Welcome back to SG Protocol. If you’ve been reading this blog for some time you might know that Asgard was my main affiliation from last year’s November until the end of this year’s February. I did reasonably well with them ending at a 57% win rate and a 2:1 finish at a local tournament. But I kind of got frustrated by having to play Thor (1) all the time and the success of the team so often hinging on him having good dice. So I decided to take a break from them until the new box comes out.
While the box is still some way out, and I don’t play a model even on TTS, until I have it fully painted in my collection, it will take some time until I actually put them back on the table yet. However: List building is always fun and since we now know what everyone in the new box does we can already build a list with them included.
Let’s starts by rating every affiliated Asgard character (in alphabetical order):
Angela (5)
Angela brings something unique in having an automatic midline grab with L movement on a medium base. He has decent damage output and mobility but her defensive tech is very situational and quite often for me she just got shot off of the board. I currently rate her as C. The worst of the (many) affiliated 5 threats. She will not make the initial list and will have a hard time finding a way in.
Beta Ray Bill (4)
Bill is in consideration to be the best 4 threat in the game. He’s an absolute lock in the roster, but with the new additions might not be in every game anymore. A+
Enchantress (4)
One of my personal favourites Enchantress is also a lock in the list but is a specialist for E shape secures. The steal can also randomly win you games even if it is not something you plan on doing with her usually. B.
Heimdall, The All-Seeing (3)
Heimdall is a hard character for me to evaluate. I have a 100% win rate with him on the table but what he actually did in those games was protecting a back secure hardly impacting the game at all. Well honestly he randomly one shot Groot one time but that was an insane spike with very little repeatability.
Handing out rerolls is nice and the teleport is nice too but often either isn’t in range or can’t fund his superpowers (and quite often both). I think I just might play him wrong but he is too squishy for my taste to be in the mix.
Overall he is a C for me and doesn’t make the initial cut. He might sneak back in if I feel the need for another affiliated 3 threat.
Hela, Queen of Hel (4)
Hela ist the best Eyes on the Prize user has it barely affects her round 2 but aside from that she is very dice and matchup dependent. If she rolls well early she can get quite nasty but as Vince can tell you from his Sqaud Goals finals game, having her whiff twice on Claim Soul can basically quickly cost you an entire 4 threat model.
She is a decent role player though. I rate her as C+ and she does make the cut for the list but has the least safe spot so far.
Lady Sif (4)
I’m not really seeing it in Sif to be honest. I guess she is a decent brawler 4 and brawling becomes a much more sustainable game plan with the new leaderships. I might have to give her a try on the table but for starters she doesn’t make the cut. C. But she’d be the first one to replace Hela in the list.
Loki, God of Mischief (4)
While the bubble of annoyance is cool and Sibling Rivalry is an awesome card, maybe the best team up card in the game honestly, Loki wasn’t making the cut even before the new box. His stock doesn’t go up under Janes leadership all that much (but I am a God becomes definitely more powerful with it) and he faces fierce competition from his newer version. D.
Loki, Prince of Lies (5)
This guy is a rockstar. Automatically in the 10 and probably quite often in the squad. See my hot takes for more details. A.
Skurge, The Executioner (3)
By far and away my favourite 3 threat Asgardian and a solid work horse character overall. I might fault on playing him too much honestly because he can have bad matchups. B.
The Mighty Thor (5)
The new 5 threat Asgardian women who is a long range damage bot. I like her kit and have somewhat come around on her leadership. I have to put her on the table to fully evaluate her but she is definitely in the list. B. (Could go up or down)
Thor, Hero of Midgard (6)
Our very own in faction Kaiju and not a leader. Thor 2 is very much a fix in the roster but I honestly don’t think he is an every game piece. Will be interesting to see him in action which of course could change my mind in either direction. A.
Thor, Prince of Asgard (5)
Unlike Loki 1 I think Thor 1 still very much has place in the roster. He is the only Thor variant that is Stun immune and his leadership can situationally be great. He also very much loves Jane’s leadership. It’s great to see him stick around as he is one of my favourite characters to play (also one of the most frustrating at times) and I was afraid I would have to run him under the worst sculpt in the game but luckily the new Asgard box saved me from this awful fate. Grading him is a bit hard as we haven’t seen him with the other leaderships. I guess B+
Valkyrie (3)
Brunhilde is a perfectly reasonable character. She might see a resurgence in Jane leadership but for me she doesn’t do enough to warrant a roster slot. C+.
