D&D Onslaught vs HeroClix: Which WizKids Skirmish Game Is Right for You?

Quick Answer

Choose D&D Onslaught if you want a self-contained, scenario-driven skirmish game with a small fixed roster and no blind buying. Choose HeroClix if you love Marvel and DC characters, organized play, and the thrill of opening boosters to build a collection. Both are WizKids skirmish games, but they reward different habits, budgets, and playgroups.

WizKids makes more than one skirmish miniatures game, and the two most common starting points are D&D Onslaught and HeroClix. They share a publisher and a tabletop skirmish format, but they are not interchangeable. One is a boxed, scenario-based game with a defined squad. The other is a collectible miniatures game built around boosters, bricks, and an evolving roster of comic-book characters.

This comparison focuses on the practical differences that affect your first purchase: theme, how you buy in, how you expand, and what kind of playgroup each game suits. It uses supplied catalog facts for the HeroClix products below and general product-line knowledge for D&D Onslaught. If a specification is not listed here, treat it as something to confirm on the product page rather than assume.

Theme and Setting: Fantasy Scenarios vs Superhero Roster

D&D Onslaught is built around Dungeons & Dragons fantasy skirmishes. You command a small warband of heroes and monsters in objective-driven scenarios, and the game leans into the tactical, grid-based feel that D&D players already recognize. If your group enjoys dungeon crawls, faction play, and narrative objectives, the theme does a lot of work for you.

HeroClix is a superhero skirmish game. Its identity comes from the Marvel and DC characters on the dial, and the supplied Fantastic Four Brick shows the model: a 5-figure booster release where The Thing, the Human Torch, the Invisible Woman, and Mister Fantastic team up with allies against foes like Dr. Doom, the Frightful Four, and the shape-shifting Skrulls. The appeal is seeing iconic characters fight on your table, not building a generic fantasy warband.

• If your group already plays D&D, Onslaught's fantasy theme lowers the teaching hurdle.
• If your group grew up on comics, HeroClix's character recognition does the same job.

How You Buy In: Fixed Box vs Booster Bricks

The biggest practical difference is the purchase model. D&D Onslaught is sold as a complete core experience. You buy the box, assemble or prep the miniatures, and play. There is no blind buying and no chase figure standing between you and a functional squad. That makes the entry cost predictable and the first game night easy to schedule.

HeroClix is collectible. The Marvel HeroClix: Fantastic Four Brick is a 5-figure booster release with a catalog price of USD 64.95, and it is the standard way to build a roster. You can also buy single figures, but the brick is the intended on-ramp. That model creates variety and trading, but it also means your first purchase does not guarantee a specific team. The PRE-ORDER - Marvel HeroClix: 25th Anniversary Human Torch (Bonus Offer) shows how conditional some HeroClix buying can get: it is exclusively a bonus offer tied 1:1 to a HeroClix booster brick pre-order or purchase, so you cannot simply add it as a standalone figure.

• Onslaught rewards players who want one purchase and a closed roster.
• HeroClix rewards players who enjoy the collecting loop and are comfortable with randomized contents.

Expansion and Ongoing Cost

Onslaught expands through new scenario packs and faction releases rather than random boosters. You can choose to buy more when you want more variety, and your existing squad stays playable. The ongoing cost is optional and easy to predict.

HeroClix expands through set releases, bricks, and organized play. The Fantastic Four Brick is priced at USD 64.95 against a catalog comparison price of USD 129.90, which is a meaningful discount but still a real commitment. If you want to stay current with the meta or chase specific characters, costs add up faster than a fixed-box game. If you only play casually with friends, you can stop at one brick and still have a full roster.

• Set a monthly or per-set budget before you start buying HeroClix boosters.
• For Onslaught, buy expansions only when your group has exhausted the current scenarios.

Miniatures, Painting, and Crossover Appeal

Both games use pre-painted or ready-to-play miniatures, but WizKids also sells unpainted lines that share scale and theme. The Magic: the Gathering Unpainted Miniatures - Coralhelm Commander & Halimar Wavewatch are primed and ready to paint out of the box, with deep cuts for easier painting and clear packaging so you know exactly what you are getting. The D&D Nolzur's Marvelous Miniatures: Rust Monster follows the same pattern and is fully compatible with Acrylicos Vallejo paints.

That crossover matters if you also run RPGs. A D&D Nolzur's Marvelous Miniatures: Animated Fire Breath or the PRE-ORDER - D&D Nolzur's Marvelous Miniatures: Adult Spirit Dragon can double as tabletop monsters in a roleplaying campaign, which stretches your hobby budget. HeroClix figures are designed for the dial game first, so they are less flexible as RPG miniatures, though the character recognition is unmatched for superhero scenarios.

