Vs System 2PCG: The Marvel Battles Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• What is the Vs. System?
• Game Contents
• If You've Played Original Vs...
  • Wounds Instead of Endurance
  • Main Characters
  • Simpler Rows and Faster Formations
  • Individual Turns
  • Revamped Resource System
  • Other New Stuff
• Gameplay Overview
• The Card Types
  • Main Characters
  • Supporting Characters
  • Plot Twists
  • Locations
• Basic Game Concepts
• Setting Up the Game
• Turn Sequence
  • 1. Draw Phase
  • 2. Recovery Phase
  • 3. Build Phase
    • Resource Step
    • Recruit Step
    • Formation Step
  • 4. Main Phase
    • Making a Melee Attack
  • Making a Ranged Attack
  • Flight and Ranged
  • Team Attacks
• Ending the Game
• Additional Rules
  • +1/+1 and -1/-1 counters
  • Stunned Characters
  • Recovering Characters
  • Playing Plot Twists
• Character Powers
  • Keywords
  • Super Powers
  • Level Up Powers
• Main Characters vs. Supporting Characters
• Uniqueness
• Power-Ups
• Resources and Locations
• Running Out Of Cards
• Timing

What is the Vs. System?

The Vs. System is a card game where 2-4 players each build a deck of Characters, Plot Twists, and Locations, and try to knock out their opponents. Each Vs. System set comes with a full playset of cards so you'll have everything you need to play the full game right out of the box.

Game Contents

• 400 Cards
• Assorted Counters
• This Rulebook

If You've Played Original Vs...

If you've played original Vs. you'll find that some parts of the game have been streamlined or changed in order to make it easier to learn, faster to play, and more fun to battle. Here's the major stuff:

Wounds Instead of Endurance

Characters have a new stat called "Health." When a character gets stunned, instead of taking stun or breakthrough damage, it gains a wound. If it takes too many wounds, it gets KO'd.

Main Characters

Each player starts with a Main Character who works just like a regular Character except when your Main Character gets KO'd you're out of the game. (Your Main Character can Level Up to become more powerful, but we'll cover that later.)

Simpler Rows and Faster Formations

In the original game you would place some characters in your Front Row, and some in your Back Row, and decide who was protecting whom. In the new game, all that matters is who's in the Front and who's in the Back. If there's anyone in the Front then characters in the Back are protected.

Individual Turns

Each player takes their own turn, which also speeds things up. Your opponents can only play cards on your turn during combat (and only if the card says so).

Revamped Resource System

You can still play any card face down as a resource, but the way Plot Twists and Locations work is different. Plot Twists are now only played from hand. And Locations enter play face up and can be turned face down to activate one of your character's Super Powers. (More on this later.)

Other New Stuff

You'll notice other differences as you learn and play the new game. Some might be rules changes (like how Ranged-symbol characters are now more dangerous) and some might be how the game feels (like how Team Attacks are more important).

Gameplay Overview

Each player starts with a Main Character such as Iron Man, Star-Lord, or Thanos. During the game you'll play resources and recruit Supporting Characters. You'll organize your formation between your Front and Back Rows, and you'll make solo and team attacks against your foes in order to stun and KO them. You'll play Plot Twists to enhance your team or hurt your opponent's. You'll use your Locations to activate your team's Super Powers. Your Main Character will earn Experience Points and Level Up to dominate the battlefield. Finally, you'll KO your opponent's Main Character (or they'll KO yours).

The Card Types

Main Characters

A Main Character card shows its Name, Team Affiliation, and Type near the top. Below that are its Powers, its Level, and its Health. Near the bottom are its Ranged symbol (if it has one) and its ATK/DEF.

You start the game with a Level 1 Main Character. During the game, when it levels up you'll switch it with its Level 2 Version.

Supporting Characters

During your turn you can recruit Supporting Characters into your Front or Back Row. A Supporting Character card shows its Cost, Name, Team Affiliation, and Type near the top, its ATK/DEF near the bottom-left, and its Health near the bottom-right. Some Supporting Characters have a Flight symbol and/or a Ranged symbol.

