In one reply I said that 4 could be seen as approaching broken on higher cost figures, but the commons review defines it officially as:
"An outstanding dial for the cost or effectiveness it brings, a great figure to have on your team or to build a team around!"

Build a team around is how I rank a high-priced 4 shield figure. If I would pull this guy and think, "I could support this guy to a 3-0", I'm building my team on his backbone and he's deserving of that 4.

Gorr is insanely good at the opposite of everyone in this set. He gets next to an opponent, disabling their Psychic Blast (which most tentpoles this time around rely on). He has an insanely high attack value to guarantee a hit. He has Exploit Weakness to bypass all but Impervious, and when he does it's for 5 damage (when most figures only have 7 total). All you're burdened with doing for him is getting him to their biggest hitter safely. With 130 left to work with, I don't feel that's an unreasonable burden.

You may not feel comfortable using a close combat brick in a set full of ranged tanks- a lot of players don't- but he is a monster who makes most other pieces look fragile.

Oh look, Department H escaped again. Why hasn't security been increased yet?


I'd say the real thing holding Black Bolt back is his opening 3 damage with no natural way to get it to 4. 10/4 and 11/4 both appear a surprising amount in this set on figures that cost less, and in a lot of cases still have PPB or even PW. For a 150 point figure to eschew enhancement and require outside perplex to even be able to hit 4 damage top dial REALLY holds him back compared to the competition. Getting that value when his defense drops off (16 into 15, Tough into ESD) is, to quote you, "high risk, moderate reward". It just hurts all the more that you're almost never really USING that nine range with two-bolts, since you're trying to get into that 5 (or perplex DOWN your own range to 8 so the AoE becomes 4) for the money shot that...isn't so money. I've seen Blackbolt pay off in Sealed, but it took a lot of work by a stellar player who got lucky on his pulls in the support department. I'd honestly put him at 1-shield with an asterisk like you did for Collector (worth more in 400, extremely pull dependent).


Also glad you came around on Maximus. "Recommended for the bold!" is spot on. Sometimes that Outwit will be glorious, and other times you'll be that guy who immediately loses it by only rolling 1s, but no matter what that Sidestep/TK/Barrier is money, honey, and the mid-dial MC and ending Pulsewave will catch the unwary.


Great assessments of the multiple starting lines!


The thing that makes Gorr nuts is when you still have room for a TKer...or two...that also run interference with him. Yes, his top can be fragile, but a smart player isn't going to let you GET to Gorr first. If nothing else, they will straight out full-move Gorr to prevent PPB, and I've watched that win games for the Gorr player. Or better still, move up interference to tie-up, move Gorr into Charge range but positioned to prevent ranged attacks on him even if the other piece uses Running shot...which is not unreasonably to expect on the Guardians map. I've also seen sacrificing the tie-up to Pulsewave just so Gorr gets his licks in work too.

Sphinx teams won all three of our sealed GotG events, three different players too. Its surprisingly easy to get on the "good" click. And even if your opponent sets up the perfect string of attacks to hit you past it, all it takes is one Shape Change roll to ruin it for you, or if you hit him one click short watch him ignore indom and push onto it.

I'm seeing your point but is there enough i this set to protect thay fragile of a piece? I no qualms running a brick in this set...Inhave qualms about them going down so fast.

And with the base logic couldn't that go for any PWer as well? With that logiv why not Sphinx he can take a hit better and Snapback to his loop marker. 110 is still a lot to work with. Similar to Gorr except he nix and has buily in incentive not to hit him too hard and if you don't Sphinx can punish you for it.

What happens if I outwit Gorr and unload 4 damage +heavy from like Capt. Marvel (7 with a prob). Where is Gorr at. Godbomb wit no mobility

A big close combatant trumps a big ranged combatant, because when Gorr is doing his thing it stops his target from doing theirs. That's not true when it's two rangers fighting each other.

At this point I don't understand what point you're arguing or why you're so vehemently against Gorr's high score.

Maybe I did just have good luck that night, but I thought Deathurge was great when i used him in sealed. Strong chance to hit first, very annoying (and intimidating) defense power. And changing from a HSS piece to a BCF piece mid dial was definitely a nasty surprise for people who didn't know him so well. I understand there's a risk factor to him, but he's worth more than one shield.

As always, thanks for posting these!

I'd run that Thanos on his own in a 300pt sealed. He would be tough to take down.

What makes a Pw'er like Sphinx any different?

Sphinx could base an opponent, depriving them of Psychic Blast, and Pulse Wave like a mad man. But he doesn't prefer or excel at that strategy. Also, you are at the mercy of opposing placement- they choose who you target, and therefore control his damage output.

AH but here's comes the best part: when Sphinx takes a hit...he has Regen end dial as well as Shape Change.

WHen Gorr takes a hit...waht does he have?

IF you pull An ISAAC or Mantis...sure you have some options...but otherwise...no.

When SPhinx Takes a hit when he's across teh board is he stuck there?
No he ports back to his Time Loop and has a SAFE place to regen. Or his Medic

When Gorr Takes a hit and wants to go back to his medic what does he have to do? Well if he's based...he has to break away. And even then he's stuck hoofing it.



And I'm not mad. I'm discussing. Presenting my case as to why, even despite the 20 point point difference Sphinx is Superior.


Gorr has a glass jaw.

Also I'm glad you thought to charge someone diagnolly and use the barrier as well...it's good to see we are of like minds in some aspects.



That said I'd like to propose that characters like Maximus have a sliding scale of effectiveness.

Like if he's with at least one
Inhuman he's
If he's with an Inhuman that relies on placement or 'getting them out'(Black Bolt, Gorgon)

If he's the former one but also you managed to pull an Alpha Primitive
and a half.

Seriously all the difference that little guy makes for Maximus.

HE can get pooped out have his attack up to an 11 and pick up a heavy ans wing for 5...after a free move action of four squares.

I only get 100 symbols per post. This thing would get very long if I examined every angle like that. Besides, I'm not interested in building anyone's team for them. The intro mentions improving ratings if you pull good synergy. I assume the reder is intelligent, and will notice synergies when they pull them. Hopefully people don't take these ratings so seriously as to throw out any figure rated at 2 or below.

Sphinx vs. Gorr really comes down to this: Gorr is front-loading the kind of stats that Sphinx is taking a hit to get. He isn't using actions to Regen; instead, he's keeping the pressure on. He is a rare close combatant in this set, and no one will want to see him move adjacent (whereas Sphinx moving into range doesn't ruin anyone's ability to play their figures as they want). At 170, you have room left for Starhawk or Aleta, or 2 supporting figures, while Sphinx at 190 leaves room for only 110 points in allies. Sphinx is the expensive version of a combo we see a lot in this set. Gorr is like nothing else in the set. Gorr gets past defenses with 5 damage. Sphinx only does his full damage if there's just 1 target in range. If Gorr fought Sphinx, he'd put him right past his great middle clicks.

A 3 shield rating is NOT a bad rating.

I Know but like I said: Discussion!!!

OH ok the bolded part I finally get.

That's always been the power of close combat, even when this game was heavily slanted in the direction of range: removing options, dictating play.

yeah the incredibly difficult task is 'delivering the package'. That's why I agree that If Ipull Aleta I'd prolly run themtogether as a twosome...

I would rate the 100 pt thanosi a shield higher for the trait alone. Yeah, those flyers/giants/IM figs? Have to stop in hindering, edge of elevated, water.......it really wrecks strategy