The Book of Thanos (Infinity Quest)

[IAmBatman]

Looks like he obtains the Soul Gem first

in the comics

in the comics

.

[Lazy Orang]

Well... that's awkward... Hmm, how do we work this?

[IAmBatman]

Soul Gem is an odd one to start with mechanically. But it might be the weakest one for him to start with.

In the comics, though, it seems like he forcibly takes all of them. So maybe have him just start with the gauntlet and none of the gems?

[Yodaking]

I think it would help speed up game play and make more sense thematically if he started with one gem already. The heroes assemble to stop him from completing his quest of collecting all 6 only after they find out he has started down that path by having already collected the first of 6.

[Spidey'tilIDie]

In the comics, he is entrusted with the Reality Gem after Warlock gives one each to Thanos, Pip, Drax, Moondragon, and Gamora. Warlock kept the Soul Gem himself.

[IAmBatman]

Originally Posted by Spidey'tilIDie

In the comics, he is entrusted with the Reality Gem after Warlock gives one each to Thanos, Pip, Drax, Moondragon, and Gamora. Warlock kept the Soul Gem himself.

I trust you over the Wiki summary. I thought that he got the Reality Gem from Collector, though? I might've misunderstood what I read, though. Reality Gem would be a reasonable one for him to start with in terms of game balance, though.

[johnny139]

Different occasion - Warlock hands out the gems well after the whole Infinity Gauntlet debacle, when Thanos is... vaguely on the side of the angels. Doesn't quite line up with the story we're telling here, but it's workable.

If we're concerned about Thanos getting to choose which Glyph he gets, why not have something like this, using the Glyph Pool from Scientist Supreme?

INFINITY QUEST
At the start of the game, after all other figures and Glyphs have been placed, place up to six different Glyphs of Infinity that are not in play into a Glyph Pool face-down and set them aside. Then, each player, starting with the player to your right places a Glyph from Thanos's Pool on any empty space on the battlefield at random. Repeat this process until there are no Glyphs remaining in Thanos's Pool. At the start of each new round, if there is a Glyph in the Thanos's Pool, the player who wins the initiative must, if possible, place one on any empty space on the battlefield. Glyphs cannot be placed within 3 spaces of any other figure or another Glyph of Infinity.

Is the randomness too much, though? Because then Thanos still has a CHANCE of getting one of the really useful gems off first...

[Yodaking]

I think he has collected the Gems more than once, that story about Adam entrusting Thanos with one of the Gems sounds like it would have happened later on to me because none of those people had the Gems in the story I read. The one I read he went around taking out each person who had the gems. The power gem was held by some random dude who was already really strong physically and used the power gem to make him self even stronger in combat, Thanos defeated him in combat and I'm pretty sure that was the first one he collected. The Collector had I believe the Mind Gem and he had to beat him in this game of chess that took place inside their minds, that was maybe the 4th or 5th Gem I think. It's been a while since I read it, it was fairly short as it never took him very long to locate and collect each one, and I only read it once. I know it was when I had the Marvel Unlimited deal though so it should still be available online for anyone who has Marvel Unlimited.

[Yodaking]

Random could be fun, but I feel it would require 6 tests where he starts with each gem once to see if it's properly balanced. I haven't used the Gems very much so I'm not super familiar with what each one can do for him. Ronin pointing out that the Space Gem would let him instantly collect the 2nd Gem when he won initiative was not anything I had ever considered. I kind of liked the idea of the opponent having some control over the order he might collect the gems in by deciding which gem they started the game with. You could take the one gem you really didn't want him to get right away when you had a team with some defensive powers, but then you risk the Thanos player getting past that defense for a wound in the first round and getting it right away instead. Makes for some interesting decisions made by both players in which Gem to place on the board when they get the chance too.

[Lazy Orang]

I'd be happy with him having a choice of a few of the less super powerful ones to start out, say, Soul, Power and Reality (though Reality feels a bit on the verge to me in power-level and arguably less thematic to the story we're telling, so I'd almost be tempted to drop/replace that) to key into the initial comic storyline, the film and Infinity Watch respectively. We'd then just need a line to keep him from taking one that another character would use by necessity (i.e. Adam Warlock, or anyone who'd start with any of the others). I feel like this is where I'm veering right now.
Another option could be reversing the current order - all players place a Glyph on the map first (with Thanos being the last player to do so), then Thanos chooses a Glyph out of the ones still waiting to be placed to start out with. That way, you could deprive him from starting with the Space Gem so he could instantly claim another one (a little like Loki kind-of sort-of keeping it out of his hands until the first scene of Infinity War), or try to keep him away from any other Gems that particularly scare you. I'm now starting the veer towards this one now I talk about it.

[IAmBatman]

To me it’s both cleanest and most thematic (from the original story) to have him start with none. Saves on wording and mechanical complexity as well.

[Yodaking]

Having your opponent(s) choose first and Thanos start last seems like a good workable idea. If you have 5 opponents plus Adam Warlock on another team he would actually start with none of them.