davidlhsl's Guide to Superhero Customs

[davidlhsl]

Introduction
Since Heroscape has been officially discontinued, there has been a lot of interest in the customs that have been created by the Heroscapers' community. The Marvel section is getting some of this notice.

As you know, the official Marvel Heroscape project pretty much fizzled after its Master Set. Ten more units had been promised, but they never saw the light of day. Members here have taken the reins, and have been producing Superhero customs for quite some time.

If you're just checking into the Marvel section for the first time, you might be overwhelmed. What is C3G? NM24? What do I need, and where do I find it? And you likely have a host of other questions. I've been playing various customs for a bit over six months, so I thought I'd put together a guide for the newcomer to hopefully give you a tour of what is available, and where to find it. Please note that this is not going to be a guide on how to design your own customs. If you're interested in designing your own customs or creating your own cards, try this index.

My focus will be skewed towards my own experience and perspective, so please don't consider any omissions on my part as a reflection of the other stuff that is available. I will point you to some areas beyond my own personal gaming. This way, you can choose from the widest possible selection.

You will see many links throughout this guide. When I click a link in my browser, the linked item will appear in a separate browser window. I will assume this behavior. If this doesn't happen for you, then follow your own browser's method to open the linked page in either a separate window or separate tab. This will allow you to keep your position in this guide in the main window, and view the linked page in a separate area. This way, you can go back-and-forth between the two as I discuss things. Usually, you can right-click and select a menu option to do this.

Bear in mind that things may change within the linked items after the time this guide is written. If you see any broken links, please PM me so that I can update this guide.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

If you click any of the links below, the single post will open. You can expand the single post to the full thread by clicking the upper-right link after Thread:. If I edit anything, date edited appears. I will note what last changed in the Reason for Editing section of the post.

Part I: Initial Questions You May Have (02/18/11)

Part II: The Customs
Chapter 2.1.1: C3G - Introduction (02/17/2011)
Chapter 2.1.2: C3G - Navigating their Subforum
Chapter 2.1.3: C3G - Favorite Units (10/19/11)
Chapter 2.2: The HelmAVerse/Sherman Davies Group
Chapter 2.3: Balantai's Battlescape
Chapter 2.4: GreyOwl's Customs and Customs Compendium
Chapter 2.5: NM24 and other customs

Part III: Putting it All Together
Chapter 3.1: Where to find it (02/01/2011)
Chapter 3.2: Rebasing (03/10/11)
Chapter 3.3: Proxies
Chapter 3.4.1: Tweaking - Introduction
Chapter 3.4.2: Tweaking - The Power of Numbers
Chapter 3.4.3: Tweaking - The Power of Words (04/03/11)
Chapter 3.4.4: Tweaking - Documenting your tweaks (04/03/11)
Chapter 3.5: Maps, Special Rules, and Final Comments (03/07/11)

If you want a more abbreviated guide, tcglkn has a C3G Quick Start Guide that is dedicated specifically towards C3G.

Corrections and suggestions are welcome. Feel free to PM me.

 

[davidlhsl]

Part I: Initial Questions You May Have

Before we begin with the guide proper, you probably have some questions. Some of your questions will be described in more detail later, but here are some I anticipate that I'd like to answer out of the gate:

Q: Will we ever see the stats on the Marvel Wave 1 figures that were promised but never released?
A: This question gets asked a lot, and I simply don't know. The stats would be interesting purely from a curiosity perspective. If the information was released, that would just bump the "official" Superhero count from 10 to 20. I don't know about you, but that's hardly a full and satisfying collection for me. Besides, you'd only get three of the Fantastic Four.

Once you've seen the vast collection of customs provided here, I hope you will see that these customs have expanded the Superhero universe far more extensively than if we had relied on the official release.

Q: Are superheroes compatible with classic Heroscape?
A: This is a very touchy subject. Griffin has a really great read here that addresses that.

Still, there are some people who do play Supers with Classic, even though other people keep them separate. There have been some Supers, such as C3G's Jonah Hex, which have been designed with some Classic figures in mind while still maintaining a stance of separation.

Basically, it's important to understand that while some Supers were designed with specific Classic figures in mind; my understanding is that most, if not all, Superhero customs were designed to be played primarily within the Superhero universe and not with Classic. As a result, Superheroes are not as extensively designed with Classic in mind, so balance issues and unforeseen synergies may actually lurk. One of the biggest items I see is that Classic is squad-centric, while Superheroes are hero-centric.

But you will have to be the final word on whether you decide to mix the two. If you do, you can always tweak problem areas as needed. It is, after all, YOUR game.

Q: What figures are used for customs? Are the customs figures difficult to find? Are they expensive?
A: As more people find their way to Superhero customs, there will likely be a greater demand for those figures. You should expect availability of those figures to drop. The cost can vary anywhere from 50 cents per figure up to over $50 per figure.

In my own experience, I've been able to toss 30 figures into my shopping cart and reach a total of less than $50. That varies, but isn't atypical for the most common units. The great news is that the most iconic Superheroes tend to have a wide variety of figures available, and tend to be the least expensive.

The figures selected are from a Superhero game system produced by WizKids called HeroClix. HeroClix is its own game system with its own set of rules. The figures are the same scale as Heroscape, making them ideal of use with your Heroscape terrain. I will go into more detail later, but there are online companies where you can purchase specific singles without having to pull your hair out with blind booster purchases.

If you can't find the unit you need, you can resort to proxies. That really isn't as bad as it sounds. Consider this: even chess players use proxies. That's why you have Civil War Chess Sets, Lord of the Rings Chess Sets, and Star Wars Chess Sets, just to name a few. I'll discuss proxies in more detail later.

Q: I notice that there are multiple Heroclix figures that have the same figure, but have titles such as Rookie and Veteran. Which do I buy?
A: The Heroclix game system releases superheroes at different power levels. Examples are Rookie, Veteran, and Experienced. This is part of the collectible aspect of Heroclix, and this is how they get you to buy more booster packs. You may have bought a Rookie Batman, but he will have less powerful stats than an Experienced Batman. For use as customs in Heroscape, we don’t have to worry about those designations, because we won't use the Heroclix stats. So you can purchase whichever is available and least expensive without worry.

Q: I’ve noticed pictures of these figures have different bases, and I’ve seen discussions about rebasing Heroclix figures. I really don’t want to do this, because I might damage the figure or want to use them to play Heroclix. Is rebasing necessary?
A: No! I will discuss this topic in its own chapter, but the main reason people rebase their figures is to make the figures look like they are a part of the official Heroscape set. The only figures I’ve rebased are figures on flying stands.

Another reason people rebase is to allow the figures to be used on ladders. I’ve actually come up with a handy method where figures using their original Heroclix bases can still climb ladders. Please see my chapter on rebasing for details.

Q: Do I need to know the rules of HeroClix to play?
A: No. The customs created here are designed with the Marvel Heroscape rules in mind. Some customs, such as C3G, even provide their own rulebook with information pertaining to their units. And that rulebook is really rules for equipment glyphs, one optional rule set for knockback, and a bunch of scenarios. You're basically playing the Heroscape you already know and love. HeroClix only provides the figures that you need to play.

Q: Do I need the Marvel Master Set to play?
A: Honestly, no! You can download the rulebook from Heroscapers.com, but you can play with whatever you have. If you want to build some of the maps that are here, you might want a couple of Master Sets for the terrain. But the castle set is probably used more heavily with Superheroes than the Marvel stuff.

Q: Are Superhero Customs balanced?
A: Unfortunately, not always. Customs designers simply don't have the time or resources necessary to perform the testing that is essential to properly cost and ensure abilities aren't broken in a gameplay sense.

One major exception to this is the C3G Project, which I will discuss later. C3G employs a very rigorous design and testing process, which produces units that are very well balanced.

Other customs creators do provide and receive feedback from each other. This collaboration does catch some potential problems during the design phase. Furthermore, many in the customs community now have extensive experience of a year and even longer. This experience is able to catch the most common design pitfalls.

It's also important to know that a customs designer will primarily design his or her units with each other in mind. When mixed with figures outside their set, you may find conflicts or synergy breaks. I will discuss how to deal with this when I discuss tweaking.

Complicating this issue is that some customs designers actually design customs more for the joy of realizing their favorite figures in card form rather than actually putting them into play. Also, there are customs creators who design figures as a prerequisite of designing for C3G. Finally, some creators design customs faster than they are able to put them into play. In all cases, there are usually ways to tweak these units for actual gameplay.

There are some projects that I will discuss later in more detail that do offer more than just casual feedback.

If you'd like an example of how customs play, please check out my Battle Story thread. These are from actual games that I've played. I've written these battle reports in the form of stories to make them more interesting.

Q: If there are balance issues with Customs, then should I avoid them?
A: That's for you to decide, but I think you're missing out on a really fantastic gaming experience if you do. Many conflicts are easily resolved through some tweaking. For example, I saw one designer's version of Commissioner Gordon that establishes synergy with his own Batman. However, his Batman has a different personality than the personality many others use for Batman. Solution: Change the reference on Commissioner Gordon's card to refer to the Batman you use if you decide not to use his Batman. I'll go into this in a lot more detail later, but do know that there are ways to deal with these issues.

Another possible solution is to pick one creator's customs set, and play within just that collection without combining with other customs. But there are advantages to mixing that you should consider. The main advantage is that you likely have interests in specific comics areas (e.g., X-Men, Spiderman), and branching out allows you to complete the figures you're most interested in playing.

Finally, let me offer these things that I hope will put the issue in perspective and ease any concerns you have:
(1) Even the official game has errata. Nobody's perfect.
(2) Customs designers do not get paid for this. They provide their talents free of charge to the community at large.
(3) This is your game. You do not have to complete anyone's collection. You can pick and choose any figures you want. Nobody is going to kick down your door if you lower a figure's attack or give a character flying. If you have a regular group of friends you play with, you have a great collaborative resource.

Q: I'd like to play X's customs, but X doesn't have a card for a favorite Superhero of mine. Do I just have to wait?
A: For customs created by individuals, some will gladly take requests depending on their own workload and your own laundry list. But customs projects, and many individuals, are usually too busy for this. Most customs creators are actually involved in several projects. So you should expand your reach beyond just one customs collection.

Example: As of this writing, the C3G project is working on the Fantastic Four. Now I'd love to play with the Fantastic Four figures. Thanks to the extensive collection of customs available, I actually have! So I've gotten play from Mister Fantastic, Invisible Woman, the Human Torch, and Thing while waiting for C3G. Once C3G releases their set, I'll add theirs to my collection.

Finally...
You probably have many more questions, but I think it's time to move along. Once you have been introduced to the other topics, some of those questions may have been answered.

 

[davidlhsl]

Part II: The Customs

Let's now turn our attention to the customs themselves. I'll highlight the ones I have personal experience with first (the first three chapters), then point you in the direction of finding others in the final two chapters of this section.

