Marvel X-Men: House of X HeroClix Previews: Wolverine, Cyclops, and More

Wolverine

Wolverine

This Wolverine Team Up card allows players to enact the famous "fastball special" maneuver when playing it alongside a Colossus figure. The Team Up power reads, "Listed friendly character can use Telekinesis, but only to place an adjacent Wolverine. When the listed friendly character uses it, after resolutions Wolverine may use Charge at no cost." This isn't the first time that WizKids has tried to recreate the magic of the fastball special, but it is their best effort yet.

Wolverine also has "The Mutant C.I.A." trait shared by other modern X-Force members in the set. It allows him to skulk through the shadows with Stealth, Improved Movement: Ignores Hindering Terrain, and Improved Targeting: Ignores Hindering Terrain. He has the "Weapon X Reject" special movement power that grants Charge and Flurry at the same time. The rest of the dial features Charge and Flurry separately, Precision Strike, Blades/Claws/Fangs, Combat Reflexes, Super Senses, Regeneration, Exploit Weakness, and Battle Fury.

Cyclops

Cyclops

This Cyclops Team-Up card grants a bonus when on a force with one of the other members of the Phoenix Five: Colossus, Emma Frost, Magik, or Namor. If at least one of them is on the map with Cyclops, then "Cyclops and listed friendly characters can use Colossal Stamina. If Cyclops and all listed friendly characters are on the map, they can use Invulnerability, Defend, and the Mystics Team Ability." No one wants to take on the Phoenix Five at full strength.

Cyclops also has a "Sibling Rivalry" trait that grants leadership and, "Once per turn, when a friendly character named Havok hits, modify Cyclops's combat values +1 this turn."

He has a special movement power called "You will forget who you are for a minute" that grants Force Blast and Sidestep, as well as, "When Cyclops hits with a range attack, after resolutions all hit targets can use Battle Fury until your next turn." The rest of his dial includes Running Shot< Energy Explosion, Penetrating/Psychic Blast, Toughness, Energy Shield/Deflection, and Ranged Combat Expert, with 7 range, Indomitable, and some improved targeting to go with it.

Xorn

Xorn

Next, we have our Prime figure, Xorn (Shen Xorn, to be specific). At 70 points, Xorn has a trait called "Defensive Measures Enacted." It reads, "Xorn takes a maximum of 1 damage from attacks. // Xorn can't be chosen for Mastermind. // FREE: Deal Xorn 1 damage." Combined with his X-Men keyword and team ability, Xorn should be difficult to KO and a joy to play for those who like to manipulate their characters' dials.

What's on that dial? Xorn is packing alternating dials where his top click and third click have Phasing/Teleport, Telekinesis, Defend (with a 19 defense), and Support (with 0 damage). His fifth and final click is the same, but replaces the Defend with Regeneration, potentially extending his life even further. his even clicks have Running Shot, Penetrating/Psychic Blast (with a 12 attack), and bare 16 defense and 3 damage slots.

North

North

Our Super Rare figure is North, a mutant chimera and Horseman of Apocalypse from the future, as seen in Powers of X. North is a chimera created using the genetic templates of Polaris and Emma Frost and he served was Pestilence of the Horsemen. This background is reflected in his Horsemen, X-Men, and Future keywords and X-Men team ability. He's playable at 150 or 75 points with the Wing Symbol for movement.

North's "Mutant Chimera" trait reads, "When North uses the X-Men team ability to heal another character, this turn that character's attack value becomes 12. // When another character uses the X-Men team ability to heal North, this turn his attack and damage values become equal to that character's printed value." Lots of potential synergies there.

North has a second trait called "Telekinetic Shielding." It grants Energy Shield/Deflection and "When North is targeted by a non-adjacent character, for that attack you may choose that he can't use Energy Shield/Deflection and instead increase the results of his Impervious and Super Senses rolls +1." This compliments his special Defense power, "Perfect Combination of Mutant D.N.A.," which appears top dial (and mid-dial if played at 150 points) and on his last click and grants Impervious and Super Senses. An interesting way to reflect his dual chimeric heritages.

His special movement power, "Amplified Control Over Mind and Magnetism," has a similar theme. It grants Running Shot and "When North uses it, after resolutions, he can use either Telekinesis or Mind Control at no cost." That's paired with 7 range and two targets. The rest of his dial includes Running Shot, Penetrating/Psychic Blast, Telekinesis, Pulse Wave, Invulnerability, Shape Change, and Outwit.

Binary

Binary

Finally, we have one of the set's chase figures. Binary compliments the set's Starjammers subtheme. Carol Danvers has the Avengers, Starjammers, X-Men, Cosmic, and Soldier keywords, plus the Cosmic Energy and X-Men team abilities. She can be played at 175 or 100 points, has the Wing Symbol, 8 range, and 2 targets.

She a trait called "Power Overwhelming" that grants Binary PROTECTED: Pulse Wave as well as "Once per turn when she KOs an opposing standard character with an attack, after resolutions she can use Pulse Wave at no cost if she occupied a square the KO'd character occupied."

Binary also has a special attack power called "Cosmic Star Power... Pouring Out!" It grants Energy/Explosion, Penetrating Psychic Blast, and Poison. The rest of her dial shows Hypersonic Speed, Running Shot, Pulse Wave, Invulnerable, Impervious, Invulnerability, and Probability Control.