The unfortunate often find themselves at a crossroads between bad choices. For the very unlucky, a shadowy being is waiting at the crossroads with a deal to offer them. That shadowy being is Mephisto, Lord of Temptation.

Mephisto rules a fiery nether realm, loves to impersonate the biblical Satan, and is empowered by the damned souls he’s tricked into accepting his bargains. He is unambiguously evil and completely untrustworthy, and he still manages to manipulate great heroes into accepting his deals. He’s very good at being bad. Among his numerous other powers is apparent immortality, and he’s been bargaining for souls during the entire history of humanity. The souls he’s collected from the Legion of the Lost, Mephisto’s personal army outside of his realm, he uses to fulfill his bargains and acquire yet more power.

The best place to start understanding how Mephisto plays is to look at his Demonic Contract superpower. Mephisto gets 1 additional power each round for each Devil’s Deal token he has. He starts the game with 1 token, but to power up to his strongest, he needs to get 3. The only way to gain Devil’s Deal tokens on his Stat Card is his Infernal Bargain attack. As a 5-threat character, only dealing one damage with an action is a tremendous downside. Luckily, he can use his How Can I be of Service? superpower to Place himself next to a target and make an Infernal Bargain attack without spending an action on it.

When he has a stack of 3 Devil’s Deal tokens, he has many more options available to him. Termination Clause becomes a 9-die beam attack that automatically incinerates each target. Devil’s Due allows Mephisto to spend a Devil’s Deal token to do damage and steal power. Meet my Associate lets him spend a Devil’s Deal token when he is attacked to Place an ally next to him and have that ally be the target of that attack instead.

Hellfire Lash rounds out his kit as a flexible attack that gains one power, and it’s a solid option when Mephisto needs to save up his resources and still do damage.

If Mephisto can’t use Meet my Associate, he is easy to take down for a 5-threat character. That often means he needs to be around his allies to be at his best. Fortunately, Meet my Associate can give those allies a lot of movement to keep up with the blistering speed he can move. How Can I be of Service? could allow Mephisto to Place more than Range 5 away from his current position by Placing on the opposite side of the target. If he can Place in a location to make Meet My Associate inconvenient, that superpower could make it detrimental to attack him since it allows him to place his allies into position.

While Mephisto doesn’t often want to stray away from his allies, sometimes doing so could win the game. That’s especially the case when he can move himself into position to hit multiple characters with a 9-die Termination Clause.

If you read the fine print of this article, you might have picked up that there are more ways to gain Devil’s Deal tokens than Mephisto’s Infernal Bargain attack. Up the Ante is a fine example of the kind of Faustian deals Mephisto forces on your opponent. It asks the opponent if they would like to lose power instead of taking damage when an ally would deal damage with an attack. In exchange, all they need to do is give Mephisto 2 Devil’s Deal tokens and allow him to have up to 5 for the rest of the game. Of course, they could just not take the deal. In that case, Mephisto still benefits by removing his activated token if he has one or just trying the deal later on if he doesn’t.

Brand New Day commemorates one of the most infamous examples of Mephisto’s deal making. With this card, he shows his prodigious power by preventing an enemy character from being Dazed or KO’d…if they make a deal with him and Mephisto’s ally gets to activate again. Of course, the violence the deal was offering to prevent and the willpower required to refuse that deal both reinvigorate him, so it’s another win-win for Mephisto.

When deals fail to do the job, Hellfire is there to clean up the situation. Mephisto’s mastery over that baleful flame is so great that he can wreathe his allies and imbue their attacks with it. The minor consequence of lighting his allies on fire is a small price to pay for such a boon.

If the situation is important enough to him, Mephisto can call on all the souls he’s won and assemble the Legion of the Lost. Damnation forces the opponent to choose which character of theirs will gain Incinerate in exchange for 1 power every round of the game. It also fuels Mephisto’s squad with power. Mephisto’s squad gets these benefits with any characters, offering an extreme amount of flexibility. Corvus wants the mobility offered and is sturdy enough to be a great ally to choose for Meet my Associate. When Mephisto uses Embrace the Inferno to incinerate Corvus and Proxima, they can both activate before the opponent gets to activate by using their Husband and Wife superpowers. On that round, they are likely to daze or KO at least one character with access to a full reroll against what is likely an incinerated enemy character.

Mephisto doesn’t just work for himself, though. If it serves his goals, he’s only too willing to make a deal and work for others. The leaders of Cabal and Criminal Syndicate are perfectly willing to strike a deal to get Mephisto on their side, and he’s affiliated with both. Shadowland Daredevil has quite a lot of synergy with Mephisto. With Mephisto’s beam and free attack, he often makes more than 2 attacks that can benefit from Shadowland Daredevil’s leadership during his activation. Shadowland Daredevil is also very sturdy, so he’s quite a good target for Meet my Associate, and the Hand Ninjas offer a more disposable shield for Mephisto to hide behind. Mephisto also has strong power generation to pay for All According to Plan, and that Team Tactic Card plays right into the unique scheming playstyle Mephisto offers.

