Post by thecasualoblivion on Sept 15, 2006 20:57:25 GMT -5
MasterAttacktix has an article entitled "Team Building: Is a figure worth its cost?". A decent article, but it could go a lot farther, so I'm going to try to do that here, based on my experience with this game and other collectable games based on limited resources. Given my short experience with this game, I am open to changes on what follows. Feel free to reply with your opinions and experience, which I would gladly add to this if they fill in some of the things I will inevitably leave out.
And now...
Attacktix is a game with a point total. Half of the game is putting together the best team you can within that point total. Commonly played point totals are 100pts and 200pts, and while there are some differences in strategy between those, most of what follows will generally apply in both situations. Given limited resources, it stands to reason that to maximize your chances of winning, you want the figures that give you the most bang for the buck. I've noticed point values having certain roles on teams, which is what we will go into here.
10pts
10pt figures are generally the weakest in the game. They almost universally have small bases and are easy to kill, and most are weak launchers. Again, almost across the board, they have weak special powers with low success rates. That being said, they can still be valuable to fill out your team and support other figures. On the other hand, there are a few of them that are far more dangerous than mere support and filler...
Category I--Dangerous
There are a few 10pt figures that stand head and shoulders over the others, and are generally among the best in the game. These generally include all 10pt strikers, and S4 Greedo. These figures are a threat against any figures of all costs, and are especially dangerous in that you can field them in large quantities thanks to their low cost. A 10pt striker can easily kill any non-mega figure in the game, no matter how strong it is. Thus, Wicket, the Grievous Bodyguards, and especially the Jedi Knights are considered some of the strongest figures in the game. S4 Greedo is another aberration. Alone among 10pt figures, Greedo has both a medium sized base and a medium sized missile. On top of this, he has a shootback special power that affects other Greedos(along with all bounty hunters) with a success rate higher than any 10pt figures. The only knock on Greedo is that he's expensive to collect, due to being part of a starter set.
Examples: Grievous Bodyguard, Wicket, Jedi Knight, S4 Greedo
Category II--Support Figures
You generally don't get much from using most 10pt figures. You basically want two things. First is a special power that is useful when it happens. Second is at least a semblance of defense. As a Transformers collector, all of the 10pt Transformers troopers tend to be rather sturdy compared to most 10pt figures, and none have worthless specials either, so they're great examples of this. A few of the 10pt figures have a reputation of falling down with the least of hits, and those are generally to be avoided. There are factions that can't really get as good use out of the best 10pt figures, and need some of their own faction to fill out a team, and those can be found here. Other figures, most notably figures like S2 Obi-Wan and S1 Armored Vader require Troopers to be in play, and 10pt troopers are a staple for them. Nothing really special about these, but you'll be using them. R2D2 and R2Q5 would end up here as well.
examples: Omnicon, Battle Droid, Jawa, R2-D2, R2-Q5
Category III--Wobbly
There isn't a whole lot of difference between these and the better ones. Its just that some 10pt figures have a reputation of being really easy to shoot down, and may have a special that's a little less useful than others.
examples: Stormtrooper, Tusken Sniper
20pts
If 10pt figures were about filling out your team, 20pt figures are about value. Unlike most 10pt figures, you can get some really good power out of a 20pt figure, and thats what you should aim for. 20pt figures often have a bigger and more stable base, and therefore survive better. They also often have better attacks, as there are more 20pt strikers, and starting in series 3 we started seeing 20pt figures with medium missiles. There are lesser figures though, that aren't unreasonable or unusable for the 20pt cost, but just don't compare to the best.
Category I--Value
Among 20pt figures there are some that pack a lot of power into a low cost. Many are strikers that we all know and love, like Gold Ki-Adi-Mundi and his triple Attackback, or good old Kit Fisto. There are also some great medium launchers for 20pts, like S4 starter Han Solo, and Grand Moff Tarkin. There are also some smaller missile launcher with great powers/effects like S3 Leia and Han and Luke as Stormtroopers. What you want is a strong attack(this includes a free small shot from Stormtroopers), a good special power, and decent enough defense.
