Marvel Champions: The Card Game – NeXt Evolution
Marvel Champions: The Card Game – NeXt Evolution Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
- Components and Set Symbol
- New Card Type: Player Side Scheme
- Featured Keywords
- Hope Summers
- Attacks Against Allies
- Per Player Costs
- Victory Display
- Amplify Icon
- Campaign Mode Rules
- Campaign Player Side Schemes
- Expert Campaign
- Scenario #1 – Morlock Siege
- Scenario #2 – On the Run
- Scenario #3 – Juggernaut
- Scenario #4 – Mister Sinister
- Scenario #5 – Stryfe
- Campaign Log
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Starter Decks
Components and Set Symbol
Components: 260 cards, consisting of 111 player cards, 16 villain cards, and 133 encounter cards.
Villain cards: The first two scenarios in the campaign each use the set of seven Marauder villains, while the final three scenarios feature Juggernaut, Mister Sinister, and Stryfe. Each scenario has its own entry in this rulebook.
Identity cards: Two pre-built player decks introduce two new heroes: Cable and Domino. See the Starter Decks section for their decklists.
Set symbol: Cards from the NeXt Evolution expansion can be identified by the NeXt Evolution set symbol.
New Card Type: Player Side Scheme
Player side schemes are missions the heroes undertake to facilitate defeating the villain. They are the player card equivalent of the side schemes found in the encounter deck.
All rules that apply to player cards apply to player side schemes. The following additional rules apply to player side schemes:
- A player can only play a player side scheme during their turn.
- When a player side scheme enters play, it is placed next to the main scheme in the villain's play area.
- Each player side scheme enters play with an amount of threat on it equal to its starting threat value.
- The number of player side schemes in play at any time is limited by the player side scheme limit.
- If one or two players started the game, the player side scheme limit is one. If three or four players started the game, the limit is two.
- If there are ever more player side schemes in play than the limit, the first player chooses and discards player side schemes until there are no longer more in play than the limit.
- A player side scheme remains in play until either there is no threat on it (which causes it to be defeated and either discarded or, if it has the Victory X keyword, added to the victory display) or it is discarded due to there being more player side schemes in play than the limit.
- Any rules or card effects that refer to "schemes" or "side schemes" also refer to player side schemes.
- Heroes and allies can remove threat from a player side scheme by performing a basic thwart.
- Abilities that remove threat from "a scheme" or "a side scheme" can remove threat from a player side scheme.
Player Side Scheme Anatomy
- Title. The name of the card.
- Card Type. Indicates how the card behaves or may be used in the game.
- Ability. The card's specialized means of interacting with the game.
- Cost. The resource cost to play the card.
- Resources. The resources the card generates when it is discarded from hand.
- Starting Threat. The amount of threat placed on the side scheme when it enters play.
- Deckbuilding Classification. Indicates if the card is exclusive to a hero, belongs to an aspect, or is a basic card.
- Collector Information. Indicates the card's product of origin and card number within that product.
Featured Keywords
Keywords new to this expansion are marked with an asterisk (*).
Alliance
When a player declares their intention to play an alliance card, any player may help pay the costs for that card.
Assault *
When a character makes a basic thwart on a scheme with the assault keyword, that character uses its ATK instead of its THW. If that character is an ally, it takes the consequential damage listed under its ATK instead of its THW after the thwart.
Hinder X
When a card with hinder X enters play, place X threat on that card.
Incite X
When a card with incite X is revealed, place X threat on the main scheme.
Patrol
While any minions with patrol are engaged with a player, that player cannot use cards they control to thwart the main scheme.
Permanent
A card with permanent cannot be defeated, leave play, or have any part of its text box blanked.
Piercing
An attack with piercing discards any tough status cards from the target of the attack before dealing damage.
Ranged
An attack with ranged ignores the retaliate keyword.
Requirement (Resources)
A card with the requirement keyword cannot be played unless each resource of the specified type is spent while paying for that card's cost.
Setup
A card with setup begins the game in play.
Stalwart
A character with stalwart cannot be stunned or confused.
Steady
A character with steady can have one additional stunned status card and one additional confused status card. That character is not stunned unless they have two stunned status cards, and is not confused unless they have two confused status cards. After that character's activation is replaced by a status card effect, remove all status cards of that type from that character.
