Ghost Rider Tops at Box Office…’Tix tie-in figs revisited

According to this Deadline Hollywood Daily article the new Ghost Rider movie not only was number one for the weekend, but will also be a record breaker for President’s Day Weekend openings.  I’m pleasantly surprised by this, since the movie wasn’t getting  a lot of good press going into the weekend.

Of course, I have a semi-vested interest in this film doing well, what with the two Ghost Rider specific Attacktix products I worked on.  Working on game pieces for a movie that is months (or even close to a year) away presents interesting difficulties.  I’m privy to certain details, but no where near the amount of background I have on more traditional pieces.  On top of that, the arrangement of the sets is not set in stone early on…which figure will be packed in with the Mega, which will be in the starter, etc.  Still, the end result I think turned out real well.  I have a lot of favorites among the Ghost Rider subset of the Marvel release.

The Ghost Rider Battle Master comes with the Ghost Rider mega on his hell cycle, as well as the movie villain Wallow.  The mega is a great piece, one of the few hybrid launcher/striker figures in the game, and a bargain at 60 points.  Wallow is a solid launcher with medium base and missile for only 20 points, and his Attackback – Hidden power works well with the other movie villains…

Speaking of which, you’ll find two more bad guys from the movie in the starter, Blackheart has the unique Vanquish power and Abigor, a matching figure to Wallow.  The starter also features the modern and western versions of Ghost Rider, each with their own Vengeance power.  The sculpts on these two products are ultra detailed…the western Ghost Rider might be the most detailed figure out so far.  Blackheart’s Vanquish power is one of the ones I’m most proud of…it’s a tad more complex than the average power, but once you “get it”, it leads to some rewarding gameplay.

Finally, I’d be remiss if I didn’t give you a good squad idea for Ghost Rider.  The team I’ve been playing is as follows…

Knight Rider

• Ghost Rider  – 20 pts
• Western Ghost Rider – 20 pts
• Punisher – 30 pts
• Electra – 10 pts
• Daredevil – 20 pts

This 100 point Marvel Knights squad has a little synergy, but mostly it’s just balanced with a lot of good powers mixed in.  Punisher and Western Ghost Rider provide cover fire while your strikers advance.  Daredevil can steal some attacks if the situation is right, or give your team a “free” turn if his special goes off.  Hitting either Vengeance power will be sure to put a dent in the opponents team, and Punisher can be aggravating to finish off in the end game.  – B