The Book of Blockbuster

[IAmBatman]

The Book of Blockbuster

C3G DC WAVE 31
YEAR OF THE VILLAIN


Comic PDF


Mini PDF

The figure used for this unit is a Heroclix figure from the Legacy set.
Its model number and name are #061-063 / Blockbuster.
Its model number and name are #209 / Roland Desmond.

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Character Bio – Roland Desmond’s brother, Mark, was the original Blockbuster, a hulking monster with a child-like mind. After taking experimental steroids to treat a mysterious illness, Roland developed an identical condition as his brother. However, through making a deal with the demon Neron, Roland was able to subsequently develop genius-level intellect, which he used to become a powerful crime lord with Bludhaven (a neighboring city to Gotham) under his thrall. He was also able to deduce the secret identity of Bludhaven’s superhero protector, Nightwing, and leverage this knowledge for nefarious purposes.
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-Rulings and Clarifications-

• N/A

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-Combinations and Synergies-

Incoming Synergy:

• As a figure with a secret identity, Blockbuster has these Secret Identity Synergies.
• As a Metahuman, Blockbuster has these Metahuman Synergies.
• As a Crime Lord, Blockbuster has these Crime Lord Synergies.
• As a figure with the Super Strength special power, Blockbuster has these Super Strength Synergies.

Outgoing Synergy:

• N/A

Immunities, Benefits, and Weaknesses:

• As a figure with a secret identity, Blockbuster interacts differently with these special powers.
• As a Crime Lord, Blockbuster interacts differently with these special powers.
• As a figure with the Super Strength special power, Blockbuster interacts differently with these special powers.
• Blockbuster can Blackmail figures with a secret identity, and he gets a bonus against Vigilantes.

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-Strategy, Tactics and Tips-

• N/A

-Heroscapers Community Contributions-

• Initial playtest: IAmBatman
• Second playtest: Arch-vile
• Third playtest: L0B5T3R
• Art: Comic, Figure, Background
• Art by Arkham

[IAmBatman]

NAME = BLOCKBUSTER
SECRET IDENTITY = ROLAND DESMOND

SPECIES = METAHUMAN
UNIQUENESS = UNIQUE HERO
CLASS = CRIME LORD
PERSONALITY = CONNIVING
SIZE/HEIGHT = LARGE 7

LIFE = 5
MOVE = 5
RANGE = 1
ATTACK = 6
DEFENSE = 4
POINTS = 210

BLACKMAIL
At the start of the game, you may choose one opponent’s Unique Hero with a secret identity. If you win initiative with at least one Order Marker on this card and the chosen Hero is within 6 clear sight spaces of Blockbuster, the player controlling the chosen Hero must reveal and remove one Order Marker from the chosen Hero’s Army Card, if possible, or two Order Markers from the chosen Hero’s Army Card if the chosen Hero is a Vigilante.

TOUGH
When rolling defense dice against a normal attack, Blockbuster always adds one automatic shield to whatever is rolled.

SUPER STRENGTH

[IAmBatman]

Mini Picture



Comic Picture






Background

[IAmBatman]

@Scapemage @Karat @Tornado @Ronin @Lazy Orang @johnny139

[Ronin]

Neuron does sound right for an intelligence-enhancing demon, but I suspect it was Neron.

Still dig the design.

[IAmBatman]

That one. I'll fix it.

[Spidey'tilIDie]

Also, I think it's pretty cool that his Tough power helps Beast Man. It's a weird crazy way to get synergy, but I dig it!

[Tornado]

Is this the last Blockbuster in America?

[IAmBatman]

Originally Posted by Spidey'tilIDie

Also, I think it's pretty cool that his Tough power helps Beast Man. It's a weird crazy way to get synergy, but I dig it!

I finally took this consistency thing too far ....

Fixed, thanks!

[Scapemage]

Oddly fitting design as Nightwing had a whole run-in with Blockbuster during his red suit arc.

[IAmBatman]

Originally Posted by Scapemage

Oddly fitting design as Nightwing had a whole run-in with Blockbuster during his red suit arc.

Yeah, when Nightwing was in Bludhaven, Blockbuster was pretty much his archnemesis. It was very Daredevil/Kingpin for a bit there, with Tarantula playing the role of Elektra.

[IAmBatman]

Competitive Checklist

Spoiler Alert!

Does the design disrupt opponent's Order Markers in a way that offers a net gain in turns taken with strong figures versus the turns your opponent can take with strong figures (Ozymandias, Joker (I), Meteorite)?

Yes, but only for one figure for the whole game, and only if Blockbuster has that figure in clear sight. And only Vigilantes can't shrug it off by spending the "X."

If it proves too powerful, a proximity restriction can be placed on it.

Does the design offer auto-wounding that either doesn't require taking turns or is otherwise extremely efficient (War Machine, Jason Voorhees, Cosmic Cube)?

No

Does the design immobilize figures or prevent turn-taking (Blob, Spider-Girl, Diablo, Green Lantern Alan)?

No, except with Order Marker removal.

Does the design move opponent's figures in a way that's easy to pull off and can move figures multiple spaces in multiple directions (Graviton, Magneto, Vulture)?

No.

Does the design allow for moving friendly figures without taking turns, or for moving 2+ friendly figures while still taking a turn (Martian Manhunter [I], Green Lantern John, Angel)?

No, except by being a Crime Lord and using those preexisting synergies.

Does the figure allow for two figures, one of them being a wide range of possible figures, to both attack on a single Order Marker (Zombie, Robot, Iron Patriot, Ms. Marvel, Rocket [II], Martian Manhunter [II], Nebula, Baby Groot, Havok)?

