CP143Winter Soldier

If you catch him in his downtime, you might think to offer this man a helping hand. However, believe us when we tell you that the topic of today’s From Panel to Play needs no assistance. James “Bucky” Barnes may have lost an arm in service to his country, but Winter Soldier, Operative is more than up to any task!

James “Bucky” Barnes was once the sidekick of Captain America. One of his closest friends and a tireless ally, he was always seen by his side as they fought against the evils across the world. He was also on that fateful, final mission that everyone assumed brought about the end of the duo’s heroics. Barnes wasn’t as lucky as his mentor, though, and was unfortunately “rescued” by the Russians.

Having suffered devastating injuries in that last mission, the Russians were able to not only restore him to health but take advantage of his injuries to help brainwash and reprogram him into an emotionless killing machine. Retaining his body’s memories of how to fight and being outfitted with a new robotic arm, he became an indispensable tool in their arsenal of evil…at least, until he started disobeying orders and showing signs of fighting his programming. While the Winter Soldier was performing a mission in the United States, his long-lost brother in arms, Captain America, helped restore the memories of his former life. Winter Soldier, Operative now spends his days once again fighting for the side of good and trying to atone for the atrocities he committed while brainwashed.

Winter Soldier, Operative joins Marvel: Crisis Protocol as a 4 Threat character with a variety of violent options at his disposal. He may be a long-range damage dealer that excels at repositioning across the battlefield while making his presence known, but his 4 Physical, 3 Energy and 4 Mystic defense ensure that he can still take a punch. He also boasts 6 Stamina on his Healthy Side and 5 Stamina on his Injured side, so even if he does have to mix it up, he won’t be going down quickly.

One of the first things you’ll notice about this character, whether reviewing his character card or seeing the beautiful miniature, is his Spec Ops Rifle. This Range 5 attack can reach across almost a third of the battlefield and hits with a Strength 5. The attack generates Power equal to the damage it deals and is Suppressive, meaning the target character loses 1 Power for each Wild in the attack roll.

Not one to be without options, Winter Soldier can also launch a Concussion Grenade up to Range 3. This energy attack costs 1 Power to use and also hits at Strength 5 but can inflict some nasty special conditions on the enemy characters. If the attack deals damage, the target of the attack is going to get the Stun special condition, which will limit the options available to them as it ensures they only gain 1 Power at a time. When rolling a Wild, this grenade will also catch all surrounding enemy characters with its Blinding Flash. This special rule ensures the target and enemy characters within Range 2 of it suffer the Shock special condition.

The last attack available to him is one that is sure to clear a room. For a cost of 3 Power, The Red Agent can unleash a Range 3 attack that hits with Strength 7. A man of his training is never daunted by the odds, regardless of how many foes oppose him. When he rolls a Wild and Hit during the attack, he performs a Clean Sweep. This special rule means that each other enemy character within Range 3 of Winter Soldier, Operative is also dealt 1 damage.

One key point of the training an operative like him has received is to always be on the move. This character has a host of options available to him that mean he can skirt around the edges of the fight, securing important objectives while still supporting his teammates. A big believer in the Hit and Run tactic, Winter Soldier, Operative can spend 2 Power (and an action) to perform an attack action followed by a move action. This superpower allows him to get the best of both worlds, either double tapping his enemies while repositioning or laying down some cover fire before moving twice to secure that last piece of intel.

To complement both his ability to reach across the table and his maneuverability, he also has the Stealth superpower, which means enemy characters have to be within Range 3 to attack him. You may be shocked to see that when you remember that he has a Range 5 attack, but we promise we didn’t misspeak. Yes, that means he can attack characters who are well out of range of attacking him. This character is the ultimate skirmisher, striking from the shadows and always being where he is least expected.

An operative of his skills also ensures that he fights on the battlefield of his choice. The Kill Box superpower represents the careful planning and preparation that true masters of their craft employ. Having preset the terrain of the battlefield with powerful explosives, this superpower means that when an enemy character ends an Advance or is Placed within Range 4 of him, he can spend 3 Power to destroy a Size 3 or less terrain feature within Range 2 of that character. They then suffer a collision as the terrain crumbles around them!

Lastly, although he prefers to operate at a distance from his targets, that doesn’t mean he skipped training his hand-to-hand combat. His Spetsnaz Training allows him to reroll 1 die when attacking or being attacked by a character within Range 1 of himself.

