Welcome back to SG Protocol.
This week AMG have announced the release dates for the “new” Avengers, Cabal and Spider-Foes affiliation packs. In them we get the original core set characters as well as Green Goblin, Kraven and Lizard in the Foes box. Exactly as I’ve predicted back in January 2023 when original core set Peter was part of the Web Warriors affiliation pack.
And 4 threat Pete is also a good seque to our main topic: will we see any changes to the existing character stat cards with the new boxes? Peter was given an additional point stamina in his affiliation pack release but that’s the only instance where we’ve seen a character being changed when repackaged into an affiliation pack.
So I absolutely wouldn’t be shocked to see no changes at all to these 12 characters.
They are all quite old though and some of them haven’t had a change since the original launch day of the game. (Some got touched in the first character stat card update)
What we do know is that we get new art on the tactics cards (at least for the Avengers and Cabal) and of course the new format cards in 4 languages.
With that all said we will split this in three categories for all 12 characters:
a) Changes I would like to see
b) Changes I wouldn’t like to see
c) Changes I think we can expect*
* with the caveat from the beginning that I don’t think there is any guarantee that they change at all
Let’s start with the so called heroes:
a) Maybe a better spender but the automatic throw on it is really nice for 2 power so 🤷🏽
b) giving the Ricochet trigger a second dice face (like a lot of the new core set characters have)
c) nothing really.
a) Maybe make the pistol a gainer? Could make her too efficient though.
b) increasing strength and cost of Mixed technique. Don’t want her to be a super reliable Stagger bot.
c) I think 2 threat Widow remains her best threat for threat version and I don’t think we can expect to see something change here.
a) Tony remains one of the most reliant 3 threats in the game since his 21 stat card update and doesn’t need a change. Granted he doesn’t really play like you would Iron Man expect to play but neither does iTony. Hulkbuster is closer but also not quite there.
b) Seeing the damage reduction go to pay to reduce.
c) Nothing.
a) An increase to 4 physical Defense and / or a reduction to three power for binary form. Both could be a bit much to be fair as she is already quite a good 4 threat.
b) Binary Form taken away completely.
c) Binary form being changed to something else maybe.
Ok not a lot of expected changes so far, let’s see how the bad guys fare:
a) Cosmic Blast no longer costing power or even turning into a Gainer. And of course Cosmic Cube no longer dealing damage for each Failure (Skull) but 1 if he rolls any.
b) His sizeless displacement to go away.
c) His sizeless push on the Strike to be restricted to size 3 maximum. His sizeless throw on his spender to be restricted to size 4. And finally Cosmic Cube to be only 1 damage for any Skulls
.
a) an increase to 4 energy defense. A throw or at least a push trigger on Metallic Fury. Some kind of action economy. Maybe a place instead of displacement on the spender or a charge.
b) having nothing done. Ultron was touched up in the 21 stat card updates but currently doesn’t bring enough to the table against his 5 threat version.
c) A rename of the alter-ego to Ultron 1.0 and a change of the Age of Ultron tactics card for it. Would be cool to be able to use both versions and the Drones at the same time and take away Age from the Metal Tyrant.
a) giving him a charge. Decreasing the cost of Haymaker to 3 or making it last his entire activation.
b) having him stay as he is. I think Will Shick said that any Crossbones will always be a small base short mover but especially compared to his new version the classic Crossbones just doesn’t do anything to deserve a roster spot.
c) having some changes at all. No matter what they are exactly. Maybe everything staying the same but a drop to 2 threat? (Probably a drop to 8 total stamina then).
a) for him to stay as he is.
b) Long Movement taken away. The advance on Steel Rush to be toned down to Short and/or needing a trigger. Or charge taken away.
c) I’m afraid if he gets changed in the affiliation pack he will be worse than today. As it is he remains one of the top 3 threats in the game and especially outclasses his newer 4 threat version in so many ways.
a) take away the Once per turn and make it once per attack action from the leadership.
b) I don’t think any nerf would be fair here.
c) Realistically I don’t see them changing anything on Norman but making the leadership a little bit better might challenge Doc Ock for the role of premier Spider-Foes leader again.
a) Arm Lasers being a Beam and/ or an increase to 7 dice. Maybe switch the stamina to 6/5 from the strictly worse 5/6.
b) honestly Ock is a pretty decent character as is so I don’t think any nerf would be warranted
c) As said in b) I don’t think we can except a change here.
a) An increase to 4 physical defense and/or an extra point of stamina on the front side. As is Kraven can’t often use his cool kit because he falls over dead before.
b) having him stay as he is. While he has some fans I think Kraven falls just short of being a reliable 3 threat.
c) I really can’t tell how AMG feels about his kit. I think we shouldn’t expect a change for him. I’d be happy with a tiny buff though.
a) nothing. My beautiful boy is perfect as he is.
b) His throw being changed in any way.
c) Perfection in both model and rules shouldn’t be touched.
And that’s everyone. What do you think, will we see any changes to any or all of these 12 characters? What would you like to see and not see changed?
Cheers from Germany 🍻