In 2014 I discovered the Batman Miniatures Game from Knight Models. I loved the sculpts and it gave me something new to paint and put together besides Robotech, Warhammer and Reaper figures. I purchased Nightwing, Classic Harley Quinn, Frank Miller Batman and Classic Deathstroke. Both sides were only off by 3 points and it let me learn the game basics nicely. Once I’m done with those I’ll be going back for Nyssa Al Ghul, Lobo, Green Arrow and Adam West Batman. With the recent announcement of Swamp Thing (!!!) making his way to the game, I thought about what other characters I’d love to see make their way into the game in 2015. So today starts the first of a two part feature here at – Diehard GameFAN. Today we’ll look at the Top Ten Heroes I want to see in the Batman Miniatures Game and next week will be the villains. The characters in this list can’t have a sculpt already unless the variant would be dramatically different ala Frank Miller Batman/Adam West Batman/Christian Bale Batman. So as much as I love Nightwing but am not a fan of the current sculpt (arms are placed really weird), I couldn’t justify him on the list because I can just paint the current one New 52 style instead of classic Red/Black if needed. The figures on this list are not my favorite DC characters, but rather the ones that I think would fit the game best combined with a figured I’d love to see Knight Models sculpt out. Otherwise you’d see characters like Jonah Hex, Morpheus, Phantom Stranger, Fire & Ice and Martian Manhunter on this list. Now I doubt anything will come of either of these lists but hey, some of these might already be in the works! Here’s hoping.
10. Harvey Bullock
Right now the police faction only has one real “name” character in James Gordon. Everyone else is generic piece of cannon fodder. Harvey Bullock would change that. He’s a well known character in the Batman universe and would be a bulkier and stockier member of the police force to add to the force. There are many different versions of the character from the one currently in Gotham to the B:TAS version, but I’d love to see the cops get more unique characters if only to make them more appealing to play. I considered Crispus Allen, James Corrigan and Rene Montoya for this position but they all go on to become super heroes in one way or another down the line (two are Spectres and that’s WAY too powerful for a street level game). Harvey’s the only one that stays a cop from beginning to end and it would beef up the cop options considerably.
9. Ragman
Ragman is a bit of an obscure super hero but he works out of Gotham, which means he fits thematically. He’s got a supernatural bent to him, but he’s not so magically powerful that he would disrupt the game ala Constantine. He has a fantastic costume that would really give people who pick up BMG paces primarily to paint a nice challenge. His inclusion would also open the door for old Shadowpact characters like Enchantress and Nightshade both of whom are members of the Suicide Squad. Oh, and Detective Chimp. You can’t tell me you wouldn’t want to field him! Ragman would give Batman Miniatures Game another great Gotham character to work with and as a low level character, he’d be unique enough to field in dramatically different ways without upsetting the balance of the game.
8. Terry McGinnis/Batman Beyond
Another character with a different set of abilities that wouldn’t disrupt the game AND would keep to the Batman theme nicely. I love Terry. He’s a great character and it would be fun to see more DCAU originated characters show up in the game. He’s got his own (digital) comic currently and has also been starring in the Future’s End mini-series. Knight Models loves to do new Batman sculpts and so they have to get to Terry eventually. He’d be a much different Batman to field due to cloaking, gliding and enhanced strength, but he could also be a Batman playable alongside another Batman due to time travel. Currently you can only have one Batman per team, so Arkham Origins Batman can’t meet Adam West since they’re both Bruce Wayne. Terry could make a fun exception to this rule though. I’d love to see a Knight Models sculpt of Terry and again, he’s thematically correct and would have a very different set of abilities from any current Batman, without breaking the game.
7. Booster Gold
Okay, I love Booster. He’s one of my two favorite DC heroes. How does he fit with a street level minis game when he’s from the future and has sci-fi powers? Very easily actually. His powers are limited to energy beams, force fields and flight. None of these would break the game. Heck, Booster and his force fields would allow you to try and field a very defensive oriented team. Have Booster act as the game’s cleric if you will. However casting his force field on someone else would leave him vulnerable. Also, if you check the old DC RPG from Mayfair Games, his stats are pretty low and he’s weaker than Nightwing or Batman. He’s just a football player with some tech. I think he could work and again, be a fun character that plays quite differently from anything we have so far, without breaking the game. Plus, I would love to see a Knight Models sculpt of him. Perhaps most of all, Booster Gold’s shiny blue and gold costume would really stand out amongst the pack of drab Batman-oriented characters. Booster has a long history with Batman so he’s still thematically correct. Honestly though, perhaps the most fun of all would be being able to “BWAH-HA-HA” when Booster takes out an opponent’s piece.
