Welcome to the another iteration of Generic Reviews.

Generic Reviews covers those figures played en masse, the generic.

Click "Full Story" to read more about the various generic versions of Ultron.

This week, I'll be taking a look at the various generic options for Ultron Drones, of which there are a few.




This Ultron Drone has one special power:

MINION: ULTRON'S SHELL: When a friendly character named Hank Pym or Ultron is within 8 squares, Ultron Drone can be given a move action as a free action, but modifies its speed value by -2.

Unfortunately, this dial simply hasn't held up with time. The only way I'd see myself using it is with this Ultron that can generate them. Otherwise, I don't see them having much use, especially compared to other Ultrons at the same cost.







These Ultron Drones, from the Age of Ultron movie set, have quite a bit going on, with three s and a special power:

HIDDEN PROGRAMMING: Once per game, when a friendly character named Ultron Sentry is KO'd by an opposing character, you may roll a d6 that can't be rerolled. Increase the result by 1 for each character named Ultron Mk 1 or Ultron Prime that began the game on your force. Based on the result, place in your starting area:
3 - 4, place AAOU #007 Ultron Sentry on its starting line;
5, place AAOU #012 Ultron Mk 1 on its yellow starting line;
6, place AAOU #012 Ultron Mk 1 on its blue starting line.

This trait can randomly (or less randomly if you build around it) allow you to add more Ultrons to your force when one of these Sentries is KO'd. I'm not a big fan of paying for either of the Ultron Mk 1's point values, but I'd take one for free if I rolled for it. For reference, here are those dials:




COMBINED EFFORTS: Modify Ultron Sentry's attack value by +1 for each adjacent friendly character named Ultron Sentry. Modify Ultron Sentry's damage value by +1 for each 2 adjacent friendly characters named Ultron Sentry.

This rewards the player for using these Ultron Sentrys in big numbers. The more you have, the more their stats stack. Unfortunately, their range numbers are not the greatest, but there are definitely ways around that, such as the S.H.I.E.L.D. ID cards, to give multiple characters the S.H.I.E.L.D. team ability to up ranges. Between the Enhancement and trait, the numbers can get very scary, very quickly.


CONSISTENT PROGRAMMING: When using the Carry ability, Ultron Sentry may carry any number of adjacent friendly characters named Ultron Sentry regardless of their combat symbols.

This power will allow the Ultron Sentrys to swarm decently, although the current carry rules will hurt if you want to carry multiple other Sentrys. Still, the ability to carry can be mitigated in certain ways, such as using game effects to give Sidestep, such as possession by Brainiac.


THERE'S NO END IN SIGHT!: Once per turn, for all characters with this power, give Ultron Sentry a double power action. Place AAOU #007 Ultron Sentry from outside the game in an adjacent square on click number 3.

Finally, this special power will allow your Ultron Sentry swarm to swarm even swarmier. With the current Regeneration rules, there's a 50/50 chance that the Ultron Sentry you bring in will heal to its top click after being generated. Or, if there are enough adjacent Ultron Sentys, it can just attack, possibly from a better position than the Ultron Sentry that generated it.

Overall, I quite like the Ultron Sentry, with the ability to create a frightening swarm that also helps the rest of the team by carrying and using many Enhancements.





CHARGING TO POWER LEVEL 5: At the beginning of your turn, you may place a Level token on this card, maximum 5. Give Ultron Drone a power action and remove all Level tokens from this card and make a ranged combat attack. Ultron Drone's damage value becomes equal to the number of tokens removed and is locked.

This can make the Ultron Drone into an incredible threat, if played right. Either that, or your opponent will rush it in fear, leaving the rest of your force to do what it needs to.


BASIC PROGRAMMING: When Ultron Drone has no action tokens, its actions don't count against your action total. When Ultron Drone begins or ends a non-free action adjacent to a friendly character whose name includes Ultron, it can use Willpower that action.

This trait is common to all the Drones in the Age of Ultron Organized Play set. It will allow your swarm of Ultrons to work better, with actions not counting, as well as some Willpower for later.


This is a decent Drone, and having to carry sets it apart, while a push gives it yet another Enhancement for the Ultrons, who already have access to quite a bit of it as is.





BASIC PROGRAMMING: When Ultron Drone has no action tokens, its actions don't count against your action total. When Ultron Drone begins or ends a non-free action adjacent to a friendly character whose name includes Ultron, it can use Willpower that action.

