Uncanny X-Men Archives - Page 5 of 5

From Panel to Play: X-23

CP71 From Panel to Play: X-23

She slices, she dices, she makes julienned guys. This time on From Panel to Play, we’re taking a look at the girl who proves the adamantium-coated apple doesn’t fall far from the angry Canadian tree; it’s X-23!

Laura Kinney, or X-23, is the 23rd attempt by the Facility, an offshoot of the Weapons Plus Program, to create a genetic copy of the mutant Wolverine. She was born to be a living weapon and had minimal human contact to enhance her savage and killer instincts. X-23 is a peerless fighter and assassin with all the mutant abilities of Wolverine, including a superhuman ability to heal from any injury, lightning-fast reflexes, and retractable adamantium-coated claws in her hands and feet.

As you might expect from someone made with the genetic code of Logan, X-23 is a melee machine with some razor-sharp attacks to poke a hole in an opponent’s battle plan. She’s a highly mobile storm of claw slashes thanks to her combination of attacks and powers.

Her Adamantium Slash attack represents the quick strikes she makes with her hands and feet. The indestructible adamantium coating her claws helps her pierce through enemy defenses and can leave her target with some nasty bleeding injuries. Players familiar with Wolverine’s attacks know how effective this basic attack can be.

But when she’s riled up and has the power to spend, X-23 can lay into an enemy force with a flurry of claws, slashing through a line of her opponents. Claw Rush has a slightly higher range and Strength than her basic attack, but after she cuts through one opponent, she can make a Medium move. If she starts an activation with a target in range and has the Power to spare, Claw Rush can carry her just as far as a double movement, with the bonus of slicing up some poor saps along the way!

Adding to this kinetic play style is her only reactive power, Frenzy. If she dazes or KOs a target during her activation, she can pay the Power to move a short distance and make a free Adamantium Slash attack.

With the potential to move and attack 3 times in a turn, X-23 will be a headache for your opponent to pin down. That’s even truer once you look at the other innate powers she has under her belt. Her Adamantium Skeleton makes her heavier than she looks, so opponents who think they might pick up and toss the little scrapper are in for a surprise! Her constant training as a living weapon by the Weapon Plus Program has also attuned her martial skills to top form, represented by the Assassin Training superpower that lets her reroll 1 die in her attack and defense rolls. Due to her genetic makeup, she also has a Healing Factor to rival her “dad,” which offsets her average Stamina.

Last but certainly not least, Laura Kinney is protective of the last person she can call family: the younger clone created from her genetic makeup, Gabrielle Kinney. X-23 keeps an eye on her little “sister,” and anyone who tries to land a hit on Gabrielle learns how seriously Laura takes that responsibility. If an attack damages Gabrielle while within Range 3 of X-23, Laura can immediately make a Medium advance toward the unlucky jerk who did it.

That’s it for our look at this clawed hellion!

Be sure to join us for our next From Panel to Play featuring Honey Badger herself! Pre-order your own copy of the X-23 & Honey Badger Character Pack for Marvel: Crisis Protocol at your local game store or through our webstore here.

Until then, Atomic Mass Transmissions, signing off!

From Panel to Play: Gambit

CP60 From Panel to Play: Gambit

If you’re a fan of spicy gumbo, zydeco music, and charmingly folksy sayings, then the subject of today’s From Panel to Play is going to be right up your alley. Just don’t play any card games with him. That’s right; we’re talking about the Ragin’ Cajun, none other than Gambit!

Remy LeBeau is Gambit, a dashing scoundrel with the mutant power to accelerate the molecular energy of an object, transforming mundane items into kinetically-charged explosives. Raised by a gang of New Orleans street thieves, Gambit is a master pilferer and former member of the Thieves’ Guild. He was forced to defend himself in a duel, leading to his eventual exile from New Orleans. Thrust into the employ of the Marauders, Gambit had an unwitting hand in the destruction of the Morlocks. His wandering life ended when he met Storm, who inducted him into his ultimate membership as one of the X-Men. As a loyal member of his new family, he dishes out punishment with his combat staff and trademark playing cards. Drop in a bit of kinetic enhancement and Gambit always has a winning hand.

Gambit can be unpredictable on the tabletop—and that’s a good thing! Every one of his three attack options has its own special rule triggered by a wild result, appropriate for a man who is so fond of games of chance. Whether he’s striking with his Bo Staff or throwing one of his signature playing cards, there’s the chance for the kinetic energy he controls to give the strike a little extra oomph.

