"Another bolt at Binary should take her down a peg or two," Storm began.

"Ororo, I'm useless here," the former White Queen of the Hellfire Club complained.

Storm was a bit annoyed at Emma's presumption, but Xavier confirmed her idea. "She's right," he thought, "we must work as a team and we cannot be effective as one if one of our strongest members cannot reach any of our foes."

"Very well, professor," she thought back, summoning a wind to carry herself and Emma Frost over the pond. "I just hope that we do not regret leaving as dangerous an enemy as Carol free to act."

Meanwhile the Beast began to follow after the Scarlet Witch, but seeing that Storm and the White Queen were handling her, he veered off to find a new target or two.

"Hawkeye, you're looking well. And this must be young Justice. I don't believe we've been formally introduced. I'm Hank McCoy, the Beast. An erstwhile Avenger myself, which makes this whole brouhaha rather regrettable."

Vision grabs lo at G14 and attacks White Queen (the whole object thing still confuses me but since I know we've picked up objects while moving I don't see why this will be a problem). Needs 7, rolls 7. 4 to Emma minus 2=2.

Binary attacks Storm. Needs 9, rolls 3. Scarlet Witch reroll is 5.

Hawkeye will push using free Avengers move to attack Storm. Needs 6, rolls 9. 2 to Ororo.

Moondragon to E11.

Poof. Cap appears at A14. Moves to E16.

E16@ Captain America
E11@ Moondragon
F13 Justice
G13@ Vision
G12 Scarlet Witch
I17@ (4) Binary
F4@@ (1) Hawkeye

HO D12, E13

Some fun and interesting statistics there. Though the counts are a little skewed by the whole team tournament thing we've got going on. I doubt Ultimate Thor would have been as high on your list had you not been in a position where you were required to play an Ultimates team so often, for example. This could account for a lot of the recurring figures, to some degree. I'm surprised Vulture was as high on my list, except again, I've played the Syndicate in every round of the tournament, and Vulture's just a good cheap taxi for that team.

I hadn't realized that I'd played the Beast so much, but as a favorite character, I guess he slips in frequently. Grodd I knew I had been playing a lot. I'm surprised the Human Torch didn't show up on my list. I feel like I play him quite a bit, but perhaps it's because I use him in games against other opponents too. The Joker's another one that I would have expected to see under my most played figures too. It's funny the ones that you play more often without even realizing it.

And I won't deny that I enjoy playing the bad guys. Mwahahaha.

Captain America appears through the portal.

"Captain, finally you grace us," Moondragon sarcastically adds.

"I need a quick update, Moondragon."

"Not much to say. Let me give you a play by play mentally."

While uneasy he quickly accepts the telepathic information and views the Avengers facing the X-Men head on and doing fairly well.

"Odd mix," he says, "Right around the Morgan Le Fay debacle."

Seeing Cap arrive only stirs the already fighting hard Avengers further to victory. Cap only hopes it will last.

My list with other players adds more proof to my predictability with Taskmaster, Psylocke, Panther, Quicksilver and both Thors. I'm sure the tournament does skew things a bit but god knows I love my Thor. Hawkgirl, Raven, Deathstroke, Moon Knight and a few others would alos make my list there.

You did have Torch a few times and Joker (though once was the superior unique version) but not enough to make this very unofficial probably counted wrong list. Bottom line, you use a wider range of characters. I tend to like my Avengers, X-Men and Batman and stick closely to them.

Ah the objects thing again. See, picking up an object can only be part of a move action, and attacking is a (Close Combat) action. So you can't pick up an object and attack with it during the same turn, unless you have a power that allows you to move and still attack during the same turn (Charge or HSS). So Vision could pick up the object by declaring he's taking a move action. (Normally he'd need to roll to breakaway from White Queen to be able to do so, but with Phasing, that isn't necessary.) The next time he can declare he's taking a close combat action and bash her with it.

Hawkeye couldn't use his free move to attack, only to move. But even with Hawkeye's action you're only taking your allotted 5 actions this turn, so that's okay. However, the Beast is now basing Hawkeye, so as a grounded figure being based by another grounded figure he can't make a ranged attack, and can only attack one of the figures basing him (which in this case is just the Beast). If either Hawkeye or the Beast were a flier, then Hawkeye's move would have been legal. But since neither of them fly they can only make close combat attacks. If you pushed Justice to TK Hawkeye to an open space you could do it, and if you make Cap's move free you can still fit it in your alloted actions.

Phew.

Sorry about the objects thing. I get confused (easily) by the hows and whens of it all. Using xharge or hss makes sense with it. So basically a charge character can pick it up at the beginning or during and use it but not at the end of a turn. Someone without it picks it up before or after a turn but it's his sole action for that turn.

Missed the Beasts' move and that kind of invalidates most of what I did last time. Let me see if I can correct it a bit.

Vision will use Avengers free move and will phase to Q11.

Justice will push to attack White Queen with ho at E13. Needs 9, rolls 12. Yeah!!!! This will make up for that other crappy game I'm playing. So 3 to Emma after invulerability plus knock back to J12.


Binary's move is still valid so it's unchanged.

Moondragon's move is valid.

Cap's move is valid.

E16@ Captain America
E11@ Moondragon
F13@ (1) Justice
Q11@ Vision
G12 Scarlet Witch
I17@ (4) Binary
F4 Hawkeye

HO D12; LO G14

A flier or HSS character could pick it up at the end of their move as they become adjacent to the figure they're going to attack, since they're not required to stop when they become adjacent to a figure, but for a grounded Charger, yes that's it exactly.

They pick it up as part pf a move action. so you could move a figure from D20 to I20 and pick up an object that's in F20 on the way. But even if the object is next to you and you don't plan on actually moving anywhere, you still need to declare a move action to grab it (and make a breakaway roll before you are able to do so, if applicable).