Main Characters and Supporting Characters work the same way. They can attack, defend, get stunned, and take wounds. The only exception is some cards specifically refer to Main Characters or Supporting Characters.

Plot Twists

During your turn you can play Plot Twists from your hand. Plot Twists always say when during the turn you can play them. A Plot Twist card shows its Team Affiliation near the top and its Game Text below. Some Plot Twists have an Any Turn symbol next to the word that tells you when you can play them.

Locations

Each turn you can play a card face down as a resource. But if it's a Location you can play it face up instead. Each Location has a symbol. During the game you can turn a Location face down in order to activate a Super Power that requires that symbol. (You may also discard a location from hand to get that symbol.) A Location card shows its Name and Team Affiliation near the top, its Power Symbol, and its Game Text.

Basic Game Concepts

• Deck: Your deck must include exactly 60 cards, not including your Main Character.

• Hand: You start the game with seven cards and draw two cards each turn. There is no limit to the number of cards you can have in your hand at one time. If an effect tells you to discard a card, that means from your hand.

• KO Pile: When a card gets KO'd or discarded it goes into your KO pile which is next to your deck. The KO Pile is face up, and any player can look through it at any time.

• Three Rows: Each player has three rows: Front, Back, and Resource.

  • When you recruit a character it can go into your Front or Back row. Characters in front are your main line of attack. They also protect characters in your Back Row. Characters in your Back Row are safer but they can only attack if they have the Ranged symbol.
  • Each turn you'll place a Location or a face down card from your hand into your resource row. Your resources give you recruit points which you'll use to play your Supporting Characters.

• Ready/Exhausted: A card in play is either ready (upright) or exhausted (turned on its side). Only ready characters can attack. Cards enter play ready.

• Stun: When a character is defeated in combat it becomes stunned. Turn it face down, exhaust it, remove all +1/+1 and -1/-1 counters from it, and put a Wound counter on it. Stunned characters can't be attacked and they lose their powers until they recover. Some effects can cause a character to become directly stunned (without it being in combat).

• KO: When a character has as many Wounds as its Health, it's KO'd.

• Recover: When a character recovers, turn it face up. It still keeps its Wounds.

Setting Up the Game

• Each player needs a deck that has one Main Character and exactly 60 game cards. (See the deck-building pages for which cards to include in your first deck.)
• Put the Wound, XP, +1/+1, and -1/-1 counters nearby.
• Randomly determine who gets to choose which player goes first.
• Starting with the first player, each player puts their Level 1 Main Character into either their Front or Back Row. Then they put the Level 2 version off to the side where all players can see it.
• Each player should set their deck down next to where their Back Row will be.
• Each player shuffles their deck and draws seven cards.
  • Starting with the first player, each player may mulligan one time if they don't like their hand. Shuffle your hand into your deck and draw seven new cards. (It's usually a good idea to mulligan if you don't have any Locations or any Supporting Characters that you can play in the first few turns.)

Turn Sequence

Each turn, you'll go through the following four phases in order. Then the next player takes a turn. (In a 3 or 4 player game, the next player is the player to your left.)

1. Draw Phase
2. Recovery Phase
3. Build Phase
4. Main Phase

1. Draw Phase

During this phase, first any "At the start of your turn" effects happen. Then you draw two cards. (If you're the first player and this is the first turn of the game, you don't draw any cards on your first turn.)

2. Recovery Phase

During this phase, if you have any stunned characters, they all recover. Then ready all of your characters.

3. Build Phase

During this phase, perform the following three steps in order:

Resource Step

You may choose any one card in your hand and place it face down into your resource row. (It is now a "resource".) If you play a Location as a resource, you may place it face up. (Playing a resource is optional.)

Recruit Step

You now gain 1 Recruit Point for each resource you have. (It doesn't matter if the resource is face up or face down.) You can spend any or all of your Recruit Points to play Supporting Characters from your hand. When you play a character, put it into your Front or Back row.

Example: During Peter's Resource Step he plays the Training Ground Location face up as a resource. He now has three resources so during his Recruit Step he gains 3 Recruit Points. He spends them to play Ant-Man (who costs 1) into his Front Row and Hawkeye (who costs 2) into his Back Row.