His Bo Staff has the Push special rule that can affect characters of Size 3 or less. The Short push is enough to clear a pesky opponent off a critical objective or can be used to set up an attack angle for later in the turn. Meanwhile, his Kinetic Ace has the potential to detonate with the Explosive special rule, causing damage to enemy characters within Range 2 of his target.

When he wants to make a statement though, Gambit can toss out a storm of kinetic punishment with 52 Card Pickup. This flurry of cards is represented as a Strength, Range 4 Beam attack. As the cards strike everyone along their path, a few detonate with a bit more force, thanks to the Flurry of Cards special rule, which counts wilds as two successes.

Gambit can invest in his mutant power, overcharging his attacks to make them even more effective. The Accelerate Charge superpower lets him heighten the reaction of his empowered attacks and allows him to add 2 dice to his following attack action. And if Gambit wants to, ahem, stack the deck, he can pay 1 power to give it A Little Something Extra, a reactive power that allows him to convert one of his hits into a wild.

Of course, any card shark worth his salt will draw some unwanted aggression every once in a while. That’s why it’s fortunate Gambit has preternatural reflexes that can help him get out of a bad situation. Enhanced Agility is a reactive superpower he can use after an attack against him is resolved, dealing 1 damage to his attacker and letting him duck out with a Short advance.

That’s it for our look at this ragin’ Cajun!

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 Rogue & Gambit Character Pack at your local game store or through our webstore here.

Until then, Atomic Mass Transmissions, signing off!

From Panel to Play: Colossus

CP57 From Panel to Play: Colossus

Here’s an old saying that a man with cold hands will have a warm heart. Well, when those hands are made of Siberian metal, then that man’s heart must be hot as Hel. This time on From Panel to Play, we’re taking a look at the X-Man who can wear fridge magnets as fashion accessories; it’s Colossus!

Born in Siberia during Communist rule, Piotr Rasputin is a mutant with a skin of steel and a heart of gold. He can transform his entire body into organic metal, granting him superhuman strength, durability, and stamina. Colossus is a gentle giant, however. He is sometimes reluctant to use his physical strength in combat, feeling a responsibility to use his powers to improve the lives of mutants and humankind. He has been a cornerstone of the X-Men for many years, acting as a sage and calm presence of strength among the team.

Colossus adds some defensive clout on the tabletop, with abilities that give him staying power while helping protect the other members of his team. He has decent Stamina and respectable defenses, especially against physical attacks. When it comes time to dish out a bit of behavioral correction in the form of punches, he strikes with the added impact of his bioorganic steel flesh.

Colossus’ basic attack, Strike, swings his metal appendages and lands as a Strength 5 physical attack. Catching a right cross from a steel fist is enough to rattle almost anyone, so this attack has the Concussive Force special rule, which adds a chance for Colossus to cause the target to lose 1 Power on a hit. For tougher opponents, the Siberian X-Man can bodily slam his targets into the ground with a heavy Supplex in the form of the X-Slam: a Strength 7 attack that stuns his target and has the chance to stagger it as well. But if his opponents aren’t within arm’s reach, Colossus isn’t totally without options. His mutant-enhanced strength lets him pick up interactive terrain of Size 3 or smaller and chuck it Medium range.

But Colossus is more concerned about keeping his teammates safe from harm, sometimes at his own expense. Big Brother has him putting his steel body in the path of harm to shield his companions. For 2 Power, when an enemy targets a character within Range 2 of Colossus, he becomes the target of the attack instead.

Colossus can soften the blow of the enemy attack with Bozhe Moi when he makes this noble sacrifice. With this exclamation, Piotr manages to escape the worst of a physical or energy attack, adding 2 dice to his defense roll.

Piotr can rely on his Organic Steel innate superpower to protect him for any damage that does make it through. His metal flesh deflects enemy attacks and reduces the damage he takes by 1.

And while some heroes bring out the big guns when they get injured, Piotr doubles down on his protective nature. Bozne Moi becomes innate on his injured side and passively adds blanks in his physical and energy defense rolls to his successes.

That’s it for our look at this steely hero!

Be sure to check back for our next installment of From Panel to Play when we look at Gambit in Marvel: Crisis Protocol! Pre-order your own copy of the Colossus & Magik Character Pack at your local game store or through our webstore here.

Until then, Atomic Mass Transmissions, signing off!

From Panel To Play: Jean Grey

CP53 Jean Grey

The saying “mind over matter” is a pretty common one, but when you’re talking about someone with telekinesis, it can become pretty literal. This time on From Panel to Play, we’re looking at the first student of Professor Charles Xavier, the marvelous Jean Grey!

