Marvel HeroClix: How to Build a Black Panther and Illuminati Themed Team

Quick answer

Start with the Marvel HeroClix: Starter Set 2024 because it includes Black Panther plus three other ready-to-play heroes, then add a second Black Panther option such as Marvel HeroClix 400: Spider-Man only if your venue allows the higher point total. Build around one shared keyword, keep your force at or under the agreed build total, and test the team in a casual game before you commit to a tournament.

A themed team is not just a pile of figures that share a keyword. It is a plan: one figure carries the offense, one controls the board, and the rest support those jobs without wasting points. Black Panther and the Illuminati give you a strong starting point because the Starter Set 2024 already puts a playable Black Panther in your hands.

This guide walks through the build in order, from choosing your core figures to testing the list. Every step includes the mistake that most often derails a new themed team, so you can catch it before you sit down at the table.

Step 1: Pick your Black Panther and confirm the keyword

Open the Marvel HeroClix: Starter Set 2024 first. It gives you four ready-to-play figures, including Black Panther, Iron Man, Captain Marvel, and Spider-Man, and each character comes with two different levels of gameplay. That means you can learn the dial before you spend money on singles or boosters.

Check the character card for the exact keywords printed on the dial. Themed team building only works when every figure shares at least one keyword, so write down the keywords on your Black Panther and compare them against every other figure you are considering. If a figure does not share a keyword, it does not belong in this build.

• Common mistake: assuming a character belongs to the Illuminati because of the comics. Always use the keyword printed on the card, not the story.

Step 2: Set your build total before you choose figures

HeroClix games are played at a build total, and the most common casual format is 300 points. Decide your build total with the people you play with before you assemble anything. A team that is legal at 400 points may be illegal at 300, and rebuilding at the table wastes game time.

Once you know the number, reserve roughly two-thirds of it for your primary attackers and one-third for support, utility, and a cheap tie-up piece. If your venue uses a different total, ask the judge or organizer rather than guessing. The Starter Set 2024 is the cheapest way to get a legal force on the table while you learn the point costs.

• Checkpoint: add up every figure's point cost and confirm the total is at or under the build total before you finalize the list.

Step 3: Choose one support piece that fixes a real weakness

Black Panther teams tend to be mobile and aggressive, which means they can struggle against ranged teams that outpace them. Add one support figure that either provides Outwit, Probability Control, or a movement boost. Do not add support just because it shares a keyword; add it because it solves a problem you expect to face.

If you are building at a small total, a single low-cost support figure is enough. If you are building at 400 points or higher, you can afford two support pieces, but only if each one has a distinct job. Two figures that do the same thing are one wasted slot.

• Common mistake: filling the roster with attackers and leaving no points for support. A team with no Outwit loses to teams that rely on a single defensive power.

Step 4: Decide whether to add a second Black Panther or a big centerpiece

Marvel HeroClix 400: Spider-Man is a super-sized product that contains four figures and their character cards: Spider-Man (Peter Parker), Spider-Man (Miles Morales), Ghost Spider, and Venom, plus a One-Shot Card. It is not a Black Panther product, so treat it as a separate purchase decision rather than a core part of this build.

If your goal is a pure Black Panther and Illuminati themed team, spend your budget on figures that share the keyword instead. If your goal is a larger collection that gives you options for future teams, the HeroClix 400 box is a reasonable addition because the figures can anchor a Spider-Family build later.

• Checkpoint: if a purchase does not share a keyword with your Black Panther, it is a collection purchase, not a themed team purchase.

Step 5: Test the team and adjust one slot at a time

Play two or three casual games with the exact list before you change anything. Track which figure consistently underperforms and which one wins games. Most themed teams need only one or two swaps, and changing everything at once makes it impossible to know what actually helped.

If your venue plays at a different build total than you expected, adjust the support slot first. Support figures are usually the cheapest and easiest to swap without breaking the keyword requirement. Keep a written copy of the list so you can compare versions between games.

• Common mistake: rebuilding the whole team after one loss. Change one figure, play again, and judge the result.

Your build order at a glance

1. Open the Starter Set and record keywords: Take the Black Panther figure out of the Marvel HeroClix: Starter Set 2024 and write down every keyword printed on its card. Checkpoint: if a candidate figure shares no keyword with this list, cut it.
2. Agree on a build total: Confirm whether you are playing 300 points or another total, then add up your figures and stay at or under that number. Checkpoint: an over-total list is not legal, no matter how good the figures are.
3. Add one support figure with a clear job: Pick a support piece that provides Outwit, Probability Control, or movement, and confirm it shares a keyword with Black Panther. Checkpoint: if you cannot name the problem it solves, do not include it.
4. Play three games before swapping anything: Use the same list for three casual games and note which figure underperforms each time. Next step: swap one figure, then play again and compare results.

Figures that fit this build

• Marvel HeroClix: Starter Set 2024: This set features four detailed, ready-to-play figures of Iron Man, Captain Marvel, Spider-Man, and Black Panther, and each character comes with two different levels of gameplay. It is the fastest and cheapest way to get a legal Black Panther figure plus three other heroes on the table while you learn the dials.
• Marvel HeroClix 400: Spider-Man: Contains four HeroClix figures and their character cards: Spider-Man (Peter Parker), Spider-Man (Miles Morales), Ghost Spider, and Venom, plus one HeroClix One-Shot Card. This is a Spider-Family product, not a Black Panther or Illuminati product, so buy it only if you also want a second themed team option.

A Black Panther and Illuminati themed team works when every figure earns its points and shares a keyword. Start with the Starter Set 2024, agree on a build total, add one support piece that fixes a real weakness, and test before you buy more. The list you refine at the table will beat the list you assemble in theory.