Examples: Gold Ki-Adi-Mundi, Count Dooku, S1 Chewbacca, Striker Grievous, Kit Fisto, S2 Luke, S3 Leia, S3 Chewbacca, Han and Luke as Stormtrooper, Logray, Grand Moff Tarkin, S4 Starter Han Solo
Category II--20pt strikers
At 20pts, strikers are almost always cost effective, no matter what their special power. In other words, even if they aren't as good as they could be, they're still pretty useful. In this category falls pretty much any striker that fails to compare to the best of them.
Examples: Agen Kolar, Royal Guard, Battle Ravage
Category III--20pt medium launchers
Again, any 20pt medium launcher is still pretty useful, no matter if its one of the best or not. Any figure that doesn't make the cut of the best 20pt figures and has a medium missile is still pretty much worth using.
Examples: S3 Greedo, Captain Antilles, Wedge
Category IV--Sturdier filler
There are many 20pt shooters which are simply improved versions of what we expect from a 10pt shooter. Generally having a medium sized base and decent defense, along with a special power that generally comes up white a lot more often. These don't really compare to the more powerful figures, but don't really put a huge drain on your team either.
Examples: Super Battle Droid, Rodimus, S4 Imperial Officer
Category V--Crap
Moving up to more expensive figures, we start finding some that just aren't worth 20pts. Small missiles, the small and unsturdy bases and lackluster powers are the order of the day. An example of this is the Wookie Scout. While not useless per se, its a big target that can be knocked down with most any hit, and is a bit too expensive for what it is.
Examples: V-Wing Pilot, Wookie Scout
30pts
At 30pts, we start seeing the most powerful figures in the game that teams are based around, though not all 30pt figures live up to this standard. At 30pts, we start seeing figures that not only have strong attacks but have fantastic special powers that come up white a great deal of the time. Most of the power in your lineup can be found in this price range.
Category I--Powerhouses
What you want for 30pts is a really dangerous figure that can cause serious damage, and can be the backbone of your team. This can be a strong striker that has a high % recover like Luke or Obi-Wan, or General Grievous and his excellent missile, or a game changing figure like Yoda.
Examples: S2 Starter Obi-Wan, S3 Luke, Yoda, IG-88, S1 or S2 General Grievous(launcher), Overhaul, Super Optimus Prime(truck)
Category II--Strong
Below the top line of 30pt figures are strong figures who just aren't the best. Examples would be Striker Mace Windu with less of a recover rate than Luke or Kenobi, or Landmine and Scorponok from Transformers, or some of the medium launchers like S4 Endor Han Solo. Mostly what separates these figures are having less useful and more infrequent special powers. These are still powerful figures, but they cost a decent amount and don't have the bang of the really good 20pt and 30pt figures
Examples: Mace Windu(striker), Scorponok, S4 Endor Han Solo, S4 Endor Luke, Admiral Ackbar, S3 Obi-Wan
Category III--Garbage
For 30pts, you really start finding some bad figures. Bail Organa and Padme are two of the least regarded figures in all of Attacktix. A small missile just isn't good enough for a 30pt figure. Some figures have weak attacks, or special powers that are never useful, or can be knocked over by a stiff breeze. You shouldn't be paying 30pts for any of those.
40pts
There's a lot of argument whether 40pt figures are useful at all. Particularly in 100pt teams, 40pts is just too big of a slice of your point total to really be effective. For 40pts, you could have two powerful 20pt figures. Two Kit Fistos, or two Grand Moff Tarkins are generally better than any 40pt figure. At 200pts, since you are still limited to two attacks per turn, you can get some use out of the expensive ones, but they still are a bit expensive. There are some 40pt figures that stand out though. Almost all 40pt figures are strong figures. I divide them into two groups, those that are worth 40pts, and compare well to having several lesser figures adding up to 40pts, and those that are not.
