Cabal Archives - Page 6 of 6

From Panel To Play: Bob, Agent Of Hydra

CP45 Bob, Agent Of Hydra

In this installment of From Panel to Play, we’re taking a look at a guy who just wants a gig that offers a dental plan. From the ranks of Hydra to Agency X, it’s Hydra Bob!

Bob Dobalina was just a regular guy looking for a job. On the urging of his wife, Allison, Bob joined the Hydra organization for a chance at steady work and decent benefits—only to learn Hydra doesn’t cover dental. He would have remained with Hydra and worked on his blog if it weren’t for the interference of the Merc with a Mouth, Deadpool. Deadpool forced Bob to join him on one “exciting” “adventure” after another, making the unfortunate Bob his pet… erm, minion.

To create the miniature for Hydra Bob, well, first take a regular Hydra agent in a form-fitting bodysuit with bandoliers and useful pouches. Make sure that he’s got an upbeat, positive attitude. (It’s the only way to survive hanging out with Deadpool for long). Then, give it a cannon. Not just any cannon. A big one. Cartoonishly big. “Looks like it was pulled from the fantasies of a military’s head of R&D” big. Then, just for fun, toss in a variant head with a chef’s hat to wear while he makes chimichangas and tacos in Deadpool’s truck.

Bob is there to support his pal Deadpool when he isn’t spooning delicious adobada into warm tortillas. His Stamina and defenses are what you’d expect from a guy who performs no exercise and uses Hydra evasive strategy 423 (Hide behind the person in front of you).

What Bob lacks in physical prowess, however, he compensates for with a ludicrous amount of firepower. That big launcher on his shoulder isn’t just for show. When he touches it off, the projectile detonates in a glorious blast of Excessive Violence.

Excessive Violence is one of Bob’s attack powers and is really worth talking about. With a Range of 4, Bob hits his target with an explosive Strength 9 physical attack. Quite literally explosive: before dealing damage, Excessive Violence causes 2 damage to everyone else within the vicinity of his target. Poor Bob isn’t immune to Newton’s Third Law, though. The shot also hurls Bob back and can damage him. How much Power does this attack cost, some of you might be asking. Well, the answer is zero. Zilch.

Sort of.

See, the big cannon needs to be loaded before Bob can fire it. He has Loaded tokens to indicate when he’s ready to fire, and thanks to the innate superpower Muy Caliente he starts the game with a single Loaded token. Getting another one isn’t cheap and costs an action and 8 Power via the active superpower Make it Spicy, Bob! Hydra Bob scurries off to grab another explosive from his cache—probably in the taco truck—and gains another Loaded token.

You’d expect that Hydra Bob would be a squishy character that is easy to knock out of the fight, and you’d be right, mostly. But living as Deadpool’s little buddy for long requires a special kind of person. A person who can take constant punishment and keep on going. A type of person you look at and have to ask: he’s alive… But How!? Needless to say, Bob has some exciting powers to make up for his innate fragility.

You’ll have to wait to check them out, though, because we’re out of time for today. Don’t forget to pre-order your Deadpool & Bob, Agent of Hydra Character Pack at your local gaming store or on our webstore. We can’t wait for Bob, Agent of Hydra to hit tables in Marvel: Crisis Protocol, just like we can’t wait to take a look at even more characters who make the jump From Panel to Play. Catch you on the next one!

Until then, this is Atomic Mass Transmissions, signing off.

From Panel to Play: Magneto

CP42 Magneto

In this installment of From Panel to Play, we’re looking at a complicated man with a desire to protect his people no matter what it takes, the best friend and worst enemy Professor Charles Xavier ever had, Magneto.

A powerful mutant with the ability to manipulate magnetic fields, Max Eisenhardt is a radical fighter for mutant-kind. He has firsthand experience with cruelty and discrimination, growing up in WW2 Germany and forced to survive the horrors of Auschwitz. When he discovered his place among mutants later in life, he swore to not let his new people endure the fate he had.

For a time, Magneto was a close friend and ally of Charles Xavier. Magneto’s more extreme approach to the dilemma of mutants and humans was a wedge that drove them apart, leading Magneto to form the Brotherhood of Mutants. With his seemingly limitless mastery over magnetism, he and the Brotherhood fight for mutant supremacy, a cause that often brings them into conflict with the X-Men.

Translating Magneto’s gravitas to the tabletop was no easy task. He is a rich and complex character who needed to be an eye-catching and commanding piece. His miniature hovers in the eye of a maelstrom made up of twisted metal debris. His iconic cape billowing out behind him, Magneto has an impressive silhouette and a striking, authoritative pose. The mix of sleek organic lines on Magneto contrasts with the twisted, angular shapes of the metal around him. Magneto also comes with two additional bits of metal debris which are twisted and broken versions of classic terrain pieces, which you can paint to match the street lights and signs from your core set.

Magneto is one of the most powerful mutants alive, and his rules stay true to that. On the tabletop, he is a heavy hitter with numerous abilities to help swing a crisis in your favor. His

rules have many moving parts that can be tricky to anticipate, and those who learn how to wield them effectively will be rewarded.

