In today’s From Panel to Play, we meet new versions of the royal brothers of Asgard: Thor, Hero of Midgard and Loki, Prince of Lies! These two characters bring new abilities and create new squad building considerations to Asgardian squads and are included in the upcoming Asgard Affiliation box along with Lady Sif and The Mighty Thor.

Thor Odinson is a well known character in Marvel: Crisis Protocol. His first release was early in the game’s life and this new version is sure to make a splash when he arrives. Thor has gotten stronger over time and has earned his title “Hero of Midgard” thanks to his many exploits saving the people of Earth. He is a Threat Value 6 character with solid defenses and high Stamina stats of 9 on his Healthy side and 8 on his Injured side. Like all Asgardians, Thor has the Asgardian Innate superpower which grants him extra Power each round. He also has the Flight and Immunity (Shock) superpowers players would expect from the God of Thunder.

Thor, Hero of Midgard takes the idea of brawling to heart. Both of his attacks are limited to Range 3 and hit extremely hard! His first attack, Odinson’s Ire, generates Power for him based on the damage it deals to opponents. As it has a Strength of 7, this can be quite a bit of Power each time it’s used! It also comes with a few special rules highlighting his ability to channel lightning. Lightning Arc deals one damage to enemies within Range 3 of the target. The number of enemies hit is based on the number of Wilds in the attack roll. Additionally, no one can withstand the force of a strike from Mjolnir. The Push rule allows him to Push any target a Short distance away from him.

Opponents should think twice before offending Thor, Hero of Midgard. His second attack, I Would Have Words With Thee!, is a Strength 10 attack that has Thor fly up to the target then Throw it away Medium if it is Size 4 or less!

Speaking of Throws, Thor, Hero of Midgard is well known for launching himself into combat. With Have at Thee! he Throws himself Medium distance, and if he collides with something, he suffers no damage from the collision. The terrain feature or enemy character he collides with isn’t so lucky. Given he is Size 3, this is a lot of damage an opponent may have to dodge. This isn’t the only superpower that involves a throw, however. The Power of Thor allows him to Throw terrain features of Size 4 or less a Long distance. Between Thor’s ability to throw himself and nearby terrain features, few enemies will be safe from having to deal with collisions when he is on the battlefield.

The last thing on his card is a powerful Reactive superpower. I Say Thee NAY, Villain! costs 3 Power and is used after Thor is attacked by an enemy within Range 3. Seven dice are rolled and the attacker takes damage for each Critical and Wild result. This can be a huge amount of damage and is sure to make opponents think twice before attacking Thor with weaker characters who could be easily Dazed by this superpower.

While this Thor has been working on Midgard he has learned to share his power with his human allies. The For A Limited Time Only Team Tactic Card costs 3 Power and gives nearby allies the Thor’s Blessing superpower for one round. This Innate superpower has two effects. First, it adds one die to all of the character’s attack rolls, and second, if the attacks deal damage, the target suffers the Shock special condition!

While Thor has been off gallivanting about Midgard, someone else has been taking a more active role in Asgard’s leadership. Loki, Prince of Lies is a whole new version of the infamous adopted brother of Thor, and he is here to take control of Asgard.

Loki, Prince of Lies is a Threat Value 5 character with 4/4/5 Defense stats. He has solid Stamina values of 7 on his Healthy side and 6 on his Injured side. He also has a Long Speed stat that allows him to get where he needs to be quickly and efficiently. Loki’s cunning use of illusions are on display all throughout his character card, starting with his attacks.

Mischiefs and Magicks is his first attack. This attack features Power building based on damage dealt and has the Bamboozle rule. When it triggers, the target of the attack gets Advanced by Loki and at the end of the movement gains the Root special condition! Now the target is out of position and unable to use superpowers efficiently. This ability will resolve before the defender is able to use Reactive superpowers that occur after an attack so those abilities will suffer the effects of Root as well, which could prevent an enemy from slipping away or striking back!

His second attack, Clever Ploy, is an Area 3 attack with a relatively low Strength of 5. This attack costs 4 Power, but if it does damage to a target, Loki can Advance them Short. Additionally, allied characters do not take damage from this attack if they are within range which makes this attack much more appealing if he has the Power for it.