Team-Up
The team-up keyword names two characters. To include a card with the team-up keyword in your deck, your chosen identity must match one of the named characters. Additionally, a card with team-up cannot be played unless both of the named characters (identity or ally) are in play.
Teamwork (trait)
After a minion with teamwork enters play and engages a player, if there is at least one other minion that shares the specified trait in play, each minion that shares the teamwork keyword with the same specified trait activates against the player it is engaged with.
Example: Penny is engaged with Hairbag when Scott reveals and engages Slab, who has Teamwork (Nasty Boy). Because Hairbag also has Teamwork (Nasty Boy), both minions activate against the player with whom they are engaged.
Victory X
When a card with the victory X keyword is defeated, place it in the victory display instead of its owner's discard pile. While in the victory display, X indicates how many victory points that card is worth.
Villainous
When a minion with villainous activates, give it a facedown boost card from the top of the encounter deck. When you resolve that minion's activation, turn the boost card faceup, resolve any boost ability on that card, and apply its boost icons to the minion's stats for this activation. Discard the boost card after the activation.
Hope Summers
Hope Summers was the first mutant born after M-Day, when most of the mutants in the world lost their genetic powers. Viewed by some as the savior of mutantkind and others as a harbinger of an apocalyptic future, Hope was taken to the future by Cable, who raised her as his own daughter.
Hope is represented in two different forms in this expansion. First, by the Hope Summers (204) basic ally card. This card can be included in any player deck using the player deck customization rules, but it cannot be used while playing the NeXt Evolution campaign. Second, she is represented by the Hope Summers encounter set, a two-card modular encounter set consisting of a Hope Summers (130) ally and the Captive Hope (131) side scheme.
- The Hope Summers modular encounter set can be used with any scenario, but it does not count toward the number of modular encounter sets required to play the scenario.
- Hope Summers (130) is not a basic card and cannot be included in any player deck.
Note: The Hope Summers modular encounter set is mostly beneficial to the players and will make most scenarios easier to win.
Hope Summers (204), basic ally: Hope Summers gains each trait on your identity. Response: After you play Hope Summers from your hand, search your deck for a Superpower card and add it to your hand.
Hope Summers (130), encounter ally: Setup. The first player controls Hope Summers. Hope Summers does not count against your ally limit. Hope Summers's base THW and base ATK are equal to the THW and ATK of your hero. If Hope Summers leaves play, the players lose the game.
Captive Hope (131), side scheme: Hope Summers cannot ready. When Revealed: Exhaust Hope Summers.
Attacks Against Allies
Some effects cause a villain or minion to attack an ally directly. When this occurs, any undefended damage from that attack is placed on the ally that was attacked.
- Any boost abilities that refer to "you" refer to the player who controls the attacked ally.
- Abilities that trigger when the attacking enemy "attacks you" do not trigger.
- Players may defend these attacks as normal by declaring a hero or an ally as the defender.
- If the attack has overkill and defeats an ally (whether that ally was the attacked ally or a defending ally), any excess damage from that attack is dealt to the identity of the player who controlled the defeated ally.
Per Player Costs
This expansion introduces player cards with a per player cost, indicated by the per-player icon included in the card's cost. The cost of these cards is the numeric value multiplied by the number of players who started the scenario.
Example: Cameron plays the event card Team Investigation (53), which has a cost of 2 per player. The scenario began with three players playing, so Cameron must pay six resources to play Team Investigation.
Victory Display
The victory display is an out-of-play game area shared by all players. Cards in the victory display follow the standard rules for out-of-play cards.
Amplify Icon
The amplify icon increases the number of boost icons on boost cards. When a boost card is turned faceup during an enemy activation, add one additional boost icon to that card for each amplify icon in play.
Campaign Mode Rules
Each of the scenarios in this expansion can be played individually as a standalone adventure, or together with the other scenarios as part of one epic campaign.
Campaign mode combines all five scenarios in the NeXt Evolution expansion into one epic experience where the outcome of each game impacts the next scenario.
To complete the campaign, the players must win all five scenarios in numerical order, starting with scenario #1 – Morlock Siege and ending with scenario #5 – Stryfe.
