Head-To-Head: The Batman Crew

It's been a while since I added anything to this series of articles, mainly because work got in the way and then I was out of the Batman mood. Then, today, on the Arkham City Limits Facebook group, it was mentioned that shorter comparisons of the duplicate characters in the game would be useful for folks who are new to the Batman Miniatures Game and I was inspired to do just that.

I'm going to try to organise these articles according to the different crews, just to keep things clear and prevent the post becoming too massive. I also intend to come back and update articles as and when new models are released.

First up, the big one, the Batman Crew. This features no less than seven different models for the big man himself, and three different Robins - although one of these is actually a different character.

BATMAN

Batman (Arkham City) - Rep: 130, Cost: $0
The first model ever release for the game is you basic Batman. AC Batman has a strong profile, with some of the best stats in the game which makes him more than capable in a fight. Yes, there are faster, tougher, stealthier and more dangerous models in the game, but none that combine all these qualities into such a neat package. Attack 5 and Reinforced Gloves allow him to pack a significant punch that can't be blocked if you make use of Sneak Attack. Remote Batarangs combined with Total Vision literally allows him to shoot around corners. Defence 5, Bat Armour and Counter Attack make attacking him difficult and dangerous, and Bat-Claw and Bat Cape give him excellent maneuverability. Finally, Explosive Gel allows you to take out lampposts to provide some degree of protection from enemy guns, and Detective which increases your chance of scoring points from Riddle objectives. Basically, this Batman can do whatever you want him too.

Batman (Arkham Origins) - Rep: 144, Cost: $0
For just 14 more Reputation points, AO Batman comes with all the tools available to Arkham City Batman but has an extra point of Endurance and two extra weapons which provide a little more flexibility. Remote Claw presents to opportunity to knock a tough enemy down from a distance to help Batman's weaker allies (although this doesn't work against Large models) and Shock Gloves offer the potential to rob an opponent of their ability to act later in the turn (although this is a nice bonus rather than something to rely on). AO Batman offers a little more combat capability that AC Batman.

Batman (Arkham Knight) - Rep: 150, Cost $0
AK Batman is cut from the same cloth as AC Batman, but is a little less maneuverable (Movement 2), doesn't have Counter Attack and swaps Total Vision, for the slightly less good Night Vision. However, Master Fighter makes him more likely to hit in combat, and his Bat-Armour adds a nasty crowd control element to his Sneak Attack, making him better at tackling swarm gangs. What's more, Disruptor gives a hard counter to enemy shooting and Teamwork offers the potential to conveniently trade Action Counters with certain nearby colleagues (this only applies to Arkham Knight Robin currently). AK Batman is a much more direct version of the character, best suited to being thrown into the middle of the fight.

Batman (Frank Miller) - Rep: 109, Cost: $0
Significantly cheaper than the previous three, FM Batman is based on the aging version of the Batman seen in the Dark Knight Returns and so has a weaker stat line. He also lacks technology seen in the Arkham games, and so misses out on Explosive Gel, Total Vision (he has Night Vision), and Remote Batarangs (normal Batarangs instead) and like AK Batman he loses Counter Attack. However, he does have Combo which allows you to spend fewer action counters to gain more attacks than the more expensive models, giving him a higher potential damage output. FM Batman is a bruiser, designed to be used in combat with very little trickery. A good 'beginner' Batman.

Batman (Dark Knight Rises) - Rep: 120, Cost: $0
Based on the Batman seen in the recent Dark Knight trilogy, DK Batman is very similar to FM Batman, but has a higher Movement and Defence. His Bat-Armour is actually less effective than the other models, but the pay off for this is that he has Stealth, which makes more difficult to shoot at and also makes his Sneak Attack much less circumstantial. Crucially, this version of the Batman has Arrest, which means that he doesn't need to have Police Officers to remove enemies he's beaten into unconsciousness. This Batman suits ambushing isolated individuals and taking them out quickly.

Batman (Adam West) - Rep: 75, Cost: $0
This is Batman from the sixties TV series, and his profile shows it. With a stat line weaker than FM Batman and none of the attacking and defensive capabilities of the other models, this Batman will not last long by himself. Fortunately, his reduced reputation means you can bring a bigger crew, and Millionaire allows you to fully equip your henchmen, and that means you shouldn't skimp on guns. Veteran allows AW Batman some flexibility on his turn and Shark Repellent (seriously) offers the chance to reduce the enemy's ability to act. AW Batman also has Arrest, which points the fact that this is more of a team player,

Batpod - Rep: 150, Cost: $0
The Batpod is not so much a model by itself, but more of a 30 rep upgrade to DK Batman. The Batpod sacrifices Batman's usual maneuverability and close-combat capability for speed and ranged weaponry. A basic move of 30cm, Movement 5 and Fast means that the Batpod can pretty much guarantee a clear shot on an enemy model, and it's EMP rule and Bat-Armour offer it ample protection from return fire. Once you've emptied the stun cannons, it's time to get off the Batpod and bring DK Batman into play to Arrest the downed opponents. The Batpod offers a formidable alpha strike capability to DK Batman.

ROBIN

Robin (Tim Drake) - Rep: 68, Cost $200
TD Robin is an odd character. His Defence 4, Bat-Claw and Detective traits imply that he could be used to operate alone, solving Riddles and grab hold of hard-to-reach objectives, whilst his Follow Me trait and Flash Grenades indicate that he might be best used in support of the crew's Henchmen, the Police. Additionally, Attack 3 and a Bo Staff, mean that whilst capable in combat, he won't be taking on any big hitters. In fact, given that he's a Free Agent, combat is probably the last place that you want him, and he should be focused on your wider strategy, something his Search trait supports.

Robin (Arkham Knight) - Rep: 78, Cost $0
Whereas TD Robin is probably better in a Henchman heavy crew, AK Robin actively promotes the use of other heroes; Charismatic increases the amount of Free Agents you can use and as a Sidekick, he doesn't take up a Free Agent slot, what's more Teamwork allows him to work cooperatively with others with the same trait. This is also much more of a combat character, his Combo and Shielded Bo make him better both offensively and defensively. Undercover even gets him closer to the action from the get go. AK Robin is everything TD Robin is not - he's all about fighting alongside the Bat-Family.

Robin (Damian Wayne) - Rep: 50, Cost $0
Firstly, we need to be clear the DW Robin, as a different person, can be used in the same crew as either of the other two Robins (in fact, at 50 rep, he's exactly the sort of character to make use of AK Robin's Charismatic trait). Like AK Robin, DW Robin is a combat character. Master Fighter makes him more likely to hit and Technique offers the chance to knock the enemy down, Martial Artist prevents him being ganged up on, and Acrobat offers maneuverability and a degree of protection against shooting. Use him carefully, probably against enemy Henchmen, as his Endurance 5 makes him somewhat of a glass hammer.

So that's the duplicate characters in the Batman crew. Hopefully, somebody will find this useful. Next up, the duplicates in the Joker crew.