Loki’s Power generation is worth mentioning at this point. He has the Asgardian superpower like the rest of the Asgardians, but this Loki has become a leader in Asgard through a mix of cunning and lies. I Come Bearing Gifts is a powerful Leadership ability that boosts his allies and fuels his other abilities. Loki’s largess is seen only when he stands to gain something of greater value from it in return. This Leadership ability allows allied characters to reroll one die in their Attack, Defense, or Dodge rolls in exchange for giving Loki one Power. Loki, Prince of Liesdoes not benefit from this reroll effect. This Leadership ability, combined with Asgardian, ensures he will have enough Power to fuel the rest of his kit.

Unlike his brother and many other Asgardian characters, Loki isn’t one to brawl. He has people to do that for him. Go Forth! allows him to select an allied character within Range 4 of him and Place it within Range 2 of its current location. This can only be done once per turn but has myriad uses and will likely be used every round thanks to his Power generation.

Loki’s mastery of illusions is well known and his opponents are often on guard against them. However, Loki is still often able to overcome their guard and his foes will find themselves falling victim to these deceptions, tripping over their own feet like a toddler learning to walk. Each time this happens, Loki’s response is a mocking, Oh My, What a Pity. This Reactive superpower costs 1 Power and can be used whenever Loki or a nearby ally is attacked by an enemy. It can also be used when Loki is making attacks. If there are any Failure results in the opponent’s dice roll, they take 1 damage. This damage can quickly add up and make weaker enemies easy to remove by Loki and his allies.

Loki loves sowing chaos around the battlefield, capitalizing on enemies’ fumbled weapons and stubbed toes, and his last superpower shows how he benefits from it. This Isn’t Mischief, This is Mayhem is an Innate superpower that gives him the ability to count his opponent’s Failure results as successes when attacking or defending, providing a nice boost to his efficiency at both.

Loki knows his limitations, however. He is not one to stand toe to toe with his opponents and instead favors distance. The Giant’s Blood Team Tactic Card highlights this by giving him an escape when enemies close in on him. This card is played reactively to an enemy ending a movement within Range 2 of him. All enemy characters within Range 2 gain the Slow and Root special conditions and Loki is Placed within Range 5! This massive teleport before an enemy could even declare an attack is sure to confound enemies. It does have one additional cost to keep in mind: Loki Laufeyson (yes, this card uses his alter ego so it works for both versions of Loki) will drop any objective tokens he is carrying.

Loki is also known for making deals with his wary or desperate allies. The Trickster’s Boon Team Tactic Card does this by granting a non-Asgard allied character 5 Power in exchange for a promise to Daze or KO a chosen enemy character. Should the allied character be successful, Loki’s player will gain 1 VP. Should they fail, the opponent will gain 1 VP and the allied character will lose all of its Power—and Loki, Prince of Lies will gain that Power.

Our introduction to Loki, Prince of Lies and Thor, Hero of Midgard is complete. Hopefully Thor can break through the illusions to reveal the truth of Loki’s deception to all of Asgard! These two characters release as part of the upcoming Asgard Affiliation box alongside The Mighty Thor and Lady Sif. Check back later for another 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. Pre-order your Asgard Affiliation Box at your local game store or through the webstore today!

Hello! Creative Director Dallas Kemp, here. The Asgardian terrain sets are right around the corner, and they really offer some unique options for painters to explore the world they want to create on the table top. Today, I wanted to go over how I captured the rainbow stone effect on the upcoming Asgard terrain. For this example, I utilized the Asgard Shrine terrain, which makes a great centerpiece for the table!

I started out by priming the terrain black. I used an airbrush primer, but spray can primer or brush on primer works just as well. Then, I used a dark gray to give the rocky area a bit of base color to work from.
Next, use a khaki color to add the base layer to the shrine. I was ok with some overspray on the rocks here as that will tie the two elements together once all the other steps are in place.

Added a bit of Bold Titanium White to the khaki to lighten it up slightly. I used the airbrush and angled it from above to create some shadows on the undersides of the columns and statue. I also focused this on the center of the platforms and the center of the stairs.

If you do not have an airbrush, use a large dry-brush and work in small light circles from above to achieve the same effect.

