To answer the thread's title question: HAIL YES!

My POV: Theme teams offer onlt two BIG advantages (and a couple minor ones)

The first advantage is on "roll for MAP". The second is "ignore a BFC".

In the current AP/OP environment, map choice isn't even an issue.

The "ignore a BFC" is bigger...but in my own experience, many players don't really play BFCs anyway...and late converts to the program (because they can ignore them) often chose (IMO) pretty "wimpy" ones anyway. I think I've only seen Poor Teamwork and Deep Shadows played ONCE since July...probably because more players RELY on the game effects that those nerf.

Much of Tourney Clix is "rock paper scissors", and I happen to think that non-theme players can be REALLY successful as long as they are willing to risk playing against BFCs. I found that 150 points of Batman Allies was enough to cause 300 point teams of M&M FLOOR teams fits....just as I found a non-theme Tomar Re team was able to punish teams based on range-10 powers of Danger, High Evolutionary, etc.

In a game involving rolling dice, the answer is always going to be yes. Are they at a disadvantage? Sure. How big of one depends on how your team is built (obviously) and just what team you end up going against. Having your BFC ignored might hurt, but then you can always just pick ones that help your team rather than the ones designed to hurt your opponents. I like having the larger pool of figures to choose from when building, although I'm one of the few in my area that has used theme teams.

I am of the opinion that non-theme teams, in competative play, are no longer the way to go.

The ignoring BFC ability of theme teams is just too powerful to be overlooked now.

Yes, while a non-theme team can play BFCs that benefit them, they also run a high risk of chance at being hit with a BFC that will be completely devestating to them, such as Poor Teamwork, Armor Wars, IFF, Isolation, Deep Shadows, and Loyalty.

In a large tournament where you're playing say 5+ rounds, I would build a theme team that is largely unhurt by the BFC's I play and pack a few nasty ones just for non-theme teams or to force an opposing theme team to have a hard choice as to what BFC to ignore.

I think as we get more pieces with good keywords, theme teams will only become stronger.

Could not agree more, Esper. That's exactly how I'm going to try and roll at WWLA.

I disagree somewhat. A well-built non-themed team should never be devastated by a BFC, and should also pack its own BFCs to make an opposing themed team have to "pick its poison" when ignoring one or the other.

Just curious, but what well-built non-theme team would you consider to be have no weakness these days if a specific BFC goes through?

Poor Teamwork hurts balanced teams.
Inertial Interference Field hurts teams with move + attack powers.
Deep Shadows hurts ranged teams.
Armor Wars hurts teams with damage reducers.
Loyalty hurts Wildcard teams.
Isolation hurts teams using defense/attack sharing or Blades/Claws/Fangs.

These are just ones I've thought of off the top of my head - all of which a Theme team can ignore with impunity.

Also just to note, I think the strongest non-theme team these days that has the best chance against a plethora of theme teams is a wildcard team. With Disbanded out and Loyalty being one of the worst BFC's for you, I think this is your best chance.

At least that's what I would play if I were to build a non-theme team.

No single one of those will truly cripple a well-balanced team, and only one will ever be in effect in a given one-on-one game.

I agree that only one will be in effect any given game if the non-theme team is playing none of those BFC's.

However, I'm honestly curious as to what type of balanced non-theme team you believe would be able to hold up well against all of those when its opponent is ignoring those?

Well, let's consider this team I ran the other day:

R Shazam
OotS Batman
Marvel Girl
Johnny Quick
3-pt. pog

OK. Poor Teamwork is a problem since Marvel Girl becomes a bit of deadweight. But she's only 40 points and might still work as a meat shield for the HSSers. Batman is unaffected.
Inertial Interference Field is the biggest problem for this team as it blunts Shazam's effectiveness somewhat and JQ's a lot. But using the Meteorite or Generator or Soda Machine keep Shazam potent, and JQ still has utility as PC -- if he's not going to make as many attacks, he can take CSA tokens himself more often. And again, Batman is completely unaffected, while Marvel Girl's TK can mitigate the loss of move+attack.
Deep Shadows hinders the TK yo-yo and CSA LOF, but that's not a killer with good positioning. It really helps Batman, too, in most cases.
Armor Wars hurts Shazam badly if he gets hit, but his mobility is enough to keep him from being an easy target. He's also the only one who need worry about the effect, really.
Loyalty has no effect.
Isolation has no effect except one click of JQ's.

There's no question that these BFCs hurt the team, but unlike something like a LAMP team, which can't stand Poor Teamwork, none of them will cause it to crumble.

If any single BFC devastates a team then the team is not balanced nor well-built.

This team may not be utterly destroyed by a specific battlefield condition, but do you feel it's strong enough to survive against a strong Theme team who is also ignoring the BFC they hit you with in addition to them getting map choice?

Exhaustion is another BFC I would pack if I were playing a Theme team with Warbound, which gives r. Shazam fits if he can't get to his phone booth quickly.

It's certainly strong enough to survive those BFCs, and even win against them, because most theme teams, even the strong ones, will usually lack some element that non-themed teams have the flexibility to field.

For example, the Spy keyword that has yielded some strong builds in Floor lacks the mobility of my team. Teen themes are very light on Outwit.

Basically, each keyword has its weakness. Except for maybe Mutants.


Yep. That's the one feat that can put a serious crimp in his game (even with the Phone Booth, because that object deals pushing damage). Fortunately, the team still has two solid secondary attackers in Batman and Johnny Quick, and there's always your own BFC to possibly put a crimp in the themed team.

Essentially, the odds are about even between a min/maxed team and a strong themed build.

My personal philosophy.... it doesn't matter how well your team is built if you can't roll more than 3 to save your life.

What about Malice?