HeroClix

HeroClix is a collectible miniatures game in which licensed characters fight on a gridded map. WizKids introduced the game in 2002, beginning with the Marvel set Infinity Challenge. Its defining feature is the Combat Dial, a rotating base dial that records a figure's health, powers, and combat state. Instead of removing injured models, players rotate their dials as damage is taken, exposing new statistics and abilities. The system therefore makes damage change a tactical resource: a wounded character may gain a useful power while losing another. Each figure has printed attack, defense, damage, and range values, but the powers revealed by its dial are central to its identity. Combat uses six-sided dice, line of fire, range, terrain, and opposed attack rolls; doubles and critical results can alter outcomes. HeroClix has used different rules editions over time, so cards and rulebooks from the relevant release govern play. The game's roster has expanded far beyond its original Marvel focus. Licensed products have included DC Comics, The Lord of the Rings, Street Fighter, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Star Trek, Yu-Gi-Oh!, and Warcraft. Sets are sold as boosters containing random figures, although some starter sets and organized play products provide fixed teams or scenarios. Random distribution creates a collecting market, but it also means that a player's available force depends on pulls or trades. A force is normally built within a point limit, with each figure's printed cost reflecting its battlefield value. Players choose figures from their collection, assign them to a team, and use faction or keyword synergies when the rules allow. This connects the tabletop battle to comic book continuity, because keywords such as Avengers, X-Men, or Batman family can support particular combinations. WizKids used the game's dial technology in related products, including HorrorClix and MechWarrior, but those games are separate settings with distinct rosters. HeroClix won an Origins Award for Best Science Fiction or Fantasy Miniature Rules in 2002, giving its early ruleset industry recognition. WizKids shut down in 2008, and NECA acquired the HeroClix intellectual property and relaunched it in 2009. Since that relaunch, WizKids has continued publishing new HeroClix lines through licensing agreements and tournament support. Modern releases retain the rotating dial, but they add elements such as special powers, traits, themed teams, and scenario rules. The result is a game where histories matter mechanically: Superman's durability, Spider-Man's mobility, and a Lantern's energy abilities appear through powers.