by Mike Eskew
(Editor’s note: Michael Eskew recently competed in a 21-person competitive event at a very high-level venue with none other than the Thanos legacy figure!)
The Team:
175 Thanos (L141)
75 Dr. Doom (DJ Doom)
35 Venom Magneto
5 Spectral
5 Remaker
5 Incandescence
Round 1: Louis Reyes – Defensive good stuff
- Sinestro
- Green Lantern as the Herald of Galactus
- Demon In An Armor
- Faust
- Captain Mar-Vell Prime
- Liar Ring
- WWE Ring
- Emotional Modifier
- What happened:
- I win map and put Louis on Otherworld Castle. I start on elevated with Dr. Doom, Thanos, and Venom Magneto. I use free TELEKINESIS to equip the Incandescence Ring to Thanos and take Louis’s Emotional Modifier with Dr. Doom. Louis equips the Liar ring to Captain Mar-vell Prime and moves his squad halfway up the map and into his WWE Ring. Thanos picks MIND Gem and TIME Gem and uses penetrating ENERGY EXPLOSION to attack Louis’s whole squad, KO’ing the Catcher’s Mitt, and damaging Mar-Vell Prime, Faust, Sinestro, and Green Lantern. Thanos uses MIND CONTROL but is mostly ineffective thanks to Louis’s Faust and successful Super Sense rolls. I then use free TELEKINESIS with Venom Magneto to position Dr. Doom to use ENERGY EXPLOSION but whiffs and even takes a penetrating damage when he tried to use theme PROBABILITY CONTROL. Louis uses his turn to heal Green Lantern back to top click with Sinestro and then proceeds to KO Dr. Doom by Outwitting his Defense and follows up with back-to-back Faust enhanced attacks from Mar-vell Prime and Green Lantern. Turn three, I use Venom Magneto’s LEADERSHIP and Thanos’s WILLPOWER to remove two tokens from Thanos. After selecting MIND, SPACE, and TIME gems, Thanos uses penetrating ENERGY EXPLOSION to attack Louis’s whole squad again KO’ing Faust, Catcher’s Mitt, and damaging all of the remaining except Demon In An Armor. Thanos uses MIND CONTROL to finish off Sinestro and Mar-Vell Prime. The last two turns, Thanos is able to take down Green Lantern and Demon In Armor but not before I lost Venom Magneto. I win 300-125.
Round 2: Brad Boyles – Alpha Strike
- 2xMaggott
- Micron
- Teen Lantern
- Flash
- Molecule Man
- Duke Thomas
- Tempo
- Emotional Modifier
- What happened:
- This was the closest game of the day. I win map and put Brad on Otherworld Castle. Again, I start on elevated but this time I swap Dr. Doom for Lord Doom, dropping the Time Platform in Lord Doom’s square. Lord Doom equips the Time Platform and Venom Magneto uses free TELEKINESIS to place the Incandescence ring and Thanos equips it. Brad equips the Emotional Modifier to a Maggott and then moves his whole team in front of my starting area on Level 1 and then chooses BATTLE FURY. Using the MIND Gem’s improved targeting, Thanos uses ENERGY EXPLOSION on Brad’s entire team. The Maggotts and Micron were able to evade with successful SUPER SENSE rolls but the rest of his team were each dealt 2 damage and KO’ing Flash. Venom Magneto uses RUNNING SHOT to dual target and KO both Duke Thomas and Teen Lantern. I use Lord Doom to CHARGE and KO Tempo. Brad generates a Sentinel in his starting zone. Brad makes Micron a colossal and then uses the trait LOOKS LIKE I’LL HAVE TO ANSWER THIS DISTRESS to place him close enough to successfully punch Lord Doom. I opt to take the 1-damage. Brad then uses SIDESTEP with Maggott to place adjacent to Lord Doom and punches sending 