Beyond the Wall: Growing Up Hack

 

So after a few years I finally started playing Beyond the Wall again. Those character creation tables are amazing, I'd forgotten just how brilliant they are! But the gameplay just... it still doesn't really work for me. It's fine as a simulation, I suppose, but everyone just plays out an adventure and either win or lose or whatever. For a coming of age story, where you finally decide who you are, it really doesn't do much. Part of being an adult is being secure in who you are, at least enough to go out and change the world as you can. The rules do not guide toward this type of story. Here's some initial thoughts on how to hack it to where it does. These rules are untested. Obviously I intend to test them.

The central question of being an adult, near as I can tell, is about how interiorly secure you are in your relation to your location. Players have two additional attributes: Self and Community. To simulate this players will roll one additional d6: if you rolled higher than the table number you are at (early childhood is table 1, etc) the event is seen by your character as a positive experience with his community: increase the Community score by 1d2. If you roll equal to or lower than the table number increase the Self score by 1d3.

When you are done rolling up your events and adding NPCs and locations to the map each person write two statements, one for the Community and the other for the Self scores. For the score that's higher write why you are more comfortable with it. For the lower one write a wish about being more connected to that aspect. It is essential that these statements are tied into the town. Don't just write "I want to be more connected to people", write something more like "Yngvar rejected me as town guardian. I will make myself useful". These are not wishy washy statements: they need to be statements of action, something that will inherently make trouble. If you can implicate a fellow player character in the mess so much the better.

Get rid of Fortune Points. Community and Self values are pools of dice. Community points can be spent to heal 1d6 per point spent as well as grant d20 re-rolls as someone from the community intervenes in the situation. Self pools let you add 1d6 to a d20 roll, as well as automatically succeeding at a check by spending a Self Point. Keep track of the points spent.

At the end of the session note how many points were spent. If your Self spent value is equal to or greater than your Community spent value you leave the town; if your Community spent value was greater than your Self spent value you stay with the town. The higher spent value is your Path. The lower spent value is your Corruption. Regardless, roll a number of d6s equal to each spent pool and compare their total values. If your Path rolled higher your ending is one of integration and peace, even if it's not a cheerful one. If your Corruption rolled higher then your ending is one of violence, betrayal, and despair. 

Regardless of which rolled higher narrate a short vignette for your players about what your character did and why, whether or not they stayed in touch with the people who were there when you started your path, and ask anyone if they want to have a particular role in your ending. This is where you get to name your epic deeds and everyone else gets to tell you how they feel about them, in character. The player who rolled the highest Self Path gets to narrate first. Narrate clockwise from them.

If you try these rules let me know! I'll be reporting back, assuming my players even want to use these rules in the first place. We'll see.

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Haunting on Hill House Musings

 

This is not a review. This show hit way too close for me to be anything near objective about it. There will be spoilers. Like, I'm just going to type and then lightly edit and then release and then that's it.

There was a moment at the end of the show, the one shown right above, when I was begging Steve to just burn the whole damn house down.  All the horrors that had happened inside that house... just burn it all down. I wanted to be able to look at the house as it burned and laugh at it.

Steve walked away. I was furious.

And some little voice, deep down in my soul, told me "You missed the point. That was a test. And you failed it. There is still more work to be done."

I am still shook.

It is important to ask: what evil did the house actually do?? The show is very careful to point out the difference between actual mental illness and medical issues and real hauntings. And the only times an actual haunting is going on from someone who is definitively evil the show tells you very clearly that it's wrong. For all its gray areas about the nature of reality the show is remarkably clear about intention. Nell seeing her own death was not the house's fault. The house is a house. Not its fault that time bends within it and that Nell continued having issues with time throughout her life. The ghost following Luke? It never actually strikes out at Luke, but actually shows that it may have similar tastes. The ghost follows Luke because he likes him. Not the ghost's fault that Luke doesn't understand! And not the ghost's for not understanding either, because how the hell can a ghost understand the living anymore? 

Like, at the end of the day I find this show an exercise in theodicy: why do bad things happen to good people? Why do the good suffer? The answer, from what I can tell is that pain is another indicator of reality, and trying to avoid pain via addiction is fundamentally wrong. If you're trying to feel pleasure all the time that is wrong. Pain is important. Terror is important. Hell, the dead and rotting and falling apart is important. We are limited beings and trying to deny the definitions of what makes life worth living doesn't do anyone any favors. Part of that limit is pain. Pleasure is only important as an indicator of the world around you and has no moral component. Pain is the same.

Notice I didn't say a frickin' word about suffering.

Suffering is a choice. 

Suffering is to take pain and fixate on it. 

Suffering is wrong. You suffer because you choose to. It's the same difference between anger and rage. Anger is having a boundary being crossed. You should feel angry when something is crossed, you're designed to feel it! Anger itself is neutral. Rage, though? Oh, rage is a fucking monster. Rage is when you take revenge for the crossing of that boundary. You decide to make your own pain God. You worship it, enshrine it, and refuse to let anyone have a say in it. Because I've got news: pain is not private. Precious little is. Your actions in response to pain are most certainly public, dragging the pain that provoked them into the light.

But pain is neutral. Pain is information. You can do whatever the hell you like with pain. That choice can have a moral quality to it. It may not. Taking your hand off the burner is a decidedly neutral act. Maybe keeping it on is neutral too. Maybe it isn't. Kinda depends. But taking revenge, saying that your pain is merely private, is a moral choice. Saying "my pain is private and thus insurmountable" is a moral choice. It is a choice that puts you in your own sad little world, where nothing can get through. And the more centered on you you get the less you're able to see... until there are no more ghosts, no house, no family, just you. Oh, and that includes what you think about those external objects you excised from your consciousness. See, that's the trick: even if the external objects that provide pain are gone you were still formed by them and will continue to think about them, even if it's just reacting and keeping the thoughts at bay. Which doesn't stop you from forming the wrong opinions about  them, because how can you check to make sure you aren't creating your own sad little world?

And if that's not Hell I don't know what is.

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The Rise of the Red Skull: Zola (Expert Solo)

This is the villain I was really nervous about. See, Zola's got a lot of villains, which should really hurt this deck. And boy, did it not disappoint. Zola is an intimidating opponent, with enough minions to overrun anyone. But it's his freaking Scheme value that scared me the most. Draw just one Advance, just one, and it's possible to lose, flat out. Which meant that I had to swap out stuff in my deck to be able to keep the pressure up, even in the face of overwhelming odds.

Oh, and Tough's a jerk. A big fat orange jerk.

Spider-Blitz 

Allies

Brawn

Valkyrie

Black Cat

Spider-Girl

Support

Aunt May

Helicarrier

Hall of Heroes

Avenger's Mansion

Upgrades

Spider-Tracer x2

Web-Shooter x2

Webbed Up x2

Downtime

Martial Prowess

Events

Press the Advantage x2

Drop Kick x2

Enhanced Spider-Sense x2

Backflip x2

You'll Pay For That! x3

Toe to Toe x3

Relentless Assault x2

Swinging Web Kick x3

Resources

The Power of Aggression x2

Energy

Strength

Genius

Campaign

Laser Cannon

Basic Recovery

Zola

I lost three games, right in a row, all right before I would have won. Zola's scheme value trashed me whenever I swapped back to heal, which wasn't very often, due to the sudden availability of Aunt May acrost all four games. The real trip up for this deck, however, was Defensive Programming: +2 hp and Guard, which blocked my access to Zola, while making sure that practically anything I had short of a Swinging Web Kick couldn't one shot the minion who got it. Toughness also came up fairly often, slowing down my machine further. I cannot emphasize this enough: if this deck does not get its Swinging Web Kicks in ASAP real problems begin to emerge.

I'm not kidding when I say that every loss happened with a Swinging Web Kick in hand, Zola at 7 or 8 hp in his last stage, waiting for the next turn. Either I'd get swarmed or schemed out. So I took to social media, hitting up the fine folks on the interwebs  for some quick advice. I got some responses that were really good: take out all but one of my You'll Pay for That! for two Piercing Strikes and one of my Toe to Toes for a third Relentless Assault. This would allow me to kill off the minions and end guard, meaning the Swinging Web Kicks could get through faster.

