Shaak Ti #20 Tips and Tricks

Shaak Ti #20
Guest Review: Phoenix
ATTACKTIX CLASS: Warrior
STAR WARS CLASS: Jedi
POINT VALUE: 40
SPEED: 4
SPECIAL POWER: Recruit (Ki-Adi-Mundi)
SPECIAL POWER RATIO: 8/26 (31%)
ATTACK TYPE: Shooter (Force Blast)

Like Plo Koon, Shaak Ti is an expensive force blast figure. With a high point value and low speed, she is a risky addition to a small team. Strikers and shooters are welcome teammates to enhance her effectiveness on the playing field. Thus, I recommend only using her in >150 point games unless you have precision aiming and are an expert with force blast kills.

Being that she is only one of three female characters in the entire game of Attacktix, Shaak Ti is an important part in introducing the game to women and young girls. Her figure design is one of the brightest and unique of all the figures in my opinion and your daughter/wife/girlfriend may be more willing to play with you if you show her how cool a girl Attacktix can be on the playing field. Being a woman myself, I think Shaak Ti is my favorite character and I hardly play without her.

Tip for attacking with Shaak Ti:
Like any Force Blaster, a guaranteed kill is within eight tix for someone with poor aim. Want to improve your aim? It‘s simple - just have the top of Shaak Ti’s shooting arm at a 90 degree angle with the her base (like an upside down L) and aim directly at a strikers chest or protruding gun or body part (for example, Tarrful’s striking arm). Viola! You should be able to get a great kill at even up to twelve tix effectively. Farther away you may not have the oomph to do it but you should at least push your enemy back a bit.

If you’re playing with obstacles Shaak Ti’s force blast, when aimed upright, can usually shoot above them. However, I find it’s pretty ineffective overall but worth a try for the first few moves of using something like the Attacktix Battle Case. Every once in awhile you may hit someone!

When Shaak Ti is not attacking, keep her shooting arm down as far as it will go in what I call her “defensive position.” This will help make her very bottom heavy and a very narrow target for projectiles. This is a good strategy if your enemy is in close shooting range. With her force blast in and arm extended she is a very easy target for any shooter. Keep in mind that if you have fired with Shaak Ti, you can NOT lower her arm.

I tend to use Shaak Ti for all my beginning longer range attacks and then have her huddle in the back while my strikers attack. This works because it leaves her one of the last figures to kill. Keep in mind you may be able to bring Ki-Al-Mundi from your back-ups if her special power is activated. I never put Ki-Al-Mundi and Shaak Ti on the same team because of this, and I always allot Ki for my back-ups. The beauty of Shaak Ti’s special power is that it is still activated even if everyone on your team is dead - you do not need another figure in play to bring Ki back! It’s a superb special power and one that makes her stand out in the group of force blasters.

Tips for attacking Shaak Ti:
With a striker: If Shaak Ti’s arm is in defensive position (pointed down) the most effective way to kill her is to strike her on the right side of her body - the side with the force blast arm. With a very strong strike you can bring her down from the front or the other side but it is not the surest method. If her arm is raised without a force blaster in, then striking her directly in front or in back is the best method. If your opponent is silly enough to leave her arm extended with the force blaster in, she is a very easy target and can be brought down with any kind of weak strike to any part of her body.

With a shooter: If you’re close up, aim directly in the center of her force blast or her extended hand and she will quickly fall back. Shaak Ti is pretty difficult to knock down by a standard shooter opponent if she is in the defensive position. If her force blaster is in and her arm is down, you cannot shoot her down by aiming at her mid-back like you can most figures. My suggestion is a close-range shot to the back of her head - I’ve found this to be the most likely chance of bringing her down with a shot. Any other part of her body and she will most likely spin around and get pushed back instead of being defeated.

Alternative Strategies
Try to have Shaak Ti the last figure on your table - this way if she dies you still have a possibility of winning the game by bringing Ki-Adi-Mundi from your back-ups. Protect her by having her stay out of the main battle, keeping her behind your strikers and shooters. This is easy to do with her low movement. Because her force blast is large she can still do great damage from afar - just remember to keep your figures out of her blaster range so you don’t accidentally shoot one of your own guys.

Keep in mind the most vulnerable position Shaak-Ti can be in is with her Force Blast in and arm extended in front of her. Not only is she is easy to shoot down, but any angle of strike will send her toppling to death.

