Abomination:
injured side art update only
Adam Warlock:
Injured side art update only
Agent Venom:
Already a favorite character to play of mine the increase to above average 7/7 makes him an excellent piece in all of his (many) affiliated homes.
A
Amazing Spider-Man:
ASM has already been very hard to take off the board and 7/7 makes him nigh invincible. His problem has always been list lackluster damage output and he's got no news there.
B
Ancient One:
7/6 might make her more interesting now but she struggles with competition in the 4 threat slot where Defenders have a giant pool of options. She could have a comeback in Convocation maybe.
B-
Angel:
Angel already had the markings of a great objective runner and with respectable 6/6 now he is far better at fulfilling that role.
B+
Angela:
The Odinsdottir has become even faster with pursuit now trigger less on her Gainer and her Spender got the expected update to reference threat instead of size making it way better. She's become much more interesting in all her affiliated homes with A-Force probably being the front runner.
A
Ant-Man:
He can now hold Assets while Tiny which is huge. He doesn't even drop them when he transforms, only when he hitches a ride.
B
Apocalypse: only gained Peerless (we'll talk about the leadership changes in part 4 along with everything else that changed aside from the characters)
Archangel:
Already a good character Archangel gained 3 Stamina to go from a fragile 5/6 to a very respectable 7/7.
B+
Arnim Zola:
Above average health for a 3 threat now, but the swiss robot man still won't likely see play outside of Strucker Hydra. It's a fantastic mini and should see the table more but I don't think it will.
C+
Avalanche:
More health for an already criminally underrated 3 threat. Landslide is a drug.
B+
Baron Helmut Zemo:
I would've liked to see an improvement to the Spender but going to 6/7 is not nothing for the Strategic Genius. And of course the big buff that the change log missed is Quick Step now working while holding an objective.
A-
Baron Mordo:
Has gained one HP on the injured side. Fine for the role he plays.
B-
Baron Strucker:
Has paid the price for the crimes of his fellow 3 threat Hydra/Cabal Baron and has lost Strategic Genius and instead has gotten Tactical Insight. Much worse but necessary since *Spoiler Alert* Namors Reroll bubble has not been renamed to Strategic Genius... (Which means double bubble is alive and well it just costs one more threat now. Strucker has gained two HP but that doesn't make Up for loosing his strongest ability.
C+
Baron Zemo:
Zemo 1 gains a point of Stamina on the healthy side while Master Swordsman gets a once per turn restriction plus an increase to 3 Power and Strategic Genius is replaced by Tactical Insight. He remains very good with his efficiency being reduced a little bit. I like these changes for him.
B+
Beast:
updated character art only
Beta Ray Bill:
Has gained a point of Stamina on the injured side. Being 6/6 now means that he in theory is under the curve for a 4 threat but of course his damage reduction makes him much tankier than that.
A
Bishop:
Increased to 7/6 making him much more interesting.
B
Black Bolt:
Has gained Peerless (making it much harder to have a big Kaiju in his squad, which was not really in Style anymore) but much more importantly the leadership has gained a big nerf (I can hear Bryan Freddy cry from here). While the range has been increased it can now only benefit the active character so no fueling up a single character over the round anymore. It is still good but will require an adjustment time to figure out new ways to make use of. Black Bolt himself remains a force on the table.
B+
Black Cat:
Injured side art update only. She is still overtuned but now at least below the curve on Stamina.
Black Dwarf:
7/8 with innate Damage Reduction is a lot to chew through and his Spender being reduced to 3 Power makes that a lot better as well. But is it enough to see play in his only affiliated spot? I don't know.
C+
Black Panther:
Increased to 7 Stamina on the Injured Side while Mantle has been left untouched. Excellent 4 threat.
A
Black Panther, Chosen of Bast:
A character I've never really have seen much success with. He is tougher now with 6/6. Maybe that will be enough for his interesting kit to actually work.
