Tournament Report – Lancaster, CA ICQ (Bronze Age) – Nikolas Madison

By
Majestix

 by Nikolas Madison

Hello, my fellow Apex Insiders, today I will break down the team that I used to achieve my victory at the ICQ in Lancaster event. After a 20 people turn-out, we played four grueling rounds of Swiss before cutting to the Top 8. I wanted to do something big for the first Majestix Tournament under the new rules, so I developed this team with those rule changes in mind. Without further ado, let’s get into my team build.

Latveria Themed Team:

Infinity (75)

  • The Greatest Support piece of the team, and a piece I found to be extremely under-utilized in the Bronze Age format.
  • First Trait: YOU CAN’T KILL THE ABSTRACT-INFINITY; has a board-wide effect that modifies opposing characters’ speed and range -1 for the rest of the game and modifies friendly characters’ speed and range +1 for the rest of the game. With the new rules, I figured it would be a greater challenge for opposing teams to have full map reach(2×3 maps) due to the range of Telekinesis dropping from 6 to 4. For example, if a character has Running Shot with 8-MOV and 7-Range, they are now limited to a movement of 3 squares and can shoot up to 6. Therefore taking 2 squares away from the opposing team. To put this into further context, if a character were to use Running Shot or Charge, their values are halved due to the power and then modified -1 because of Infinity.
  • Infinity’s Special Movement Power: BEND SPACE; grants each adjacent friendly character, “FREE; place this character in another square adjacent to Infinity.” This was my way of substituting the use of Telekinesis while simultaneously positioning my team for a full map run.

Sky Tyrant (75) – Power Gem (10)

  • The Main Attacker of the team, and one of the most annoying pieces in a Competitive metagame. His ability: SKY TYRANY FLIES AGAIN provided devastating blows to opposing teams.
  • Power Gem: “Modify DMG +1. Close Combat Expert, Range Combat Expert.” This makes Sky Tyrant hit with a 12 ATK and 5 DMG. The Power Gem would help to max out Sky Tyrant’s ATK to 14 and 6 DMG with the help of Saint Walker and a Perplex from Mad Jim Jaspers, both of which, I will discuss next.

Saint Walker (30) – Blue Lantern Ring (10)

  • The Secondary Support of the team, Saint Walker would allow me to access the Lantern Constructs and the Blue Lantern Ring.
  • Trait: IN FEARFUL DAY; grants Saint Walker Empower which combos with the Blue Lantern Ring, giving the attacker—that’s benefiting from Empower—an additional +1 to their ATK. When Sky Tyrant would full-speed Charge—combined with Flurry—he would carry Saint Walker, with him, across the map.

Mad Jim Jaspers (35) – Spin Ring (5)

  • The Equipment Manipulator of the team allowed me to have answers to different scenarios.
  • Trait: THE CROOKED MARKET, “FREE; choose an equipped friendly character within range and line of fire. Replace their equipped equipment with another equipment of equal or less points from your sideline. // POWER: Once per game, chose a friendly unequipped character within range and line of fire, and chose an equipment from your sideline. Equip the chosen character with the chosen equipment.” This trait allowed me to equip Infinity with the Time Gem from my Sideline, granting her a +1 Range and Probability Control. On an outdoors map, Infinity would have a 13 Range and her line of fire for Probability Control, generally, would not be blocked. The trait also gave me access to:
  • Cosmic Cube (30) – Would generally be equipped to Infinity if I needed +2 to range and the ability to see through Hindering Terrain.
  • Indigo Lantern Ring (10) – Would generally be swapped in for the Blue Lantern Ring to support Sky Tyrant if damaged.
  • Black Bone of Amduat (10) – Was swapped in for the Power Gem during one match so I could ignore STOP click.

Doom The Annihilating Conqueror (75)

  • Trait: CONQUEROR OF TIMELINES; was used to make this a Theme-Team and to counteract the X-Men swap mechanic. He was then replaced by another Doom(Lord Doom, DOOM) via THE MANY FACES OF DOOM; Trait

Groot (20)

  • Here. For. Leadership.