Kit Fisto #27-2 Tips and Tricks

Kit Fisto #27-2
Reviewer: Stephen


ATTACKTIX CLASS: Warrior
STAR WARS CLASS: Jedi
POINT VALUE: 20
SPEED: 12
SPECIAL POWER: Battle Cry
SPECIAL POWER RATIO: 20/26 (77%)
ATTACK TYPE: Striker (Lightsaber)


I like to call this guy Kit “the” Fist-o' Death. His saber is as long as Series 1 Armored Vader's, which allows him to execute perhaps the most powerful strikes of any Series 2 figures for 20 points less than S1 Armored Vader.

Kit's special power also requires no special figures to be activated. Thus, he can insinuate himself into just about any other team with no problems, making his insanely powerful strike available for all to use!

Tip for attacking with Kit Fisto:
Kit Fisto is a real monster on the battlefield. He's a quick guy, and he can strike with his saber positioned in three ways: with his arm more or less straight out at chest level, with the tip of his saber's hilt in front of his right hip, or with the tip of his saber behind his right hip. I've found that the best power comes from having it in front of his hip, which has allowed me to wipe out a group of five 40 pointers and one 30 pointer somewhat loosely formed in a 2x3 column. With his saber in the other two positions, he'll only take out 4 of those 6 because his arm expends some of the kinetic energy rotating around (if it's at chest level) or in friction against his hip (if it's behind his hip).

The Fist-o' Death's special power will give the remainder of your team a free attack on its next turn. However, it won't do you any good if you don't have additional figures to take advantage of this power. Hence, you'll want to use Kit in the front lines and dare your opponent to take him out.

Tips for attacking Kit Fisto:
Kit's only a 20 point figure for a reason: he's easy to take down. At 15 Tix, a Force blast or large missile to the head or upper chest is usually necessary to take him out. However, at 10 Tix, a well-aimed small missile can do the trick when aimed at his upper chest or head, too. A one-quarter power tap from a striker to his hip will also knock him down quite easily.

If your opponent has advanced only Kit Fisto into the fray (and is still far away from you), you might want to take a chance and knock him down early so that the third attack will be relatively wasted. However, you might be able to spread your figures out far enough so that even Fist-o' Death's saber can't take down all of them before you wipe out all of the other figures on Kit's team. Then, when you knock him down, his special power will have no one to benefit on the next turn.

Alternative Strategies
Charge Kit Fisto into battle in the front of a fast striker group. Only separate him from the support of the bases of the main group when you're ready to have him strike and perhaps sacrifice him for a valuable additional attack.

Alternatively, if you're good with shooters, you might choose to have him charge ahead of the entire group all by himself. Even if he gets knocked down before reaching your opponent, you'll get another attack that could be used to shoot up the opponent's figures and formations before s/he can regret the mistake!

What's your Attacktix MASS?

What is MASS? It's the Manzo Attacktix Scaling System. Much like the complex QB Rating system, this is a detailed system that evaluates each figure not only on ATTACK, SPEED and DEFENSE (Base Size) but also on its support features. Each figure has an Attacktix Class and a Star Wars Class, and these are called upon by powers. So a figure like a common Battle Droid will be more valuable that Padme. Also, every Special Ability modification and condition is noted and taken into account.

The most important part of MASS is that YOU can customize the balance of the scale. You rate the Attack and Special Power Values, and the worksheet will update the MASS for you.

	Name	Point Value	MASS
1	Battle Droid	10	31
2	Super Battle Droid	20	37
3	Wookiee Scout	20	31
4	Clone Trooper	10	26
5	Clone Trooper	10	27
6	Padme Amidala	30	23
7	Plo Koon	40	29
8	Bail Organa	30	24
9	Wookiee Commando	30	29
10	V-Wing Pilot	20	29
11	Count Dooku	20	35
12	Clone Lieutenant	20	21
13	Grievous Bodyguard	10	38
14	Neimoidian Guard	20	35
15	Commander Bly	30	20
16	Darth Vader	40	46
17	Palpatine	40	26
18	Ki-Adi-Mundi	20	37
19	Mace Windu	30	43
20	Shaak Ti	40	30
21	Commander Gree	30	23
22	Chewbacca	20	29
23	Agen Kolar	20	34
24	Emperor	20	24
25	Nute Gunray	30	26
26	Anakin Skywalker	40	38
27	Obi-Wan Kenobi	40	41
28	General Grievous	30	30
29	Tarfful	30	35
30	Yoda	30	42
31	Obi-Wan Kenobi	30	41
32	Darth Vader	30	37
33	Wookiee Commando	30	27
34	Clone Commander	30	21
35	Clone Sergeant	20	22
36	Boga	60	40
37	AT-RT	70	36
	Series 2
1	Jedi Knight	10	32
2	Utapau Warrior	10	25
3	Clone Trooper	10	25
4	Scout Trooper	10	11
5	ARC Pilot	10	12
6	Grievous Bodyguard	10	39
7	Royal Guard	20	32
8	Clone Commander	30	23
9	Clone Captain	20	15
10	Neimoidian Captain	30	23
11	Wookiee Captain	30	25
12	Battle Droid Commander	20	27
13	Bossk	30	21
14	Princess Leia	30	24
15	Jango Fett	30	20
16	Mace Windu	40	16
17	Darth Vader	30	35
18	Obi-Wan Kenobi	20	39
19	Destroyer Droid	40	39
20	Medic Droid	20	19
21	R2-D2	10	21
22	Tion Medon	20	30
23	Chewbacca	30	32
24	General Grievous	20	42
25	Darth Sidious	30	38
26	Darth Maul	30	42
27	Kit Fisto	20	41
28	Han Solo	30	22
29	Luke Skywalker	20	35
30	Boba Fett	30	24
31	Republic Gunship	70	50
32	Wookiee Warrior	30	-
33	Mace Windu	30	-
34	Anakin Skywalker	30	-
35	Clone Commander	30	-

