Introduction sets for Heroclix are the best way to get into the game. As attractive as the various boosters and expansions are the super-hero vs super-hero game is, it can be tricky to get into. Sometimes you want a board, a rule book, some dice and some models in order to get to grips with it all. Marvel Studios What If? Miniatures Game is not only a great way to start, it’s also a fun game in its own right.
In the box are 10 miniatures of characters from Marvel’s What If mini-series. We get a post apocalyptic Black Widow, Captain Carter, the Wakanadan Star Lord, Zombie Captain America, Party-Time Thor, Kill Monger and a bunch more. They’re all pre-painted (and the paint jobs are decent) and most of the rules for them lie in their special ‘clix’ base. A handy card explains the what the various symbols on the base mean, but once you’ve grasped the basics it’s pretty straight forward fun.
We also get a rule book, reference cards, all the counters you need and some chunky double sided ‘map tiles’ . There’s also a bunch of scenarios built into the game rules that form one coherent story. Though this is a skirmish game where you roll dice to simulate combat, it’s also got a story attached. Because of course it does; it’s a Marvel Superheroes game. This is very colourful, well worked out and quite easy to get to grips with. We played this with some young Marvel fans and it took them about 30 minutes to figure out the game and start running their own stories.
Obviously you can pick up boosters (and if you want to keep in theme the Disney+ boosters are an excellent addition to any collection, though the recent Asgard themed War of the Realms are also worth a look. ) There is a huge legacy of Marvel Heroclix out there, and you can even generate your own cross-over events if you wish.
The set reminds us a lot of the recent Wonder Women Heroclix set; in the sense that this is a comprehensive miniatures skirmish game designed to introduce pretty much anyone into the hobby, regardless of age or experience. The Marvel Studios What If? Miniatures Game is a great way to get new people into miniatures gaming, and it’s also a lot of fun on it’s own.