I followed the last step with a light layer of Heavy Warm White from Pro Acryl. This was focused over the same areas as before on the shrine. Finally, the fun part! I used a variety of artists’ inks to lay glazes of color around the shrine. You can pick any colors you want from the rainbow to make your stone. I picked teal, magenta, yellow, orange, and purple. Keep the glazes off of the
rock elements and thin. The ink will look very intense at this stage, that is ok. We have a few steps coming that will take that down a bit and tie it all together.

To reestablish the contrast on the designs sculpted on the shrine, I used a blue wash and did a few thin layers over the shrine to get the insets dark again and create contrast in the design. I focused on the areas against the walls, next to the stairs, and the lower parts of the columns to add more shadows there and let the center of the circles be brighter. Additionally, I used a brown wash to stain some areas because I imagined the shrine probably has not been cleaned in some time.

Time to get out that dry-brush again! I used Heavy Warm White and did a very light dry-brush over the shrine to reclaim the edges of the design and allow the shapes to in focus against the colors of the rainbow and the blue shade.

Follow up that last dry-brush by adding a touch of Titanium White to the Heavy Warm White and doing a light dry-brush again. This layer was focused on the upper edges and the center of the circles to create a variance between them and the more heavily shadowed areas.

For the final elements, I dry-brushed Bright Grey over the stones followed by a quick dry-brush of Bright Grey with Bold Titanium White added. Use a bit of warm brown to add stains to the rocks.

Next, I painted up the gold elements—as you can do with your favorite gold recipe.

Now that the shrine is painted, time to get the rest of the terrain painted up and get an Asgardian game on it!!!

Thanks for joining us for this creative look at painting terrain. When you’re ready to pick up your brush and get painting, Until next time, Atomic Mass Games, signing off!

In today’s From Panel to Play we bring two heroes from the new Asgard Affiliation Pack. Wielding Asgardian might, we bring Jane Foster, a.k.a. The Mighty Thor, and Lady Sif, the master swordswoman, to your tabletop!

Jane Foster is a doctor from Earth who worked closely with Donald Blake, the alter ego of Thor Odinson, for many years. After Odinson was found to be unworthy of wielding the mythical Mjolnir, it was left abandoned. Hearing its call, Jane sought out the hammer, and upon grasping it gained all the powers of the Goddess of Thunder to become The Mighty Thor!

The Mighty Thor is a formidable Threat Value 5 character with strong defenses and 8 Stamina on her Healthy side (and 6 on her Injured side). Her Medium Speed combined with her Flight superpower gives her good mobility on the battlefield as she fights the enemies of Earth and Asgard.

When it comes time to brawl, The Mighty Thor brings two potent attacks. Her first attack, Hammer Strike, is a Strength 6 attack that builds Power for her based on the damage it deals. Additionally, it has a chance to Throw enemies that are Size 4 or less—a fitting ability for the wielder of Mjolnir!

Her second attack, Lightning Blast, is a long-range strike that costs 4 Power. Its Strength of 8 combined with its two special rules create a very potent attack. The first special rule, Electric Shock, deals 2 damage to all enemies near the target as the Goddess of Thunder lets loose her wrath! This rule, while not guaranteed to trigger, resolves its effects before any damage is dealt to the target, ensuring effects land in the event the target will be KO’d by the attack. Its second rule leaves the target with the Shock special condition thanks to the lingering effects of the lightning.

With Thor Odinson out of the picture, The Mighty Thor picks up the slack leading the heroes of Asgard in their battles. Her Leadership ability, Renegade Thor of Asgardia, has two potent effects to help her allies reach their targets and strike true! The first is when an allied character is attacking an enemy within Range 2 of them, they will be able to reroll one of their attack dice during the Modify Dice step of the attack. This won’t do too much to help them if they are attacked from afar and Dazed before they can close in, however. The second effect of Renegade Thor of Asgardia addresses this weakness by granting allied characters the ability to reroll one Defense die when they are attacked from outside of Range 2. Both effects are limited to once per turn, but given how many turns are within a round this Leadership will definitely generate good returns for Jane and her squadmates.

With a cry of For Midgard! The Mighty Thor charges into her foes! This Active superpower costs 3 Power and allows her to make a move action followed by an attack action. Most superpowers like this only cost 2 Power, but this one also grants her the ability to reroll two of the attack dice when making the attack action to justify the extra cost.