I want to emphasize that my own experience is not a reflection of the quality of anything that isn't in the first three chapters. Please don't assume anything about those I neglect to mention. It's just a reflection of what I've chosen to focus my own energies playing.

 

[davidlhsl]

Chapter 2.1.1: C3G - Introduction

Main link: C3G Public Directory

C3G was my personal introduction to the Superhero customs world. If you clicked the link above, your head probably exploded. That is a very intimidating directory.

What is C3G? It stands for the Comics Customs Creators Guild. Yes, I had to look that up. There are several things that distinguishes C3G:

1) C3G isn't just one person. While one person is responsible for leading a design, it is the group members themselves that collaborate on the design. The end product is the result of feedback from several people.

2) C3G doesn't just design custom figures. They also design maps, glyphs, optional rules, and scenarios.

3) C3G groups and releases their customs as if they were actually sold.

4) C3G has a design and testing process. I had hammered the subject of tweaking in my Q&A, but I can attest from my own gaming that there isn't anything in their collection that I have felt a need to tweak. I have played many close games that attest to their balance. If balance issues are a big concern and you really get queasy at the thought of tweaking, I recommend C3G.

5) C3G has an established hierarchy that ensures quality control during the entire process, with highly experienced members heading the enterprise.

6) The upper level of C3G has a private forum section where they collaborate and conduct business in private. They refer to this as "The Sanctum." This prevents the excessive "noise" that always surfaces in public forums, which tends to distract rather than help. That keeps the discussion focused, and helps move the process along in a more efficient manner.

If you haven't clicked the link above, please do open it in a separate tab or window, and I'll point out the areas along the way. First, click on Current C3G Members. Then open the Spoiler tag (get used to this). As you can see, C3G is even more than just a gaggle of geese. There is a very structured hierarchy at work. At the top, you'll see the Active Guild, more commonly referred to as Heroes. This is the top tier of the organization. These are the members with extensive customs experience, and these people shoulder a huge amount of the workload. They set and enforce the standards; they are the primary designers; they set and enforce their policies and procedures; and they are the first and final word on the project. They have accumulated the experience over time to know what works and doesn't.

It's important to know that this project is essentially their project. That isn't intended to diminish the contributions of the others, because it is also this ability of the C3G Project to attract contributions from other talented members that explains the success of C3G. The Heroes have created a hierarchy that does allow individuals at other levels to make their own contributions, which also reduces some of the workload on the Heroes. This provides everyone involved terrific on-the-job training, if you will, that allows them to gain valuable experience and make contributions to the project. But the Heroes oversee and have the final say on what is finally released under the C3G label. Promotions aren't automatic, as positions have to become available. Members have to earn their positions through very hard work in contributing to the project, and there are members who are qualified for higher levels if positions did open. You may close the Members list window/tab.

Now, please click on the C3G Books of Index and open it in a new tab or window. This is where you will find the units available for play. Again, you'll see lots of spoilers. Let's concentrate on the units. Open its spoiler. You'll probably see another spoiler tab and two links. Click the spoiler tab to expand that.

You should now see the following: In Alphabetical Order, In Order of Point Value, and By Release. Open the spoiler for By Release.

You should now see two items: C3G Design Waves and C3G Public "Exclusives."

The Heroes are the ones who design and produce the units in the first section. The public is allowed to playtest the figures at the appropriate stage of the design process, but those who playtest are required to keep the information on those units confidential. To my knowledge, nobody outside of the Heroes are permitted access to any stage of production other than playtesting.

However, the Heroes have created a process where the other members can contribute to the design process through the C3G Public "Exclusives." This opens the process to the rest of the members, provides valuable design experience, introduces them to the rigorous process and standards that C3G has established, and provides fans such as myself more figures to play than would've been provided if the Heroes had done all the designing themselves. Don't open those spoiler tags just yet.

Let's now open the spoiler tag under In Alphabetical Order. This allows you to see the entire collection at a glance. Quite a lot, isn't it? This is where I started my collection -- by clicking and saving each unit. Close the spoiler. Look for PDFs and JPGs and click that link. You will now see a great one-stop area to download the entire collection in one file. This wasn't available when I started. If you're interested in checking out the C3G units; you can either keep the tab/window open, or you can just go ahead and do the download. I don't know how often this gets updated though, so there may be some units released that aren't in the download. You can return to the C3G Books of Index to check and download those.

Let's return to the Books of Index tab/window. Hopefully, you kept the spoiler under By Release opened. This is how you can check new releases, because this is organized in order of release. Open the spoiler under C3G Design Waves. You will now see several spoiler tags, beginning with "DC Master Set: World's Finest." This is organized in order of release.

You may wonder why some of those waves were listed as "Master Sets." When Waves are released, just figures are released to the public. But when C3G releases a "Master Set," they will release scenarios, maps, rulebooks, and lots of other goodies with them. You will have to open spoilers below for each of those elements. I recommend you locate and download the rulebook to World's Finest under The Books of C3G Downloads. Please read IAmBatman's introduction, as it will give you valuable insight into the goals of the group.

The C3G Design Waves are released in batches, much like Classic Heroscape was released in waves. Open the first wave (technically a Master Set), World's Finest, to see the units grouped in that collection. This is where C3G actually began. If you scroll down, you'll see more waves. If you click on the last one, you'll likely see TBA. This means "To Be Announced," and indicates a future release in the design stages.

C3G has recently released units as "Super Secret Exclusives." These are designs that have been completed by the Heroes in private, then released to the public on their own. The Heroes have done this for the fans, as assembling a collection for a Wave or Master Set is a very time-consuming process.

Now, close the C3G Design Wave spoiler and open the C3G Public "Exclusives." You'll see collections here, similar to what you saw with the C3G Design Waves. Open the first, Collection One. You'll see five figures. One main difference between the Public Exclusives (where non-Heroes are allowed to lead the design with the oversight and approval of the Heroes), and the Design Waves (where only heroes are allowed to design), is that Public Exclusives are released to the public as they are approved. So a "collection" doesn't have to completely fill in order for figures to be released. That's great news for us players, as it provides us with a more regular release of units.

If you'll scroll down to the second post of the "Books of Index," you will see a reverse chronological release listing. If you're interested in checking on the latest additions to C3G since you last checked, this is a good place to look. Then scroll back up to the first post to locate the item(s) you need.

This has, admittedly, been a lot to take in. I have simplified and omitted a great deal, because the actual workings of the group aren't important for this discussion. I'll give you an opportunity to let your own curiosity explore some of the other areas on your own. Once you're ready, I will continue my discussion of C3G.

 

[davidlhsl]

Chapter 2.1.2: C3G - Navigating their Subforum

C3G Project Subforum

Let's now get to the meat and potatoes of the C3G Project from a player's perspective. If you'll click the above link, you'll be taken to the subforum set up for C3G. This is not the Sanctum, which is hidden.

Sticky items you should know:

C3G Books of Index: I took you here in the first part of this chapter. This is where you will find the figures, maps, scenarios, and assorted goodies. Let's click on the C3G Books of Index, because I want to show you what one of the figure's books looks like. Hopefully, you clicked to go to the original post. Open the spoiler tag under The Books of C3G Figure Units, then open the spoiler under Spoiler, then open In Alphabetical Order, then click on The Book of the 5th Precinct Beat Cops.

If you're familiar with the Books of Index that Heroscapers has set up for the Classic figures, this should be familiar to you. This is where you will download the card. C3G provides you with a choice between using a card featuring the image of the figure itself (which is what Classic and Marvel Scape uses), or you can use a card featuring a comic image. This is a matter of personal preference, so you should use whichever card you prefer.

If you scroll downward, you'll see any special rulings or clarifications, synergies, and special strategy tips. If you start reading through the thread, you will actually get a behind the scenes peek at the discussion that took place during the design process. If you really want to get a taste of the enormous work that goes into designing a unit, as well as some glimpse into how C3G works, I recommend reading through at least one thread.

If you have any questions about a specific unit, you should post them in the appropriate book. Let's return to the C3G Project Forum.

C3G Promotions Department: This is a recent addition to C3G, and this is where you will find glimpses into upcoming releases. Contests are periodically offered, particularly when a new release is imminent. This is a very fun thread, and it's a worthy thread to subscribe if you wish to follow C3G's progress.

C3G Public Directory: This was the main link I used in the first part of the chapter, so you've seen this. This is the Master Directory, if you will. This is also the "bulletin board" where updates are usually announced.

The C3G Cave - Hangout: The sticky has been removed from this, so it might find its way to the second page. This is basically the general chat room for the group. C3G loves to hear from their fans, so this is the best place to offer your own responses.

Those are the main areas that concern the player and those wanting to check out C3G. The other threads are works in progress, specific books, and other working topics. Please keep in mind that this subforum is a working forum necessary for the operation of C3G. Unless you're a member of C3G, please do not set up any new threads here without permission.

C3G has really pushed the envelope on customs design while maintaining the highest fun factor and tight balance, and their units have my highest recommendation. I'll wrap up my discussion of C3G by telling you about some of my favorite units.

 

[davidlhsl]

Chapter 2.1.3: C3G - Favorite Units

C3G Books of Index

Finally, to wrap up my discussion of C3G before moving to the next chapter, I'd like to highlight some of my favorite units to give you a sense of the type of units C3G provides. I will do likewise for Chapters 2.2 and 2.3 (and indirectly 2.4). This won't be an exhaustive list, but I simply want to provide a few examples.

Anti-Monitor
Discussion
Anti-Monitor is where C3G broke the sound barrier. Many customs designers have attempted designs on 500+ point characters such as Galactus and Fin Fang Foom. I prompted the linked discussion before Anti-Monitor was released, because I had doubts that figures above a certain point level could be played fairly with mid-level and below figures. I've linked the discussion to give you a peek into the types of design complications these ultra-high level figures present.

I played Anti-Monitor the day after release, and the battle went down to the wire. C3G pulled another rabbit out of their hat with this unit. Perhaps this isn't the best figure to introduce, as this isn't really a typical customs figure. I initially thought Anti-Monitor would likely hit my gaming table on special occasions. However, he's proven to be so much fun, I've actually played him several times.

Let's talk a little more about this guy: He has 30 life, move 4, and 6/6/6 on range/attack/defense. This, I think, is likely the key to his success -- his stats aren't pumped where mid-level figures can't hit him.

However, his special abilities are positively cosmic. Master of Time allows him to remove an order marker from each opponent if he wins initiative. Master of Space allows him to use the X order marker to take a turn, and warp 10 spaces in the process. Erase from Existence allows him to use a d20 insta-kill roll on each enemy figure within 3 spaces.

Lanterns (all)
With the most recent release (as of this writing) of Wave 4: Fight Against Fear, C3G has amped their Green and Yellow Lantern lineup.

All of the Lanterns have one common design element: use of battery markers. Each Lantern receives a certain number of these markers at the beginning of the game, and they can use their markers during play for certain bonuses and effects. The most common use of the marker is to cancel an attack where attack dice are rolled. In addition, for each marker on a Lantern's card, that Lantern's Move/Range/Attack/Defense are boosted +1 apiece! So the Lanterns begin the game as high-powered Death Stars, but they become significantly weaker as each battery is depleted.