Category I--Dominators
I really would only put four(maybe five) figures in this category. The Destroyer Droid, Super Optimus Prime, S1 Armored Vader and S4 Armored Vader. These figures combine the best defensive capabilities in the game with very strong attacks and powers. The Destroyer Droid is the only non-mega figure that can attack more than once, and even with small missiles, is worth a look at 40pts. Super Optimus Prime is the most difficult to knock over figure in the entire game(the gold one even has a 30% recover rate), and has the largest and heaviest missile in the game. While it works best at short range, it has the same if not a better trajectory than SW force blast figures and hits a lot harder, and is powerful enough not only to break formations, but to occasionally kill multiple figures in those formations. Super Optimus Prime can also be brought into play for 30pts using the Truck, and while it can fail, its usually reliable. S1 and S4 Darth Vader give you great defense with his cape deflecting missiles, and a high percentage recover, either with troopers or anything depending on which. S1 is a Sith and requires troopers, S4 is Empire and can recover with any figure. You could add S4 Gold Vader to this, but I would only consider Gold Vader in this category for 200pt games with piles of Empire figures.
These figures among the 40pt figures, seem to justify their 40pts. The Destroyer Droid is tough and attacks twice, Super Optimus Prime has the best defense in the game, an astoundingly powerful shot, and the almost unique ability to get multiple kills on formations, and the Armored Vaders are a very fast and strong striker with both incredible defense and a high percentage recover. These live up to their cost.
Examples: Destroyer Droid, Super Optimus Prime, S1 Darth Vader, S4 Darth Vader
Category II--Marginally useful powerhouses
Here we find the 40pt force blasters and Transformers Energy Blast figures, as well as a few figures with unusual attacks. Force blasts are generally a stronger attack than given credit for. Its a heavy missile which packs a punch, and while aiming can be tricky at longer ranges, it can be learned. The problem is whether one of these force blasters can compare to a pair of Kit Fistos or Grand Moff Tarkins, or to compare to four Jedi Knights or Greedos. As good as any of the force blasts are, they aren't a good value. With Transformers we have the energy blasts, which are stronger and hit better at long range than the force blasts. The two best of these, Excellion and Megatron, are among the better defensive figures in the game, as both have a fantastic defensive stance with the missile loaded, and are still very sturdy after a shot compared to other figures. These compare well with the 10pt and 20pt Transformers, but not with the best 20pt figures from Star Wars and definitely not with four Greedos or Jedi Knights. Chirpa, Slave Leia, and flying Fett can be interesting, but generally again aren't worth the cost.
Examples--Palpatine, Force Blast Luke, Gold Megatron, Slave Leia.
----End of Guide----
Again feel free to comment on any of this. Good points will be added to this guide, I'm surely not familiar enough with the older Star Wars figures to cover everything.
And now...
Attacktix is a game with a point total. Half of the game is putting together the best team you can within that point total. Commonly played point totals are 100pts and 200pts, and while there are some differences in strategy between those, most of what follows will generally apply in both situations. Given limited resources, it stands to reason that to maximize your chances of winning, you want the figures that give you the most bang for the buck. I've noticed point values having certain roles on teams, which is what we will go into here.
10pts
10pt figures are generally the weakest in the game. They almost universally have small bases and are easy to kill, and most are weak launchers. Again, almost across the board, they have weak special powers with low success rates. That being said, they can still be valuable to fill out your team and support other figures. On the other hand, there are a few of them that are far more dangerous than mere support and filler...
Category I--Dangerous
There are a few 10pt figures that stand head and shoulders over the others, and are generally among the best in the game. These generally include all 10pt strikers, and S4 Greedo. These figures are a threat against any figures of all costs, and are especially dangerous in that you can field them in large quantities thanks to their low cost. A 10pt striker can easily kill any non-mega figure in the game, no matter how strong it is. Thus, Wicket, the Grievous Bodyguards, and especially the Jedi Knights are considered some of the strongest figures in the game. S4 Greedo is another aberration. Alone among 10pt figures, Greedo has both a medium sized base and a medium sized missile. On top of this, he has a shootback special power that affects other Greedos(along with all bounty hunters) with a success rate higher than any 10pt figures. The only knock on Greedo is that he's expensive to collect, due to being part of a starter set.
