Hello, and welcome to Tournament Tuesdays, where I will be showcasing 300 point *Silver Age teams battling each other in a solitaire format utilizing *mini maps that have been released in various HeroClix expansions! Eight pre-built teams will duke it out in a tournament setting which will play out over a number of articles, until one champion is crowned!

I know that when I prepare for a tournament, I'm always caught between playing something competitive and something fun. I'm here to find a balance between the two and offer analysis of teams and elements that will not only be fun to run, but also hopefully be good enough to pull off a few Wins! If you're looking for a write up on the latest possession/resource/non interactive game element that can shoot at the other team three tables down, this article may not be for you. The builds that I will be presenting offer a nice mix of new and old game elements that highlight the synergy of themed teams outside of strictly Modern Age builds.

*I should emphasize these battles take place on Mini Maps that were released in the Teen Titans and Wolverine and The X-Men Expansions. This has been the quickest way for myself to playtest teams and a figure's powerset because it offers a quick run into battle and a "crash course" on what they offer. The Semifinals and Finals of the Tournament will be played on a standard size map.

*Silver Age is defined, at my venue, as all elements are legal with the exception of Feats and Battlefield Conditions. Silver Age is not an official term, so each venue's definition of Silver Age may vary.

We will cover:

A.) Keys to victory for each team.
B.) Possible substitutes for characters.
C.) What we learned from the matchup, and how we can evolve our strategy.
D.) Key maps to choose for each team when you take 'em to the weekly tourney.
E.) Possible ways to maximize efficiency of powers/traits while staying within theme.

For this "season's" tournament, I have picked these themed teams to enter:

Round 1

1.) Atlantis L 20 VICTORY POINTS
V.
2.) Apokolips W 300 VICTORY POINTS

*For a recap of this Round 1 Match click here!
http://www.hcrealms.com/forum/showthread.php?t=554285
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3.) Checkmate W 300 Victory Points
V.
4.) Justice League Elite L 227 Victory Points

* For a recap of this Round 1 Match click here!
http://www.hcrealms.com/forum/showthread.php?t=554749
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5.) Brotherhood of Mutants
V.
6.) Masters of Evil
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7.) Fantastic Four
V.
8.) Initiative

And now for tonight's main event!
I give to you the MASTERS OF EVIL!!

- Don't you just love it when a figure poops out another figure? And another figure? And another figure? And another figure? The old lady Ultron here from Chaos War was so annoying to face because of all the Drones she could summon. Her already formidable 90 pt. dial has only gotten better with the synergy she's developed with all the AoU Ultron's traits: Basic Programming. She could be giving up some points, throwing her drones into the fray, but if they buy her and her team some extra opportunities to be aggressive, it's worth giving up those 30 pts. for a win.

- Any character that can generate Barrier or Smoke Cloud as a free action gets pushed to the forefront of figs I'll play on a regular basis. Yes, he can only place one marker (when used as a free action) but it's almost as if he has a built in Matter Rearranger. The utility that he represents (especially for Masters of Evil and Thunderbolts teams) for his teams is unprecedented. An amazing taxi with a 12 speed Phasing/Teleport that could bring his dudes to the action, then offer just enough protection.

- I haven't gotten a chance to play the new Whirlwind, but I will say this: He looks like a damn fine figure if I ever saw one! This is the first incarnation of Whirlwind we've seen since Nickelback and Creed were topping the charts in 2002. Sorry I had to remind you of that, but it's really been that long. If it makes you feel better, Eminem and P. Diddy were topping the charts as well, but, ah hell, Whirlwind might've been the best thing to come out of 2002.

- If there's one thing I love more than Robots, it's Robots in robes. The Ultron-5 (Drone) can really get the most out of his 30 pts. by utilizing the MoE Team Ability. He can activate Basic Programming to give him Willpower, then push him onto his second click with the TA. He could become quite an offensive threat that will have your opponent seeing red (robes).