But each Lantern also has their own personal uses for their battery markers that keep each Lantern from simply being a clone of each other. One of my favorites is Green Lantern (John Stewart), whose battery use in canceling an attack also doubles as a counter-strike by inflicting a wound on the attacker if the attacker is adjacent and uses a normal attack.

The entire battery marker mechanic introduces a very fun and challenging resource management element to the game.

Green Goblin
Four words: Pumpkin Bomb Special Attack! Green Goblin flies over figures, selects one to bomb (which works like a grenade). But wait! It doesn't end there, as Green Goblin can now fly 4 more spaces and fire his normal attack. If you think this sounds fun, just wait until you actually play it.

Punisher
This was one of the figures that Hasbro was going to release in their first Marvel wave. I highly doubt they could have come up with anything better than this design. Loaded for pain, Punisher has an Assault Rifle that dishes out three attacks, an Auto Shotgun that is similar to other shotguns you've seen in Heroscape, and an Armor Piercing Rocket that reduces an opponent's defense for each skull rolled!

Hawkgirl
I love the Hawk Swoop ability because of the choices it gives you. If you "swoop" at least 4 spaces while flying, you can either roll 2 extra attack dice or attack twice. If you "swoop" at lease 2 spaces, but fewer than 4, then you just get 1 extra attack die. Now you have several things to consider: I've swooped, but should I just stay engaged and attack with no bonus, or use a turn to fly away at distance and swoop again? If I do swoop again, should I attack twice, or just once with extra dice?

Another thing this design encourages is what I call a "pinball" effect. If Hawkgirl swoops away to set up a future swoop attack, that figure might be able to move closer to Hawkgirl to reduce the distance and eliminate the bonus. But Hawkgirl has Stealth Flying, so she can attack one figure on one turn. Then on her next turn, she can select a different target that is at range of 4+ and swoop on that figure instead.

The only drawback to Hawkgirl is that, for reasons I can not explain, the dice absolutely fail me when I defend with her; and she goes down in flames early in the game. I have the same problem with everybody else's Hawkgirl! But that's not something C3G can fix.

Chronos / Kang
C3G has already broken design barriers left and right. They have recently (as of this update) designed figures that use glyphs. Annihilus and Red Skull (C3G, not the official) are two recent examples where the figures begin with equipment glyphs.

However, Chronos and Kang have not only broken design barriers, they have crossed into some bizarre creative universe. You see, they don't begin with equipment glyphs. They begin with permanent glyphs. That brilliantly exploits C3G's glyph rules, because these glyphs can't go flying onto the board when Chronos or Kang take damage. No, Chronos and Kang plant their Temporal Displacement Glyphs like Easter Eggs. They can opt to backtrack onto the glyph on their turn to activate it. But the real power is they allow them to perform some nifty magic tricks.

Chronos can take a break and disappear off the map to fully heal, then plant himself back onto the map where any Temporal Displacement Glyph lies at a later time. Kang can snatch the Temporal Displacement Glyphs to take an extra turn. If there are several of those glyphs on the map, more turns for Kang! If that doesn't make Kang awesome enough, Kang is an Uncommon Hero! Now I have to sit down and breathe into a paper bag to keep from blacking out.

This fun doesn't come without a price. You could clog the glyphs on a single Kang, limiting their plant potential. If the enemy can park a unit onto the glyph(s), those glyphs become unavailable to Chronos/Kang, while also giving the opponent a nasty ability from the glyph itself. And if Chronos hasn't already been taken down in one knockout blow and is the only figure remaining in his army, he can't disappear off the board without conceding defeat to the opponent.

It all sounds complicated until you put it into actual gameplay. Once you've become acquainted with the mechanics, things flow very smoothly. I've only played one game with them so far, but I can imagine these may eventually become my all-time favorite C3G design. That's until C3G produces their next wave.

Incredible Hulk
This is one of the most aggressively fun designs C3G has ever produced as of this entry. You're probably familiar with the Hasbro design where Hulk's attacks are boosted based on the number of wounds he's taken, up to a cap of +5.

This design boosts both attack and defense with no cap, but there's another element that simply takes this design to the top: Rage Marker. Hulk gets the Rage Marker if he takes 2 or more wounds in a turn. He only gets his attack/defense boosts when his Rage Marker is active. The opponent can try to calm Hulk down by keeping Hulk out of engagement at the start of a round. If the opponent succeeds, then the Rage Marker is removed, and he no longer gets the attack/defense bonus.

The impact on the battlefield is hilarious. You're sniping at Hulk, then you go, "Uh oh!" when you trigger his Rage. Now you're scrambling to break engagement, taking engagement strikes in the process, in an attempt to calm him down. Meanwhile, Hulk is smashing into engagement to keep the Rage going.

This concludes my discussion of C3G.

 

[davidlhsl]

Chapter 2.2: The HelmAVerse/Sherman Davies Group

Matt Helm's HelmAVerse
Sherman Davies' DC
Sherman Davies' Marvel

Blog Post: Building a SUPER Custom

Matt Helm and Sherman Davies are actually two separate designers who have each designed a lot of Superhero customs independently of each other. They share such a similar design philosophy that their customs complement each other perfectly, though there is overlap with the most iconic heroes. I highly encourage everyone to read Matt's superb blog post linked above, as it really gives you an insight into his (and Sherman Davies') design philosophy.

Since I'm a relative newcomer to the customs world, I don't know Matt Helm's background with the group. But I do know from following various discussions that he has the highest level of respect from the customs community, which is how his customs hit my radar. Having communicated with him, I find him a humble and kind person.

I have also interacted with Sherman Davies as well. None other than Grungebob has stated publicly that he would gladly play Sherman's customs any time. How's that for an endorsement? I think the thing that impresses me most about him is his phenomenal attention to detail. He has assisted many other customs designers, new and old, with his advice.

Things I admire most about their customs:

(1) Matt Helm and Sherman Davies limit the point cost of their units within the same range that the original Marvel presented. In fact, if you value playing Superheroes alongside Classic, these are the customs you want to play. I think most, if not all, of them would actually play very well with Classic Scape.

(2) They have selected the least expensive figures in the Heroclix line. I was able to affordably collect their entire collection myself, which is something I wish I could've said about the Star Wars minis I've purchased. But that's another story.

(3) There are two types of Classic Scape units: those you can read and quickly understand to start playing; and those you have to read, re-read, consult the Books, consult the FAQ, study, examine with other units, and carefully consider when drafting.

Now, I honestly enjoy playing the complex stuff. But I'm getting older, and I have more difficulty absorbing things the way I was able when I was younger. I used to play Avalon Hill wargames. Now, I'm perfectly content with Solitaire on my computer.

With these customs, I only need to reference the cards occasionally. I enjoy that immensely. I don't want to call these customs simple, though. I think better terms to describe these designs are streamlined and elegant. There are still plenty of choices you have to make during game play.

(4) There are synergies in some of these units, but they aren't so overt that you must play them in specific armies. For example, Sherman Davies has a custom for Valkyrie, which offers an enhancement to a figure with Warrior Spirit Special Power. I played her in an army without such a unit, and didn't feel the army suffered as a result. So this collection encourages mixing and matching better than any group of customs I've seen.

Let's actually take a look at their contents. If you will click the link at the top for Matt Helm's customs, we'll begin with his.

Don't worry about expanding the spoilers, because the figures are actually listed below the spoilers. Scroll down. The first grouping are his Superhero customs, but you can see he has customs for other themes (or "HelmAVerses"). Just click and save the linked items to your hard drive.

Now examine Sherman Davies' links (either DC or Marvel is fine for now, as they have a similar layout). Here, you will find TONS of customs. Again, click and save the linked items to your hard drive.

I'll present some of my favorites, but let me begin with the figure I think best represents the streamlined design philosophy:

Blackfire (Sherman Davies)
Stats: 5 life, 5/6/4/4 move/range/attack/defense, 140 points. Two special abilities. Twin Starbolts: This is similar to a Double Attack, but requires her to not be in engagement. Super Strength: the standard Marvel special ability.

Once again -- I love playing the complex figures. But I also like a solid, dependable unit. That is Blackfire.

Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (Matt Helm)
Ever wished the Airborne Elite could be a common squad? Well, these Agents are close with their Helicarrier Drop. You can only hold one squad off the map at the beginning (and even that is optional), so you already begin the game with a choice. They are also equipped with abilities to attack both Unique Heroes and adjacent squad figures. Triangulation, their Unique Hero ability, incrementally adds dice for each additional attack on the same unit. Nasty.

This unit has gone through the NM24 process, which I will discuss later.

Flash (Matt Helm)
Much like Hawkgirl, Flash is a figure that seems to bring out the best in customs designers. Move = 12. Nuff said.

Rhino (Sherman Davies)
Figures with abilities that depend on straight line movement or attacking offer a ton of tactical planning to properly execute. Rhino adds 3 to his move if he uses his entire move in a straight line. His charging attack gives him +2 attack dice if he can move at least 3 spaces and entirely in a straight line. With a life of 7, I would risk an engagement strike to break engagement from one figure if a Charging Attack opportunity presented itself. Brilliant and elegant design.

Awesome Android (Sherman Davies)
When you look at his stats, 180 points seems to be severely undercosted for a figure with 6 life, 6 attack, and 6 defense. However, there's the matter of Limited Intelligence. If Awesome Android is the last figure for his team, the player controlling him is immediately taken out of the game, and the Android remains on the map as a destructible object.

 

[davidlhsl]

Chapter 2.3: Balantai’s Battlescape

Balantai's Battlescape

You’ve probably taken a look at a Heroscape card, especially during previews or when you first see the card after buying the figure, where you’ve examined the abilities and said to yourself, “Wow! I have got to play a game with this!”

That’s the reaction I had when I began going through Balantai’s customs.

Balantai is a creative customs designer who is active in the customs community. I know that he currently moderates the Heroes of Star Wars customs project; and offers suggestions, feedback, and advice to other customs creators. If you click the link above, you will see his index of customs. As with others previously discussed, you click and save each linked item.

Note that some of his customs are flagged with an asterisk (*). These are customs he designed earlier, but he feels after experience needs reworking.

My favorite aspects of his designs:

(1) I’ve already mentioned the “Wow, I’ve got to play this!” factor. Balantai has a way of taking familiar elements, such as Mindshackle, and working a clever twist in his mechanics. I’ll give you some specific examples when I discuss some of my favorite units.

(2) Balantai has a talent for selecting great comics images for his cards. Joker’s card is my favorite!

Here are some of my favorites:

Bishop
Perhaps I have a thing for using markers, but Bishop has a really clever mechanic with Absorb Energy. Bishop receives one energy marker for each skull rolled in an attack against him, up to a maximum of 10. This markers can be used to either add 1 additional defense dice at a cost of 3 markers, add 1 attack die at a cost of 2 markers, or remove 1 wound marker at a cost of 5 markers.

