NAME OF THE PLAYTEST UNIT: Namor
Version Tested:
Army Test
Map: City Park
Units:
Namor (280), Magneto (II) (375), Destiny (55), Mystique (II) (200), Black Tom Cassidy (160), Pyro (120), Skrull Infiltrator (10)
Cap (I) (240, Iron Man MKIV (250), Luke Cage (190), Spider-Man (250), Wolverine (Avengers) (270)
Results:
Solid win for the Brotherhood. The Fighters were at a disadvantage early by Magneto throwing Luke Cage out of bonding range, and he and Namor ganging up on him with Auto-Wounds, with Luke destroyed by the end of Round 1. Similarly, the duo were able to bypass Cap and Spidey’s defenses as well. After Magneto and Namor fell, it was plausible that Wolverine could take the rest of the Brotherhood by himself, but he succumbed to the volley of attacks.
The sum of Magneto making Namor an Outcast, tossing opponents into engagement with Namor, setting up for Namor’s followup turn from Mystique, with Destiny boosting everyone’s rolls was a villainous combination.
Arrogant Avenger did influence my draft, as originally I would have brought Sabretooth (290) instead of Black Tom (160), Pyro (120) and Skrull Infiltrator x1 (10), but because Destiny needs an unrevealed OM to boost rolls, and rather than have Namor deny a Mystique turn, it was better to just have Destiny bond with Black Tom, so I would only lose her boost after revealing OM3 on her, and neither she nor Tom need the boost anyway. And Pyro benefits from her boost as well, whereas Sabretooth does not.
In the end though, 1 turn with Namor might be better than a bonded turn with Black Tom and Destiny, so can’t go wrong either way.
Namor was a real star, with much due to the high-synergy web. R4 was massive though, as losing initiative allowed Namor to engage and attack Cap for 4 wounds from a single hit, crippling Cap’s OM1 turn, and setting himself up to Imperius Rex both Cap and Spider-Man on Mystique's OM1.
Spoiler Alert!
Spoiler Alert!
Game Summary:
Magneto makes Namor an Outcast. Namor puts Avenger Marker on Mystique. Destiny is Black Tom’s partner.
Initiative: Avengers.
Namor removes an OM from Mystique and moves forward.
R1T1(Player): Iron Man and Luke move up
R1T1(Player): Mystique rolls 13, Magneto moves up, destroys tree, Mystique moves up.
R1T2(Player): Cap fails to wound trees.
R1T2(Player): Mystique rolls 21. Magneto throws Luke twice for two wounds, Namor rolls a 17, for 1 wound on Luke and attacks for 1 wound on Luke. Mystique retreats.
R1T3(Player): Luke fails to wound Namor.
R1T3(Player): Black Tom destroys Tree, which destroys Luke. Destiny strafes.
Initiative: Brotherhood.
R2T1(Player): Magneto fails both throws, and Mystique repositions.
R2T1(Player): Iron Man puts 1 wound on Namor and knocks him back 1 space.
R2T2(Player): Mystique rolls a 19. Magneto throws successfully once, for 1 wound on Iron Man. Namor and Mystique fail to wound Iron Man
R2T2(Player): Cap puts 2 wounds on Magneto and 1 on a Great Evergreen.
R2T3(Player): Tom and Destiny fail to wound Cap and IM.
R2T3(Player): Spidey destroys a tree.
Initiative: Brotherhood
R3T1(Player): Mystique rolls a 9, Namor rolls 2 of 3 Imperius Rex rolls, and finishes Iron Man with his attack. Wolverine takes Iron Man’s OM. Mystique repositions.
R3T1(Player): Cap puts 1 wound on Namor.
R3T2(Player): Mystique rolls a 4, she repositions.
R3T2(Player): Wolverine moves up.
R3T3(Player): Black Tom and Destiny fail to wound.
R3T3(Player): Spider-Man puts 3 wounds on Tom.
Initiative: Avengers.
