After a long, long time of not playing the Exiles, I broke them out again yesterday. Having forgotten that I had stopped tracking their games over two years ago, I tracked this one out of habit. . . and here we go again. Just like the Exiles themselves, with their multiple volumes of series, on to the next game!

Game 84

At the local comic shop with masks in place thanks to the current disease outbreak, I challenged a friend to a 500 points game. He ran Utopia. I came in with the Exiles again after a long time of not having run them. I wanted to run them in part due to the newest additions of Miles Morales Spider-Man and Peggy Carter.

All-New Wolverine 100
Blink 86
Psylocke 84
Spider-Man 2099 80
Peggy Carter 75
Spider-Man 75 (Miles Prime)
Bookcase, Office Desk, Mailbox 0

vs.

Danger 120
Magneto 120
Colossus 100
Emma Frost 90
Hope Summers 70
Bookcase, Computer, Dumpster 0

I won map roll. We went to one of my old favorite stomping grounds: The Bank! I took the lead, going through the back rooms of the bank to set up shop inside the front counter area. With Miles and Psylocke holding steady with Stealth, Peggy offering a strong 19 Defend to the party, and Blink well-protected, I was pretty well set for a stable jump-off point.

Psylocke led off the assault, oddly, with her long range Mind Control tagging Colossus to then damage Emma Frost. With the two melee bruisers out of formation, Danger came in to test the waters with a Running Shot/Pulse Wave that eliminated Becky Barnes and injured everyone but Blink and Miguel. Danger was too close afterward, though, and she got jumped by almost the entirety of the team. Miles got the finishing blow in.

After Danger's collapse into a pile of circuits, Emma stunned Jonathan the Wolverine pog once, and Colossus came in hoping to tie up the team. A well-placed Outwit later, Jonathan ate the big Russian while pushing out: a Blades roll for 6 was enough damage.

Emma was next. Being the one real melee tank left, she had to fall into the same killbox, falling to Laura the same way Colossus fell to her pet. My Blades rolls were hot this game.

That left the entire roster up against Magneto and Hope, who was copying Magneto's formidable power set. Magneto's 4-squares force field made my Charging team stall out hard. . . except for Miles. Miles ignores characters for movement. Into the fray he zipped, ultimately knocking Magnus out. That left Hope for last, and Laura finished her off with another Blades onslaught.

Game 84
Jonathan and Becky Barnes KOed
Exiles KOs: Danger, Magneto, Colossus, Emma Frost, and Hope Summers
Total Exiles KOs: 301 in 84 games
Win-Loss Record: 52-32 (61.90%)

Back into the fray! I hope to claim one of the upcoming Spider-Man 1776 pieces to update and/or supplement my current Miguel. It looks like Exiles are back on the playing table.

Pretty good for a team I haven't really run in two years. . . .

Looking over the upcoming Spider-Man/Venom set, I am hoping to get a Spider-Man 1776 for the Exiles. I already have two of the Fast Forces packs on order, so that Spidey with his Marvel Team Up trait will likely join the crew, too!

More pieces!

Game 85 saw a disappointing 200 points in approximately 15-20 minutes.

Spider-Man 2099 100
Dark Beast 60
Black Cat 40
Bookcase, Desk, Mjolnir Relic 0

Not a bad team, right? Basic, simple, straightforward.

And here's what I was up against: the contents of a handful of boosters.

Agent Venom 65
Carrion 50
Norman Osborn 40
Prowler 30
Mary Jane Watson 15

I won map roll, so to Galador Promenade we went. I thought I would do all right given the terrain. Nope. MJ started raining Paparazzi Heck from above thanks to Norman's Leadershipping tokens off her turn in and turn out. Ultimately, from about turn 2 or 3 on, I was on a nearly permanent lockdown, unable to act due to constant Incapacitation a stream of Paparazzi, unable to make any meaningful attacks when not pushed out due to Prowler's free Smoke Cloud tokens, and unable to avoid taking 2 damage every turn from Carrion's Poison shenanigans. The game was over within 15 minutes or so, maybe 20, and I barely got to act at all. Sure, 4 Paparazzi pushed out (out of 7 created total!), but Black Cat fell to Carrion, Spidey fell to Agent Venom, and Dark Beast to a Paparazzi bystander.

Mary Jane is absolutely ridiculous.

Game 85
All Exiles KOed
Exiles KOs: None
Total Exiles KOs: 301 in 85 games
Win-Loss Record: 52-33 (61.17%)

Game 86 saw a second loss, ultimately, but at least this one was much more hard fought over several hours.

600 Exiles vs. 595 Sinister Syndicate

Power Princess 150
All-New Wolverine 100
Spider-Man 2099 100
Blink 86
Psylocke 84
Peggy Carter 75
Spider-Man ID 5 (Fast Forces Spidey with Marvel Team-Up Trait 75)
Bookcase, Desk, Computer 0
SuperFriends: No Hawkman or Hawkgirl

vs.

Red Goblin 110
Iron Spider 75
Venom 65
Bombshell 60
2x Jack O'Lantern 60 (120 total)
Mysterio 50 + Illusion Generator 0
Toxin 50
Bombshell 40
Jason Macendale 25

We ended up at Iron Man's Workshop - Indoor.

My opponent is a newer player, having been at the game for roughly a month, and he plays very aggressively, not being afraid to take a series of massive, full-speed moves on his opening turn, which is just what happened here. Whereas against almost any other opponent, I would have had plenty of time to get setup properly. Nope! Not here. I barely moved from my starting area. The first Jack took down Becky Barnes (who'd been created by Peggy Carter), and thus the war began.

I had All-New Wolverine spawn Jonathan the Wolverine in response to the loss of Becky, and Red Goblin came into the melee, smashing Blink with a solid hit but not KOing her. Seeing the Goblin as a massive threat, I threw a series of heroes at him, with Power Princess getting the final smash.

All-New Wolverine critically missed next, bringing in Green Arrow and, ultimately, Dr. Gulliver across the map. This was eventually my undoing, as I proved never able to take the time to land a successful hit on the little bystander, and his Outwit was my undoing for the last portion of the game.

But, first, Ollie took down Iron Spider. . . but Jack #1 continued his KOing, finishing off the injured Blink. A string of missed attacks on my behalf, though, led to Jonathan's pulling in Black Vulcan from my Sideline. Black Vulcan began his Poisonous assault, KOing Mysterio, before being incinerated by the mother Bombshell. Jason Macendale managed to then fry Jonathan, having seen him as a threat.

At this point, I was wondering if I was ever going to be able to catch a break. Nope. Ollie burned out at this point, leaving me minus a Green Arrow and my opponent plus that Dr. Gulliver. Having to try some desperate actions, I used Psylocke to Mind Control Venom, using him to KO that Jack O'Lantern #1.

And, yes, this was only a temporary success. Mom Bombshell smashed into Spidey 2099, finishing him off, and a late-dial Toxin beat down All-New Wolverine. Afterward, the Bombshell Mom continued her KO streak, taking down Peggy Carter.

I needed a break, and it wasn't happening. An attempt to smash Venom for 6 with a heavy object failed with a Critical Miss. That led to Samurai's coming into play. He, at least, Poisoned out Venom. He then turned into a second wind of a hero, Charging in to polish off the Bombshell Daughter and setting himself up as a threat, leading to Jason Macendale's pushing out trying to take Samurai down.