Riddler
As befitting his character, Riddler is a character that will frustrate the opponent to no end. Riddler is the opposite of other figures that don't begin the game on the battlefield, as Riddler's power works while off the battlefield. I'll explain.

Riddler does not appear on the battlefield until a 17 or greater is rolled under Riddle Me This. While he is off the battlefield, he adds 3 to initiative rolls. He can target an opponent’s Unique Hero with a Riddler’s Focus marker (another marker!) at the beginning of each round, which completely removes that figures special abilities during that round. Now the opponent has a tough choice. If he doesn’t place any order markers on that Hero, there will be no roll for Riddle Me This, and Riddler remains off the battlefield. If the opponent does place order markers on that Hero’s card, then the d20 is rolled each time an Order Marker is revealed on that Hero. 8 or less, and that Hero’s turn ends and takes a wound. 9 – 16 is a normal turn. 17 or greater, and Riddler’s Focus is removed, the Hero regains his/her special abilities, and Riddler appears on the battlefield. And Riddler is one weak dude once he appears.

Riddler is a real gamble in drafting. If he hits a lucky streak and stays off the board, he can really be vicious. But if the 17+ roll appears early and he hits the board, you’ve just wasted 100 points in your army draft.

Nasty!

Karma
Karma introduces a really great twist on Mindshackle. With Karma, she can Mind Possess an opponent’s Unique Hero on a roll of 14 or greater. That seems broken at first, but wait! Once the opponent’s Hero is controlled by Karma, Karma can no longer take turns. In addition, she won’t be able to give orders to that Hero until the following round, as that hero loses his order markers when Mind Possession is activated. Finally, control of the hero will return to the figure’s original owner if Karma receives a wound or is destroyed. So this is a weaker version of Mindshackle. But if you don’t deal with Karma early and you are down to one figure, she can quickly snatch that figure to win the game. And even if the opponent can quickly gain back the Possessed hero if it's not your last figure, Mind Possession removes any order markers that were placed on that hero. So Mind Possession also serves as an efficient order marker removal ability. Brilliant!

Incredible Hulk (Ultimate Avengers)
All of Balantai's Ultimate Avengers are fun, and I love the way Balantai creates abilities in this group that have great power, but also bad consequences if you choose to use them (if you have the choice, that is).

Hulk is a brick, similar to the official Marvel Hulk. However, once 4 or more wound markers hit his card, Hulk is susceptible to Blind Rage on a roll of 1-15 each time Hulk reveals an order marker. If that happens, Hulk must attack the nearest figure, even if it's friendly to Hulk. Nothing is more hilarious than watching as figure panic after Hulk takes his 4th wound and flee in terror to get away from him. If you're playing against Hulk, nothing is more fun that exploiting this to try to work him into being forced to attack his own side by moving your units away first.

 

[davidlhsl]

Chapter 2.4: GreyOwl’s Customs and Customs Compendium

GreyOwl's Superhero Customs
GreyOwl's Star Wars Customs
GreyOwl's Customizing Compendium and Tools

GreyOwl’s avatar should probably be a rabbit instead of an owl, because this guy literally breeds customs. Consider this: if you combine all of C3G, Matt Helm’s superheroes, Sherman Davies superheroes (both Marvel and DC) and Balantai’s superheroes, you would only exceed GreyOwl’s superhero customs by only around 30 or so. And he has nearly as many Star Wars customs as he has superheroes.

In addition, GreyOwl provides considerable resources to the customs community, which you can glimpse if you click the link on the Customizing Compendium. Even if you don't design customs yourself, the Compendium is a worthy read. I don’t think it’s too far of a stretch to say that if it weren’t for GreyOwl, the customs community would likely not be nearly what it is today.

One characteristic of his index is that there are times when you click on a link to one of his cards, and the card will only partially load with the rest blocked out. This is likely an aspect of the server where the images are stored. If you refresh the image, the full image should load correctly.

I don’t have personal experience with his superhero customs, but I have downloaded all of them to my hard drive for eventual inclusion. That actually took several days. But I am getting acquainted with his Star Wars customs. I’ve bought a ton of the minis over the past two months, and I consider it money well spent.

I’ve prepared a battle report with his Star Wars customs to give you a taste of how they play:

Luke Skywalker (Jedi Knight) and Princess Leia (Slave Outfit) are pitted against a nasty Rancor. Leia appoints the Rancor as her Slave Master, which gives her 2 extra defense dice when attacked by him. Both sides move towards each other, and Luke reaches the Rancor first and attacks. Due to the Rancor’s Tough Skin, Luke rolls one less attack die. The attack is blocked.

The Rancor growls and tries to Devour Luke, but Luke isn’t tasty enough at this point. So the Rancor attacks Luke, and Luke blocks the 3 skulls. Leia now approaches the Rancor and tries to Strangle it. A roll of 12 or more would place a Strangle Marker on the Rancor, with two markers enough to kill it. She misses the roll. The Rancor now tries to Devour Leia. Leia’s Strangle ability is a real threat. The roll misses, so the Rancor tries to attack Leia. That activates Luke’s Loyalty to Friends, so Luke gets to attack first. He puts 3 wounds on the Rancor, with 4 life left. The Rancor roars and gets his attack on Leia, with Leia adding 2 defense dice due to Slave Master. A brutal 5-skull attack deals 3 wounds, leaving Leia down to her last life.

Leia has to choose between strangling or using her normal attack. Down to her last life, Leia feels that there isn’t enough time left to attempt the two strangle markers need to take down the Rancor. So she uses her normal attack, which the Rancor blocks.

Luke gets the initiative in the next round and attacks, rolling only one skull. But the Rancor whiffs defense and takes the wound, 3 life to go. The Rancor switches his focus on Luke, as Leia is badly wounded. Devour misses, and Luke nimbly dodges the attack. Luke changes the batteries in his light saber, then swings at the Rancor. “Hey, watch where you’re swinging that!” Leia exclaims. “Sorry,” Luke replies. (This isn’t a feature of the customs, but my weird imagination. Pay it no mind.) The Rancor blocks Luke’s attack. Devour misses, so the Rancor aims for Leia. That triggers Luke’s Loyalty ability, but he misses the roll. The Rancor is able to finish off Leia.

Now it’s down to Luke and the Rancor (Hey, that sounds like a new sitcom on NBC!). Luke’s swing is a powerful 4 skull attack (new batteries, doncha know), and the Rancor only gets one shield for 3 wounds. Since that’s all the Rancor had left, the Rancor goes down and collapses on top of Luke. Everybody dies! George Lucas cashes his box office receipts and buys himself a new house.

I played a battle with these same forces previously, which I forgot to record. In that battle, the Rancor devoured Princess Leia, Luke delivered 6 wounds while taking 3, and the Rancor finished the game by gulping down Luke.

 

[davidlhsl]

Chapter 2.5: NM24 and other customs

NM24 Working Thread
NM24 Halls of Justice
A-Z Customs Index
What Type of Customs Creator or Fan Are You?

I’ve only touched the tip of the iceberg of the Superhero customs community. However, here are some other indices you should see:

NM24
If you’ll click the first NM24 link, you’ll be taken to the NM24 working thread where customs are run through the process, evaluated, and approved.

What is NM24? That’s actually explained in the first post of the link, but I’ll give a brief explanation as best I can. One of the most important things a customs developer needs is feedback. With a bunch of customs creators each working on their own project, a need arose for some way to have their customs evaluated. The NM24 is a group of people who will evaluate one custom nominated from the previous entry’s designer for gameplay issues, wording, graphics design, and points cost. The specified goal was to have a turnaround of 24 hours, but lurking in the thread reveals that the process can actually take longer. The customs designer makes any changes he/she feels appropriate based on the feedback. Then the NM24 group votes on the finalized custom. If approved, the custom is entered into the Halls of Justice (second NM24 link above), the designer can add the NM24 logo to his/her customs card, and the designer nominates another custom from a different designer. No playtesting is actually conducted during this process. It’s simply a discussion procedure, though from experienced people qualified to offer their suggestions.

The second link is where you can locate and download the customs that have completed the process.

A-Z Customs Listing
The third link is a master index for more Superhero customs than you can shake a stick at. You may find some broken links in the group. If you’re looking for a specific figure, such as Superman, you will likely find several versions from which to choose. Go for it!

What Kind of Customs Creator or Fan Are You?
The fourth link is a fascinating survey conducted by Matt Helm. Here, you will find many prominent customs designers and their own visions and design philosophies. This is a great thread that will give you a nice way to get to know the designers a little better.

Another great way to locate customs is through the signatures of the customs designers themselves. For example, you may read a thread and see someone whose signature points to their customs thread. Feel free to click and investigate. This is how I’ve branched out.

Finally
This concludes the second part of my guide. Hopefully, you’ve clicked some of the links and have found some customs of interest. Now you’re probably wondering how to actually put the customs into reality onto your gaming table so that you can actually play. That is what the third, and final part of this guide, will attempt to address.

 

[davidlhsl]

Part III: Putting It All Together

You've now been introduced to the various customs creators, and where to locate their work. Hopefully, you've found plenty of interesting things you're anxious to start playing. The cards are pretty easy: save to your hard drive and print. Now, I want to describe where you can buy figures, proxy those you can't, tweak problems areas, and locate other goodies to enhance your gaming experience.

 

[davidlhsl]

Chapter 3.1: Where to find it

This isn’t a complete listing, but these are the most popular vendors:
Troll and Toad: trollandtoad.com
Miniature Market: miniaturemarket.com
Strike Zone Online: strikezoneonline.com
Auggies Games: store02.prostores.com/servlet/auggiesgames/StoreFront
Cool Stuff, Inc.: coolstuffinc.com


The first thing we need to discuss is where to find the figures needed to play. There is a Superhero game called Heroclix that has produced a ton of superhero figures over the years. Those figures are the same scale as Heroscape, so they are ideal for use. I want to emphasize that Heroclix is a completely separate game system than what we’re discussing here. The customs I’ve been discussing all use the Heroscape rules. We’re only using their figures to play our game.

Unfortunately, Heroclix is sold through the dreaded blind booster system. That means that you simply buy an opaque box containing figures, but you don’t know when you buy them what you’re going to receive. Fortunately, there are several online vendors who sell singles. So if you’re looking for Batman, you don’t have to empty your wallet on a case of boosters in the hopes of getting the figure.

The price of these singles varies wildly. The good news is that most of the high profile superheroes are inexpensive and provide more than one figure. I’m looking at one vendor’s website for Batman, and I count at least 17 different sculpts, with many in stock. The one I bought, #107 from the Hypertime “wave,” currently shows 7 in stock from this vendor for 99 cents. Many customs creators don’t have deep pockets either, so they tend to gravitate towards the less expensive figures anyway. For the cheap figures, expect to pay anywhere from 50 cents - $4.00.

