May 2025 card updates reaction

 

The long wait is finally over and we've got the 2025 character updates in hand. 

Edit: We've known since Adepticon that only models that re release in 2025 had a chance of being in this update. Look at the re release schedule to see who might get touched next year. 

Let's go through them one by one. 

Click on the images to enlarge them or just get the file yourself from AMGs website. 

As we've known from the HPP interview Shick and Pagani had Bullseye's Gainer was reduced to range 3. Heavily restricting his overall usefulness. He's still good but I already preferred Rocket and that has only increased now. Bob is also even more of an alternative for him now, too. Not nice for die hard Bullseye fans but a good move for overall game balance. 

Maybe the biggest update of all here. Strange gains a Pierce on a Block on his Builder (nice since that will also give you a power) and Eye of Agamotto works for Dodges now too. The heal has also been increased to Range 3 making it much more relevant. Gaining a stamina on his backside is nice as well though front side would've been better of course. 

And now for the biggest change: the leadership. 

Judgement of the Vishanti is a pretty impactful leadership handing out the strongest condition in the game (beside Stagger of course) in Hex now just for dealing damage (no power cost and no deciding before the attack) or if the target was threat 5 or higher. The ultimate anti Kaiju leadership basically. It's of course once per turn but a may so you get to decide who you want to Hex. 

It's not really a build around Leader I'd say but a very strong counter one. Double leadership Defenders became a lot more interesting again today. 

Supreme Strange also gets to reroll Dodges now. 

Laura can now build the power for Frenzy and doesn't have to start with it anymore. She's also not anymore counted as size 3 for pushes and throws. A small nerf at face value but ultimately more of a side grade since it also means throwing her into her friends is a bit less damaging. Overall it makes Laura better than she was. 

Angela can build the power for Angelic Assassin now. Small buff for Angela who still faces very tough competition for a slot in all her affiliations. 

Heimdalls rerolls are now range 4. A big improvement that makes him more viable. 

Ok it sounded different when Pagani talked about Colossus in the interview. He can now either Taunt or move towards the attacking model with Big Brother, not towards the defender to Bodyguard. Still a good ability. He loses Stagger on his Spender and replaces it with a Throw. Which is a decent trade. Overall an improvement. 

Good news for the New Mutants! Their leader got a bit more survivable with an additional HP on the front side and Immunity to Incinerate. Crit Wild Hex on her Gainer is nice too. Magik was already a good model and this only makes her better. She's a very strong consideration in all her affiliations. 

A very very very minor nerf to Agent Venom: Project Rebirth now let's him make free Shake Actions meaning Crystal can deny him. It's most likely not going to come up a lot. 

We've already known this one and it's no joke. My King Black Bolt was casually one shot by the new Gambit (under Steve 3 leadership). He's a slot machine but a very good one. 

Toad gets a much needed tone down. Going to 4/4 makes it more reasonable to one shot him which is how you have to deal with him. He's still very good but Black Widow is closer now. 

The update I was awaiting the most personally. Carnage looks more fun now. Going up to 8 stamina on the front is nice but the real buff is Paint the Town Red now being able to be paid for through the Builder and adding 2 dice to the attack made with it. He's still not great but definitely more in consideration. I definitely want to try him. I think any leadership that can reliably give him power to always boost his attacks is going to be great for him. 

Nightcrawler functionally doesn't change just the timing window is made more clear. Which is good since I got his foil card and would've been very sad if he'd have changed in a more meaningful way. 

Edit: Stun on his builder now requires him to deal Damage with the attack. 

Bishop got fixed. It always felt like an editing error that he got damaged in the power phase and basically had 4 HP on this backside. He's very good now. 

Clea has become more interesting especially as a counter pick against high threat enemy models. It's good that she can't kill herself anymore of course but Talons of Farallah is really what makes her interesting now. Extra punishing when combined with Stranges new leadership. 

And that's it for the Updates. We've known it would only be for 2025 re release models but that still leaves me with one big miss here: 

Magneto. He should at minimum been given the Helmet special rule. 

Cheers from Germany 🍻