Dedicated soldiers can be found in any corner of every empire. Resolute fighters all, many are proud to defend their homeland to the last, but few boast the capabilities and natural talents of the prince of Atlantis. Join us in today’s From Panel to Play as we examine the Avenging Son: Namor.

Bringing out the best of his human and Atlantean lineage, Namor can go toe to toe with many of Earth’s mightiest heroes. His telepathic abilities give him command of numerous sea creatures, an advantage that comes with deadly consequences for anyone who crosses him. The circumstances of his birth have also given him an unnaturally long life, and Namor shows little signs of aging. Superior intellect and natural intuition truly make him a well-rounded ruler, able to skillfully lead Atlantis through times of strife. The Sub-Mariner is a true hero to his people and often finds himself at odds with various groups and teams while executing his sacred duty to defend Atlantis.

Namor, The Sub-Mariner dives into the fight as a 5 Threat character. A mighty individual with superhuman powers, Prince Namor stands ready to defend his territory beneath the waves. Able to resist sustained barrages, Namor boasts a respectable 4 Physical and Energy defense, as well as 3 Mystic defense. A hearty 14 stamina is spread evenly between his healthy and injured sides. Wings on his ankles give Namor a Long movement speed allowing him to nimbly maneuver around the battlefield. These above-average stats are suitable for a being such as Namor—but read on to see what other advantages he brings to your games of Marvel: Crisis Protocol!

A powerful warrior capable of leading legions of Atlanteans to war, Namor is more than able to defend himself in the maelstrom of battle. Trident is a physical attack with 6 Strength and will give Namor power equal to the damage dealt. Additionally, Namor may advance Toward the target character Short. He’ll utilize this attack early and often to build power for his second attack, Armies of the Deep. When Namor makes this attack, he can choose one of three dynamic effects. The first of these effects is Swarm of Crabs, which causes the target character to drop all Asset tokens it’s holding before damage is dealt. The next is Octopus’ Grasp, which deals 1 damage to other enemy characters at Range 2 of the target, and Pushes these additional enemy targets Short. Finally, Wave of Turtles allows Namor to immediately Interact with any number of objective tokens without spending power. If he uses this effect to interact with an objective, he then advances Short. This bevy of options gives Namor tactical depth that will reward activating these effects at the right time.

Gifted with powers beyond that of a mere mortal, Namor has several superpowers to justify his high threat value. The first of these is IMPERIUS REX! For 3 power, Namor immediately makes a move action followed by a Trident attack. If this attack deals at least 1 damage, the target character gains the Stagger special condition. This power helps Namor take down the most daunting of foes, taking away critical action economy from enemy characters.

The next superpower is Atlantean Might. During the Power Phase, Namor will gain 1 additional Power. To reflect his superior martial abilities, damage caused by Namor’s attacks and effects cannot be reduced or prevented by superpowers or Team Tactics Cards. This is a huge advantage over opponents who rely on damage mitigation and cowardly tactics to avoid Namor’s vengeance. Characters like Thanos who enjoy constant damage reduction and rely upon making an impact with every single action will fear seeing Namor across the table!

Unsurprisingly, Namor is a Charismatic Leader, which allows allied characters within Range 2 to reroll 1 die in their attack and defense rolls. Truly an exemplary figure, all who fight alongside the Sub-Mariner perform their best while he’s on the field. The wings on Namor’s ankles will naturally give him the Flight Superpower, and he is also a Gem Bearer [Time].

A combat leader through and through, Namor brings new Team Tactics Cards to the table to defeat his enemies and defend his allies. The Invaders can only be taken by a S.H.I.E.L.D.-affiliated roster and can be played by Namor, the Sub-Mariner or Steve Rogers, Captain America during deployment. The chosen characters gain a leadership ability that allows allied characters to reroll 1 defense die. Additionally, they may modify and reroll failure results while they are within Range 2 of another allied character. With the addition of a Leadership Ability, Namor can suddenly become the centerpiece of a S.H.I.E.L.D. roster devoid of a clear figurehead, and characters like Hawkeye or War Machine can benefit from these defensive rerolls, as well as his natural charismatic presence.

Prince’s Protection in an Unaffiliated reactive card that allows Namor to quickly come to the aid of his fellow warriors. When an enemy character within Range 3 of Namor targets an allied character with an attack, he may spend 2 Power to play this card. Namor becomes the target of the attack regardless of range and LOS, and is placed within Range 1 of the attacking character. After the attack is resolved, if Namor is not dazed or KO’d, he may Push all enemy characters within Range 2 Away Short. This powerful card is key to clearing combatants off an overwhelmed ally.

When you are ready to pick up that trident and defend Atlantis, be sure to order the Black Panther Chosen of Bast & Namor the Sub-Mariner Character Pack at your local game store or through the webstore today. 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.