When you’re ready to help him atone for his past, be sure to pre-order your copy of the Earth’s Mightiest Core Set at your local game store or through the webstore today. Also, be sure to check back later for yet another installment of From Panel to Play, the series where we give you your first look at how your favorite characters transition to the tabletop in Marvel: Crisis Protocol.

Until next time, Atomic Mass Transmissions, signing off!

CP143Spectacular Spider-Man

Hey web-heads, we hope you’ll agree that we managed to snap a picture of his good side as we take a look at the topic of today’s From Panel to Play: Spectacular Spider-Man! We know it’s been said a million times, but with great power comes great responsibility, and the knowledge you’ll gain today is definitely a great power, so be sure to use it wisely!

Peter Parker was once just an average, science-loving kid (well…average except for the scientific genius part). Having gained superpowers from accidental exposure to a radioactive spider, he found himself able to stick to walls and lift cars! This sudden shift in circumstances soon found him starting down a path less than heroic, but the tragic murder of his uncle steered him into the life of a superhero and would guide his choices from that point forward.

He may not have started life with any formal combat training, but he has learned through the school of hard knocks how to hold his own in a fight. His enemies never know where he’ll be on the battlefield and need to be prepared for an attack from any angle. One thing you may not anticipate about someone that spends most of his time in New York City, Spider-Man has somehow managed to collect one of the most varied set of villains of any hero around. He hasn’t even been a formal member of many superhero teams at this point in his life, but S.H.I.E.L.D operatives do tend to find themselves in some crazy situations!

Spectacular Spider-Man is a new, 3 Threat version of Peter Parker. This version of the character joins us with a standard set of defense stats, with 3 across the board for Physical, Energy and Mystic defense. He sports 5 Stamina on both his Healthy and Injured sides and swings around the battlefield with his Medium movement.

An enemy may first notice Spectacular Spider-Man as he comes in with a Swinging Strike. This Range 3 Physical attack hits with a Strength of 5 and costs 0 Power to use. It won’t be generating a lot of Power for this character, but since it always allows him to gain 1 Power, the consistency is nice. Even better, a Wild and Hit rolled during the attack will trigger the Elusive special rule, allowing him to Advance Short after the attack is resolved.

A staple of almost any encounter with Spider-Man is seeing a few balls of web flying across the battlefield. His Impact Webbing is able to reach across the battlefield, hitting enemies from Range 4 away. It’s a 4 dice attack that will also automatically generate Peter 1 Power and on a Wild, can Push Size 2 or smaller characters Away Short.

You’ll notice that Spectacular Spider-Man doesn’t have a way to generate massive amounts of Power for himself, but as a steady drip of water can erode rock, the steady and guaranteed influx of Power has its own force behind it.

One of Spider-Man’s most memorable traits is his running commentary during battle. As much as no one likes to lose a fight, it’s the quips and scathing comments that many enemies remember most. After all, how can the other villains take you seriously when your knocked about by something named Web-Head Wallop!? Although it may not have an intimidating name, there isn’t anything comical about this Strength 7 attack. It costs 4 Power to use and requires him to be within Range 2 of the target enemy (but we’ll see why that won’t be a problem shortly). Always one to fully utilize his environment, when this attack contains a Wild and Hit result, you can choose a Size 2 interactive terrain feature within Range 3 and destroy it. The target character will then suffer a collision as though the terrain had been thrown at them. Catch!

Spectacular Spider-Man’s first superpower is an active superpower that embodies the first thing that comes to mind when most people think of Spider-Man. Gracefully swinging across the battlefield, the Web-Slinger is able to place himself within Range 3 of his current position. This superpower will cost him 2 Power to use and although it can only be used once per turn, the guaranteed Power generation on his attacks will mean he will almost always have access to it when he wants it.

You wouldn’t think it of such a small thing, but proportionally, Spiders are incredibly powerful! When scaled up to human size, that means we are looking at an individual with superhuman strength.Proportionate Strength of a Spider costs 3 Power to use (which he can basically guarantee each round by making 2 attacks!) and allows him to Throw Size 3 or less characters within Range 3 Short. This means most characters are going to find it hard to sit around Securing an Objective when Spider-Man wants to be there himself.