No, except by being a Crime Lord and using those preexisting synergies.

Does the design offer any sort of passive boost outside of a narrow set of figures (Star-Lord, Sage, Brainiac 5, Captain America, Batman [III])?

No.

Does the design help keep your allies alive just by being nearby (Daring
Decoy, Aaron Cash, Jocasta, Weather Wizard)?

No.

Is it OK for the design to have defensive abilities that could make it essentially unkillable in some matchups or endgame situations (Cosmic Cube, Healing Factor, Master Martial Artist)?

Endgame situations against a Vigilante will result in a three turn to two turn advantage. He also has Tough, which will make him harder to put down. Neither is insurmountable or overly punishing on paper.

If the figure has auto-destroy powers or powers that can force the opponent's figures to attack each other, are they balanced for strong opposing figures and/or boosts that can make the powers more reliable (Puppet Master, Psycho-Man, Enchantress)?

N/A

Is the figure likely to earn its value many times over by either running out alone at the start of a battle (pre-eval Crow, Solomon Grundy) or by sitting in the startzone until the end of a battle (Arnim Zola, Silk Spectre)?

No.

Will synergies in the design create concerns for future designs (Mad Thinker, pre-eval Enchantress, Star-Lord)?

No.

Does the design combo particularly well with one of the design concerns above (Magma)?

No.

Consistency Checklist

Spoiler Alert!

Are the character’s name and secret identity listed in a consistent format with the rest of the project? If the character shares a name and/or secret identity with another character is it properly clear whether or not they are the same character?

No issue.

Consider the listed Species. Are the design’s power level, point level, and statistics (life, move, range, attack, and defense numbers) within the established range for that species? If it’s an outlier, is there thematic justification for this?

No issue. Metahuman is wide open.

Consider the listed Uniqueness. Does the power text properly reflect whether the figure is a Hero or a squad, and whether it is Event, Unique, Uncommon, or common? If it’s Event, are the powers written with consideration for Event Hero rules? If it’s Uncommon, are the powers written to avoid stacking? If it’s common, are the powers written with this in mind?

No issue.

Consider the Class and Personality. For each, is it a reuse? If so, is the character thematically consistent with other members of that Class or Personality? If not, is there a preexisting Class or Personality that would fit as well that could be used instead? Are there any existing synergies with that Class or Personality that are undesirable or that this Design would create that would be undesirable for preexisting members of that Class or Personality?

Fits right in with the Crime Lords. Conniving is on M.O.D.O.K. and Hela. Strange bedfellows, but I think it still fits him. Brilliant is a bit too heroic and Calculating, while it fits, isn't quite evil enough for my tastes here.

Consider the listed Size. If the figure is double based, is it Large or Huge? Is the chosen miniature’s physical size consistent with other miniatures in the chosen size category?

I compared him to Leatherneck and this comparison justifies a shift to Large. He's single spaced.

Consider the listed Height. If you stack hexes up next to the figure, does the number listed for the height match up the layers of stacked hexes that match the miniature’s physical height?

He's 7 tall upon measurement.

Consider the listed Life number. Is this number consistent with other figures of the same species?

Yes. He's slightly enhanced. 6 probably wouldn't be out of the question, but I think 5 works.

Consider the listed Move number. Is this number consistent with other figures of that power level?

Yes. He's in no hurry, but certainly capable of moving.

Consider the listed Range and Attack numbers. Is this number consistent with other figures that use the same type of weapon or power to attack?

He's a super strong brute using his fists, so Range 1, Attack 6 fits.

Consider the listed Defense number. Is this number consistent with other figures of the same or similar species and with the same or similar armor or other defensive equipment?

5 Defense for a Brute with Tough fits, IMO. I could possibly see a shift to 4 Defense and 6 Life, but it's all about the same thematically.

Does the figure have Super Strength? If it does or doesn’t, was this determined on the standard of that character demonstrating three things: 1. The ability to throw a car 2. The ability to survive a fall from a tall building and 3. The ability to knock back another person when punching them?

Yes. He's specifically listed as having the power of Super Strength.

Examine all of the special powers. Are there other powers that fit the same theme already in existence in the project? If so, can they be reused? If they can’t, can those other powers be used as a basis for the mechanics and wording?

Tough is a reuse. I don't believe anything out there could replace Blackmail.

Examine any movement powers. Do they keep the figure’s speed consistent with other figures of their species and power level?

N/A

Examine any offensive powers. Do they keep the figure’s offensive potential consistent with other figures with the same powers and power levels or skills and weaponry?

N/A

Examine any defensive, healing, or other tanking powers. Do they keep the figure’s survivability consistent with other figures of the same powers or power level or species and armor class?

Yes.

Examine any leadership powers. Do they exceed the activation potential of the best existing leaders? If so, is there thematic justification for this?

N/A

Consider any powers that reference darkness, electrical, figure movement, fire, gas, ice, kryptonite, light/sensory, magical, poison, psychic, stealth, or water-based abilities. Do these behave in similar ways to other powers of this type, including mentions of immunities?

N/A. Vigilante is referenced and the explanation is that Vigilantes are working more outside the law, so they're extra sensitive to having their secret identities exposed.

Is it clear for all special powers what phase of the turn and how they are triggered, what phase of the turn they are active in, and when and how they cease being active?

Yes.

Are special powers listed in game, round, and turn order?

Yes. Start of the game power is listed first.

If a special power includes a D20 roll, does it make sense to list a number by the title?

N/A

If a power is being reused, are the title and wording copied accurately?

Yes.

Has the power title or a very similar one been used before with vastly different mechanics?

No.