Today I want to look at the roster and evaluate each and every choice here from characters to TTCs and crisis cards.
Characters (10)
Agent Venom (4)
A. An absolute lock for the roster. Venom combines damage outpost with mobility and control making him a great tool to have in many situations. Not an every game character but certainly not someone I'm looking to drop anytime soon.
Beta Ray Bill (4)
A. Well he's Bill what do you expect? Interestingly Will Shick said in his recent interview with Gamestore Guardians that Bill is someone they and their play testers haven't for seen to be as strong as he is. And he certainly doesn't help with my #1 game plan in killing the enemy team but you usually win by scoring not by tabling and he helps with that immensely.
Groot (3)
B. Groot has been decent enough when he's been called on. Absolutely not an every game character but fine for what he does.
Nebula (2)
?. Nebula hasn't made the table once for me. It's not that I think she is bad but I often feel that with overall higher scoring crisis I can't afford a non scoring model, even if she can deny points well. If I can fit just a 2 in my squad I absolutely always take Rocket over her. Which may be false but is has severed me well enough. It is pretty likely that I may replace her in the roster. Which would probably with a splash 3 threat. More on that later.
Nova (5)
A. An every game character. Rich is a fantastic character absolutely not getting the credit he deserves. Am I biased because he's by far my favorite character in Marvel? Sure but I also love Moon Knight in the comics and don't force him into every Midnight Sons game I play. I genuinely think Nova is great here. Of course the leadership and even more so Galaxy's Greatest helps him with his already great kit. He isn't a pure offensive powerhouse but offers a lot of control and most of all movement and objective play. He's usually my second character in any squad after Star-Lord.
Rocket Raccoon (2)
A. Rocky is just good at what he does. Which Will Shick has now mentioned on basically every podcast he's been on that he is supposed to be the obvious choice for a 2 threat back point Sitter. Does he die in most games? Absolutely, but he's very likely to have traded up in the process.
* Star-Lord (3)
B-. Peter is fine. He has decent attacks and hit and run make him a mobile character to play the objectives. I've made a stupid mistake with him in my loss in the latest league which sealed my fate then and there (left a secure to pick an extract, which left my opponents Miles open to reach the secure in one move (he held a Senator), which I just didn't think would be enough). As my only leader option he's of course staying in.
Yondu (4)
A. Long range killer and especially great on Scoundrels. Raveger Code is also a superpower that has won me games. Often fights for a spot in the squad with Agent Venom if they can't fit in both. But that's a good problem to have and their roles, while similar, aren't exactly the same. Basically an auto pick if there's a Shang-Chi in the opponents roster.
Gladiator (6)
B. I haven't put him on the table often since he often is in competition with Nova for a spot on the squad and I mostly feel Nova simply does more for a threat less. Of course Gladiator has the higher damage potential and can take over games in a way Nova can't. Currently he is here for crisis like Mayor Fisk and Wedding Party, where my usual range advantage doesn't mean a lot. On these it's likely both him and Nova make the squad.
Spectacular Spider-Man (3)
A. Peter has been Spectacular (hah) when called upon. Which isn't all that often but in games with a lot of secures on the board he is great as an added control piece.
Possible replacement characters:
For Nebula:
Drax (3):
Having only two 3 threats besides Star-Lord in the roster does sometimes create difficulties in squad building, especially when I don't feel like solo Groot would help me a lot (when the map is too spread out for example). Drax's biggest pro argument is being affiliated. His biggest against is being fairly slow. He does bring a a durable body and a superpower character throw which isn't nothing.
Maverick (3):
Maverick is a relatively safe extract holder who would double down on my affiliations core strength which is energy attacks.
Clea (3):
Cleas stock has absolutely sky rocketed after her May Update. She is now a decent anti Kaiju piece and offers Mystic attacks, which I lack completely at the moment.
Weapon X (3):
I want to put him on a table badly but he has the exact same problem that Nebula has for a threat more.
Baron Mordo (3):
He can juice up Nova even more and is a great Extract Runner while offering mystic attacks. He's pretty high on my list.
Pyro (3):
Pyro would double down on my core strengh while offering support with Incinerate and Fire Wall. He also comes with an objective steal TTC. Strongly in consideration.