Masters of Evil ATA
Keywords: Masters of Evil
When a character with this team ability has one or more action tokens and attacks, damage dealt can't be reduced below 1.
4 points x 4 characters=16 points

Sideline:


- I'm rounding out my build by assigning the Masters of Evil ATA, which is like giving all my guys Precision Strike-lite. It's a great backup plan, if say, Whirlwind's Blades rolls are poor when facing a reducer or if you're facing a figure with Impervious. I'm also using two ID Cards. Perhaps one of the most useful Inspirations comes from the Wonder Man card, which will give adjacent friendlies Invincible, yes, Invincible! Simon Williams is a huge threat sporting the Charge/Super Strength/10/4 combo. For 5 points, I could bring in Simon and possibly one shot a fig. Sounds wonderful.

And for extra flavor, I'm using the SHIELD Level 7 card to bring in none other than the Quinjet! The Masters of Evil and their vile villainy have jacked the Avengers ride. From a game play perspective, the Quinjet is a great option to Call In For Help because it's one of the very few ID characters to sport Support. Really no point in taking it for a spin, so we might just see a bunch of half naked Ultrons ghost ridin' this whip today. Kinda does sound like a music video from 2002...
Total: 299
Initiative Bonus: +4

Notable Sub(s) for your Masters of Evil:
- The Masters of Evil Roundtable!! Taking the Avengers Roundtable Resource and customizing it to the MoE's needs for devious deeds is one of the many reasons why I love the Roundtable in the first place.
If you were to take out the ATA (16 points) and two ID cards (10 points) you could have a Roundtable with 4 cards in place. Go with:
Wonder Man (obvious inclusion)
SHIELD Level 7 (may be customizing my Quinjet to instead of the Avengers "A", putting Zemo's mug up there)
SHIELD Level 1 (Jacked the ride, might as well force one of the flight attendants (SHIELD Recruit) to be a meat shield *wink)
Swordsman (Why bring a sword to a gun fight? Because you've got a killer 'stache)

Masters of Evil Keys To Victory:
1.) Summon those drones. The more you'll be able to generate, the higher chance you'll have to get your other pieces an opportunity to attack. Utilizing their free move actions will be key to either blocking lines of fire or tieing up opponents.
2.) Catch the opponent off guard with Wonder Man. Knowing when to strike and who to strike could set you on a path to victory.
3.) Blackout's free Barrier and Smoke Cloud. Be in control of what your opponent can and cannot do. Block a line of fire with his 1 Barrier marker or neuter their attack value -2.
Map Choice:
Realm of Death (Galactic Guardians)

- Yeah, if you can't tell by now, this is one of my favorite maps. This was my pick for my Apokolips team and now it's going to fit for the Masters of Evil. It's great for surprising an opponent by sneaking up from around a corner or having all the walls cut off either movement or line of fire. Much of the map is clear, so it won't hinder the Ultron Drones, and Blackout's taxi ability with Phasing won't be hindered by the walls.
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And in the opposite corner, here is
The BROTHERHOOD OF MUTANTS!!


- For only 65 pts.(!), budget Mags can do a lot of things for your team and also gets the opportunity to deal a crap ton of damage by dropping bombs on opponents. IF you can get Magneto to the opponent's starting area, you can activate Capture Cape Citadel Missile Base with a power action that gives you a 50/50 chance of dealing damage to EACH opponent in the target square and adjacent to the target square (you're rolling for each). If your rolls are hot, you could be singing The Gap Band's "You Dropped A Bomb On Me" then possibly get punched in the face.

- This figure is gross. Ever since they changed the rules on Energy Explosion, GSX Pyro's stock went way up. His special damage, Pyromantic, states that all damage dealt by Pyro is penetrating damage. So with his double target EE for his first four clicks, and back end Poison, you can be assured this guy will be well worth his points to deal out some damage.

- Sadly, this guy was released just before the onslaught of Possession mechanics in War of Light, otherwise I'd say he's a perfect candidate for a Possession trait. Besides that, you're looking at a figure that in my eyes has tons of potential in a competitive environment. If Brother Voodoo and Big Bertha got busy one night, Shadow King might be the frightening outcome. I can only imagine how annoying this figure would be with Plasticity...