I find more value in powers that ADD a figure for you, or SUBTRACT a figure from your opponent, as a guaranteed removal or addition of a figure is better than the chance to kill! But you can determine what's more important to you.

This is Version 1.0. I need to update the Conditions required to activate Special Powers in Series 2 and then apply that to support units. This version is still an excellent reference for weighing your figures.

DOWNLOAD IT NOW!

Attacktix Series 2 (Mace) Starter Sets $5.25

That's right, only $5.25 on Hasbro Toy Shop.com for the Attacktix Series 2 Starter Set AFTER SHIPPING. It says Mace in the description, but it shows Obi-Wan in the image. Either way it is FREE, and just a little over five dollars after shipping.

Get your FREE Starter Set here!

SOLD OUT!

Attacktix Series 2 DVD Available for Download

If you have yet to find a new Series 2 Starter Set on shelves, fear not! Here is the next best thing. The Attacktix Series 2 DVD has the complete collection of figures from Series 1 and 2 including Megas, and now it is available for download.

Download the DVD here (30 Megs)

Note: Series 2 does NOT have spinning Flash images, they are just still images. The DVD is available in all Starter Sets, and most of the tutorials and application are available for FREE on the Hasbro website. However, this DVD and all that good stuff inside is the exclusive property of Hasbro.

Palpatine #17 Tips and Tricks

Palpatine #17
ATTACKTIX CLASS: Leader
STAR WARS CLASS: Separatist
POINT VALUE: 40
SPEED: 4
SPECIAL POWER: Recover (Sith)
SPECIAL POWER RATIO: 10/26 (38%)
ATTACK TYPE: Shooter (Force blast)

Palpatine is a very, very bad boy – and a very different shooter from everyone else in Series 1. His arms are inflexible (the better to aim with), his Force blast is round (the better to scoot into opponents), and his base is exceptionally solid (the better to send him to the front lines).

Even without his Force blast in hand, the unique cupped position of his hands can deflect attacks nicely. This is a guy you don't want to tussle with unless you're ready to put a lot of force, or a strategically placed shot, into him.

Tip for attacking with Palpatine:
In my opinion, Palpatine is the single best figure with whom you can learn Force blasting. He has his arms stretched out precisely in front of him, so that the only complications in aiming him involve angles of attack and gravity. However, the immobility of his arms may take away some of the flexibility in aiming that more advanced shooters may desire.

If Palpatine hits a figure at 5 Tix, it's all over for that figure. Even at 10 or 15 Tix, Palpatine can knock over a Force blaster figure with its Force blast out front as a shield. However, his shot will bounce on the ground after between 18-20 Tix, so hitting figures beyond that distance can be challenging if you don't tilt him up to gain additional altitude to counteract gravity.

As befits his character, even though he's a Separatist by class, his special power allows him to Recover if there's a piece of Sith on your team. Nevertheless, his special power isn't the most probable to be activated, so you may want to put some additional figures behind him to prevent him from being knocked down.

Tips for attacking Palpatine:
Unless you're within 5 Tix, don't bother attacking Palpatine from the front, even if he's shot his Force blast. Your shot will just scoot off his cupped hands, perhaps knocking him back or around just a bit. If you can get a shot at his sides at 10 Tix, you may be able to knock him down with a Force blast or large missile. A well-aimed shot to his back can take him down, even at 15 Tix. Much further out than that, though, and you're taking an awful risk by shooting at him. Oh, and shooters with small missiles? Leave those for other figures; they won't stand much chance of felling Palpatine.

