First let me say that I don't like generic keywords getting Keyword Theme Team Bonuses, at all. They don't fulfill the intended original function of the keyword rules (representing characters who work well together), and instead become another way-too-open mechanic that support a more min-max playstyle.

HOWEVER, if there is a generic keyword that actually makes sense, it's Mutant for Marvel. The Marvel mutants work together all the time (even the bad ones with the good ones), and share a common sense that they're being oppressed by their society, which encourages them to look out for one another in battle (which is what Theme Team PC represents, IMO).

And since we are getting more and more SPs, ATAs, etc. that key off of keywords, they have grown beyond just the theme team keyword rules. They can really be used to represent attributes of a character and powers and abilities can key off that (Animal Man's Animal Template trait being a perfect example of this). Reviewed in this light, it's hard to argue against a Mutant keyword for any appropriate characters going forward. Its absence just seems...odd.

So if we have to have generic keywords, I think Mutant should be one of them. My preference would be to eliminate theme team bonuses for generic keywords altogether to re-establish some balance in the keyword mechanics, but that's a whole 'nother discussion.

Bring it back. The mutants in Marvel are always teaming up in weird ways to back each other up just because they are mutants. That alone is reason enough to be able to theme team them together.

I would have voted part from both of the bottom choices.

No. It would imbalance the game.

As long as the set Rocks!

Because I could only choose one, I have to say No.

Put me down for:

1. NO to return of mutant keyword and
2. YES to elimination of all generic keywords

Only actual comic teams should get bonuses imo

get rid of the mutie keyword. generic keywords are for people who suck and cant play a team without getting the theme team bonuses. cheese=generic keywords

This is usually the point in these threads where I pop in and say the comparisons to teens, scientists and the like don't quite match up because those keywords aren't guaranteed to have an expansion dedicated to them like clockwork every 3-4 Marvel sets. Also, I'll usually point out here that mutant didn't get nearly as out of control as it could have because they drew the line for giving out the mutant at Armor Wars. Thus, sets like Mutant Mayhem and Xplosion didn't add their considerable numbers of "mutants" to the keyword list.

Thus, my work here is done.

Not for theme teams.

It should only be there for effects. Like maybe a Leech who has a power that says "characters with the mutant keyword cannot use any powers when 4 spaces from Leech"

They might as well give Marvel a New York keyword...

It shouldn't return because the argument for Theme Team bonuses was that since said group worked together, they'd have advantages that a random group of heroes/villains wouldn't. No way that flies when you get into "teen", "scientist", "brute", "mutant", random City keywords, etc. Just because they're from the same city doesn't mean they'd work together well. And the same goes for mutants and anything else. Hell, the mutants on Utopia spend almost as much time fighting each other as they do bad guys.

If you want to build a theme team, build a theme team. Tomar Re and 2 HYDRA Technicians shouldn't count just because they're "scientists". If a person uses cheap filler characters to enhance a "major" piece, that should be a bonus in itself.

Whatever.

Generic keywords are for people who like to actually mix and match universes. I like Bronze Tiger and Ironfist fighting side by side to protect the universe.

Now I don't agree with the theme bonus of probability control and BFC cancels for generic theme teams. Having an actual nongeneric theme team should gain certain bonuses that are better than the generic ones. I don't want them to get rid of generic at all, but I don't want the bonus to be as good as an actual theme team. Map choice is perfectly good enough and I'd imagine that a generic team wouldn't have worked together enough to gain BFC cancels and Probability. They're kinda forced together so to speak.

As for the topic, yes please bring mutant back as a generic keyword. Its the only common keyword that allows certain X-characters to be together.

I said no.

Two wrongs don't make a right, and I do not like mutant any more than any other over-used generic keyword.

Leave it out, and hopefully scientist, teen, and martial artist will follow it into oblivion.

Bring the Mutants keyword back.

I voted yes, mainly because I see too many groups of clix facing me across the table with nothing in common besides they all used science before becoming super-powered beings, or they are all from the same city, or they are all between the ages of 13-19 (though, I admit to having run my fair share of 'Teen' teams, just so I can get the correct line-up of Teen Titans I'm looking for).

Mutants need to band together to save themselves from the oppression of all these other keywords that fear and hate us.

If you are going to include mutant why not meta human and any number of other generics, it is already to easy to build a generic theme team that really have no relation whatsoever to each other. I feel themes should be a bonus for playing a comic type team, not just a bonus to get from throwing a bunch of "soldiers" together who have never even been in the same book much less the same universe.
Thus it is good that mutants is out, also you don't want a set that in sealed it is harder to not make a theme team than make one, and since in a xmen set 80% would be mutants why even have the key word, whats next superhero keyword.

And what stops you from playing the two? And mixing it up?

We don't need a special rule that states you get bonuses for teaming up cross-universes or generic keywords.

Just play them if that is what you desire... but to say that it is a "theme" team is just plain ludicrous and just another of many nonsensical HeroClix rules aimed at appeasing the power gamers and munchkins.

Do away with generic keywords. They don't belong in the game.

Ditto... great minds think alike!

Let's look at two scientists... Dr. Doom and Mr. Fantastic. I think we can all agree that even if they paired up for a common goal... they wouldn't work well together. Their egos and their past would get in the way too much.

But then again... when do the HeroClix rules ever make a lick of sense?