4-damage with the help of Micron’s EMPOWER. This time I opt to use the Time Platform to only take 1-unavoidable damage and place Lord Doom safely away from harm and next to Thanos. Brad then uses SIDESTEP with Micron to carry the remaining Maggott into the middle of my squad. My turn 3, I’m lucky enough to get 3 gems with Thanos, picking SPACE, MIND, and TIME. Thanos uses MIND CONTROL on Micron and one of the Maggotts, forcing Micron to carry and move away from my squad and then punch and KO Molecule Man. Maggott then is unsuccessful in attacking Micron but is successful in breaking away and separating Brad’s team from each other. I then play it conservative and Thanos uses free PHASING to place himself and Lord Doom to the edge of the map and away from Brad’s team. Venom Magneto uses free TELEKINESIS to place himself away and then moves adjacent to Thanos and Lord Doom. Brad walks the equipped Maggott over to Micron; he goes Colossal with Micron and taxis the Maggott over, placing HIM next to my team, and chooses BATTLE FURY. I then play it conservative again and use both free and move PHASING to get to the other side of the map. I use Venom Magneto to use free TELEKINESIS and RUNNING SHOT to damage a Maggott. I forgot about Micron’s retaliation placement and he is able to place Micron to KO Venom Magneto. I bounce around with Thanos and Lord Doom but eventually Brad is able to catch me, KO Lord Doom, make some pogs, have enough attacks to both make a Black Vulcan and a Brainiac. Time is called shortly thereafter and I win it 160 – 130.
Round 3: Micah Love – Ruler Them +5
- 3x Jason Wyngarde
- Spider Pharaoh
- Proteus (Green)
- What happened:
- Micah win’s map and puts us on Krakoa. I swap to Lord Doom. Micah had some hot dice but it was an uphill battle for him. I win 300-125.
Round 4: James Manios – X-Men Theme +a lot
- Ended up with
- Emperor Gladiator
- Jubilee
- Dark Phoenix
- Cable Clones
- Venom Magneto
- Few Multiple Men
- Lockheed pog
- Emotional Modifier
- Power Gem
- What happened:
- James wins map and puts us on Otherworld Castle. I keep Dr. Doom and roll 4 and 5 for his LEARN FROM THE PAST LEARN FROM THE PAST trait. James equips Emperor Gladiator with Power Gem and Venom Magneto with Emotional Modifier. James uses a Cable to use free TELEKINESIS to steal my Remaker Ring. I equip Incandescence to Thanos and Dr. Doom takes Emperor Gladiator’s Power Gem. Venom Magneto carries the squad forward. James destroys the Remaker Ring with a Cable scoring 5 points. James uses TELEKINESIS with Venom Magneto and the other Cable to place Jubilee and Emperor Gladiator. Jubilee shoots and damages Dr. Doom and James advances his squad bunching the majority of them together. I use the Improved Targeting granted by the MIND Gem to target the his team with penetrating ENERGY EXPLOSION damaging Gladiator and KO’ing Venom Magneto and all but one Multiple Man. Thanos then uses MIND Control on Jubilee and Emperor Gladiator to KO Dark Phoenix and the remaining Multiple Man. James regroups his team together and clears tokens. I get two Gems and pick SPACE and MIND gems to give me the reach to use penetrating ENERGY EXPLOSION on his entire team again, KO’ing Lockheed pog and the last Cable clone. James is left with Gladiator on click 3 and full strength Jubilee. We play this out and I’m eventually able to finish them both off. I win 300-125.
