HelmAverse Supers - Reinforcements Arrive

[Matt Helm]

The Helm boys have been waiting along time to post this (just for fun):

MARVEL HEROSCAPE: The Reinforcements Arrive
















Excelsior!

[tcglkn]

Nice work!

[Matt Helm]

With over 100 designs in the HelmAverse, the boys and I decided to compare our personal rankings of the Top 10 cards in the HelmAverse (not to include any of the Hasbro cards). We each have a slightly different take on that but did want to consider multiple attributes such as theme, mechanics, usefulness, originality and great memories. It was fun to see the cards we had in common (only 3 made it on all of our lists) and even more fun to debate those that were unique to just one list.

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Lil' Helm's Top 10 HelmAverse Cards:

1. Batman
2. Green Lantern
3. Flash
4. Martian Manhunter
5. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
6. Deadpool
7. Doctor Strange
8. Professor Zoom
9. Punisher
10. Green Goblin

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Helm Jr.'s Top 10 HelmAverse Cards:

1. Doctor Strange
2. Green Lantern
3. Wolverine
4. Black Lightning
5. Professor Zoom
6. Martian Manhunter
7. Doctor Fate
8. Jean Grey
9. Thunder
10. Deadpool

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Matt Helm's Top 10 HelmAverse Cards:

1. Green Lantern
2. Flash
3. Batman
4. Doctor Strange
5. Wolverine
6. Namor
7. Nightcrawler
8. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
9. Magneto
10. Martian Manhunter

It was so difficult for me to pick my favorites so I had 10 more honorable mentions:

- Green Goblin
- Hawkeye
- The Thing
- Mighty Thor
- Deadpool
- Agents of SHIELD
- Azrael
- Darkseid
- Merlyn the Dark Archer
- Super-Skrull

And with a Top 10 also came the discussion on the bottom 10. I won't list them here because it makes no sense for me to be self critical. I am just being honest to point out that yes, I have a bottom 10.

The good news is that we have updated overhaul designs for what we agree is the bottom 4. The reason we all agree is that the current cards are considered boring and underwhelming. The overhauls are in various stages of completion but they should all be getting play testing soon. Those four cards in no particular order are:

- Falcon
- Psycho Man
- Abe Sapien
- Liz Sherman

So here's where the questions go out to anyone who has dabbled in the HelmAverse at one time or another (We're looking at you @streaky2007 ). Do you have a Top 10 to share? If so, what makes them your favorite? More importantly, which cards are on the bottom of your list because you find them broken or boring? And lastly, if you love one of the 4 currently being overhauled, please let us know why you like them so much as is. Maybe we are missing something.

Thanks for any feedback you can offer us. We've made this collection with significant input from so many folks in this great community. The memories we have forged are priceless. For that we will be forever thankful.

[tcglkn]

Haven't played with any HelmAverse cards in a long time, but I was always happy with how your Fantastic 4 played together.

[Matt Helm]

Originally Posted by tcglkn

Haven't played with any HelmAverse cards in a long time, but I was always happy with how your Fantastic 4 played together.

Thanks, Tiks, I remember that your dad was having fun with the FF.

As for you not playing in the HelmAverse, technically you just did recently with a C3G crossover card. But I guess we can’t talk about that one yet. Shhhhhhh, although it will officially be in the HelmAverse, it won’t get disclosed here until it gets released by C3G. So basically, never mind, you didn’t play with any HelmAverse card.... shhhhhhh.

[tcglkn]

Oh yea, big fan of that one too!

[streaky2007]

OK, cutting down to just 10 was really hard, but I think I've managed it.
I can't rank them because that's too tricky.
So, in alphabetical order, my Top 10 Helmsverse cards based on criteria like theme, fun and originality:

-Ant-Man
-Black Manta
-Deadpool
-Doctor Octopus
-Flash
-Green Arrow
-Hawkeye
-Juggernaut
-Plastic Man
-Solomon Grundy

Thanks for all the good work

[Matt Helm]

Originally Posted by streaky2007

OK, cutting down to just 10 was really hard, but I think I've managed it.
I can't rank them because that's too tricky.
So, in alphabetical order, my Top 10 Helmsverse cards based on criteria like theme, fun and originality:

-Ant-Man
-Black Manta
-Deadpool
-Doctor Octopus
-Flash
-Green Arrow
-Hawkeye
-Juggernaut
-Plastic Man
-Solomon Grundy

Thanks for all the good work

Thanks, streaky. Your list is awesome and we really appreciate your participation in our little reindeer games. The boys are particularly happy with your picks considering they each had a lead design that made your list (Ant-Man and Black Manta). If you have any other players in your group that have their own opinions, please share their picks as well. We tried to get my nephew to disclose his thoughts but he refuses to follow our non-Hasbro rule.