My Initial Setup:

  • As the first player in all eight matches, my first turn was the same.
    • Turn 1: Mad Jim Jaspers; POWER ACTION: Equipped Infinity w/ Time Gem, pass turn.
    • Turn 2: ATK TURN; Infinity side-steps up 2 squares, FREE: Place Sky Tyrant & Mad Jim Jaspers to Rank 5. Mad Jaspers Spin Ringed Sky Tyrant up 1 square & used Telekinesis on Sky Tyrant to get him up 4 more squares. Saint Walker would MOVE adjacent to Sky Tyrant. Infinity MOVE into position for Probability Control for Sky Tyrant’s ATK. Once these were in place, Sky Tyrant would move across the map, carrying Saint Walker to make for ATKs via Flurry w/ a 13 ATK for 6 DMG. This ATK generally gave Sky Tyrant Resurrection Tokens and allowed him to move back 14 squares due to Infinity’s Trait: YOU CAN’T KILL THE ABSTRACT-INFINITY.
    • After this turn, their pieces were vulnerable and weaker, making it easy to pick them off one by one.

Match 1: Jon Ybarra (Team Vegas)

  • I won the Initiative Roll and chose to go first. He took me to Aunt Petunia’s House. My first turn was as stated above. He positioned his entire animal team in the bathroom of Aunt Petunia’s House, forcing me to have to destroy a wall to reach him. His positioning left his main attacker, Michelangelo, vulnerable to an attack.
  • Turn 2, I spent positioning my forces to destroy the wall ‘protecting’ Michelangelo. I then immediately sent Sky Tyrant to destroy his main attacker.
  • For the remainder of the match, Jon tried to rally his animal team but came up short, resulting in a 1-0 start for me.

Match 2: Jeff Bullard

  • I won the Initiative Roll and chose to go first. Jeff was running Scooby Gang pieces and Batman Prime at the lower dial. My first turn was as stated above. Jeff positioned his team a few squares in front of the starting area, then Smoke Cloud with Batman Prime.
  • Turn 2, I fell into Jeff’s trap by sending Sky Tyrant to attack his Scooby Gang pieces, not realizing that I would have to break away from Batman’s Smoke Cloud Markers. Jeff had positioned Batman’s Utility Belt, giving him Plasticity. When occupying these Smoke Cloud Markers, characters lose their Improved Movement abilities; this locked Sky Tyrant down.
  • The game would go on as Jeff and I both made unfortunate errors which resulted in my only defeat. Record: 1-1

Match 3: Craig Landers

  • I won Initiative Roll and Craig took me to Haunted Pier(2×2). This game was the only game I had equipped Infinity w/ the Cosmic Cube because Craig was playing Ace which would render the Time Gem useless.
  • After my first turn, Craig used Barrier on a select few of his pieces to protect his team the ‘best’ he could.
  • Turn 2, I was able to have Infinity shoot one of the Barriers, protecting his main attacker, while also positioning Saint Walker to drop the Fire Hydrant Construct. This allowed me to remove 2 more Barrier markers and created the perfect area of attack for Sky Tyrant.
  • This would result in a 2-1 record for me as I was able to pick apart the rest of his team.

Match 4: Julio Blandino

  • I won the Initiative Roll and Julio took me to the Desert Wedding. Julio ran an X-Men swap team which allowed me to remove the X-Men keyword from several of his pieces. This would later affect his ability to use KRAKOAN REVIVAL.
  • During the attacking phase, I went after Dark Phoenix because I have witnessed the horrors that the piece can do if not left in check. He retaliated by KO’ing Infinity.
  • Turn 3, I responded by KO’ing his Hope Summers and Venom Magneto with Sky Tyrant, giving him the movement to cross back to my starting area. When the time was called, the characters left open for an attack would not result in enough points to win him the match.
  • Record 3-1, going into the top eight as the number 2 seed w/ Jon Ybarra leading the way as the 1 seed(Team Vegas).