B-
Black Swan:
I've played her a lot in Professor X X-Men earlier this year and liked her lot. Going to 7/7 can only help.
A-
Black Widow:
injured side art update only
Black Widow, Agent of SHIELD:
art update only
Blade:
A point of Stamina on the Injured side. I would've liked it better on the front but it is not nothing. My wish would have been that the Katana could choose to be physical so it doesn't sometimes randomly suck but I think that might be down to space on the card.
B-
Blue Marvel:
I can't detect any changes so he remains A+
Bob, Agent of Hydra:
art update only (there's a mistake on the backside in the PDF, he should still habe "But how?" there
Bullseye:
art update only
Cable:
Increased to a mighty 7/8 Stamina Cable will be a pain to take off the board. He's been good ever since his first update and this only makes him better.
A-
Captain America (Steve Rogers):
Increased to 6/7 Stamina as expected but of course the big news is the leadership nerf. It has become what was rumored: instead of a flat discount you now get a refund. It is still good and in later rounds will be effectively the same as it is now but it completely takes away any first turn jank it has allowed up until now. I like it and I don't think Avengers will now fall out of the meta or anything. It's just good for the overall health of the game and any future releases.
B+
Captain America (Sam Wilson):
Sam gains a point of Stamina on the injured side. Would've been nicer on the front but he was amazing at 5/5 so going to 5/6 is still a buff.
A
Captain America, First Avenger:
Increased to 7/6. Good.
B+
Captain Marvel:
Increased to 7/7 Stamina so over the 4 threat curve. Her kit is unchanged though which has always been a little awkward. She is a decent option but is often overshadowed in her affiliated homes. Might be worth a new look in A-Force, where Binary Form is more easily funded.
B
Captain Marvel, Cosmic Avenger:
7/8 Stamina so good luck getting her off the board but ignoring her was already the way to not make her worth the threat investment and it has now become even more obvious to do that.
C+
Carnage:
I can't detect any changes
Cassandra Nova:
Now a very mighty 8/7 with Healing Factor. She already got a big glow up last year and this makes her even better.
A
Clea:
AMG was very confidend in her 2025 update but has learned that it wasn't enough and has given her another hefty boost. Range 4 on her Gainer is huge to fund her kit while 7/6 Stamina is chunky and above the curve for a 3 threat.
B+
Colossus:
Also had to be touched again (the 3rd time he has been buffed). He's now 7/7 and his terrain throw is cheaper which is fitting the changes to collision damage.
B
Corvus Glaive:
Corvus has gained some more action econmy with the Pursuit on his Gainer now being a Hit trigger (which will let you down when you need it the most) instead of a Wild and more importantly a Range 1 place on Glaives Edge before the attack (so it can also help get into Range). 7/6 is the standard for a 4 threat now and he stays below average with 3/3/3 Defenses (but with innate Damage Reduction). Will it be enough to see him return? Remains to be seen. Maybe he's going to be more of a 4 threat nowadays and plays without a Gem on him.
B-
Cosmic Ghost Rider:
He gained Peerless. Just like two of the four leaders of his affiliated homes have. But AMG clearly does not want to see 3 character teams of Thanos/ Adam Warlock + CGR + X. Is that the right call? I honestly don't now. As a splash CGR was already hardly seen anymore so it's probably only going to be Star-Lord Guardians and Corvus Black Order that might play him.
B-
Crimson Dynamo:
Just style update.
Crossbones:
M Movement! That likely won't mean a big resurgence for the character but he can now at least play the game at all.
C
Crossbones, Merciless Merc:
He's been good before in the right situation and now with M Movement he is more able to play the game so he could be interesting in his affiliated spots again at least.
C+
Crystal:
Now with 6/6 Stamina Crystal won't fall over dead as quickly and can make more use of her interesting kit. A good option for a fast character in Inhumans and A-Force.
Cyclops:
We've hoped for an update to the leadership but only got 7/7 Stamina. But that makes him quite tanky which is also not nothing.
