Post by thecasualoblivion on Jan 4, 2007 22:38:40 GMT -5
Lets analyze the Marvel Factions based on the figures they've given us. Starting with the good guys...
--side note: please excuse any mistakes on the figure classes: Warrior, Specialist ect. I'm doing this from memory on that front and I expect a mistake or two.
--side note #2: I am not only comparing these teams to each other, but to non-Marvel factions like Jedi, Autobots, Rebels, ect. I know that isn't a fair comparision, but thats the way it is.
Avengers
Spider Man--10pt Warrior, traditional striker, 4/26 Evade(Avengers)
Thor--30pt Warrior, downward smash striker, 14/26 Thunderclap
Hulk--40pt Warrior, trash can throw, 12/26 Recover(Avengers)
Captain America--40pt Leader, shield strike/throw, 14/26 Last Stand
I don't have a lot of confidence in the Avengers team as constructed. They have a useful 10pt figure in Spider Man, but the rest of the team is too expensive. 30pt Thor is underwhelming, as his strike is unreliable, his power is just ok, and he's not really worth 30pts. The only launchers are Hulk and Captain America. Hulk is a 40pt figure, and it remains to be seen how much better than Chirpa he is, or how powerful his defense is. He's still a large point investment though, and Spider Man and another 40pt figure are his only help right now, and thats not enough. Captain America is a great figure, but his power and value rely on having a good team to send out in front and die for him, and just Spider Man isn't enough for that. Captain America's power doesn't require Avengers, and he'd probably do better on a non-Avengers team.
Fantastic Four
Thing--30pt Warrior, downward smash striker, 13/26 Battle Cry
All we have from the Fantastic Four is Thing right now, and you can't build a 100pt or 200pt team out of just The Thing, since he's 30pts. He's got good defense, but the downward smash is an iffy attack and his power isn't earth shattering for a 30pt figure. For 20pts, you get Kit Fisto, who is vastly superior.
Marvel Knights
Punisher--30pt Specialist, medium launcher, 14/26 Last Stand
Elecktra--10pt Specialist, traditional striker, 13/26 Attackback(Daredevil)
Daredevil--20pt Specialist, uppercut striker, 8/26 Evade(Marvel Knights), Effect--if Daredevil kills a Warrior with a higher point cost than Daredevil, that attack does not count against your limit of attacks per turn
Western Ghost Rider--20pt Warrior, medium launcher, 10/26 Vengence(Warrior)
Ghost Rider--20pt Specialist, traditional striker, 14/26 Vengence(Attacker)
Marvel Knights is probably the best stand alone team among Marvel Attacktix. Neither Dardevil or Elektra have great strikes, but their special powers and effects have great synergy, and both figures have low point costs so I'd expect that a group of these two figures would be a formidable team. Ghost Rider is the best figure among Marvel Knights, but he doesn't really fit on a 100pt Marvel Knights team, as I think adding him would detract from the Daredevil/Elektra blitz. A 200pt team could easily support a Ghost Rider or two. Punisher is a little expensive in general, and definitely too expensive for 100pt teams, and there's no reason to ever use more than one of him. Western Ghost Rider is the better launcher, and a good addition to a Daredevil/Elektra swarm. Overall I could see this team working well.
X-Men
Beast--20pt Captain, striker "wookie" fist, 10/26 Rally(X-Men)
Wolverine--20pt Warrior, prodder claw, 12/26 Recover(X-Men), effect: If your army defeats a Leader, Wolverine may move 6 tix and another attack.
Gambit--30pt Captain, launcher force blast, 10/26 Rescue(X-Men)
Wolverine--30pt Leader, traditional striker, 18/26 Attackback(Leader)
X-Men have two really good figures in Beast and Gambit, but I'm not sure how you can really make a good 100pt team out of them. X-Men need a 10pt figure. The best 100pt X-Men team would be five Beasts. Both Wolverines are weak for what they are. 20pt Wolverine though having a nice power and effect, is(I've been told) the weakest prodder in the game and unreliable for killing things. 30pt Wolverine has a terrible strike and his power does little for an X-Men team. If what I heard about 20pt Wolverine is wrong, I could see a decent 200pt team of Beast, Wolverine, and Gambit being worthwhile, if unspectacular, and Wolverine could sneak into the five Beasts team, replacing one or two. 30pt Gambit is a great cost and power for a Force Blast, but the lack of a 10pt X-Men figure really limits him to 200pt X-Men teams.
