Dear Readers,
It has been cold in our world as of late. An arctic wind has enveloped much of the US, freezing many parts of the country, including Texas. This especially cold winter was to herald the coming of one man: Iceman. In today’s article we are gauging the temperature on whether Iceman is going to be hot or not for Web Warriors. As per usual, this is not gospel. As such, please take everything I am saying with a grain of salt. Hot takes are just that, takes. I may very well be wrong or someone may find an alternate play pattern that makes him better or worse for the faction after some testing. So sit back, chill out, and let’s get into it.
Let’s start with his stats. Iceman is a 3 threat character with 4/3/3 defenses and 5 health on both his injured and healthy side. Unfortunately, Bobby does not have any defensive tech to help him stay on the table with his low health pool. He has no damage reduction, no healing factor, no ability to add defense dice, and no re-rolls. Frankly, I find this a bit odd if I am being honest. For a character that is literally freezing missiles in mid-air, recreating parts of his own anatomy with ice that turns into flesh, or is able to bulk himself up with sheets of ice, he has no way to increase his own durability. I literally lost a bet on this one. This is a huge detriment to one of the core tenets for me as to how Webs is supposed to play (Durability, Mobility, Displacement, or Objective Manipulation).
Instead, Iceman brings Mobility to himself and others if he can get the power while also slowing those around him down. Freeze and Fade allows him hit and run while also granting him size 5 while doing it. I understand why this is here since Iceman doesn’t inherently crawl up walls, but I would have preferred a place I think instead to represent him speeding around on ice luges. It’s a fine ability though and gives you the ability to possibly hit a crucial slow before you walk backwards over terrain and out of sight. This ability can couple with Ice Slide for 4 power in total to get your other characters where they need to be, or at least closer. The place for Ice Slide is not dependent on where Iceman goes, but just gives one of your team mates a R2 place after Bobby has moved. This can be used to get some of our slower players closer to where they need to be or our stealth characters farther out to prevent long range harassment. Both of these abilities tick off a check mark for Mobility, which is a huge bonus.
Speaking of Mobility, Iceman’s attacks allow him to apply slow and stagger respectively and are both at R3. I am going to say this: Freezing Blast is meant for gaining power on groups and then flying away. Do not expect for your slow to go off in crucial moments from this ability as, according to JARVIS, you have a 45.46% chance of acquiring the wild you need. A less than half chance to get what you need is not reliable at all and I kind of wish it just applied slow, but that may have been a bit over the top. Chill is also R3 and has a 65% chance to stagger the opponent. Having a secondary source of stagger is a big deal for Web Warriors and 65% is not bad odds to get what you need. No, this is where Bobby does tick off the box for Durability in some instances as Stagger directly diminishes enemy offensive output and slow prevents people from reaching you.
He is medium based with a medium move, which is a huge plus for mobility based factions as he has a lot of giddyup and go. Couple this with his movement shenanigans and you have a nice ability to get around the field.
Finally, the ability everyone is talking about: Cold Snap. Cold Snap automatically applies slow to those who end an attack action or move action within R2 of Iceman. If they already have the slow status then they take a point of damage instead. This is a very powerful ability that, in my opinion, doesn’t reach far enough. I really wish it matched his attack range of R3 to allow him an area of control that seemed to matter. R3 opens him up to denying chasing people and makes up for his weak defensive spread. R2 is more easily avoided and creates less decision making on your opponent. Sure, Iceman can potentially do 2 damage to a character a turn by just standing there, but most opponents are not even going to bother with him or just shoot him off the table from outside of Bobby’s attack range. I really like the flavor of this ability, but just wish it had a longer reach.
Overall I am kind of disappointed with Iceman as a Web Warrior inclusion. He does some of the things we like, just not consistently or your opponent gets to choose if you do it or not. I ask myself here that if I can take Iceman then why not Sam Wilson instead who literally has some of Bobby’s abilities, plus a ricocheting push and defensive tech? Why not take Lizard who is just as fast as Bobby, but also provides defensive bonuses galore while also being able to push and throw enemies from points? I don’t feel like he provides enough to outweigh my inclusion of Lizard in my 10 at the moment and our faction is known for top-notch 3 threat characters.
If Iceman is a Web Warrior a lot of my critiques regarding him change quite a bit. Him being able to utilize tracker, wheat cakes, and most importantly AWU completely changes my look at Bobby from the perspective of utilizing Amazing Spider-Man leadership. You still have to invest a minimum of 11 points to turn the ability online, but the R2 of Big Pete’s leadership plays so well with Cold Snap at this range that Bobby would be an almost auto-include if you are planning on running that leadership. It means your opponent either chooses between 2 damage or a movement then attack which is amazing. He provides more opportunities to apply slow on your opponents to give you more chances to run around and bamboozle your opponent.
This is my dream character if he is affiliated for Big Pete leadership and I am praying that AMG is willing to utilize the Spider-Man and his Amazing Friends as a way to get him in. I mean, if Logan the Wolverine can be a part of the X-Men before he was even supposed to have heard of them or they were even founded (I can’t remember which one) or Beast can be an Inhuman because he was a liaison to them plus Quicksilver and Ronan being Inhumans because they are ex-husbands then I don’t see why Iceman can’t be a Web Warrior. Without the affiliation though he now competes with other characters for the splash spot while also losing out on the utility of our cards, which I think he needs.