B-
Daredevil:
got a big boost to 6/7 from 5/6 making him straight better. Likely still only seen as Defenders leader but a decent option for that at least.
B-
Darkstar:
I really hoped for more here. More HP and the Spender being able to choose type are nice but it doesn't help her fund her kit. But probably worth a new look in Winter Guard anyway.
Deadpool:
He has gained a point of Stamina on the healthy side making it harder to plan to one-shot him at the right time which was how you best handled him before.
B+
Doc Ock, Sinister Scientist:
He goes to a chunky 7/7 Stamina but he still has big troubles turning the addtional power that will generate him into impact on the table. For me mostly still a leadership and throwig bot with worse power economy than alternatives.
C+
Doctor Octopus:
with 6/6 now a closer competitor to Lizard in Spider-Foes. Highly unlikely to see play anywhere else.
C+
Doctor Strange:
He actual got a buff! I think Vince just fell over dead in his chair when he saw that. Strange has been excellent ever since his udpate last year and he is just even better now (and I would have won my last league game if I had the added point of healthy side Stamina...)
A+
Doctor Strange, Sorcerer Supreme:
Sexy Strange going to 7/7 might make him more interesting as a splash again, though is main home will probably remain Convocation.
A
Doctor Voodoo:
just art updates
Domino:
gained a point of Stamina on the injured side. She's been good in her affiliations before and this makes her (slightly) better. So nothing to complain.
A-
Dormammu:
I can't detect any changes
Dracula:
Increased to 7/7 Stamina. He's been very good every time I've put him on the table before and this makes him better (though to be honest I'm not sure if he wasn't always 7/7 :D)
Drax, The Destroyer:
Art Update only
Ebony Maw:
He goes to a chunky 8/7 making him very interesting. He's most likely still run as a 6 with the Space or Mind Gem but has become a much more interesting option as that again.
B+
Echo:
Maya actually got better! Already firmly in the discuission for best 3 threat she gained a point of Stamina on the injured side.
A
Electro:
He goes to 7/7 which is good but doesn't fix his biggest problem of being completely reliant on his Builder to gain him Power for his kit to function.
C+
Elektra:
I would have liked to see some more changes to Elektra but the jump to 7/7 is quite nice anyway.
C+
Elsa Bloodstone:
Elsa went to 7/7 as well and can now choose the type on her Builder whoch is really cool. It also now has a double trigger on a wild instead of wild and crit. I like these changes a lot.
B-
Emma Frost:
Emma was already really good after her update and now at 7/7 she is really, really good.
A
Enchantress:
One of my absolute personal favorite characters to play Enchantress going to 7/6 makes a her very interessting 4 threat for Asgard and Cabal again.
B+
Exodus:
8/7 with his defensive and healing abilities makes it very hard to ever get him off the table now.
B+
Frankenstein's Monster:
Adam would've needed some way to be better at power generation (sure he has more health now, which in theory should lead to more power but he can be pretty easliy ignored by your opponent). He might be interesting as a Kingpin splash now though with an impressive 8/7.
C+
Gambit:
Theres been calls to nerf Gambit but in the end he gained a point of Stamina on the back side. He is great in the right places and fine in others so I don't have a problem with this.
A-
Gamora:
The Deadliest Woman in the Galaxy was often the deadest Woman on the tabletop in my limited testing with her. Going to 7/7 means she should be more often able to actually do something now.
B
Ghost Rider:
Art update only
Ghost-Spider:
Gwen only got a point of Stamina on the Injured side so she remains the most fragile Web Warrior 3 threat. She's still great at her specific job though.
B
Gladiator:
in here by accident as it turend out.
That's it for part 1. Check back on the site for parts 2-4 in the coming days. Parts 2 and 3 will be for the other two character PDFs while in part 4 we will talk about the additional changes and the updatet Affiliation list.
Cheers from Germany 🍻
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