How to Play Heroscape

Heroscape is an amazing figure-based fantasy game based on battles between characters from all time frames. This includes fantasy figures as well as characters like 1776 minutemen, WWII airborne, Matrix-type agents, robots, undead, and so on. Also included are mini-games with Marvel and DnD.

Steps

First of all, range characters tend to be better than melee characters, figures like Syvarris are devastating thanks to his range and double attack ability. Height gives stat boots, which are easier to acquire for range figures. However, range characters tend to be more fragile and need protecting, a squad of tough characters like the Knights or Kyrie Squads. Soulborgs work well as protection too and have great range in most cases.
Note which board elements are in play and choose characters that play well with those. For example, the Microcorp Agents are awesome if there is a lot of water on your board; the Obsidian Guards gain a ranged attack in lava, and if you have a road on the board, the Dumutef Guard is a pretty good use of 25 points. If you have a lot of variable height terrain, make sure to get some characters with range. The best of these are the Krav Maga Agents, the Airborne Elite, and, again, Syvarris. Ranged characters like Massachusetts Line are devastating as defensive units thanks to their Wait Then Fire ability. The characters are all well-balanced, and each has their own uses, there aren't any figures that are hands-down better than any others. Your playing style, the map, and the rest of your army impact the "worth" of the figures more than anything.
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Try to get a lot of height variance in your board, because playing on a flat field does not allow characters to take advantage of their abilities. Make sure you build in ways to get to the top of hills other than flying--most characters cannot climb higher than their height, and Syvarris is not as good if he's standing in a field as if he's standing on a hill. Place trees to block lines of sight TO each starting spot, but that do not block sight lines FROM each starting spot.
Several squads have the power of "bonding", which allows them to move certain heroes before moving themselves. The Knights work very well with Sir Denrick here, for example, as you can move two sets of figures this way, Sir Denrick can take a turn, followed by the Knights of Weston. It is best to have a backup squad of knights so that if you lose the first squad, you don't lose a turn with Sir Denrick. Back them up with Kyrie heroines if you can. Other good combinations are Syvarris and Taelord, the Gruts along with Grimnak and Krug or another Beast, and the Scotsmen (whose attack increase as their chosen champion takes damage, making them some of the best melee fighters in the game).
Soulborgs are cool, but be warned, they are tough and an all-Soulborg team often wins every battle if played right. Any Major with "Q" in the name is right to be feared.
These guys are wearing plate armor. Although they look like apes, they are highly intelligent alien species from the planet Marr. They receive automatic shields when rolling for defense, making them very tough when combined with their range and fast movement.
Make sure to put some water on every board. Otherwise, no one will ever play the Marro Warriors, Microcorp Agents, or Vipers. And that would be too bad.
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Tips

Game types: Race to the finish, race opposite ways to each other's starting spot, capture the flag
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Warnings

Don't let your kids or dogs get the pieces.
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Not intended for internal use.
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Heroscape can be a slightly expensive game, depending on how large you want your collection to be and your personal finances.
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Heroscape is not a collectible game. It is an expandable game.
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Things You'll Need

- Heroscape can be purchased at most giant stores, as well as online. One figure, "Nerak, the Glacial Swog-Rider", was a promo fig from the fall of 2005, and is more-or-less only available at this point on eBay. But you don't need it. Seriously. It ain't worth $30. Trust me.
Characters