Strikers can bring Palpatine down, but not without a fight. His large base will allow him to withstand glancing blows; you'll need at least a one-third power hit to the back, a half-power hit to the sides, or a three-quarter power hit to the front to bring him down. Beware: If you bring Palpatine onto his right side, he'll have a nasty little surprise attack for you. It'll make him discharge his Force blast directly in front of him almost all the time, so make sure your forces aren't arrayed near where he falls.

If you can take out the Sith that are on Palpatine's team, he won't be able to pop back up again when you knock him down. Snipe those pieces of Sith with no mercy!

Alternative Strategies
Palpatine's sturdy base makes him a fabulous choice for a front-line attacker. If you can support his already considerable mass with some troopers or other figures in the rear, he'll be a beast to take down, and he'll deploy some rather convincing firepower against your opponent.

If you can team him with Count Dooku (who will also be allowed to Recover occasionally when another Sith is in play) and another Sith, you'll stand a good chance of at least two of them remaining in play for a while, on account of the synergy of their special powers. This concentration of the dark side will surely flummox any Jedi team's ability to predict what will happen in its future.

Attacktix Series 2 Reviews Coming Soon!

Yes, that is correct! After a few weeks of playing/testing, Attacktix Tactics is getting back to basics. Now that I finally have my hands on the Series 2 DVD, be on the look out for figure reviews starting this weekend.

If you have any figures you want to see reviewed, just leave a comment below. I have some already in the works, but I am always ready to field requests!

Attacktix Series 2 Boosters Spotted at Walmarts and Targets

Here are the known locations of Series 2. If you've spotted them, please leave a comment below!

TARGET:

Fairlakes, VA starters
Kennewick, WA boosters

WALMART:

Azusa, CA boosters
Wisconsin starters
Santa Clarita, CA starters
Hayes, KS starters
Plano, TX starters
Algonquin, IL boosters
Crystal Lake, IL boosters
Indianapolis, IN boosters/starters
Madison, WI starters
Ashtabula, OH starters
Brownsburg, IN starters
Tampa, FL boosters/starters


ICON USA Orlando, FL boosters

Web of Webhead - All the (Wookiee) Rage

web of webhead Episode II: All the (Wookiee) Rage

Howdy, and welcome back to web of webhead. Last time we looked in depth at the Droid Army Faction. With Series 2 out, we will cover the Wookiee Faction in much the same way we covered Droids last time, with the added bonus of looking at the Series 2 figures as well.

So let's talk 'Tix. Wookiees hold a special place in my heart, probably because I myself am both tall and hairy. Just like last time, I'll briefly review the Wookiee Faction figures, discuss the synergy in the Special Powers, present a standard squad list, discuss some in-game tactics, and touch on briefly what we should expect from future Attacktix sets when it comes to Wookiees,

Figure Overviews

Leading off the Series 1 Wookiees are the grunts of the Wookiee army, the Wookiee Scouts. Unlike many low level Troopers, Wookiee Scouts clock in at 20 points instead of 10. This price increase means that it is much harder to "swarm" with Wookiees, but unlike the Droid Army, these Wookiees can support a variety of teams with their Special Power to give a free move and attack to any Warrior... paving the way for some of the most powerful fighters in the game to get extra actions. In the final analysis, Wookiee Scouts are on a par with Super Battle Droids, sharing the same speed of 6 and activating their Special Powers at the same frequency, about a quarter of the time.

The Wookiee Commando (#9) is a step up from the Wookiee Scout in both points (30), and Launcher strength (large missile). As a Warrior, the Wookiee Commando also stands to benefit from the Wookiee Scout’s Special Power. The Wookiee Commando's own Special Power is to Rally back any Wookiee, a powerful effect that will fire off about a third of the time. For this reason, the Wookiee Commando lends itself more to a predominantly Wookiee force more so than the Scout. While we are talking Wookiee Commandos, let's cover the other one, #33. This Wookiee Commando is available in the Starter and has the same sculpt as the Wookiee faction version, but is a member of the Republic instead. However, still a Warrior, he can still take advantage of the Wookiee Scout special, and Wookiee Commando #33 has a Special of his own, an Attackback for any leader (see Tarfful below) that fires off more than two thirds of the time. In other words, the Republic version of the Wookiee Commando can both thematically and mechanically work well with a Wookiee Faction squad.

