The scenario: 800 points of only DC characters.
I decided to turn to crime.
Lex Luthor and Joker [World’s Finest 059] 200
Deathstroke [Arkham Origins] 195 + Arkham Asylum ATA 4
Firefly 115 + Arkham Asylum ATA 4
Harlequin [World’s Finest 053b] 90 + Arkham Asylum ATA 4
Penguin [Gotham City Strategy Game] 70 + Arkham Asylum ATA 4
Two Face [Gotham City Strategy Game] 49 + Arkham Asylum ATA 4
Henchman’s Goon [Batman V Superman 004] 20 x 3
=799 points.
FIRST up was Tim’s Doom Patrol: The Chief, Negative Man x2, Crazy Jane, Robotman x2, Mento and Elasti-Girl. I selected Hank Pym’s Lab. [In retrospect, we should have limited it to DC maps, too]
KO’d both Robotman figs and only lost Firefly (in a disastrous early game misplay) for the win.
NEXT, I faced Rob’s Apokolips: Darkseid [SLOSH] at 200, Steppenwolf, Supergirl [World’s Finest], Brutaal and Desaad. I chose map, the old Okaara Temple from 2010’s War of Light Fast Forces. The choke point at the center would prove handy.
TURNING POINT
Harlequin evaded two killer attacks via the Kingdom Come team ability. That kept just enough heat off the rest of the squad for it to lay down massively Enhanced fire to KO all but Supergirl.
FINALLY, it was down to Taylor, who brought Wonder Woman [Superman/Wonder Woman 033], Superman [BvS 002], Mary Marvel [World’s Finest], Elasti-Girl, and Power Girl [SMWW].
TURNING POINT
Got Penguin’s Automa-Bomb in position for a perfect explosion to blunt the threats of Mary Marvel and Wonder Woman, eventually leading to KOs of both.
3-0! I fully expected to be roughhoused by the Apokolips team, so this was pretty gratifying.
Piece by piece:
Lex and Joker not only serve as a 200-pt. tent pole but the fact that they have Mastermind and are able to make everyone else into Underworld taxis make this whole thing work.
Two-Face, as one of the cheaper characters, was able to function as a meat shield on one hand and, by virtue of having willpower and a fairly decent attack, was able to get into the act as a clean up tertiary attacker.
Penguin is a little bit hard to work with because you can only put out one Automa-Bomb at a time and without it having willpower or good speed, it is difficult for that bomb to get into position. Oh, but when it does….:) If only it can serve as a tie-up meat shield or diversion as well as, yes, a bomb, it’s worth every one of the fat crime lord’s points. Especially because he also brings more Outwit to the team.
Harlequin is every bit the top-tier attacker that she’s talked up to be.
In previous games, Deathstroke only served to be an expensive 195-point gifts to my foes. Not this time. By holding him in reserve and not having to depend on him as the tentpole for the team he was able to score some hits that mattered.
This was the only the second time that I’ve ever run Firefly. He is a feast-or-famine piece for sure. In game 1, he was an immediate KO. In game 2, he was a clean up shooting enhancing BOSS. And in game 3 was just an expensive meat shield.
Finally, the unsung heroes villains of the day: Henchman’s Goons. With Sidestep and Enhancement, each makes this team’s shooters able to manhandle even the likes of Darkseid. Excellent Mastermind fodder, too. Costing just 20 points, at least one belongs on any Gotham City Underworld team.