Match 5: Billy Clark

  • I won the map roll. and he took me an indoor map. For the first time, in all of the tournament, Infinity’s line of sight would be slightly blocked.
  • His team did not have full map reach and required a positioning turn, however, he was playing 2 Saturnynes, which can decrease an ATK roll by at least 2. Fortunately for me, Sky Tyrant was hitting with a 14 ATK, making the minimum number I had to roll a 6.
  • After he positioned himself in the middle of the map, Sky Tyrant went in to take out both Saturnynes. This was done successfully. The following turn, he attacked with Doppelganger, leaving Infinity on her last click of life. I spent my following turn positioning Mad Jim Jaspers to swap the Blue Lantern Ring on Saint Walker into the Indigo Ring allowing me to Support onto Sky Tyrant because he was damaged from Mystics TA. He spent his turn clearing action tokens, allowing Sky Tyrant to get back in the fight.
  • The game would result in a win for me. Record 4-1, moving to top-four.

Match 6: Armando Ramirez

  • Armando was running the Darkseid Team. He took me to an outdoor map focused on multiple levels of elevation.
  • Turn 2, I sent Sky Tyrant to attack Felix Faust so I could spend the remainder of the match determined to take down his full-point Darkseid. After KO’ing Felix Faust I positioned Sky Tyrant and Saint Walker along the edge of the map and then Saint Walker generated the Stop Sign Construct to Barrier the unit in, leaving him with no one to attack during his turn. He positioned Darkseid next to the Barrier Marker, with the Soul Gem equipped to Darkseid and a Perplex to his Defense, I would need to hit a 21 on my turn.
  • Turn 3, the Tarot Card, Queen of Swords, was revealed, granting me Critical Hits on ATK rolls of 10s and 11s which is what I rolled with both Flurry attacks w/ Sky Tyrant on Darkseid. The fall of Darkseid was inevitable. At this point, Darkseid was no longer the threat he once was which led to his KO and my spot in the Finals.

FINAL ROUND: Jesse Cortez

  • Jesse was playing Blackheart, Felix Faust, Gladiator Prime, Hope Summers, and Dark Phoenix. After my turn 1, he split his forces into 3 different units:
    • Blackheart and Felix Faust moved as a unit to take out my Walking Woods which were generated by Groot.
    • Gladiator Prime and Hope Summers were repositioned next to Dr. Leslie Evans bystander.
    • Dark Phoenix was by herself.
  • I decided to send Sky Tyrant to attack Gladiator Prime with the hopes of killing off Hope Summers and crippling Gladiator Prime. The best-case scenario happened instead.
  • The Queen of Swords Tarot Card revealed itself this turn and on Sky Tyrant’s first attack on Gladiator Prime a 10 was rolled, resulting in a Critical Hit and preventing Gladiator Prime from using Mastermind and dealing enough damage to KO him. My second attack was able to KO Hope Summers. Sky Tyrant was able to come back 14 squares next to the rest of my team. Before ending my turn, Felix Faust was in the range of Infinity for an attack which ended up KO’ing him.
  • His response was a FREE retaliation w/ Dark Phoenix on the rest of my team which resulted in him rolling a Critical Miss that KO’d the piece. He cleared Blackheart and passed. With Blackheart—the only piece alive—Mad Jim Jaspers swapped the Power Gem on Sky Tyrant to the Black Bone of Amduat, allowing Sky Tyrant to ignore STOP clicks when using Blades/Claws/Fangs. Sky Tyrant went in for his ATK. After I hit, I rolled a 6 on Blades/Claws/Fangs, dealing 6 DMG straight through him, K/O’ing his last piece, and winning the ICQ in Lancaster.

           

            I had an amazing time at this event and met many amazing, new players who all share the same passion I have for this game. Thank you to Anthony and Jose Barragan for judging the event. I look forward to the rest of the 2023 season and hope to see you all here in Las Vegas at The Vegas Open Event on June 2-4!