It may be a fairly quiet year for MCU movies, but that doesn’t mean fans of Marvel Comics don’t have plenty to stay busy with.Marvel’s Avengershas been delayed to September, but gamers looking to take control of Captain America, Iron Man, and other heroes simply need to turn their attention to the tabletop to face off against Rhino, Ultron and other iconic villains solo or with a group of friends inMarvel Champions.
Marvel Championsis a new living card game from Fantasy Flight Games that offers a 1-4 player co-op experience with some exciting deck-building options. Fantasy Flight LCGs are very popular and have already tackled the world ofGame of Thrones, Cthulhu, andLord of the Rings. Marvel Champions is a very new-player friendly card game that may be the perfect gateway into a new world of gaming for fans who haven’t checked out LCGs in the past.
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Before diving intoMarvel Champions, some gamers may kind themselves a bit intimidated by all of the terminology. What’s in a Core Set? What is an LCG? How does solo play even work? These are all fair questions and Game Rant has all the answers.
This crash course should explain everything interested shoppers need to know if they’re considering getting started in Marvel Champions…
What is an LCG?
LCG stands for Living Card Game. Fantasy Flight created this genre of card games for players who are interested in card games that have frequent new content released, but don’t want to play thebooster pack lottery in a game likeMagic: The Gathering. Product for LCGs is always clearly communicated and there are no surprise rares and no reason to buy multiples of the same product, unless players want multiple copies of certain cards (which actually does happen frequently for hardcore players).
In short, an LCG is a card-game that can be played with just the Core Set, but will be supported with additional content in the future. Consider it a board game with DLC options.
“A Living Card Game® (LCG®) offers an innovative fixed distribution method that breaks away from the traditional Collectible Card Game model. While LCGs still offer the same dynamic, expanding, and constantly evolving game play that makes CCGs so much fun, they do away with the deterrent of the blind-buy purchase model that has burned out so many players. The end result is an innovative mix that gives you the best of both worlds!”
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TheMarvel ChampionsCore Set is the essential way to get into the game. This big box contains five heroes and enough cards to play a four-player game against three different villains. The Core Set includes Iron Man, She-Hulk, Black Panther, Spider-Man, and Captain Marvel (many heroes inspired by the MCU). Each of those characters has a unique 15 card hero deck that is supported with Basic cards and one of four Aspects (Justice, Aggression, Protection, or Leadership).
The core set also comes with both regular and expert level challenges against Rhino, Klaw, and Ultron. There are a number of villain modules as well that can be mixed and matched to up the difficulty against each of the villains.
“The Core Set is the heart of a LCG. Each LCG’s Core Set is a completely self-contained game experience packed with content, including high-quality game pieces and immersive game aides designed to enhance play. Additionally, each Core Set contains multiple decks that provide an exciting and infinitely replayable game experience right out of the box.”
This may sound like a strange question, but fans of LCGs won’t be surprised. The short answer is no. The Core Set really does contain enough cards to build four legal decks. That said, players who want multiple copies of the best cards may want to purchase additional Core Sets if they want four top tier decks constructed at the same time. This isn’t going to be the case for the vast majority of players.
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What other Heroes can I play as?
The Core Set containsSpider-Man, Captain Marvel, Iron Man, Black Panther, and She-Hulk. Since the game launched, Captain America and Ms. Marvel have been added as Hero Packs.
There are also three new Hero Packs on the horizon that have no yet been released: Thor, Black Widow, and Doctor Strange are all on the way.
So far there are four expansion packs released and a few others that have been announced.
Currently available: Captain America Hero Pack, Ms. Marvel Hero Pack, Green Goblin Villain Scenarios, The Wrecking Crew Villain Scenario
Announced: Thor Hero Pack, Black Widow Hero Pack, Doctor Strange Hero Pack
It is also very likely that there will be a big box expansion released some time over the summer. This will likely be more expensive than the other expansions, but provide more card storage, multiple new heroes, and a new series of villains and stories.
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How often is new content released?
IfMarvel Championskeeps up with the schedule it has been on so far, it seems likely that there will be some new content pretty much every month. This is great news for players who want to constantly update their decks and face new challenges, but may be a little intimidating for more casual players who don’t want to commit to a lot of purchases. Just keep in mind that there’s absolutely no need to buy everything that comes out. All the expansion content is optional and players can get a ton of games out of the Core Set thanks to the multiple villain modules and the ability to customize the five core heroes.
Be sure to check back in the near future for moreMarvel Championsstrategy guides, news, and updates. Until then, good luck out there, heroes.
Marvel Championsis available now at local game stores.
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