Some of the figures are more rare, and are very difficult to find. When they are available, they can cost anywhere from $10 - $50 per figure, with some even going higher. For figures in the lower range of that spectrum ($10 - $20); I find that when I purchase a bunch of cheap figures ($0.50 - $1.00), that I can toss a couple of these higher priced figures into my shopping cart and still get a reasonable final total. In other words, I’ll let the really cheap figures offset the cost of the more expensive figures to reach a grand total that balances out to what I would expect to pay for the set. But some figures that I’m less interested in playing, or expect to play less often, are simply more than what I’m willing to pay. That is where using proxies comes in handy. I’ll discuss that topic in a future chapter.

Availability also varies wildly. In order to build my collection, I have needed to order from more than one vendor. If the figure you’re looking for is out of stock at all of the places you check, keep checking for them periodically. Eventually, they do return to stock.

One word about Troll and Toad: There have been occasions when they have something listed as in stock, but I get a notice that they are actually out of stock after I've ordered it. This is understandable, as they have a massive inventory. Still, it's important to mention.

Online vendors, such as those I’ve linked above, have a search feature that allows you to search for the specific figure you’re seeking. For example, typing “Batman” will give you a list of Batman singles. Customs creators will usually name their cards to match the names you need to search. There are a few, rare exceptions. For example, Sherman Davies has a custom for Tommy Monaghan. But the actual figure you need to search for and buy is actually called Hitman. If you do run into a case where your search results from everywhere turn up empty, you can always ask the customs designer which figure they use. Do not ask customs creators about figures that do show, but are out of stock. That’s just rude.

Squad figures can be trickier. For example, there is a squad called Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. When doing the search for this, I find it best to zero in on just one word, and search the singular form of the word instead of the plural. In this example, I would search for SHIELD (without the periods).

C3G actually provides the name, and even model number and wave title, in their Books. For example, C3G’s Black Canary lists models #034, #035, and #036 from the Cosmic Justice “wave.” When you know the name of the “wave,” you can usually find the figure by following links on the vendor’s website instead of searching. For example, if I wanted to find this Black Canary on Troll and Toad, I will click the “Collectible Miniatures” tab at the top of the site, then click “Heroclix” under Categories, then click “Cosmic Justice.” I can now just scroll down and look for #034, #035, and #036.

You may wonder what the difference is between these three units, as the sculpts for all three look identical. The Heroclix game system releases superheroes at different power levels. Examples are Rookie, Veteran, and Experienced. This is part of the collectible aspect of Heroclix, and this is how they get you to buy more booster packs. You may have bought a Rookie Batman, but he will have less powerful stats than an Experienced Batman. For use as customs in Heroscape, we don’t have to worry about those designations. So you can purchase whichever is available and least expensive without worry. It’s only an issue if you decide to also use these figures to play Heroclix.

Remember that you don’t have to select the same figure that the customs designer uses. I use a different Batman figure than recommended by C3G because I like it better.

 

[davidlhsl]

Chapter 3.2: Rebasing

Hahma's Rebasing Tutorial
GreyOwl's Base Stickers (you'll find it in the listing)
My idea for ladder bases
Wooden discs for ladder bases: www.craftparts.com

Heroclix figures use a very clever method to indicate stats by displaying them in a window on the base of the figure. As the figure takes damage, you rotate the base to change the stats displayed. This means that a unit’s stats actually change as it takes damage. After the unit takes a certain level of damage, KO appears in the window to indicate the figure is knocked out.

Many who play Superhero customs using Heroscape rules aren’t really interested in playing Heroclix, so those stats are really meaningless. In order to make their figures look as if they were actually part of Heroscape, many cut the Heroclix figures from their bases and glue them onto plastic bases.

Hahma has created a fantastic tutorial on how to do this, and that is the first link I’ve provided. In his tutorial, he references stickers available from Cavalier. I’ve linked GreyOwl’s base stickers, because you can download those and print on label sheets for free. Well, his templates are free; the label sheets and printer ink aren’t. For the bases, most people recommend Impact Miniatures, and you can find the link in Hahma's tutorial. If you have any extra Classic Heroscape figures, you can cut those figures from their bases and use those.

Rebasing is mostly an aesthetic preference. I don't mind the original Heroclix bases, but I don't care for most of the figures that are on flying stands, which elevate the figure above the base. I have rebased those figures, and I may even rebase the others. The bases I use aren't the recommended bases, as they don't fit on ladders. However, the textured top makes the base look great without requiring any stickers. Here's a picture of some of the figures, including some figures I rebased on wooden discs before getting the plastic bases:

Spoiler Alert!

One very compelling reason for rebasing is that the Heroclix bases do not work with Heroscape’s castle set ladder rungs. This is a significant concern, because the castle set actually works better for Superheroes than they do in Classic Scape. Heroclix bases can work on ladder rungs if you remove the stats part from the base and do some adjusting, but that’s a lot of trouble and probably will end looking worse. However, I have created a solution to this problem. Please click the link above for my idea for ladder bases. I have been using this method since playing Superhero Scape, and it works like a charm.

So you really don’t need to rebase your Heroclix figures unless you want to. And if you do want to, Hahma’s tutorial is really easy to follow and implement. One piece of advice you need to heed if you decide to try this:

ALWAYS CUT AWAY FROM YOURSELF!!!!!!!!!

 

[davidlhsl]

Chapter 3.3: Proxies

My Proxy Thread
Battle Pictures where many proxies are used
A Great Proxy Idea you might consider

A proxy, for purposes of this discussion, refers to an object used in place of an intended object when playing Heroscape. The object can be a figure, game piece, token, or terrain piece. As I mentioned in my Q&A, chess players use proxies when they play chess with those fancy chess sets using figures from the Revolutionary War, Star Trek, or Greek Mythology. You could, theoretically, play Heroscape (Classic or Superhero) entirely with proxies. My proxy thread, the first link above, gives such an example.

That is the theory. Now here’s the reality: If you’re playing a game where Batman faces off against the Joker, you would like to see a Batman figurine sitting on a map facing a Joker figurine. That is, after all, the main appeal of Heroscape in the first place. Having a Gorillinator used to proxy Batman sitting on the map facing a Nikita Agent used to proxy Joker is still playable. But it’s not quite the same, is it?

There’s simply no way to avoid using proxies. Some figures are unavailable, and some figures that are available are simply too expensive. Take a look at the pictures I took of a battle I recently played, using the units from C3G Wave Four, by clicking on the second link above. Here, I’m actually using several proxies. The yellow guy you see is supposed to be Sinestro, but I’m actually using a modified Amon Sur figure. That big blue (or is he purple?) figure you see is supposed to be a Green Lantern Construct. Yes, GREEN! Those white figures at the bottom portion of the third picture are actually some of my Star Wars minis I proxied for the HYDRA Agents, which are… wait for it… also supposed to be green as well. Did the battle suffer as a result? I didn’t think so. Would it have been better if I had the actual figures. Maybe.

If you purchase your figures as singles from vendors such as the ones listed in Chapter 3.1, then it's a good idea to also browse through the other singles sold for other miniatures games to find proxies. Examples include all of the Clix line (Horror/Halo), Dreamblade, Star Wars Miniatures, and Mage Knight.

Here’s the bottom line when it comes to the success or failure of a proxy:

A good proxy is one where it is clearly evident to all players what the proxy is supposed to represent.

It’s really that simple. For me, all of the proxy figures I used in the aforementioned battle were pretty obvious to me what they were supposed to represent. That blue (or purple?) Iron Man figure was obvious to me that it was a Green Construct because the intended figure for the Green Construct is also a very tall figure. It was the size of the proxy that made it obvious. The intended figure for Sinestro, which currently costs over $50, is in a Yellow Lantern outfit. The Amon Sur figure is a Yellow Lantern. I used a permanent black marker to draw hair on it and smudge a moustache on its face to make it look similar to Sinestro, because the Amor Sur figure is also the figure C3G selects to use for the Sinestro Corps Soldier Uncommon Hero. I had to modify the Amon Sur figure I use for Sinestro; because I will play a battle in the future with both Sinestro and the Sinestro Corps Soldiers, and I have to be able to tell those apart as well.

The success or failure of a proxy is based on whether or not you can find a proxy that is similar enough to the intended figure that all players can readily identify it. There are no rules that I can etch in stone, because what may seem obvious to me might not be to you. Those of you with painting and modding talent can take it on your own, because you have the skills needed to make your own great proxies. For the rest of us, there are some rules of thumb I can offer.

First of all, a good proxy will have features similar to the intended figure. Examples of features to look for are size, color, costume or outfit, and pose. The more matching characteristics you can find, the better the proxy will be. That Iron Man figure I used was originally purchased for use as a C3G Sentinel figure. But C3G has other oversized figures, such as Anti-Monitor and that Green Construct. As long as I only need one in a battle, then that Iron Man works perfectly for me due to its size. If I ever decide to pit a Green Construct in an army against the Anti-Monitor, then I will need to find another proxy to replace one. An obvious choice might be for me to head back to the toy department and search for something with some green in it.

Characteristics might also be abstract as well as physical. For example, I think Zombies would be good proxies for C3G's Civilians from seeing "Dawn of the Dead." I once used Star Wars' Tusken Raiders to proxy C3G's Street Thugs, because I considered both to be wild and violent. As long as your opponent shares or understands your rationale, then you will have a good proxy.

A second rule is that the fewer proxies you have to use, the more flexibility you have in selecting a proxy. If you don’t have a Batman figure, but you have all of the other figures you need for a battle, then the proxy you use for Batman will likely stand out on the battlefield by virtue of the fact that it’s the only figure that isn’t properly represented. I did this purely in jest as part of a battle story I was writing, but I once used a Heroscape Goblin Cutter figure as a proxy for Batman. I never had problems during the game telling which figure was supposed to be Batman; because Robin, the Riddler, Poison Ivy, and Alfred were all represented in the game using the correct figures. If I had used proxies for all of the figures, then it would have been very easy for me to lose track of which figure is supposed to represent what without putting more thought into which proxies I was using.

A final rule is that squad figures are the easiest figures to proxy in Superhero Scape. Why? Well, in Classic Heroscape, you will probably draft more than one different type of squad unit. But in Superhero Scape, squad figures are more unusual. When squad figures are used, then each side will very likely only draft one type of squad anyway. The squad proxies will be more obvious by the fact that you will have multiples on the battlefield. In my proxy thread, you will find pictures where I've shown how Icehouse pyramids can make good proxies for squads.

Squad figures in Superhero Scape actually have some great proxies in the Classic Heroscape set. I’ll use C3G’s squads to illustrate. Civilians? How about Mohican River Tribe or Zombies? 5th Precinct Beat Cops? How about Blastatrons, 4th Massachusetts, or Knights of Weston? Street Thugs? How about MacDirk Warriors or Anubian Wolves? Hand Ninja? How about Shaolin Monks or Ashigaru Yari? (You might wonder why I didn’t recommend Ninjas of the North Wind. That’s a Unique Squad, so you won’t likely have multiples.) HYDRA Agents? Greenscale Warriors. Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.? Microcorp Agents.

