From Panel to Play: Namor the Sub-Mariner

Dedicated soldiers can be found in any corner of every empire. Resolute fighters all, many are proud to defend their homeland to the last, but few boast the capabilities and natural talents of the prince of Atlantis. Join us in today’s From Panel to Play as we examine the Avenging Son: Namor.

Bringing out the best of his human and Atlantean lineage, Namor can go toe to toe with many of Earth’s mightiest heroes. His telepathic abilities give him command of numerous sea creatures, an advantage that comes with deadly consequences for anyone who crosses him. The circumstances of his birth have also given him an unnaturally long life, and Namor shows little signs of aging. Superior intellect and natural intuition truly make him a well-rounded ruler, able to skillfully lead Atlantis through times of strife. The Sub-Mariner is a true hero to his people and often finds himself at odds with various groups and teams while executing his sacred duty to defend Atlantis.

Namor, The Sub-Mariner dives into the fight as a 5 Threat character. A mighty individual with superhuman powers, Prince Namor stands ready to defend his territory beneath the waves. Able to resist sustained barrages, Namor boasts a respectable 4 Physical and Energy defense, as well as 3 Mystic defense. A hearty 14 stamina is spread evenly between his healthy and injured sides. Wings on his ankles give Namor a Long movement speed allowing him to nimbly maneuver around the battlefield. These above-average stats are suitable for a being such as Namor—but read on to see what other advantages he brings to your games of Marvel: Crisis Protocol!

A powerful warrior capable of leading legions of Atlanteans to war, Namor is more than able to defend himself in the maelstrom of battle. Trident is a physical attack with 6 Strength and will give Namor power equal to the damage dealt. Additionally, Namor may advance Toward the target character Short. He’ll utilize this attack early and often to build power for his second attack, Armies of the Deep. When Namor makes this attack, he can choose one of three dynamic effects. The first of these effects is Swarm of Crabs, which causes the target character to drop all Asset tokens it’s holding before damage is dealt. The next is Octopus’ Grasp, which deals 1 damage to other enemy characters at Range 2 of the target, and Pushes these additional enemy targets Short. Finally, Wave of Turtles allows Namor to immediately Interact with any number of objective tokens without spending power. If he uses this effect to interact with an objective, he then advances Short. This bevy of options gives Namor tactical depth that will reward activating these effects at the right time.

Gifted with powers beyond that of a mere mortal, Namor has several superpowers to justify his high threat value. The first of these is IMPERIUS REX! For 3 power, Namor immediately makes a move action followed by a Trident attack. If this attack deals at least 1 damage, the target character gains the Stagger special condition. This power helps Namor take down the most daunting of foes, taking away critical action economy from enemy characters.

The next superpower is Atlantean Might. During the Power Phase, Namor will gain 1 additional Power. To reflect his superior martial abilities, damage caused by Namor’s attacks and effects cannot be reduced or prevented by superpowers or Team Tactics Cards. This is a huge advantage over opponents who rely on damage mitigation and cowardly tactics to avoid Namor’s vengeance. Characters like Thanos who enjoy constant damage reduction and rely upon making an impact with every single action will fear seeing Namor across the table!

Unsurprisingly, Namor is a Charismatic Leader, which allows allied characters within Range 2 to reroll 1 die in their attack and defense rolls. Truly an exemplary figure, all who fight alongside the Sub-Mariner perform their best while he’s on the field. The wings on Namor’s ankles will naturally give him the Flight Superpower, and he is also a Gem Bearer [Time].

A combat leader through and through, Namor brings new Team Tactics Cards to the table to defeat his enemies and defend his allies. The Invaders can only be taken by a S.H.I.E.L.D.-affiliated roster and can be played by Namor, the Sub-Mariner or Steve Rogers, Captain America during deployment. The chosen characters gain a leadership ability that allows allied characters to reroll 1 defense die. Additionally, they may modify and reroll failure results while they are within Range 2 of another allied character. With the addition of a Leadership Ability, Namor can suddenly become the centerpiece of a S.H.I.E.L.D. roster devoid of a clear figurehead, and characters like Hawkeye or War Machine can benefit from these defensive rerolls, as well as his natural charismatic presence.

Prince’s Protection in an Unaffiliated reactive card that allows Namor to quickly come to the aid of his fellow warriors. When an enemy character within Range 3 of Namor targets an allied character with an attack, he may spend 2 Power to play this card. Namor becomes the target of the attack regardless of range and LOS, and is placed within Range 1 of the attacking character. After the attack is resolved, if Namor is not dazed or KO’d, he may Push all enemy characters within Range 2 Away Short. This powerful card is key to clearing combatants off an overwhelmed ally.

When you are ready to pick up that trident and defend Atlantis, be sure to order the Black Panther Chosen of Bast & Namor the Sub-Mariner Character Pack at your local game store or through the webstore today. Be sure to check back later for yet another installment of From Panel to Play, the series where we give you your first look at how your favorite characters transition to the tabletop in Marvel: Crisis Protocol.

Until next time, Atomic Mass Transmissions, signing off.