As a quick aside, I love fan communities for this sort of thing. Like I've said before, this game hits a lot of weak spots in myself, particularly the more logical and analytical aspects. It's so nice to be able to go and jump onto Facebook and Reddit to see what other people are doing and get advice. No community is perfect but it's been so nice for this game and Arkham Horror in particular to get in and see what other people have been doing.

I ended the game at 10 hp, which is just as well, considering that Red Skull is up next. Eep!

Conclusion

Zola was the toughest foe I've faced in the expert campaign so far. Toughness and minions with guard are just incredibly rude aspects of his deck and Zola makes excellent use of them. The jerk just throws you under a pile of amplified minions and then schemes you into the ground when you go back to heal. One of the things that I habitually don't notice is the increased scheme value of a villain. That's usually cause I'm playing Protection or Aggression and am not used to seeing a lot of scheming, but the simple fact of the matter is that a Scheme of 3 trips me up pretty badly. 

Y'know, not to mention all those asshole minions. And Toughness. Evil orange Toughness

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The Pull: September 2020 Edition, Part Two

I can honestly say I've not been so excited for comics in my entire life. Not a single issue in my pull this month has been a dud. At first I just thought the last few months have been lucky, but no my friends, I do not believe this to be the case. Even the ostensibly weakest title in my pull, X-Men, is still a great title. I will not ask how I lucked out so; American comics can be very fickle, quality-wise. I'm going to take what I can get. 

The Amazing-Spider-Man #48

Oh my goodness. This title. This month. Sin-Eater has been going around and killing people... who come back to life with all their flaws gone. But the guilt is still there. And they're tormented by it. And if they were super-powered Sin-Eater gets their powers as well, which makes him practically unstoppable. 

Now he's going after Norman Osborn.

The whole issue revolves around Peter agonizing if he's going to try and save Norman from Sin-Eater or not, or even if what Sin-Eater is doing is actually evil in the first place. Well, everyone else is wondering about that last part. But not Peter. He's got no doubts about that, to his credit. But the thing that Spencer brings up is that Peter has sworn two oaths: Norman Osborn must die for what he did to Gwen Stacy, and no one will ever die on his watch, ever again, in part because of what happened to Gwen. The first oath was sworn with all the rage of a heartbroken lover, the second one was forged over years of selflessness. 

I've come to the conclusion that Peter's arc was to become the man Uncle Ben had become to him in death, for everyone. There's a story where, when someone asks Spider-Man what his name is so they can name their baby after them, he tells them the name "Ben".  I don't think that's an accident. Ever since Uncle Ben's death Peter has demonstrated a universal truth: our dead loved ones live on, inside of us. We live out their life, their values, in us. We may not be aware that we do this, but everything I've seen has convinced me this is the case. I bring this up because the entire issue revolves around Peter deciding to let himself be a little bit more like his Uncle Ben, the kind man who would not let his pain stand between him and his principles. 

Uncle Ben wins out. And everyone else is horrified by Peter's decision to save Norman Osborn, a man who will assuredly kill again. And they're going to try to prevent him. 

A small note on the art: I thought the issue was penciled by Mark Bagley. It's not: Marcelo Ferreira is the culprit. This guy is clearly influenced heavily by Mark Bagley, which is not a bad thing... but it's still a bit weird to see someone copy the master so much. I'm still a little weirded out by it, but at least the dude's good, y'know?

X-Men #12

I am officially in awe of Hickman. He finds the smallest cracks in the Marvel Universe, little spots where nobody has thought to go, and makes them explode with life. There's a vitality to this issue as Summoner explains the world of Amenth and sets us up for Storm of Swords. I will not be sinking the small fortune necessary to follow that crossover, which is a pity. The mythology of this issue is just freaking spot on. The gaps that Hickman finds and exploits are just a genuine pleasure to read, not counting the art from Yu, which feels gritty but epic at the same time. Every time I read one of Hickman's issues my brain breaks open and has to go and reboot. And that's certainly not any different this time.

Darth Vader #5

"No one is ever really gone" says Luke, decades later. If ever there was a phrase that sums up Star Wars it's that one. And this comic leans into that phrase as hard anything ever can. Anakin goes to find where Padme gave birth, on Polis Massa. It's a journey that thrives upon the emotional turmoil that Vader now feels because of Luke's rejection. Forced to destroy the folks who practically worship his dead wife Vader is finally able to hear his wife's last words: "There is still good in him. I know it". 

This was not something I expected. I'm not sure why I didn't, but it gives this amazing shot of Vader looking down, at the droid and into his own heart, to hear Padme's final words of love and faith. That hit me much harder than I thought it would, which has been the story of my time with this series so far. Fantastic.

Star Wars #6

Luke Skywalker is, at his heart, a person who simply wants to help those who need it. When faced with Leia's imprisonment Luke went to whatever lengths necessary to rescue her, including almost sacrificing his life and the lives of his compatriots. When Luke in Battlefront II spares an Imperial trooper's life he says he did it simply because he was given the chance to do so. A simple desire to preserve life is at the core of Luke's motivation. And then begins to show its head here, in Star Wars #6. Luke simply will not take the life of anyone that he does not have to, even if they almost killed him. He wishes to help, no matter the cost. 

The struggle for Luke, as Verla hints at, is not whether he can help or not, but whether or not he should. Verla is very open about how worthless a life of sacrifice had become to her. It's of importance to note that Luke doesn't necessarily argue with her. Verla's arguments do seem to have some form of impact. He does hear them, but disagrees. This follows up on Anakin's frequent frustrations in trying to do the good that he can; Anakin wants to help but cannot, Luke can help but does not know if he should.

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May the Power Protect You: Tanya Sloan (Zeo Yellow)

 I should love Tanya. Like, a lot. Her deck is just brilliantly lined up. I look at it and I know it's really good. And every time I look at the deck I get really excited to play it again! I love her teamwork, reaction, and I know I should be doing a bunch of damage...

But I can't roll a worth a damn.

Like, to the point of it not being fun.

And it's only with Tanya Sloan!!!!!

I mean, c'mon, look Critical Strike! Look at it! That extra damage is a thing of beauty. That extra damage frequently defines battles. And she gets it every single roll. It's an amazing ability! Tanya can just wreck shop! And it almost never goes off for me. Ever. I do mean ever. It's the most infuriating thing in the whole world and I can hear the dice laughing at me. Audibly. Yes, send me back to the loony bin. Yes, back. I've told that particular story before. Yes, this is my attempt at dark humor. I hope you found it funny.

Building Momentum is one of my favorite cards. I've always loved Jason's Team Tactics, and adore that almost every member of the Zeo team has some variation of it. And Tanya's is definitely one of my favorites. Gain an energy and get what's essentially a reroll. The only limit is that the card has to have an energy cost of zero. But pair this with the right card, like Dagger Solo or Vesper? That opens up a lot.

Intercepting Strike was the first card I saw that made me immediately want to build a ranger deck. No, I've not done that... yet. That's yet another story. Regardless, I just adore this card. It costs an energy, but if you use it right you've just dealt half a boss card's hit points. For all of Tanya's offensive capabilities this card alone is something I want to poach for a softer custom character. So much freaking damage. It's amazing.

And now we hit the remaining cards in the deck: Rapid Kicks, Chain Combo, Power Double Clubs, and even Tanya's freaking zord. This is where I get snagged up. It's all variations on the same thing: add dice and take some out. I group them all together because they're obviously meant to capitalize off of Critical Strike, not to mention give you the best odds on getting some incredible damage rolls. And y'know what? It doesn't freaking work with me. At all. At all. Oh it breaks my heart.

I really want to enjoy Tanya Sloan. I really really do. But I just... at one point Jonathan Ying had said he didn't want to make every ranger the best ranger, just someone's favorite ranger.  Tanya Sloan is the antithesis of my favorite ranger. Which is really sad. Cause she can bust heads so hard.