Sneaking in to a few short scenes in Episode III, but making his presence felt in Attacktix we find the world's most popular Wookiee, the walking carpet, Chewbacca. For 20 points you get the “Backhand of Doom” Striker attack, an average speed of 10, the somewhat rare class of Specialist, and a fantastic Special Power that fires off exactly half the time. Chewbacca's Special really makes the fig, giving two free moves and attacks to your Wookiees...almost a free turn. This is much like General Grievous in the Droid Army, except Chewbacca costs 10 points less. Another similarity that Chewbacca shares with Grievous is the special all Silver Tournament Prize version. As an added bonus, the Silver Chewbacca has a bumped up speed of 12, allowing him to keep pace with all but the fastest strikers. Finally, it's probably worth mentioning that as a Specialist Wookiee, Chewbacca can be Rally'ed back by either the Wookiee Commando or Ki-Adi-Mundi.

The Leader (with a capital "L") of the Wookiees is Tarfful. This 30-point monster might have the most powerful Striker attack in the game. It's been reported that he can single handedly throw the Republic Gunship off the playing field from mid-table. That, my friends, is power. Tarfful could probably take out some of those guys that dress up like Stormtroopers at your local 'Con. At 12 speed, he's outraced by only the fastest Strikers, and his Special Power lets him bounce back into play almost a third of the time, as long as you have another Wookiee Faction figure still in play. This, coupled with the Rally effect of the Wookiee Commando, can make Tarfful one of the hardest figures to beat down and have him stay down.

Series 2 brings us two and a half new Wookiees, starting with the new Wookiee Captain. The Wookiee Captain is similar to the Wookiee Commando, 30 points, a large missile Launcher attack, and a Special Power that goes off about a third of the time. However, that Special Power brings something new and powerful to the Wookiee faction, a Recruit power that works for any Wookiee. Recruit and Rally are in many ways flips sides of the same Special Power coin. In my mind, Recruit is probably a more powerful tool, as it is not dependent on you already having defeated characters available to Rally back into play. Of course, there is nothing stopping you now from using both powers on your Wookiee team.

We also get the new Wookiee Warrior, who shares his Star Wars Class and Attacktix Class with his name, just like the Captain does. Another figure similar to the Wookiee Commando in regards to speed and Launcher strength, this Wookiee comes in one of the two new starters, and has a special power geared towards working with Jedi, allowing him to Recover as long as a Jedi is in play. Not much help for an all Wookiee squad, but a great thematic tie-in if you are running Yoda in your “Battle for Kashyyyk” squad.

The “half” Wookiee I mentioned earlier is the new Chewbacca. The Series 2 Chewie is the Original Trilogy version, and hence has the Rebel Class. However, as a Warrior this time around, he can still play off of the Wookiee Scout in a pinch. The new Chewie looks to be custom made for “theme teams”, as his Recover power fires off half the time, and is dependent on having Han Solo in play. (Han for his part gives and Attackback to Chewbacca.) The new Chewie is also remarkable for being a Launcher this time around, as opposed to being a Striker before, basically the opposite of Grievous.

Special Power Synergy

With the exception of the Scout and the Warrior, the Wookiees are all about Wookiee Power. Tarfful and Chewbacca both are obviously intended to be played with multiple other Wookiee figures. The Scout on the other hand is more of an equal opportunity supporter, if you’re a Warrior, he’s your man, er, Wookiee. As for the Wookiee Warrior, he’s meant to be teamed up with Jedi (which is good, since he comes in the starter with them). These key differences make the Wookiee faction much different from the Droid Army, which is basically self contained in its Special Powers. Unfortunately, this makes the Wookiee Scout not quite as strong a support piece for a pure Wookiee squad, as his special will only help the Wookiee Commandos. The Wookiee Warrior also adds little to an all Wookiee squad, especially considering the strengths of the like costed Commando and Captain.

Aside from that, it’s worth repeating how powerful it is to have a Rally effect and a Recover effect for Tarfful, making him very hard to keep down. Chewbacca’s effect is powerful, but doesn’t feel as powerful as Grievous’, at least at the 100-point level, due to the lack of 10 point Wookiees. In larger games, Chewbacca (and the Wookiees as a whole) can really shine.


