ProTech Games, Street Level Violence 14-04-2024
ProTech Games, Street Level Violence 14-04-2024
Hey folks 🙂
Decided to write another one of my awe-inspiring blog posts....or despair invoking, I'll let you decide 🙂
This weeks post takes me down to ProTech in Stockton-on-Tees for Street Level Violence. I know what you're thinking; "isn't that just a standard day for Stockton?" Well, it isn't! It's a lovely place 😉 This event has been named so, by the stellar TO that is Anthony Poole, because there's an in house restriction of only 4 threat characters or lower; so no Hulk, CGR, Malekith, etc etc. This does have the unfortunate side effects of essentially ruling out factions like A-Force, Sentinels, Inhumans etc who all have 5+ threat leaders, but I feel for a one off event it's acceptable. All those sentinel players will have to wait til the next event 😉
The Build Up!
For this event I, initially, was down for taking Cyclops X-Men with a bunch of solid X-Men characters. I had been playing a bit of them up til that point and my roster only required minimal changing.
But given that my attention span for one faction is equatable to a magpie in a room full of shiny things this plan was evidently doomed to failure. 😅
Accurate
I then embarked on a quest to play Wakanda. My initial impression was "Killmonger can just melt most 4 threat characters (and he can)." This would give me usurp as a 2 VP lift (almost) guaranteed every game. Coupled alongside the fact that Wakanda are doing marginally ok at the moment (Ho! Ho! Ho!) with Spirit of Wakanda I could maybe pull off a horrendously horrible list by dropping in Rhino, Voodoo, Black Cat as splashes so I could have a heavy scenario team that is just a pain to play against.
*Laughs in Wakanda*
My attention was then drawn to Web Warriors. A solid list featuring all the usual suspects - less ASM - and maybe splashing voodoo in. For the same reasons as wakanda. Also in the 4 threat match up I felt they might actually be particularly strong. After playing some games with them I felt I needed more practice, which I wasn't going to get, and scrapped the idea.
So it was back to Black Panther and co, or was it....I started looking at my old buddy, Nick Fury Jr and Shield.
Welcome back mother f**ker
In the past I played a lot of shield. Like a lot a lot. Especially when they came out so I feel I'm on first terms with Nick here. I love how they play, I love the affiliated characters, and I thought I'd give them a trial run. After 2 games I was having fun and decided to go with them.
The Roster.
Well that's what I went with in regards to characters. Some obvious choices like Fury, Iron Man, Hawkeye etc. splashed in the 2 cost Widow for less math headaches. Spectacular Spiderman was a new shout but proved he was required in some games.
Crimson Dynamo I splashed in incase I ended up on Gamma or Demons. I get he is also just a good splash in general in most scenarios but he doesn't really fit how I play shield. (Like a weirdo)
But who is that second from last.....is that core set Ultron???
He is, in actual fact, inevitable.
I know what you're thinking; why not just take Bill? And I could have done that, but - like wakanda - I find him a very boring (if not entirely reliable) character. Ultron was something different, and he isn't that bad really. I played him in one game and he did okish.
The cards.
Cards-wise fairly straight forward. No real surprises in there I don't think. I took sacrifice to deal with Killmonger, or at least try to deal with him. I figured there would be other Wakandans or other people just with Killmonger and Usurp. Turned out, in the end, I didn't need it.
Again, no real surprises here I don't think. Using Fury and his buddies to grab 2 extracts is always fun. I have a couple of characters that can ignore cover which gives me an advantage on Scoundrels.
Game One Vs Spider-Foes (Martin).
First game up was Vs Martin. Lovely lad from ProTech. We look so alike apparently we are indistinguishable, like the Mauler Twins - noone knows who the clone is.
If you don't get the reference that's on you. 😉
Games with Martin are always fun. I won priority taking my secures. Ended up with Hammers and Infinity Formula. I ran Nick Furys leadership and Martin ran Green Goblin.
The game progressed well rounds 1 and 2 going 4-4 then 8-8. Martin managed to gain the upper hand in round 3 by dazing Iron Man with Ronan and Spectacular Spiderman with Doc Ock to go 14-9. An insurmountable lead. In round 4 Hawkeye failed to kill a 3 health Rhino with 2 shots which allowed Rhino to escape to the board edge with 2 hammers. Even with what was left I couldn't overcome the 6 point deficit and the game ended a comfortable 19-14 to Martin. Well played as well I have to say 🙂
(I also forgot to take a picture 🤦)
Game 2 v X-Men (Jamie).
Jamie is a brand new player to mcp and being a young teenager it's good to see new players, especially younger ones, coming into the game. They are future gamers and every game needs them 🙂
He wins priority and takes his secures and we end up on Sword base and mutant extremists. Again I go with Nick Furys leadership and he goes with Cyclops.
A fairly step by step game. Round one 5-5, round two 11-9 and round 3 it ends on 16-14 to me. He was a nice kid who was keen, still getting used to the game and I aided him as much as I could. Good grasp of scenario just forgetting some super power stuff. Hopefully he comes back to more ProTech events and gain more positive experiences 🙂.
Game 3 v Spider-Foes (Ben).
I've played Ben before. Solid player and all round nice guy. We roll off and I take priority. We actually have 2/3 same secures but I disliked all his extracts so I took mine. We ended up on Hammers and Intrusion Portals...the one secure he had that I didn't want 😒 sods law. I decide to go with Iron Mans leadership and he with Doc Ocks.
Very close game, Ben played a few good plays and took me by surprise. But ultimately a combination of Hawkeye and Spiderman and some spicey dice got me the win at 18-14. I don't think the score really reflected how close it was, it could have easily been 18-14 to Ben if the dice were right, but losing two characters was tough to come back from.
(Forgot the picture again 🤦🤦)
Game 4 v X-Men (Percy)
I've played Percy before and, again, another lovely ProTech player (and now employee). We roll off and he takes prio and his secures. We end up on Infinity Formula and Mutant Extremists. I stick with Iron Mans leadership and he goes with Cyclops.
It was an intensely close game, going to a final round after the previous ended on a 17-17 draw. The play came down to Spiderman moving, doing 2 damage to Professor X with an impact webbing to daze him and swing onto the point to let me go 22-20. Great game but very close, was actually drained after this one 😅
Summary.
When the final scores are in I finish 3-1 and in 9th place. Which I'm happy with considering that I felt things were going to end badly after the game with Martin 😅
The event was fun, the format was interesting and ProTech had a great 28 person attendance which was fantastic.
Going forward and back to "normal" list building I think I might stick with shield again for a bit. Iron man definitely gave it a bit more depth and piqued my interest.
For me next it'll be the team event I'm running on April 20th, Crisis in Caledonia 2024. 8 teams of 5 duking it out so that'll be fun 🙂
Thanks again to Martin, Ben, Jamie and Percy and of course to Anthony for running the events down at ProTech. Special mention for Joe and Paul, my car poolers, who had to listen to my jokes for a combined total of 6 hours 😉😎
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