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The Rise of the Red Skull: Taskmaster (Expert Solo)

I've been very frank about my skill level on social media. I am not the best Marvel Champions player. I've never done Heroic and I've no real intention to, at least for the foreseeable future. I like the game because it challenges my more analytic and patient side which is... underdeveloped. I'm not good at just sitting down, taking a deep breath, and evaluating threats based on reason, as opposed to gut. And my gut is almost always wrong about this game. Taskmaster hit this weak spot and really made me stretch and grow, and I love him for that.

Spider-Blitz 

Allies

Brawn

Valkyrie

Black Cat

Spider-Girl

Support

Aunt May

Helicarrier

Hall of Heroes

Avenger's Mansion

Upgrades

Spider-Tracer x2

Web-Shooter x2

Webbed Up x2

Downtime

Martial Prowess

Events

Press the Advantage x2

Drop Kick x2

Enhanced Spider-Sense x2

Backflip x2

You'll Pay For That! x3

Toe to Toe x3

Relentless Assault x2

Swinging Web Kick x3

Resources

The Power of Aggression x2

Energy

Strength

Genius

Campaign

Laser Cannon

Basic Recovery

Taskmaster

Oof, this one gave me trouble. A lot of trouble. The first two times I had swapped out Downtime for Combat Prowess and originally had the Basic Attack instead of Basic Recovery, but found it just didn't do me any good. I started the game with 4 hp from last time and quickly found that a key component of the deck was to be able to recover quickly, so that the beat down could continue. Without starting at a higher hp count and a good recovery my offense did me very little good.  So  I swapped out to the configuration you see above in the third game.

Taskmaster himself works against my deck. I have a habit of being risky with my hp, edging on death so that I can get the last hit in. This doesn't work out too well if your hp is already low and you're facing a guy who punishes you for flipping into hero form, not to mention the constant pinging of damage every round. So the second time around I opted to taking the extra threat... and Taskmaster completed his scheme. Arg. 

The third time is when I finally went with Basic Recovery, which turned the fight against Taskmaster... at first. But when I got attacked twice in a turn I found that I was in deep trouble. Taskmaster was at 10 hp on the second stage, with 11 threat(!!!) on the scheme! So freaking close! I'd burned through all my stuff and had no way to clinch the win from events. I got lucky: my allies came to the rescue. I'd built up my machine of Martial Prowess, two Web Shooters, and Helicarrier, which made it possible to play Brawn, Valkyrie, and Spider-Girl, who managed to put Taskmaster down. I am not a fan of allies, but I can't deny they really came through. I didn't see a single captive in the whole game. I ended the game at 7 hp.

Conclusion

This is the first time I could say the campaign really affected what I was doing. Taskmaster is terrifying in his own right, but the carrying over of hp from previous games really forced me to change up what I was doing, which I found to be a welcome change of pace. Taskmaster really challenged my playstyle of blitzing an opponent, flipping to recover and stall, and then finishing off the villain. Taskmaster challenges me by punishing the routine that I love so much at every opportunity, forcing me to slow down and rely upon my allies. I'm a bit sad I didn't get to do the captive stuff, but that'll come up on future campaigns. And I really intend to keep doing campaigns. But that's for later.

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The Rise of the Red Skull: Absorbing Man (Solo Expert)

So, at the behest of one of my readers I decided to not take the Obligation card from last time; I entered this fight with 4 hit points.  Other reviews about Absorbing Man on expert have since come out, with most opining that Absorbing Man is the easiest of the villains in the box. It's not hard to see why this is: Absorbing Man intentionally takes time to get rolling, and if you're quick you can shut him down pretty quickly.

Oh wait that means I don't need to modify my deck at all, right?

Spider-Blitz

Allies

Brawn

Valkyrie

Black Cat

Spider-Girl

Support

Aunt May

Helicarrier

Hall of Heroes

Avenger's Mansion

Upgrades

Spider-Tracer x2

Web-Shooter x2

Webbed Up x2

Downtime

Martial Prowess

Events

Press the Advantage x2

Drop Kick x2

Enhanced Spider-Sense x2

Backflip x2

You'll Pay For That! x3

Toe to Toe x3

Relentless Assault x2

Swinging Web Kick x3

Resources

The Power of Aggression x2

Energy

Strength

Genius

Campaign

Laser Cannon

So the idea around this deck is to go out on an all-out offensive, almost all the time, with some backups in case that is denied. Webbed Up gives you freedom from two attacks and also plays into Press the Advantage (get a card for hitting a stunned foe). You just keep drawing and drawing, looking for Spinning Web Kicks to eat through hit points. If somehow you don't murder the opponent within three or four turns the fact that so many of the cards are permanents will help you cycle through the deck faster the second time around, hopefully landing you on those big power shots.

Absorbing Man

So this didn't quite go as well as I'd hoped. I had a Swinging Web Kick right out the gate and decided to hell with healing, I was going in! And then I somehow managed to get my Backflips and it was looking great! Within two turns I'd gotten Absorbing Man to his next stage. But then the stuns started coming in, along with indirect damage that almost wiped me out in a turn. I knew I'd overextended and flipped to heal... only to have two Advances draw out and almost end the game immediately. I had to flip back and use two You'll Pay For That! to take the frickin' threat back down to something manageable. 

And that's when what I consider to be Spider-Blitz's main issue (minions) started showing up.  That went a lot better than I thought, thanks to a lucky Relentless Assault. But I looked at my remaining Swinging Web Kick for a long minute, wondering if I needed to spend it on the jerk with Guard or not. That's an issue that I'm going to have figure out, come Zola. I didn't have to do it this time, but I'm pretty worried about trying the deck as it is. Ultimately I took Absorbing Man out in six turns, but I may have been able to do it sooner. I ended with 4 hp and picked Basic Attack Upgrade to see if I could curtail the incoming minion explosion.

Conclusion

Absorbing Man on Expert still isn't the toughest thing I've ever faced, nor do I find him the most entertaining. He's a villain who needs you to wait around to be able to do some of his more terrifying things. I don't want to take that long and I can make decks that circumvent that. I get his campaign function, but that doesn't change that this particular villain just doesn't seem to work very well. That being said, I don't think Absorbing Man isn't the worst scenario in the game. He most certainly isn't my favorite. If I were to do the campaign again I would swap Absorbing Man out for someone else, while keeping the delay counters for fighting The Red Skull. Others may disagree with that opinion and I welcome their disagreement, as well as their comments, because your opinions in particular interest me. I may not like the character but it would be good to hear from people that do, because maybe I'm missing something. And even if I'm not it's always good to hear from those who disagree with you.

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The Undertow: Session Twenty-Nine, With Trait Vote

 

Mikansia stood up. She was next to a river, in a bright field. For a second Mikansia was confused. Where was she? How'd she get here? The battle with The Dragon came back to her; it had ripped into her back. What had happened after that? Was she was successful in killing The Dragon? Were Ember and Marian alive?

The answer found within surprised Mikansia: it didn't matter anymore. She had tried and that was enough.

Standing next to Mikansia was a softly glowing child: Simone. "What are you doing here?" Simone asked, surprised.

"I'm dead." That was said entirely too easily.

"Did you kill the dragon that had Mamma?"

Mikansia thought over what she could remember. It seemed like such a long time ago already! Mikansia had split open the dragon's stomach. Even if Mikansia hadn't killed it... "I got it. I killed the dragon."

Simone beamed. "Good. That means Mamma is safe."

A boat came into view, punted along by an elderly man. He gave Mikansia a look that one would normally reserve for cockroaches. "Toll and get in." There was a coin in Mikansia's hand. She'd never seen it before, but it belonged there, she knew that much. Mikansia gave the coin to the ferryman, who didn't even look at it; he was too busy gushing over Simone. "Where are you off to, young miss?" he asked with a beaming smile that Mikansia would never have expected.

"I'm off to visit my Daddy and Grandpop!"

"Yes you are! And they're waiting for you!" said the ferryman. Simone nodded with the assurance of a child. She let the ferryman help her into the boat. Away they went. Simone began humming a lively tune; it was the Song of the Sword, which Simone had heard while Mikansia trained. But this wasn't a promise of death and ruin, but a ditty vim, vigor, and virility. Just sheer joy. It struck Mikansia that the happy little ditty she was hearing was the original; the elves had changed this song of life and joy into one of destruction. A lot of the songs they knew were different from their original intent.

