLE STING SPECIAL ATTACK
Range 1. Attack 2.
When attacking with Triple Sting Special Attack, Wasp may attack up to 2 additional times and may target the same figure or a different figure with each attack. Defending figures roll 1 less defense die for each additional time they are attacked this turn by Wasp’s Triple Sting Special Attack and at least one skull is rolled, up to a maximum of 2 fewer defense dice.

STEALTH FLYING
When counting spaces for Wasp’s movement, ignore elevations. Wasp may fly over water without stopping, pass over figures without becoming engaged, and fly over obstacles such as ruins. When Wasp starts to fly, if she is engaged she will not take any leaving engagement attacks.

----------------------
Wasp gets several power changes that don't really change the theme, but they do either make the power more useful and/or more simplified.

1) Avengers Assemble has changed to move figures at the start of a round rather than on a Wasp turn. It can now trigger with the usage of an X OM but may not trigger at all with bad initiative rolls.
2) Triple Sting Special attack has been simplified but definitely becomes more useful
3) Her points went up slightly

[Tornado]

Nice tweaks. Wider Engagement is really cool.

[Matt Helm]

Thanks, Tornado, Wider Engagement makes Plastic Man a much more serious threat of a figure as it plays well with his other powers.

While we sort out our update cards, we take a small break to present a card we had done but not posted. This design started on the HelmAverse International thread where A3n and Lil'Helm collaborated on the ultimate finished design.

[Sherman Davies]

I like that Booster more than the last version. Nice work!

As for Wasp, why is the mini's flight stand painted black in the photo, and why is the flight stand red in her hit zone?

[A3n]

Originally Posted by Sherman Davies

As for Wasp, why is the mini's flight stand painted black in the photo, and why is the flight stand red in her hit zone?

That's actually her leg.