Examples: Grievous Bodyguard, Wicket, Jedi Knight, S4 Greedo
Category II--Support Figures
You generally don't get much from using most 10pt figures. You basically want two things. First is a special power that is useful when it happens. Second is at least a semblance of defense. As a Transformers collector, all of the 10pt Transformers troopers tend to be rather sturdy compared to most 10pt figures, and none have worthless specials either, so they're great examples of this. A few of the 10pt figures have a reputation of falling down with the least of hits, and those are generally to be avoided. There are factions that can't really get as good use out of the best 10pt figures, and need some of their own faction to fill out a team, and those can be found here. Other figures, most notably figures like S2 Obi-Wan and S1 Armored Vader require Troopers to be in play, and 10pt troopers are a staple for them. Nothing really special about these, but you'll be using them. R2D2 and R2Q5 would end up here as well.
examples: Omnicon, Battle Droid, Jawa, R2-D2, R2-Q5
Category III--Wobbly
There isn't a whole lot of difference between these and the better ones. Its just that some 10pt figures have a reputation of being really easy to shoot down, and may have a special that's a little less useful than others.
examples: Stormtrooper, Tusken Sniper
20pts
If 10pt figures were about filling out your team, 20pt figures are about value. Unlike most 10pt figures, you can get some really good power out of a 20pt figure, and thats what you should aim for. 20pt figures often have a bigger and more stable base, and therefore survive better. They also often have better attacks, as there are more 20pt strikers, and starting in series 3 we started seeing 20pt figures with medium missiles. There are lesser figures though, that aren't unreasonable or unusable for the 20pt cost, but just don't compare to the best.
Category I--Value
Among 20pt figures there are some that pack a lot of power into a low cost. Many are strikers that we all know and love, like Gold Ki-Adi-Mundi and his triple Attackback, or good old Kit Fisto. There are also some great medium launchers for 20pts, like S4 starter Han Solo, and Grand Moff Tarkin. There are also some smaller missile launcher with great powers/effects like S3 Leia and Han and Luke as Stormtroopers. What you want is a strong attack(this includes a free small shot from Stormtroopers), a good special power, and decent enough defense.
Examples: Gold Ki-Adi-Mundi, Count Dooku, S1 Chewbacca, Striker Grievous, Kit Fisto, S2 Luke, S3 Leia, S3 Chewbacca, Han and Luke as Stormtrooper, Logray, Grand Moff Tarkin, S4 Starter Han Solo
Category II--20pt strikers
At 20pts, strikers are almost always cost effective, no matter what their special power. In other words, even if they aren't as good as they could be, they're still pretty useful. In this category falls pretty much any striker that fails to compare to the best of them.
Examples: Agen Kolar, Royal Guard, Battle Ravage
Category III--20pt medium launchers
Again, any 20pt medium launcher is still pretty useful, no matter if its one of the best or not. Any figure that doesn't make the cut of the best 20pt figures and has a medium missile is still pretty much worth using.
Examples: S3 Greedo, Captain Antilles, Wedge
Category IV--Sturdier filler
There are many 20pt shooters which are simply improved versions of what we expect from a 10pt shooter. Generally having a medium sized base and decent defense, along with a special power that generally comes up white a lot more often. These don't really compare to the more powerful figures, but don't really put a huge drain on your team either.
Examples: Super Battle Droid, Rodimus, S4 Imperial Officer
Category V--Crap
Moving up to more expensive figures, we start finding some that just aren't worth 20pts. Small missiles, the small and unsturdy bases and lackluster powers are the order of the day. An example of this is the Wookie Scout. While not useless per se, its a big target that can be knocked down with most any hit, and is a bit too expensive for what it is.
Examples: V-Wing Pilot, Wookie Scout
30pts
At 30pts, we start seeing the most powerful figures in the game that teams are based around, though not all 30pt figures live up to this standard. At 30pts, we start seeing figures that not only have strong attacks but have fantastic special powers that come up white a great deal of the time. Most of the power in your lineup can be found in this price range.
Category I--Powerhouses
What you want for 30pts is a really dangerous figure that can cause serious damage, and can be the backbone of your team. This can be a strong striker that has a high % recover like Luke or Obi-Wan, or General Grievous and his excellent missile, or a game changing figure like Yoda.