We continue with the TTCs. We look at both the affiliation and character specific cards.
Doomed Prophecy
A good card to explode some damage with an injured Skurge for example. Used to be an always in your 10 sometimes in your 5 card. I think it is very matchup dependent and you can only really play it with priority. The positive effect is still very strong; the negative can be very bad though. Overall I think it is on the outside looking in for me. C+.
For a Limited Time Only
Thor 2’s AoE additional dice for allies for the round card. Spending 3 of Thors precious power in his activation for a card that doesn’t affect himself seems a steep price. But increasing the attacks for everyone else is pretty awesome. A card I at least want to give a try. B-.
Freyja‘s Blessing
Full defensive rerolls for a round is very strong indeed. A card that will very often make the 5 and has a hard time not being in the 10. Grade A-.
Heart of the Worthy
Jane’s card that gives her an additional activation at the cost of KOing during the clean-up phase. I don’t like to plan on loosing a 5 threat so this just isn’t a good card for me sadly. D.
Odin‘s Blessing
You’d never not bring this card in Asgard. A++.
Rainbow Bridge
This cards stock might rise up a bit again with the more brawly focused new leaderships. Can help get into an important position. You should never be afraid to use it with just one model. Rearranging your entire team with it is just a dream and shouldn’t be your plan. C+.
Trickster‘s Boon
A fluffy but weird card. Very much depends on which splashes you bring in. Not a card I’m personally interested in running but I guess something that could be powerful in the end. Grade, I don’t really know… B maybe?
Brothers in Arms
A card I was pretty down on on release. But with Hero of Midgard having an Energy builder it becomes much much more exciting. Probably worth trying out on the table. D with OG Thor but B- with the new one (just because I don’t know how easy it will be to keep Thor and Bill together).
Giant‘s Blood
AoE slow and stagger and a range 5 teleport for 2 power and it keys off of an enemy ending a movement in range 2 of Loki (either one works and he does drop any extracts he’d be holding)? Yeah sound pretty freaking great. Is definitely in if you plan to use Loki often (which I do). Grade A.
Meet My Executioner
One of the best team up cards and an auto include in the roster when you have both Skurge and Enchantress in the roster. Grade A-, just because you don’t get to play the two together suuuper often.
Sibling Rivalry
Maybe the best team up card in the game. Would be an auto include if you could play it with the alter-egos. As is it can’t make the list as Loki 1 won’t be in. A Grade A card but attached to a D character sadly.
Skuttlebutt, on Me!
A mini Helios that throws on damage and is useable by Skurge and Bill who will see the table quite often. They can both struggle to fund the card though. B-.
Weapons of Midgard
Behold, my Stuff the card. Funny but not really worth a TTC slot. D.
Now let’s see how new Asgard likes each of the current crisis cards:
Secure Crisis
Gamma Wave Sweeps Across Midwest (E, 15)
I’ve always liked playing Gamma with Asgard but not to the point where I would’ve brought it myself. But nowadays with the possible 15s you can bring on it it may very well be something you include. A-.
S.W.O.R.D. Establishes Base on Moon‘s Blue Area (G, 15)
Speaking of good 15s. And Asgard remains a very good Pay to Flip team. Most likely makes the list. A.
Cosmic Invasion! Black Order Descends on Earth (D, 16)
The shape is the grade here. Maybe you could build a roster with Loki 2, Angela, Valkyrie and Sif and be reasonably fast but it is not how I plan on building my roster. D.
Mayor Fisk Vows To Find Missing Witnesses (H, 16)
A crisis where you want to have Prince of Asgard Thor out with his stun immunity and probably also his leadership. I like the brawleyness but Stun is devastating for Asgard so I shy away from brining it myself. C.
Deadly Meteors Mutate Civilians (I, 17)
Asgard’s favourite crisis. Middle of the board brawl energy Pay to Flip. What more can you ask for? A+.
Infinity Formula Goes Missing! (B, 17)
While you give up a bit of your power advantage having everyone’s kit online earlier isn’t bad. Solid but not to a point where I’d bring it. B.