Round 5: Brian B – X-Men Theme +a lot
- Ended up with
- Dark Phoenix
- Xorn
- Legacy Cyclops
- Jubilee
- Dazzler
- Few Multiple Men
- Cable clones
- What happened:
- I miraculously win map and choose Data Mine which severely limits Brian’s reach and offense. Thanos equips the Incandescence Ring and moves up. Brian advances and leans on the Xorn 19-Defend which groups his squad together and Thanos is able to use penetrating ENERGY Explosion on most of his team. Damaging a few figures and KO’ing Dark Phoenix, one of the Cable clones, and the Multiple Men. This one wraps up shortly thereafter. I win 300-10
Top 8: Brian B – X-Men Theme + a lot
- Ended up with
- Legacy cyclops
- Jubilee
- Jubilee
- Dazzler
- Few Multiple Men
- Cable clones
- What happened:
- This time, Brian wins map and puts us on Otherworld Castle. Brian prepares for his alpha strike and passes turn. I equip the Incandescence ring to Thanos. Brian sends in Jubilee but whiffs. Thanos uses MIND CONTROL and the penetrating Energy Explosion to pick apart Brian’s team. I win 300-10.
Top 4: Micah Love – Ruler Theme +5
- 3x Jason Wyngarde
- Spider Pharaoh
- Proteus (Green)
- What happened:
- Micah win’s map and puts us on Krakoa. I swap to Lord Doom. Micah’s dice were not as hot this game. I win 300-0.
Finals: James Manios – X-Men Theme +a lot
- Emperor Gladiator
- Jubilee
- Dark Phoenix
- Cable Clones
- Venom Magneto
- Few Multiple Men
- Lockheed pog
- Emotional Modifier
- Power Gem
- What happened
- James wins map and opts for Otherworld Castle again. He does a similar configuration and setup as our first game. I opt to keep Dr. Doom and he rolls a 2 and a 6 for his LEARN FROM THE PAST LEARN FROM THE PAST trait. This time James steals my Incandescence ring with a Cable instead of the Remaker Ring. He equips Venom Magneto with Emotional Modifier and Power Gem to Emperor Gladiator. I equip Remaker Ring to Thanos and Dr. Doom takes the Power Gem. James steals the Spectral ring with a Cable and retreats back to his main squad. Venom Magneto chooses BATTLE FURY with the Emotional Modifier and places him to where he can see the majority of the important friendly characters and passes turn. I luckily roll 3 Gems and choose SPACE, MIND, and TIME. Venom Magneto uses free TELEKINESIS to place Thanos out six squares and then he uses free PHASING to move six additional squares letting Thanos reach the back row. Thanos shoots and KOs James’s Venom Magneto dropping the Emotional Modifier’s BATTLE FURY that was protecting his team. Thanos uses MIND CONTROL to target Emperor Gladiator and Jubilee. Jubilee uses SHAPE CHANGE to force me to pick a Cable. Emperor Gladiator is able to KO Dark Phoenix and a Multiple Man and Cable is able to damage Jubilee off of top click. James makes a Shi’ar with Emperor Gladiator’s successful LEADERSHIP and advances his team towards Dr. Doom and my Venom Magneto and away from Thanos. Thanos uses MIND CONTROL on Emperor Gladiator and the Shi’ar Soldier to damage Jubilee and KO the Lockheed pog. Thanos also shoots and KO’s a Multiple Man. Venom Magneto carries Dr Doom over to be closer to Thanos. Emperor Gladiator successfully generates another Shi’ar Solider. Jubilee uses RUNNING SHOT to target Venom Magneto but misses. Cable uses free TELEKINESIS to place Emperor Gladiator to RUNNING SHOT damaging Dr. Doom. Thanos uses MIND CONTROL on Emperor Gladiator and a Cable to KO Jubilee. James has Emperor Gladiator use RUNNING SHOT to attack Venom Magneto but evades with Super Senses. Thanos uses MIND CONTROL on Emperor Gladiator to KO one of the Shi’ar guards. James has Emperor Gladiator to RUNNING SHOT damaging Dr. Doom. This continues until James only has Emperor Gladiator left and time is called. Because of the point swap math and the characters generated, I win 300-95.
It was a terrifically run event, drawing in 21 players. It was great seeing everyone and playing clix in person again. I was lucky with good matchups and able to go 8-0 with 2260 points while only giving up a total of 620 points. Thanos is a ton of fun to play and will be a menace for sometime to come.
Thanks for reading and I hope I get to throw some dice with you soon.
