Crisis Week 9: Red Skies!

Last Friday we played the ninth week of Crisis. Which for us is at least week 11, because we've played on the breaks. No one to blame but ourselves, but god damn it we are all looking forward to a month between the end of this and the beginning of Secret Invasion. Next campaign? Let's use the break weeks as breaks.

Anyway, we played 600 points, 75% Floor. I think outside of sealed drafts, this was officially the most restricted game ever run. We also played on the Galactus Rooftops map, with all of its clear terrain, because, hey! There's been a lot of goddamn Batman running around!

I played Spectre, Mordru, and Rookie Shazaam. Spectre and Mordru put me up to the cap, and Shazaam filled out the team... they're all mystical, but I didn't have enough figures to be a theme team.

Jeff played a team full of figures he hadn't played yet. Mammoth, Shimmer, Ace, King and Queen, Karate Kid, Accomplished Perfect Physician, Speedy (or was it Roy Harper), and Dr. Sivana. Eight figures!

Ferru played World's Finest, which took a lot of guts after the drubbings we've witnessed. Well, he beat me with them... The 500 point piece was backed up with Wonder Girl and Batwoman.

Bill played a Titans swarm: Robin, Nightwing, Kid Flash, Wally West, Red Arrow, Roy Harper, Donna Troy, and Wonder Girl. Nice theme here of older and younger versions, except for the two Kid Flashes. But Bill wanted his speedsters to Maneuver, and didn't have the points for a 100+ adult Wally Flash.


In the first game, I played Ferru, while Bill went up against Jeff. Ferru had choice of sides, and of course put his World's Finest in the water tower. I foolishly let that stand, rushing across the field to take out his supporting characters. Once that was over (or mostly over), Shazaam was dead and Spectre had been hammered off his best clicks. I retreated and World's Finest mopped up. Meanwhile, Bill sent the Wallys out among Jeff's team of grounded figures, dropping people like they were hot to the street below. Ferru and Bill won their respective games.

In the second game, I played Jeff, while Ferru played Bill. I was more cautious and let Jeff come to me, but my opening gambit with Shazaam was a critical miss, knocking off Hypersonic and leaving him stranded. Spectre took a lot of heat and eventually went down, but the wounded Shazaam and Mordru were able to finish things off. In his game, Bill won sides and wouldn't surrender the water tower. Once World's Finest had no hiding spot, they faced two outwits and four attacks a turn, and that was that.


In the final game, I played Bill, and Jeff played Ferru. I don't know who won the Jeff vs Ferru game, but the picture I have shows no Worlds Finest. So I'm going to go out on a limb and congratulate both Jeff and Dr. Sivana. In my game, Bill's Titans took the water tower. I took the building opposite it on the map and offered to decide the game on random roll. Well, what is there to do? An out-actioned team can't be on the offensive too... Bill was a good sport and came at me, killing Shazaam while I killed Robin. At that point it was a long, drawn out struggle, with Bill scrapping up three damage (from Enhancement and Perplex he did okay) and I trying to kill Titans that I would need sevens to hit... it's hard! He did Maneuver four or five times out of spite: with flying giants, it was hard to use it meaningfully. We called time after an hour, and I had killed 30 points more than he did.


Bill won the night, but it was close. I came in last, but beat Bill for the first time since we were playing Marvel characters. It's pathetic how much joy I received from this truly marginal victory.