However, good things can't last forever. Samurai, like Green Arrow before him, burned out.

This left an injured Toxin, Dr. Gulliver, the second Jack O'Lantern (badly injured), and Mom Bombshell (nearly top dial still!) up against a mid-dial Psylocke and a mid-dial Power Princess. Toxin pushed out to KO Psylocke.

Power Princess tried to lay on the beatdown, but a lonely dance, outnumbered three to one, led to a yo-yo-ing of Regenerating, trying to outrun my opponent's pieces, led to a last-ditch attempt of trying to claim Mysterio's fallen Illusion Generator. She managed the equipping of the Illusion Generator, yes, but then Gulliver Outwitted the Shape Change, and Bombshell finally got the KO to end the game.

Game loss: 680-475.

Game 86
All Exiles KOed, as well as Black Vulcan, Green Arrow, and Samurai
Exiles KOs: Red Goblin, Iron Spider, Mysterio, Jack O'Lantern, Agent Venom, and Bombshell (Daughter)
Total Exiles KOs: 307 in 86 games
Win-Loss Record: 52-34 (60.46%)

Yeowch.

I'll post four more Exiles games probably tomorrow: three from a recent tournament (2-1!) and a win from yesterday (Saturday, 9/19/2020), so things are looking up!

A few more Exiles games as of late! From September 16, 2020, here are the three rounds of that night's tournament. It was a 600 points setup, with players having to run a piece from the latest Spider-Man set.

Power Princess 150
All-New Wolverine 100
Spider-Man 2099 100 + Dimensional Watch 0
Blink 86
Psylocke 84
Peggy Carter 75
Spider-Man ID 5 (75 points Fast Forces from Spider-Man 2020 set)
Bookcase, Computer, Desk 0
Super Friends except Hawkman and Hawkgirl

Game 87: Round 1 versus Codex, I think.

Admittedly, my opponent appears to have been underbuilt due to a misunderstanding on his part regarding how much he had to pay for Secret Identity characters. He was thinking he had to pay 25 points per character to be able to use the Secret Identity trait, apparently, so he was underbuilt to 525 by mistake.

Knull 125 + All-Black The Necro Sword 0
Knull 125 + All-Black The Necro Sword 0
Agent Venom 65
Spider-Man 50 (Fast Forces)
Toxin 50
Norman Osborn 40
Eddie Brock 35
Flash Thompson 35
Sideline: Venom, Agent Anti-Venom, Iron Patriot

I lost map roll, so to Earth X Wakanda we went. I started on the side by the throne. The game was a lot of slow setup and advancing. I spawned Jonathan with Laura, and Knull #1 KOed him. Blink then dropped Spidey right before time was called. That's a game win, 50-0.

Game 87
Jonathan the Wolverine KOed
Exiles KOs: Spider-Man
Total Exiles KOs: 308 in 87 games
Win-Loss Record: 53-34 (60.91%)

If it's any consolation, neither of us caught the points issue until Saturday of last week.

On to Game 88, Round 2!

My second opponent was running what looks like Spider-Man Family keyword.

Spider-Man 145
Spider-Man 2099 100 + Dimensional Watch 0
Spider-Man 90 + Web Shooters 0
Spider-Man (PS4) 85
Superior Spider-Man 80 + Waldo Arms 0
Spider-Man 60 + Garbage Can 0
Mary-Jane Watson 15
Thug 10
Bloodaxe 10
Peter Parker, Marvella, She-Venom, Iron Man, Black Manta, Lex Luthor, Samurai 0
Bookcase, Desk 0

I won map roll, so off to Underground Caverns I took my friend, hoping to slow his advance enough with all the blocking. . . . It didn't help much. I did get to spawn a Jonah Jameson bystander, who forced my opponent's hand by burning his Desk for him, but Jonah fell to the PS4 Spidey. Mary-Jane dropped in 2 Paparazzi, so I knew I had to put a stop to that fast. Psylocke Mind Controlled Web Shooter Spidey, who turned on MJ and slammed her, forcing her to switch off to Marvella.

Becky Barnes, brought in by Peggy, then KOed the first Paparazzi bystander, and Blink tagged Marvella to the floor. So far, so good.

PS4 Spidey felled Jonathan, and Webby Spidey knocked out Becky. Bystanders were dropping all over, it seemed. 145 Spidey managed to spawn in Black Manta and Samurai, and that started the steamrolling. Samurai took out an injured Miguel, and my opponent's 2099 took out my Blink, all in one turn.

I was staggered, trying to regain ground. A "lucky" critical miss from Power Princess brought in Black Vulcan, and Peggy managed to KO Samurai. Afterward, another three misses later, Batman came in, punching out Garbage Can Spidey, resetting him to Peter but only scoring the 10 for the Garbage Can. Webby Spidey then thwipped out Black Vulcan. . . leaving me 211 to 80 at a game loss.

Game 88
J. Jonah Jameson, Jonathan the Wolverine, Becky Barnes, Spidey 2099, Blink, and Black Vulcan KOed
Exiles KOs: Paparazzi, Marvella, Samurai
Total Exiles KOs: 311 in 88 games
Win-Loss Record: 53-35 (60.22%)

A little flustered by the Spidey onslaught at the end that cost me Blink and Spidey back to back, I went on to Round 3, Game 89. This was up against another Spider-Man Family of sorts.

Crimson Typhoon 150
Doom 2099, Revolutionary 125
Spirit Spider 90
Agent Venom 75
Gwen of Arc 60
Frog-Man 35
Peter Parker 35
Doombot 15
Doombot 15
Spider-Man 0
Bookcase, Crate, Desk 0

Winning map roll, I kept us on the Underground Cavern. It's a favorite map of mine.

Frog-Man came bounding in almost immediately. Wanting to polish him off quickly in one shot given all the blocking he could bounce me into, I instead had to do it in THREE. Jonathan the Wolverine got the final blow on the ribbity hero. This gave the rest of the opposing squad time to advance, and Spirit Spider went for the "easy" KO of Becky Barnes to clear a path.

That's when I threw Miguel into the fray. He single-handedly obliterated Crimson Typhoon, and a Psylocke Mind Controlled Agent Venom forced Peter into Spidey.

I see a trend here.

Jonathan could not keep his assault, though, critically missing and KOing himself. Blink, playing from the backfield, managed to blink to the foreground and KO Agent Venom, and then time buzzed.

Game win, 260-0.

Not a bad finish for the night, overall.

Game 89
Jonathan the Wolverine and Becky Barnes KOed
Exiles KOs: Frog-Man, Crimson Typhoon, Agent Venom
Total Exiles KOs: 314 in 89 games
Win-Loss Record: 54-35 (60.67%)

Two more non-tournament Exiles games from September 19, 2020 and September 21 against two very different opponents and teams!

Game 90, 400 vs. "Spider-Man Family" of Robots

Spider-Man 2099 + Dimensional Watch 0
Sasquatch 99
Blink 86
Peggy Carter 75
Black Cat 40
Bookcase, Desk, Mjolnir 0
Super Friends - No Green Lantern, Wonder Twins, or Hawks 0

vs.