ROBOTIC SWARM: Ultron Drone can use Sidestep and Plasticity. When Ultron Drone uses Sidestep, he can use it normally or with a locked speed value equal to the number of adjacent friendly characters that include Ultron in their name.

This special power will allow these Ultron Drones to be annoying tie-up, as well as potentially get some very big Sidesteps, on a swarmy Ultron team. Their consistent stats and Exploit Weakness mean that they are never not a threat, although they really need to get a huge Sidestep to get anywhere effectively.





DRONE HIJACK: A themed team may include Ultron Spider-Drone and is still a themed team if it includes a character whose name includes Spider-Man.

This will allow the Ultron Spider-Drone to get on all sorts of teams. Literally any team, if you use the Serpent Spider-Man bystander!


wkM17-B001 Serpent Spider-Man
Team: No Affiliation
Range: 0
Points: 15
Keywords: Animal

10 11 18 2

: Serpent Spider-Man can use Blades/Claws/Fangs and has Improved Movement: Ignores Hindering Terrain.

BASIC PROGRAMMING: When Ultron Spider-Drone has no action tokens, its actions don't count against your action total. When Ultron Drone begins or ends a non-free action adjacent to a friendly character whose name includes Ultron, it can use Willpower that action.

Like the other Drones, the Basic Programming trait will make for a more effective swarm.


I've made two teams with the Ultrons this week.

Force Build 9071834 0
Set	#	Name	Team	Pts	Value
AAOU	007	Ultron Sentry		40	$5.00
SMWW	063P	Brainiac		25	SELL
AAOU	007	Ultron Sentry		40	$5.00
WOL	060P	Black Hand		25	SELL
AAOU	007	Ultron Sentry		40	$5.00
AAOU	007	Ultron Sentry		40	$5.00
AAOU	007	Ultron Sentry		40	$5.00
AAOU	007	Ultron Sentry		40	$5.00
NFAOS	NFID-008	S.H.I.E.L.D. Level 1		5	SELL
NFAOS	NFID-008	S.H.I.E.L.D. Level 1		5	SELL
Force Total:				300	$30.00

This team is solely focused on swarming with the Ultron Sentrys. The one with Brainiac will choose Sidestep and then carry the rest, for a total of 6 movement (7-3 for carrying, plus Sidestep). The one with Black Hand will be able to use Running Shot so that there is at least some move and attack on the team. The S.H.I.E.L.D Level 1 ID cards will give out some better range values while also providing some options.

Force Build 9071834 1
Set	#	Name	Team	Pts	Value
AOU	014	Ultron Drone		50	SELL
AOU	014	Ultron Drone		50	SELL
AOU	041BD	Ultron-5 (Drone)		30	SELL
AOU	051BD	Ultron-1 (Drone)		30	SELL
AOU	054BD	Ultron-18.2 (Drone)		30	SELL
AOU	055BD	Ultron (Phalanx Drone)		30	SELL
AOU	056BD	Ultron (Age of Ultron-Drone)		30	SELL
AAOU	018	Ultron Prime		250	SELL
Force Total:				500	$0.00

This team will either have a lot of firepower from all the Enhancement, or from the charging up Ultrons. Ultron Prime will be hard to kill as well, with potentially regenerating Mastermind fodder.


That's all I have for this week. Thanks for reading, and come back in two weeks, when I'll look at two generics from the Undead set, the Grim Reaper, as well as Death!

My favorite of these is the AoU 0015 Ultron Drone. This is the most self-sufficient of the drones, capable of being a threat either at close or at range. I've found that these also require co-ordination of 2-to-3 opposing figures to KO, which is quite important when playing a swarm team.

The lower-cost AoU Alkema is a great help for the Sidestepping drones, assuming the intent of her trait translates into the 2017 PAC wording of Sidestep.

Kind of Trippy that this guy doesn’t have the ability to create Ultron drones.

I’m saddened we didn’t include any of the super rare or chase drones from age of ultron (they are generics by the definition). That age of ultron is the best thing under the sun (outwit pulsewave and flurry with 3 damage imperv 18 def). I have hunted down an even 10 of those drones and have an army of marvels favorite robot.

Thank you for the info! I like playing an Ultron team!