6. Jason Blood/Etrigan
This would be a fun two pack I’d love to see Knight Models make. Oh man, can you imagine how cool their Etrigan would look? I’d buy it the day it was released. Anyway, Jason Blood would be a good choice for those who want mystically oriented characters in the game while being far more thematically correct than Constantine (who I love as a character) as Blood lives in Gotham and has been intermixed with Batman comics for decades. He has spells but his real power with his wits and schemes. He’s immortal too so even though he wouldn’t be the strongest piece on the board but he’d have incredible staying power. Think of it as an annoyance that would merely peck away at the opponent but would be crazy hard to take out. Etrigan, his “other self” so to speak, would be a very different piece. It would give the game another heavy hitter akin to Lobo. He could also fly and breath fire, and he’s a long time enemy of Lobo, so again, he would fit the game thematically. Etrigan would probably be the most expensive piece in the game and would risk being too powerful, but I think he could work. Far more than Superman, Spectre, Green Lantern and Phantom Stranger. Maybe even balance it with a rule that Etrigan could only be fielding for a set number of turns before turning into Jason Blood. Something like that. Out of all the characters on the list, Etrigan is the hardest to make work, but he (and the sculpt) would be SO WORTH IT.
5. The Question
I’d prefer the Victor Sage version over the Rene Montoya version for reasons above in Harvey Bullock’s section. Plus that’s the version of the Question I grew up with and how is (kind of) currently used. Either way the Question would be a great fit for the game, and I’m shocked s/he hasn’t made an appearance in BMG yet! Here’s another street level character who would look great, be easy to paint and would fit the game’s mechanics and atmosphere. There’s not much to really be said here as if you know The Question, you already know he’s a prefect addition to the game and I shouldn’t need to sell you on him.
4. Big Barda
So we already have one huge heavy hitter in Lobo and I suggested another in Etrigan, but what about Big Barda. This would be a brick solely for the good guys to use. She’s a wonderful character and has been horribly underused since the 1990s. She’s be intimidating as heck due to her height and build, her colourful costume would stand out on the field and she wouldn’t break the game. She’s just be pure power, plain and simple. It would also be the first real female brawler/heavy damage dealer for the game. Currently all the women are more agile than powerhouse and Big Barda would change that. She’s also thematically correct as she was a Bird of Prey for quite some time and sculpt would be fabulous. Imagine her going toe to toe with Lobo ala the old JLI comics or just punching out the Riddler. It would be some great moments in the game that you and your friends could talk about for a long time. Barda would be a hard sell to some younger players as they won’t be as familiar with her as they should be, but she’d be a perfect fit for the game.
3. Mister Miracle
You can’t have Barda without Scott Free, am I right? Mister Miracle and Big Barda are the best couple is the history of the comics. They were terrific together, oozed chemistry no matter who wrote them and anyone who encountered them loved them. Besides the fun of fielding Mr. and Mrs. Free on the battlefield, Miracle is a great fit for the game in multiple ways. Although he’s a New God from New Genesis, he’s still a very street level character. Maybe a little stronger and faster than your average human. His shtick is that he is an escape artist and incredibly agile so he could get out of damage and environmental hazards really easily. Maybe give him an ability that works in tandem with Barda. Plus we’d get an awesome Jack Kirby costume sculpted for the game. Think of all the cool poses Knight Models could choose from for Miracle! Again, you have a character with a long history with Batman, fits the street level aspect of the game, wouldn’t be overpowered or unbalanced and would be a great unforgettable sculpt.
2. Ralph DIbney, the Elongated Man
My god, how has he not appeared in the New 52? Perhaps after what Meltzer did to him and poor Sue in Identity Crisis, it’s for the best. What better way to bring Ralph back than by putting him in BMG? He’s a detective – almost Batman’s equal. They’re both Justice Legaue members and the 60s and 70s had to two characters team up regularly to solve mysteries. Ralph also had several different costumes so you could paint him in a myriad of ways. Even better, think of the fantastic sculpts Knight Models could do with him. He’d be a better fit than Plastic Man (even though I’d love to see him too) and he’s spent plenty of time in Gotham. Power-wise, he’d still fit the game. It would basically be using hand to hand combat with range, which would be really interesting. Maybe a bit of damage prevention due to stretchiness. Ralph would be a fantastic addition to the Batman Miniatures Game and my imagination can’t stop thinking of multiple sculpts for the guy.
1. Blue Beetle (Ted Kord)
Is there a better fit for the game? Ted Kord may be my favorite DC character but my god, why isn’t he in the game already? He’s a street level hero. He was part of the Birds of Prey and a mentor to the Tim Drake Robin. He has a base of operations in Gotham. He’s another rich super hero and although not as skilled as Batman, he’s been proven to be smarter. This would allow slightly different stats and abilities. We’d get a Steve Ditko based character in the game, a fantastic sculpt (great costume, and two ways to paint it!) a great match for Booster if he was made, the ability to field a JLI team with Batman, Canary, Ralph, Booster, Barda and Miracle, and Knight Models could even build a Bug vehicle. Oh man, that would be awesome. Sure, I’m biased because Ted Kord is my favorite DC Super Hero, but there is no denying that he would be perfect for the game. Come on Knight Models, make him already. I’ll buy at least two!
So there you go. Obviously a top ten list is purely subjective, so there are some on here you’ll agree with and some you’ll disagree with. Which of these characters would you like to see added to the Batman Miniatures Game? Let me know. Also remember to come back next week when I do a countdown of the top ten villains I’d like to see
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