Examples: S2 Starter Obi-Wan, S3 Luke, Yoda, IG-88, S1 or S2 General Grievous(launcher), Overhaul, Super Optimus Prime(truck)
Category II--Strong
Below the top line of 30pt figures are strong figures who just aren't the best. Examples would be Striker Mace Windu with less of a recover rate than Luke or Kenobi, or Landmine and Scorponok from Transformers, or some of the medium launchers like S4 Endor Han Solo. Mostly what separates these figures are having less useful and more infrequent special powers. These are still powerful figures, but they cost a decent amount and don't have the bang of the really good 20pt and 30pt figures
Examples: Mace Windu(striker), Scorponok, S4 Endor Han Solo, S4 Endor Luke, Admiral Ackbar, S3 Obi-Wan
Category III--Garbage
For 30pts, you really start finding some bad figures. Bail Organa and Padme are two of the least regarded figures in all of Attacktix. A small missile just isn't good enough for a 30pt figure. Some figures have weak attacks, or special powers that are never useful, or can be knocked over by a stiff breeze. You shouldn't be paying 30pts for any of those.
40pts
There's a lot of argument whether 40pt figures are useful at all. Particularly in 100pt teams, 40pts is just too big of a slice of your point total to really be effective. For 40pts, you could have two powerful 20pt figures. Two Kit Fistos, or two Grand Moff Tarkins are generally better than any 40pt figure. At 200pts, since you are still limited to two attacks per turn, you can get some use out of the expensive ones, but they still are a bit expensive. There are some 40pt figures that stand out though. Almost all 40pt figures are strong figures. I divide them into two groups, those that are worth 40pts, and compare well to having several lesser figures adding up to 40pts, and those that are not.
Category I--Dominators
I really would only put four(maybe five) figures in this category. The Destroyer Droid, Super Optimus Prime, S1 Armored Vader and S4 Armored Vader. These figures combine the best defensive capabilities in the game with very strong attacks and powers. The Destroyer Droid is the only non-mega figure that can attack more than once, and even with small missiles, is worth a look at 40pts. Super Optimus Prime is the most difficult to knock over figure in the entire game(the gold one even has a 30% recover rate), and has the largest and heaviest missile in the game. While it works best at short range, it has the same if not a better trajectory than SW force blast figures and hits a lot harder, and is powerful enough not only to break formations, but to occasionally kill multiple figures in those formations. Super Optimus Prime can also be brought into play for 30pts using the Truck, and while it can fail, its usually reliable. S1 and S4 Darth Vader give you great defense with his cape deflecting missiles, and a high percentage recover, either with troopers or anything depending on which. S1 is a Sith and requires troopers, S4 is Empire and can recover with any figure. You could add S4 Gold Vader to this, but I would only consider Gold Vader in this category for 200pt games with piles of Empire figures.
These figures among the 40pt figures, seem to justify their 40pts. The Destroyer Droid is tough and attacks twice, Super Optimus Prime has the best defense in the game, an astoundingly powerful shot, and the almost unique ability to get multiple kills on formations, and the Armored Vaders are a very fast and strong striker with both incredible defense and a high percentage recover. These live up to their cost.
Examples: Destroyer Droid, Super Optimus Prime, S1 Darth Vader, S4 Darth Vader
Category II--Marginally useful powerhouses
Here we find the 40pt force blasters and Transformers Energy Blast figures, as well as a few figures with unusual attacks. Force blasts are generally a stronger attack than given credit for. Its a heavy missile which packs a punch, and while aiming can be tricky at longer ranges, it can be learned. The problem is whether one of these force blasters can compare to a pair of Kit Fistos or Grand Moff Tarkins, or to compare to four Jedi Knights or Greedos. As good as any of the force blasts are, they aren't a good value. With Transformers we have the energy blasts, which are stronger and hit better at long range than the force blasts. The two best of these, Excellion and Megatron, are among the better defensive figures in the game, as both have a fantastic defensive stance with the missile loaded, and are still very sturdy after a shot compared to other figures. These compare well with the 10pt and 20pt Transformers, but not with the best 20pt figures from Star Wars and definitely not with four Greedos or Jedi Knights. Chirpa, Slave Leia, and flying Fett can be interesting, but generally again aren't worth the cost.
Examples--Palpatine, Force Blast Luke, Gold Megatron, Slave Leia.
----End of Guide----
Again feel free to comment on any of this. Good points will be added to this guide, I'm surely not familiar enough with the older Star Wars figures to cover everything.