- Not much to say here other than Mystique's main squeeze has cheap Probability Control AND has Super Senses. The Rookie or Experienced version would have been fine as well, but this one has those powers for all four clicks.

- The Brotherhood is full of crazies, right? Let's see who we can wrap up.

- I can see a combo with one of the Brotherhood figures, can you?
Total: 295 points
Initiative Bonus: +4

Notable Sub(s) For Brotherhood Of Mutants:
- If you drop the special objects, Pyro, and Destiny, add in Toad and Avalanche. With Toad, you've got an amazing tie up piece that could work in tandem with Shadow King, supplying that Plasticity I was talking about. With Avalanche, you've got a sick Quake trait combined with Precision Strike that can do some serious damage while the opponent is tied up, which will allow Magneto to reach the opponent's starting area.



Brotherhood Of Mutants Keys To Victory:
1.) Shadow King's Mind Control in adjacency. If he's not basing an opponent, he's a sitting duck, but if he is and gets hit, he's only taking one damage, which he can probably heal back. Tie up opponents, then attack with Mind Control and watch them fall.
2.) Launch some missiles with Magneto. Like I said before, this power can decimate teams.
Map Choice:
Svartalfheim (Thor: Dark World Starter)

- We've got Magneto who needs to get to the opponent's starting area and Shadow King who's not really hindered for movement because of his Phasing/Teleport, so let's pick a map with an extended starting area and a good mix of blocking, elevated, and hindering terrain. Magneto could make it to the starting zone on his second move while Shadow King gets up in the opponent's face. Seems like a good one.
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THE BATTLE:

Brotherhood of Mutants wins initiative and chooses N.O.W.H.E.R.E. Control Room. Because this match is being played on a mini map, special objects will be placed as close to the center of the map as possible.

Beginning of game effects: Brotherhood of Mutants chooses for Pym Particles.
Round 1
BoM Turn 1:
-Pass
MoE Turn 1:
-Ultron free action, summons Ultron Drone
-Blackout free action Barrier
-Ultron-5 Sidestep
-Ultron Drone(1) free Move action
Round 2
BoM Turn 2:
-Shadow King Phasing/Teleport adjacent to Whirlwind
-Pyro Move action
-Magneto Barrier around Pyro
MoE Turn 2:
-Ultron free action, summons Ultron Drone(2)
-Whirlwind Charge/Flurry on Shadow King, first attack hits, deals 1, second attack misses, Shadow King rolls for Pure Psionic Being, heals 1 (1-1), Whirlwind activates Gustnado, rolls 3, deals knockback and 1 damage to Shadow King, Shadow King rolls for PPsB, heals 1 (2-2)
-Ultron ranged combat action on Shadow King, misses
-Blackout Phasing/Teleport, carrying Ultron-5, adjacent to Destiny
-Blackout free action Barrier
-Ultron Drone(1) free Move action
Round 3
BoM Turn 3:
-Shadow King Mind Control on Whirlwind, misses, pushes, rolls for PPsB, heals 1 (3-3)
-Magneto Move action to MoE starting area, pushes
-Magneto free action Force Blast on Whirlwind knocks back four, dealing 1
-Destiny rolls to break away from Ultron-5, fails, Prob, succeeds
MoE Turn 3:
-Ultron Drone(2) free move action, adjacent to Destiny
-Ultron Drone(2) close combat attack on Destiny, hits, Super Sense roll succeeds (1-1)
-Ultron Outwits Prob on Destiny
-Ultron ranged combat attack on Shadow King, misses
-Blackout free action Smoke Cloud under Pyro
-Ultron-5 sidesteps
-Ultron-5 ranged combat attack on Pyro, misses
Round 4
BoM Turn 4:
-Pass and clear
MoE Turn 4:
-Whirlwind roll to break away for Sidestep, fails
-Ultron-5 ranged combat attack on Pyro, misses, TTP 1 from Blackout, misses
-Ultron Outwits Super Senses on Destiny
-Ultron Drone(2) close combat attack on Destiny, hits, Prob, hits, deals 2, Ultron Drone(2) pushes
-Ultron Drone(1) ranged combat attack on Destiny, hits, deals 2, KOs Destiny
MoE 29, BoM 0
Round 5
BoM Turn 5:
-Magneto power action, Launches Missile, chooses Blackout's square, rolls for Blackout, misses (0-1), rolls for Ultron-5, misses (0-2)
-Pyro Energy Explosion on Ultron-5, hits, TTP 2 from Ultron-5, hits, deals 2 to Ultron-5 and 2 to Blackout, KOs Ultron-5
-Shadow King Phasing/Teleport adjacent to Ultron
MoE Turn 5:
-Ultron calls in Wonder Man for help
-Wonder Man Charges, picking up Cow Heavy Object on Magneto, hits, TTP 1 from Pyro, hits, TTP 2 from Magneto, hits, deals 6 to Magneto, KOs Magneto
-Ultron Drone(1) free move action
-Ultron Drone(2) free move action
-Whirlwind Sidesteps adjacent to Shadow King
-Whirlwind Close Combat Expert on Shadow King (+2 attack), hits, deals 1, Shadow King PPsB, heals 1 (3-3)