To begin a campaign, the players start by choosing their heroes. Each player must use their chosen identity for the entire campaign, but they are free to change aspects and alter the contents of their deck between scenarios, following the deck customization rules in the Marvel Champions Rules Reference.
To play a scenario in campaign mode, set up the scenario as per the normal rules of the game. Then, follow that scenario's setup instructions in the order they are listed in the Campaign Instructions.
When the game ends, if the players won, follow that scenario's victory instructions in the order they are listed in the Campaign Instructions. If the players lost, they may reset the scenario and try again with no penalty.
Campaign Log
The campaign log found on page 24 of this rulebook tracks the progress of the entire campaign. At the end of each scenario, the players record their results by entering the required information in the campaign log.
A printable copy of the campaign log can be found on the support page at www.FantasyFlightGames.com/Marvel-Champions.
Campaign-Specific Cards
Cards 190–203 are cards that were created specifically for use in the NeXt Evolution campaign. These cards cannot be included in any deck unless playing the NeXt Evolution campaign and the players are directed to add them to a deck by another campaign card.
Prohibited Card
While playing the NeXt Evolution campaign, players cannot include the Hope Summers (204) basic ally card in their player decks.
Campaign Player Side Schemes
During the NeXt Evolution campaign, the players select a campaign-specific player side scheme to put into play at the start of each scenario. These player side schemes each have a different campaign environment on the back. The campaign environments provide a bonus when they are earned by defeating the player side scheme on the reverse side of the card. These bonuses carry over into each successive scenario.
Assemble the Team (player side scheme): This scheme does not count against the player side scheme limit. When Defeated: Flip this card and put Team Assembled into play. (Defeating this scheme earns each player a free ally from their deck.)
Team Assembled (environment): Enters play with 1 assembly counter on it. Action: Remove 1 assembly counter from here → each player may search their deck and discard pile for an ally with a printed cost of 3 or less and put it into play. (Any player can do this.)
When the players defeat the Assemble the Team campaign player side scheme, they earn the Team Assembled environment card for the current scenario and all future scenarios.
If the players do not defeat the chosen player side scheme by the time they win the scenario, that card is removed from the campaign and cannot be chosen again. When the players replay a scenario after losing, they must choose the same player side scheme for that scenario and defeat it in order to earn its reward, even if they defeated it during a game they lost.
Each of these player side schemes also adds a specific encounter card (found in cards 198–203) to the encounter deck for the rest of the campaign, even if the players do not defeat the player side scheme.
When choosing a player side scheme, the players may look at both sides of all of the cards in the campaign set. A list of these side schemes and their associated environments and encounter cards can be found in the campaign log on the back cover of this rulebook.
Expert Campaign
For players who want an even more challenging campaign experience, the NeXt Evolution expansion comes with everything you need to play an expert campaign.
- Some Setup and Victory instructions are preceded by Expert Campaign Only. Ignore these instructions unless you are playing an expert campaign.
Persistent Damage
While playing the NeXt Evolution campaign at the expert level, each player must record their remaining hit points in the campaign log after they win a game. This determines each player's starting hit points for the next scenario.
- If a player's remaining hit point value is greater than their base hit point value, record their base hit points in the campaign log instead.
The setup instructions for each scenario offer each player the opportunity to restore their identity to their full hit point value at a cost specific to that scenario.
Elimination and Victory
In an expert campaign, if a player is defeated during a scenario that their teammates go on to win, the defeated player does not participate in the Victory steps of that scenario.
However, during the Setup instructions of the next scenario, the defeated player can rejoin their teammates for the next scenario by following that scenario's setup instructions for healing their identity to its full hit points.
Scenario #1 – Morlock Siege
Components
- Villain deck: Arclight (A), Blockbuster (A), Chimera (A), Greycrow (A), Harpoon (A), Riptide (A), Vertigo (A). Flip each villain (A) to its villain (B) side for expert mode.
- Main scheme deck: Knock, Knock; Mutant Massacre.
- Encounter deck: Morlock Siege, Military Grade, Mutant Slayers, and Standard encounter sets. (The Standard set can be found in the Marvel Champions core set.)
The Military Grade and Mutant Slayers sets can be removed from this scenario and/or added to other scenarios when using the scenario customization rules.
Campaign Setup
- Each player records their identity in the campaign log found on the back cover of this rulebook. Players cannot switch identities during a campaign.
