by Justino Jimenez
Hello everybody my name is Justino and I’m here to break down my ROC trip to Raleigh, North Carolina. I flew all the way from California representing Team Majestix. There were some epic battles on my way to the Final seat. The tournament was held at Ultimate Comics and run by Head Judge Jessie who did a great job managing the tournament. I believe they were just shy of 16 players so it was with 3 rounds of Swiss and then cut to Top 8. I went with a SHIELD themed team:
(S.H.I.E.L.D. Theme)
Nick Fury 120
-Brainiac 25
-Rock of Eternity 20 (Envy, Sloth, Lust)
Iron man 50
Fitz + HENRY 50
S.H.I.E.L.D. Recruit 20
Level 7 ID Card 5 (Nick Fury, Jr 50, UC Winter Soldier 95, SR Hulk 100, Rare Agent Coulson 75
Hawkeye ID Card 5 (AAOU 75 and 94)
Iron Man ID Card 5 (CACW 50)
The team runs around Nick but the supporting figures can do some major work and everyone, and I do mean everyone underestimates its true power. The key though, is that it’s a Themed Team giving me a +4 to Map Roll and a S.H.I.E.L.D. team giving me 3 Themed Team Probability Controls. My map of choice is Crossfire Canyon, a home court advantage for Nick. There is no Blocking Terrain to get in his way and if you shoot from the ledge you can hit every square. Since I go first almost all of the time, I will always strike first, it’s that simple. Nick Fury with all the S.H.I.E.L.D. boost has a 12-Range, a 4-Damage with either Penetrating Blast, Impervious, or Outwit from Brainiac. Oh wait, did I mention he has the Rock of Eternity, too? That gives him Ranged Combat Expert or Perplex with Envy, Sloth, and Lust. Along with HENRY’s Enhancement and his trait giving him a +1 Attack and Damage he is almost always hitting for 6-damage and taking away powers. I have great mobility with Fitz being able to TK Nick and Iron Man flying around carrying him to re-position. The Recruit is there for the boost in range along with Plasticity, tying up any Hypersonic pieces trying to smack Nick. My 3 ID figures stayed the same unless a specific reason to opt one 
out for another but the default is Hawkeye at 75pts (he ignores hindering terrain and characters, with 2 Bolts/Penetrating Blast). I need him since Nick can only take out one figure at a time and Hawkeye can kill an Atom and a Drone. Next was Nick Fury, Jr. He has an 11-Attack/3-Damage, Charge, B/C/F and a cool damage special that takes away a power if he hits, all for 50pts; AND Fitz or Iron Man can Call him in. Next is Iron man, he has great mobility with Running Shot 10-Attack/3-Damage and a nice Leadership trick that can place a token on opposing characters.
I’m going to cut straight to the Top 8 but before that I do want to talk about one of my swiss round matches since it was an unusual team and might have potential in the future. My opponent, Chris Griffin, played a Brainiac Skull Ship at 200pts with all the City tokens powering it up for an extra 25pts. He also had Batman/Superman Robot, Solaris and a Batman ID Card. It’s also a Cosmic Themed Team. My strategy starting was basic: pop Solaris and the Supes/Bats Robot, then chip away at the Ship. He also ran Pandora’s Box, giving his guys Envy and Wrath. My first two attacks were Nick on Solaris and Iron man the following turn on a push attacking Ship with Energy Explosion dealing splash damage to a countered Impervious on Supes/Bats Robot. He retaliated by calling out Batman to Outwit Iron Man’s defense killing him with one shot for max damage. The game was close because with the Ship’s long dial he took out Fitz and was up on points. I had to beat through Invincible/Super Senses and Energy Shield/Deflection on the Ship so it wasn’t easy. He did at the end have one shot to use Regeneration on the last click but he rolled a 4 both times and I finished it off with one more shot from Nick. Now to the Top 8.
Round 1 – Hugh Vogt
(Mystical Theme)
KC Shazam 170
-Eclipso 25
-Sloth Relic 8
Sloth 97
I completely underestimated this team because if you don’t know Sloth’s trait it immobilizes your team. I lost map role so Hugh put us on a outdoor map with a giant blocking terrain in-between me and him. He pressed forward first turn picking up a ultra heavy object along the way hiding behind blocking terrain. I formed in line behind my recruit next to blocking terrain giving no squares available for a Hypersonicspeed strike on Nick Fury and passed. He then flew across the map second turn using all of his movement dodging the Recruit’s Plasticity, striking Fitz first and placing Sloth right on Fitz’s burial ground, basing Nick, HENRY and Iron Man. On my second turn I realize my only mobility towards Sloth is gone because all my figures are within 4 squares of Sloth. So, I Sidestepped away with Nick, who couldn’t do anything for the rest of the turn. I then called Iron Man with Iron Man for an attempt to hurt Shazam who Shapedchanged out of the attack. I then moved Recruit around tying up Shazam who is pushed. Sloth countered with a failed Incapacitate roll onto my Iron Man and cleared. I Sidestepped one more time getting Nick out of Sloths range, Perplexed Recruits defense and cleared. Back to his turn he failed a Sidestep break away and attempted to attack the 19-Defense Recruit. I PC him once with Nick and second with Recruit, giving her a token and he finally missed. He then Incapacitated again with Sloth this time on the Recruit pushing her and ended his turn. Now, I was finally able to get this show started and bring out my bag of tricks. Before I started the match I chose the Hawkeye with the Precision Strike triple-bolt and a +1 Attack per target. Shazam has Shapechange and a team ability that basically gives Super Senses and Nick has no starting click Precision Strike. So I called out Hawkeye with a 12-Attack and 4-Damage with HENRY, leaving only Invincible on Shazam. His Shazam took 2-damage and no longer had Hypersonic speed. Hugh tried to break away his Shazam from Recruit and failed again but did hit an attack killing her. I left my Rock of Eternity on click one of the Cunning Path giving Nick Precision Strike when he has one action token. I boosted up to a max damage with HENRY, Nick’s trait and Brainiac boosting damage killing a naked Shazam there for ending the game, leaving Sloth with 0-damage.