The landscape around them became more and more barren, until they were in a dark and horrid desert; Simone stopped singing and looked worried. On their right a set of gates stood, creaky and battered. Mikansia wondered that the gates stood at all. next to the wall-less gates stood a trellis, upon which hung an aging corpse. The gates swung open. The corpse's head cracked to watch. 

Out came Akseli, Yngvar, Tyce, Santeri, and Jabez. Akseli wrapped Mikansia in a strong and gentle hug; only Akseli had ever made Mikansia feel that safe. Yngvar pushed Akseli aside roughly, laughing, and squeezed Mikansia in a powerful bear hug that threatened to squeeze Mikansia into paste. After a minute Mikansia felt a hand on her shoulder: it was Tyce, radiating a joy only silence could convey. Mikansia softly squeezed his hand.

But when Mikansia embraced Jabez she didn't feel joy; she felt hollow. Sad. She felt worse looking at Jabez, who was so overjoyed that it pierced her heart. "Are you done, Mikansia?" he asked softly. "You can't come in through the gates with regrets.

"Am I done??" Mikansia was surprised by her defensiveness. "I killed Krakeru. I destroyed the Lone Keep and Elfharrow. I saved Ember!" She finally heard the laughter of Dale and Ensio as they played with Simone at the gates. "I've... I've done so much! I should... I should be done." Mikansia looked in desperation to Jabez and Santeri. "But I promise you both that I'd save Kotae Mah. I promised to root out the evil there."

Jabez reopened the gates. Behind them were white shores. A swift sunrise. "Most promises end when you cross the threshhold," Santeri declared. For a moment Mikansia saw a female elf standing beside Santeri; Jabez had her eyes. "Not all of them, but most. For our part Jabez and I released you from the promise when we crossed the gates, no matter how dear it was while we were alive. Do you release yourself?"

Mikansia's longing was almost overwhelming. She gazed upon that shoreline. The light beckoned. So did the lapping of the waves. "No... I can't. Not yet. I can't leave that promise undone. But I will return."

"I will see you again," promised Jabez. "If you're going back I have a request." Mikansia nodded. "Find my children. all four of them." Mikansia was surprised at first, but then she remembered Jabez's horrific time as a captive in Elfharrow. It made sense that children would come from that... but four? "They'll come to me, one way or another, but it would mean so much more to me if they came to the gates happy because of you." Jabez stated.

"I promise I'll find them and help them, however I can."

Jabez handed Mikansia a white stone with golden writing she couldn't make out. "That's what was given me when I crossed the threshhold. My new name is on it. That stone will allow you to cross back with the ferryman. I'll tell you my new name when you get back.

"I can't wait to hear it."

The ride back to where they had been was spent in silence. The stone was cool in Mikansia's hands as she gripped it. Something was different about Mikansia now, holding that stone. She didn't know what it was but she knew she would find out. And then she was awake. Flame roared near her; Marian was filling the hole Mikansia had left in the dragon with a white fire that rendered the world around it in black and white. The dragon's dying roars shook the mountain range for what seemed like hundreds of miles around them.

Decima, Nomi, and Simone came running. Simone wrapped her arms around Mikansia: "You did it!" Mikansia could tell that Simone didn't remember their journey together. She smiled at the three year old. "I did!"

"Yes, yes you did!" said Marian, who was shakily getting up. She had fallen over from the power that had coursed through her. She pulled Mikansia aside. "Whose stone do you have?" she asked with a wistful smile.

"Jabez's" whispered Mikansia.

"I have my son's," Marian whispered back, tears in her eyes.

Mikansia's hand was empty, but she knew the stone was there, waiting to be returned. But not yet. Not quite yet.

Hi folks. 

So the above was us trying to figure out just exactly what happened as a result of Mikansia getting a soul transfusion from Jabez. We talked about it a bit and figured this was the most appropriate spot to go, given the nature of the campaign so far. In theory we're in the last arc. We'll see.

Mikansia started with the following traits:

Haunted by the Conversation with Akseli

Self-Loathing

We agreed that both traits needed to be changed, given that we smashed those into the ground this last arc. They are both now:

Inner Peace (CT)

Borrowed Time (CT)

So part of the soul transfusion also requires two traits: New Memories and Child Compass. Mikansia has received a bunch of Jabez's memories from when he was alive. This will be coming up a lot. So New Memories is essentially a Character Trait that pays out a Persona Point: Mikansia remembers something from Jabez's life, which freezes her up and gets her all discombobulated, making like difficult. A whole memory has to be invented and a short vignette is entered into, hence the Persona Point reward, as it takes a lot more work to qualify for it. 

Child Compass is pretty much as it sounds. The part of Jabez that is with Mikansia is still connected to Jabez beyond the gates, who knows where his children are. Mikansia will essentially have a crude child radar, allowing you to find Jabez's children acrost the continent.

The goal of what is probably the last arc is simple: find the children.

Autarchy: Session Two

 

Two years after the events of The Giggling Dark Xellous went to find Telos. He did so, but also met Xalmantra, the man who had originally ordered that Xellous's family be destroyed in the first place. Xellous had looked for Telos in order to get advice on using an Angel Arrow to make a weapon that could protect his family, as well as journeying to get a power source for Ikuinen Lampo that would assure their safety. With permission to build the weapon and a deal cut with the elves of Heranyt to get a Void Ship, Xellous is almost all set.

Xellous was eager to get to work, but Telos took him aside. "Xalmantra couldn't track you before. He still can't."

Xellous nodded. "He said as much, yes."

"But just because you can't see a stone doesn't mean you can't track the ripples it made when it got thrown into the pond."

"So he knows where my family is?" Xellous asked, feeling a little sick.

"Wouldn't you be curious if you just saw a pond send up water, for no reason?" Telos dropped a few pebbles in Xellous's hand. "For whenever you want to come back to this planet." He turned to leave.

"Is there really nothing you can do?" asked Xellous.

"Who is the most helpless in the universe?" asked Telos. Xellous shrugged. "The one with the most power. With power comes obligation." Telos's golden robes were a whirl in the howling blackness. And then he was gone. And so was Xellous.

Xellous was back in his barn. The aura was all wrong; the whole world felt tainted. Xellous made his way out of the barn as fast as he could; nothing seemed unusual with the farm. The front door slammed against the house as Xellous rushed in. Threen and Kora's laughter greeted his ears. So did Xalmantra's. He put his cup down and stood to greet Xellous. "Welcome home, friend! I hope you don't mind, but I thought I'd come and meet the family. I hope that's alright! I didn't want to intrude on this idyllic scene." Xellous managed a nicety somehow, but all the wrongness in the whole world was coming out of this entirely sincere man. Gerard, Xellous's two year old son, came running up to Xellous and jumped into his daddy's arms. "Oh, he's adorable!" cooed Xalmantra.

Finally Xellous found some words. "Would you mind taking a walk with me? Old friend?"

Xalmantra practically skipped out the front door after Xellous. "You really have it all, young man, " Xalmantra gushed. "Truly! Power, a beautiful family," he tickled Gerard's neck with tenderness, who snuggled harder into daddy, "Fame, and on top of it all you deserve every last bit of it."

"Thank you," was all that Xellous could manage.

"You've done so much. I'd really like your input on things whenever you feel ready. After all, who's the most powerless in the world?"

Xellous felt a sinking in his gut. "Why don't you tell me?"

"Oh, those with the most power," said Xalmantra, with a sadness in his yes that was eerily similar to Telos. "Any help one such as that can get is invaluable."

"I... I honestly don't know what to say." That was true.

"Well, think on it. Please. I really could use your help." Xalmantra clapped Xellous on the shoulder and vanished.

Gerard wanted to play, but Xellous barely heard him. Walking up to Kora Xellous pulled her aside, leaving a disappointed Gerard with Threen for a moment. "We need to leave." Kora sputtered in confusion. "Ernzen claimed to be a member of The Cursed of Xalmantra. That's him. That's Xalmantra."

Kora was ashen. "He's the one who-"

"Who wrecked our family. He's the one who gave the order. We need to leave. He's... the king? Of this whole planet."