Borg Queen, The One Who is Many 100
Scorn 85
Zeta 85
Ruk 75
Steampunk Peni 45
Power Gem 10
Computer, Dumpster 0
Brainiac, 2x Borg Drone, 2x Borg Search Party, Locutus of Borg 0

I won map roll, taking us to my new Castle Hideout map. I have spent MUCH time on the original Heroclix/Horrorclix-branded map this one is based one, so I wanted to play this one.

Let's say it was a slightly bumpy start. Blink ended up stranded very early on, and one Outwit later, Ruk smashed her to death with my borrowed Dumpster.

I was still across the map, barely inside the castle wall, and I was down my "range" piece.

At least Black Cat proved worthy of the Mjolnir relic in short order!

This is when I took my chances and got into the mix hard and fast. Miguel went on a Phasing/Flurry/Blades killing spree, dropping first Ruk and then Peni. A brief interruption by Scorn saw Becky's getting knocked out, and then Spidey Phasing/Flurry/Bladed the reckless-plot-pointing Borg Queen for 6, dropping her.

That's when my buddy gave up the game, acknowledging a concession as he could not then reliably deal with the power of Miguel.

Game 90
Blink KOed
Exiles KOs: Ruk, Steampunk Peni, and Borg Queen, The One Who is Many
Total Exiles KOs: 317 in 90 games
Win-Loss Record: 55-35 (61.11%)

Then, two days later, I was invited to a friend's house to watch Die Hard on Blu-Ray and play a 700 points game of Clix. By this time, my Spidey 1776 had finally arrived, so I had to play him!

Game 91, 700 points vs. Birds of Prey

Spider-Man 2099 100 + Dimensional Watch 0
Blink 86
Longshot 75
Magik 75
Peggy Carter 75
Spider-Man 75 (Spidey 2020 Fast Forces)
Spider-Man 1776 75
Black Cat 40
Super Friends with no Hawks, Magik (Darkchylde) 0
Bookcase, Desk, Mjolnir 0

Yes, I do own all 16 Super Friends. I just have to cut somewhere, though, and the Hawks are the easiest cuts.

My host was running an old favorite of us both: The Birds of Prey!

Big Barda 110
Hawk 100
Batgirl 75 (Barbara)
Katana 68
Lady Shiva 67
In Contact with Oracle 60 (Huntress, Canary, Hawk, Barda, Katana, Shiva)
Lady Blackhawk 50
Oracle 50
Black Canary 45
Huntress 40
Oracle 27
Pumpkin Bombs 5
Bookcase, Computer 0
Lex Luthor 0

I won map roll, so again to the Castle Hideout we went. This game would prove to take some time, extending slightly beyond the 130+ minutes of Die Hard.

I got my pieces into position just on the edge of the westmost hindering (given the drawbridge at the bottom of the map). My friend had Canary equip the Pumpkin Bombs and then sent Huntress in for an Energy Explosion run. Luckily, she missed on her assault, and Longshot ultimately zapped her with some throwing knives after Blink went in for a softener hit. For a round or so, I held my position defensively, and then Barda came in toward the southwest corner battlement. Canary also Energy Explosioned my front line. Ouch. Magik carted Longshot up to the battlement to hold down Barda, but Barda smashed Longshot cold.

Trusting Magik could tie up Barda for a turn or two, perhaps, I went after the rest of my opponent's team, now near the drawbridge. Peggy punched out Katana, and a well-placed Outwit from Miguel saw him Phasing/Flurrying/Empowered by Peggy to knock out Shiva.

So far, so good. I had bought a turn with Magik and Longshot, and I had gained ground to the middle of the map. That's when Hawk Charged in, flattening poor Peter (who hadn't made a single Leadership on 4-6 all game). Barda then punched out Magik, who at 3 Corruption tokens failed to produce the Darkchylde.

As in the previous games, 2099 started putting people on ice. I saw Hawk as my main threat at the moment, with his being fresh and in my face. Miguel repeated his Phasing/Flurry/Empowered assault, pummeling Hank Hall to the dirt. Batgirl took her action to drop the injured Black Cat (thanks, Canary's EE back a few turns ago), and then 2099 doubled back to go after Barda, carrying that ever-handy Empower Peggy with him to finish off Barda. His Revolutionary War counterpart finally got in the mix (having dipped very briefly to his first STOP click and having been X-Teamed back to top by Sasquatch), delivering a beatdown to Zinda of the Blackhawks.

The final act of the game involved Sasquatch FINALLY calling her once-per-game Hypersonic Speed to level Batgirl, forcing a concession from my buddy who was down to the 50 points Oracle and. . . last click Canary, if I recall.

Game win by concession.

Game 91
Longshot, Spider-Man, Magik, Black Cat KOed
Exiles KOs: Huntress, Katana, Lady Shiva, Hawk, Big Barda, Lady Blackhawk, Batgirl
Total Exiles KOs: 324 in 91 games
Win-Loss Record: 56-35 (61.53%)

It looks like things are looking up again for the Exiles!

Game 92: 500 points vs. Hydra!

Spider-Man 2099 100 + Dimensional Watch 0
Blink 86
Magik 75
Peggy Carter 75
Spider-Man 75 (Miles Morales Prime)
Spider-Man 1776 75
Exospex 12
Super Friends with no Hawks, Magik (Darkchylde) 0
Bookcase, Desk 0

I was up against the forces of Hydra.

Red Skull 185 + 15 Trait: Cosmic Cube
Madame Hydra 100
Spot 50
Doctor Faustus 45
Imperial Hydra 45
AIM White Squad 30
AIM White Squad 30
3 Light Object 0

I lost map roll after two tries, and my opponent put us at Yancy Street - Outdoor, the one with the Skirmish numbers on it. Ignoring those, we got down to business. Within two turns, Magik had the Exospex attached, and she began her string of turns taking Sidestep to build up Corruption tokens quickly. My opponent came down the street, and then we met up on a rooftop with some blocking terrain. Blink got the first KO of the night, taking out AIM White #1. Imperial Hydra successfully spawned AIM White #3.

Here's the catch: we didn't realize until about four hours later that this generation of dudes required putting action tokens on the Imperial Hydra. This would present a rather long, long day.

I kept everyone centered around Peggy as much as possible to maintain their defenses at her opening 19 as long as I could. My first real target was Red Skull, so I threw everything I had at him as much as I could. This ultimately led to the creation of an Artificial Being (#1), whom 1776 took down quickly. Magik then cut down AIM White #2 with a 6 on Blades, leading to the creation of AIM White #4 and 5. That's when Blink finally punched out the Red Skull!

That was within the first half a dozen turns or so, perhaps.

Red Skull's falling led to the creation of Hydra Soldiers 1 and 2 (40 points each). Seeing these new threats, Miles equipped the Cosmic Cube that Red Skull had left behind. Becky Barnes moved in to close the gap. . . and fell to a critical miss of her own. Oops.

On the following turn, Miles folloewd through and took down AIM White #3. . . which led to Hydra Soldier #3.

Rest assured that being able to spawn guys without taking action tokens was more than a little busted and would continue to be so. Fittingly, I was wearing a Gauntlet game T-shirt tonight, but this generator wouldn't quit.