His stat line is about what you’d expect, with an astounding Mystic defense of 6, as Magneto’s helmet shields him from the mind-controlling abilities of his former ally Professor X. Both of his attacks are powerful and have interesting special rules, but we want to focus on Shrapnel Blast for a moment. Using his magnetic powers, Magneto sweeps up a cloud of metal debris to fire off in every direction. This Range 2 area attack hits at Strength 6 and costs 5 Power to use… but interacts with one of Magneto’s other powers, Master of Magnetism.

This innate power allows Magneto to place Metal Construct terrain features on the field. If there are fewer than two in play, during the Power Phase you get to place one within Range 3 of Magneto. Not only are they Size 2 interactable terrain, but they also have other benefits. Magneto gains 1 Power for each one of them in play.

Remember how I said Shrapnel Blast interacts with this power? Well, when you use the attack, you can choose to measure the range of the attack from Magneto himself, or from a Metal Construct within Range 3, destroying it after you make the attack. This gives the Master of Magnetism an immense range with an attack that can hit multiple targets with a hail of metal shrapnel.

Of course, Magneto is much more than a metal-delivery system. He is the founder of the Brotherhood of Mutants and willing to tear down the world if he can rebuild it for the betterment of his people. His leadership ability From the Ruins benefits the Brotherhood of Mutants affiliation. When a terrain feature is destroyed, a number of Magneto’s allies equal to its Size immediately gain 1 Power… which makes his ability to place and destroy terrain at his discretion even more powerful!

Magneto has even more tricks in his arsenal, but that’s all we have time for today. Be sure to check back for the next installment of From Panel to Play, where we look at how all your favorite characters make the transition to the tabletop in Marvel: Crisis Protocol.

Until then, Atomic Mass Transmissions, signing off.

From Panel To Play: Kingpin

CP29 Kingpin

Welcome back for another Atomic Mass Transmission!

This time on From Panel to Play series, we’re looking at how Wilson Fisk, the imposing Kingpin of crime took shape in Marvel: Crisis Protocol.

Wilson Fisk rose from a humble beginning to be one of the most feared and influential crime lords in the world. He maintains the appearance of a legitimate businessman, funneling his vast wealth to charities and humanitarian projects, all while orchestrating the movement of an immense criminal empire.

As the Kingpin, Fisk often clashes with the self-appointed protectors of New York City. He battled Spider-Man for a time, but his most frequent foe is Daredevil, the vigilante protector of Hell’s Kitchen. Though he is known to hire mercenaries to squash such street-level threats, Fisk is himself physically powerful to hold his own in a one-on-one fight.

Kingpin is known for his overwhelming physique, and his miniature does not disappoint. Fisk’s heavy stature makes him stand out on the tabletop, towering over all but the largest characters. His classic sense of style is on display as well, from the detailed folds of his double-breasted suit down to the rings on his fingers. His posture is haughty as he adjusts his tie before laying into any street-level hero who might want to stand in his way.

Kingpin’s Short advance and larger size mean he needs to move cautiously to avoid being caught out in the open.

Fortunately, Kingpin has the tools and techniques to hold his own. For instance, his basic Cane Laser (yes, I said “cane laser”) attack has a range of B3, which lets him burn a line through multiple targets from a distance. When he gets up close, he has his choice of smacking down his opponent with a wicked Headbutt attack, or the appropriately named Hail to the King. A Strength 7 physical attack, Hail to the King demonstrates why you should never go toe-to-toe with a man of Fisk’s stature. The attack lets Kingpin toss his target Short range before dealing damage, and inflicts the Stagger special condition afterward.

Rounding out Kingpin’s rules are his powers. He has a new Leadership, Criminal Network, to benefit the Criminal Syndicate affiliation. This ability represents Kingpin’s absolute control of his vast criminal empire, letting members of the affiliation pass around objective tokens like they’re playing a game of hot potato. Criminal Network also lets his team work more efficiently in securing objectives, allowing each Healthy character to count as two for the purpose of securing an objective token.

If that wasn’t enough to draw attention, Kingpin’s skill at Street Level Negotiations will. This Active power lets Kingpin pick up and throw interactive terrain or characters of Size 3 or less Medium range. Is that Daily Bugle kiosk in the way of your next criminal enterprise? No problem. Just throw it out of the way. Is Thanos, the Mad Titan in your path? Throw him too.

With all of these alien beings thrown all over the place, you think Kingpin might be concerned about being caught in a little collateral damage. Fortunately, his Solid Frame innate power protects him against it. Kingpin simply doesn’t suffer damage from collisions with other characters. Even if they’re thrown by the Incredible Hulk, they’ll stop dead as they bounce off the criminal mastermind.

And like a taxi thrown by Wilson Fisk, we are outta here. Check back next time as we take a look at another character for Marvel: Crisis Protocol and their transition from Panel to Play.

See you then!