If you still can’t find a suitable proxy, there is still hope. Please click the third link at the top of this chapter, where I have a pretty good solution that you might like.

Proxies may not be as nice as the actual figures; but I find that once the game begins, my imagination takes over. If you only stick with figures you can purchase, you're limiting your collection. With proxies, the entire customs world is at your disposal.

 

[davidlhsl]

Chapter 3.4.1: Tweaking – Introduction

Competitive Unit Congress
GreyOwl's Customizing Compendium

There are several reasons people shy away from customs. The two most prevalent and compelling reasons are portability and balance.

What I mean by portability is the ability to take the customs you use and play them beyond your normal circle. One of the great aspects of Heroscape is the community that grows around it. There are local gaming sessions and tournaments that appear all the time. However, it is highly unlikely that you would be able to take a collection of customs to a new gaming group and have them accepted by the group. Tournaments are strictly out of the question.

But that also applies to custom rules, point levels, and drafting habits as well. The tournament scene and social gaming gatherings don’t prevent people from playing their own maps, scenarios, modded figures and terrain, drafting methods and/or restrictions, and custom rules when they play within their regular group (family members, friends, or local gaming club). So there shouldn’t be any reason people should feel squeamish about working customs into their collections for their own personal pleasure.

The second point, however, is a more pressing concern. With the official game, two people should be able to draft the same point level of armies and be reasonably assured of a fair contest. When you throw customs into the equation, you can’t be guaranteed that one 700 point army will offer a fair contest with a different 700 point army.

This is because customs creators simply don’t have the time or personnel necessary to extensively playtest the units they design, so they can only assign costs as best they can. Since nobody beyond Craig van Ness, truth, Grungebob, and the others who have worked behind the scenes really know how costs are determined for the official figures; intuition, experience, and cross-referencing with official units are the only options available. C3G actually has an advantage over other customs designers due to the rigorous playtesting, active participation from members and non-members alike, and extensive experience of its membership.

But the concerns and realities extend beyond mere costing. There are also balance issues related to the stats and special abilities as well. Some special powers sound pretty good on paper, but actually break down when combined with other units or simply put into an actual game. This is where tweaking becomes useful.

I’m probably leaving the impression that the customs world is a huge, sloppy mess. In my own personal experience with customs, I really don’t find that many that I have really felt needed tweaking other than in costing. The Superhero customs community has, I believe, gained more experience in creating customs than the experience of customs creators for Classic Heroscape. This is due to the fact that the official Marvel set had been discontinued very early, which prompted a greater need for customs. Superhero customs creators help each other with their designs, so there is a lot of discussion that takes place when a designer creates a custom.

So don’t read this thinking you’re going to have a mountain of units to tweak. I just want you to have the tweaking option as a tool for making things play the way you want when they don’t work, and that’s the purpose of this chapter.

The thought of tweaking might make you break into cold sweats or turn you completely off. I think most people would prefer being able to play a unit “as is” without making any changes. But there are a few things you should consider before you write it off completely:

People tweak the official game as well.
The first link is to a fascinating project called the Competitive Unit Congress. These are people who think there are official units that don’t get gameplay because they perform so poorly during a game (I’m looking at you, Templar Cavalry!). This group proposes and votes on modifications on units to make them more competitive. That does sacrifice the unit’s portability (you won’t likely find others, and certainly no tournaments, who would accept them), but those who adopt the changes likely see more play from those figures. Whether you agree with the project or disagree, that thread is a very worthy lurk.

Many customs that have been created are actually tweaks themselves.
Most customs designers actually draw inspiration from one another. One of the reasons people get into designing customs in the first place is to have a set of figures that they want to play. They may, like you, want to play Batman, but might not find a version of Batman anywhere that perfectly fits their own image of him. So that person will likely say, “Ah, I really like Batman X’s movement, but Hawkman Y has a cool special attack that I like that would work really well for Batman.” So that designer will take bits and pieces from various customs, and splice them together.

Many times, a customs designer will actually like a particular custom (or one spliced from several others), but may have a new mechanic that nobody else has used to add to the mix. So a lot of the customs that you see haven’t been created from scratch. It isn’t very efficient to reinvent the wheel every time. So when you decide to tweak a particular custom, you’re actually drawing inspiration from an existing custom to essentially design your own. Even if it’s as simple and changing the Life or Defense value, you’re making your own custom.

To play is better than to not play
If you want to play a particular figure (or figures); and you wait for the perfect version to arrive, you aren’t playing that figure. So the only thing you can do is simply wait. But if you’re willing to take something that’s already out there and make any changes you think needs to be made, you get to play that figure and have fun with it. It may take a few games before you can dial it into something you want, but at least you’re able to get enjoyment from it now rather than later.

It isn't necessary to wait for a customs developer to build your perfect custom. They have their own ideas, design philosophies, and ways of playing. But you can take those ideas, mold them to your own vision, and play them the way that you want to play.

Tweaking is educational.
Ok, I’ve probably lost a lot of people with that one. “If I want to learn, I’ll go to school!” No, I mean that when you start tweaking and watching how the changes impact your games; you will begin to gain experience into why things are designed certain ways, why things are worded certain ways, and how different elements of a figures stats impact the game. You’re gaining experience. In fact, you may find after tweaking, playing, and re-tweaking; that the original designer was right all along. That’s also valuable experience.

My second link above is to GreyOwl’s Customs Compendium. I’ve already linked it in his chapter, but this is really a great read if you want to learn from the pros what works and what doesn’t. Even if you don’t ever design customs yourself (I’m in that category), the information here will give you insight into what goes into a customs design that you can use when you begin tweaking.

Customs are, by definition, unofficial.
This, I think, is really a great perspective. I can understand the hesitation to tweak official figures, but customs aren’t official anyways. So, that should free you from the concerns about making any adjustments to the customs realm, as these figures will likely stay within your own gaming circle anyway.

 

[davidlhsl]

Chapter 3.4.2: Tweaking – The Power of Numbers

Heroscape is essentially a game of numbers: The number of attack dice, the number of defense dice, the number of shields on a die, the number of skulls on a die, the number it takes to move to an adjacent hex. It’s all in the numbers.

Most of you reading this already play Heroscape, so you know what the Movement number means and what the Life number means. This section will focus on the aspects of those numbers that might not be obvious.

Point Cost
The point cost of a figure represents the relative power level of that figure. It is essentially a composite of all the numbers and special powers that figure has. Ideally, a figure that costs 200 points will be twice as powerful as a figure costing 100. One army totaling 500 points should be evenly matched against another 500 point army.

But your experience with Heroscape probably tells you it isn’t that simple. Speaking just about Classic, I’ve played games where one army completely wiped out a comparably costed army because I played a ranged army against an all-melee one. An army with tight synergies among the units will likely fare better than an army simply tossed together. Common squads typically fare better against Heroes. The map design can influence the game balance.

Since customs aren’t able to go through the rigorous testing needed to pin down a cost (other than C3G), you should only use the points on a custom as a ballpark figure. The good news is that many customs creators have a lot of experience in design, and I’ve had some very close battles playing various customs without any adjustments. Where problems exists, you’ll find in most cases that the point cost will be the only thing you’ll need to adjust. As for the rest of the card, most customs will play fine as is, unless you have personal reasons for making additional adjustments. For example, you might want to make a figure more powerful or allow it to bond with a different figure.

There is one very easy way to have a balanced contest, regardless how lopsided the opposing sides. A game called Memoir 44 uses this, and it’s called Match Play. For those of you not familiar with Memoir 44, it’s a World War II game. Its focus is more on presenting historical battles rather than creating a balanced game, so most of the scenarios favor one side. Their solution: play two games, with each player playing one side in the first game and the other side in the second. Then, total the victory medals gained in both battles, and the player with the most medals is the winner.

In Heroscape, you can do something similar. Play a game, and record the winner, the number of the round and turn it ended, and the point value of surviving figures. Now swap sides and play again. If both players win one game, compare the results of the two games. Then declare a winner based on performance. This is completely up to you, but one idea is to declare the victor as the one who finished the game in the shortest time, with ties determined by points remaining. You might prefer to swap the order of that.

Although I don’t play competitively, I have actually used this idea in games I’ve played with family members. If I’ve played a game where one side wipes out the other, I’ll swap sides and play again. Even if you don’t play on a competitive level, games aren’t fun if you’re always getting creamed. You’d be surprised at how the mood of the players change when you swap sides and give the other side a chance at revenge.

Nevertheless, that’s simply a short-term fix, and most of us would just prefer to play one game between balanced forces. This is why you will want to tweak. When it comes to tweaking numbers, actual game play provides better feedback than just guessing.

I read a thread in the main forum some time ago where people indicated that they actually keep track of the way figures are drafted and whether or not they win. They perpetually adjust the cost of the units based on the results. What happens is that the figures that win often will have their points increased. Figures that lose often will have their points decreased. Eventually, the points begin to stabilize. I can’t recall the actual details or locate the specific thread, but that’s the basic idea. So as you actually play games with customs, you’ll get a feel for whether that figures is worth its points; and you can adjust accordingly.

There are more numbers than the ones on the right side of the card
Most people think of numbers primarily as the ones on the right side of the card. But there is a Height number on the left. The middle section with the Special Powers also have numbers, or numbers that make adjustments to other numbers. Special Attack numbers are pretty obvious, but you also need to consider abilities that modify attack and defense numbers as numbers. 20-sided die numbers are numbers. Elevation changes on a map are numbers to movement, attack, and defense. Number of figures in a squad are numbers. As stated at the beginning of this section, numbers are everywhere.

To illustrate how some abilities might not seem like numbers but actually are, let’s consider flying. What does flying do? It allows movement without factoring elevation changes. Flying is a number: an adjustment to the way the movement number is expended when moving from one hex to another. It’s all numbers.

Numbers do not exist in a vacuum
When you think about the numbers on a figure’s card, you likely think about them independently. However, the numbers actually gain value in relationship with other numbers. The most obvious relationship is the attack value vs. the defense value of the opponent. But there are other relationships as well.

The ability of a figure to survive on the battlefield is represented in the combination between the Life number and the Defense number. Most people probably think of one or the other. But they both work together. Think of two extreme examples: Deathwalker 9000 and C3G’s Catwoman. Deathwalker has a Defense of 9 and Life of 1. This combination makes it difficult to knock out, but one wound is enough to take it down. Catwoman is the opposite. She has a Defense of 2 and a Life of 9. She will take a lot of wounds, but her life keeps her in the game longer.

Other relationships to consider: flying/stealth flying with movement, attack bonuses with attack, defense bonuses with defense, number of squad figures and attack, height advantage with height of the figure with attack or defense, movement and attack or defense (more movement allows figures to gain height and reach glyphs more quickly), range and attack and opponent’s defense.

So with all the numbers that exist and all the ways those numbers interact with one another, problems can arise during a design. For example, a figure with 9 Life and 9 Defense will likely be broken. Taken individually, there doesn’t seem to be a problem. But combined, the figure would simply be too strong when played with other figures.

