From Panel to Play: M’Baku

CP116M’Baku

Witness the might of the Jabari! Today’s from Panel to Play will focus on one of Wakanda’s greatest warriors: M’Baku. Although Wakanda is often associated with thoughts of the Black Panther, this man embodies the essence of another Wakandan tribe, those who worship the White Gorilla, the Jabari.

M’Baku is a born and bred Wakandan native, having been born into the Jabari Tribe. The Jabari worship the White Gorilla in opposition to the more dominant Panther worshiping tribes. Other than agreeing that they want a strong, powerful Wakanda, the Jabari don’t see eye to eye on much else to do with the country’s current state. Traditionalists, the Jabari would prefer to eschew the trappings of technology and the use of Vibranium for a life more rooted in their ancestry.

As we find M’Baku brought to life in Marvel: Crisis Protocol, we bear witness to a man in his prime and at the peak of his power who brings a new Leadership to this affiliation. M’Baku represents a presence that just can’t be ignored in any situation. This is translated to the tabletop in the form of a Size 3 character with an impressive 4 Physical and 4 Mystic defense. He may only have 2 Energy defense, but with 7 Stamina on his Healthy Side and 6 Stamina on his Injured side, this is a character that won’t soon be removed from the game.

M’Baku is straightforward in his weaponry; his main method of attack making use of a Knobkerrie. You may be surprised at first to find this coming at you from Range 3, but when you stop to consider the reach a man of his size would have, it’ll soon make sense. The Strength 5 Physical attack is going to provide him power equal to the damage he deals and his endless training allows him to make full use of the body mechanics in play. When rolling a Critical in the attack, he will be able to Push the target character Away Short and if he happens to also roll a Wild, he’ll then be able to Advance Toward them Short, setting up the next round of pain he plans to deliver.

When up close and personal, he makes full use of the power he has earned by spending 4 of it to unleash the Wrath of the Jabari. This may only be a Range 2 attack, but it hits at Strength 8 and allows him to throw Size 4 or less characters Medium in any direction before dealing damage. If he rolls a Wild and Hit in the attack roll, he comes down on his enemies like an Avalanche. This special rule allows him to Advance Short and make a Knobkerrie attack against a different enemy character.

Blessed by Ghekre is the introduction of a new Leadership to the Wakanda affiliation. This Leadership allows an allied character who is contesting an objective token to avoid being Pushed or Placed once per turn if they manage to roll a Critical, Wild or Shield when affected by an enemy effect.

Not only does the blessing of their god allow them to hold steadfast when protecting that which they hold dear, it also allows them to shift the odds of battle in their favor once per turn by changing a single die result in their attack roll to a hit when they’ve rolled one or more Wilds.

M’Baku’s first superpower is Strength of the White Gorilla. This superpower costs 2 power to use and truly showcases the strength of his god by allowing him to throw an interactive terrain feature of Size 3 or less Medium. Not many humans are capable of tossing about the weight that this man can.

As the Chieftain of the Jabari, M’Baku also cannot be Pushed by the special effects of enemy characters physical or energy attacks unless the enemy character itself is Size 4 of more. It takes a being of true size and strength to displace this man.

The superpower Solid Frame shows us that a wall of muscle isn’t just good for doing damage, it also provides him defense against collisions with other characters. He suffers no damage from them as they just bounce off his chest.

Finally, as a continuance of the theme presented all throughout his character card, we wrap things up for the Jabari chieftain with the innate superpower of Immunity[Stun]. Not only is he an immovable rock, but you’re going to have to try harder than a mere special condition if you want to limit M’Baku’s growing power.

This character is an exciting new addition to Marvel: Crisis Protocol and when you’re ready to help defend Wakanda against enemies both internal and external, be sure to pre-order your copy of the M’Baku and Klaw Character Pack 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!