Panel-To-Play: Captain America & The Avengers

Under the leadership of Captain America, the Avengers become a highly mobile and resilient team built around supporting one another and controlling where the fight happens. With Hulk bringing overwhelming strength, War Machine laying down firepower, and Ant-Man and Wasp constantly changing their position on the battlefield, this group gives Avengers players plenty of ways to dictate the pace of the game.

A former social worker and activist from Harlem, Sam Wilson partnered with Captain America as Falcon before Steve Rogers eventually chose him to carry the shield himself. Sam does not possess the Super Soldier Serum. Instead, his skill and leadership earned him the responsibility of taking up the mantle of Captain America.

That leadership comes through immediately in Marvel: Crisis Protocol. At 3 Threat, Captain America combines Long movement and Flight with several ways to keep himself and the rest of the team moving.

Shield Throw reaches Range 4, ignores Line of Sight and cover, and generates 1 Power. If the attack damages a Size 2 or smaller character, Sam can Push the target Short. A Wild also triggers Ricochet, allowing him to make another Shield Throw against a nearby target.

When Sam needs to make a bigger move, Redwing Assault gives him another way to disrupt the board. The Range 3, Strength 6 attack can Throw a Size 3 or smaller enemy Short before allowing Sam to Place himself within Range 2. He can knock an opponent out of position and immediately put himself somewhere more useful.

All New, All Different makes sure the Avengers can keep responding even when an ally goes down. Once per round, when an allied character is Dazed or KO’d, another allied character may heal 1 damage, remove a special condition, and Advance Short. A difficult moment for one Avenger can create an opportunity for another.

Sam has plenty of ways to create those opportunities himself. Charge lets him move and attack in the same action for 2 Power, while Air Lift allows him to reposition allied Size 2 or smaller characters during his movement. Vibranium Shield helps keep him in the fight by adding 2 defense dice against Physical or Energy attacks.

Next up is She-Hulk.

Jennifer Walters gained her powers after receiving a life saving blood transfusion from her cousin Bruce Banner. The transfusion transformed Jennifer into She-Hulk, granting her tremendous strength and durability while allowing her to retain her intelligence and personality.

At 6 Threat with 10 Stamina, She-Hulk brings a big presence to the center of the table. Sensational Uppercut is a Range 2, Strength 7 Physical attack that generates Power from the damage dealt and applies Slow after the attack resolves.

That Slow becomes especially important when The Defense Rests enters the picture. The Strength 9 attack applies Slow and Stun when it deals damage, but if the target already has Slow, it gains Stagger instead. An opponent that has already tangled with She-Hulk can quickly find its next activation becoming much more difficult.

She also brings the Defenders of Arcadia Leadership for A-Force. Whenever an allied character suffers damage from an enemy effect, another allied character may gain 1 Power once per turn. As the opposing squad deals damage, A-Force can keep turning that pressure into resources elsewhere on the table.

Of course, She-Hulk has no shortage of ways to physically reshape the battlefield herself.

Clear the Court lets her Throw either a Size 4 or smaller terrain feature or enemy character Medium for 3 Power. Superior Weight Training adds attack dice based on the Size of the target, giving Jennifer even more reason to go after the biggest characters standing across from her.

She can protect the characters around her too. Legal Defense allows She-Hulk to become the target of an attack aimed at a nearby ally regardless of Range or Line of Sight.

Gamma Transfusion keeps her moving toward the action. In addition to granting an extra Power during the Power Phase, it allows She-Hulk to Advance Short toward an attacker after she suffers damage.

The result is a character who is difficult to ignore. If the opponent attacks her teammates, Jennifer can step in. If they attack her instead, she gets another chance to close the distance.

For a very different kind of frontline pressure, there is War Machine.

James “Rhodey” Rhodes is a decorated military officer and longtime ally of Tony Stark who eventually donned the War Machine armor himself. Armed with heavy weapons and years of combat experience, Rhodey brings a much more direct kind of firepower to the Avengers.

Metal Storm immediately shows what that looks like. The Beam 3, Strength 5 Physical attack can hit several enemies in the same line while generating Power from the damage dealt. On a Wild, it can also apply Bleed.

