THE SETUP: All characters on a player’s force with the keyword possessed by the most characters in that force (or the character with the highest point value, if the characters possess no common keyword) are that player’s Illuminati.

WHAT IT MEANS: Themed teams could be all Illuminati. Or your tentpole could be the sole Illuminati. Read the advantages and disadvantages of being “Ill” (heh) as you build your squad. Also be sure to bring all your character cards and/or keyword lists.

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TURN THE DIAL: At the end of each round.

WHAT IT MEANS: No matter how much you like (or hate) a given condition, it’s not going to last long.

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CAPTURED BY THE SKRULLS (Green, slot A): Characters on your force that are not Illuminati can use Outwit (if they can’t already) and the Capture ability.

WHAT IT MEANS: Either a lot of Outwit or not. Here’s where a theme team will have an apparent advantage: it’ll be more likely to have first turn and thus be able to move to counter the enemy’s powers, perhaps en masse, and leave them unable to respond in kind. But don’t go planning your keywordy cheese just yet. To begin with, first-turn immunity will prevent most initial attacks. Second, few characters have the speed to get within Outwit range of the enemy still in their starting area. Third, those characters would lose their own first-turn immunity and could get absolutely creamed by the very team they tried countering or capturing. Finally, the whole effect lasts just one round anyway, so it’s not worth bothering with or building for at all in a normal game. Only give it a thought if you’re in a 3-or-more-player battle royale game.

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ESCAPE! (Yellow, slot B): All captives are immediately released. All Illuminati can use Phasing/Teleport.

WHAT IT MEANS: Whatever you gained in the first condition is lost here…one more reason not to even bother with it. Similarly, this condition only lasts a turn. Consider using this opportunity to get your cheap tie-up Illuminati figs to base targets of choice if they’ve already taken their turn this round.

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GATHERING THE INFINITY GEMS (Orange, slots C-E): Illuminati on your force can use Probability Control during your turn (if they can’t already). At the end of your turn, roll a d6 for each Illuminati that used Probability Control; on a result of 1 or 2, deal that character 1 unavoidable damage.

WHAT IT MEANS: Finally, a condition that lasts a while, but still potentially useless. A first glance, this looks like another boon to themed teams sharing a common keyword. But the chance of unavoidable hurt makes it a less attractive option. It’s even worse for a team with only one Illuminati.

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FACING THE BEYONDER (White, slots E-G): Once during your turn, choose a character on your force that is not Illuminati; that character can use Barrier and Smoke Cloud as free actions, and Outwit (targeting an opposing character that is Illuminati) and Perplex (targeting a friendly character that is Illuminati).

WHAT IT MEANS: All that stuff before that made themed teams seem like a potentially good deal? Fuggedaboudit. This condition will open up that whole team to its potentially crippling effects while being denied its benefits. With that in mind, strongly consider Fortitude to guard your Illuminati tentpole against this and earlier conditions.

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ARGUING FOR HUMANITY (Purple, slots G-I): All Illuminati can use the Indomitable ability and Regeneration.

WHAT IT MEANS: A good second wind for any team, especially Illuminati-heavy ones.

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DUEL TO THE DEATH (Black, slots J-K): Illuminati on your force modify their attack values by +2 when attacking opposing Illuminati; if Illuminati deal 2 or less damage, the damage is penetrating damage.

WHAT IT MEANS: Illuminati-heavy teams will gain a major advantage over tentpoles, and this advantage lasts for the rest of the game.

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INFILTRATED! (Blue, slot K): All Illuminati can use Outwit and Shape Change (if they can’t already).

WHAT IT MEANS: Illuminati-heavy teams again have a distinct advantage, especially if the Illuminati-tentpole player didn’t equip theirs with Fortitude. And again, this effect doesn’t go away.

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SUMMING IT UP: First, do not run a themed team. You’ll pay for it. Next, make sure your Illuminati character or characters have Stealth or a mobile taxi (or taxis) or meat shields or some other method of gaining line of fire while denying it to opponents for all those event-dial-granted powers. Finally, decide if you’re going Illuminati-heavy (as with a near-themed team — minus one) or Illuminati-tentpole, and feat appropriately.

The series continues next time with something only alluded to in this dial: The Infinity Gauntlet!