I was able to get J-Strikes (our common 4th player) to offer up his favorites (a few in common with streaky):

1. Green Lantern
2. Wolverine
3. Nightcrawler
4. Doctor Fate
5. Brainiac
6. Moon Knight
7. Solomon Grundy
8. Rasputin
9. Green Arrow
10. Doctor Strange

Maybe I can pull @davidlhsl out of retirement to answer the same question for us. He may have multiple opinions if he lets sock puppet list his own set of 10.

[Matt Helm]

Is anyone fighting with their Mac since updateing to OS Catalina? I'm about to explode with trying to sync the music on my iPhone.

While I fight with this thing, I thought I'd start a new HelmAverse ranking list. I understand that there may be a limited audience for picking their "favorite" card based on lack of experience in using the cards. So for the next list, I was hoping to hear some opinions on the Top 10 Best Looking HelmAverse cards.

For this list, I figure color scheme, background choice, special effect enhancements, etc. This list is all about how pleasing to the eye A3n's artwork is. I haven't yet checked with the boys but here is my preliminary list, maybe not in any specific order:

- Darkseid
- Batman Beyond
- Martian Manhunter
- Doctor Fate
- Red Tornado
- Hawkeye
- Nightcrawler
- Shocker
- The Lobster
- TMNT

And there are so many others like Sandman, Fin Fang Foom, Supergirl, Robin, Green Goblin, War Machine, Vibe... I could go on and on. I really appreciate the partner that made this set look so good (and he's an excellent editor, too).

[A3n]

My favourite card designs:

1. The Lobster - this is probably the one I am most proud of & the one that had the most effort put into it. Recolouring an old black & white photo was an extreme choice but I thought it was perfect for the figure.
2. Fin Fang Foom - Just the dramatisation of the whole scene. The unfocused head worked well by adding that bit of larger than life drama. It almost pops out of the card.
3. Attuma - the colour scheme just went so nicely together from the background to the cards border.
4. Red Tornado - again for the dramatisation of the image. The complete mayhem of the background matching the angle of the mini picture made it that much closer to real.
5. Fantastic 4 - As a collective I thought it was cool how I used the same background image but different parts of the image for the different members. You can almost layout the cards to get a single whole image shot of the team. I did the same thing with Stargirl & Stripe.
6. Rasputin - such a dramatic scene.
7. Wasp - the sense of size here was cool & the scene just felt right. Warehouse / loft vibe where a wasp doesn't actually belong but you know happens common enough that it feels right.
8. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles - perspective angle of the background & figures just worked so nicely. Almost a cinematic effect.
9. Batman Beyond - I like how the angle of background gives the figure the effect of flying overhead.
10. Black Knight - pretty much the same as Batman Beyond. Just not flying overhead but definitely above.

[A3n]

[Matt Helm]

Holy cow! Welcome to the Top 10 Best Looking Cards Mr. Swamp Thing.

Lil Helm is thrilled and I am serious about it instantly becoming one of my favorites. "Swamptastic" is the first word that comes to mind.

Thanks for another masterpiece. And double thanks for not only playing our "Top 10" game but for adding all of the behind the scenes commentary. You know I love what you did with The Lobster and I'm glad you chose that card as #1. Fin Fang Foom is also one of my favorites and probably should have been top 10 for me.

As for the Fantastic Four, I didn't want to use up 4 spots (5 if you count She-Hulk) on my list but I love the way you used different parts of the same background for each of them. It is a really cool effect and we were glad to see you do something similar with Stargirl and S.T.R.I.P.E.

Did I mention that Swamp Thing is now in my Top 10?