Jean Grey is one of the most remarkable mutants in the world. Her powers of telepathy and telekinesis manifested at a young age, prompting Charles Xavier to seek her out. Jean Grey is an Omega-level mutant, one of only a small number in the world, whose telepathic powers have no known upper threshold. Xavier mentored the young woman, bringing her into the ranks of the X-Men.

In an effort to help her control her unfathomable powers, Xavier also set mental blocks in place to limit her ability to wield her telepathy. The sheer power of her mental abilities is impossible to fully contain, however, and she still manifests a portion of its immense potential.

Jean Grey’s miniature is a classic shot of this X-Man. Flying on a wave of telekinetic force, she’s focusing her mental energy for a powerful strike—or possibly telepathically communicating with a target about just how bad a day they’re going to have. Wearing a classic X-Men bodysuit, Jean Grey looks like she’s leapt from the page and into the fray!

Jean Grey wields the power of the mind to great effect on the tabletop. She commands a higher Threat than many of her fellow X-Men, and for good reason. With her telekinetic powers she can hurl buildings and tanker trucks at her foes, shield the minds of her allies, and bring down telekinetic force that would stop an Asgardian in their tracks.

Her basic attack, Psionic Bolt, has an impressive Range 4 and decent damage, particularly when you take into account that it is a Mystic attack. Making it even more useful, for each Wild result in the attack roll, Jean Grey can use the Sap Power special rule, which causes the target to lose 1 Power that Jean then gains.

And what is she going to do with all that power, you ask? Can we interest you in her attack Telekinetic Force? Costing 6 Power to use, this attack hits at Strength 9, can hurl characters the size of the Hulk or smaller Short range, and has the Explosive special rule to cause damage to enemy characters within range of her initial target. Now that’s using your head!

Of course, Jean Grey has a range of other powers to reflect the versatility of her telepathy and telekinesis. If you’d like to learn more about her powers and abilities, be sure to check out her full rules when they become available, and don’t forget to pre-order your own copy of the Jean Grey and Cassandra Nova character pack from your local gaming store or our website. Until then, this has been Atomic Mass Transmissions’ first look at one of the foremost members of the X-Men.

Atomic Mass Transmissions, signing off!

Team Tactics Talk: Cable & Domino

CP47 Cable & Domino

Cable and Domino bring all-new tactics to the battlefields of Marvel: Crisis Protocol with four Team Tactics cards. The tactics in this character expansion pack emphasize the X-Force as a fast and flexible team, able to respond to a crisis and opposing force with swift action.

The first tactic in the set, Cat and Mouse, demonstrates the unpredictability of fighting against the X-Force. They are a small and elite team strengthened by the combat experience of members like Deadpool and Cable, as well as the cunning and unpredictability of Domino and, well, Deadpool. This tactic allows you to choose one member of the X-Force after all the characters have been deployed and reposition the chosen character anywhere within Range 2 of its current position before the start of the game.

This tactic has numerous uses to give you an advantage before the first turn of the game. You can use it in a straightforward way, as a kind of advance-deployment to bring you closer to a valuable objective, but you can also use it to psych out your opponent, offering them a matchup that favors one of their characters before pulling your character back to a better position. It also lets you be reactive, bolstering your position after seeing who your opponent places where and countering with a strong character of your own.

The next tactic, Dirty Work, is another one for the X-Force affiliation and shows how the members of this particular team are willing to get their hands dirty in order to overcome a crisis and defeat their opponents—particularly opponents who represent the greatest threat. Any member of the X-Force can pay 3 Power to play this card and mark the enemy character with the highest Threat. If the team can daze or KO the marked target before the end of the round, every member of the X-Force gains 2 Power as a reward.

Dirty Work is a useful tactic as a Power booster. Since the number of attack dice usually outweighs a character’s potential defense dice, focusing fire on a single target is often going to take that target out. When combined with Power generating attacks, your whole crisis team can comfortably build up the resources you need for a massive follow-up round.

The third tactic in the Cable & Domino Character Pack, Warpath, is an Unaffiliated tactic that perfectly suits characters like Cable, who shrugs off enemy attacks on his unstoppable advance. When a character suffers damage from an enemy attack, it can pay 1 Power to play this tactic and make a Short advance toward the attacking character.

Warpath is a solid reactive tactic. With it, you can pull a character in close for a counterattack, close the distance on an enemy who is foolish enough to damage you. Even better, since the tactic is Unaffiliated you can pair it with characters who can shrug off a bit of damage like Wolverine or Sabretooth, whose Healing Factor can put their health back into a safe position as they come within striking range.