If you have any Recruit Points leftover, they go away after this step.

Formation Step

You can now rearrange any or all of your characters between your Front and Back Rows. Any character (including your Main Character), can go into either row.

It doesn't matter if a character is to the left or right of another character. All that matters is who's in the Front and who's in the Back.

4. Main Phase

This is the longest phase of the turn.

During this phase, you can make any number of attacks, one at a time, until you choose to stop attacking or all of your characters are exhausted.

Your Front Row characters can make Melee attacks.

Your Back Row characters that have the Ranged symbol can make Ranged attacks. (Note: You can put a Ranged-symbol character in your Front Row to have it make a Melee attack if you want.)

Making a Melee Attack

Starting a Combat

• Exhaust one of your ready Front Row characters to become the attacker and choose a face up Front Row enemy to be the defender. If an opponent has no face-up Front Row characters, you can attack his Back Row characters.
• If your character has the Flight symbol it can fly over your opponent's Front Row to attack a Back Row character unless your opponent has their own Flight-symbol character in their Front Row.

During Combat

• Once combat has begun, you can play one Combat Plot Twist or use one Combat Super Power or you can pass. Then your opponent can do the same. Then you go again, and so on, until both of you pass in a row. (If one player passes but then other player plays something, the first player can still play something.) Then resolve the combat.
• If you're playing with 3 or 4 players, everyone will have a chance to play Combat Plot Twists or use Combat Super Powers each combat. The attacking player has the first opportunity, then play proceeds to the left. Once all players pass in succession combat resolves.
• When a player plays a Plot Twist or uses a Super Power, it resolves immediately before the next player has a chance to play their own Plot Twist or Super Power.

Resolving Combat

• To resolve the combat, the attacker now "strikes" the defender and the defender simultaneously "strikes back" against the attacker.
• Compare the Attacker's ATK to the Defender's DEF. If the ATK is greater than or equal to the DEF, the defender will be stunned. Also compare the Defender's ATK to the Attacker's DEF. If the ATK is greater than or equal to the DEF, the attacker will be stunned.
• So there are four possible results to a combat: No one gets stunned, the Attacker gets stunned, the Defender gets stunned, or both characters get stunned.
• When a character becomes stunned, turn it face down, exhaust it, remove all +1/+1 and -1/-1 counters from it and put a wound counter on it.

Making a Ranged Attack

Ranged attacks work the same way as Melee attacks with the following exceptions:

• You choose one of your Back Row characters with the Ranged symbol to be the attacker.
• The defender only gets to strike back if it also has the Ranged symbol.

Note: If your character attacks from the Front Row, it is always a Melee attack whether or not your character has the Ranged symbol.

Flight and Ranged

• If your character has the Flight symbol and the Ranged symbol it can attack from your Back Row AND fly over your opponent's Front Row (if they have no Flight-symbol characters in their Front Row) to attack a Back Row character.
• The defender will still only strike back if it has the Ranged symbol.

Team Attacks

Two or more characters that have the same Team Affiliation and are in the same row can make a Team Attack against a single defender. Team Attacks work just like solo attacks with the following exceptions:

• You choose two or more Front Row characters to make a Melee Team Attack.
• You choose two or more Back Row characters that have the Ranged symbol to make a Ranged Team Attack. (Just like in a regular Ranged Attack, the defender only gets to strike back if it has the Ranged symbol.)
• In both cases, if all of your attackers have the Flight symbol, they can fly over your opponent's Front Row to attack their Back Row (unless your opponent has a Front Row Flight-symbol character). Resolving a Team Attack works like this:
• Add up the ATK of all your attackers and compare them to the Defender's DEF to see if the Defender will get stunned.
• The defender then chooses exactly one attacker to strike back against. It compares the Defender's ATK to that character's DEF to see if it will get stunned.

For example, let's say three different 2/2 Avengers attack a 6/6 defender. When the combat resolves, the total ATK of the attackers is 6 which is enough to stun the defender. The defender picks one of the 2/2s to strike back at, compares its 6 ATK to the attacker's 2 DEF and stuns it. The other two 2/2s survive.

