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Pojo's HeroClix "Click of the Day"
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WildWill |
Name: Brainiac 5
Set: Unleashed
Numbers: 19-21, 207
Rarities: 1-3, LE
Costs: 40, 52, 58, 47
Health: 5, 6, 6, 5
SSADD: 6/7/15/1, 7/8/15/1, 8/8/16/2, 6/7/16/1
Powers: Outwit, Perplex
Exp, adds Toughness & Mastermind
Vet adds no new powers
LE has ONLY the following powers: Incapacitate, Defend,
Exploit Weakness, Leadership
Team: LSH (All versions)
Ranged Attacks: None
Flyer
Legion of Super-Heroes Continuity is so screwed up, I have no
idea how to give you all the origin of Brainiac 5. I could tell you the
original story, or his origin from any number of the ret-cons that have
happened since then, but I guess I’ll just give you a paraphrased Whoclix (http://members.aol.com/whoclix/dc2ag.htm)
version.
Brainiac 5 is a descendent of the original Brainiac (the
Superman Villain) from the planet Colu. He’s really smart, and invented the
LSH flight rings. That’s about it.
At first glance, his REV set isn’t anything to write home
about…but then it hits you…Outwit and Perplex. That’s a pretty rare
combination, add in the Mastermind capability and the LSH TA, and you’ve got
a pretty special combination. What you do with it is up to you. Those
stats aren’t all that great either, but then again, Brainy isn’t really an
offensive character anyway, he’s the brains behind the brawn of the LSH
Now let’s take a look at that pretty LE. Meh. I haven’t
seen an LE with stats that are this strikingly different than those of his
REV counterpart. I mean there isn’t a single power that’s duplicated. Now
that’s weird. Defend is nice, but he only has a 16 defense, so I doubt
you’ll be using that. Exploit Weakness is cool too, but alas, only a 1
damage. Win this LE and you’ll probably be heading straight to Ebay.
One thing that isn’t in doubt, this is a cool LOOKING clix.
The little creature on his shoulder? That’s his pet thingy Koko. Nice
touch, kind of like Shadowcat and Lockheed. I’m doubtful about his long
term collectability, even for the LE, since currently REV sets are selling
for an average of $1.61 (sans shipping), with a high of $5.00 and a low of,
get this, one cent! The LE isn’t available for resale yet…alas.
My ratings – playability first, then Collectability.
Rookie – 2,1
Exp – 3,1
Vet – 3,2
LE – 3,NA
Next time –another of the still popular Unleashed set…who is
it? He strikes fear into his victims…and he’s NOT featured in the next
Batman movie…or is he…mwaaahahh ahhaahha hahahaha.
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Monger |
Brainiac 5
DC Unleashed #021
Ah, it’s about time DC created a wildcard figure with some outwit! I’m sure
all the stealth / Anti-stealth players out there have already started
building teams incorporating this fellow! Out of all three versions, I feel
the rookie is probably the most playable, as he still obtains outwit and is
18 points cheaper then the veteran. This figure is not an offensive piece at
all and playing the veteran version is unnecessary. I know this review is
for the veteran, but I am going to change it over to the rookie, as I feel
he is the one who will receive all the playing time.
Speed / Range: A starting six is nothing impressive speed wise, but I never
expected much out of a 40 point figure. It’s just enough to taxi around a
Robin or Alfred token, if those are your choices for the batman team
ability. The range on this guy…well. He has none, zip, zilch. Like I said
though, he’s not an offensive piece and range is really unnecessary. This
figure needs no range – as outwit and perplex have an automatic ten space
reach.
Attack: You’ll only use this figure’s attack when you absolutely need to and
have no other choice. These stats (in my opinion) can be overlooked, as he
is not on the board to shoot Magogs or Shazams.
Defense: He’ll be hiding in hindering terrain 99% of the game, so don’t
worry about his low defensive numbers. Just keep your batman allies alive,
or this guy falls down very quickly! A starting 15 defense can be a problem
if you play on a wide open map however, as he will be a large target for
opposing figures!
Damage: The true beauty of this little guy and his pet monkey! Two clicks of
outwit followed by two clicks of perplex. I personally have wanted a
wildcard with these abilities for quite some time now (in DC). The ONLY
reason this figure is considered playable – is because of these two
abilities right here!!!
Overall: A fantastic figure for Batman and / or Superman teams. My little
hint to you all who read this – Rookie Steel, Veteran Robin, Alfred token,
Brainiac 5 and a bunch of wildcards, such as Live Wire, Cosmic Boy, Saturn
Girl, etc. and a medic. It’s called Stealth / Anti-stealth and it will
dominate most teams you play against!!
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The
Honey
Duke |
Brainiac 5
The smartest Legionnaire, if not one of the smartest people in the DC
Universe. Unfortunately, these dials for the character just aren't that
smart.
The rookie is perfect and just as I predicted he would be made. Two clicks
of outwit, followed by two clicks of perplex, and weak attack values.
Brainiac 5 stands outside the fray, usually trying to spot opening for the
Legionnaires to exploit, then later in the tussle advising the Legionnaires
how to best use their powers to seal the deal. The rookie joins R
Deathstroke as the cheapest figures (40 points) in DC with upfront Outwit.
But more pertinent, Brainy is the cheapest in the Unleashed set with upfront
Outwit, so factor that in when you play in the marquee this week.
Things get derailed when you get to the Experienced and Veteran versions, as
WizKids all but ignores one of the important facets of the character: his
force field. In the comics, the field is considered all but invulnerable.
You don't see too many occassions where it is penetrated. Originally
activated on Brainy's belt, a few years ago he went through an anomaly that
internalized the power.
Heroclix wise, this force field could be interpreted in half a dozen ways.
Impervious or Invulnerability, Energy Shield, Barrier, Defend, Super Senses,
a higher than average defense value, and even Force Blast! In recent years,
he uses the field to knock back oncoming attackers. These powers would make
him most expensive, but he'd be worth it; he's usually makes the difference
in any Legion battle in the comics.
Unfortunately, WizKids chose NONE of these abilities. The field is
represented only by one click of Toughness on the Experienced, with the
Veteran getting two Toughness clicks and a DV of 16. The 16 DV is higher
than any other Legionnaire has right now, but still doesn't go anywhere
close to what the force field is.
The other travesty for the figure is that midway clicks of Mastermind. Yeah,
Brainy is a smart guy, but you won't find him presented in the comics in any
shape or form that would have you think he would get the MM ability. His
teammates don't need to take shots for him; he's got his force field, and he
uses it usually to PROTECT his opponents. There's the unlikely conclusion
that MM represents Brainiac 5's malfunctioning inventions that result in
harm to his teammates, but those are typically in-lab scenarios, not
battlefield scenes. It just appears to this reviewer that the WK designers
didn't do enough homework for the figure.
All that said, there's still some use to be had for these comically
inaccurate dials. As a wild card, Brainiac 5 is a sensible teammate for the
Suicide Squad. Mastermind can be used to spill damage onto an adjacent
teammate. If they KO, Brainiac gets the Suicide Squad version of the
Regeneration roll. If you can keep a tight formation with the other Suicide
Squad members, they'll get the Regen roll as well. And with Brainiac 5 not
being an attacker, you should look at trying to heal the other characters
anyhow.
And there's always a use for a flying wild card character, whether it's a
Titans team, Batman team or Superman team. Particularly the latter. When
paired with a Superman ally, he provides what no other figure in the game
can do: outwitting and perplexing stealth figures.
In summary, use the rookie whenever you can, use the experienced and veteran
on Suicide Squad teams, and use your imagination to figure out how good this
figure would be if accurately represented.
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