Imagine for a moment you are a mercenary, searching the Wakandan jungle for a legendary substance called Vibranium. As the nocturnal noises of the jungle reach a fever pitch, the soldier in front of you suddenly disappears into the canopy, yanked from above. Not a moment later, the man behind you vanishes into the darkness—his final cry cut short by a merciless attacker. Finally, a lightning-fast shadow engulfs your vision as you cower before a warrior clad in a suit the color of midnight. Protecting his homeland and representing the spirit of his people, today’s From Panel to Play focuses on Black Panther, Chosen of Bast!

T’Challa is imbued with superhuman powers due to the Wakandan ritual of drinking the heart-shaped herb. The Black Panther is a formidable hand-to-hand combatant, as well as a gifted scientist who has access to the wealth of his home. Advanced technology also gives him an edge against his foes. Black Panther is the Chosen of Bast, which means he’s a spiritual leader to his people as much as a symbolic one. The traditions of his nation come alive through his actions, giving him a unique insight through communication with his ancestors.

Black Panther, Chosen of Bast sprints into the fray as a 3 Threat Character. Bolstered by the spiritual might of Wakanda, T’Challa can hold his own against various external threats to his nation. He has 3 Physical, Energy, and Mystic defenses backed up by a total of 10 Stamina, spread evenly between his healthy and injured sides. Additionally, he’s an average size 2 and moves at Medium speed. While this profile might initially seem underwhelming for Bast’s chosen champion, there’s more on his character card to prove his worth in your games of Marvel: Crisis Protocol.

A legendary fighter, the Black Panther brings several new attacks to defeat the enemies of Wakanda. His first attack is a builder: Panther Strike. This attack is a Range 2 Mystic attack with 5 dice, and will cause Bleed on the roll of a Wild. You will undoubtedly rely on this attack to build power for Black Panther’s second attack, Spirit Predator. Another close-range assault, this is also a Mystic attack utilizing 7 dice, and on the roll of a Wild and a hit, will allow Black Panther to make a free Panther Strike attack. Additionally, he may reroll any number of his attack dice during that attack. Simple and to the point, these attacks are designed to deliver punishing strikes to a target and provide mystic depth to the Wakanda roster.

Join the battle with a variety of powerful superpowers. With both of his attacks being short-ranged, Pounce will help T’Challa close the gap and bring the fight to his prey. For 2 Power, this character is Thrown Short, and Black Panther does not suffer damage if he collides with another character or terrain feature. With a strong connection to his Wakandan ancestors, Black Panther can also spend 1 Power for Insight of the Ancients. When he interacts with an objective token, it may reroll any number of its dice, including Failure results. These superpowers ensure that T’Challa is where he needs to be, when he needs to be there, and will dominate a critical point.

Three innate superpowers round out Black Panther, Chosen of Bast. The first of these is Stealth, which will help infiltrate Black Panther closer to his quarry as he sneaks around the battlefield. The second of these powers is Superior Agility. This talent means that enemy characters cannot modify attack dice when targeting this character with attacks. And finally, Wallcrawler ensures that terrain won’t slow the Black Panther down as he hunts his targets down.

Naturally, Black Panther is affiliated with Wakanda and therefore is an instant addition to any Wakanda-affiliated roster, in addition to being affiliated with the Avengers, Defenders, and Midnight Sons. While his previous iteration is a force to be reckoned with, Black Panther, Chosen of Bast will undoubtedly feature in rosters that utilize M’Baku’s Blessed by Ghekre leadership. This leadership pairs well with Insight of the Ancients, which helps keep Black Panther on a key point, refusing to be pushed off while re-rolling objective interaction rolls. Because his attacks require him to be close to his enemies, Okoye’s Bodyguard superpower will also provide adequate protection to ensure Black Panther can stay right in the thick of things. Finally, with his Mystic-focused attacks, Black Panther, Chosen of Bast will balance out the Energy blasts of Shuri and M’Baku’s brutal physical assaults to provide true depth to Wakanda’s defenders.

If everything you’ve read so far was not enough to convince you to bring Black Panther to the fray, three new Team Tactics Cards help give T’Challa even more utility on the tabletop. The first of these is Wisdom of the Ancients, which can be played by T’Challa or Shuri. For 3 Power, the character that played this card
counts Failures as successes in their attack, defense, or dodge rolls. During their activation, an allied character with an active Wakanda Leadership ability may spend 4 Power to play King’s Command. Once per turn when an allied Wakanda character makes an attack, it gains 1 Power once the attack is resolved. This helps keep your characters well-supplied with power. Finally, Black Panther, Chosen of Bast and M’Baku can spend 3 Power when an enemy character picks up an objective token. M’Baku throws himself Short toward the enemy character that picked up the token and does not suffer damage if he collides with that enemy. If the enemy character suffers damage, Black Panther may Advance his speed towards M’Baku. This team tactics card aggressively shifts two of your most important characters into a key area, allowing them to team up to defeat a critical component of your opponent’s plan.

Once you’ve drank the heart-shaped herb and are ready to protect Wakanda, be sure to order the Black Panther Chosen of Bast & Namor the Sub-Mariner Character Pack at your local game store or through the webstore today. 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!