After each Combat resolves, you can make another attack. Once you're done attacking (either by choice, or because you have no ready characters left, or because all enemy characters are stunned), and you're ready to be done with your Main Phase, your turn ends. Resolve any "at the end of your turn" effects, and then the player to your left gets to take a turn.

Ending the Game

The game ends when you KO your opponent's Main Character or they KO yours. If you're playing 3 or 4 players, then it ends when only one Main Character is left. If the final two Main Characters would get KO'd at the same time (either because they're in combat with each other or through some card effect), the player whose turn it is wins the game.

In a 3 or 4 player game, when a Main Character gets KO'd, remove all cards on that player's side from the game.

Additional Rules

+1/+1 and -1/-1 counters

Many effects put +1/+1 or -1/-1 counters on characters. These numbers alter a character's ATK and DEF until something removes the counters.

If a character ever has +1/+1 and -1/-1 counters at the same time, they cancel out. Remove one of each until the character only has one type.

When a character gets stunned, remove all +1/+1 and -1/-1 counters from it.

If a character's DEF is ever reduced to 0 (whether from -1/-1 counters or some effect), it's immediately stunned.

Stunned Characters

When a character becomes stunned, remove all +1/+1 and -1/-1 counters from it, turn it face down exhausted, and put a wound counter on it. If it now has wounds greater than or equal to its Health, it's KO'd. Put it into its owner's KO pile. (Note: If a character only has 1 Health, don't bother putting the wound on it. Once it gets stunned it's immediately KO'd and you can put it directly into the KO pile.)

If a character gets stunned by an effect in the middle of a combat, it is removed from combat. Stunned characters can't be attacked or gain +1/+1 or -1/-1 counters, and they temporarily lose their powers (until they recover). Stunned characters can't ready.

Any player can look at any stunned character at any time.

Recovering Characters

Your stunned characters automatically recover during your Recovery Phase. (You can't choose to leave them stunned.)

Some card effects can also recover a character. When a character recovers, turn it face up but leave it exhausted. (Note: Recovering a character does NOT heal any wounds from it.)

Playing Plot Twists

Each Plot Twist will say when you're allowed to play it. If it says "Build" then you can only play it during your Build Phase.

If it says "Main" then you can only play it during your Main Phase while there isn't a combat going on.

If it says "Combat" then you can only play it during a combat on your turn. And if the word "Combat" has the Any Turn symbol next to it, then you can play it during a Combat on any player's turn. (Most "Combat" Plot Twists can be used on any player's turn.)

Unless it says otherwise, you can only use a "Combat" plot twist to affect a character in the combat.

When you play a Plot Twist, follow its instructions, then put it into your KO pile.

Some Plot Twists have a Team Symbol on the top right of the card. That means you may only play it if you have a face-up character with that Team Symbol on your side (including your Main Character). However, you can use it to affect any character regardless of Team Symbol.

Character Powers

There are three types of character powers: Keywords, Super Powers, and Level Up Powers.

Keywords

Keywords are powers that often show up on more than one character. When a character has a keyword power, just follow the instructions in its text. You can also look in this rulebook to see what the keyword means.

Flight and Ranged are the two most common keyword powers. They are represented by symbols instead of the actual words.

Super Powers

All Main characters and some Supporting characters have Super Powers. Each Super Power has a name, a cost, and an effect. The word "Build", "Main", or "Combat" tells you when you can use the Super Power (just like how Plot Twists work).

For example, Thor's power can only be used during your Main phase while there isn't a combat going on. Wolverine's power can only be used while Wolverine is in combat. And a power with the Any Turn symbol next to "Combat" means you can use it on your turn or an opponent's.

If a character's Super Power says "Any Combat" you can use it during a combat even if that character isn't part of it.

Each Super Power has at least one power symbol. To activate a Super Power you must pay for it by turning one of your Locations with that symbol face down OR by discarding a Location with that symbol from hand.