Building a Wookiee Squad

Just like before, now that we've covered the figures and the strength of their
interactions, it's time to design a squad that highlights those points. I’m more than a little happy to have both the Rally and Recruit powers available to build around. At the outset, I think it’s important to note that we are a little limited to either 20 or 30-point figures when building a Wookiee only squad. This forces us into a few default configurations, either five twenty point figures, three twenties and a thirty (leaving ten points over), two twenties and two thirties, or three thirties (again leaving ten points over). Certainly if we weren’t concerned with staying Wookiee only, we could fill in with 10 point troopers, but since the goal here is to focus solely on the Wookiee faction, I think we need to build towards the “two and two” model.

I think a safe selection for any Wookiee Squad is Tarfful. Another would be Chewbacca. Both of these figures are massively powerful Strikers with great Specials. So there is half of the team. Now, looking ahead, I know I want to have some Rally/Recover tricks available, which means I’m looking at both the Wookiee Commando and Wookiee Captain. They both won’t fit in the main squad, but if I put the Captain in the main force, the Commando can anchor my reserves. A Scout can round out both the main squad and the reserves to an even 100 and 50 points respectively.

Here's the squad in list form:

"Battle of Kashyyyk", Wookiee Squad, 100 pts.

• 1 x Tarfful (30 pts.)
• 1 x Chewbacca (20 pts.)
  1 x Wookiee Captain (30 pts.)
  1 x Wookiee Scout (20 pts.)

Reserves, 50 pts.

• 1 x Wookiee Commando [#9] (30 pts.)
• 1 x Wookiee Scout (20 pts.)
  

Wookiee Tactics

With this squad, you really want to lead the attack with your strikers, Chewbacca and Tarfful. If Tarfful falls there is a good chance he’ll bounce right back, and if Chewbacca falls, you get what amounts to about a free turn. Follow up with the Captain. In a perfect world, when the Captain falls, he brings in the Commando, and if he falls, he can bring back the Captain again, who could then bring in the Scout, maximizing your Reserves strategy. This won’t always happen of course, but creating the possibility that it could happen opens up a solid foundation to work from.

The future of the Wookiee Faction

As we’ve seen, Series 2 has not exactly swelled the ranks of the Wookiee faction the way it did for the Droid Army. Some have speculated that Series 2 may mark the end of the Wookiee faction in Attacktix. I tend to think otherwise. If you look at the 3 ¾” toys, if you wade through all of the clones, you’ll see a lot of Wookiees. I think Wookiees are here to stay. They might not get more than one new member a set, they might go some sets without altogether, but I think we’ll see more of our furry friends. And quite honestly, if we don’t, we’ve got a pretty good selection already. Two of the best strikers in the game, backed by a full package of support Special Powers including the powerful Rally and Recruit abilities, I think the Wookiees are in good shape to hold their own in the game.

Well, that's all for today. I hope you enjoyed this review of the Wookiee Faction. Next time I’ll be talking about a concept I call “ordering attacks”, see you then. webhead out.

Attacktix Official Website Updates

Hasbro has updated the Official Attacktix Website. They now provide us with the Attacktix Tournament Kit.

The Tournament Kit brings us:

Official Tournament Rules
Online Tournament Bracket Generator
Printable Scoring Cards
Printable Full-Color Award Certificates
Official Code of Conduct

These Tournament Rules help to answer most of the questions that the original rulebooks left up in the air. If you are having any trouble with other rules, be sure to check out the Attacktix Forum for the latest updates!

Attacktix Booklets Available for Download

Thanks to Steve at the Attacktix Forum we now have all three versions of the Attacktix Booklets available for download. Once I get a better free host, I hope to make these viewable online, without the need to download.

Series 1
Series 1 Version 2
Series 2

Attacktix Business Lesson: What is a Patent?

If you are like me, you may have a ton of good ideas, and no clue what to do with them. Well, when Hasbro gets good ideas, they patent them. If you have never been so bored as to browse through the United States Patent and Trademark Office's website then let me be your guide to the wonderful world of Patents. This week the USPTO is proud to announce online videos about potatoes.

Anyway, Hasbro's inventors have, of course, patented the Attacktix System. If you have never created a patent then you have no idea how much verbiage is required to seal the deal. I will walk you through some of the highlights to what makes a patent.

The Title

Action figure game piece and method of playing action figure game

The Title of the design must identify the article in which the design is embodied by the name generally known and used by the public. Marketing designations are improper as titles and should not be used. A title descriptive of the actual article aids the examiner in developing a complete field of search of the prior art. It further aids in the proper assignment of new applications to the appropriate class, subclass, and patent examiner, as well as the proper classification of the patent upon allowance of the application. It also helps the public in understanding the nature and use of the article embodying the design after the patent has been published. Thus, applicants are encouraged to provide a specific and descriptive title.

