From Panel to Play: Psylocke

CP103 Psylocke

In today’s From Panel to Play, it seems we all have some precognitive powers. This glance into the future is here to pierce your mind with knowledge (and not a psychic blade, we promise!) as we introduce one of the deadliest purple haired mutants around.

Elizabeth “Betsy” Braddock has led an interesting, but strife filled life. She battled the forces of evil for years beside many different teammates, always on the side of good. However, she eventually found herself brainwashed and physically altered by the Hand, turned into an unwitting tool for evil. Their experiments forced her into a new body and their training made her deadlier than ever. With no memory of her past life, she was acting as an assassin for the Mandarin when an old friend helped her regain her lost memories. Now she uses both her old and new talents to fight on the side of good once more.

On the tabletop, Psylocke is a deadly martial artist that can be hard to pin down. Not only can she pack a punch, but her enemies will find it hard to guess where exactly she’ll end up!

The first thing you’ll notice she brings to the battlefield is one of the things she is most well- known for; her Telekinetic Katana. Although it’s only a close quarters weapon at Range 2, it boasts a respectable Strength 5 and can scramble her opponents’ brains when she rolls a wild through the Neural Disruption special ability. This special ability will remove a power from the target character for each wild in her attack roll.

She isn’t limited to being up close and personal though as she also has access to her Psi-Bow. This attack only hits at Strength 4, but she can be Range 4 away from her target when she unleashes it. Also, due to the special rule Pursuit, when she rolls a hit during this attack, she has the opportunity to use the distraction of it to rush her opponent. This special ability allows Psylocke to Advance Short Toward the target character when its triggered.

Psylocke may also opt to ignore the limitations of traditional weaponry (whether physical or manifestations of psychic power) and attack her opponents directly with her mind, bringing the full force of her mental powers to bear. When she really wants to go in for the kill, she lets

loose a raw Psionic Assault. This is a mid-range attack, extending up to Range 3 away and hits with Strength 7. It does cost her 3 Power to use, but it will also Stun the target character before doing damage, preventing them from gaining more than a single power regardless of the damage they suffer from this attack!

Alongside her wide range of attack options, Psylocke also has access to powerful superpowers gained through both her mental abilities and combat training.

Her first superpower, Telekinetic Combat Enhancement, allows her to supercharge her fighting capabilities by channeling her Telekinetic powers throughout her body, increasing both her speed and strength. For 2 power, this Active superpower grants her a Short Advance and will add 2 dice to the first Telekinetic Katana attack she makes this turn. It can only be used once per turn, but it provides her options to both reposition herself on the battlefield and add a little extra “oomph” to her most recognizable attack!

Her second superpower is Telepathic Precognition. Throughout her life, her precognition has afforded her the chance to both prepare and protect. On the tabletop, this Reactive superpower allows her to reroll an amount of her own dice equal to the amount of power spent (any amount of power!) when either attacking or being attacked. It is a mentally draining ability for her though, represented through the limitation of only a single use per turn, but this superpower provides her an extra opportunity to squeeze in that last bit of damage or to nimbly step aside from an otherwise finishing blow.

Many enemies find it difficult to land a hit against someone with the training and combat experience that Psylocke possesses. This is demonstrated through her first innate superpower, Martial Artist, which allows her to add Blanks to her total successes when being attacked by a physical or energy attack occurring from within Range 2.

Her final superpower, an innate power called Stealth, really helps translate her time as a master assassin to the tabletop. Psylocke is able to blend into her surroundings, whatever they may be, helping to ensure that she can be in her enemy’s face before they can launch an attack against her. This superpower requires enemy characters to be within Range 3 of her before they are able to target her with attacks.

That’s all for today as this flash into the future fades back to the present. 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. Pre- order your copy of the Emma Frost & Psylocke pack at your local game store or through our webstore today.

Until next time, Atomic Mass Transmissions, signing off!