MoE 94, BoM 39
Round 6
BoM Turn 6:
-Shadow King Mind Control on Ultron, misses, pushes, PPsB, heals 1 (4-4)
MoE Turn 6:
-Ultron Drone(2) free move action, adjacent to Pyro
-Ultron Drone(1) free move action, adjacent to Pyro
-Ultron Drone(1) close combat attack on Pyro, misses
-Ultron Drone(2) close combat attack on Pyro, misses
-Blackout ranged combat attack on Pyro, misses
-Blackout free action Smoke Cloud under Pyro
Round 7
BoM Turn 7:
-Pyro close combat attack on Ultron Drone(2), misses
MoE Turn 7:
-Ultron free action, summons Ultron Drone(3)
-Ultron rolls to break away from Shadow King, succeeds
-Ultron Drone(2) close combat attack on Pyro, misses
-Ultron Drone(1) close combat attack on Pyro, hits, pushes, deals 2 to Pyro
-Blackout free action Smoke Cloud under Pyro's square
Round 8
BoM Turn 8:
-Shadow King Mind Control on Whirlwind, hits, moves Whirlwind adjacent to Ultron, close combat expert on Ultron +2 damage, crit hit, TTP 3 from Ultron, misses
MoE Turn 8:
-Blackout ranged combat attack on Pyro, hits, deals 3, KOs Pyro
-Whirlwind Sidesteps
-Ultron Drone(3) free move action adjacent to Shadow King
-Ultron Drone(3) close combat attack on Shadow King, hits, deals 1, knockback 1 square, roll for PPsB, fail (4-5)

MoE 168, BoM 39
Round 9
BoM Turn 9:
-Shadow King Phasing/Teleport, adjacent to Ultron and Whirlwind, pushes, PPsB, heals 1 (5-6)
-Shadow King Perplexes up own Defense
MoE Turn 9:
-Whirlwind CCE +2 attack on Shadow King, hits, deals 1, rolls for PPsB, fails, (5-7)
-Whirlwind activates Gustnado, rolls 5, knocking back Shadow King
-Ultron free action, summons Ultron Drone(4)
-Ultron Drone(4) free move action
-Ultron ranged combat attack on Shadow King, hits, deals 3
-Ultron Drone(4) ranged combat attack on Shadow King, misses