Something almost as iconic as the picture of him swinging through a city is Peter’s Spider-Sense. This precognitive power acts as an early warning sign for almost any kind of danger. This is represented on the tabletop as an innate superpower that allows him to reroll up to two of his dodge dice or two of his defense dice against Physical and Energy attacks.

Lastly, Wall Crawler isn’t a just a nickname used by enemies and allies alike. It’s also an innate superpower that allows Spectacular Spider-Man to Advance across terrain he otherwise wouldn’t be able to. He is a Size 2 character, which would normally mean larger terrain pieces would slow him down, but Wall Crawler allows him to count as Size 5 when Advancing.

When you’re ready to swing into action, be sure to pre-order your copy of the Earth’s Mightiest Core Set at your local game store or through the webstore today. Also, be sure to check back later for yet another installment of From Panel to Play, the series where we give you your first look at how your favorite characters transition to the tabletop in Marvel: Crisis Protocol.

Until next time, Atomic Mass Transmissions, signing off!

CP143Captain Marvel

We’d tell you to put on some sunglasses, but we’re not sure they’ve yet made a pair that can stand up to the glow of a binary star. Maybe try to just squint a little as we take a look at Captain Marvel, Cosmic Avenger in today’s From Panel to Play.

Even as a child, Carol Danvers had always dreamed of flying through space and seeing distant stars. When all she could do was sneak peeks at rocket ships and daydream about life as an astronaut, she never even considered that one day she herself would be wielding power equivalent to that of a star! She has always had the spirit and drive of a true hero, though, even well before she was able to make use of her superpowers.

Prepare yourself to dig in, as we have a lot to cover in today’s article. As can be expected of a 5 Threat character, this new version of Carol Danvers has a host of rules to discuss. You don’t have to worry about any changes between her Healthy and Injured sides, however, she is a brand-new Transforming character, which means we have two complete character cards to cover!

Captain Marvel, Cosmic Avenger’s Normal form has 4 Physical, Energy and Mystic defense alongside 7 Stamina on both her Healthy and Injured sides. This woman has come ready to fight and isn’t going down easy. Not only does she have a strong foundation, she has a host of superpowers that are going to enhance her resilience to damage, which we will touch on a bit later.

To start things off strong, we’ll take a look at her two attacks. Her Photon Blast is sure to leave more than a sunburn as it lances out from Range 4 with a 5 dice attack. Not only does this Energy attack provide her Power equal to the damage she deals, a Wild in the roll will allow her to zip around the battlefield with the Pursuit special rule. This rule provides her a Short Advance toward the target character, allowing her the option of repositioning herself.

Even if the glow of her Binary form hasn’t blinded the opponent, she may still just deafen them with her Sonic Boom. This Range 3 Physical attack hits with a Strength 6 and costs zero Power to use. It also provides her Power equal to the damage she deals and is a Concussive strike, meaning a Wild in the attack roll will cause the target character to lose 1 Power.

Now that we’ve covered her attacks, let’s start taking a look at those resilience enhancing superpowers we mentioned earlier. You won’t have too many decisions to make when using her superpowers, as they are all innate superpowers that work automatically to help defend her.

Her Enhanced Energy Absorption is an innate superpower that allows her to change an attacker’s Critical, Wild and Hit results to a Blank for every Wild in her defense roll. Not only does this work against Energy attacks, it also now works when she is defending herself against Mystic Attacks! As an added bonus, she will gain 1 Power for every die she changes this way.

Captain Marvel, Cosmic Avenger often has a cocky, confident attitude during a fight and isn’t shy about letting her opponent know when they aren’t giving her much of a challenge. You Call That A Punch? is an innate superpower that provides her 1 Power anytime she takes damage from an enemy effect. Since you gain Power for damage from enemy effects anyways, this is a great way to double dip on the Power generation. She also still has the innate superpowers Flight and Immunity to Incinerate and Poison in her normal form.

Now, you may have noticed that almost every single rule we’ve mentioned so far has in some way been providing her Power. You may have also noticed that we haven’t yet mentioned anyway for her to spend that Power.

Well, Captain Marvel, Cosmic Avenger spends her Power by storing it up for the first half of the fight. Once she has that Power ready to go, Higher, Further, Faster is an innate superpower that triggers at the start of her activation. When she starts her Activation with 6 or more Power, she transforms into the Binary form of her character! You’ll notice that once she has the Power available, she just can’t help herself and has to transform into her Binary form, ready to rearrange the battlefield.