- The players as a group choose 1 player side scheme listed in the campaign log and do the following:
- Put the chosen player side scheme into play.
- Mark the player side scheme as chosen for scenario #1 in the campaign log.
- Take the encounter card listed in the campaign log in the same row as the chosen player side scheme and shuffle it into the encounter deck.
Campaign Victory
- Record the title of each villain under Routed in the campaign log under "Marauders Defeated."
- Record the number of Morlock allies still in play in the campaign log under "Morlocks Saved."
- If there is a campaign environment card in play, mark it as "Earned" in the campaign log.
- Expert Campaign Only: Record each identity's remaining hit points in the campaign log.
Multiple Villains
Morlock Siege has seven different villains. Only one villain will be in play at a time, but the order is randomized so players never know who will appear next. In order to win the scenario, the players must defeat three of these villains.
Knock, Knock (77A) instructs players to put the Routed (81) environment card into play during Setup. Routed has two sides, one for standard mode and one for expert mode. Routed tells the players what to do after the villain is defeated.
Unlike other scenarios, when one of these villains is defeated, all tokens, status cards, and attachments on the just-defeated villain are discarded instead of carrying over to the next villain.
Scenario #2 – On the Run
Components
- Villain deck: Arclight (A), Blockbuster (A), Chimera (A), Greycrow (A), Harpoon (A), Riptide (A), Vertigo (A). Flip each villain (A) to its villain (B) side for expert mode.
- Main scheme deck: Gotta Get Away, Escaping with Hope.
- Encounter deck: On the Run, Military Grade, Mutant Slayers, Nasty Boys, and Standard encounter sets. (The Standard set can be found in the Marvel Champions core set.)
The Military Grade and Nasty Boys sets can be removed from this scenario and/or added to other scenarios when using the scenario customization rules. The Mutant Slayers set may be used in other scenarios, but it is required when playing On the Run.
Choosing a Villain
On the Run shares the seven villains from Morlock Siege. Unlike Morlock Siege, however, only one of these villains, chosen at random, is used in On the Run. Gotta Get Away (103A) attaches the Hope's Captor (105A) attachment to this villain, Confident-side faceup. The text on Hope's Captor requires the players to defeat the attached villain twice in order to win the scenario.
Campaign Setup
- Before resolving the "Setup" text on Gotta Get Away (103A), remove each villain card recorded in the campaign log under "Marauders Defeated" from the game. (Minion cards with the same title remain in the encounter deck.)
- For each Morlock saved in the previous scenario, choose a player to search their deck for one card, add that card to their hand, and shuffle their deck.
- If there is a campaign environment marked as "Earned" in the campaign log, put that environment into play and give each enemy a tough status card.
- The players as a group choose one player side scheme listed in the campaign log that has not been chosen previously and do the following:
- Put the chosen player side scheme into play.
- Mark the player side scheme as chosen for scenario #2 in the campaign log.
- Take each encounter card that corresponds to a player side scheme marked as chosen in the campaign log and shuffle them into the encounter deck.
- Expert Campaign Only: Set each player's hit points to their remaining hit point value recorded in the campaign log for the previous scenario.
- Expert Campaign Only: Each player may place one acceleration token on the main scheme to heal their identity to its full hit point value.
Campaign Victory
- Mark each campaign environment in play as "Earned" in the campaign log (if it is not already).
- Expert Campaign Only: Record each identity's remaining hit points in the campaign log.
Scenario #3 – Juggernaut
Components
- Villain deck: Juggernaut (I), Juggernaut (II). Remove Juggernaut (I) and add Juggernaut (III) for expert mode.
- Main scheme deck: The Unstoppable Juggernaut.
- Encounter deck: Juggernaut, Hope Summers, Black Tom Cassidy, and Standard sets. (The Standard set can be found in the Marvel Champions core set.)
The Black Tom Cassidy set can be removed from this scenario and/or added to other scenarios when using the scenario customization rules, but it is required when playing Juggernaut in campaign mode. The Hope Summers set may be used in other scenarios, but it is required when playing Juggernaut.
Campaign Setup
- Gather each campaign environment marked as "Earned" in the campaign log. Put those environments into play in any order.
- Place 1 momentum counter on Juggernaut for each campaign environment in play.