"Yes, now. Let's get out of here. Did you find Telos?"

"I did! He's living in a palace Kora!"

Kora's brows furrowed and some color returned. "... Telos. He's living in a palace."

"Yup, with cloth of gold clothes."

Kora laughed so hard  she almost dropped their daughter Lily. "He must look so uncomfortable!"

"He does! So much!" They laughed and laughed, with Lily looking at the both of them with a serious confusion that was amusing to her parents, all on its own.

"So Telos is the king of his planet?" asked Kora.

"He is. He shouldn't have been here at all. A war could easily start over Telos being here."

Kora's smile was devious. "So we're solar criminals. We're king smugglers."

Xellous opened his mouth and shut it. "I mean-"

"WE'RE SMUGGLERS"

Xellous sighed. "Yes, dear. We're smugglers." 

Kora giggled. And then regained her composure. "We should get going." Xellous was still shaking his head as they walked into the house to gather everyone together.

Kora's jaw dropped when she saw the golden palace. As Telos came out to greet them she called out "KING SMUGGLERS FOREVEEEEEEEER!!!"

Telos laughed as he embraced Kora. "You all were smugglers, of a sort." Telos saw them into his palace, nodding at Xellous while he cooed at Lily, who was fast asleep in her mother's arms.

Xellous refused to let the elves see his work until he'd finished it all; he didn't want them changing the deal and keeping him there. The elves wanted a few magical swords that they would use with certain races they deemed unworthy of being killed with elven weapons. Xellous made both items relatively easily and then turned to his pistol and the Angel Arrow. When he emerged a few days later Xellous proudly carried  the pistol to Telos. Telos held it with fear. "Xellous, you could rip a hole in the fabric of the universe with this. If you miss your target you could punch a hole in time." Xellous blanched. "You should only use this weapon once. Anything more than that and everything in the universe would come for you. I'm sorry but I... I can't advise you to use this even that many times. Even for your family. Don't use this unless literally everything rests on you doing so."

Xellous hid it away, profoundly shaken.

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Exaltation of the Cross

 

A few years ago I was talking to a monk I've known since I was a child. This man may have single-handedly gotten me through many a rough time, usually inadvertently, in the form of some talk, or a kind word, or just by walking nearby. This particular time the monk revealed to me that he had been an alcoholic when he was younger. He said this casually, without a second thought, as if he had fallen off his bike when he was little and hurt his knee. 

Within a few seconds my mind went through a swirl of emotions: shock that it had happened to him, the briefest flash of anger as my worldview changed, however slightly, and finally(!!!) sympathy. "I'm so sorry to hear that, Father!" I told him, with there being no discernible pause. "That must have been so hard". And I meant it. I've known many addicts, lived with some, and had to struggle with my own predilections, even if they're not actual addictions. And then there's my lovely PTSD, which has suggested a whole host of coping mechanisms that are truly horrific. Life can be very difficult without addiction; with it life sounds almost unbearable. I was proud of this monk for having gotten through that process. It made me admire him even more.

His voice had just a touch of indignation, although that may have been my imagination. "Oh, I'm not sorry at all!"

That took me a noticeable second. "You're not?"

With a warmth and genuineness that stung he reiterated. "I'm not, not at all. It led me to God, to Christ. Without my alcoholism I would not have found the peace that I have.

Obviously that's stuck with me since. How many religions hold up an instrument of murder, of torture, and horror as the gold standard of life? Christianity does not transcend as we think of it: we do not ignore what happened to us and go away from it. And we say that we get it. Our crosses are the source of our peace. But I've never heard someone say so with such assurance and peace as that monk did, that day. Never before. Never since. His struggle with alcohol had led him to Christ and he was glad it did. Not even a hint of bitterness was in his voice. And I marvel at it.

Bless my enemies, O Lord. Even I bless them and do not curse them.

Enemies have driven me into your embrace more than friends have.

Friends have bound me to earth, enemies have loosed me from earth and have demolished all my aspirations in the world.

Enemies have made me a stranger in worldly realms and an extraneous inhabitant of the world. Just as a hunted animal finds safer shelter than an unhunted animal does, so have I, persecuted by enemies, found the safest sanctuary, having ensconced myself beneath your tabernacle, where neither friends nor enemies can slay my soul.

Bless my enemies, O Lord. Even I bless them and do not curse them.

They, rather than I, have confessed my sins before the world.

They have punished me, whenever I have hesitated to punish myself.

They have tormented me, whenever I have tried to flee torments.

They have scolded me, whenever I have flattered myself.

They have spat upon me, whenever I have filled myself with arrogance.

Bless my enemies, O Lord, Even I bless them and do not curse them.

Whenever I have made myself wise, they have called me foolish.

Whenever I have made myself mighty, they have mocked me as though I were a dwarf.

Whenever I have wanted to lead people, they have shoved me into the background.

Whenever I have rushed to enrich myself, they have prevented me with an iron hand.

Whenever I thought that I would sleep peacefully, they have wakened me from sleep.

Whenever I have tried to build a home for a long and tranquil life, they have demolished it and driven me out.

Truly, enemies have cut me loose from the world and have stretched out my hands to the hem of your garment.

Bless my enemies, O Lord. Even I bless them and do not curse them.

Bless them and multiply them; multiply them and make them even more bitterly against me:

so that my fleeing to You may have no return;

so that all hope in men may be scattered like cobwebs;

so that absolute serenity may begin to reign in my soul;

so that my heart may become the grave of my two evil twins, arrogance and anger;

so that I might amass all my treasure in heaven;

ah, so that I may for once be freed from self-deception, which has entangled me in the dreadful web of illusory life.

Enemies have taught me to know what hardly anyone knows, that a person has no enemies in the world except himself.

One hates his enemies only when he fails to realize that they are not enemies, but cruel friends.

It is truly difficult for me to say who has done me more good and who has done me more evil in the world: friends or enemies.

Therefore bless, O Lord, both my friends and enemies.

A slave curses enemies, for he does not understand. But a son blesses them, for he understands.

For a son knows that his enemies cannot touch his life.

Therefore he freely steps among them and prays to God for them.

St. Nikolai Velimirovich

 I look at the things that I struggle with and find that my words of thanksgiving for them are hollow. I hate my trauma, even as I find that I need it to be able to face the world. I hate my pain and find I am scared without it. I run away from God and everything else the instant it's gone so that way I do not hurt again. And so our Lord, in His patience, returns the pain and awfulness to me, to return me to sanity. Without pain I am not me. God made pain. And yes, the peace of God is something I try to focus on and find.

But I can boast in nothing except the cross given me. That is mine. My cross. My torture. My slow bleeding out. My annunciation, nativity, theophany, transfiguration, dormition, and resurrection are delivered via that cross. I think it fitting that the first feast of the year is about the prelude of light: darkness given to twilight. Because the thing that the rest of the year hinges on is that cross. While the feastday may have been started for political reasons its spiritual meaning seems very clear to me: by the cross life comes.

Bless my enemies, O Lord. Even I bless them and do not curse them.

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The Rise of the Red Skull: Crossbones (Solo Expert)

 

I've been trying to get Spidey to work to my liking since the day this game started. Justice just didn't do it for me, mostly because it was too simple: thwart and Web Kick. I tried Protection, but found that I just don't have a very good handle on Protection yet. My deckbuilding for that aspect was really good (trust me, I checked!) but the cardpool for Protection just isn't quite where I want it for Spider-Man, not yet. Hint FFG: make a card that lets you use a character's Defense for an Attack and you'll get me back to that aspect with Spidey. When I saw all the raw draw power of the character cards in Spider-Woman's deck a lightbulb went off in my head, and I drafted the following deck. For those of you who are wondering, I do not have the ability to access online deck databases while writing; firewalls are evil. So this is what I got. Hope you don't mind.