I did have some space to move, though. 1776 closed this gap and cut down Doctor Faustus. An attack somewhere along the line put 1776 on his second click, and that's where he would stay until the end of the game. At least there weren't any spawns on Faustus's falling, but my offense slowed considerably when Spot managed to punch out 2099.

Eep!

Magik ended up taking the reins, using the Exospex and her Blades powers to maintain steady Sidestep/Blades action every so often. This led her to KO Hydra Soldier #1, finally, but that caused AIM White #6 and Hydra Soldier #4 to enter play. Madame Hydra, battered to about mid-dial by this point, stole and equipped 2099's Dimensional Watch, but Magik soon called in Apache Chief from my sideline. It was a toss-up between Wonder Woman and her mass-tokening power or Apache Chief and his Giant Reach/Quake. I went with Apache, and two Charge/Quakes later, the tide was turning. He knock3d out AIM White 4 and then 5, which led to the spawning of AIM White 7, which gave me time for a mid-dial Miles to knock out AIM White 6. . .

And that brought out AIM White 8, and after THAT, Imperial Hydra punched out Apache Chief.

Magik resume her KO spree, dropping Hydra Soldier #2, and the same turn, 1776 took down Hydra Soldier 3. . . and Imperial Hydra called up The Hydra (Female) at 25 points. Well, that's 2 for 1, so 1776 felled AIM White Squad #6. However, that brought in AIM White #9 and The Hydra (Male) at 20 points.

This was getting nuts. I had pieces reaching mid-dials, and I was getting knock-outs, but I wasn't getting to Imperial Hydra or Madame Hydra to deal with them, yet.

Blink did manage to jump in and take out The Hydra (Female) for 25, and Miles KOed AIM White #7 via knockback, having taken to Quaking a crowd repeatedly, and then he dropped The Hydra (Male) for 20.

This is when I took a good, long look at Imperial Hydra's card.

"He has to take action tokens to make dudes? WHAT?"

We were roughly 3 and a half or 4 hours in already. My friend agreed to play it straight from then on.

I poured on the beats after this. Miles knocked out AIM White #8 via knockback, and Magik poisoned out Hydra Soldier #4. Imperial Hydra created AIM White #10, but Miles decked Hydra Soldier #5. From here on, 1776 cut down the Spot (FINALLY!), Magik did the same to AIM White #9, and Blink punched out Madame Hydra at the last.

My friend was down to Imperial Hydra on his second click and 2 AIM White Squads. That's when he called the game.

Funnily enough, in this 500 points game, I would've taken 950 points at the end of it, had we been tracking such, to a loss of 130.

Game win by concession.

Game 92
Spider-Man 2099, Becky Barnes, and Apache Chief KOed
Exiles KOs: Artificial Being, Red Skull, Doctor Faustus, The Hydra (Female), The Hydra (Male), Spot, Madame Hydra, AIM White Squad x7 (ignoring the two KOed by knockback), Hydra Soldier x5
Total Exiles KOs: 343 in 92 games
Win-Loss Record: 57-35 (61.95%)

Of course, had we realized the truth about Imperial Hydra hours earlier, this game would NOT have taken so long, and the KO list wouldn't have jumped by 19 in one game! Let's not try that again. . . .

Game 93, from Thursday, November 19, 2020, was round three of a tournament. It's an old favorite setup at the local shop we call "We Three Teams," wherein players bring in three teams to play. This night's was a variant setup, with 400 points round one, 300 round two, and 200 round three. The Exiles were my round three team:

Peggy Carter 75
Spider-Man 1776 75
Spider-Man 2099 50 + Dimensional Watch 0
Bookcase, Desk, Mailbox 0
Hawkman and Hawkgirl Super Friends on sideline 0

I was up against more Dr. Fates than one player ever wants to see.

Dr. Fate 65
Wonder Woman 40
Dr. Fate x9 10 (90)
Bookcase, Desk, Crate 0
Various Super Friends 0

I lost map roll, being outnumbered horrifically, and so we went to Battle City.

I advanced slowly forward, setting up a defensive blob with Peggy in back and the Spiders up front, with 2099 keeping his defense Perplexed up consistently due to his shorter dial. Basically, my opponent really couldn't hit anything for most of the round.

Becky Barnes, generated by Peggy, KOed the first fake Fate, KOing herself due to Mystics. Then, 2099 went on a KO spree himself, taking out the second Fate by combat, Poisoning the third, and punching out the fourth.

The knockouts were interrupted by a series of opposing misses that led to my friend's calling in the Super Friends Flash. Then, the beatings resumed: 2099 punched out #5, 1776 decapitated the real Fate with a Blades of 6, and 2099 then punched out the sixth fake.

Somewhere along the line, I poisoned out a seventh Fate, and my opponent brought in Super Friends Superman. 1776 Bladed Flash out of the game, then decked a Superman who was burning out slowly.

This was roughly 30-odd minutes into the game. Wonder Woman finally managed to tick 2099 out of the game, leaving Peggy and 1776 to start chasing her down. Peggy punched her out, but a remaining Fate shot down 1776 at the buzzer.

Game win, though, 235 to 125.

Game 93
Spider-Man 2099, Becky Barnes, and Spider-Man 1776 KOed
Exiles KOs: 7 Dr. Fate, 1 real Dr. Fate, Wonder Woman, Superman, and The Flash
Total Exiles KOs: 354 in 93 games
Win-Loss Record: 58-35 (62.36%)

Another Exiles game recently enough: 500 vs. Excalibur!

Game 94

Spider-Man 2099 100 + Dimensional Watch 0
Blink 86
Magik 75 (Magik's Darkchild version on Sideline)
Peggy Carter 75
Spider-Man 75 (Miles Prime)
Spider-Man 1776 75
Exospex 12
Bookcase, Office Desk 0
Super Friends: No Hawkman, Hawkgirl, or Green Lantern
Gorilla Grodd

vs.

Excalibur!

=A= 160
Rogue 90 + 36.01 Team Up
Captain Britain 80
Gambit 80
Rachel Grey 40 + 001.01 Team Up
Rictor 40
Power Gem 10
Brainiac 0
Dumpster, Crate 0

I lost the map roll, so to Testing Grounds (Outdoor) we went, spawning Becky Barnes at the start of the game and setting into action. We spent the first couple turns dancing around for positions. I ultimately sacrificed Becky to attack Rogue, falling to Mystics team, but afterward I was able to set into action. I'm pretty sure Peggy got the final tag on Rogue.

However, I couldn't keep up the full steam ahead on the attacks. 1776 called in Samurai from the Sideline, who then managed to KO Rachel. This didn't do much for me, though, as =A= eliminate Samurai immediately.

Here's the crazy thing. Every little bit, I was bringing in new Super Friends. Blink here grabbed Green Arrow, giving my opponent Dr. Gulliver, and Green Arrow shot down a very bothersome Rictor. 1776 called in Aquaman, who summoned an Average Fish, which was promptly tossed on a skillet by Gambit.

And then 2099 managed to snag another Super Friend for me, bringing Superman in for an extra Charge piece. =A= incinerated this mighty Superman. . . and Blink, in her offensive, landed Grodd for me.

While this game was going fairly evenly, back and forth, it was going very long, and my friend was not really having a great time. He called it, which I accepted, so that's one more game win by concession.

