From Panel To Play: Storm

CP41 Storm

Ororo Munroe, also known as the X-Man Storm, is a mutant with the rare and powerful ability to control the weather. Growing up as an orphan and pickpocket on the streets of Cairo, she had a run-in with Charles Xavier early on when she tried to steal from him. In the following years, Storm discovered her powers, traveled across the continent, and finally settled into her mother’s Kenyan homeland where she was worshipped as a goddess.

Xavier returned to Ororo’s life years later when his X-Men helped her to defeat a hostile mutant. Learning of her powers, Xavier offered her a role among his elite team taking the codename Storm. Storm is a capable leader and expert combatant, skills that she has put to good use against foes like the Brotherhood of Mutants. She is believed to be an Omega-level mutant, one of a small handful of the most powerful mutants alive.

Storm’s miniature is dramatic and striking. Hovering off the ground in a field of lightning, her windblown appearance captures the majesty of the Goddess of Storms. The jagged lightning contrasts against the organic shapes of Storm, and the dynamic movement in her hair and cape only helps to highlight the calm and stillness of her posture.

Storm is a potent addition to any roster, with a diverse set of attacks and powers that can help tackle many different situations. Her weather-manipulation abilities act to bolster her allies and devastate her foes.

On the offense, Storm has her pick of three different powers, each tailored to a different situation. Her Lightning Strike energy attack has a respectable Range 4, hits at Strength 4, and has a chance to impose the Shock special condition if the attack roll produces any wild results. She calls down a bolt of lightning to fry and rattle her target, leaving it less likely to harm her team.

When Storm finds herself boxed in by foes, she can always rely on one of her other attacks, Hurricane. Whipping the winds into a frenzy, this area attack throws out 5 dice, ignores line of sight and cover, and can bring flying opponents crashing down to the ground for additional damage. Storm’s mastery of the winds is so precise that she can avoid harming any of her allies as she batters her enemies with the gale of her attack.

As one of the most potent mutants alive, Storm needed a set of super powers that represented her incredible power. The Eye of the Storm represents Ororo at her most focused and furious when she directs the full force of weather control against a target. For 3 Power, she adds 2 additional dice to her next attack action… perfect for when she wants a hurricane to put a stop to the fighting right away.

Storm often wreathes herself in fog, downpour, and lightning, and her Goddess of Storms innate power represents how difficult it is to even see her amid the inclement weather. Thanks to this power, enemies must be within Range 3 of Storm to target her with attacks.

But Ororo Munroe is much more than just lightning, hurricanes, and heavy rains. As an X-Man, she has demonstrated her natural ability to lead others, even taking charge of the Gold Team of X-Men. Her Leadership ability X-Men Gold allows her to coordinate the movements of her allies, allowing a character to be placed within Range 1 of a nearby ally once per turn, as well as granting cover in the form of mists and fog to any character targeted from more than Range 2 away.

Storm is a powerful team member for any group and has many other tricks up her sleeves, but that’s all we have time for today. Be sure to check back next time for another installment of From Panel to Play.

Until then, Atomic Mass Transmissions, out!

From Panel To Play: Cyclops

CP41 Cyclops

Welcome back to From Panel to Play, the series where we look at how your favorite characters shape up in Marvel: Crisis Protocol. This time, we’re talking about a natural leader who some might accuse of being a little… myopic: it’s Cyclops.

Orphaned at a young age, Scott Summers discovered his mutant powers while living in an orphanage. Blasts of powerful force shot from his eyes, damaging a crane and endangering the people standing beneath the payload. Believing the young mutant had tried to kill them, the bystanders became a mob and sent Scott on the run.

Charles Xavier took Scott in and helped him understand his powers, training him to be one of the first X-Men and the team’s principal leader. To control his optic blasts, Cyclops wears a ruby-crystal visor at all times. Taking the name Cyclops, he fights for mutant equality and peace between humans and mutants.

Cyclops’ miniature is set in the most iconic pose for the first X-Man, with his hand ready to adjust the controls of his ruby visor to let loose an optic blast. His posture is measured and confident, exactly what you would expect from the restrained leader of the X-Men. Cyclops also comes with two different heads, allowing you to choose between either the hooded uniform or exposed head.

Translating Cyclops to the tabletop required two major considerations: his leadership qualities and beams of unstoppable force that shoot out of his eyes.

The optic blasts are an interesting aspect of Cyclops’ character. While they are one of his greatest assets, they are also somewhat tragic. He cannot control them, and without the special visor he wears to keep them in check, they could destroy the people he loves and protects.

Both of Cyclops’ attacks, and several of his powers, involve his optic blasts. He has two decent ranged energy attacks from them, putting him on par with the best of ranged characters. The Optic Devastation attack represents the full force and fury of Cyclops’ mutant power, a torrent of force that can leave his targets reeling. This Range 5 Beam attack hits at a respectable Strength 7 and has the unique Concussive Force special rule. If the attack roll produces a wild result, the target loses 1 Power as they are rattled and thrown off guard by the power of the attack.

Of course, Scott Summers is much more than the man with the worst case of red eye in history. He is a stalwart and confident leader of the X-Men, most notably the classic Blue Team. His Leadership ability Blue Team affects members of the Uncanny X-Men affiliation and represents the kind of coordination and teamwork in the face of a battle that Cyclops excels at. Once per turn, when a team member declares an attack, any number of characters within Range 3 of the attacker can donate 1 Power, reducing the cost of the attacker’s attack action to a minimum of 1. The X-Men work together to protect their ally and support them, making certain no one is left vulnerable.

Cyclops’ other leadership-based power, Field Leader, represents him giving orders to his team to coordinate the battlefield. This active power costs 3 Power to use and allows a friendly character within Range 4 to advance a Short range, perfect for getting vulnerable allies into cover or to close the distance with a critical objective.

Cyclops has other powers to help him lead the X-Men to victory, but that’s all we have time for today. Be sure to visit again soon as Atomic Mass Transmissions brings you more From Panel to Play and other news and information about Marvel: Crisis Protocol.

Until then!

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