There are many approaches to building a roster, but here is one I’m experimenting with at the minute.

Some scenario combinations are much faster than others. Cosmic cubes with gamma waves could allow you to score a maximum of 11 VPs in one turn. Skrulls and Origin Bombs caps out at 5 per turn. The first I’d call a fast scenario. The second is definitely a slow scenario. A roster has to be good a both. So what tools do you need?

Fast scenarios

These can often be over by turn 3. Being able to push and pull opponents off a wide number of secure objectives is a hugely valuable asset, that can lead to big point turns and big leads. You won’t have the hitting power or survivability of some teams, but the plan in to have an unassailable lead before the attrition.

Examples of fast scenarios:

Gamma Wave Sweeps Across Midwest

Infinity Formula Goes Missing!

Panic Grips City as Evacuation Efforts Continue!

Riots Spark Over Extremis 3.0

Spider-Infected Invade Manhattan

Struggle for the Cube Continues

Characters with good and reliable pushes/throws:

Black Panther

Captain America

Captain Marvel

Doctor Octopus

Hulk

Loki (with Mind Gem)

Modok

Shuri

Spider-Man

Thor

Valkyrie

Venom

Vision

Slow scenarios

By contrast, slow scenarios can often take a long time to score up to 16. In these games, the teams with the best damage output or survivability will likely come out on top. Being able to either effectively remove pieces or stay in the game through to round 6 is what you will be banking on.

Examples of slow scenarios:

Alien Ship Crashes in Downtown!

Deadly Meteors Mutate Civilians

Skrulls Infiltrate World Leadership

Examples of characters with good damage output or survivability:

Baron Zemo

Black Panther

Black Widow

Captain America

Captain Marvel

Crossbones

Groot

Hela, Queen of Hel

Hulk

Iron Man

Killmonger

Modok

Thor

Ultron

Valkyrie

Venom

Vision

Building a roster

So now you need to have a roster that can capitalise on fast scenarios, but also survive in slow ones.

Here are some of the teams I’ve been trying in fast scenarios:

15: Black Panther, Shuri, Okoye, Valkyrie, Doctor Octopus

17: Black Panther, Shuri, Okoye, Valkyrie, Loki with mind gem

18: Black Panther, Shuri, Okoye, Venom, Loki with mind gem

In each of these teams, there are four characters who have reliable push/throw effects that they can use or fuel each turn without any outisde need for power from being attacked. Unlike a lot of teams, they typically want not to have priority.

For middling scenarios (a mix of fast and slow) where some control is useful, but more punch is needed:

17: Black Panther, Killmonger, Shuri, Okoye, Venom,

18: Black Panther, Killmonger, Shuri, Valkyrie, Venom

20: Black Panther, Killmonger, Shuri, Venom, Modok

And for slow scenarios:

17: Black Panther, Killmonger, Okoye, Venom, Valkyrie

20: Black Panther, Killmonger, Shuri, Modok, Venom

So that means I have taken the following characters:

Black Panther Shuri Okoye Killmonger Venom Valkyrie Doctor Octopus Loki Mind Gem Modok

Given that I’m building a one affiliation roster, it makes choice of Team Tactics cards easier:

Wakanda forever – probably the best team tactics card in the game. It gives more pushes on fast scenarios and more damage on slow ones

Vibranium Shielding – helps keep me from losing activations on fast scenarios and keep ahead in attrition on slow ones

Patch Up – likely to be taken in slow scenarios to help with attrition

Tactical Analysis – great for making sure you maximise pushes or attacks. Combos nicely with Valkyrie or Loki

Mission Objective – an important part of having a plan for the Wakandan Herb

Brace for impact – prevents dazing or helps with attrition

Usurp the throne – pumps Killmonger and can help win a game

Lethal protector – With a lot of lists including Venom, this is a great card for toughing out the mission.

Scenarios

Secure:

Gamma Wave Sweeps Across Midwest

Infinity Formula Goes Missing!

Deadly Meteors Mutate Civilians

I feel that Wakandans excel at the fast scenarios, so I’m going to play one of the Bold ones. Gamma allows me to potentially score 6 points on secures alone, and Infinity formulas give me the extra power to power my abilities.

Extracts

Spider-Infected Invade Manhattan

Struggle for the Cube Continues

Panic Grips City as Evacuation Efforts Continue!

Again, choosing one of the two in bold helps make the scenario faster, playing to the strengths I see in Wakanda.

That’s the roster I’m currently testing. I’m sure there will be tweaks – I love the idea of Iron Man for a turn one drop off to score the far Gamma Shelter by pushing off with Black Panther, but it feels like a ‘living the dream’ situation that will rarely pan out.