Finally, the wait is over! X-Men and the Brotherhood of Mutants are here in Marvel: Crisis Protocol. As a long time X-Men fan from the 90’s cartoon, I have been solely playing these new characters since their release. One of the best elements of these new affiliations is the introduction of some excellent rules mechanics. Whilst these new interactions are great fun to do, some of the wording on the cards can leave players scratching their head, and wondering if they are playing them correctly. With Atomic Mass Games fantastic new rules forum, players have to wonder no more!
Here at the Strike Better Podcast, we have trawled the forums for you and are providing what we believe are the most exciting new rules mechanics for the latest affiliations that have been clarified by AMG! Before we start, we want to remind people that these rule clarifications are from the AMG rules forum, and are not our own interpretation. If you would like to know more, we recommend heading over to the forum yourself and asking questions. AMG respond quickly, which is great for the community.
1. Storms leadership
It turns out Storm’s X-Men Gold Leadership can only be used by the active character. Inactive characters cannot be placed by her leadership ability. AMG reiterated that their upcoming FAQ document will also clarify that you must choose ANOTHER character to place within Range 1 of the chosen character and you cannot choose yourself. The Strike Better crew still believe that Storm’s leadership is probably the strongest in X-Men, and it is good to have the placement rule cleared up.
2. Magneto and his Constructs when he has the Stun condition
AMG were asked that if Magneto is stunned, and he has two Constructs in play, how much Power does he receive in the Power Phase? Good question! AMG’s answer is that he will still get 3 power. Magneto receives one for the standard power up, and one for each metal Construct, as they are all separate instances of power gain. Just when you thought you could contain his power gain, Magneto still manages to become a power battery!
3. Sabretooth and his Reactive Superpowers
Bad news for characters that thought they could hit Sabretooth at range and get away with it… Sabretooth’s Untamed Force and Aggressive will both trigger after an attack against him is resolved, so the Sabertooth player can choose the order in which both abilities are triggered. This means that if Sabretooth is attacked outside of range 2, the free movement from Aggressive could put him within range 2 of the character that attacked him, which would then trigger Untamed Force in the same reaction window! This ability will make you think twice before deciding to strike Sabretooth.
4. Magneto and his Constructs in a Mirror Match
Another great question was asked of AMG relating to the potential confusion in a Brotherhood mirror match. If both players are playing a Magneto, are the metal constructs that are spawned shared, or is each Construct specific to the spawning Magneto?
Example, start of round 1, player 1 has priority, creates a Construct, gains 1 power from it. Player 2 the resolves their construct, would they then gain 2 power for 2 Constructs being in play or do they only count their own?
Luckily, AMG released an FAQ alongside Magneto – Each Magneto’s rules reference their own Constructs. So no, you can’t count your opponents Constructs to gain more power.
5. Magnetos Leadership and Dazed characters
This one has tripped me up in my first few games with Magneto. Can magneto give power from his leadership to models that are dazed? AMG have told us no! Magneto’s leadership is a special rule. Dazed characters cannot be affected by special rules. I’m sorry for anyone I played who received a few extra dumpsters to the face because of this confusion…
6. To me my X-Men Tactics Card
AMG have told us that this tactics card does not have to be played by the current X-Men leader on the table. In fact, any character with an Uncanny X-Men leadership may play the To Me My X-Men card. This means if you have Storm and Cyclops on the table, either of these characters may play this card. We have spoken at length on the strength of additional movement in this game, and this tactics card at only 1 power is worth considering in any X-Men roster.
Stay posted for anymore rules clarifications that we see in the forums. Remember to head over there and ask the game designers directly for anything to help improve your experience in Marvel: Crisis Protocol.
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