Game 94
Becky Barnes, Samurai, Average Fish #1, and Superman KOed
Exiles KOs: Rogue, Rachel Grey, and Rictor
Total Exiles KOs: 357 in 94 games
Win-Loss Record: 59-35 (62.76%)

We're getting not just one but at least FOUR new Exiles in the upcoming Rise and Fall X-Men set! Blink, Mimic, Longshot, and Dark Beast, come on down!

Watch this space!

The Exiles came out to play some time in the last month and a half!

Games 95-97 at 500 points.

And I neglected to write down the exact roster, only writing "498 Exiles" at the top of the page. Let me see if I can reconstruct it.

Got it! Thanks, Discord chat!

Spider-Man 2099 100 + Dimensional Watch 0
Blink 86
Peggy Carter 75
Spider-Man 75 (Miles Prime)
Spider-Man 1776 75
Sage 50
Power Battery: Green Lantern Corps + Ring, Scissors, Boxing Glove, Decoy 32
Boxing Ring 5
Bookcase, Office Desk, Crate 0
Various Super-Friends and Legion of Doom on Sideline

This was not a friendly team, combining Sage and the Green Battery under 2021 rules. My round 2 opponent dubbed it "Oppressive" and about blew a gasket mid-game.

Game 95, Round 1

Vs. the Masters of Evil!

Winter Soldier 90
Beetle 75 + Beetle Pod 0
Hawkeye 75
Baron Zemo 65
Black Knight 65
Melter 50
Moonstone 45
Tinkerer 30

This game did not go well for my opponent. I've faced down the Masters before, so I knew a little about how to face them, and I was running a team I'm pretty well-practiced with.

At least I lost map roll, right? We were at the Wylden Watch, a map I own and enjoy.

The game started out brutally. While I didn't track who got what Constructs, 2099 went on a kill streak this game, dropping first Hawkeye, then Winter Soldier prior to calling in Lex Luthor from Sideline. Miles kept momentum going by eliminating the Black Knight, and then 2099 resumed the beatings until morale improved. Tinkerer and Zemo fell to his fists.

It was this time that 1776 finally got in the mix, beating down the Beetle. Sage contributed by polishing off Moonstone, and Miles dropped the Melter at the end.

That's 8 for 8 in 40 minutes. 503-0 after scoring the team and Beetle Pod.

Game 95
No Exiles KOed
Exiles KOs: Hawkeye, Winter Soldier, Black Knight, Tinkerer, Baron Zemo, Beetle, Moonstone, and Melter
Total Exiles KOs: 365 in 95 games
Win-Loss Record: 60-35 (63.15%)

The next round, Game 96, saw me up against an old friend who has expressed dissatisfaction with the 2021 rules set many times as of late. That said, he was still playing the game at our usual Thursday get-togethers, and he brought in the following:

Brainiac and Lex Luthor 150
Grodd 75
Solomon Grundy 75
Star Sapphire 70
The Cheetah 45
Ultrahumanite 25
Power Gem 10
Office Desk, Bookcase 0
Orange Battery + Ring, Mallet, Sniper Rifle, Scissors, Crossbow, Decoy, and Boxing Glove
Sideline of various Super-Friends and Legion of Doom pieces

Again, I lost map roll, a common thing nowadays. We went to the Helicarrier Interior.

My opponent was immensely frustrated this entire game by the oppressive nature of running Sage with the Green Power Battery under 2021 rules. I have vowed to never combine the two again after this match.

Grundy called in my friend's Black Vulcan, who KOed my Becky Barnes.

Miles, however, jumped to avenge the fallen Miss Barnes, decking out Black Vulcan.

This led to Grundy's calling in Samurai in an ongoing streak of bad luck. Peggy closed the gap to take out Star Sapphire, though, and Grodd KOed my Spidey 2099.

However, somewhere in all of this, I had been on a kill streak, dropping but not noting when specifically or by whom Cheetah, Sapphire, Vulcan, and Samurai.

End result: 170 to 100, game win.

Game 96
Becky Barnes and Spider-Man 2099 KOed
Exiles KOs: Cheetah, Star Sapphire, Black Vulcan, and Samurai
Total Exiles KOs: 369 in 96 games
Win-Loss Record: 61-35 (63.54%)

Round 3, Game 97, was imminently flustering, an ongoing cat and mouse that ended up being a game loss to a misplaced positioning and a failed Super Senses roll on my part.

I was up against Asgardians, which I can certainly appreciate (see my "The World Still Needs Heroes" thread for proof!). I finally won map roll, putting us on the Sporting Arena and getting my map bonus for Spidey 2099!

Thor Odinson 175
Destroyer Thor 125
Thor 125 (Chase with the lightning marker)
Eitri 35
Thorus 30
Dueling Sword 3
Knobbed Mace 3
Mace 2

Eitri's options were the Goblin Glider, Wonder Woman's Golden Armor, and The Angler. Eitri ultimately picked the Angler, we started gaming, and I hunkered down in the Boxing Ring to wait, taking licks where I could, mostly with Blink. Thorus KOed Becky, and Blink took him down for his trouble.

So far, so good. I had a slim lead for most of the 40 minutes. And then I misplaced Sage, using her as an Outwit piece from inside the Ring's corner. That part wasn't the problem. The problem was that I broke her adjacency to Peggy Carter, who was still on her Defend click. One failed Super Senses roll later, and the game was lost with 2 or 3 minutes to go.

Lesson learned!

Game loss, 50-30.

Game 97
Sage and Becky Barnes KOed
Exiles KOs: Thorus
Total Exiles KOs: 370 in 97 games
Win-Loss Record: 61-36 (62.88%)

With the arrival of my Mimic (A) today, Calvin, Clarice, Hank, and Longshot can now all join the Exiles!

More to come. . . . Various updates to this thread, soon!

More Exiles fun from the last few weeks!

Game 98: 500 vs. X-Men

I got to test out a few of my new Exiles obtained at the X-Men: Rise and Fall prerelease in this match!

Spider-Man 100 + Dimensional Watch 0
Peggy Carter 75
Spider-Man 75 (Marvel Team-Up trait)
Spider-Man 1776 75
Dark Beast 70 (Sideline: Sage 50)
Blink 60
Black Cat 40
Iceberg Lounge 5
Bookcase, Crate, Desk 0

vs.

Archangel 100 (Black/silver Regenesis)
Beast 100
Blink 86 + Inside Information 4
Gambit 65
Longshot 50
Psylocke 45
Captain Britain 30
Dr. Moira Mataggart 20
Bookcase, Mailbox, Desk 0

I lost map roll, but I didn't track what map we ended up on. I only got to place one Emperor Penguin, and Psylocke KOed it almost immediately. The fray truly began shortly thereafter, as Peggy laid into Beast and dropped him hard.

However, that bright moment of glory faded fast as Archangel slaughtered 1776, Longshot KOed Dark Beast, and Gambit triple-KOed Becky, Blink and Black Cat.

Peggy demonstrated her heroism once more by punching out Longshot with a Critical Hit, but Captain Britain then felled 2099. Archangel triggered Peggy's Living Legend, and Psylocke then finished her off.

I'm not sure when I lost Spider-Man this game, or to whom, as I neglected to write that down.

Game loss: 500-150.