Spider-Blitz

Allies

Brawn

Valkyrie

Black Cat

Spider-Girl

Support

Aunt May

Helicarrier

Hall of Heroes

Avenger's Mansion

Upgrades

Spider-Tracer x2

Web-Shooter x2

Webbed Up x2

Downtime

Martial Prowess

Events

Press the Advantage x2

Drop Kick x2

Enhanced Spider-Sense x2

Backflip x2

You'll Pay For That! x3

Toe to Toe x3

Relentless Assault x2

Swinging Web Kick x3

Resources

The Power of Aggression x2

Energy

Strength

Genius

So the idea around this deck is to go out on an all-out offensive, almost all the time, with some backups in case that is denied. Webbed Up gives you freedom from two attacks and also plays into Press the Advantage (get a card for hitting a stunned foe). You just keep drawing and drawing, looking for Spinning Web Kicks to eat through hit points. If somehow you don't murder the opponent within three or four turns the fact that so many of the cards are permanents will help you cycle through the deck faster the second time around, hopefully landing you on those big power shots.

Crossbones

Crossbones himself becomes a bit of a pain. Starting out with a machine gun looked fearsome, but we'll get to that in a minute. Most of Crossbones doesn't change that much from his Basic form, and his stage three (deal out out another experimental weapon) doesn't scare me with Spider-Man all that much. That being said, the increased hit points, however slight, is still a speed bump that has to be handled.

I immediately got a Webbed Up along with an Avengers Mansion and got the Webbed Up out, reasoning that would keep me alive for two turns while I got everything together. Turns out I was right. What proceeded was a very speedy set up. I literally did two Toe to Toes in the same turn, defending against one of them, which about destroyed Crossbones, especially when he was coming out of stun. I almost always blew out my hand, while drawing into all my energy support cards (Web Shooters and Martial Prowess), which let me nova almost half the game. 

Also, forgive me if I'm wrong, but the way that the machine is worded it sounds like Backflip avoids all that damage, which includes the indirect damage. That meant that Spidey could (and did in my case) render the machine gun useless. I mean, it says all damage. Even if that's not true it would have only added a turn or two, I think.

By the time I was done, four turns later, Crossbones was a broken man. The one thing I was afraid of- minions- hardly came out, and I found that my deck was well-suited to getting through Crossbone's low hit points. But it wasn't all positive: I ended at 4 hit points, which means that I will be taken an obligation card to reset my health. I'll need to be a bit more respectful of that in the future, but for a first outing? I'm really happy with the deck and had a blast exploiting Crossbone's weakness as fully as I could.

EDIT: One of my intrepid readers has convinced me to start against Absorbing Man with 4 hp, no Obligation. I think he made a good case for it. Should this not be the case I will be blaming him the rest of the campaign! W00T FOR DEFERRING RESPONSIBILITY!!! THAT'S SO SPIDER-MAN!

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The Undertow: Session Twenty-Eight

The Lone Keep is gone. Mikansia discovered her supposedly dead mother, Makirta, is very much alive. Taking her from the wreckage of the Lone Keep, Mikansia is unsure what to make of this unexpected development. But the family Mikansia has discovered is in tatters: Dale, young father of three year old Simone, had died to a dragon. Mikansia had banished The Dragon to Dream, unable to kill it at the time. Dale's wife, Ember, is beside herself with grief. After coming back to their old home in the Etranger Mountains Mikansia and her friends met up with Marian, who had made her way there on her own.

Mikansia woke up to the type of screams that turn a parent's blood to ice water. "Mamma Mamma WHERE ARE YOU?????" Three year old Simone just kept going and going. Mikansia was up and out of her old house. They'd come back to the old Sword Runner's base, up in the Étranger Mountains; it had felt good to collapse in the bed Mikansia had been forced to abandon. But now Mikansia was stumbling out the door... into the strangest twilight she'd ever seen. The normally clear mountain air was dark with particulates. There was the barest of hints of light from where the sun should have been. Simone was out, walking around, screeching into the darkness. Mikansia saw movement in her periphery; Makirta, Mikansia's estranged mother, was out out of her house, moving very assuredly for a severely malnourished elf.

Simone was still screaming; Makirta could wait. Decima had just come out of her old house and was wrapping her granddaughter in a bear hug while she cried. Simone finally choked out the words "Mamma was grabbed by a dragon and went through the ceiling! Get her! Please!" Mikansia held up Sydanelma, her magical sword, to Simone's red eyes; the soft rainbow glow soothed the toddler and her eyes glazed over. "Mamma..."

"It was probably just a nightmare," Mikansia said, feeling relieved.

"I wouldn't say that just yet". It was Jabez. He was standing next to Mikansia. And Decima jumped.

"What are you doing here?? We're not in Dream!" Mikansia said.

"Dream is now more tightly linked than before to the waking realm," Jabez stated. He looked uncomfortable.

Mikansia stared at Jabez, hard. "What happened? Why is Dream more connected than before?"

Even a dead friend can be dodgy. "That's... not really relevant to finding Ember right now," Jabez said, trying not to look at Mikansia. "The point is that Simone may be right. A dragon really may have come and taken Ember away."

Mikansia wanted to question Jabez a bit more, but he was right about that much. "Maybe Simone was thinking about Fish? Maybe he and Ember went somewhere?"

"No, Fish is still passed out over there, " said Nomi, coming up behind them. "He couldn't fly with Ember if it would save the world." 

Everyone's face fell at that news. "Let's go over their house a few times," suggested Mikansia. "We could have just missed her. Using Sydanelma's light Decima and Mikansia searched the whole house several times over. Ember was nowhere to be found. "We need to start tracking Ember. She's clearly not here," Mikansia dictated.

Out of the periphery of her vision Mikansia saw him: her father, Krakeru. He was talking with Makirta, Mikansia's mother, who was far calmer and collected than she had any right to be. Mikansia walked over with Sydanelma out and stabbed Krakeru without a second thought. He vanished; Makirta fell over, screaming. Mikansia watched with disgust. She couldn't help herself; anyone who had that level of connection with the vile thing known as Krakeru had too many issues for Mikansia. But Makirta needed help getting up: she had awoken and all of a sudden couldn't move, not without help. Mikansia shuddered, but helped Makirta back to her house, helping her into her bed.

"Be gentle with her," said Akseli. 

Mikansia jumped. She realized Jabez had been gone awhile. "You're not going to tell me what's going on, are you?" she asked Akseli.

Akseli shook his head. "No, I'm not. That's entirely outside your scope, what you're capable of dealing with, possibly forever. Just focus on what you can." He gently pulled Mikansia's to his. "Save Ember, the way only you can."

"By killing things" said Mikansia. There was some frustration in her statement; she wanted to know why the world had changed so much and just couldn't shake the feeling she needed to know to what it was. But Akseli was right: there were things she could do right now. And she trusted Akseli.

"Now you're thinking!" chuckled Akseli. And he was gone.

Nomi came running up. "Need help looking for Ember?"

"No, Marian will have the raw power to help deal with that dragon, if it's the one I think it is. I need you to stay back here. Guard Fish, Decima, and Simone. They need you."

"Oh c'mon I'm not a-"

"-not a babysitter, I know. That's not why I'm asking, Nomi. If things can manifest out of Dream Decima and Simone and... well.. Makirta... will need as much help as they can get. I'm not asking this to get you out of the way," Mikansia said earnestly. "I'm asking because there's no one else I trust with this. Period."

There was a brief flash of something soft on Nomi's face. Something beautiful. And vulnerable. "Well, I can't argue with that," she whispered. "You got it."

"Thank you". Nomi headed back to Fish. Mikansia walked up to Marian. "We have a dragon to track." Marian nodded. They left immediately, going down the mountainside. The spot of light that Mikansia hoped was the sun had risen into the sky.. but the world stayed in twilight.

Thirty elves appeared around them. "Taht's the one who brought down the Lone Keep and killed us! Let's drag her to Hell!" one of them shouted. Mikansia brandished Sydanelma and smiled. Marian's hands sparked green. A few minutes later Mikansia and Marian were alone on the mountainside: no corpses. That almost disappointed Mikansia. On they went, down the mountain.

Simone's dream form was sitting on a rock, looking around. Mikansia went to Simone while Marian began a spell to wake up Simone. Mikansia sat down awkwardly next to the three year old. She looked up at Mikansia: "Why did you let Daddy die?"

Mikansia took a deep breath. "Why do you think I let your daddy die?"