- Shuffle Black Tom Cassidy and 1 Creeping Willow minion together and deal one of these cards to each player as a facedown encounter card. Shuffle the remaining card into the encounter deck.
- The players as a group choose 1 player side scheme listed in the campaign log that has not been chosen previously and do the following:
- Put the chosen player side scheme into play.
- Mark the player side scheme as chosen for scenario #3 in the campaign log.
- Take each encounter card that corresponds to a player side scheme marked as chosen in the campaign log and shuffle them into the encounter deck.
- Expert Campaign Only: Set each player's hit points to their remaining hit point value recorded in the campaign log for the previous scenario.
- Expert Campaign Only: Each player may deal themself 1 facedown encounter card to heal their identity to its full hit point value.
Momentum Counters
Various effects in this scenario place momentum counters on Juggernaut, which boost his ATK. The players can remove these counters via the hero action on Juggernaut's Helmet.
When a stage of Juggernaut is defeated, all momentum counters on him carry over to the next villain stage.
Campaign Victory
- Record the amount of damage on Hope Summers in the campaign log.
- Mark each campaign environment in play as "Earned" in the campaign log (if it is not already).
- Expert Campaign Only: Record each identity's remaining hit points in the campaign log.
Scenario #4 – Mister Sinister
Components
- Villain deck: Mister Sinister (I), Mister Sinister (II). Remove Mister Sinister (I) and add Mister Sinister (III) for expert mode.
- Main scheme deck: Sinister Intent, Sinister Experiments (x3), Sinister Ends.
- Encounter deck: Mister Sinister, Flight, Super Strength, Telepathy, Hope Summers, Nasty Boys, and Standard sets. (The Standard set can be found in the Marvel Champions core set.)
The Nasty Boys set can be removed from this scenario and/or added to other scenarios when using the scenario customization rules.
The Flight, Super Strength, Telepathy, and Hope Summers sets may be used in other scenarios, but are required when playing Mister Sinister. The setup keyword on the Flight (151), Super Strength (155), and Telepathy (159) attachments is ignored in this scenario because these cards are set aside during setup. This keyword is included for when these sets are used in other scenarios.
Campaign Setup
- Gather each campaign environment marked as "Earned" in the campaign log. Put those environments into play in any order.
- Put the Teleported Away side scheme into play. Place an additional 1 threat on it for each campaign environment in play.
- The players choose to either place damage on Hope Summers equal to the damage recorded for her from the previous scenario in the campaign log, or place that much threat on Teleported Away.
- The players as a group choose 1 player side scheme listed in the campaign log that has not been chosen previously and do the following:
- Put the chosen player side scheme into play.
- Mark the player side scheme as chosen for scenario #4 in the campaign log.
- Take each encounter card that corresponds to a player side scheme marked as chosen in the campaign log and shuffle them into the encounter deck.
- Expert Campaign Only: Set each player's hit points to their remaining hit point value recorded in the campaign log for the previous scenario.
- Expert Campaign Only: Each player may place one acceleration token on the main scheme to heal their identity to its full hit point value.
Sinister Experiments
Mister Sinister is attempting to graft abilities from his mutant specimens onto his own genome through his experiments. He has three different Sinister Experiments main scheme cards, each with an associated modular encounter set that is set aside during setup. During setup, the order of these stages is randomized and one of the stages is removed from the game at random.
Campaign Victory
- Record the amount of damage on Hope Summers in the campaign log.
- Mark each campaign environment in play as "Earned" in the campaign log (if it is not already).
- Expert Campaign Only: Record each identity's remaining hit points in the campaign log.
Scenario #5 – Stryfe
Components
- Villain deck: Stryfe (I), Stryfe (II). Remove Stryfe (I) and add Stryfe (III) for expert mode.
- Main scheme deck: Uncontrollable Power, Left to Your Fate.
- Encounter deck: Stryfe, Hope Summers, Extreme Measures, Mutant Insurrection, and Standard sets. (The Standard set can be found in the Marvel Champions core set.)
The Extreme Measures and Mutant Insurrection sets can be removed from this scenario and/or added to other scenarios when using the scenario customization rules. The Hope Summers set may be used in other scenarios, but it is required when playing Stryfe.