• If you want one miniature collection for skirmish and RPG use, Onslaught plus Nolzur's is the more flexible path.
• If you want to paint, check whether the skirmish line you choose has an unpainted equivalent before committing.

Which Game Fits Your Playgroup

D&D Onslaught fits groups that meet regularly, prefer fixed scenarios, and dislike blind buying. It also suits players who want a tactical game that feels adjacent to D&D without running a full campaign. The trade-off is a smaller, more controlled roster and less collecting excitement.

HeroClix fits players who enjoy the social and collecting side of the hobby, want to play with Marvel and DC characters, and have access to a local scene or a friend with a shared brick. The trade-off is that your first box is random, your costs are less predictable, and you may need to trade or buy singles to finish a specific team.

• Ask your group one question: do you want a fixed squad or a growing collection?
• If you cannot answer, start with the Onslaught core box and try a HeroClix demo before buying a brick.

Trade-Offs at a Glance

• Theme: D&D Onslaught gives you fantasy warbands and scenario objectives; HeroClix gives you Marvel and DC superheroes on dials. Pick the theme your group will actually get to the table.
• Buy-in model: Onslaught is a fixed box with a known roster; HeroClix is booster-based, so your first brick is randomized even when it is discounted. Choose Onslaught if you want a predictable first purchase; choose HeroClix if you enjoy the collecting loop.
• Ongoing cost: Onslaught expands through optional scenario packs; HeroClix expands through set releases and bricks, with bonus offers that require matching purchases. Set a per-set budget for HeroClix before you start buying boosters.
• Crossover use: Nolzur's unpainted miniatures are primed, paint-ready, and compatible with Vallejo paints, so they work in both skirmish and RPG sessions; HeroClix figures are built for the dial game. If you want one collection for skirmish and RPG, lean toward Onslaught plus Nolzur's.

Product Facts That Affect Your Decision

• Marvel HeroClix: Fantastic Four Brick: The Fantastic Four return to HeroClix in a 5-figure booster release, with The Thing, the Human Torch, the Invisible Woman, and Mister Fantastic teaming up with allies against foes including Dr. Doom, the Frightful Four, and the shape-shifting Skrulls. Catalog price USD 64.95, comparison price USD 129.90. This is the standard HeroClix on-ramp. It gives you a full roster and iconic characters, but the contents are booster-based, so you are buying variety rather than a guaranteed team.
• PRE-ORDER - Marvel HeroClix: 25th Anniversary Human Torch (Bonus Offer): This item is exclusively available as a bonus offer with an associated HeroClix booster brick pre-order or purchase, and bonus offer items are 1:1 with the associated set, meaning one brick per bonus item. It is not a standalone purchase. If you want this figure, you must buy the matching brick, and excess bonus quantities may not be fulfilled. Plan your HeroClix order around the brick, not the bonus figure.
• D&D Nolzur's Marvelous Miniatures: Rust Monster: D&D Nolzur's Marvelous Miniatures come with highly-detailed figures, primed and ready to paint out-of-the-box, fully compatible with Acrylicos Vallejo paints, with deep cuts for easier painting and clear packaging. If you want to paint your skirmish miniatures, Nolzur's gives you a low-cost, paint-ready option that also works in D&D RPG sessions. Catalog price USD 3.00, comparison price USD 5.99.
• PRE-ORDER - D&D Nolzur's Marvelous Miniatures: Adult Spirit Dragon: This is a pre-order item that will not ship until the product release date, and if your order includes pre-order items, the entire order is held until all pre-orders are available. If you mix pre-orders with in-stock miniatures, your whole order waits. Place separate orders if you want in-stock items to ship now. Catalog price USD 30.00, comparison price USD 59.99.

Which Should You Buy?

Best for

• Players who want a complete, scenario-driven skirmish game with no blind buying
• D&D groups that want a tactical miniatures game adjacent to their campaign
• Hobbyists who want to paint their skirmish miniatures and reuse them in RPG sessions

Not for

• Players who mainly want to collect iconic superheroes and trade boosters
• Groups that already have a HeroClix scene and want to stay current with set releases
• Anyone who prefers randomized boosters and an evolving meta over a fixed roster

Both D&D Onslaught and HeroClix are solid WizKids skirmish games, but they ask different things of you. Onslaught asks for a one-time purchase and a regular group. HeroClix asks for a collecting mindset and a tolerance for randomized boosters. Match the game to your habit, not the other way around, and you will get more table time out of either one.