Spider Man
Spider Man(striker)--10pt ?, traditional striker, 13/26 Attackback(Spider Man)
Spider Man(pole)--20pt Specialist, kicking striker, 12/26 Rescue(any), effect: if your team contains four or more Marvel Attacktix Classes, gain an additional attack
Spider Man(web blast)--30pt Leader, launcher heavy web(force) blast, 14/26 Stun(leader)
Armored Spider Man--20pt Warrior, launcher heavy web(force) blast, 10/26 Battle Cry
Lets start out by excluding pole swinging Spider Man and the 30pt web blaster. Pole swinging Spider Man does nothing for a pure Spider Man team, and the 30pt launcher just isn't nearly as good as the 20pt one. That leaves the other two, and those two make a formidable, if expensive army. Both figures are exclusive to the Spider Man origins set, and a lot of that set will have to be bought to get enough of the 10pt striker for a good army. Its power is 50% for Attackback(Spider Man) which is just ridiculous. 20pt Armored Spider Man is a great value, and even though its power is likely to never come up on a Spider Man team, thanks to most people killing the strikers first and not having three figures left when Armored Spidey dies, but 20pts for a large base and a heavy force blast is still a bargain. Spider Man, no matter how weak the strike for 10pt Spider Man and how easy it is to kill, should be a dangerous team.
And now for the bad guys...
Brotherhood of Evil Mutants
Pyro--20pt Trooper, launcher small missile, 8/26 Shootback(Brotherhood)
Mystique--20pt Specialist, launcher small missile, 6/26 Swap, effect: if Mystique is in base to base contact with an enemy figure, you may discard Mystique and gain control of that figure for the rest of the game as an attack action
Magneto--40pt Leader, launcher metal block, 16/26 Sacrifice(Brotherhood)
Sabertooth--20pt Warrior, striker "Wookie" fist, 14/26 Recover(Leader)
I like the figures on this team, but the numbers really don't add up. Pyro is a little weak for 20pts, especially compared to Mystique and Sabertooth, who are also 20pts. Magneto is a large investment for a team, and the Brotherhood does not have any cheap 10pt figures to sacrifice for him. Sabertooth is a solid figure, but would require Magneto for his power and thats 60pts right there for one of each. Mystique is an interesting figure for 20pts as well. Without a 10pt figure, or a cheaper leader for Sabertooth, I think the figures in this faction don't have the right point costs to field a truly competitive team.
Sinister Syndicate
Electro--10pt Trooper, medium launcher, 6/26 Rally(Sinister Syndicate)
Doctor Octopus(booster)--30pt Leader, traditional striker, 14/26 Stun(Spider Man and Marvel Knights)
Venom--30pt Warrior, uppercut striker, 10/26 Recruit(Sinister Syndicate)
Green Goblin(Marvel Heroes)--40pt Leader, launcher pumpkin bomb, 10/26 Capture Attacker(Warrior)
Green Goblin(Spider Man Origins)--40pt Leader, launcher pumpkin bomb, 6/26 Rescue(Sinister Syndicate)
Doctor Octopus(Spider Man origins--30pt ?, traditional striker, 6/26 Rally(Sinister Syndicate)
This is the largest team in Marvel Attacktix, but I still don't see a solid team in them. The Spider Man Origins versions of Green Goblin and Doctor Octopus have bad special powers for their costs, and booster Doctor Octopus has a power too specific to be truly useful. That leaves only three figures. Electro is a great 10pt launcher, possibly in the top three of all time. 6/26 Rally and a medium missile is awesome for 10pts. The Sinister Syndicate really lacks a punch behind Electro though. 30pt Venom is ok, but not entirely worth 30pts. Green Goblin is a little iffy since he can fall of his base and die cheaply, is expensive at 40pts, I've found him hard to aim, and requires Venom to use his special power. Thats a 70pt investment in two figures, and for what they are its not a good value. Electro gives this team a good start on the future, but I'm not terribly impressed with the present.
