From Panel to Play: King T’Challa

 

Wakanda Forever! In today’s From Panel to Play, we will be taking a look at a man who wants to honor his ancestors and his homeland’s traditions, but also shepherd them into the current age. King T’Challa believes that rather than sticking to their traditionally insular nature, a Wakanda that participates in global society is the best future for both his country and the world at large.

T’Challa grew up the son of Wakanda’s King, raised in all the traditions and lore of his ancestors. He also started training in the duties expected of royalty at an early age, instilling a sense of honor and responsibility in the young man. Rather than isolate himself entirely to his home nation though, he traveled into the wider world, broadening his horizons and enriching his studies. This may be what led him to his current stance on interaction with the other nations, which is in such opposition to the traditional Wakandan approach of isolation. He knows in his heart that his and his nation’s participation in the world is for the best, even if it means he will need to take an active role in protecting his people.

 

 

 

King T’Challa is another new Leader for the Wakanda affiliation and a resilient combatant for them to deploy to the battlefield. This is not a Leader that will be sitting behind his troops or on the sidelines, this man loves to be in the middle of the action. He boasts a Long movement, enabling him to zip around the battlefield, defending his allies that need him most. He boasts a robust set of defenses, with 4 defense across the board for Physical, Energy and Mystic. To top things off, he also has 7 Stamina on both his Healthy and Injured sides.

Although you will often find King T’Challa fighting with nothing but his fists and feet, he is no stranger to the use of weapons. Employing a Vibranium Spear, he increases his reach to Range 3 and can hit with Strength 6. He also has a variety of ways in which he can manipulate the combat when attacking with his spear, all dependent on the positioning of himself and his opponent. If his target is within Range 2, his masterful skill with this weapon provides him the ability to reroll up to 2 of his attack dice. If, however, he finds himself outside of that Range, he has the opportunity to force his opponent to close the distance. This means that up to Size 3 characters will be Pushed towards King T’Challa Short.

 

 

 

 

 

Powered both by the technological marvels of his suite and mystical effects of the Heart Shaped Herb, King T’Challa is also able to unleash The Panther’s Fury. This Physical attack costs him 4 power to use (which shouldn’t be difficult to reach due to something we’ll see later!) and hits with Strength 8. He can only make use of this attack on targets within Range 2, but a single wild in this massive dice pool will allow him to Throw up to Size 3 targets Medium! Not only that, but he is always able to reposition himself with a Medium Advance after the attack as well.

The Strength of the Ancestors is a new Leadership for the Wakanda Affiliation and also introduces a rule never seen before in Marvel: Crisis Protocol. This new Leadership allows allied characters to cause damage to characters during a Push! Once per turn, if an allied character managed to push an enemy character into a terrain feature, they will push them hard enough to cause a damage.

 

 

 

Those familiar with the Black Panther are aware that he is known for leaping around the battlefield, he is a fighter that demonstrates amazing agility. This is represented on the tabletop with his Bound superpower, which costs him 3 Power. This superpower allows him to place within Range 2 and then provides 2 additional dice to the next Vibranium Spear attack that he makes that activation. Picture this powerful figure leaping towards his target, spear raised and lancing out to strike its target!

He is also always ready to invoke a Royal Rebuke on an enemy. This reactive superpower costs him 2 Power and allows him to retaliate against a character that attacks him. If the attacking character is within Range 3, he can roll 4 dice and cause them a damage for each Critical or Wild that he rolls. No one may attack the King with impunity!

Lastly, we have an innate superpower that represents his deep love for his people and his nation. The Defender of Wakanda superpower is a show of the strength that T’Challa demonstrates when those under his protection are imperiled. When another character in his Squad is dealt damage by an enemy effect, King T’Challa will himself gain 1 Power. Trying to subdue his allies will only ensure that he has the Power to defend them!

That’s it for today’s article, be sure pre-order your copy of Rival Panels: Battle for the Throne at your local game store or through our 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!