Okay, that's the one and ONLY decription I am copying from the USPTO site. You can not believe how long these descriptions are. To educate yourself, see How to Get a Patent.

The Abstract

This is basically a brief summary of the proposed idea. And in this process, brief is good.

An action figure game piece is disclosed. The game piece comprises a game figure character adapted for movement a distance over a surface and a mechanism for indicating the distance of movement over the surface. A method of playing an action figure game on the surface is also disclosed. The method comprises providing for each player a plurality of the game pieces, each game piece having an indicium indicating a point value, a mechanism for indicating a distance the game piece has moved over the surface, and a mechanism for attacking an opponent player's game pieces. The method also comprises selecting for each player a group of the game pieces having point values summing to a predetermined value and selecting a number of actions each player can take per player's turn. An action comprises either a move, comprising moving a game piece a distance up to the particular game piece's point value, or an attack, comprising actuation of the particular game piece's attacking mechanism. Players alternate taking turns, selectively making a move or an attack, until the game is determined to have ended.

The Claims

Here are just a few of the claims that this product is unique and original. Don't worry. If you want to read the whole thing the links are below.

36: A method of playing an action figure game on a surface, the method comprising: providing for each player a plurality of game pieces, each game piece having an indicium indicating a point value, a distance measuring device for indicating a distance the game piece has moved over the surface, and a weapon for attacking an opponent's game pieces, wherein each of the plurality of game pieces includes at least one game piece having a close-acting weapon and at least one game piece having a distance-acting weapon; selecting for each player a group of the game pieces having point values summing to a predetermined value; selecting a number of actions each player can take per player's turn, an action comprising either a move, comprising moving a game piece a distance up to the particular game piece's point value, or an attack, comprising actuation of the particular game piece's weapon; and removing a game piece from the game if the game piece is determined to have been killed by an attack, wherein the players alternate taking turns, selectively making a move or an attack, until the game is determined to have ended.

37: The method of claim 36 wherein at least one of each game piece in each of the plurality of game pieces includes means a reward indicator for randomly providing the player with a reward if that particular game piece is killed.

38: The method of claim 36 wherein a game piece is killed if the game piece is knocked over by an attack.

...

41: The method of claim 36 wherein each player may take up to a predetermined number of actions per turn.

42: The method of claim 41 wherein the number of actions per turn is three.

43: The method of claim 41 wherein each player can take no more than two actions or moves per turn.

...

51: The method of claim 45, comprising: alternately displaying and shielding special character indicia of the game pieces as the game pieces move across the surface; and providing a player with a game award in accordance with the special character indicia of the game piece if the special character indicia are displayed when the game piece is killed.

The Description

This part couldn't be any clearer. Well, not until you start to read through it. I never realized how many lawyers it takes to make a toy. Again, I chopped it up here, see the links at the bottom for the whole thing.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0001] Action figure games typically require game boards for play. This can make the portability of the game more difficult.

[0002] The present invention is provided to solve this and other problems.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0003] It is an object of the invention to provide an action figure game piece.

[0004] In accordance with the invention, the game piece comprises a game figure character adapted for movement a distance over a surface and means for indicating the distance of movement over the surface.

[0005] It is contemplated that the distance indicating means provides an audible and/or visual indication of the distance. In particular, the distance indicating means may comprise an axle, a wheel fixedly secured to the axle and adapted for rotary engagement with the surface, to rotate the axle upon movement of the game piece over the surface, and means for indicating progressive rotation of the axle.

[0006] It is further contemplated that the game piece includes means for attacking another game piece. The attacking means may comprise a means for launching a projectile. Alternatively, the attacking means may comprise a spring, a striking portion, and means for permitting rotation of the striking portion of the game piece in a first direction relative to the spring to bias the striking portion, such that the striking portion will rotate in a second, opposite direction upon release.

...

[0011] It is still further contemplated that the plurality of game pieces includes at least one game piece having a close-acting attacking means and at least one game piece having a distance-acting attacking means.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0013] FIG. 1 is a perspective of one embodiment of an action figure in accordance with the invention;

[0014] FIG. 2 is an exploded view of the action figure of FIG. 1;

[0015] FIG. 3 is a plan view of a base portion of the action figure of FIG. 1;

[0016] FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken along line 4-4 of FIG. 3;

[0017] FIG. 5 is a view of one side of the base portion of FIG. 3;

[0018] FIG. 6 is a sectional view taken along line 6-6 of FIG. 3;

[0019] FIG. 7 is a view of another side of the base portion of FIG. 3;

[0020] FIG. 8 is a perspective of a second embodiment of an action figure in accordance with the invention; and

[0021] FIG. 9 is an exploded view of the action figure of FIG. 8.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

[0022] A first embodiment of an action figure game piece 10 is illustrated in FIGS. 1-7. The game piece 10 comprises a game figure character 12 and a base portion 14. The base portion 14 is adapted for movement a distance over a surface, such as a table top, not shown. The game piece 10 includes a mechanism, described below, disposed within the base portion 14 for audibly and visually (such as for the hearing impaired) indicating the distance of movement of the game piece 10 over the surface. The game piece 10 further includes a mechanism, also described below, for attacking another game piece.