Most Common Type
Numerous effects in this scenario reference "the number of cards of the most common type in your hand." To determine this number, count the cards of each different type (ally, event, player side scheme, resource, support, and upgrade) in your hand. The type that you have the most of is the most common type. If you have more than one type that is tied for the most common, choose one.
Campaign Setup
- Gather each campaign environment marked as "Earned" in the campaign log. Put those environments into play in any order.
- Place 1 threat on Stryfe's Grasp for each campaign environment in play.
- The players choose to either place damage on Hope Summers equal to the damage recorded for her from the previous scenario in the campaign log, or place that much threat on Stryfe's Grasp.
- In player order, each player discards cards from the encounter deck until they discard a minion or a Psionic attachment and reveal that card.
- Shuffle the encounter discard pile into the encounter deck.
- The players as a group choose 1 player side scheme listed in the campaign log that has not been chosen previously and do the following:
- Put the chosen player side scheme into play.
- Mark the player side scheme as chosen for scenario #5 in the campaign log.
- Take each encounter card that corresponds to a player side scheme marked as chosen in the campaign log and shuffle them into the encounter deck.
- Expert Campaign Only: Set each player's hit points to their remaining hit point value recorded in the campaign log for the previous scenario.
- Expert Campaign Only: Each player may deal themself 1 facedown encounter card to heal their identity to its full hit point value.
- Expert Campaign Only: If the players lose this game, Stryfe escapes into the past and the players lose the campaign.
Campaign Victory
- Stryfe is defeated and the players win the campaign! Read the conclusion on the next page.
Campaign Log
The campaign log is printed on page 24 of the rulebook. It is transcribed here in the same layout.
Player Information: Player #1's Identity / Remaining hit points · Player #2's Identity / Remaining hit points · Player #3's Identity / Remaining hit points · Player #4's Identity / Remaining hit points.
Marauders Defeated: 1. · 2. · 3.
Morlocks Saved
Hope Summers's Damage: Scenario 3: · Scenario 4:
Campaign Player Side Schemes
| Player Side Scheme | Scenario Chosen | Encounter Card | Environment | Earned? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Assemble the Team | Malice | Team Assembled | ||
| Establish Safehouse | Vanisher | Safehouse Established | ||
| Gear Up | Overburdened | Geared Up | ||
| Mission Prep | Scrambler | Mission Prepped | ||
| Practice Maneuvers | Lady Mastermind | Practiced Maneuvers |
Frequently Asked Questions
Cable
Q. Can E.V.A. (21) ever be in play while Fantomex (15) is not?
A. No, the constant ability on E.V.A. causes it to be discarded immediately if Fantomex is not in play.
Q. What happens if Technovirus Resurgence (31) causes Technovirus Purge (6) to enter play when the players are at the player side scheme limit?
A. The first player chooses one player side scheme in play to discard, which could include Technovirus Purge. If Technovirus Purge is discarded, Technovirus Resurgence cannot attach to it, and so its text deals Cable's player a facedown encounter card.
Domino
Q. What does it mean to "count each icon twice" for the ability on Domino's hero card (37A)?
A. When you use an ability that counts resource icons on cards discarded from your deck, each resource icon discarded this way is treated as two resource icons.
Example: Andrew plays Luck Be a Lady (41) and discards Outlaw (39) from the top of his deck. Outlaw has one printed resource, which Domino's ability says to count twice, so Andrew resolves the effect on Luck Be a Lady for the resource icon twice.
Q. Can the ability on Diamondback (38) be used if she has only one hit point remaining?
A. Yes, Diamondback's ability finishes resolving even though the damage from it causes her to be defeated.
Q. What happens when Jackpot (43) is discarded from the top of Domino's deck if it was the last card in her deck?
A. Player decks reset as soon as they are empty, so Domino's deck is reset with Jackpot shuffled into it.
Marauders
Q. What happens if a minion whose title matches the villain's title is revealed?
A. When this happens, the minion is discarded and the player who revealed it must reveal an additional encounter card.
Scenario #4 — Mister Sinister
Q. When playing in expert mode, in what order are the "When Revealed" effects on Sinister Intent (139B) and Mister Sinister II (137) resolved?
A. The "When Revealed" effect on Sinister Intent is resolved first. This advances the main scheme to a random stage 2, which has both its A and B sides revealed. The "When Revealed" effect on Mister Sinister II is resolved last.