That’s all for today’s installment of From Panel to Play. Be sure to check back for more in-depth previews of new and upcoming releases. Mephisto and other Marvel: Crisis Protocol miniatures are available today for pre-order or purchase through the webstore. Thanks for joining!

Until next time, Atomic Mass Games, signing off!

CP143Baron Zemo

We hope you’re ready for the royal treatment in today’s From Panel to Play. Although he isn’t considered a King in any country, the topic of today’s article definitely has an ego to match that of the most powerful rulers in the world. Let’s peek under the mask of none other than Baron Helmut Zemo!

Although thirteen is considered lucky in some parts of the world, all those who meet the thirteenth Baron Zemo find themselves changing their minds. Raised to believe that only those in his family line are truly worthy to rule, Helmut Zemo is definitely living up to the worst examples the family has to offer.

Although mirroring his father in many ways, not least of which was an unfortunate accident with Adhesive X, Helmut Zemo is also his own man. A renaissance man in many ways, Helmut Zemo is a gifted scientist and engineer, as well as a fighting man with few equals. On top of his own personal accomplishments, he has followed in his family’s aspirations of leadership by ruling many a team of supervillains and nefarious individuals. Allied with Hydra, he has even been seen leading the Army of Evil.

Baron Helmut Zemo hits the tabletop as a 4 Threat character with 4 Physical, 3 Energy and 4 Mystic defense. He has 5 Stamina on his Healthy side and 6 Stamina on his Injured side, as well as a Medium Movement speed.

Baron Helmut Zemo may be willing to take advantage of whatever technological marvels are available, but he still enjoys that personal touch. His first attack is a Sword Strike that reaches out to Range 2 and hits with 5 dice. He’ll gain Power equal to the damage he deals and his pinpoint accuracy ensures he can Pierce his opponent’s defenses, changing of their successful block results to a Blank. He can also really show off the finesse he is capable of when he rolls a Critical and Wild during the attack, utilizing his Dancing Strike. This special rule allows him to Advance Short after the attack is resolved.

Although it was the cause of some deep, personal anguish for him, Baron Helmut Zemo still utilizes this wicked formula designed by his father. His Adhesive X Pistol can shoot up to Range 4 and hits with a dice attack. Adhesive X is a special chemical that is able to bond with any material and is nearly impossible to remove. This is represented through the special rules on his attack, which provide an increasing gauntlet of debilitating special conditions for the enemy character to overcome. A Wild result will inflict the Slow special condition, which forces the enemy character to use the Short movement tool. A Critical and Wild will inflict the Stun special condition, which limits the character to only gaining a single power at a time. Finally, a Critical, Wild and Failure will inflict the Stagger special condition. This will cost the enemy character one of their precious actions during their activation. Not limited to a single result, with a lucky roll, you could end up giving the enemy character all three conditions!

As a master swordsman, Zemo can be an elegant combatant and is at times able to flow from enemy to enemy with the beauty of a waterfall. His Coup de Grâce attack can reach Range 3 and hits with 7 dice. Not just a strong slash, it also allows him to Advance Short when he Dazes or KO’s the target character.

The Army of Evil Leadership is a new option available to the Hydra affiliation and brings an interesting, never before seen new rule to Marvel: Crisis Protocol! Team Tactic Cards represent some of the most powerful and cinematic moments in the game and are a resource that have to be used with care and consideration. This Leadership boosts this resource in two powerful and interesting ways. A player is normally limited to choosing only 5 Team Tactic Cards to be used during a game, however, this Leadership allows you to add 1 additional card to your available Team Tactic Cards. You are limited to choosing either a Hydra affiliated or Unaffiliated card, but having access to 6 Team Tactic Cards during the game is an incredibly powerful effect.

That isn’t all that the Leadership does either. One of the limits that players have to work around is the choice that many Team Tactic Cards place before them. Do you spend your available Power on playing the card or do you use it for the characters superpowers? The second effect of the Army of Evil Leadership helps make this choice just a little bit easier for you. It allows you to choose one of the characters paying Power to play a Team Tactic Card and having them gain 1 Power back. You get to have your cake and eat it too!

A lithe and speedy individual, Zemo is able to cross the battlefield faster than most enemies expect. His Active Superpower Quick Step allows him to spend 2 Power towards making a Medium Advance. He unfortunately can’t be burdened with any objectives when he wants to use this superpower, but it helps ensure no superhero ever escapes his grasp!

As a Master Duelist, Baron Helmut Zemo is able to capitalize on his enemies’ weaknesses. This innate superpower helps him keep up the pressure, which manifests itself as the ability to add 2 dice to his attack roll when he is attacking a character for the second time in a single turn. Having gotten them off balance with his first attack, the second is sure to put on the hurt!

