And no, I’m not joking! It’s really happened! 😀 I am incredibly excited about this new Dove, which is coming out in the upcoming Streets of Gotham set, because it represents an updated/revisioned look at my favorite comic book heroine of all time. They have only printed her once before, as I’ll show you.

The Old Faithful Dove

Way back in 2002, a little lady in blue and white simply called “Dove” (seen at left) was printed in the very first DC HeroClix set, named Hypertime. 3 versions of her (Rookie, Experienced, and Veteran) were printed–I have sampled the Veteran’s dial above as an example of her powers (thanks to HCRealms.com for dial image). She was a simple but elegant figure, bearing a long strand of Super Senses and Close Combat Expert, along with a 10 attack and 17 defense that were mostly unheard of in those days. (Given that a 17 defense, in 2002, was usually given to the likes of Sue Storm and other high-defense pieces, Dove’s defense value was a rarity.) Back in Hypertime, figures were simpler, did not have cards with them, and had no special powers or traits–Hypertime Dove was a prime representative of this. Her mostly-powerless first click, however, known as an “activation click,” put most players off in the beginning; why should we have to wait for a hero to transform? For most, then, Dove was a forgettable piece, relegated to second-string teams or to the trade box.

My Personal History Playing Dove

When I began to play HeroClix in 2007, I received a rookie Dove as a gift from another player, and I was intrigued. Who was this heroine in Carolina blue and white? I had never heard of her.

I began to read the comics associated with her (the “Hawk and Dove” title of the late 80s/early 90s), and found that I really liked her backstory–it explained why she had an activation click, for one thing (she has to shout her name to mystically transform). But by this time, the Hawk and Dove pieces were both rather passe in Clix tournaments, even though they could still hold their own with modern figures who were laden with special powers and traits.

Though I loved the simple way they’d built the Hypertime Dove, I wondered when they would ever update the figure for the modern game, because I wanted to see what the new game mechanics (like special powers and traits) would make of a heroine like Dove. And now…they finally have updated, and what an update!

New Dove: Even More Comic-Accurate than the Old

At 86 points, New Dove is 17 points more expensive than the old Veteran Dove, but she’s also got many more abilities:

• Bat-Team (for stealth) instead of Titans Team (for healing)
• Charge, Exploit Weakness, and Flurry, all of which greatly increase her combat usefulness. She’s no longer just a flying defensive piece for Hawk!
• Heightened attack on second click (and no activation click!)
• 18 defense on first click with Defend AND Super Senses on the special power; me LIKEY! 😀
• Regeneration on last click–exactly like the comics, she and Hawk both heal faster when they are in superhero form

Though New Dove’s movement is lower than Old Dove’s (an 8 as opposed to a 10), she’s much more capable of charging in and doing damage, which was a disadvantage for Old Dove players. And that Toughness on defense back-dial keeps her from getting hurt as easily, especially if you’re like me and can’t roll Super Senses, ever.

New Dove’s card shows off even more comic-accurate traits–literally, her Trait describes her fighting style in the Hawk and Dove comics. She often maneuvers her enemies to hurt themselves more than she directly hurts them, either by flipping out of the way when they charge at her, or by disabling their weapons so that the weapon ends up hurting the wielder.

Plus, the special power on her defense matches her even better than the old dial’s Super Senses. With the addition of Defend to Super Senses, it fully expresses Dove’s powers as a guardian for the weak (and a guardian for Hawk when he’s too beaten up to defend himself). I have been waiting for them to do a combo of Defend and Super Senses on a piece for ages…and they finally did it, on my favorite character to boot! 😀

What About the Keywords?

The old Dove only had Mystical and Teen Titans; New Dove keeps the Mystical keyword, but trades out Teen Titans for Brightest Day and Birds of Prey (the latter of which she was a member of for several recent issues). I’m not as familiar with the Brightest Day storyline, but from what I know of it, Dove plays a significant role in fighting for the White Lanterns, even though she isn’t officially one of their number.

Whatever theme team you choose to play New Dove with, whether she’s fighting alongside the likes of Black Canary and Huntress on Birds of Prey, or whether she’s teamed with Raven and Zatanna on a Mystical theme, she’ll be an excellent supportive fighter for any team.

Conclusion: New Dove is Well Worth Playing

If you’re looking for a piece that possesses both combat strength and defensive capabilities, with a little bit of healing and a little surprise Trait, then Dove is just the kind of hero you want. Finally, they’ve paid graceful homage to an awesome character without completely taking away the spirit of the old figure. (And I personally can’t wait to play Old Dove and New Dove together! :D)

Read more: “New Dove” article at HeroClix.com