Happy new year everyone!
As mentioned in my 2024 goals playing in person is back and with it some battle reports!
In my first game of 2024 I faced my main opponent, my brother B., with Doc Ock led Spider-Foes, with whom I played some games before against never before played Black Order for B.
B. won priority and chose his secures:
I got:
in return. I wasn’t sure it was a great pick because of the damage the cubes deal but having a 5 VP extract against Black Order definitely was helpful. For threat I picked 19.
Our squads looked like this:
So B. went with Corvus as his leader and Maw doesn’t have a stone in his list so it fits the 19.
I chose the classic trio of Ock, Lizard and Rhino and added Ultron 2, who is amazing in Foes, as well as Mysterio because of the E shape. It’s also why I picked 19 over 17 as the Ultron wouldn’t have fit with the core there.
We used the Longshanks terrain builder tool for the board and I chose the marked edge. It wasn’t really a board Maw would like very much. But I have a tonne of throws myself of course. Next time we’ll have to remember to do this first as it can impact the squad sometimes.
With all the prep out of the way let’s finally start to roll some dice!
CGR and Maw take one side.
Corvus and Proxima the other. The Cube in front of Proxima gets Sinister trapped.
Ock takes the side; Rhino, Mysterio and Ultron take the middle.
And Lizard takes the other side.
Round 1:
CGR power roll: 1 power. A terrible start for the meta menace number 1.
B. Starts the game with Ebony Maw who picks up a cube and secures the back Demon. Ock mirrors the activation on my side of the board.
CGR goes and advances + Places in Range of Ock and shoots him with limited success.
Rhino takes the middle and stays there.
Corvus gets a shot in on Rhino that does nothing, activates Proxima per Husband and wife who eats the Trap for a single damage but has to spend her second activation to get back to the cube because of the push.
Since that’s all of B. Activations Lizard takes a cube and gets on cover, Ultron and his drones take position and Mysterio joins Ock on the back Demon.
Score for the round 5:3 Spider-Foes.
Round 2:
CGR power roll: 1 power. Frank does not want to show up for this fight at all it seems.
Regardless of the bad roll B. activates CGR first bringing Rhino down to a single point of stamina. A crucial miss as Rhino activates, Stampedes and spends the power to target the incinerated Ebony Maw on his physical defense. A 7 and a 5 strength attack against a single defense die is enough to knock the Space Wizard down. Rhino takes his cube and uses his place to get to outside of 2 of Corvus. He is still in 4 though and incinerated so Corvus just blasts him but has to spend a movement action to grab the two cubes. Proxima advances to the middle and hits Ultron for a single point of damage. Ultron then retaliates but can’t bring Proxima down fully but let’s her life on one health. He throws a digger at her which she braces but more importantly however he uses his “bow” to get CGR off of the middle Demon and advances on to it. Ock comes up and attacks Proxima without doing any damage but then throws her into the building causing the important last point of damage. Lizard takes her cube and does his best Sir Robin impression (he bravely runs away). And finally Mysterio dances on the back Demon.
Score after Round 2: 10:6 for the Spider-Foes.
Round 3:
CGR power roll: 4 power. Frank finally decided to take part in the battle it seems.
But the first activation is once again Ebony Maw who spenders Doc Ock and takes him off of the board in one clean shot. He then spenders into Rhino but with a terrible roll and Rhinos innate -1 damage deals only one. Rhino goes, attacks Corvus one damage an declares that: this is a robbery! Stealing the two cubes off of Corvus and throwing him into Ebony Maw who takes only one damage (no power left to deny) as well as Corvus himself who due to the Cube damage now only has one point of health left. Seeing what Lizard did Rhino now also has the Ballard of running away sung for him by Stampeding and advancing away as far as he can.
But alas he is still caught by CGR who has to advance, place and pull him in (for the incinerate) and manages to kill Rhino with his gainer. But of course this turn he has his psychosis token so he can’t pick up the cubes.
Ultron goes and his Drones manage to deal the final point of damage to daze Corvus Glaive. Their master uses his medium base, medium move to get to the two cubes and pick them up.
In a desperate attempt to deny VP Proxima plays Mother ship and portals in CGR on the middle Demon as a road block, climbs onto the container and punches Mysterio for 3 damage which sadly isn’t enough. The special effects artist manages to get a point of damage through triggering the advance moving her away. Lizard then moves once, is in range to throw CGR off of the point and move again to secure it.
Round 3 score: 16:8 win for Spider-Foes
What sounds like an easy win here was completely reliant on two things: CGRs terrible power rolls in round 1 and 2 and correlated: Rhino living on 1 in round two and taking out unactivated Maw.
The 5 point extract especially one you can hold multiple was really what got me the win here.
Next time against B. I will try a very different list that leans into narrow fighting but with displacement still with a Red Skull 3 Cabal Roster.
If all goes well there will be an in person Asgard game beforehand though.
See you then and cheers from Germany! 🍻