Zemo is also a Strategic Genius, able to direct not just his own efforts, but those of his allies into the best possible course of action. This innate superpower allows himself and allied characters within Range 2 to reroll 1 die in all of their attack or defense rolls.

When you’re ready to claim your rightful place in the world, be sure to pre-order your copy of the Earth’s Mightiest Core Set at your local game store or through the webstore today. Also, 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!

CP143Red Skull

Can you feel that, dear readers? The power available to today’s character is hard to fathom…sometimes it’s an almost imperceptible twist to the fabric of reality and sometimes it’s a shift that announces itself with a scream felt across the world. In today’s From Panel to Play, we will unearth ancient secrets and dive into the possibilities of Red Skull, Master of the World!

Johann Schmidt had a rough start to life, with his own father trying to drown him shortly after his birth. He was saved from that fate by the doctor who delivered him but was consigned to a lonely existence as an orphan. Living a life of petty crime and beggary for years, he slowly developed a rage he would later try to unleash on the world. Thus began his rise to power and his early life as a supervillain.

That interest eventually earned him his new persona, that of the Red Skull, which he used to begin various terrorist activities. This taste of power and control ignited an ambition that was previously unrealizable by the young Johann. Now a master of terror and in control of various secret bases and technological secrets, he continues his quest for power and control with no man above him!

Red Skull, Master of The World is a new 4 Threat Leader ready to win you the day! He has 12 Stamina evenly spread across both his Healthy and Injured sides as well as 4 Physical, 3 Energy and 3 Mystic defense. This Leader isn’t afraid to get into the action and as you’ll see, he has ways to force his allies to support his efforts. Let’s see how the power of the cosmic cube helps Red Skull, Master of the World bend reality to his will!

His Cosmic Burst attack is a range 4 Energy attack that hits with Strength 5. Not just a simple blast in his enemies face, however, the power of the cosmic cube allows Red Skull to bend reality in various ways. Before choosing a target for the attack, he is actually able to choose whether the attack is Energy or Mystic, which allows him to focus on his enemies’ weakest defenses. As normal, he will gain Power equal to the damage he deals with this attack, helping fuel the rest of his rules. A Wild result in the attack roll will even allow him to place the Shock special condition on his target, limiting the effectiveness of their attacks!

Reality Bows To Me! is perhaps the most powerful representation of the cosmic cube’s destructive potential. This Mystic attack costs 4 Power to use, can hit enemy characters up to Range 4 away and lashes out with 7 dice. Not just a strong attack though, a Critical, Wild and Hit result means that Red Skull can create a Reality Rupture. This special rule allows him to make another Reality Bows To Me! attack without having to pay the Power cost. It does have a localized effect, meaning it can only hit another enemy character within Range 2 of the original target, but it can potentially generate enough attacks to hit every enemy character within range once!

Red Skull can even lend the power of the cube to his allies. My Cabal Is Only For the Strong is a new Leadership option available to the Cabal affiliation. This Leadership allows non-Grunt allied characters (no one ever claimed the hired help was strong after all!) to treat 1 Failure result in an attack roll as a Critical result once per turn. This powerful effect being available to almost all of his allies is sure to help those damage focused characters drive home the hurt or those specialists to fish for the results they need. Such a powerful effect does come at a cost though. After the attack is resolved, the attacking character is going to either lose a Power or suffer a damage if it can’t. Warping the fabric of reality doesn’t come free after all!

Reshape The World is an Active superpower available to Red Skull, Master of the World that lets him rearrange the battlefield as he sees fit. This superpower costs him 3 Power to use and allows him to throw terrain of Size 3 or less Medium. With increasing mastery over his powers, Red Skull is able to extend his reach up to Range 3 away from himself when looking for a truck to snatch up and throw!

Continuing the theme of control and reshaping the nature of the battle, Nothing is Beyond My Reach is an active superpower that costs him 4 Power to use. This superpower allows him to choose himself or another character within range 2 (note that we didn’t say allied character, yes, he can choose enemy characters as well!) and then place the chosen character within range 3 of its current position. Regardless of whether he is teleporting an enemy away from a strategic location or launching a charging Juggernaut into enemy lines, he can dictate the flow of the battle in unpredictable ways.

As one of his underlying principles and strongest beliefs, Power is Only For The One Who Rules represents Red Skulls relationship with his “allies”. This innate superpower allows Red Skull, Master of the World to drain the power from his squad to fuel his own desires. When he spends power to make an attack action or to use a superpower, he may spend the power from an allied character within range 3 of himself instead!

When you’re ready to mould reality to match your own personal vision, be sure to pre-order your copy of the Earth’s Mightiest Core Set at your local game store or through the webstore today. Also, 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!