Rocket Pods gives War Machine another ranged option at Range 4. Its Barrage trigger can lead directly into another attack against a nearby target, giving Rhodey the chance to keep spreading fire across the battlefield.

Then there is Empty the Clip. This Range 3, Strength 8 attack costs 4 Power, and every Critical rolled adds two additional dice instead of one. There is a cost to unloading everything at once, though. War Machine suffers damage for each Skull rolled during the attack.

Sometimes you just need to empty the clip and accept what happens next.

Titanium Armor Plating helps Rhodey deal with some of that punishment by reducing incoming damage from enemy effects by 1. Combined with Flight, War Machine can continue moving around terrain and looking for the firing lanes that make his attacks most effective.

The final two members of the team approach the battlefield through the wonderful technology known as Pym Particles.

Scott Lang became Ant-Man after taking up the mantle created by Hank Pym, using the technology to change his size while retaining surprising strength. In game, that ability is represented through separate Normal and Tiny forms, with Scott shifting between the two depending on what the situation calls for.

In Normal form, Ant-Man has Medium movement and access to Pym Particle Punch. After the attack resolves, Scott may transform into Ant-Man (Tiny), though doing so forces him to drop any objective tokens he is holding.

Bullet Ant Barrage gives his Normal form a much larger attack. The Beam 3, Strength 7 attack costs 4 Power and can apply Poison and Stun if it deals damage.

Transformation is where Ant-Man becomes particularly difficult to plan around. Change Size allows Scott to transform into Tiny form for 1 Power, while Pym Particle Control can let him shrink when he is targeted by an enemy attack or collision.

Once Tiny, his Size drops to 1 and his movement changes to Short. Tiny Superhero allows him to reroll any number of defense or dodge dice, while Stealth prevents enemies farther than Range 3 from targeting him with attacks.

The tradeoff is important. Tiny Ant-Man cannot hold objective tokens, so shrinking at the wrong moment can cost Scott whatever he was carrying.

Tiny form still has plenty to offer offensively. Ant-Sized Uppercut is a Range 1, Strength 6 attack that generates Power from damage before automatically transforming Scott back into Normal form.

Hitch a Ride gives Tiny Ant-Man another useful option, allowing him to Place within Range 3 once per turn at no cost. Scott can shrink, disappear from where the opponent expected him to be, and show up somewhere entirely different.

Janet Van Dyne brings her own version of Pym Particle manipulation as Wasp.

A founding Avenger, Janet gained the ability to shrink through Pym Particles while also developing wings and bioelectric energy attacks. Like Ant-Man, her rules are split across Normal and Tiny forms, but the two characters use those transformations very differently.

In Normal form, Wasp has Medium movement and Flight. Size-Changing Smack Down is a Range 3, Strength 5 Energy attack that generates Power from damage and can transform her into Wasp (Tiny) afterward.

Pym Discs gives her another way to influence the battlefield by Throwing a Size 3 or smaller terrain feature Medium. Pym Particle Control can also transform Wasp defensively when she is targeted by an attack or collision.

When she shrinks, Janet gets much faster! Tiny Wasp has Long movement and Size 1, giving her plenty of room to dart around the battlefield. Stinger Blast is a Range 2, Strength 5 Energy attack that prevents the target from gaining Power from damage suffered.

Wasp’s Fury costs 2 Power and brings a Strength 6 attack at Range 3. After the attack resolves, Janet can Advance Medium before automatically transforming back into Normal form.

That sequence lets Wasp strike, reposition, and return to full size somewhere new.

Tiny Superhero allows her to reroll any number of defense or dodge dice, while Stealth makes long range attacks against her more difficult to set up. Like Ant-Man, however, Tiny Wasp cannot hold objective tokens.

Knowing when to shrink and when to return to Normal form becomes a meaningful part of playing both characters.

Captain America, She-Hulk, War Machine, Ant-Man, and Wasp each bring something very different to the battlefield, and their sculpts have just as much personality as their rules. Whether you want to keep your Avengers moving or smash through the center of the table, there is plenty here to build around. Which one are you most excited to bring to the table?

Till next time,

Atomic Mass Games signing off!