Riots Spark Over Extremis 3.0 (D, 17)
Even worse than Cosmic Invasion. D-.
Mutant Madman Turns City Into Lethal Amusement Park (B, 18)
Yes. A.
Portals Overrun City With Spider-People! (D, 18)
Absolutely no. Asgard loves Pay to Flips but not the shape and this Odin’s forsaken Hel hole of a crisis. D-.
Demons Downtown! Has Our Comeuppance Come Due? (E, 19)
It is not terrible. You might want to run Prince of Asgard leadership on it again but you certainly can brawl in the middle well enough and have good ways to spend the threat. B.
Intrusions Open Across City As Seals Collapse (C, 19)
This might be a sleeper candidate for a very good crisis for Asgard now. You have the power advantage to teleport around and hit people in the face and then teleport away again. Definitely an interesting one. B(+?).
Super-Powered Scoundrels Form Sinister Syndicate (F, 20)
Not a Crisis I would bring but also not one I’d be super mad at to play on. B-.
Extract Crisis
Research Station Attacked! (E, 15)
This is an honest consideration now. You have the output, durability and control to dominate the Researcher. But you’ll be outnumbered in almost every matchup. B.
Paranoia Pummels Populace! (K, 16)
Traditionally a good Asgard extract and it stays that. A.
Alien Ship Crashes In Downtown! (C, 17)
You can almost always spend all of, or at least most of, your power so you don’t mind the downside of holding a core and can live with the slower scoring better now. B-.
Spider-Infected Invade Manhattan (F, 17)
Get out of here. No. Just no. D-.
Struggle For The Cube Continues (F, 17)
Having gigantic health pools and multiple grabs and defensive tech means yes you almost definitely want Cubes in your list. A.
Fear Grips World As “Worthy“ Terrorize Cities (D, 18)
We already have Hammers thank you very much! No honestly it is fine. Increasing the output of your characters is never bad but making the TTCs more expensive and your opponent also having better attacks might come out as a net negative in some games. B-.
The Montesi Formula Found (E, 18)
With high average Mystic defense this is becoming more interesting of a crisis. Maybe one where Bill stays on the bench. B-.
Deadly Legacy Virus Cured? (C, 19)
You have no real plan to assemble the Virus but safe grabs are readily available so yeah why not. B-.
Mutant Extremists Target U.S. Senators! (L, 19)
Asgard lacks movement that isn’t tied to movement actions so you absolutely don’t want to bring it yourself. The overall range of the faction does very much increase with the new releases though so it isn’t as bad to play on it. C.
Skrulls Infiltrate World Leadership (J, 20)
High average Physical defense and durability to survive the push means Skrulls can most certainly be a consideration. B.
So where does that leave us?
This is my initial list:
Characters (8)
Beta Ray Bill (4)
Enchantress (4)
Hela, Queen of Hel (4)
- Loki, Prince of Lies (5)
Skurge, The Executioner (3) - The Mighty Thor (5)
Thor, Hero of Midgard (6) - Thor, Prince of Asgard (5)
Team Tactics (8)
For a Limited Time Only
Freyja‘s Blessing
Odin‘s Blessing
Rainbow Bridge
Giant‘s Blood
Meet My Executioner
Skuttlebutt, on Me!
Brothers in Arms
Secure Crisis
S.W.O.R.D. Establishes Base on Moon‘s Blue Area (G, 15)
Deadly Meteors Mutate Civilians (I, 17)
Mutant Madman Turns City Into Lethal Amusement Park (B, 18)
Extract Crisis
Paranoia Pummels Populace! (K, 16)
Struggle For The Cube Continues (F, 17)
Skrulls Infiltrate World Leadership (J, 20)
It leaves room for two splash characters, most likely both 3s as I’m very low on them and two restricted TTCs. The list might change over the course of playing it (which is still quite a long time out…) but this is where I want to start my testing.
As to which leadership I’d be running: probably all of them. Loki is usually plan A I’d say, while Thor is for specific match ups. Jane is more there as a character than a leader but her leadership being the only one that doesn’t cost power to use it might end up getting used in games where power could be an issue.
Thanks for reading and see you next time.
Cheers from Germany 🍻
