The Holiday season is here, and now is the best time to introduce the kids in your life to a nerdy hobby. Whatever the hobby is, nothing beats sitting down with a loved one and just having fun.
For me, the hobby is Heroclix. Heroclix is a superhero miniatures game that should definitely be at your table. It features nice quality miniatures of popular heroes, a creative dial system for streamlined gameplay, and creative mechanics. If you enjoy wargames and superheroes, you need to check out Heroclix.
I’ve tried multiple times to get into the hobby but have never had anyone to play with. My work schedule prevented me from going to the locals, so my collection remained boxed up. Most of my collection is gone now, but I still have the Wonder Woman 80th Anniversary set from the last time I tried picking up the hobby. Sad that it was just picking up dust in the closet, I decided to teach one of my younger cousins how to play. The kid is ten and has never played a miniatures game.
The most important thing to remember when bringing someone into a hobby is to keep things simple. You don’t want to overwhelm them and risk scaring them away. Start small and slowly add rules over time for retention. Everyone learns at a different pace, so be patient.
The Game
My cousin loves video games and superheroes, so selling him on Heroclix wasn’t an issue. I didn’t even have to tell him what we were playing, he was just happy to spend time with me. I explained the basic action economy, line of sight, and terrain, but we ignored her skills and abilities. We started with one of the basic scenarios included with the set but quickly abandoned it. He wanted to make his own team, and I wanted him to have fun. We reset, and he demolished me. I wasn’t taking it easy on him. He was thinking tactically, using cover, and got super lucky on all his attack rolls. We changed a few rules on the fly because he had some cool ideas. The goal was to have fun and not to win a tournament. I’ll teach him the rules if we get more serious.
My cousin loved Heroclix and definitely wants to play again. He asked about other heroes and even hinted about wanting to play Iron Man. I guess I’ll have to find money for that. He even asked me about my abilities and got excited to try playing with them next time. The experiment was a success, and I am excited to see what else we can get into.
Where to Start
If you are trying to get into the hobby, or want to teach someone how to play, the starter kit is the best place to start. The sets come with enough minis for two balanced teams, maps, dice, and a copy of the rule book. You can buy into a booster you want to start collecting, but it’s always cheaper to buy the minis you want. Opening boosters is the most fun way to get started, but you are gambling.
Wonder Woman Starter Set
If you aren’t going to tournaments and only want to play Heroclix for fun, the Wonder Woman 80th anniversary is the cheapest way to get into this hobby. I like the minis and map it comes with are high quality, and the dice are cool. I wasn’t too crazy about the scenarios, but that might be a personal issue. The rule book is outdated so you’ll need to go the Rules | HeroClix (wizkids.com) to download the most current edition.
The set comes with:
- A meaty multi-session campaign for 2 players that pivots and turns based on the results of the last session
- 10 Premium Quality Pre-Painted Miniatures each with TWO ways to play for beginner or advanced play
- 20 Character Cards
- 18 Object, Terrain, and Bystander tokens
- 6 Double-Sided Thick Map Tiles. No folds!
- 2 Custom Wonder Woman six-sided dice
- 2 All-new Powers and Abilities Cards with Wonder Woman imagery
- 1 All-New Full-Color HeroClix Core Rulebook (2021 edition)
The Wonder Woman Starter set goes for $39.99 MSRP, but you can get pick it up for $19.79 at Macy’s or $18.50 at Walmart.
2024 Starter Sets
If you’re trying to go to locals or tournaments, your best bet is to pick up one of the two starter sets for 2024: Marvel or DC. Both kits retail at $39.99 and will have mostly everything you need to get started. The map isn’t tournament legal. Both kits come with:
- 4 Premium Painted Figures
- 8 Character Cards
- 8 Map Tiles
- 2 All-New Dice
- 2 Token Sheets
- 1 Powers and Abilities Card
- 1 Starter Rulebook
Marvel Starter Set 2024
The Marvel Starter set comes with Iron Man, Captain Marvel, Spider-Man and Black Panther. I love the Spideman mini, but you can’t go wrong with the kit. Always support your LGS, but you can pick up the Marvel starter sets from
DC Starter Set
The DC Starter Set comes with Batman, Wonder Woman, Superman and Harley Quinn. Check with your LGS to see if they carry Heroclix, but you can get them online from:
