Why should you play the affiliation
Everybody loves Wizards and the Marvel ones are super cool, too.
On the table Convocation are complicated but super rewarding to play. You also get to feel very big brained with them 😉😅
How to start the affiliation
You start with the Convocation Affiliation Pack, which includes Supreme Strange, Clea (both absolute core members of the Affiliation) as well as Ancient One (a decent 4 threat) and Baron Mordo (more of a niche pick). And importantly all the TTCs that make the Affiliation into what it is. Picking up the Defenders Affiliation Pack afterwards is probably a good buy, which gives you Wong and the other Doctor Strange as well as useful Splashes Iron Fist and Luke Cage. The dual Affiliation into Defenders is also very easy.
What leaderships are available and what is the typical game plan?
By far the best handling of a leadership TTC. It is incredibly flexible in who plays it and doesn’t even take a spot in your 5. It also has two modes making it even more flexible in play. Circle of the Cosmos is a drug. Note that it is not once per turn but once per turn per character. Meaning if they damage multiple of your Wizards (or their friends) everyone gets to “Bump”. Moons of Monnopur is a bit more niche but can also be effective sometimes. You’ll probably spend most of your game on the Cosmos side though.
In terms of game plan you can take the affiliation basically anywhere you want them. They’ll probably sit best at a type 3 (midrange attrition, with some scenario play if they can’t kill you), but a type 2 is also easily doable.
Type 1: Pure Scenario team, as many VPs on the table as possible and try to win by scoring out as early as possible and with as little engagement
Type 2: Midrange Scenario team. Similar to Type 1 but can fight and chase if necessary
Type 3: Midrange Attrition team. Wants to be the beatdown but can shift to scenario play if the other side is clearly the beatdown.
Type 4: Pure Attrition team. Wants to murder you as quick as possible. Tabling is a possible and achievable goal here, but not the only way to win (they mostly score their points and deny yours by virtue of your models being dazed or KO'ed))
Who could be added to the affiliation in the future, especially as leaders?
Wanda Maximoff finally made it in! She and Loki were originally intended to be affiliated but it didn't work in play testing back when the Affiliation first released. For Scarlet Witch this has now been corrected so there is hope Loki might be here someday.
A character that is already announced but not coming out until early to mid 2027 is Wiccan, who has a pretty high chance of landing here. I’d also like some of the Strange Academy kids but AMG might be (understandably) hesitant to put actual kids in the game. Nico Minoru is another possible addition.
Rating every affiliated TTC and Character
Team Tactics (8)
Astral Ring
B. A great card for a turret style character that needs to reach out to get multiple attacks out and does not want to spend a movement action. So yeah Wanda is a pretty good candidate to play it and so is classic Doctor Strange.
Bane of Damballah
B. AoE Root is good.
Book of Cagliostro
B-. While removing an activated token is obviously great it is expensive and very hard to set up. And also pro tip if you’re ever thinking about the discard two TTCs to get this card back mechanic: Don’t.
Iron-Bound Books of Shuma-Gorath
A. Significantly worse since it doesn’t trigger the return on a Grunts death anymore but still a card you’ll play in basically every Convo game. Be aware of the damage type your opponent brings though.
Orb of Agamotto
A. Teleportation is fantastic. Probably also an every game card.
Plane of Pohldahk
A. Chances are you’re bringing a lot of Mystic attackers in your squad and this works on every allied character not just Convocation affiliated ones.
The Bar With No Doors
A. Your excellent leadership as seen above.
Wand of Watoomb
B. Cool and flexible card.
Characters (9)
Ancient One (4)
B. Ancient One is much tankier than her raw stats would suggest and can punch people pretty hard. Displacement in their turns is also very good.
Baron Mordo (3)
B-. Mordo is very fast with a 50mm base, Medium Move and flight. He also loves being pushed by the opponent as he has a reactive superpower that allows him to move after the push. He doesn’t have the biggest offensive output himself but is a decent objective piece and can spread Incinerate and Hex on the opposing team, as well as boosting the dice of allied attacks making him a good support character.
Clea (3)
A. Since Clea has gotten a second boost in the August 26 Updates she is probably your first choice for an affiliated 3 threat in most games now. She offers great support for your allied characters and can guard a back point well while firing away some range 4 Gainers.