For Gladiator:
Cosmic Ghost Rider (6):
Cosmic Frank is possible my least favorite character in the entire Marvel Cosmic. And that makes it a bit hard to consider him for any team that I build. In game his big advantage would be that he his affiliated. What scares me off is that he once again has the same problem as Neblua.
Hulk (6):
Hulk is the obvious choice here. He's probably the best threat for threat model in the game and helps with the objective game which is where I struggle the most.
Hulkbuster (6):
Hulkbuster would bring access to Stark Amory and/or Helios Laser. He also brings the most reliable displacement of any of the 6s. On the other hand he goes down the easiest.
Team Tactics (10)
Foreign Assignment
?. I haven't really had the guts to bring the card yet. I think I might often talk myself out of the card if for example only Star-Lord is on the squad with Agent Venom. But that effect alone is usually worth the power cost (it's Star-Lords spender for a power less and no action) so maybe I should force myself to bring it.
Galaxy‘s Greatest
A+. Often more impactful than the leadership in my experience. You'd have to have a very good reason not to bring the card.
Lovable Misfits
B-. Its potential upside is enormous but I have been bitten by it more than once already.
Call for Backup
A-. Basically stapled to Nova and has won me a couple of games. Not necessary for Nova to work though.
Deadly Duo
A. If Rocket and Groot get on the table together, so does the card.
We Are Groot
A-. The effect here is very strong but it's often hard to fit it in after Deadly Duo. I haven't really played solo Groot much but maybe that's where the card would shine. Definitely a candidate to be cut for something else.
Protector of the Empire
?. Even in the games where I had Gladiator on the table I didn't bring the card, because it couldn't get past some of the others.
Plundered Goods
C. Most likely a card to be cut. The effect is very strong but I usually don't want any enemy models in Range 3 to my Yondu.
Brace for Impact (R)
A. I don't have the very best physical defense across the board, though I can field a pretty tough squad if I go for it (and Rocket creates black holes to not suffer any collision damage). So you make the case for Indomitable.
Fall Back (R)
A-. I prefer Fall Back to Sacrifice, which is very much down to personal taste.
Secure Crisis
Infinity Formula Goes Missing! (B, 17)
A+. My favorite and best crisis. Yes it gets hard when I have to play into 5 extracts but honestly if that's a possibility I'll most likely play my extracts with prio and deal with the opponents secure.
Wedding Party Targeted in Terrible Attack! (R, 20)
B-. I took it because it's fighty and because it allows me to play Gladiator and Nova in a squad. Very likely on the cutting block.
Deadline to Destruction (P, 16)
B-. A more fighty crisis once again and one where my range advantage matters a bit more. Also likely on the cutting block.
Extract Crisis
Alien Ship Crashes In Downtown! (C, 17)
A-. While the downside can definitely be felt as it can often happen that my characters will be flush with power at the end of the round, having only three extracts on the board outweighs it. Being a C shape also means I can deploy Nova dead center and reach any of the three extracts with a double move.
Deadly Legacy Virus Cured? (C, 19)
A. My best Extract, for the advantages mentioned before combined with fewer downsides and higher threat.
Inhumans Deploy Advanced Weaponry (O, 18)
A-. Four extracts is still mostly fine and having them all on the midline means I have a good chance to punish anyone who picks one up.
Possible Secures to come in:
Guardians save Shi'ar Empress in Style (M, 17)
Empress fits thematically and creates a two lanes fight which I'm really good at. Probably a good replacement for D2D.
Mutant Madman Turns City into Lethal Amusement Park (B, 18)
Madman is a crisis I'm less sure on. It is my favorite shape but my average physical defense isn't especially high.
Overall I'm still very happy with the Guardians and will continue to have them as my main affiliation for the foreseeable future. Our next German speaking league will be a War of Kings league where I'm not sure yet whether I'll stick with Guardians for that or if I go with Inhumans for that. But any IRL event will absolutely be with Guardians and our next standard league most likely, too. And of course I'm looking forward to finally getting a second leader in 2026.
That's it for today.
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Cheers from Germany 🍻
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