Game 98
All Exiles and an Emperor Penguin KOed
Exiles KOs: Beast and Longshot
Total Exiles KOs: 372 in 98 games
Win-Loss Record: 61-37 (62.24%)

Well, you can't win them all, eh?

Next up, Game 99! Closing in on 100!

I got a nice, new, fresh, fun experience of playing against a keyword I rarely get to see: SPY! (Note: I so want to have two players running Spy keyword in one game so I can make jokes about MAD Magazine's Spy vs. Spy comics.)

Game 99: 300 Exiles vs. Spy

Blackbeard 90 + Stones of Merlin 0
Peggy Carter 75
Spider-Man 1776 75
Blink 60
Bookcase, Desk, Dumpster 0
Sideline: Apache Chief, Batman, Black Vulcan, Firestorm, Samurai, and the Legion of Doom

I was up against the following:

Gambit 80
Yelena Belova 75
Mystique 60
Maria Hill 45
Peggy Carter 40
Bookcase, Crate, Desk 0

This might be my first game ever with Blackbeard. I think it actually is?

I lost map roll, so to Prison 42 we went. The Spy player's favorite map, this Prison is actually one I'm fairly solid on. I love good close quarters locations, a habit I picked up years ago running Thorin & Company.

This game started out pear-shaped as an onslaught led to Maria's blasting my Peggy Carter early on, dropping her down to Living Legend status in short order. She healed up 3, but Yelena Belova Ye-laid her on a slab.

Already 75 in the hole, I let Blink get some revenge by KOing the OTHER Peggy, the evil failure of a Peggy. A series of whiffs on my opponent led to 1776's calling in Samurai. However, that missing streak opened me up to retribution; Gambit knocked out Blink, and then Samurai burned out as I couldn't make real progress. Yelena then swung on Blackbeard, who Masterminded it off to Becky Barnes, taking her out.

Things were looking very bad for the Exiles. 1776's Critical Miss called in Black Vulcan, and he started going off. He poisoned out Gambit (80 points!), and he then was the third miss in a turn, leading to Apache Chief's entering the field.

That momentum couldn't last forever, though. Maria Mind Controlled Blackbeard, using him to KO Black Vulcan. The Blue-Eyed Exile then paid back the favor, implementing a great deal of Clobberin' Time on Maria.

From then on, the game swung back in my favor. Apache Inuk-Chukked Mystique into the ground, leaving him open for a reprisal from Yelena, but Blackbeard then ultimately punched her out.

All was right in the world. The Exiles got a Game Win, 300-220. Very hard-earned!

Game 99
Peggy Carter, Blink, Samurai, Becky Barnes, Black Vulcan, and Apache Chief KOed
Exiles KOs: Peggy Carter, Gambit, Maria Hill, Mystique, and Yelena Belova
Total Exiles KOs: 377 in 99 games
Win-Loss Record: 62-37 (62.62%)

And now, Game 100: 400 Exiles vs. Avengers!

And now on to a new timeline with the Exiles: same location, different universe, different opponents! In this mission, they would have to stop the Avengers from breaking Taskmaster out of Prison 42.

Spider-Man 2099 100 + Dimensional Watch 0
Peggy Carter 75 + Inside Information 4
Spider-Man 1776 75
Dark Beast 70 (Sideline: Ensign Chekov)
Blink 60
Spider-Man Family ATA 16
Bookcase, Desk, Crate 0

vs.

She-Hulk 125 (Legacy Card)
Wasp 75
Taskmaster 60
Josiah X 50
Steve Rogers 50
Sunspot 35 + AIM Team-Up
Dumpster 0
(Total points 395)

Again, I lost map roll, so back to Prison 42 we went. You'd think the opponent would've learned from last game.

This game started out much more positively, as Spidey 2099 got in a surprise rush on Josiah X. However, that turned sour fast. Wasp KOed Becky and 2099 in short order, and old man Steve actually Living Legend triggered Peggy. They would continue to exchange shots for the rest of the game. More on that later. It was hilarious seeing Steve and Peggy trying to off each other.

Exiles picked up the pace after that initial beating. Dark Beast dropped Jen, Peggy decked out Roberto when she wasn't trading licks with her elderly love interest, and Blink took Taskmaster to task.

That's when Peggy Living Legend triggered Steve. With that bit of repayment exacted, all seemed right. . . but Steve then polished her off, reclaiming his shield with a sneer.

This attack galvanized Clarice. Blink drew on her training with dear Mr. Creed in the Age of Apocalypse, and she promptly offed both Wasp and Steve Rogers, picking Peggy's shield back up before they blinked back to the Panoptichron to rest.

Game win, 395-175!

Game 100
Spider-Man 2099, Becky Barnes, and Peggy Carter KOed
Exiles KOs: Josiah X, She-Hulk, Sunspot, Taskmaster, Wasp, and Steve Rogers
Total Exiles KOs: 383 in 100 games
Win-Loss Record: 63-37 (63.00%)

That's one hundred tracked Exiles games! More to come in a few moments. I'm posting these before this times out on me. . . .

Four remaining Exiles games for now, starting with this one specifically dated August 21, 2021.

Game 101: 500 points vs. Avengers.

Spider-Man 2099 100 + Dimensional Watch 0
Blackbeard 90 + Stones of Merlin 0
Peggy Carter 75
Spider-Man 1776 75
Blink 60
Dark Beast 60
Black Cat 40
Bookcase, Desk, Dumpster 0

vs. the same guy who played Spies in the last post.

She-Hulk 125 (Legacy Card)
Captain America, Resilient 80
Black Widow 75 (Shifting Focus, complete lineup)
Thor 75 (Lightning Marker chase figure)
Black Leopard 50
Blade 50
Ghost Rider 40
Bookcase, Desk, Dumpster 0
(495 total)

I won map roll, so we went to one of MY favorite maps: Galador Promenade. If there's two things I like on Clix maps, it's tight quarters and lots of elevation that's cleanly placed and easy to navigate. This one has both.

This game was a real head scratcher. We were both being very cautious about approaching, meeting at the central vertical walkway that my opponent initially had control over as King of the Hill. Peggy smoked Black Widow (specifically the Smoke Cloud version) before Earth X Cap KOed my Becky Barnes. What kind of cross-time rivalry is this?

Ultimately, I then focused my efforts on eliminating Black Leopard, as he was placed just right to mess with my team significantly. Black Cat polished him off (Fitting!) before we were told to wrap up the game and go home. The store was closing, so we took points: Game Win at 125-0.

Game 101
Becky Barnes KOed
Exiles KOs: Black Widow and Black Leopard
Total Exiles KOs: 385 in 101 games
Win-Loss Record: 64-37 (63.36%)

The next two games, 102 and 103, were part of a three-round, 400 points tournament. I ended up with a bye round at one point (round 3, I think?), but here are the results of the first two rounds.

Game 102

400 points vs. what looks like X-Men of a sort.

I ran the same exact squad as the other night.

Spider-Man 2099 100 + Dimensional Watch 0
Peggy Carter 75 + Inside Information 4
Spider-Man 1776 75
Dark Beast 70 (Sideline: Ensign Chekov)
Blink 60
Spider-Man Family ATA 16
Bookcase, Desk, Crate 0

vs.

