I have never played Zack.
SIT.
DOWN.
But I have seen Zack in almost every single game of Power Rangers I've played since the beginning, by multiple people. Zack has probably seen more action in all the games I've played than any other ranger (keep in mind that I'm staying with core as of the writing of this post). And it's not hard to see why! The damage flows like water when he's present. He is the primary multi-target character in the core set, not to mention the Kickstarter exclusives. And this means that he is essential to the game, at least by perception. Now, I'm going to be honest with anyone reading this blog: I am an Adam Park (MMPR Black) player, so I've got a bit against Zack for stealing his thunder at my table. Some of my friends tried Adam, didn't think him flashy enough, and jumped to Zack.
I have not gotten over it. Yes, that is the perfectly adult thing to do.
Hip-Hop Kido is the beginning of a beautiful string of explosions that occur whenever Zack is around. This puts Zack right up at the front, trying to go for the kill all the time. Zack has to overplay, he has to push, he has to want to kill. You push and push and push and everyone needs to make sure you don't fall flat on your face while you're doing it. A lot of the time when Zack is playing the other players' resources are poured into his actions, meaning that everyone has to take a backseat to his antics. Hip-Hop Kido is one of those few times when that isn't happening, where Zack doesn't actually pay to do splash damage! It's a nice thing! Don't get used to it, cause it's the only real time it's going to happen!
Sweeping Strike is the bread and butter of Zack's repertoire. It also costs energy, which goes back to the need to support Zack. And, so long as the energy is provided, Zack can start throwing Sweeping Strike in with Hip-Hop Kido to, if not kill minions, significantly damage them. Smooth Moves can help off-set Zack's constant need for energy, but I'd be remiss if I didn't, once again, point out that Zack needs a lot of standing up to really deliver. But when you have people willing and able to support, like any form of red ranger or Time Force Pink, Zack just becomes an epic powerhouse. You can do all sorts of crazy stuff if you have MMPR or Samurai Red throwing rerolls and setting up with Team Tactics and whatnot.
The Power Axe is possibly the most used power weapon in the base set. The sheer damage potential of this one card, in conjunction with Hip-Hop Kido, means that you can take out up to four cards, if not more! It is the showstopper at our table, full stop. Whiffing it hurts, but even a mediocre shot from a Power Axe is more than enough to make life bearable. I think, out of all the cards that we've used in the game, this may be the one that makes for the largest amount of high fives and "YES!" incidents. And, as much as I love Adam, I have to admit that he has no flashy moment even close to Zack's use of the Power Axe. But that's not saying much.
This usually means that Zack isn't taking the one taking damage on behalf of the group and others have to work hard to make sure he doesn't go down. In fact I think it's accurate to say that Zack is average, to almost unplayable, without backup. Yeah, his Power Axe is amazing, but its truly awesome moments are only when Zack is being buffed by others, particularly by the Tyrannosaurs Zord and, if you have access to it, the Dragonzord makes Zack a force to be reckoned with. Combining those two zords with Zack makes for some of the flashiest moments in the game, but they are just that: moments. You trade consistency for bursts of power that fade into nothing a moment later. If your group can capitalize off those moments you will find Zack to be the MVP of the night, every night. The high fives will flow, even without Bulk and Skull!
A special thanks to Jonathan Ying for answering my myriad questions. He was very gracious.
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