But, what do you think? Let me know below and I look forward to hearing from ya’ll.
Till next time Webslingers.
Instead, Iceman brings Mobility to himself and others if he can get the power while also slowing those around him down. Freeze and Fade allows him hit and run while also granting him size 5 while doing it. I understand why this is here since Iceman doesn’t inherently crawl up walls, but I would have preferred a place I think instead to represent him speeding around on ice luges. It’s a fine ability though and gives you the ability to possibly hit a crucial slow before you walk backwards over terrain and out of sight. This ability can couple with Ice Slide for 4 power in total to get your other characters where they need to be, or at least closer. The place for Ice Slide is not dependent on where Iceman goes, but just gives one of your team mates a R2 place after Bobby has moved. This can be used to get some of our slower players closer to where they need to be or our stealth characters farther out to prevent long range harassment. Both of these abilities tick off a check mark for Mobility, which is a huge bonus.
Speaking of Mobility, Iceman’s attacks allow him to apply slow and stagger respectively and are both at R3. I am going to say this: Freezing Blast is meant for gaining power on groups and then flying away. Do not expect for your slow to go off in crucial moments from this ability as, according to JARVIS, you have a 45.46% chance of acquiring the wild you need. A less than half chance to get what you need is not reliable at all and I kind of wish it just applied slow, but that may have been a bit over the top. Chill is also R3 and has a 65% chance to stagger the opponent. Having a secondary source of stagger is a big deal for Web Warriors and 65% is not bad odds to get what you need. No, this is where Bobby does tick off the box for Durability in some instances as Stagger directly diminishes enemy offensive output and slow prevents people from reaching you.
He is medium based with a medium move, which is a huge plus for mobility based factions as he has a lot of giddyup and go. Couple this with his movement shenanigans and you have a nice ability to get around the field.
Finally, the ability everyone is talking about: Cold Snap. Cold Snap automatically applies slow to those who end an attack action or move action within R2 of Iceman. If they already have the slow status then they take a point of damage instead. This is a very powerful ability that, in my opinion, doesn’t reach far enough. I really wish it matched his attack range of R3 to allow him an area of control that seemed to matter. R3 opens him up to denying chasing people and makes up for his weak defensive spread. R2 is more easily avoided and creates less decision making on your opponent. Sure, Iceman can potentially do 2 damage to a character a turn by just standing there, but most opponents are not even going to bother with him or just shoot him off the table from outside of Bobby’s attack range. I really like the flavor of this ability, but just wish it had a longer reach.
Overall I am kind of disappointed with Iceman as a Web Warrior inclusion. He does some of the things we like, just not consistently or your opponent gets to choose if you do it or not. I ask myself here that if I can take Iceman then why not Sam Wilson instead who literally has some of Bobby’s abilities, plus a ricocheting push and defensive tech? Why not take Lizard who is just as fast as Bobby, but also provides defensive bonuses galore while also being able to push and throw enemies from points? I don’t feel like he provides enough to outweigh my inclusion of Lizard in my 10 at the moment and our faction is known for top-notch 3 threat characters.
But What If…?
If Iceman is a Web Warrior a lot of my critiques regarding him change quite a bit. Him being able to utilize tracker, wheat cakes, and most importantly AWU completely changes my look at Bobby from the perspective of utilizing Amazing Spider-Man leadership. You still have to invest a minimum of 11 points to turn the ability online, but the R2 of Big Pete’s leadership plays so well with Cold Snap at this range that Bobby would be an almost auto-include if you are planning on running that leadership. It means your opponent either chooses between 2 damage or a movement then attack which is amazing. He provides more opportunities to apply slow on your opponents to give you more chances to run around and bamboozle your opponent.
This is my dream character if he is affiliated for Big Pete leadership and I am praying that AMG is willing to utilize the Spider-Man and his Amazing Friends as a way to get him in. I mean, if Logan the Wolverine can be a part of the X-Men before he was even supposed to have heard of them or they were even founded (I can’t remember which one) or Beast can be an Inhuman because he was a liaison to them plus Quicksilver and Ronan being Inhumans because they are ex-husbands then I don’t see why Iceman can’t be a Web Warrior. Without the affiliation though he now competes with other characters for the splash spot while also losing out on the utility of our cards, which I think he needs.
But, what do you think? Let me know below and I look forward to hearing from ya’ll.
Till next time Webslingers.
Any thoughts on Kitty in WW? She has the speed and defensive tech, but not sure if that makes up for the lack of messing around with the enemies. Her stealing card should have been the saving grace in that sense, but feels mediocre due the trigger, although that >R3 place is neat.
ReplyDeleteI actually am waiting to test her in the lists before I put anything out. I feel like her and Nightcrawler probably have the best bet to be put into your traditional Web Warrior list (if Iceman isn't one that is), so I want to make sure that the information is more tested than hot take.
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