Tweaking numbers

I really don’t need to offer tweaking advice other than my rule to let actual game play lead the way. That’s because you know that you can increase or decrease the numbers as necessary, and you know how to add and subtract. But I hope my discussion on relationships makes you sensitive to the need to consider all the numbers, even if the result will be the adjustment of only one number.

In the next section, we’ll consider the Special Powers.

 

[davidlhsl]

Chapter 3.4.3: Tweaking – The Power of Words

You’ve probably had a moment in your life – either online or in reality -- where you’ve said something with one intention, and your words were interpreted another. You might’ve make a joke that either fell flat or was taken as an insult. You might’ve paid someone a compliment, and the person was offended. Or you might have said something with a clear understanding of what you mean, but your words might create confusion in the reader or listener.

Legal language is convoluted for a reason. Language is slippery. If you’re a politician, you probably know that and work it to your advantage. Pinning down language to remove misinterpretations can be a difficult project.

Browse through any customs design thread, and you’ll find pages where the precise wording of a unit’s ability is discussed. This isn’t a futile exercise among picky people. Customs designers know that they need to be precise in their language in order that people who play their customs will play them in the manner in which it was designed. In fact, Classic Heroscape also requires this precision as well.

The good news is that you won’t need to be as precise when you tweak the wording of an ability. It’s likely that when you write down an ability using your own language, you will be able to return later and understand what you meant. But customs designers who offer their designs to the general public have to be more precise. And there are many designers who simply aren’t skilled in grammar or spelling. So it’s not uncommon to read a card’s ability, and be confused on how it’s supposed to be used. Some issues you face will simply be a matter of getting the correct interpretation.

There are other issues regarding special abilities that do affect game balance, and some are quite significant. The wording may be perfectly fine, but the power may cause issues in game play. Those issues are very important to tweak. I’ve already discussed issues where numbers are concerned, so I’m primarily interested in addressing the non-numeric issues; as corrections are more complicated than simply adding or subtracting numerical stats.

When it comes to wording, you may be able to spot issues without even putting the figure into actual play. Game play is important for tweaking numbers, but many non-numeric issues are more intuitive. But game play will flush issues that get missed when you just study the custom.

Here are some areas you can expect to find. You will find that GreyOwl addresses some of these in his excellent Compendium, and he addresses many others I won’t mention.

Grammar and Spelling
Some people are more flexible on this than others. I’ve brought some matters to the designer’s attention where I’ve felt the designer welcomes such feedback or when a particular design is underway. But if there isn’t any impact on my understanding of the card, I won’t bother correcting or reprinting. Some people will notice these issues more, and they will need to rewrite in order to fix it. This is because, to them, these issues can be distracting.

The Squad Factor
The Squad Factor is a very common issue that arises in customs. Because Superhero Scape is primarily focused on heroes and not squads, some designers don’t really consider the impact that the abilities they design can have when played with squads. An ability that provides a bonus to other heroes may play very well, but will create problems when you apply them to squads.

The most common occurrence of this is when the ability refers to a figure. Without clarification, the word figure can refer to both a hero and a squad figure. If the power works well either way, then there’s no need for adjustment. But there are times when the usage can create confusion, or the ability should only works with heroes or squads. You’ll have to tweak the wording to clarify it. If it does apply to both heroes and squad figures, but only to specific ones (i.e., those within x spaces of a unit or terrain piece), then that clarification needs to be included in the ability.

The Size Factor
Most Superheroes are Medium, with some fluctuation between 4-6. There are some small, large, and huge figures; but most are medium. Therefore, customs creators don’t always think about an ability’s impact on the extremes – usually large and huge.

This issue isn’t as much of a game balance issue as much as it is a theme issue. For example, an ability might allow a figure to pick up and toss another figure. But that ability might not be thematic for tossing large or huge figures. It really depends on the ability. If you do encounter an ability that does something to a figure that seems weird due to its size, you might have to tweak it to clarify which sized figures it should apply.

Timing Issues
Some abilites don’t clearly identify precisely when they are supposed to occur during a turn. What about turns taken by figures from bonding rather than use of order markers, for example? These issues tend to occur for less experienced designers rather than the pros, as the pros tend to be very sensitive to these issues.

If you do run into timing issues, you may need to tweak the ability by specifying when it’s supposed to take place.

Synergy Issues
Some abilities play well in most cases, but create problems when another ability enters the picture. Abilities might actually amplify the effects of other abilities. You may need to tweak the ability by placing certain restrictions on it. These issues tend to arise through actual game play.

Confusing Abilities
Sometimes the wording of an ability is unclear on how it’s supposed to be used. I have a very difficult time with some of Classic Heroscape’s abilities. These tend to be issues with me rather than the game itself, so I tend to need some way to clarify those items for my own reference. This is usually through consulting the FAQ and the Books. Tweaking in these cases is merely rewriting the abilities in one’s own language.

Many customs designers will be happy to answer any questions about the way their customs work. If you get a response, you can make a note on your card to clarify it. In some cases, your question might signal to the designer the need to re-write the ability to clarify.

Compatibility
If you play solely C3G customs or Matt Helm’s customs, compatibility isn’t an issue. If you mix customs, you will find cases where different designs will clash. For example, one designer might create a synergy with Crime Lords, but another designer might use the term Boss instead. To reconcile these, you should determine for yourself which version you will use as your standard, and adjust the others accordingly.

Perhaps the most common compatibility issue between customs relates to robots. Classic Heroscape calls them Soulborgs. But when you're in the Star Wars universe, it's natural to call them Droids. Other terms that people use are Androids and Robots. In almost all cases, unless specifically indicated by the designer himself, all of these terms are interchangeable.

Cyborg is more tricky. A Cyborg is part man and part machine. Some customs designers simply use it interchangeably with Soulborgs, but some will consider it a separate designation. If both Cyborg and one or more of the other designations appear within the same customs group, then you will need to make a determination how to apply powers that reference only one (e.g., Omnicron Repulsor's EMP Response) when mixing. If a designer only selects one, then you can assume it's interchangeable with the other terms.

Customs designers simply cannot reconcile the customs they create with all of the others that exist, so it should be the responsibility of the player to reconcile these differences. It's really easy: simply set the standard, and tweak all other references to match your standard. If you use Soulborg as a standard, for example, then simply tweak all Droids, Robots, and Androids to be Soulborgs.

Theme Breaks
The Comics universe is a vast one. Even within a specific world, such as Superman or Batman, the individuals will change over time. Customs designers have their own interpretations of their favorite figures, but you might hold a different one. Therefore, you might need to tweak your favorite units in order for them to fit your own design.

In some case, you might actually find abilities that you don’t feel fit the figure. You will need to tweak in those cases as well.

One thing you might consider before tweaking is to consult other designs. You might find another designer who shares your vision.

I don’t have a background in the Comics universe, so I don’t notice these issues that much. For me, I enjoy having different versions of the same characters as alternate takes. In one game, I might like one version of Joker; but in a different game, I might want to play a different Joker.

Unused Abilities
Some abilities are designed in such a way that you would never use them, or they are so powerful that you would never use a different one. A common example is a special attack where you would always choose it instead of a normal attack. Or, it could be an ability that provides a bonus to a type of figure you never play.

Before you decide to tweak these, you need to consider whether there will ever be a use for it. Terrain bonuses are perfect examples. You might rarely play on a tundra map, but you should seriously consider leaving snow and ice bonuses on the card anyways for those times when you will play them. But there will be abilities that will always be useless, so those are good tweak candidates.

Don't confuse unused abilities with abilities the opponent might bypass through careful play. Sometimes, an ability is designed to force the opponent to play a certain way in order to bypass the ability. If that happens, it might be best to keep the ability. An unused ability that does need tweaking is one which is both unused, as well as having little to no impact on gameplay or strategy.

Scenario Tweaks
Sometimes you will set up a battle, draft figures, and decide that you want to introduce something into that specific game for one or more units. For example, you might allow each side to appoint a captain, that all figures other than the captains receive a +1 defense bonus as long as their captain is in play.

In these instances, it isn't necessary to tweak the card for future reference. If you do like the idea enough to use again, you might start a special journal just for scenario ideas.

Almost done!
Well, I haven’t been comprehensive, but I have provided enough examples that should give you ideas on how to fix areas you find. Always remember that you are tweaking for your own use, so you shouldn’t be shy or feel guilty about adjusting things to your liking. If you find areas that don’t work, you should be able to think of ways to fix them where they do work. The end product is an expansion to your gaming collection, and your tweaks can be the difference between figures that sit on the shelf and figures you actually put into action.

In the final section of this chapter, I’ll provide suggestions on how to document your adjustments.

 

[tcglkn]

Let me chime is and say as a custom creator, if you need to tweak a card for reasons other than making it more compatible with another persons customs, most of us would love to know what you changed and why. It may seriously help us improve our customs.

I find customs are a group effort, even Matt Helm collaborates with the community to hammer out his powers and produce a quality result.

 

[davidlhsl]

Let me chime is and say as a custom creator, if you need to tweak a card for reasons other than making it more compatible with another persons customs, most of us would love to know what you changed and why. It may seriously help us improve our customs.

I find customs are a group effort, even Matt Helm collaborates with the community to hammer out his powers and produce a quality result.

Thanks, tcglkn! I've considered commenting on how to approach the designers with issues one finds, but I've been very unsure about this.
Your input as a designer is very valuable.

 

[Balantai]

With the exception of C3G, I don't believe any of the designers would be at all offended by any suggested tweaks to their customs.

 

[davidlhsl]

Chapter 3.4.4: Tweaking – Documenting your tweaks

I’ve spent the previous two sections discussing areas where you will tweak, but I haven’t offered a lot of advice for actual tweaking. I’ve been deliberately vague, because I want you to take from this chapter general ideas rather than specifics. Specifics would only be helpful against those cases, but a general discussion should allow you room for your own intuition and be useful in a wide variety of cases you may encounter – even those I haven’t mentioned. I do have some additional advice to provide before getting to the main topic of this section.

Whenever you play a figure, you generally have some idea as to how that figure is supposed to perform. It’s similar to room temperature – you only notice things when it gets too hot or too cold. If a unit wipes out several figures like a madman, takes tons of skulls from the opponent to take a wound, presents questions during game play, goes down in one hit from a weak figure, performs in a manner that is out of character for that figure, or activates a power more frequently than expected; then that will trigger a sense in the back of your mind that there is a problem beyond the fate of the dice.

Tweaking, then, is one or more adjustments that you make to a figure to either make it easier to understand, or to make it perform in a manner you feel is fair. If a figure is too powerful, ask yourself why. Then you could lower the attack, alter the d20 roll of any relevant abilities that affect the attack, or lower the number of attacks based on the situation that occurred during the game. If a figure is more difficult to take down than it should, you could lower the Life or Defense number, or lower any relevant d20 roll. Those are just two examples, and game play will usually provide a neon arrow pointing to the problem.

