Crew Review: Batman

On occasion, I'll review the various crews of BMG and describe what I perceive as their strengths, weaknesses, general play styles, and perhaps some crew building ideas. This, of course, will be a massive generalization, as the crews vary drastically depending on who your boss is. Also, this is just my humble opinion, so it may not count for much. Constructive comments are always welcome.

Starting off this series: the Batman Crew

Strengths
Versatility - A Batman crew probably has the most varied access to leaders, sidekicks, and free agents. To begin with, there are 6 versions of Batman (7 if you count the Batpod), 3 Robins, and a whole rogues gallery of others. Even Arkham Bane and Mr. Freeze can be included in this crew as a free agent due to the affinity rule.

Mobility - All of the leaders, and most of the sidekicks, bring along their own Batclaw. These things are freakin' awesome! They allow the character 30cm of movement, so long as they can change elevation. All versions of Batman have this rule, as well as all Robins, Nightwing, and Batgirl/woman. In theory, you could have 3-4 cable-swinging heroes beating up your opponents, and that's nothing to sneeze at.

Iconic - Not really a "Strength", but definitely a reason to collect a Batman crew. The game is called "Batman Miniature Game" for a reason.

Weaknesses
Glass Cannons - Unfortunately, all that mobility means very little staying power. Even Arkham Knight Batman, which weighs in at 150 rep, can find himself overwhelmed if he's not too careful, especially when outnumbered. Some free agents, like Bane and Swamp Thing, can shore up these weakness. But this seems to be the exception, not the norm.

Elites - While the selection of leaders, sidekicks, and free agents is pretty diverse, the selection for Henchmen is actually pretty slack compared to other crews. This tends to make Batman crews run fewer, but better skilled, models. Theoretically, you could run Gordan as your boss, then take a bunch of GCPD. But if you're going to do that, you might as well play into the Law Forces crew, where Gordon is a Leader and not a Sidekick. That's a discussion for another time, however.

Forming a Crew
This is the hardest part of any crew, but it's especially hard in a Batman crew since you have so many options to choose from. Not only do you have 6 Batmans to choose from, you have a nice selection of sidekicks to lead as well. So, instead of going through each one, I'll put together a 300 rep crew and explain my reasons for it.

Leader - Arkham City Batman - 130 rep
I think this Batman is the most Batman for your money. No combo strikes, but he does have Total Vision, remote-control Batarangs, attack and defense of 5, and the MKI Bat-armor. Arkham Origins Batman seems to be better overall, but at 144 rep, he seems too much.

Sidekick - Commissioner Gordon - 70 rep/$200
The more I looked at good ole Jim, the more I liked him. Although his base stats are pretty lousy, his Kevlar vest makes him fairly durable, plus he brings a slew of rules like Veteran, Take Cover!, Elite Boss: SWAT, and Air Support, and that makes him very valuable. Gordon's job is in a support role, not as an ass-beater. It also gives us a second model with Detective, leaving Batman to do what he does best.

Henchmen
SWAT: Alpha - 38/$500
SWAT: Delta - 33/$300
Agent O'Connel

I REALLY wish Alpha had an assault rifle, but the automatic rifle will have to do. This will give you a descent medium-range shooter, but he doesn't have much ammo, so bring along an ammo crate. Delta is along to protect Gordan and the the other cops, and O'Connel is there to fill out the points, and gives you a reach attack with 2 stun damage and Crt:Shock. Plus, he doesn't have a $ cost, and we're out of money at this point

This crew comes in at exactly 300 rep and all cash spent. It's kind of iconic, with Batman leading a group of overwhelmed GCPD officer along Gordon. Everyone has the Arrest rule, you have 2 detectives, some ranged fire, some defensive utility, and, of course, the Bat. It is kind of light on model count, but that's to be expected in a Batman crew unless you field nothing but standard cops.

Conclusion
If you're looking for an iconic crew that favors elite heroes over swarms of cannon fodder, than the Batman crew just might be up your alley. Plus, what better way to get others interested in the game than fielding the god d*%& Batman!