The Mighty Thor isn’t all about smashing her opponents with Mjolnir though. Sometimes a garbage truck works just as well as a legendary hammer when smiting foes. Her Inner Strength superpower allows her to throw a terrain feature of Size 4 or less Medium distance.

The Mighty Thor is tested whenever she engages her opponents. If She be Worthy is a Reactive superpower that allows her to reroll any of her Defense dice when attacked by Physical and Energy attacks. With all of her base defenses having a value of 4, this can make her very resilient against enemy attacks.

Rounding out her card are two more Innate superpowers. Immunity (Shock) is fitting for the Goddess of Thunder while Blessed by the All-Mother boosts her Power generation. This Power generation allows her to keep up with her Asgardian allies and ensures her ability to use her superpowers.

Jane Foster’s selfless approach to heroism can be seen in her Team Tactic Card, Heart of the Worthy. This card gives her a second activation this round at the initial cost of a low 2 Power. However, the secondary cost of this card is steep. This card is played at the end of the Activation Phase and during the next Cleanup Phase, she will be KO’d! Playing this card at the right moment can be the difference between victory and defeat, and with If She be Worthy, she has a good chance of being able to play this card to swing the course of the battle.

Accompanying The Mighty Thor in this box is Lady Sif, an Asgardian warrior of great renown who possesses incredible fighting prowess. A friend of Thor’s from a young age, they fought many battles together, including saving Beta Ray Bill’s people from Surtur’s army of demons and rescuing Jane Foster from a limbo-realm.

Lady Sif enters Marvel: Crisis Protocol as a Threat Value 4 character who possesses defenses appropriate for an Asgardian. Her 6 Stamina on both sides of her card along with her Battle-Tested Innate superpower ensure she can get into the fight and deliver victory for her squad.

A front-line brawler, Sif’s Medium Speed stat works well with her Charge superpower. This superpower is well known for allowing characters to get two attacks in situations most would only get one attack, due to it granting two actions for the price of one and a couple Power. When using this superpower she can use either of her two attacks for the granted attack action.

Her first attack, Warrior Born, is Range 2 and Strength 5 and builds Power based on damage dealt to the target. Additionally, it showcases her swordsmanship with two special rules that may trigger during the attack, Push and Follow-Up. As most would expect, Push will move targets a Short move away from her and Follow-Up allows her to give chase. Her other attack is the 3 Power cost Warrior Forged. This attack has the Mighty Bash rule, which, when triggered, allows her to Throw her target Medium and then advance Short. There are no directional limitations to either effect, which creates a very flexible rule. She could throw the opponent away and then follow them for another attack or throw them back over her shoulder toward waiting allies then advance up to the next enemy.

Sif is famous for being a master with a sword and has the Master Swordswoman superpower to prove it. This 2 Power cost Reactive superpower is used during Physical attacks to allow her to reroll any of her attack or defense dice, increasing her damage dealing or decreasing her damage taking as the situation demands.

Speaking of her defense, her Battle-Tested Innate superpower was mentioned earlier. This superpower reduces damage she takes by one, a fitting ability for a warrior of Asgard. Her final superpower is an Innate superpower many players will recognize: Asgardian. This superpower boosts her abilities by granting her 1 extra Power during the Power Phase.

That’s all we have for Lady Sif and The Mighty Thor! These two characters will arrive soon in the Asgard Affiliation box along with the two royal brothers, Thor and Loki. Check back later for another 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. Pre-order these characters and more at your local game store or through the webstore today.

CP102 Heimdall

This bearded man sees you when you’re sleeping and hears when you’re awake. No, we aren’t talking about St. Nick; this time on From Panel to Play, we’re looking at the one and only guardian of the Bifrost bridge, the all-seeing, all-hearing Heimdall!

Heimdall is one of the most loyal defenders of Asgard and its people. Seeing through time and space, he stands vigilant on Bifrost, the Rainbow Bridge, to protect Asgard from all who would do it harm. At his king Odin’s command, he sometimes leaves his post to travel the realms to confront perils that require his vast wisdom and strength.

This protector’s loyalty is so great that he does not hesitate to act, even against his allies, in his defense of Asgard. Whether he is facing down an army of frost giants or a rebellious Thor, no force in the Nine Realms will sway him from his duty to protect the realm of Asgard.

