This post contains absolutely no information of value or worth to anyone seeking game tips. If you want to read about characters or game tactics then this one isn’t for you i’m afraid. If, however, you wish to know why nothing has been posted on this blog in nearly a year then stick with me and I will explain.
It’s been a tough few years for most people and I have no desire to bog everyone down in a sea of negativity, however in order to amply explain my absence I must briefly call upon the violin strings to accompany a small pity party. For years my wife has suffered with some sort of fatigue issue, she is easily dazed and spends most of her time flipped onto her injured side without the benefit of power gain. Unfortunately for a long time all the doctors who saw her fobbed her off with various excuses and nothing was ever really progressed. In the early months of 2020 she was complaining of abdomen pain and we ended up at the hospital, and after a scan we were told that her abdomen contained a tumour of some sort. As I am sure you can believe, this came as a big shock to us as you don’t really expect such a thing to happen to you at the age of 28. After many further scans and test sshe was finaly diagnosed with a very rare genetic condition that means she will have to be screened for tumours for the rest of her life.
Whilst all of this was going on the pandemic hit which ground most medical procedures to a halt. A few months into the pandemic my wife lost her job, which shut down any non-essential purchases (no more minis, wah!). Eventually we got a date through for the surgery to have her tumour removed, but as the pandemic was in full swing at the time I was not allowed into the hospital. I must admit, it was absolutely bizarre and surreal to drop my wife at the hospital then drive away not knowing if I would actually see her again. Fortunately the surgery went well and the tumour was confirmed to be benign, and despite some post-surgical issues she came back home within a few weeks. Recovery took a while and unfortunately she is still suffering from ill health so investigations are ongoing as to the cause.
I’ve rambled on about this for long enough now – what’s the point I am trying to get to? Well, all of the above absolutely obliterated with my mental health. The struggles of pandemic life, my personal issues and the need to give my wife more of my time and energy has meant that the movement of small plastic people around a 3’x3′ square just hasn’t been a priority. I have barely played a game since all of this kicked off, and my brain just hasn’t been in a fit state to want to write anything about the game. But things are starting to pick up now – my wife is going in for some new treatment soon which will hopefully bring up her energy levels, and she has found a new job that fits in with her circumstances abilities at present.
Anyway, that’s enough from me, pity party over – there are people going through worse things and I don’t want to take focus away from that. I hope I haven’t come across as whinging, that is not my intent here, and sorry for getting a little negative for a while, but I felt that an explanation was needed for any readers who wanted to know what happened. There are a few readers of the blog who already know the reason why I have been absent for so long and to them I would just like to take a moment to say thanks very much for the supportive messages, I really do appreciate it. Now, on to the game!
There has been a heck of a lot happen in MCP over the past few years, and I have kept my eye on the new relases and goings on in the MCP Facebok groups. The last minis I bought were Quicksilver & Scarlet Witch and Mr. Sinister – can you even remember that far back! Since then we’ve had Inhumans, a new Spider-man, definitely-not-sinister-six-but-who-are-you-kidding-it-really-is-the-sinister-six, X-Force, Midnight Sons, new Defenders characters, more Avengers, more X-people, that delicious Hulkbuster (I must have it), and, glory be, a new Dr. Strange. We’ve had a new rivals panel, a new UE in Dormammu, more play kits – Colossus, Domain of the Dread Dormammu, Mutant Masterworks and Symbiotes. Heck, we’ve even had revised cards for some older characters. It’s been a heck of a busy few years. And we’ve even got Ministravaganza 3 coming up in a few months (it’s got to be time for the Fantastic Four and Dr. Doom, hasn’t it?!).
There are a good few things which I am excited for – i’ve managed to get a hold of the OP kits as they have come out and I can’t wait to try the 4 player symbiote game and the 2 player Colossus UE. In fact I may even play that solo this afternoon as Colossus is automated. I think I will pick up some new minis to paint – Hulkbuster is probably top of that list, but i’m also keen to get my mitts on Crystal, Cable, Lizard, Moon Knight, Juggernaut, Colossus, Magik, Gambit and new Dr. Strange. Gameplay-wise i’m looking forward to seeing how minions play in a game, and I am really keen to give Gambit a go because I am loving everything on his card so far. Magik too, the Darkchylde attack loks amazing and I am very much looking forward to seeing it play out own my own board and on battle reports on Youtube.
As for the future of this blog, well, posts may be sporadic for a while whilst I find my feet again and deal with any other life issues that arise. As ever the focus of this blog will be having fun via casual gameplay and playing to theme rather than optimising things for competitive play (there are plenty of other places to find this information if that is your jam). If there is anything you would like to see me write about just get in touch and I will see what I can do. Thanks for reading and for your continued support. May your paint apply smoothly and your dice roll hot.
Oh, lastly I would just like to mention Blackgate Games in the UK. You want minis, they have minis and their prices are excellent. As I am in a good mood due to finally writing another blog post I shall forego my usual slight against Star Wars and simply take my leave.