Ex 1: It's your Main Phase. You decide to use Thor's Lightning Strike power so you turn your Laboratory location face down to pay the cost. Then you get to put three -1/-1 counters on an enemy character.

Example 2: Wolverine attacks an enemy. You decide to use his combat Super Power, Snikt!. It costs a Ranged symbol so you discard a Training Ground Location from your hand and Wolverine gets +3/+0 this combat. (You could also use this power while Wolverine is defending in combat.)

You can use any number of different Super Powers each turn, as long as you can pay for them. However, you can't use the same Super Power more than once each turn.

Some Super Powers have more than one power symbol. You have to pay for all of them by turning matching Locations face down or discarding them from hand, or a combination of both.

Level Up Powers

Every Level 1 Main Character has a Level Up Power.

When you meet the XP (experience) condition, put an XP counter on the Level 2 version of your main character.

Once you have XP greater than or equal to the number next to "Level Up", remove the XP counters from the Level 2 version of your main character and replace the Level 1 version of your character with its Level 2 version.

The Level 2 version should retain the same orientation as the Level 1 version (ready/exhausted and face up/stunned). Put each Wound and +1/+1 or -1/-1 counter that was on the Level 1 version onto the Level 2 version.

Level 2 characters work just like Level 1 characters except they're more powerful and they have an additional Super Power.

Note: While your Level 1 character is stunned, its Level Up Power is turned off.

Main Characters vs. Supporting Characters

Main Characters work like Supporting Characters with the following exceptions:

• Main Characters start in play and don't have a cost.
• Main Characters can level up.
• If your Main Character gets KO'd, you're out of the game.
• Some effects say they only work on Supporting Characters.

Other than that, treat Main Characters exactly the same as Supporting Characters. They attack, defend, team attack, get +1/+1 or -1/-1 counters, get stunned, use powers, etc.

Uniqueness

Each player can only have one character with a specific name on your side at one time. If you already have a character on your side, and you play another one with that name, you must KO the first one. If they both enter play simultaneously then you must pick one to KO. If the second one ends up on your side through some special effect (e.g. Mind Controlling an enemy character) you still must KO the first character.

The only exception to all of this is your Main Character. You may never control a character with the same name as your Main Character. If an effect would cause that, ignore that effect. You can't play a supporting character with the same name as your main character.

Power-Ups

If you have a card in hand with the same name as a Main or Supporting Character on your side, you may discard it to Power Up that character. Put a +1/+1 counter on the Powered-Up character. You can Power Up a character either as a Main action or as an Any Turn Combat action.

Example: You attack with your Main Character, Wolverine. During combat you decide to Power Up Wolverine so you discard a Wolverine supporting character from your hand and put a +1/+1 counter on Wolverine.

Resources and Locations

Cards in your Resource Row count as Resources whether they're face up or face down. Once a Location turns face down it will stay face down unless an effect turns it face up. You can look at your own face down resources at any time. You can't look at enemy face-down resources.

You can rearrange your Resource Row if you like as long as your opponent can see how many you have and which Locations you have. Resources don't exhaust.

There are four basic locations, one for each of the four Power Symbols. Also, each team has one special location that has a Team Symbol on the top right of the card. These locations can produce any of the power symbols, but only for a member of that team. (That matters when you're building your own decks and mixing teams together. See the deck-building pages for more info.)

You can use a Location (by turning it face down or discarding it) to pay for a Super Power.

But you can't use one Location card to pay for multiple Super Powers. Each Super Power much be paid for separately.

Running Out Of Cards

If a player needs to draw a card, but his deck is empty, he skips those draws. Play continues as normal. But if all players are out of cards and no one is willing or able to attack to put wounds onto Main Characters, the player with the fewest wounds on his Main Character wins the game. If two or more players are tied for the fewest wounds, the game ends in a tie between those players.

Timing

When you play a Plot Twist, use a Super Power, or Power-Up, resolve it immediately. If an effect "triggers" due to something, resolve that effect before any player can play a Plot Twist, Super Power, or Power-Up. If two or more effects trigger at the same time and it's not clear what order to do them in, the player whose turn it is decides the order.