The Hidden
Blackheart--40pt Leader, uppercut striker, 16/26 Vanquish
Abigor--20pt Trooper, medium launcher equivalent, 18/26 Attackback(The Hidden)
Wallow--20pt Trooper, medium launcher equiavlent, 12/26 Attackback(The Hidden)
Wallow is crap. Abigor is the exact same figure with a much better power ratio. Abigor is what makes this team strong. A medium launcher for 20pts is solid, and 18/26 Attackback is never anything to sneeze at. I've found Blackheart more effective than expected, but is still an investment for 40pts. Remember that he can still stand up if he's the last figure on your team as long as you have dead enemies to eat. A 100pt team of Blackheart and three Abigors, or five Abigors seems decent, but not top of the line. These guys need a 10pt striker and possibly some other figures to make Abigor truly scary.
Faction Rankings:
1. Marvel Knights--I give them the top spot for more flexibility than the Spider Man faction.
2. Spider Man--Dangerous, yet expensive dollar-wise
3. X-Men--I don't really like the five Beast team, but it beats everything else here.
4. The Hidden--Abigor alone gets them #4, and don't underestimate Blackheart.
5. Brotherhood--Magneto needs a 10pt figure to eat.
6. Avengers--Just doesn't fit together well
7. Sinister Syndicate--Electro just isn't enough.
8. Fantastic Four--The Thing needs a little help. One figure does not make a faction.
Against the larger Attacktix world:
1. Marvel Knights would put up a decent fight. Elektra, Daredevil and Ghost Rider are all quality inexpensive strikers, and Western Ghost Rider is among the best 20pt launchers. They have a lot of value and can field a swarm of good figures. I'd expect them to field effective 100pt and 200pt teams.
2. Spider Man team could hang with everybody, provided you've got the cash. A 100pt team of six 10pt strikers and two Armored strikers would require buying six Spider Man Origins starters, and a 200pt team of ten strikers and five Armored Spider Man would be an investment of $100 or so for ten starters.
3. X-Men have the five Beast(possibly with a Wolverine) team, which is ok, but would suffer from lack of launchers/10pt figures against larger and/or more well balanced teams. 200pts is a little easier, as its easier to include Gambit, but the lack of a 10pt figure still hurts this team a lot.
4. The Hidden don't really have enough quality figures to stand up to the better Star Wars or Transformers teams, but they wouldn't be a complete cakewalk either.
5-8. I wouldn't expect any of the other teams to do well at all. The Brotherhood really suffers from the lack of a 10pt figure, the Avengers are mostly expensive and do not work well with each other, the Sinister Syndicate doesn't really have a really good figure aside from Electro, and The Thing is all alone and in need of help.
--side note: please excuse any mistakes on the figure classes: Warrior, Specialist ect. I'm doing this from memory on that front and I expect a mistake or two.
--side note #2: I am not only comparing these teams to each other, but to non-Marvel factions like Jedi, Autobots, Rebels, ect. I know that isn't a fair comparision, but thats the way it is.
Avengers
Spider Man--10pt Warrior, traditional striker, 4/26 Evade(Avengers)
Thor--30pt Warrior, downward smash striker, 14/26 Thunderclap
Hulk--40pt Warrior, trash can throw, 12/26 Recover(Avengers)
Captain America--40pt Leader, shield strike/throw, 14/26 Last Stand
I don't have a lot of confidence in the Avengers team as constructed. They have a useful 10pt figure in Spider Man, but the rest of the team is too expensive. 30pt Thor is underwhelming, as his strike is unreliable, his power is just ok, and he's not really worth 30pts. The only launchers are Hulk and Captain America. Hulk is a 40pt figure, and it remains to be seen how much better than Chirpa he is, or how powerful his defense is. He's still a large point investment though, and Spider Man and another 40pt figure are his only help right now, and thats not enough. Captain America is a great figure, but his power and value rely on having a good team to send out in front and die for him, and just Spider Man isn't enough for that. Captain America's power doesn't require Avengers, and he'd probably do better on a non-Avengers team.
Fantastic Four
Thing--30pt Warrior, downward smash striker, 13/26 Battle Cry
All we have from the Fantastic Four is Thing right now, and you can't build a 100pt or 200pt team out of just The Thing, since he's 30pts. He's got good defense, but the downward smash is an iffy attack and his power isn't earth shattering for a 30pt figure. For 20pts, you get Kit Fisto, who is vastly superior.