Captain Marvel, Cosmic Avenger’s Binary form has the same base stats as her Normal form, but access to two new attack options and a host of superpowers. Her Binary Blast is a Range 2, Strength 6 energy attack. It does cost her 1 Power to use, but it allows her to Push any character (regardless of size!) Short and can also Incinerate them if she rolls a Wild during the attack. This short-range wallop is just the first of the control elements she now brings to her team.

Warbird is an explosive new attack available to her Binary form. This attack costs her 3 Power to use, can reach out to Range 3 and hits with Strength 8. It also provides two different special rules to change up the board state. It allows her to Place herself within Range 2 of the target character and, when she rolls a Wild, it allows her to Throw the target character Short (again, regardless of its size). Something to note is that because both of those rules share the “after this attack is resolved” timing, you can pick the order they resolve in. Whether you want to Throw the enemy character first to get a little more distance for Captain Marvel’s placement or you want to Place her first and then throw the enemy off an objective point, the option is yours! If that wasn’t enough, this Energy attack also has the Explosive rule when she rolls a Critical and Wild. This means before damage is dealt, other enemy characters within range 2 of the target character will suffer 1 damage.

Now, let’s take a look at the superpowers available to Captain Marvel, Cosmic Avenger (Binary). First up is an active superpower called I’m Just Getting Warmed Up. Every good workout starts with a good stretching session and Carol likes to start things off with a little bit of dynamic movement that involves throwing size 4 characters or terrain Medium. You don’t stretch too far right from the get-go, so the items she’s throwing do have to be within Range 2 of her, but since it only costs 2 Power to use, it’s an amazing option to have available.

Recognizing the power she has at her fingertips; Captain Marvel always likes to be in the vanguard of the fight. Once her Binary form is active, she rushes into battle whether the enemy is Ready or Not…This active superpower doesn’t cost her any power to use and allows her to perform two actions for the cost of one! When using this superpower, she makes a move action followed by an attack action.  Luckily for the enemy, she can only use it once per turn.

A true sight to behold is Captain Marvel, Cosmic Avenger exploding with energy as she transforms into her Binary form at the start of her Activation, shouting Ready or Not…as she charges a heavily fortified enemy objective, smashing one opponent with a Warbird attack and throwing them into the distance before smirking at their buddy, telling him I’m Just Getting Warmed Up and then creating a pile of bodies by Throwing him into the first guy! That last enemy character sitting on the point? That guy gets a Binary Blast right in the face and is Pushed off, leaving Captain Marvel in sole possession of the objective. All of that? All of that just happened with the bare minimum Power available to her when she transforms into her Binary form.

As can be expected, her Binary form also shares the previously mentioned Enhanced Energy Absorption. It works the same way in this form as it did in her Normal form, which as a reminder means she can change an attacker’s Critical, Wild and Hit results to a Blank for every Wild in her defense roll during an Energy or Mystic attack and doing so nets her 1 Power per die changed.

Now, as we get near the end of the amazing options available to this character, astute readers may have noticed there is a bit of a downside to this form. Although her Binary form is very good at spending Power, it doesn’t have many options available for generating Power. She can still gain Power from other rules and damage from enemy effects, but other than Enhanced Energy Absorption, she doesn’t have any rules that give her a choice about gaining Power.

When she finds herself getting low on Power, she can just tell her opponent I Don’t Need a Powerup To Kick Your Butt. This zero cost reactive superpower triggers when she either spends or loses Power and allows her to Transform back into Captain Marvel, Cosmic Avenger (Normal) if she has 3 or less power after the effect is resolved. She’ll then be ready to power herself back up!

Whew! Almost done, we hope you’ve gotten as excited about this character as we are. We will wrap things up by mentioning that her Binary form shares the same Immunities that her Normal form does (Incinerate and Poison), as well as the innate superpower Flight. She however gains Immunity to Stagger and Stun as well! Something to remember is that when a character gains an Immunity, if they currently have the condition they are now immune to, they immediately remove that condition. Neat little trick when going Binary allows to you remove a Stagger that otherwise would have impacted your activation!

When you’re ready to stand up to injustice no matter where in the universe it may be, be sure to pre-order your copy of the Earth’s Mightiest Core Set at your local game store or through the webstore today. Also, be sure to check back later for yet another installment of From Panel to Play, the series where we give you your first look at how your favorite characters transition to the tabletop in Marvel: Crisis Protocol.