As befits the man who keeps a watch over the Bifrost, Heimdall, the All-Seeing can play a pivotal role in your control of the battlefield, holding back the forces of the opposing team. His enchanted sword Horfund can hit an opponent for Strength 7 before driving them back medium, as Heimdall hammers his targets away from vital objectives or vulnerable allies. If those allies need an emergency extraction or a quick entry, Heimdall can call upon his command of the Rainbow Bridge. Guardian of the Bifrost allows him to target an ally within Range 4 and instantly teleport them to a location within Range 2 in a flash of rainbow light.

One of Heimdall’s most well-known abilities is his power as the All-seer. Nothing in the Nine Realms can escape his supernatural senses, and he can use this power to aid his companions. All-Seeing Eyes is a reactive superpower Heimdall can use when an allied character in Range 3 is attacking, dodging, or defending to let the ally reroll two of their dice. Alternatively, Heimdall can use his supernatural senses to guide his companions when using a Crisis or Team Tactic Card, letting them reroll two dice.

Wherever Heimdall stands, the opponent should be wary of treading. His reactive superpower Forfend typifies the kind of unwavering defense he brings to a force, allowing him to lash out with his sword as a reaction whenever an opponent ends a movement within Range 2.

And naturally, Heimdall wields the innate superpower of his people and gains an additional Power each Power Phase with Asgardian!

Heimdall sees everything, but that’s all we have to look at for this first glimpse at the defender of the Rainbow Bridge. Be sure to check back 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. Pre-order your own copy of the Heimdall & Skurge Character Pack at your local game store or through our webstore today.

Until then, Atomic Mass Transmissions, signing off!

Until then, Atomic Mass Transmissions, signing off!

CP102 Skurge

True love can take all kinds of different forms. Sometimes it means doing nice things for your partner. Or, if you’re like the subject of today’s article, it means hefting a double-bladed axe and wading into combat against all who would stand in their way.

This time on From Panel to Play, we’re looking at Amora the Enchantress’s right-hand man with an oversized enchanted axe… we’re talking about the one and only Skurge!

Skurge the Executioner is a half-giant Asgardian warrior who rose to prominence during one of the many wars between Asgard and Jotunheim. Despite his prowess in battle and acceptance by the Asgardians, Skurge saw himself as an outsider and lived a solitary life.

He eventually fell in love with Amora the Enchantress, who used the skilled warrior as a plaything in her many schemes. Wielding an enchanted axe with the ability to rend dimensions, he has been a catspaw in the schemes Enchantress and Loki across the centuries, fighting against Thor and other Asgardians in countless different ploys.

Skurge, the Executioner is a straightforward character on the tabletop. While his allies use clever misdirection, he moves into the thick of battle, laying waste with his oversized axe. He has above-average Physical defense and decent Vitality, as it befits a giant-slaying warrior, and a slightly below average Mystic defense—after all, being manipulated by Enchantress is a core part of his identity.

The half-giant plays the role of warrior and bodyguard. His attacks are simple but brutally effective. The basic Battle-Axe attack hits at Strength 6 and can inflict the bleed condition on his target. He can follow it up with the even more powerful The Executioner, a Strength 8 attack that can inflict bleed, and if it is used on a bleeding target, Skurge can reroll up to 2 dice in the attack!

Like most Asgardians, Skurge can pick up and hurl bits of the battlefield at his opponents thanks to Storm Giant Strength, which lets him grab terrain of Size 3 or less and use it as a thrown weapon.

Skurge’s primary objective is to protect his beloved Enchantress when he isn’t hewing through foes with his axe. In-game, he does so with the Right-Hand Man reactive superpower. With it, when an allied character within Range 2 is targeted, he can spend 2 Power to make himself the target of the attack instead. When combined with his Aggressive innate superpower, which allows him to advance a short distance toward an attacker each time he takes damage, this Asgardian can shield his allies from harm while closing the gap between himself and the next target of his enchanted blade!

That’s all for our first look at the man with the axe! Be sure to check back 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. Pre-order your own copy of the Heimdall & Skurge Character Pack at your local game store or through our webstore today.

Until then, Atomic Mass Transmissions, signing off!