Marvel Knights
Punisher--30pt Specialist, medium launcher, 14/26 Last Stand
Elecktra--10pt Specialist, traditional striker, 13/26 Attackback(Daredevil)
Daredevil--20pt Specialist, uppercut striker, 8/26 Evade(Marvel Knights), Effect--if Daredevil kills a Warrior with a higher point cost than Daredevil, that attack does not count against your limit of attacks per turn
Western Ghost Rider--20pt Warrior, medium launcher, 10/26 Vengence(Warrior)
Ghost Rider--20pt Specialist, traditional striker, 14/26 Vengence(Attacker)
Marvel Knights is probably the best stand alone team among Marvel Attacktix. Neither Dardevil or Elektra have great strikes, but their special powers and effects have great synergy, and both figures have low point costs so I'd expect that a group of these two figures would be a formidable team. Ghost Rider is the best figure among Marvel Knights, but he doesn't really fit on a 100pt Marvel Knights team, as I think adding him would detract from the Daredevil/Elektra blitz. A 200pt team could easily support a Ghost Rider or two. Punisher is a little expensive in general, and definitely too expensive for 100pt teams, and there's no reason to ever use more than one of him. Western Ghost Rider is the better launcher, and a good addition to a Daredevil/Elektra swarm. Overall I could see this team working well.
X-Men
Beast--20pt Captain, striker "wookie" fist, 10/26 Rally(X-Men)
Wolverine--20pt Warrior, prodder claw, 12/26 Recover(X-Men), effect: If your army defeats a Leader, Wolverine may move 6 tix and another attack.
Gambit--30pt Captain, launcher force blast, 10/26 Rescue(X-Men)
Wolverine--30pt Leader, traditional striker, 18/26 Attackback(Leader)
X-Men have two really good figures in Beast and Gambit, but I'm not sure how you can really make a good 100pt team out of them. X-Men need a 10pt figure. The best 100pt X-Men team would be five Beasts. Both Wolverines are weak for what they are. 20pt Wolverine though having a nice power and effect, is(I've been told) the weakest prodder in the game and unreliable for killing things. 30pt Wolverine has a terrible strike and his power does little for an X-Men team. If what I heard about 20pt Wolverine is wrong, I could see a decent 200pt team of Beast, Wolverine, and Gambit being worthwhile, if unspectacular, and Wolverine could sneak into the five Beasts team, replacing one or two. 30pt Gambit is a great cost and power for a Force Blast, but the lack of a 10pt X-Men figure really limits him to 200pt X-Men teams.
Spider Man
Spider Man(striker)--10pt ?, traditional striker, 13/26 Attackback(Spider Man)
Spider Man(pole)--20pt Specialist, kicking striker, 12/26 Rescue(any), effect: if your team contains four or more Marvel Attacktix Classes, gain an additional attack
Spider Man(web blast)--30pt Leader, launcher heavy web(force) blast, 14/26 Stun(leader)
Armored Spider Man--20pt Warrior, launcher heavy web(force) blast, 10/26 Battle Cry
Lets start out by excluding pole swinging Spider Man and the 30pt web blaster. Pole swinging Spider Man does nothing for a pure Spider Man team, and the 30pt launcher just isn't nearly as good as the 20pt one. That leaves the other two, and those two make a formidable, if expensive army. Both figures are exclusive to the Spider Man origins set, and a lot of that set will have to be bought to get enough of the 10pt striker for a good army. Its power is 50% for Attackback(Spider Man) which is just ridiculous. 20pt Armored Spider Man is a great value, and even though its power is likely to never come up on a Spider Man team, thanks to most people killing the strikers first and not having three figures left when Armored Spidey dies, but 20pts for a large base and a heavy force blast is still a bargain. Spider Man, no matter how weak the strike for 10pt Spider Man and how easy it is to kill, should be a dangerous team.
And now for the bad guys...
Brotherhood of Evil Mutants
Pyro--20pt Trooper, launcher small missile, 8/26 Shootback(Brotherhood)
Mystique--20pt Specialist, launcher small missile, 6/26 Swap, effect: if Mystique is in base to base contact with an enemy figure, you may discard Mystique and gain control of that figure for the rest of the game as an attack action
Magneto--40pt Leader, launcher metal block, 16/26 Sacrifice(Brotherhood)
Sabertooth--20pt Warrior, striker "Wookie" fist, 14/26 Recover(Leader)
I like the figures on this team, but the numbers really don't add up. Pyro is a little weak for 20pts, especially compared to Mystique and Sabertooth, who are also 20pts. Magneto is a large investment for a team, and the Brotherhood does not have any cheap 10pt figures to sacrifice for him. Sabertooth is a solid figure, but would require Magneto for his power and thats 60pts right there for one of each. Mystique is an interesting figure for 20pts as well. Without a 10pt figure, or a cheaper leader for Sabertooth, I think the figures in this faction don't have the right point costs to field a truly competitive team.
