Hello, once again, and welcome to Bring on the Bad Guys.
Sort of.
If you’ve been paying attention to the news, you’ll be aware of that whole ‘pandemic’ thing that’s going on at the moment, so it’s not actually possible for me, your host as always, Brad Harmer-Barnes, and my constant compatriots Ian and Dave to get together to make an episode of your favourite superhero themed tabletop gaming show. It’s a sad time, but the time when we can get back together gets closer every day.
However, that’s not stopping Atomic Mass Games, Knight Models and the producers of all the other wonderful games we play from releasing all sorts of wonderful new stuff for us to play with. We’ve decided that the best thing to do is to let you guys know all about it, here, and then get them on the table for a test drive and a gameplay video as soon as government guidelines allow. So, here we go.
LOKI & HELA
Two of my favourite villains of all time in one pack? What’s not to like?
Well, initially, I had some concerns over the potential fragility of the sculpts, as there are lots of long, thin and spindly components, such as Loki’s staff/spear thing, or the ridiculously ornate headgear that Hela favours, despite it being a recipe for lower-back problems in later life.
Is the assembly unnecessarily fiddly and a pain in the backside? Well, yes, and you should probably know to expect that by now. The only reason for Loki’s tiny little horns on his tiny little headband to be two separate components is performative obtuseness, as I have stated before, and will continue to state until the situation improves.
The abilities included with this pairing are just insane. Want a killer Do or Die attack? ‘Doom Prophecy’ has you covered. Playing against a spam list player? Use Hela’s ability to capture souls to really put a crimp in their day.
Hela is great, but Loki is a spectacularly thematic build, with all of his abilities running on deception and trickery. If you, like us, are the kind of players who loves it when that inanimate piece of plastic manages to actually feel like what it’s supposed to be on the tabletop, then you’ll have a great time with this.
I think we should do ‘Get Help’.
THOR & VALKYRIE
She’s Brunnhilde. She’s always been Brunnhilde. I don’t know why she’s called Valkyrie here.
I do. It’s to cater to the movie fans, but that seems a weird angle from a game that has always very clearly and intentionally modelled itself on the comics rather than any adaptation.
There are some fiddly bits on the assembly for these two, but nothing truly horrific by Atomic Mass Games standards.
When it comes to the powers and abilities, there’s nothing really outstanding on offer. “Odin’s Blessing” offers an excellent defensive power, and “Thunderwave” certainly looks fun, but I don’t really know how effective it will be in execution, or, indeed, how often you’ll actually get the chance to use it.
Thor is, as you’d expect, an absolute tank. Many of his powers hit super-hard, and I’m excited to see how he’d go against another tank, like Hulk or Black Dwarf.
Valkyrie is a solid brawler, but it’s hard to get excited about what she can actually do. A bit like an Asgardian “Stone Cold” Steve Austin.
DRAX THE DESTROYER & RONAN THE ACCUSER
What’s this? Great poses, great detail, and super easy to assemble? For Marvel: Crisis Protocol? Surely not! Hey, I’ll take the win, but it would be nice to see this more often.
“No Matter the Cost” is a superb card that allows for some spectacular, dramatic attacks, which, like the cards supplied with Loki and Thor, will really interest those who are interested in thematic and narrative driven gaming.
The characters themselves are, much as you would expect, absolute tanks. If your team needs some serious muscle, without going into the point sinks of Black Dwarf or a Hulk, then these two could make a great compromise.
Join us shortly for more quickfire superhero reviews!
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Brad Harmer-Barnes is a writer and comedian who has been into tabletop gaming since he was eight years old. He is the host of Fire When Ready and Bring On The Bad Guys on Emotionally14.com, co-host of Talk Star Wars, and a frequent guest on The E14 GameCast. His latest novel Fog of War is available now in paperback, Kindle and Kindle Unlimited. You can follow him on Twitter and Instagram @RealBradHB using the buttons below!
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