Actual game play is always better feedback, but simply reviewing the card can identify some issues. The more experience you have with Heroscape, the more likely you will be able to flag these areas without actual play.

If you do use game play for feedback, you should always factor the luck of the dice in your decision. Consider a figure that can roll a 20-sided die and eliminate a figure on a roll of 20. If you play a game and roll a 20 on the very first turn of the game, that isn’t an indicator that the ability is broken. You have to also consider the fact that it was a 5% chance of happening.

If you play a game and one side always defeats the other side, but each figure plays in a manner that isn’t out of character; then that is usually an indication that the units only need adjustments to their points cost. Before adjusting the cost, you might try the army of concern against a completely different army, as some match ups are more biased to one side than others.

One danger you need to avoid is in trying to tweak all of the figures level with one another. Heroscape involves a nice mix of high level, mid-range, and low-level figures. There is a strong temptation to try to make everything an A-level figure. The reason you should resist this temptation is that you run a strong risk of creating "power creep."

A fair map will assist in testing. The Battlefields of Valhalla used in Classic Heroscape tournaments, or C3G’s Competitive Maps, are ideal for taking the map out of the equation.

Documenting Your Tweaks
Ok, so you’ve identified a problem area, made changes, and tested them in a game and are happy with the results. How do you record this?

If you’re a pro at Photoshop or Gimp and design your own cards, that part is easy – make your own card. But if you’re like me and don’t have graphics skills or the appropriate software, you would like to have something besides a ragged index card with illegible handwriting on it. Whitestuff has a Gimp Tutorial you might look at if you'd like to try your hand at making cards.

Although I’m not handy with Photoshop or Gimp, I am pretty familiar with page layout programs such as Microsoft Publisher and iWork’s Pages. I also know there are also other drawing programs that allow you to import images, create text boxes, size them, and move them around anywhere on the page.

This is what I do in Pages. If this process is familiar to you with the software you have, then you should be able to follow my instructions:

(1) Import the card image.
(2) Create a text box. If I’m tweaking one of the numbers on the right side, I will shrink it to a small square large enough for a number. Otherwise, I will shrink it to a rectangle for text.
(3) For numbers, I select a Helvetica bold font around size 16. For text in the special abilities, I will use a Helvetica size 6 font. Other areas of the card will be sized as needed.
(4) I type the number or text. If it’s just a number, I will center it in the text box.
(5) I then click outside of the text box to exit edit mode, then click the text box to select it. I will then select a background fill color to match the color where the box will overlay. With numbers, I also select a text color of white.
(6) I then resize the box, move it over the area where it needs to cover, and adjust the size and/or colors to make it fit.
(7) It may be necessary to prepare a text box large enough to cover the entire special abilities area, and type all abilities by hand. This is when I need to re-order the abilities or push anything out of the way.

Is this seemless on the final, printed card? No, but I personally like having my changes be somewhat out of kilter with the rest of the card (in font, size, or color). That way, when I look at the card, I will notice where I’ve tweaked and know that this isn’t an original version. But my method is good enough that it looks good to me. As an example, I recently needed to play Heroes of Star Wars' Luke Skywalker with their updates. So I edited the original cards as follows:

Spoiler Alert!

If you’re not adept at this method, then are you able to type text and fit that text within a particular size? For example, can you type and print text that fits within a specific sized area? If so, then simply create that text box, type your text, and print just the text. Then cut out that text and attach it to the card (printed separately) with glue, paste, or tape. This will stand out more than my method, but it’s still serviceable.

If you’re still shaking your head, what about this? Purchase clear plastic or vinyl CD sleeves. Amazon.com and Office Depot sells Memorex’ Keepers. HouseMouseGames.com sells a different brand as well. Print the card, and slip it in the sleeve. Then write or type your tweaks onto index cards, and place the index cards into the sleeves. During game play, you will remove the card and the index cards, and keep them together on the table for reference. Yes, these are those "ragged index cards with illegible handwriting" we're trying to avoid. But if it's the only method you can make work, then go for it!

If you want to jot down mental notes about a card, but those notes don’t need to appear on the front, the back of the card is a great place to put them. For example, if you want to track a figure’s win/loss record, you might slap a Post-It note on the back of the card and use that. The back of the card is also a great area to place strategy notes, clarifications, or tips on play.

Finally, I recommend having some place where you can store all of the tweaks you make. With what I do in Pages, I simply save the file with the images and tweaks. If you have to write on index cards or type the text in a box, you might type your tweaks in a word processor. If you don't want to use a computer, you might even just use a regular notebook.

 

[davidlhsl]

Chapter 3.5: Maps, Special Rules, and Final Comments

Marvel Maps & Scenarios
Regular Maps & Scenarios
C3G Books of Index
C3G Battle Reports
My Battle Stories


In addition to figures, people have created other elements which enhance Superhero Scape.

Maps and Scenarios
If I could pin down one thing that absolutely put me off on Marvel Heroscape, it was the pathetic amount of terrain that came in the box. If you examine the five maps that are included in the first Heroscape Master Set; you will find five very different, creative, and unique designs. Marvel Heroscape only had two maps, and they were so bland as to be almost laughable.

Well, I’m not laughing now. The real fish hook that reeled me in was the Wayne Manor Map in C3G’s World’s Finest Master Set. C3G has also produced a ton of other maps, and the ones I’ve been able to set up are stunning, as well as fun to play. You can find C3G’s maps (as well as scenarios) in their Books of Index, linked above. The first link, however, will take you to the Superhero maps produced by the community outside C3G. There are some great finds in here, so feel free to browse around. You might also find a scenario or two to try. One really nice thing about Superhero Scape is that the figures play far better on maps with the castle sets than Classic Heroscape.

Superhero Scape also plays well on Classic Maps as well, which is my second link. When testing and/or tweaking, the Battlefields of Valhalla (BoV for short) are a must (C3G's competitive maps are also great for testing). These maps go through a thorough examination period, and the ones that pass muster are used in actual tournaments. Having played on a few of these, these maps have opened my eyes to how much strategy a well-designed map can introduce to the game.

A sample of some of my favorites:

>>> X Marks the Spot:
This is a recently released C3G Map. Quozl was the lead designer on this, and he has a real talent for producing maps with clean designs, quick setup, and minimal terrain requirements. This and one of his other lead designs, Rocket Launching Platform have stayed on my gaming table longer than other maps I’ve set up. Heck, I even took Rocket Launching Platform to the park one time to play with my nephew. I just removed the middle structure and placed in a box, and took apart the ground level. Once at the park, it only took a short time to rebuild the ground level and put the center structure in place.

>>> Savage Land:
Another C3G map, with Taeblewalker as lead designer. This is purely a fantasy map. Is it balanced? Who cares? Just look at it!!! It takes a lot of terrain and a lot of time to set up, but you will grab your camera after you build it. You can set up start zones anywhere, and this map will inspire scenario ideas that you’ll try.

>>> Crime Alley:
C3G Map with A3n as lead designer. A3n is one of two people I would rep every single day if the system allowed it. The figure cards he does for C3G and Matt Helm completely surpass the cards in the official game (go to C3G’s Book of Index and check out Spidergirl). This map, and one which might appear in a future C3G release, are nothing less than masterpieces.

This Map is strictly for the Superheroes, and figures with Swing Line and Grapple abilities will shine on this map. I’ll mention C3G’s optional knockback rules later, but those Knockback rules really make this map scary.

>>> Flash Fire:
This is one of the Battlefields of Valhalla designed by Dignan, and I’ve selected this to represent the BoV maps. This map has a lot of approach routes and blind spots, and is a lot of fun to play.

Other goodies
If you look through C3G’s Book of Index, you will find a ton of great additions to your Superhero Scape fun. Their optional Knockback Rules really add a lot of fun to the battles, and actually provide more maneuvering and important positioning decisions during battle than you’ll find in Classic. These rules also make lava and height deadly. Sherman Davies also has his own set of Knockback Rules.

Glyphs are a popular feature of Heroscape, and C3G has a solid collection.

And if you're a fan of C3G, you'll find a handy Excel spreadsheet (C3G Sortable Index) created by Sir Galahad that is a great resource for drafting.

One area that has long been desired for superhero battles is a set of rules to handle objects such as cars, barrels, crates, light poles, and boulders. Several people have made attempts at creating rules for destructible objects in the past, but nothing has ever solidified. I once created a set of rules for cars, and I found designing that rules set a challenge. I didn't want the objects to take over the game. The rules I created turned out to be fun, but were really too complicated to recommend. The rules set I created also didn't factor anything else except cars, so any additional objects I would add would only complicate matters further.

C3G has recently published their own ruleset for destructible objects, and this rules set really looks like a lot of fun. You can find their rules set, along with their own collection of objects, in their Books of Index. Though their collection of objects is modest as of this writing, I'm sure they will expand this. Based on my reading of the rules and taking a brief look at their current collection, I think it would be pretty easy to create one's own stats on-the-fly for any objects you might want to add.

Final thoughts
I know this has been a lot to read, but I hope I’ve provided you with the information you need to locate and play these customs. I’m not certain what it is about Superhero Scape that has excited me the way it has, as I haven’t really read that many comic books. I guess it’s the combination of the maps, the way knockback rules impact play, and the emphasis on the heroes instead of the squads.

And I think it has to do with the great community that is here. Most people wait for things to come to them and feel hopeless when they don’t. This community made the decision that they weren’t going to let Superhero Scape die with the Marvel Master Set, and they took charge. They have dedicated their time and their talents towards keeping Superheroes alive, and they have generously shared their efforts with everyone. Their example is the inspiration for the C3V project, which I believe will keep Classic Heroscape alive for years – and possibly even generations – to come.

The last two links will take you to battle reports, where you can see these customs put into actual game play.

 

[Matt Helm]

Kudos to TinkleTot for breaking the ice and commenting on this amazing thread. I was lurking on my ipod for a few days and was afraid to spoil the creator's flow. Thanks for taking the bold step and letting us fan-boys jump in here.
"You must spread some Reputation around before giving it to tcglkn again."

I second B-buddy's statement and would love to hear about suggested tweaks. I may be a stubborn old codger (well, probably just a grey hair younger than David... but definitely older than sock puppet), but I can definitely at least listen to criticism. And I'm sure all of the creators would be thankful to hear about tweak opinions.

Now on to the praise. David is simply "The Man". The gift of gab... the pen... the keyboard... thumbs for all of you texting generation freaks... whatever, is just oozing out of this man. Everything he writes has me glued to the screen.

This is a great resource my friend and let's hope it brings some joy to those who try to step into the pool of fun that you are leading them into.

 

[tcglkn]

Can we get this stickied? This was one of the best reads I've had on this site in a while.

 

[davidlhsl]

Thanks for all the kind words. I'm currently in the process of going through and looking for areas that need rewording for clarity. I have a tendency to overuse parenthetical remarks (Don't you just HATE those? ), and I tend to use semicolons the way McDonald's uses salt.

The Batman Signal was already in the air before the ink on the C3G Chapter was dry. This thread has already been stickied.!