Sinister Syndicate
Electro--10pt Trooper, medium launcher, 6/26 Rally(Sinister Syndicate)
Doctor Octopus(booster)--30pt Leader, traditional striker, 14/26 Stun(Spider Man and Marvel Knights)
Venom--30pt Warrior, uppercut striker, 10/26 Recruit(Sinister Syndicate)
Green Goblin(Marvel Heroes)--40pt Leader, launcher pumpkin bomb, 10/26 Capture Attacker(Warrior)
Green Goblin(Spider Man Origins)--40pt Leader, launcher pumpkin bomb, 6/26 Rescue(Sinister Syndicate)
Doctor Octopus(Spider Man origins--30pt ?, traditional striker, 6/26 Rally(Sinister Syndicate)
This is the largest team in Marvel Attacktix, but I still don't see a solid team in them. The Spider Man Origins versions of Green Goblin and Doctor Octopus have bad special powers for their costs, and booster Doctor Octopus has a power too specific to be truly useful. That leaves only three figures. Electro is a great 10pt launcher, possibly in the top three of all time. 6/26 Rally and a medium missile is awesome for 10pts. The Sinister Syndicate really lacks a punch behind Electro though. 30pt Venom is ok, but not entirely worth 30pts. Green Goblin is a little iffy since he can fall of his base and die cheaply, is expensive at 40pts, I've found him hard to aim, and requires Venom to use his special power. Thats a 70pt investment in two figures, and for what they are its not a good value. Electro gives this team a good start on the future, but I'm not terribly impressed with the present.
The Hidden
Blackheart--40pt Leader, uppercut striker, 16/26 Vanquish
Abigor--20pt Trooper, medium launcher equivalent, 18/26 Attackback(The Hidden)
Wallow--20pt Trooper, medium launcher equiavlent, 12/26 Attackback(The Hidden)
Wallow is crap. Abigor is the exact same figure with a much better power ratio. Abigor is what makes this team strong. A medium launcher for 20pts is solid, and 18/26 Attackback is never anything to sneeze at. I've found Blackheart more effective than expected, but is still an investment for 40pts. Remember that he can still stand up if he's the last figure on your team as long as you have dead enemies to eat. A 100pt team of Blackheart and three Abigors, or five Abigors seems decent, but not top of the line. These guys need a 10pt striker and possibly some other figures to make Abigor truly scary.
Faction Rankings:
1. Marvel Knights--I give them the top spot for more flexibility than the Spider Man faction.
2. Spider Man--Dangerous, yet expensive dollar-wise
3. X-Men--I don't really like the five Beast team, but it beats everything else here.
4. The Hidden--Abigor alone gets them #4, and don't underestimate Blackheart.
5. Brotherhood--Magneto needs a 10pt figure to eat.
6. Avengers--Just doesn't fit together well
7. Sinister Syndicate--Electro just isn't enough.
8. Fantastic Four--The Thing needs a little help. One figure does not make a faction.
Against the larger Attacktix world:
1. Marvel Knights would put up a decent fight. Elektra, Daredevil and Ghost Rider are all quality inexpensive strikers, and Western Ghost Rider is among the best 20pt launchers. They have a lot of value and can field a swarm of good figures. I'd expect them to field effective 100pt and 200pt teams.
2. Spider Man team could hang with everybody, provided you've got the cash. A 100pt team of six 10pt strikers and two Armored strikers would require buying six Spider Man Origins starters, and a 200pt team of ten strikers and five Armored Spider Man would be an investment of $100 or so for ten starters.
3. X-Men have the five Beast(possibly with a Wolverine) team, which is ok, but would suffer from lack of launchers/10pt figures against larger and/or more well balanced teams. 200pts is a little easier, as its easier to include Gambit, but the lack of a 10pt figure still hurts this team a lot.
4. The Hidden don't really have enough quality figures to stand up to the better Star Wars or Transformers teams, but they wouldn't be a complete cakewalk either.
5-8. I wouldn't expect any of the other teams to do well at all. The Brotherhood really suffers from the lack of a 10pt figure, the Avengers are mostly expensive and do not work well with each other, the Sinister Syndicate doesn't really have a really good figure aside from Electro, and The Thing is all alone and in need of help.