Juggernaut 175
Diamond Patch 80
Firebelly 50
Polaris 35
Tempo 35
Octopus Arms 10
Wonder Woman Bracelets 10
Bat Signal 2

I won map roll, going to the Iceberg Lounge, but I was WOEFULLY outmatch in these 40 minutes of pain. We met just south of the iceberg itself (I'm guessing the 2 Seals on the map were dealt with in short order prior to my arrival, though I don't have that written down specifically). 2099 finally managed to deck Tempo, stopping her +3 Speed nonsense, but from there on, I was just getting bounced around. Firebelly lit up 1776, 2099, and Becky Barnes quickly (don't sleep on that chase!) before Juggs KOed Blink and then Living Legend triggered Peggy.

OUCH.

Diamond Patch managed to finish off Peggy, and then Juggs flattened Beast.

It turns out that a whole team of anti-STOP, anti-Senses, anti-Leadership, and anti-Outwit that can yo-yo its main bricks around is pretty good against a team centered around all those abilities. :/ This game was really disheartening.

Game loss, 405-35.

Game 102
All Exiles KOed
Exiles KOs: Tempo
Total Exiles KOs: 386 in 102 games
Win-Loss Record: 64-38 (62.74%)

After a few minutes to pair for the next round, I was matched against the following. It was supposed to be a Deity build, but the opponent didn't understand that Fancy Dan just got the keyword but still broke theme. I corrected him on that (I'm a Maggia player, so I know all about running the Enforcers on there), he apologized politely, and we sat down to the game.

Game 103: 400 Exiles vs. would-be Deity


Spider-Man 2099 100 + Dimensional Watch 0
Peggy Carter 75 + Inside Information 4
Spider-Man 1776 75
Dark Beast 70 (Sideline: Ensign Chekov)
Blink 60
Spider-Man Family ATA 16
Bookcase, Desk, Crate 0

vs.

Zeus 250
Apollo 100
Fancy Dan 50

I won map roll again, so to Galador Promenade we returned.

This game went pretty well and pretty short. I cornered Apollo fast from the safety of the central walkway, and 1776 polished him off almost immediately. Dark Beast took down Fancy Dan, who apparently wasn't fancy enough to deal with the black-furred assailant.

That left the whole team up against Zeus. I apparently had Super Friends and Legion of Doom on sideline that I neglected to write down earlier; Peggy called in Black Vulcan, who then grabbed Lex Luthor.

Zeus managed to incinerate Lex and Becky Barnes immediately after I called in Lex. Oops. Lex did absolutely nothing for me but give my opponent 10 points.

After the rest of the squad changed direction and cornered Zeus, Peggy knocked him back to Olympus with a mighty blow.

Game win, 400-10.

Game 103
Lex Luthor and Becky Barnes KOed
Exiles KOs: Apollo, Fancy Dan, and Zeus
Total Exiles KOs: 389 in 103 games
Win-Loss Record: 65-38 (63.10%)

And one more game--104--to catch up on posting! Tonight's round!

600 Exiles vs. The Frightful Four (err, Seven) on September 4, 2021!

Mimic 100 (Sideline: Archangel black/silver Regenesis LE for his trait; Magneto robot and Wolverine Regenesis LE for defense)
Spider-Man 2099 100 + Dimensional Watch 0
Peggy Carter 75
Spider-Man 1776 75
Dark Beast 70 (Sideline: Ensign Chekov)
Blink 60
Longshot 50
Sage 50
H.E.N.R.Y. 15
Boxing Ring 15
Bookcase, Desk, Crate 0
Other Sideline: 2x Sentinel, Legion of Doom x4, Super Friends: Apache Chief, Batman, Black Vulcan, Firestorm, and Samurai

vs.

Punisher 125
Super Skrull 100
Dragon Man 75
Klaw 75
Medusa 75
Thundra 75
Wizard 75
Sideline: Trapster, Hydro-Man, and She-Thing

I won map roll. To the Sporting Arena we went, as Mimic was my choice for the Defense bonus for matching the Boxing Ring. I holed up in the Ring almost immediately, using Becky as a meat shield. Thundra punched her out, and a series of misses (thanks, Thundra, for boosting Defenses like crazy) led to Blink's bringing in Black Vulcan.

Thundra then sent Dark Beast back to a kennel before he could really do much, and Punisher subsequently beat Blink into paste.

This is not a good way to start the day, but it did get me a Sentinel on the map, and the Boxing Ring was almost as close to my starting area as it could get. Meanwhile, Longshot called in Samurai. That Sentinel then promptly took center stage, helping block lines from Wizard to Dragon Man. That allowed me to turn on him and start wearing him down with Outwits. However, I also tried to turn on Wizard about the same time.

Black Vulcan's Poison was instrumental in setting up KOs from here on, and he took out Wizard. Spider-Man 2099 then deactivated the giant robot Dragon Man, and the Sentinel, of all people, neutralized the threat that was Thundra--and called in Lex Luthor!

That's a great setup, and a great way to start turning the tide in the mid-game.

However, Klaw broke this momentum by promptly taking out Lex Luthor.

Well, back into the fray, Peggy Carter was able to finally break through Super Skrull's defenses (it was good to have Outwits back), but then the Punisher began finishing off my Outwitters. One of the two time-displaced Spider-Man was knocked slap OUT: 1776, notably, before Punisher finished off Samurai to get rid of a pesky Poisoner.

Meanwhile, Mimic had been skirting the fray with his Hypersonic Speed, taking shots where he could. One of those shots finally nailed Medusa, who'd risked leaving the safety of Stealth by the ring to come into the mix. That allowed 2099 to set up bringing in Brainiac, who served as grist for the Punisher mill. Punisher immediately punched out H.E.N.R.Y. and Lex both, and then Black Vulcan burned out.

The tide was slowly ebbing, it seemed. 2099, still top click, at least, went in after Klaw, hoping to deal with at least one threat. He got lucky and did just that, leaving top-click 2099, a top-click Peggy, top-click Longshot, top-click Mimic, and an injured Sentinel to face down a mid-dial Punisher robot.

Even mid-dial, that robot managed to take out the Sentinel and Longshot quickly before Mimic sped in on Archangel's borrowed wings for the finish.

Game win, 600 to 370!


Game 104
Becky Barnes, Dark Beast, Blink, Lex Luthor, Spidey 1776, Samurai, H.E.N.R.Y., Brainiac, Black Vulcan, Sentinel, and Longshot KOed
Exiles KOs: Dragon Man, Medusa, Punisher, Thundra, Super Skrull, Wizard, and Klaw
Total Exiles KOs: 396 in 104 games
Win-Loss Record: 66-38 (63.46%)

One viewer joked that my teams were always a case of, "You think he's playing his team, but he's REALLY playing Super Friends and more!" My opponent later said he didn't like playing against four teams but was still good with knocking out 370 points.

I told him that the Frightful Eighty HITS like four teams.

Another Exiles game from this past Saturday, 9/18/2021!

Game 105: 400 Points of Exiles vs. X-Men

This game was mostly about me playing new stuff.

Mimic 100
Blackbeard 90
Peggy Carter 75
Spider-Man 1776 75
Blink 60
Bookcase, Office Desk, Dumpster 0
Sideline: Wolverine (Regenesis LE), Magneto Robot, Archangel (Regenesis LE)

I was up against the following, at 390 points:

Cable 75 + 25 for 2 Future Holograms
Douglock 60
Wolverine 60
Broo 50
Shard 45
Rachel Grey 40
Jubilee 35

I lost map roll, so to Prison 42 we went. It's basically this opponent's favorite map ever.