Until next time, Atomic Mass Transmissions, signing off!

CP143Captain America

Brush off any of that ice and snow folks, it’s time to dig up some information on this living time capsule. In today’s From Panel to Play, we will be discussing one of the most iconic superheroes of our day, a man that exemplifies the best virtues of humanity and has the willpower to see the fight for good go the length. Let’s take a look at Captain America, First Avenger!

Steve Rogers has changed a lot throughout his years. He started life as a skinny kid from New York with bravery and a moral compass that his body struggled to keep up with. These days, he still boasts the same moral compass and level of bravery, but you would struggle to find someone in better physical condition. This is the type of man you picture when you hear the word “superhero”.

Captain America started his life as a superhero as a part of the United States Military. After being lost and presumed dead near the end of World War II though, he was found still alive (although in suspended animation) decades later. Being revived in a time completely unfamiliar to him was a shock, to say the least, but he soon found a place for himself in this new day and age as a member of the burgeoning superhero movement. Acting not just as a member, but as a mentor and guide for this disparate collection of individuals, he would quickly become the shining heart of the Avengers.

Captain America, First Avenger is a new 4 Threat Leader for the Avengers affiliation. This version of the character represents an in your face, aggressive take on Steve Rogers. He has 4 Physical, 4 Energy and 3 Mystic defense and a front loaded 6 Stamina for his Healthy side and 5 Stamina for his Injured side.

One of Captain America’s most iconic attack is his Shield Bounce. This Range 3, Strength 5 attack doesn’t cost any Power to use and will gain him Power equal to the damage he deals. When he rolls a Wild and Hit during the attack, it will Bounce. This allows him to make an additional Shield Bounce attack against another character within Range 3 of the first target (which could also end up generating him some power!).

As a nod to the rough and tumble life he led as a young man, the First Avenger is sometimes known as the Brooklyn Brawler. This is also a Range 3, Strength 5 attack, but this one costs him 4 Power to use. The reason it costs him some Power is the benefits provided by its special rules. Having always been willing to stand up to a bully, even long before he had his current physical capabilities, this attack allows him to add dice to his attack roll equal to the target characters Size. This means it will almost always be at least a Strength 7 attack! It also has the Push rule when he rolls a Wild, allowing him to push size 3 or less characters Away Short. It also has the rule Frontliner, which continues the theme of him throwing himself against multiple enemies. When he rolls a Wild, Hit and Shield in the attack roll, he can make an additional Brooklyn Brawler attack against a different enemy character within Range 3.

His Leadership, Earth’s Mightiest Heroes, represents his time as one of the pivotal members of the Avengers. Ready to take charge regardless of who is on the field, Captain America, First Avenger has the tactical knowledge to steer his allies where they can best impact the battle. This Leadership allows allied characters to spend 1 Power during an attack roll when they have rolled at least 1 Hit result. When doing so, they can change 1 of their attack roll results to any other result. The potential applications for this are hard to quantify as it means that for a single Power, characters are able to guarantee single result triggers in their attack rolls and have a much greater chance of reaching those multi-result trigger requirements.

His first superpower is an Active superpower representing his willingness to throw himself into the fight. For 2 Power and an Action, Captain America can Charge into battle. This superpower allows him to make a move action followed by an attack action. The ability to perform two actions for the cost of 1 is always a useful superpower.

He also has access to a reactive superpower for the cost of 2 Power known as Perfect Block. The picture of Captain America is never complete unless it includes his iconic shield and this superpower means that when he is targeted by an attack, he can add 2 dice to his defense roll against that attack. Who doesn’t like rolling 6 defense dice when being attacked?!

Last, but not least, we have a superpower that exists only on his Injured side. You won’t find it on the front of his card, but this superpower represents the never-ending willpower residing in this man. Even if he has been Dazed and flipped to his Injured side, he just keeps getting back up. I Can Do This All Day is an innate superpower that lets Captain America, First Avenger count Blanks in his defense rolls as successes against any attack. This man will never shrink before evil!

When you’re ready to lead the charge, be sure to pre-order your copy of the Earth’s Mightiest Core Set at your local game store or through the webstore today. Also, be sure to check back later for yet another installment of From Panel to Play, the series where we give you your first look at how your favorite characters transition to the tabletop in Marvel: Crisis Protocol.

Until next time, Atomic Mass Transmissions, signing off!