That’s it for our look at the tactics in the Cable and Domino character expansion pack. Remember that you can preorder the expansion at your local gaming store, or through our webstore.

Until next time, this is Atomic Mass Games, signing off!

From Panel To Play: Domino

CP47 Domino

Do you feel lucky? Well, do ya? The subject of today’s From Panel to Play is the only person who can always answer that question with, “Yes. Always.” We’re talking about Domino!

The outcome of a failed attempt by Project Armageddon to create a super-soldier, Neena Thurman makes her own luck as the sharpshooting soldier-for-hire named Domino. The only survivor of Project Armageddon, Domino has the innate ability to manipulate probability in her favor through subtle and unconscious kinetic phenomena. Her makers failed to comprehend the usefulness of her “good luck” and wrote her off as a failure.

Domino paved her own way forward as a mercenary, eventually joining groups like the Six Pack, the NSA, A.I.M, and X-Force. A skilled markswoman and her own lucky charm, Domino brings fortune to those who fight by her side—and chaos to all who confront her.

Domino rides onto the tabletop on a piece of flying debris. Representing her ability to turn luck to her side, the shockwave of an explosion propels the ground under her feet toward her next objective. And she is ready. Dual-wielding automatic pistols, she’s prepared to face down anything the opponent can throw at her. After all, things tend to go her way.

On the tabletop, Domino has multiple ways of swinging the odds in her favor. Her probability-manipulating powers are represented in numerous methods of messing with the dice and outcomes of her and her opponent’s attacks.

Of course, she needed some good old-fashioned firepower first and foremost. She is a world-class mercenary, after all. In addition to a pair of automatic pistols and a bunch of grenades—which always seem to bounce right where she needs them to be—Domino has an interesting attack, Lucky Shot. This attack is the golden bullet that strikes her target precisely where it’s weakest. In addition to being 2 Strength higher than her standard shots, Lucky Shot deals energy damage, her target can’t gain Power from the damage it takes, and if the attack produces at least one wild result, the target gains the Stun special condition.

To make sure that she’ll land her Lucky Shots and stick around long enough to use a whole bunch of them, Domino has two powers representing her unconscious manipulation of the world around her. Probability Manipulation is a reactive superpower Domino can use any time she rolls attack, defense, or dodge dice to spend any amount of Power to convert failures to criticals.

Her other power, an innate superpower called Things Tend to Go My Way, represents some of Domino’s wild good luck: explosions throwing her clear of attacks turning a sure shot into a near miss, a target tripping into the path of her oncoming bullets, that sort of thing. When she is attacking or defending, enemy characters do not roll additional dice for their critical results.

Though Domino’s luck might never run out, it seems like our time to talk about her has. Make sure you pre-order your copy of the Domino & Cable Character Pack from your local gaming store or our webstore today! And be sure to check back for the next installment of From Panel to Play when we look at another of your favorite characters.

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

From Panel To Play: Storm

CP41 Storm

Ororo Munroe, also known as the X-Man Storm, is a mutant with the rare and powerful ability to control the weather. Growing up as an orphan and pickpocket on the streets of Cairo, she had a run-in with Charles Xavier early on when she tried to steal from him. In the following years, Storm discovered her powers, traveled across the continent, and finally settled into her mother’s Kenyan homeland where she was worshipped as a goddess.

Xavier returned to Ororo’s life years later when his X-Men helped her to defeat a hostile mutant. Learning of her powers, Xavier offered her a role among his elite team taking the codename Storm. Storm is a capable leader and expert combatant, skills that she has put to good use against foes like the Brotherhood of Mutants. She is believed to be an Omega-level mutant, one of a small handful of the most powerful mutants alive.

Storm’s miniature is dramatic and striking. Hovering off the ground in a field of lightning, her windblown appearance captures the majesty of the Goddess of Storms. The jagged lightning contrasts against the organic shapes of Storm, and the dynamic movement in her hair and cape only helps to highlight the calm and stillness of her posture.

Storm is a potent addition to any roster, with a diverse set of attacks and powers that can help tackle many different situations. Her weather-manipulation abilities act to bolster her allies and devastate her foes.

On the offense, Storm has her pick of three different powers, each tailored to a different situation. Her Lightning Strike energy attack has a respectable Range 4, hits at Strength 4, and has a chance to impose the Shock special condition if the attack roll produces any wild results. She calls down a bolt of lightning to fry and rattle her target, leaving it less likely to harm her team.