"You're strongest. You could have saved Daddy."

Mikansia had to absorb that for a moment. "Well... sometimes you can only do so much. And then... you just have to try and be at peace with what happened." Simone didn't look so convinced. Mikansia sure didn't blame her.

What little light was left was blocked out by The Dragon. Mikansia had trapped him in Dream when they'd first fought, but the barrier between the Waking Realm and Dream had made it possible for it to return. Ember sat on its back, a fell and bewitched light in her yes. "Simone, I need you to go and get Decima," Mikansia commanded.

"But Mama"

" I won't let the dragon take Mama! Not like it did your Daddy! I promise!"

Simone's dream form scampered away.

Marian came running up. "Finally got Simone to wake up! She's letting them know."

Mikansia stared up at Ember, avoiding The Dragon's gaze. She wanted to run. She needed to run. She had to run. But Ember was right there. She didn't know it, but The Dragon had her. Mikansia couldn't let that stand. Not again. Never again. She had to fight. She needed to. And that need outweighed her fear. No more running. "You with me?" she asked Marian.

Flames knocked The Dragon back. "More than you know."

A hurricane gale followed The Dragon's claw. By a miracle it didn't get through Mikansia's armor as she tried to duck under it. Time slowed. Mikansia thought the whole world may have stopped. She needed to get past this monstrosity's heavily armored head, to its underbelly. She had to. It had already taken Dale, it would not take Ember!

Mikansia ran, ducked, slid on rocks and gravel, and stabbed upwards with all her might. She was covered in blood. She heard the roar. And then felt a searing pain.

Darkness.

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The Rise of the Red Skull: Red Skull (Solo Basic)

 

Constraints of Review

I am using the prefabbed decks that come with the box to see how they handle solo play. I do not have the option to do group play by and large, so please take everything you read here with the knowledge that I have no idea how it relates to group play and probably won't for months. When I do get to do group play I'll let you know what I think then. Because I will be playing with everything out of the box, as-is, I will be doing the whole thing on Basic difficulty. I'll go through the box again on Solo Expert and will write up something for that, then.

What is This?

This is the first major expansion for Marvel Champions the Living Card Game. It includes five villains (Crossbones, Absorbing Man, Taskmaster, Zola, and Red Skull) and arranges them in a campaign format. Fight the villains in order, upgrading your deck with campaign cards. pretty simple set up, but simple can be very good. We'll see.

Last Time...

Spider-Woman and Hawkeye both did equally poorly against Zola, both losing a game before finally bringing the victory home. Zola. Is. An. Asshole.

The Red Skull

The star of the show did not disappoint, not in the slightest. Red Skull, like Zola, juggles a ton of things that eventually funnel back into a problem that you just can't help but shake your head at.  First off, there's the side scheme deck, which begins with "The Red House", which blocks all damage to Red Skull while its out. Fortunately you can attack it instead of thwart it! Obviously, this then leads into the central problem of Red Skull's deck: all his side schemes are in their own deck, which then plunks out a new side scheme each turn. Red Skull's attack is equal to the number of side schemes. This gives a completely different level of complexity, as I scrambled to get rid of the side schemes as soon as I could, while dealing with the rest of the nonsense in Red Skull's deck.

The problem, of course, became that my resources were needed elsewhere. Red Skull has a ton of minions, including the Sleeper, who has Toughness and Guard and is linked to a side scheme so you know that jerk is coming back soon (the side scheme deck cycles).EDIT: The Sleeper and his related scheme are removed from the game after defeat, they don't cycle. And thank God. Thanks to TD1215 on Reddit for catching that!  But the real MVP of Red Skull's deck are all the freaking toughness cards that get thrown around. Almost all the minions have toughness. Red Skull has a bunch of cards that grant toughness to himself. I think I drew them all. The sheer amount of orange being thrown around made me feel like I was in a prison cell. Fortunately Red Skull's hit points are pretty low, meaning it's possible to burst damage him if you get the chance. But you will have to earn that friggin' chance.

Spider-Woman took him out in one game and I've absolutely no clue how that happened. The campaign rules made me just completely blow through phase one of Red Skull's scheme: I was hopelessly outmatched. Or so I thought. Pheromones is a great card. But two Pheromones is the best thing ever. I was able to stall Red Skull long enough to get some better cards, turn around, and just punish him. There was a flurry of readies, piercing strikes, and venom blasts, which resulted in a very dead Red Skull. And not a moment too soon: there was an army of tough minions coming my way, which would have probably resulted in a schemed out or dead Spider-Woman.

Hawkeye had a significantly easier time, at least at first. Spider-Woman's base kit is so freaking flexible that she had made up the difference of her bad start. Hawkeye could not adapt the way Spider-Woman could, and so I found myself on the second stage before I knew it. But the issue of having to dance around multiple toughness cards in a row did not present the same issue to Hawkeye as to Spider-Woman, and that is entirely because of Vibranium Arrow and The Black Knight. Being able to just outright ignore Toughness makes The Black Knight an absolute necessity in dealing with Red Skull's nonsense. Somehow I managed to get Toughness on Red Skull three turns in a row, and each time The Black Knight knocked it off, allowing me to finally put down the menace for good.

Conclusion

The namesake of the box is a true threat, throwing around side schemes like they're rumpled up paper, hitting like a truck if you're not careful, and laughing off your feeble attacks to hurt him. The preconstructed decks are able to take him, provided you use them both to their full potential. As much as Spider-Woman's deck was hampered she managed to shine in a completely different way than Hawkeye did. It should be safe to hand this to a complete newbie and let them stumble around with it. This was an amazing ride. I can't wait to get started on the Expert side!

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Autarchy: Session One

Xellous couldn't wait any longer. Two years of rebuilding, raising Gerard, caring for Kora in her second pregnancy, helping rebuild their homeland Khouria, training... all while look at it. The motherload. The arrow that the angel Raphael had left him. Xellous had been told that he would know when to use the arrow. And for the last two years Xellous had stared at it on his mantle, hoping the day would come when he would know.

So he brought Ikuinen Lampo, the star whose sponsorship made him a Celestial Knight and capable of the manipulating aura, the life energy of each and every creature. Kora came along as well, swaddled baby in her arms. "I want to use the Angel Arrow to power up this" Xellous told them, taking out the khen-zai pistol he'd lifted off one of their footsoldiers over two years ago. "With the Angel Arrow I can make this pistol capable of hurting gods. Gods. We would have the firepower to destroy anything that attacked us. The khen-zai are still out there and we have to fight back. And the pistol is only the beginning!"

Xellous was going to say more, bu the look on Lampo's face made him stop. "That's... that's blasphemous"she said, face screwed up in disgust.

Xellous was taken aback. "What do you mean? I'm trying to protect us! I want us to be safe."

"But this wasn't... this isn't just any object" Lampo stammered. "This is a gift from Heaven itself. It's not an object in the way you think of it. The Angel Arrow is a sign, a gift. Look at all the myths of Pyheeta about tampering with Heaven."

Xellhous thought through all the stories he'd heard about during his stay at Ikuinen Lampo's Observatory. All those people who had messed with Heaven, for whatever reason, wound up cursed. But this was different. Right? "You may have a point. What do you think, Kora?"

Kora shrugged and shifted her weight, holding the sleeping infant. "I'm definitely with Lampo. This isn't just anything, it's a gift. I understand what you're saying, where you're coming from, about wanting to protect us. It is warranted, given what's out there. The Angel's Arrow would certainly accomplish that goal."

Xellous nodded. "That's all I care about. But I don't want to be cursed either. Telos would know what to do with this."

"But honey, how would you do that? It's been two years. Telos is on another planet. It's not like we can walk to the next farm or anything!" quipped Kora.

"Ikuinen Lampo, you're always connected to your metal, regardless of where it is, right?" asked Xellous. Lampo nodded. "Well, Telos has a suit of armor made from your metal. And I can shift to where he is, courtesy of some modifications I made to my wedding band, courtesy of that khen-zai corpse we've been keeping around," Xellous said, brandishing the ring on his left hand. "I just need to know where he is." Lampo nodded. She focused for a few seconds, and then touched Xellous on the shoulder. "I'll be back as soon as I can" Xellous promised.