Doctor Strange (5)
A. Original Doctor Strange now one of the hardest to kill 5 threats with 7/7 Stamina, the ability to heal, boost defense dice and his Eye of Agamoto innate superpower. Offensively he offers great control with a size less, ani direction, push triggered by dealing damage on his Builder and a Spender that can activate. He is a very strong model but is still not so often seen in Convocation because of:
Doctor Strange, Sorcerer Supreme (5)
A. Supreme Strange is fantastic. With 3 power per Power phase, Scalpel of Strange (which isn’t once per turn), great and flexible attacks this version of Stephen Vincent Strange is much more of an offensive power house than the “Defenders” version.
Doctor Voodoo (4)
A-. Doctor Voodoo is fast if he needs to be (50mm base, Medium move, Flight), has fantastic attacks and a unique superpower that lets opponents drop extract objectives and denies them from picking them back up. Some people are down on him currently because of the source extracts but having played against him on those, it is still good. You being able to make an already activated character drop an objective that hopefully no one else can pick up still means a VP advantage even if it doesn't mean that Voodoo himself will now hold it until the end of the game.
Magik (3)
A-. Magik is a mobile flexible damage dealer through her place and brings a fantastic personal TTC in Journey through Limbo. Her biggest weakness is how squishy she can be, though it got better with her May 2025 and August 26 Updates which now make her 6/6.
Scarlet Witch (5)
A-. Wanda Maximoff has her new and immediately best home in Convocation. The TTCs, especially Astral Ring and Orb of Agamoto, help mitigate her biggest weakness of hating to move. She is a key member if you want to have a more damaged focus squad.
Wong (2)
A. As much as I personally dislike playing him I can’t deny how good Wong is as a 2 threat especially here where he’s affiliated and can sometimes even be made the leader to safe guard a home secure. His strongest opening will usually be to give Supreme Strange an additional power for him to use Scalpel in Round 1 so he can get in range immediately. But there’s basically an infinite number of plays you can achieve here depending on your squad.
Popular Splash Characters for the affiliation
Dracula (5)
A. Bumping into range to clap back with Drac sounds like a lot of fun and will catch opponents of guard. He could even use the offensive side of the LD on his spender.
MODOK, Scientist Supreme (4)
B+. MODOK can help recycle Iron Bound books by redirecting attacks where you want them to go and adds a terrain throw and good attacks.
Shang-Chi (4)
A-. The reactive Bump helps him get into Range 3 for his Supreme Martial Artist and can also sometimes Bump him into Range 2 for his reactive throw. He also has great attacks (which can be Mystic for the offensive side of the leadership) and good control.
Ebony Maw with Space Gem (6)
B+. While he struggles in comparison to other 6 threats Ebony Maw (with Space Gem) has his best home by quite a margin here. He of course benefits heavily from Iron-Bound Books, has fantastic attacks and a throw that's basically always online.
Example Roster
Characters (10)
* Doctor Strange, Sorcerer Supreme (5)
* Clea (3)
* Doctor Voodoo (4)
* Magik (3)
* Scarlet Witch (5)
* Wong (2)
* Ancient One (4)
Shang-Chi (4)
Dracula (5)
Iron Fist (3)
Team Tactics (10)
Astral Ring
Heroes for Hire
Indomitable (R)
Iron-Bound Books of Shuma-Gorath
Journey Through Limbo
No More Mutants
Plane of Pohldahk
The Bar With No Doors
The Whims of Chaos
Sacrifice (R)
Secure Crisis
Assault Ships Make Sweeping Search! (W, 16)
Strike Team Secures Shield Relay! (D, 17)
Survivors Search for Safe Shelters (Z, 20)
Lockdown! Security Systems Stymie Breakout (S, 18)
X-Men Infiltrate Secret Weapons Facility (X, 17)
Extract Crisis
Scientific Samples Found in Discovered Universe (D, 17)
Sentinel Schematics Sabotaged! (AC, 17)
Unexpected Guests Crash Royal Wedding (N, 17)
Evidence of Experimental Soldiers Exposed! (AB, 19)
Surprise Assault! Mutant Homes Destroyed (U, 16)
If you want to support me in what I do here and get something out of these articles you could consider becoming a Patron at www.patreon.com/sgprotocol
Thank you for reading and Cheers from Germany 🍻
Comments
Post a Comment