When Storm finds herself boxed in by foes, she can always rely on one of her other attacks, Hurricane. Whipping the winds into a frenzy, this area attack throws out 5 dice, ignores line of sight and cover, and can bring flying opponents crashing down to the ground for additional damage. Storm’s mastery of the winds is so precise that she can avoid harming any of her allies as she batters her enemies with the gale of her attack.

As one of the most potent mutants alive, Storm needed a set of super powers that represented her incredible power. The Eye of the Storm represents Ororo at her most focused and furious when she directs the full force of weather control against a target. For 3 Power, she adds 2 additional dice to her next attack action… perfect for when she wants a hurricane to put a stop to the fighting right away.

Storm often wreathes herself in fog, downpour, and lightning, and her Goddess of Storms innate power represents how difficult it is to even see her amid the inclement weather. Thanks to this power, enemies must be within Range 3 of Storm to target her with attacks.

But Ororo Munroe is much more than just lightning, hurricanes, and heavy rains. As an X-Man, she has demonstrated her natural ability to lead others, even taking charge of the Gold Team of X-Men. Her Leadership ability X-Men Gold allows her to coordinate the movements of her allies, allowing a character to be placed within Range 1 of a nearby ally once per turn, as well as granting cover in the form of mists and fog to any character targeted from more than Range 2 away.

Storm is a powerful team member for any group and has many other tricks up her sleeves, but that’s all we have time for today. Be sure to check back next time for another installment of From Panel to Play.

Until then, Atomic Mass Transmissions, out!

From Panel To Play: Cyclops

CP41 Cyclops

Welcome back to From Panel to Play, the series where we look at how your favorite characters shape up in Marvel: Crisis Protocol. This time, we’re talking about a natural leader who some might accuse of being a little… myopic: it’s Cyclops.

Orphaned at a young age, Scott Summers discovered his mutant powers while living in an orphanage. Blasts of powerful force shot from his eyes, damaging a crane and endangering the people standing beneath the payload. Believing the young mutant had tried to kill them, the bystanders became a mob and sent Scott on the run.

Charles Xavier took Scott in and helped him understand his powers, training him to be one of the first X-Men and the team’s principal leader. To control his optic blasts, Cyclops wears a ruby-crystal visor at all times. Taking the name Cyclops, he fights for mutant equality and peace between humans and mutants.

Cyclops’ miniature is set in the most iconic pose for the first X-Man, with his hand ready to adjust the controls of his ruby visor to let loose an optic blast. His posture is measured and confident, exactly what you would expect from the restrained leader of the X-Men. Cyclops also comes with two different heads, allowing you to choose between either the hooded uniform or exposed head.

Translating Cyclops to the tabletop required two major considerations: his leadership qualities and beams of unstoppable force that shoot out of his eyes.

The optic blasts are an interesting aspect of Cyclops’ character. While they are one of his greatest assets, they are also somewhat tragic. He cannot control them, and without the special visor he wears to keep them in check, they could destroy the people he loves and protects.

Both of Cyclops’ attacks, and several of his powers, involve his optic blasts. He has two decent ranged energy attacks from them, putting him on par with the best of ranged characters. The Optic Devastation attack represents the full force and fury of Cyclops’ mutant power, a torrent of force that can leave his targets reeling. This Range 5 Beam attack hits at a respectable Strength 7 and has the unique Concussive Force special rule. If the attack roll produces a wild result, the target loses 1 Power as they are rattled and thrown off guard by the power of the attack.

Of course, Scott Summers is much more than the man with the worst case of red eye in history. He is a stalwart and confident leader of the X-Men, most notably the classic Blue Team. His Leadership ability Blue Team affects members of the Uncanny X-Men affiliation and represents the kind of coordination and teamwork in the face of a battle that Cyclops excels at. Once per turn, when a team member declares an attack, any number of characters within Range 3 of the attacker can donate 1 Power, reducing the cost of the attacker’s attack action to a minimum of 1. The X-Men work together to protect their ally and support them, making certain no one is left vulnerable.

Cyclops’ other leadership-based power, Field Leader, represents him giving orders to his team to coordinate the battlefield. This active power costs 3 Power to use and allows a friendly character within Range 4 to advance a Short range, perfect for getting vulnerable allies into cover or to close the distance with a critical objective.

Cyclops has other powers to help him lead the X-Men to victory, but that’s all we have time for today. Be sure to visit again soon as Atomic Mass Transmissions brings you more From Panel to Play and other news and information about Marvel: Crisis Protocol.

Until then!