A few seconds later and Xellous was standing in a bright field. Before him loomed a palace of solid gold. The energy of the field was completely malleable and could respond to his thoughts, even without the aura bending. But the palace was completely immovable: a fixed aura in... whatever this place was. The golden gates swung open at the slightest of touch. The silence was only broken by Xellous's footfalls.

All of a sudden a man in plain robes appeared next to him. "Well hello there!"

Xellous turned to face him. "Hello!"

The stranger fell in beside Xellous and they began walking down a hallway of reflective gold. "I'm looking for Telos, how about you?" asked the man.

"I'm here to see Telos as well. What's your name?"

"Xalmantra. It's a pleasure to finally meet you, Xellous, Celestial Knight."

Xalmantra. It had been a very long time since Xellous had heard that name. Years ago Ernzen, the man who had sent flammeous lads against Xellous's family, had identified himself as the last of "The Cursed of Xalmantra". Xellous had never found a lead after that and was more concerned about looking for Kora, who had been kidnapped by the khen-zai. But Xellous had never forgotten. "How're the flammeous lads treating you, Xalmantra?" he asked coolly.

"Oh, I've questions for you too," chuckled Xalmantra "But first: Telos."

"Right here, Xalmantra". Xellous and Xalmantra turned around. Telos could barely be made out in his reflective golden robes. His retinue were clothed the same way. Xellous finally noticed that all the surfaces  were totally refective: they all were standing in an ever-reflecting series of golden surfaces. He could finally feel the intended effect: floating in an eternal sea of gold. All of them, together, were in an ocean of light. And telos was the anchor point.

Xalmantra bowed to Telos. "It is wonderful to see you again, Autarch of Heranyt! It has been some time since you were last here and available to visitors."

Telos returned the bow. "Always a pleasure, Autarch of Pyheeta. Xellous here is one of your patrons."

"Ah, yes the intrepid young Xellous, Celestial Knight! Hero of Khouria, twice over! Friend of Angels, destroyer of Nameless! Enemy of the godless khen-zai" crowed Xalmantra. He turned to Xellous. "It's such a shame. Normally I can locate all life on my planet... but I couldn't find you, to lend you aid, while all these things were happening to you." While he was talking Xalmantra began to prod Xellous's aura...

Xalmantra was an aura bender.

That was supposed to be unique to Xellous.

"Like what you're seeing?" Xellous asked Xalmantra.

"Oh yes," Xalmantra said, a surprised delight on his face. "A fellow aura bender! I've never met another. That must mean you've made quite the impression on a star. I'm most impressed." Xellous suppressed a shudder. Xalmantra was many times more powerful than Xellous and could crush him like a grape. So he let Xalmantra poke around as he wished.

Xalmantra turned back to Telos. "He certainly couldn't have masked his aura from someone like me, no matter how impressive he is.Only another autarch could ahve hidden his movements so completely. It would have almost destroyed him to do so, but anything's possible. Still. That breaks so many laws of the Sopusoin System it makes my head spin." Xalmantra smiled a thin lipped grimace at Telos. "Know anyone who would fit that bill?"

"If I see any autarchs breaking Sopusoin Law I'll let them know" Telos responded icily.

Xalmantra threw back his head and laughed. "Right you are! What a notion, an autarch interfering with the domain of another! I suppose I'll just have to keep looking. And now I must take my leave." He turned to Xellous. "I'll be seeing you very soon."

Xalmantra vanished.

Telos shook his head. "That was... unpleasant. Unlike seeing you, my friend!" The two men embraced; one was in simple farm clothes, the other in pure ever reflective gold. Neither cared."What can I help you with?" Telos asked warmly.

"I need advice and a drink with an old friend. Maybe a ship to sail the Void. Nothing much."

Telos chuckled. "Oh, is that all? Such simple desires! What advice do you seek? I'll do what I can."

Xellous pulled out the Angel Arrow. A man in Telos's retinue gasped. "I want to use this as an antecedent," Xellous said.

Telos dismissed all of his retinue but the man who gasped. "That is not a conversation to be had in our halls. Let us adjourn elsewhere." They made their way, floating on solid ground. Telos tapped a reflection and it slide aside to a myriad of reflections right next to Telos, Xellous, and the man who came with them. "This is Tyce," Telos said. "He's my chief bodyguard."

Xellous could tell they were in a smaller infinity. A table and chairs radiated in all directions. Telos touched one of the seats so Xellous could sit there. "Now, what you're asking for is very serious. What are your intentions?"

"I'm horribly outgunned. The flammeous lads, the khen-zai, and now Xalmantra... I need to protect my family. I know I've not been attacked in two years, but it's coming. And we need to travel to that junkyard planet we had been told about to get a generator for Ikuinen Lampo. So that way we can bring the fight to the khen-zai and everyone else connected to them. And if I use this arrow as an antecedent... I can do that. And if that's not lawful, good, can you help me find something that does?"

"Did you not see that conversation out there?? I can't directly intervene. Other lives depend on my neutrality, no matter how much of a lie that neutrality is. But... but I can call on an old friend. Stay right here." Telos got up and walked into a newly appeared hallway of infinities.

After a minute of awkward silence Tyce said something. "I've heard a lot about you. Your kindness... nobility... but this?? This is blasphemous. Or, at least I think it is. Please help me. I want to understand."

"I'll try. Imagine if you were a chef. And one day you get an ingredient that could just end hunger, forever. Now, wherever you got that ingredient from, wouldn't you at least think about it? Why wouldn't you use it?"

Tyce's jaw worked. "That's a... terrible analogy! You can't compare an Angel's Arrow to... too..." Tyce sat back, speechless.

Telos came back a few minutes later with a man in a white robe. "My old friend, Raphael the Archangel. Tyce, let's go discuss how on earth he got past the help without a proper greeting!" They were gone.

Raphael radiated calm power. "I was told you had questions about the arrow I'd given you and how you wished to use it as an antecedent. What are your intentions Xellous, Celestial Knight?"

Xellous scratched his head. "The world around me is so much bigger than I thought. And I want my family to be safe I'm about to take them on something strange and unusual and I want them to be safe. They definitely won't be safe without me, but now they have to be safe with me."

"You don't care about the power this thing could give you?"

Xellous looked confused. "Well, of course I do!"

"What would you use that power for?"

"To protect my family!" Xellous was even more confused.

Raphael smiled. He clapped Xellous on the shoulder. "Go in peace. You're the first person to ever take the trouble to find me and ask in person. You have my blessing."

And Raphael was gone.

Telos and Tyce, who looked greatly chastened, re-entered. "Got what you need?" Xellous nodded. "Then we should get you the rest of what you need, like a ship."

"And a drink."

Telos laughed. "Twist my arm why don't you?" He pushed in another wall and they were looking out into a freezing, howling, eternal night. Glowing ebony-skinned figures tended ships with white wood, white sails. Telos walked up to one of the glowing midnight folks and had what was undoubtedly a friendly conversation. He came back to Xellous. "You won't let me pay, will you?" Xellous shook his head. "Well, I told them you were an enchanter. They'd like some items enchanted in the human manner. It will allows them to be more versatile in their eternal war with the Nameless."

"I'd be more than happy to! Now, how about that drink, before I get to work?"

"Have the last two years been that bad, that you have to drink them away?"

Xellous laughed and shook his head. "Well, you weren't there. A lot's changed."

There was a beat where only the wind made any noise.

"I can't go with you, Xellous" said Telos over the wind. "Xalmantra won't stop watching. I can feel his spies, waiting on the edges, to report anything they see. Tyce, however, isn't bound to the laws that I am. With power comes more laws, more rules, more things to restrain it. He'll go with you. Is that acceptable?"

"I... I don't think Tyce likes me very much"

Telos chuckled. "Oh, he's young. He's not seen what you have. Few have. This will be good for him. Besides: if I tell him to he'll go."

"Ah, the power of an autarch," Xellous said with a mocking twinkle.

"Power indeed!" Telos shook his head. "I don't feel particularly powerful, most days. That drink you keep talking about may change that, for just a little bit."

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