This game, like my recent Thorin & Company vs. Birds of Prey at 1300 points, was a game that made me WORK. In the beginning turns, Douglock made a Shape Change to scoop up Outwit copied from my Spidey and my opponent made several high value attacks. I thought I was going to be on the ropes and fast. Forced to sacrifice Becky Barnes to Wolverine, I had to play carefully around Wolverine, Cable, and an enabled Douglock. Mimic proved beneficial early on with his Archangel-borrowed Hypersonic Speed, taking out one of the Cable Holograms, but that was not enough to turn the tide my way immediately. Wolverine, in one turn, triggered Peggy's Living Legend AND KOed her, costing me one of my melee scrappers.

I knew Wolverine was dangerous, but I also knew that my team, being melee heavy from the start (save Cal and Clarice) needed to drop the Cables fast. I sent Blackbeard in with a Dumpster, and then there was one fewer Hologram. Two down. One Cable to go.

At this point, most of my friend's force was to the left of the center room, on his side of the map. Most of my force was either in the center room, with some walls punched out, or just below the southwest corner of that room near the X-Men. I sent Mimic on a suicide run with Hypersonic Speed, working to clip someone on my way and set him up as a bait piece. One hit later, he was on his stop click, switching off to Wolverine's power set and getting based by Broo for several turns. Blink ultimately fixed this, using built up Rally tokens to start repositioning people, including Broo, which led to Mimic's being able to shoot Broo and then Charge into the fray again the following turn.

While Blink and Cal were busy with Broo, though, Blackbeard was tanking the rest of the crowd, punching out Shard before being made to drop his Stones of Merlin several squares distant. With his Invincible gone and no one to Mastermind to, and his Shape Change continually under Outwit from Douglock, Ben fell to Cable, who also then took down Blink with a run-and-gun strategy.

I was down to a first STOP click Mimic, set to Wolverine with a Cable running rampant alongside Rachel and Jubilee and a Charge/Blades/Outwit Douglock, and a heavily injured Spider-Man 1776. Regrouping Mimic and Spidey was easy enough, with Mimic's KOing Cable on the way, and then 1776 shot down Wolverine after some back and forth of Logan's healing and then taking damage.

From here on, it was a race to damage each other while staying alive. A couple careful turns of X-Men teaming later, Cal was above his first STOP click, and Spidey was one up from his last. Ultimately, after Mimic's having to deal with Douglock, though, Mimic was on his final STOP (switched to Magneto Robot now), and Spidey was on his last click. Jubilee was injured slightly after a Critical Miss earlier, and Rachel was still top dial.

A few lucky missed swings later saw 1776 taking down Jubilee and Cal playing a range game to gun down Rachel.

Game win, 390-225, but this game was CLOSE. At one point, Douglock should have polished off Mimic but ended up with a 1 on his Blades roll, which Mimic soaked with Toughness. Had my friend dealt three more damage to me through two attacks, I would've lost the game.

Game 105
Blackbeard, Blink, Becky Barnes, and Peggy Carter KOed
Exiles KOs: Rachel Grey, Jubilee, Douglock, Wolverine, Cable, 2 Future Holograms, Shard, and Broo
Total Exiles KOs: 405 in 105 games
Win-Loss Record: 67-38 (63.80%)

Game 106: 400 Exiles vs. Brotherhood of Mutants

In the middle of three games yesterday--a Defenders vs. Pirates that ended short due to my friend's being called away for a DragonBall tournament, this game, and a game of Howling Commandos vs. X-Men--I got to run Exiles against the Brotherhood with a new player who's really enjoying the game so far.

I ran the following:

Mimic 100 (Wolverine Regenesis LE, Magneto Robot, Archangel Regenesis LE)
Peggy Carter 75
Spider-Man 1776 75
Dark Beast 70 (AJ Styles in-set version on Sideline)
Blink 60
Inside Information 4 (x5) = 20
Bookcase, Desk, Mailbox 0

vs.

Shadow King 100
Magneto 75
Sabretooth 75
Sabretooth 60
Carmella Unuscione 50
Magneto 40

I lost map roll, so to Halfworld we went. Part of my goal today was to introduce this player to maps he has never seen, so I let him look through my assortment, and he wanted to play here. At the start of the game, he swapped out Carmella for Amelia Voight with Magneto.

This game was a real stressful one for me off hand. I don't care for Halfworld despite my love of tight maps, oddly enough. I took up residence on a small section of elevated terrain near the central pinch point, looking to use Peggy to keep folks alive until I could get a successful jump. The problem with that is my opponent's slinging the Sabretooths into my face fast. I got off an early smash with Mimic, but then two quick repeated hits saw him almost immediately mid-dial and changed off to Wolverine instead of Archangel. Spidey was then injured below his first STOP line.

Not a great way to start the game, but from here, I stabilized thanks to Blink's relocating characters with her Rally mechanic, and I started pressing forward. Peggy dropped the 75 points Sabretooth, and Becky punched out the 60 with her CCE. This gave me a little breathing room. The real issue, though, is that Shadow King needed to be my next target, and he had already applied Servant tokens to Mimic and Becky. To get to Shadow King, I had to worry about those Servant tokens building up, and I had to work through the 75 Magneto that was in my way. 1776 managed to take him out quickly enough.

This left Amelia ferrying Shadow King around and Magneto 40 trying to run interference. I needed time to set up and use Mimic as an X-Men TA battery for Spidey, getting Spidey back up to his Charge/Outwit combination.

To get that time, I sent a nearly KOed Dark Beast (last click!) up the hill to tie up Shadow King with Plasticity and Poison. One shot of Magneto Telekinesis later and a reposition with Amelia meant I didn't have as much time as I wanted.

Mimic served his purpose, healing up Spidey. As a result, Mimic was a click up from his second STOP, and I was willing to shift off to the Magneto Robot dial if necessary if he took another damage, but with 1776 back in business on his Charge/Outwit setup, I was able to make a line straight for Shadow King. 1776 Outwitted Shadow King's special Defense power, eliminating the Mastermind fears long enough for Peggy, Becky, and 1776 to polish off Shadow King in one turn.

At this point, my opponent politely conceded the game, knowing that Amelia and Magneto were not going to be able to hold off the entirety of my force that was still led by top-dial Blink and Peggy.

Game win, 400 to 0.

Game 106
No Exiles KOed
Exiles KOs: Sabretooth 75, Sabretooth 60, Magneto 75, and Shadow King
Total Exiles KOs: 409 in 106 games
Win-Loss Record: 68-38 (64.15%)

Now, why AJ Styles on Dark Beast?

Simply put, I realized that Dark Beast could use either AJ Styles or Finn Balor effectively on their back dial lines. Having picked up extras of both recently (on top of my complete WWE lineup), I decided to try out Styles this time. It gave Mimic a little of a boost early on, but not quite enough to matter, as although Dark Beast was able to Mailbox someone for 5 at one point, he didn't score any actual KOs, and his having to run to tie up Shadow King meant I couldn't loan out powers from Styles for much of the game.