Round 10
BoM Turn 10:
-Shadow King Perplexes up Defense
MoE Turn 10:
-Ultron ranged attack on Shadow King, hits, TTP 3 from Shadow King, misses
-Ultron Drone(4) ranged attack on Shadow King, misses, pushes
-Ultron Drone(1) ranged attack on Shadow King, HITS! (8 on a 19), deals 2
-Ultron Drone(2) free move action, adjacent to Shadow King
Round 11
BoM Turn 11:
-Shadow King close combat attack on Ultron Drone(2), misses
MoE Turn 11:
-Ultron Drone(2) free move action, breaks away
-Ultron Drone(2) ranged attack on Shadow King, CRIT HIT, deals 3, KOs Shadow King

MoE 295, BoM 39 MASTERS OF EVIL WIN

Playing With Statistics
- In a testament to how well MoE controlled the board and further proof of how much your dice rolls really do play a factor, BoM only hit 2 out of 7 attacks and Magneto missed both Missile launches. MoE on the other hand landed 12 out of 23 attacks, mostly due to more characters being able to attack. BoM attacked 5 out of 11 turns, whereas MoE attacked 10 out of 11 turns.

What We Learned:
1.) The Ultron Drones, which came from outside the game, are what I like to call "Free Backup." Any character that is generated by another character adds an extra factor to the game, that will change your opponents strategy. Characters like Fantomex, Warstar, Imperial Hydra, etc. all have an amazing effect on every match, simply because their presence is felt all over the map. It's hard for an opponent to plan for it.
If you look at how aggressive MoE was, it was all because of the Drones. They did the heavy lifting and out actioned BoM.
2.) My plan was for Shadow King to pick up the Pym Particles to become a Giant, that way he could Mind Control out of adjacency. It would've been nice, but it also meant he could've been pinged from just about anywhere, so I passed on it.
3.) Wonder Man @ 65 further solidifies his spot as one of the best ID Characters. He did exactly what I thought he would do as he smacked Magneto for 6 and got the KO.

Thanks for checking out this battle of bad guys, as I had a lot of fun trying these out. After testing these out, I'm gonna actually play Masters of Evil teams more often!
Tune in next time, in two weeks, for the final Round 1 matchup, and final mini map appearance, as we'll see the Fantastic Four take on Initiative.
Which iteration of the FF will show up? How many Initiative pieces from Avengers Assemble will I use, if any??

Find out, next time, on Tournament Tuesdays! In the meantime, burn your Nickelback, Creed, and any other album from 2002.

Nice write-up!

I thought Shadow King might be able to hold his own, but this was a perfect example of a Swarm overwhelming an outnumbered foe!

I like to show these battle logs to my friends so they understand that missing attacks is part of the game too.

Great writeup and interesting read! Thanks for the details and analysis.

Ok the problem with he Brotherhood of mutants team is that no one deals enough damage and you don`t sport any move and attack, but you don`t use magnetos TK on that second turn. No one has willpower but you don`t use the ATA.

This is for me where you lost the game.

Round 2
BoM Turn 2:
-Shadow King Phasing/Teleport adjacent to Whirlwind
-Pyro Move action
-Magneto Barrier around Pyro

Consider this alternative:

BoM Turn 2:
--Magneto Barrier TK´s Pyro to a square whithin range, where he can get LOF to at least two foes
Move Destiny for LOF on Pyro
-Pyro Attacks with EE dealing two to everyone supported by Destiny´s PC
-Shadow King Phasing/Teleport adjacent to Whirlwindand tries to base as many opposing characters as possible

If this attack hits, everyone should be on click 3 or 4 (CH), now ultron doesn't have outwit, ultron-5 drone is dead, blackout has a 9 AV, whirlwind is still crazy dangerous but has a 17 DV.

It's a big bet, but i belive the payoff is worth it.

If not to your liking TK Shadow King and mind Control Whirldwind

Best regards

Well it's a good thing I playtested, huh? Yeah, just looked that up and you're correct.

That is incorrect.

http://www.wizkidseventsystem.com/bb...=wonder#p19161

Thank you for this match up, these are two of my favorite teams for marvel and I have used them tons of times. I was definitely leaning towards the masters when I saw the team line ups. The drone generation is truly deadly! Many people that I have used them against have called my teams borderline broken hehehe.