Best Practices

This is the place for all your Heroclix rules questions. This is also the place to talk about rulings and errata to generate a broader understanding of the rules.

Best Practices

Postby JoePanc » Fri Mar 06, 2020 8:09 pm

The rules to this game aren't all that hard. But they are incredibly specific. So, some times nuance is lost and what is actually a simple power can seem very confusing. That's why this forum exists. We have no official sway with the rules or how things work, but some of us are rules veterans that know just about as much as the people making the game.

So, to make everyone's life better, I tried putting together this little list of best practices. It's tried and true and if we can all subscribe to it and try to be excellent, this may be the best Rules Forum ever.

Step One: Learn to Love the Rule Book

Most people don't learn the game (or most games) by reading the rule book. Games are a social interaction, not a homework assignment! So, most people learn the game by playing it with friends. Which is great!

Except for the things that get lost in the shuffle.

Heroclix uses some specific wordings that are not the same as their every day use. And if you don't know those wordings or aren't familiar with them, the shorthand that people use can create confusion with traits and special powers.

So: if you've never read the rule book, read it. You can even download a free PDF of it here (LINK).

If you've read it once. Read it again.

If you haven't read it in two years, read it three times.

And it's not to be a jerk. It's because no one (on this forum, on the official Wizkids forum, or even at Wizkids HQ) is good enough to teach you (or re-teach you) how to play the game going one question at a time. And the basic knowledge of the game in the rule book will not only help you ask the right questions, it will help you figure out things that may seem confusing when you get answers.

No matter your experience level, the rule book is your best friend.

You also (probably/hopefully) are aware of the Powers and Abilities Card. You can download a free PDF of that here: LINK

Step Two: Learn To Love Your Judge

Very often people ask questions about specific scenarios that their local judge/tournament organizer has come up with. And while many experienced players/judges can come up with a rough idea of how things would be ruled, no one can say for sure except for that judge. So, if you have a question about how a specific scenario or house rule, ask your judge first. Because their opinion is going to be the one that matters.

Reminder: Silver Age is a house rule. There is NO “standard” Silver Age. So, make sure to ask your judge what they mean when they say Silver Age.

Step Three: Learn to Love the WIN

The WIN (Wizkids Information Network) is officially a site set up for players to track achievements as well as find stores and events. So why do we care about that in the Rules Forum? Because that's where the official Wizkids Rules Forum is. (LINK)

That is the absolutely only place to get official rulings on Heroclix pieces (outside of official rules documentation released by Wizkids). Answers on this forum? Approximations and some times guess work (albeit well informed and sourced). Rulings by your local judge? Official for that event but nothing beyond that. Rulings by official Wizkids Judges at official Wizkids events (like conventions or even Worlds)? Official for that event but nothing beyond that.

If it's not in the rule book, powers and abilities card, or on the WIN Rules Forum, it's not to be used beyond the scope of that event.

The WIN also has a lovely Erratas and Clarifications sub-forum with separate threads for all kinds of different errata.

Step Four: Learn to Love Each Other

There are a lot of experienced players and judges on this forum. Some of them even used to be official rules deputies and thus have a greater view into the inner workings of Wizkids (at least at that time). But this is ultimately a forum on a fan site. So we're all trying to do our best to figure out answers based on the information granted. And at a certain point, if we can't come to an agreement, it's probably better just to submit it to the WIN and let it lie.

Because we're pretty good at arguing in circles.

Step Five: Learn to Love Quoting

No one has every power memorized. And we don't all want to take the time to search or try to figure out what figure and/or powers a person is referencing. So, when asking about figures it's a good idea to quote the power in general.

Don't type it off of memory. Don't use short hand. Cut and paste it from the units section.

And if you are on your phone or otherwise can't do this, consider waiting until you get home. No rules question is so important that it has to be posted and answered right that second. After all, if you're at an event, that's what your judge is for.

Also, some of us have recently taken to posting a link to the official WIN ruling in threads where discussions were being had. In the interest of posterity, it is probably a good practice to copy and paste those rulings into the thread. That way if something has changed or the post is deleted, we can search and reference it in the future.
JoePanc
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