Scenario #5 — Stryfe
Q. What happens if the number of cards in my hand changes while Stryfe (163–165) is attacking me?
A. Stryfe's attack ability is a constant ability, so it recalculates every time the contents of your hand change, up until the point at which Stryfe deals damage.
Example: Stryfe I (163) attacks Alex, who is playing Spider-Man (1A). Alex has three events in her hand, which is the most common card type in her hand, so Stryfe has 3 ATK (his base ATK of 0 plus 3 ATK for his ability). Alex triggers Spider-Man's Spider-Sense ability, which allows her to draw a card when the villain attacks her, and she draws another event. Stryfe now has 4 ATK for the attack because Alex has four events in hand. There are no boost icons on Stryfe's boost card, so he deals four damage to Spider-Man. Alex plays the event Backflip (3) to prevent all of that damage. Even though Alex now has only three events in hand, she still takes four damage, which Backflip prevents.
Starter Decks
These preconstructed decks and character introductions are intended for the player who wants to play the game immediately without customizing their own deck.
Cable / Leadership
Cable is a powerful telepath whose body is slowly being ravaged by a deadly technovirus, although that doesn't stop him from leading X-Force on missions to take out threats before they can strike. Cable is focused on completing player side schemes, and gets stronger as he does. His key events, Mind Scan and Telekinetic Blast, both power up as he completes more player side schemes, as does his deadly Plasma Rifle. When choosing a player side scheme to put into play during setup using Nathan Summers's Soldier X ability, Technovirus Purge is a strong choice as its increase to Cable's THW will help him complete additional player side schemes more quickly.
Cable's Leadership cards are all about getting powerful allies into play and keeping them there. Uncanny X-Force allows his allies to thwart side schemes more effectively, while Mission Planning allows for massive ally attacks, each with reduced consequential damage.
- Cable cards: Bodyslide, Mind Scan (x3), Precognition, Telekinetic Blast (x2), Technovirus Purge, Graymalkin, Professor, Askani'son, Forced Amnesia, Plasma Rifle, Telekinetic Force Field, Temporal Leap
- Leadership cards: Caliban, Fantomex, Sunspot, Mission Planning (x3), Call for Backup, E.V.A., Uncanny X-Force (x3), Mission Leader
- Aggression card: Lock and Load
- Protection card: Establish Perimeter
- Basic cards: Deadpool, Deathlok, Frenemies, Build Support, The Power of the Mind (x3), Psimitar, Sidearm (x3)
- Nemesis set: Back to the Future, Stryfe, Telekinetic Force Field, Mind Scan, Telekinetic Blast
- Obligation: Technovirus Resurgence
Domino / Justice
Turns out there is a "Lady Luck," and her name is Domino. Her mutant ability to cause random telekinetic phenomena around her means that things always break her way. Domino is focused on discarding cards from the top of her deck and gaining bonuses from the resources printed on those cards. Keep an eye out for Domino's signature resource card, Jackpot!, and the basic resource card Digging Deep, as these cards have abilities that trigger when discarded from the top of your deck. You don't have to rely on luck alone as Domino's hero ability allows you to stack the deck in your favor. And don't forget that wild resource icons discarded from the top of your deck count double!
Domino comes with a suite of Justice cards well-suited to clearing side schemes of both the player and the encounter variety. Put an Overwatch on a side scheme and defeat that scheme with Even the Odds to remove bonus threat from the main scheme and deal damage to the villain. Round up your Posse characters and use The Posse to heal and ready them all up for a bonus attack or thwart!
- Domino cards: Diamondback; Outlaw; A Good Workout (x2); Luck Be a Lady; Right Place, Right Time (x2); Jackpot!; Pip the Pug; The Painted Lady; Domino's Pistol (x2); Lucky and Good; Lucky Break; Probability Field
- Justice cards: Feral, Wolfsbane, Even the Odds (x3), Team Investigation (x3), Take Out the Guards, Overwatch (x3)
- Basic cards: Atlas Bear, White Fox, The Posse, Superpower Training, Digging Deep (x3), Energy, Genius, Strength, Sharpshooter (x3)
- Nemesis cards: Not My Lucky Day, Topaz, Prototype, Superpower Feedback (x2)
- Obligation: Memories of Armageddon