[0023] As shown in FIGS. 2, 4 and 6, the mechanism for audibly indicating the distance of movement comprises an axle 318, a wheel 20 fixedly secured to the axle 18 and adapted for rotary engagement with the surface to rotate the axle 18 upon movement of the game piece 10 over the surface. The mechanism further includes a pinion gear 24 fixedly secured to the axle 18 and including a plurality of teeth 26. one of the teeth 26 has a tooth extension 26a. A clicker 28 has a first end 28a secured to the base portion 14 and a second end 28b engaging the pinion gear 24. Rotation of the wheel 20 as the game piece 10 is moved over the surface rotates the tooth extension 26a against the clicker second end 28b, providing an audible clicking sound once per revolution of the axle 18.

In Conclusion

I'm not sure if this really helps anyone. But is was a very neat find, and it gives you some insight into how the game was inspired and designed. You can see some of the original ideas, like moves per turn, and must have a striker AND a shooter on each team. Below are the links I promised, including pictures.

Complete Patent Application

Images

Complete Applicatin & Image PDF (Thanks Steve)

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Attacktix Series 2 News Released from Hasbro

New Series 2 Attackix is here ~ Exciting new battle figures with amazing new powers!

Introducing Series 2 ATTACKTIX, the awesome battle figure game!

Within Series 2, there will be two different Starter Sets. Each Starter Set contains four figures, all of which are exclusive to the set with new powers you won’t find anywhere else. The Starter Set also includes a hidden common figure from the Booster Packs.

The first Series 2 Starter Set includes:

• Wookiee Warrior with Launcher attack and Recover ability
• Mace Windu with Striker attack and Rally ability
• Clone Commander with Launcher attack and Attackback ability
• Anakin Skywalker with Striker attack and Rescue ability

The second Series 2 Starter Set includes:

• General Grievous with Launcher attack and Rescue ability
• Super Battle Droid with Launcher attack and Attackback ability
• Clone Trooper with Launcher attack and Attackback ability
• Obi-Wan Kenobi with Melee attack and Recover ability

New Series 2 Booster Packs are here as well! Series 2 features new 30 new Star Wars ATTACKTIX battle figures with new powers. Each Booster Pack includes three randomly-selected figures – one common, one rare and one super rare figure. And keep your eyes out for those ultra rare silver bases!

Download the ATTACKTIX play guide and see all 30 ATTACKTIX Wave 2 booster pack figures and rarity checklist! (9 MB .pdf file)

New ATTACKTIX Series 2 Battle Master features amazing new flying powers! Detach the Republic Gunship from its base for aerial missile attacks! Or, use it to transport your figures into battle across enemy lines!

ATTACKTIX Starter Sets, Booster Packs and Battle Masters are available where action figures are sold.

© 2005 Hasbro. All rights reserved. Images and text in this posting are protected by trademark rights, copyrights and other rights owned by Hasbro or by Hasbro's licensors, licensees, suppliers and accounts. Links to this posting are permitted. Copying images and/or text is NOT allowed without written permission.

Attacktix Series 2 - In Stores AND Online

Yes, it's true. Attacktix Series 2 Boosters can now be found on online at Icon USA. You can also pick up the boosters at Icon USA's retail store in Orlando, Florida. Unfortunately, this is the ONLY retail outlet that has Series 2 Boosters available. The Good News is, THEY ARE OUT!

Also, a Series 2 Starter Set has been spotted at a Target in Virgina. The Starter Set features:

• Striker Mace Windu with a smaller base, featuring a Rally for a Jedi.
• Wookie Warrior with a Recover power.
• Clone Commander with Attackback for a Trooper, and
• Anakin Skywalker with a new Series 2 power "Return this figure to the starting area if you have another Trooper in play."

The Starter also comes with a new DVD. My assumption is it will have a breakdown of the new players and powers, like the Series 1 DVD.

If you see any more in stores, feel free to leave a comment below!