And the default damage for a TK'd HO is the same as throwing it, 3. Adding 1 for the crit, White Queen should take 4 -2 for Invulnerable, so 2 total.


White Queen moves to G13

Beast attacks Justice. AV8 on DV14, needs a 6. Gets 7. 2 to Justice.

Professor X tries his MC on Binary. Again. AV8 on DV14 +1 for hindering. Needs a 7. Rolls a 9. He'll have Binary attack Vision. AV8 on DV17, need another one of those 9s. Ooh, so close. Rolled an 8.

Logan to F17

V Beast @ E14 (3 clicks)
V Jean Grey R16 (1 click)
V Cyclops S17 (4 clicks)
U Professor Xavier @ Q18 (3 clicks)
V White Queen @ G13 (3 clicks)
E Logan @ F17
V Storm I14

And hey, I just realized White Queen's gained Outwit. If it's not too late, I'll have her Outwit Binary's RCE.

The White Queen emerged from the pond, dripping wet and angry. For one thing, her furs were almost certainly ruined now. She made for Justice.

"You'll pay for that humiliation, whelp," she growled.

"Ulp," Justice said, followed by an "Ungh!" as the Beast's feet connected.

"Lesson one, Justice," Beast explained. "Never let yourself be distracted from an opponent, even if it menas dividing your attention between two foes."

Xavier tried once again to influence Binary to attack the Vision, but the Vision saw the attack coming and desolidified. Binary's blast passed harmlessly through him.

Captain America meanwhile turned to the bushes next to him.
"Nice try, Wolverine, but when you've got as much experience as I do, sneaking up on me is next to impossible."

"All right then, Cap," Logan conceded. "You've got my number. But even without the advantage of surprise, I got a feeling I'm a match for you. Care to try your shield agains t my claws?"

"I'll bet on my shield any day, mister."

Cap attacks Logan. Needs 6, rolls 8 (2 4s). Whoopee! Logan takes a click plus is knocked back to G18.

Scarlet Witch rolls to break away. Rolls 2. Reroll is 5. Moves to H8.

Vision will push to attack Jean Grey. Needs 8 (with hindering). Rolls 4.

Hawkeye rolls to attack Beast and Storm. Needs 8 for either and rolls 11. 2 to Beast (1 total after toughness) and 1 to Storm.

Captain America @E16
Scarlet Witch @H8
Moondragon E11
Vision (1) @Q11
Justice (3) @F13
Binary (4) I17
Hawkeye @F4

"Yipee!" yells Hawkeye cutting loose fireball arrows upon the nearby Beast and Storm. Beast gets a bit singed but Ororo tries to douse the arrow with winds only to have it explode upon contact. Hawkeye laughs heartily.

Captain America does a surprise hit on Logan, knocking his back into the bushes. "Good moves, Captain," Logan says, "Not enough but good."

Jean Grey contructs a telekinetic shield to deflect the Visions attack upon her.

"That solar attack weakened my battery," said the Vision, "I will need to pause for it to replenish itself."

Ouch. Time for some real X-Men teamwork.

Cyclops takes the one click of daamge off of Jean.

Jean, who now has Support again, attempts to heal Cyclops. AV7 on DV11. Rolls a 7. Support roll is 1. Well at least Jean got healed for essentially nothing.

White Queen Outwits Scarlet Witch's PC.

Storm will attack Scarlet Witch. AV8 against DV15 +1, needs an 8. Gets a 7. Oh so close.

Beast will attack Hawkeye. AV7 on DV15. He needs an 8, too. Gets 4.

Not much of a turn there for me. All you need to do is hit Jean and you're clear to run for the exit. I still need to tag Hawkeye, Cap, Vision, Moondragon and Scarlet Witch. I may be winning the villains game, but despite my head start on this level, it's looking like this game may well be yours soon. Still, Jean's got 18DV against range (19 considering all the hindering terrain she's hiding among) so hitting her isn't going to be a walk in the park either.

V Beast @ E14 (3 clicks)
V Jean Grey R16 (1 click)
V Cyclops S17 (4 clicks)
U Professor Xavier @ Q18 (3 clicks)
V White Queen @ G13 (3 clicks)
E Logan @ F17
V Storm I14

Amid all the energy blasts, Scott and Jean were attempting to do some basic first aid on each other. Cyclops had barely administered some painkillers before the Vision's too close for comfort attack.

"Guess this isn't the time for this," Jean suggested.

"Maybe not..." Cyclops agreed.

Storm attempted to call down the lightning on the Scarlet Witch. "You should have learned during your days with Magneto the folly of challenging the X-Men."

Improbably the lightning struck in a ring all around the Scarlet Witch, leaving her unscathed. "I'd ask that you not bring up those days," she said. "I've put them well behind me."

The Beast tried to deliver a punch to Hawkeye, but the archer used his bow as a staff, blocking all the Beast's attempts.

"I must say, you're really improving in the hand-to-hand game," the Beast complimented him.

"Thanks. When you have Captain America as a sparring partner, you learn to block a punch or you're really sore for several days afterwards."

I seem to have better luck when playing the good guys, dunno why.

You didn't show Cap's damage to Logan in the recap, btw.

Moondragon will take ho from D12 and attack White Queen. Needs 6, rolls 9. Two more to White Queen.

Justice will attack Emma with lo under Beast in F14. Needs 9,rolls 8. Scarlet Witch reroll is also 8.

Binary will attack White Queen. Needs 7, rolls 6.

Cap will move to D9.

Captain America @ED9
Scarlet Witch
Moondragon@ E11
Vision (1) Q11
Justice (3) @F13
Binary (4) @I17
Hawkeye F4