Namor removes an OM from Mystique and puts 4 wounds on Cap, who whiffed against 5 skulls.
R4T1(Player): Namor defends against Cap.
R4T1(Player): Namor destroys Cap and puts 1 wound on Spider-Man with Imperius Rex. Spidey Swings away from attack.
R4T2(Player): Spidey web Slings Namor and Namor blocks.
R4T2(Player): Mystique rolls a 6, and stays.
R4T3(Player): Wolverine advances.
R4T3(Player): Destiny destroys a tree.
Initiative: Brotherhood
R5T1(Player): Mystique rolls a 20. Magneto moves. Throws Spider-man twice for 2 wounds, and Namor gets 1 wound from Imperius Rex and fails to wound Wolverine.
R5T1(Player): Wolverine puts 3 wounds on Namor with Adamantium Flurry.
R5T2(Player): Mystique rolls a 22. Magneto destroys Spider-Man, Adamantium Flurry destroys Namor. Wolverine ignores Black Tom’s attack.
R5T2(Player): Wolverine puts 2 wounds Magneto.
R5T3(Player): Black Tom puts 1 wound on Wolverine.
R5T3(Player): Adamantium Flurry destroys Magneto.
Initiative: Brotherhood.
R6T1(Player): Black Tom fails to wound. Mystique retreats.
R6T1(Player): Wolverine puts 2 wounds on Destiny.
R6T2(Player): Wolverine takes 3 wounds from Pyro.
R6T2(Player): Destiny survives Flurry
R6T3(Player): Wolverine blocks.
R6T3(Player): Wolverine puts 2 wounds on Destiny
Initiative: Avengers
R7T1(Player): Destiny takes 1 wound.
R7T1(Player): Pyro destroys Wolverine.
Who won?
Destiny 5 of 6 wounds, Black Tom 3 of 5 wounds, Pyro and Mystique unwounded and a Skrull unused.
Army Test
Map: City Park
Units:
Namor (280), Bizarro (II) (260), Spider-Man (Avengers) (280), Doctor Fate (II) (370), Spells (10)
Nightwing (200), Raven (190), Starfire (210), Arsenal (190), Tempest (210), Cyborg (200)
Results:
I was boneheaded, and did the opposite of my intended play.
The intention was to have Bizarro and Spider-Man soften everyone up and take a beating, send in Namor to take over once Bizarro fell, with Doctor Fate ensuring that I lost initiative for a double dose of Arrogant Avenger and Bizarro Am Number 1 + Avenging Team-Up, and helping Namor land successful Imperius Rex rolls until Fate comes in to clean up.
Instead, I basically fed Namor to the Titans, and he was destroyed R1T3.
I expected to lose after that, but Bizarro was tanking freakishly well, setting up Fate for cleanup, who came in with a miraculous Lightning Bolt that destroyed Nightwing right when I needed it.
The Namor team basically won because R2, R3, R5 and R6 were all rounds where I destroyed the figure with the Titans’ next Order Marker/s.
So despite Namor not factoring into the game much at all, the results are proof that the army works well, and would work even better when played correctly.
Should note that we later realized Arsenal missed many opportunities to use Cover Fire.
I would consider this game extremely close, and could easily have gone the other way.
Spoiler Alert!
THOUGHTS ON THE TESTED UNIT'S COST, BALANCE, & DRAFTABILITY:
So cool when a figure can inspire interesting drafts via unique mechanics, like Arrogant Avenger did in the Doctor Fate/Bizarro build. Both test armies are ones I will play again, and I can’t wait to try him in the Illuminati, with other Mutant leaders, and with fellow sea folk.
Balance wise, he seems well costed. Not overpowering, and not as straightforward as Wolverine (I) (280), but he maximizes easily in thematic builds, and pays off. He’ll be a great early pull in tourneys and leagues because of all the directions you can go with him.
GENERAL THOUGHTS ON THE TESTED UNIT:
He rules!