Round 2 – David Williams
Krang 170
Juston Seyfert 40
Baxter Stockman 30
Ultron 6 (Drone) 30
S.H.I.E.L.D. Level 7 ID 5 (SR Nick Fury 120)
Batman ID 5 (TW Batman 150)
Pandoras Box (Lust, Wrath) 20
This was your standard Krang team with all the core pieces. The week prior to the event at team Majestix Headquarters, Patrick, Kris and I actually play tested this exact build, so seeing the familiar team was comfortable. I won Map Roll so I put us on Crossfire Canyon. I placed the Lust relic eight squares away from the starting area to get to three relics on turn two giving me Ranged Combat Expert right away. On turn one I attached the Envy relic, sent out the Recruit seven squares away next to my Lust relic prepping for a cannon shot. I Sidestepped Iron Man up, Perplexing his Defense and ended my turn. David decided to get the show started early so he pumped up Krang, going Colossal size and +2 to all combat values and power action’d Juston, sending Krang out to pop my Recruit, killing her with a swat and then moving Krang all the way back to his starting area, healing him of one damage with Baxter. On turn two I picked Outwit with Nick and +1 Damage from Brainiac. I TK’d Nick with Fitz onto the Lust Relic to free action pick it up. I had Envy showing so I Sidestepped two more squares with Nick and moved Iron Man a full eight squares next to him. I Perplexed up Nick’s range to an 11 and shot his Drone killing him first. I then took away Juston’s “Program in a New Direction” power away and Left Krang with no Running Shot. Iron Man Sidestepped away keeping Nick far from a possible Charge from Krang if David decides to heal up one. I crept up with Fitz carrying HENRY and ended my turn. David could not recover from the initial attack because his Drone died right away and Juston Seyfert was next on the hit list with nowhere to hide. With no move and attack powers and out of range from Nick he ultimately moved all the way up with Krang and Baxter. David did not let Krang go down with out a fight and managed to kill Fitz and HENRY before getting shot by Nick and Iron man.
Round 3 – Richard Medina
Lex Luthor 200
Jarvis 40
Morlock 10
The Atom 15
ID Cards 15
-S.H.I.E.L.D. Level 7
-War Machine
-Lex Luthor
-Wonder Woman
-Superman
-Batman
Pandoras Box 20 (Greed, Lust)
My final match of the day against Richard was my final hurdle. I was not looking forward to our match and I was turning inside watching Marshal Lawing lose by one point to Richard 79 to 80 in the top 4. Since I can’t target Lex and even if we kill all support pieces he wins. My strategy was easier said then done but basically kill his support and a few Call In figures and try and win on points keeping Nick alive. With his team having no Probability Control I figured I had an advantage. When we rolled for map I won again so I put us on Crossfire Canyon. I started my turn the same way I did Krang put out the lust 8 squares away. I picked up a Relic in my starting area with Nick, Sidestepped a juiced up Iron Man and ended my turn. He power action’d Lex Luthor to pick up the Lust Relic and Sidestepped The Atom, carrying Lex placing him at the front of the line. He then moved Jarvis off to the right with Morlock behind him and finished his turn. I picked Outwit and +1 Damage with Nick Fury and he was ready to go. Fitz TK’d Nick into position picking up the second Relic who Sidestepped up next to Iron Man (who just moved all the way up boosting Nick’s Attack and Range by one). I took away his Perplex with Nick’s special bringing Atom’s Defense back down. I took my shot with Nick and rolled a 4 twice, leaving The Atom alive. I Outwitted his retaliation power and Sidestepped back with Iron Man carrying Nick and ended my turn. Richard rolled his Leadership and countered by calling his Nick Fury taking away my Outwit and retaliated with Atom hitting Iron Man and Fitz. He then decided to finish off Iron Man with his Nick and ended his turn. I then pushed Nick to kill his Nick taking away Shapechange and Toughness. I cleared with the rest of the gang, staying away from my Nick and ended my turn.
Runner-Up
Lex Luthor rolled his Leadership again, but didn’t roll PC this time from Pandora’s Box. Richard started with the free action retaliation with Atom who rolled a critical miss, killing himself. He then Sidestepped up with Lex and Called In War Machine who flew into action killing Fitz like a fly. I then had to clear with Nick leaving HENRY in front. Richard rolled another Leadership roll so I made him roll again with Nick this time but he still rolled a 5 and KC Batman flew in to finish off HENRY. I was down to a cleared Nick with Recruit and Lex Luthor five squares away. I Charged right into him taking Lust from the Rock and Impervious with Brainiac and based him so he could not break away placing Nick and the Recruit in his face. Richard Rolled his leadership roll again and I told him “theres no way you can get it again” so I made him roll again with Nick and well he still rolled a 6 and Wonder Woman came Charging in who managed to picked up an Ultra Heavy Object, attacking Nick Fury. I then rolled my Shapechange missed and rolled my Impervious, missed and took the five remaining damage. She took her second shot and finished off Nick Fury with the final blow, making it look easy. I threw out my hand and congratulated him for a tough match and conceded the win to Richard.
My experience at North Carolina’s ROC was great, I had a awesome time. I got to run into a friend, made new ones and played in a great tournament with good prizing run by Jessie. I didn’t go home empty handed walking away with the Punisher Van, a ROC Map and 20 ROC points. I would like to thank Patrick and Kris who play tested with me the weeks prior to the event and look forward to the next ROC.
