Comic Book Battles - Episode 10: Avengers Vs. X-Men #4 pt. 3

Welcome back to Comic Book Battles!  Man, it has been...well, almost a year, but I'm back!  We're going to pick up right where we left off, in the middle of the biggest hero battle since Civil War!  This week, we have an AvX skirmish taking place in the middle of Dr. Doom's nation of Latveria!

The Comic Book

"Avengers Vs. X-Men (Part Four)"
Writers Jonathan Hickman
Pencilers John Romita Jr.
Inkers Scott Hanna
Colourists Laura Martin
Letterers Chris Eliopoulos
Editors John Denning, Lauren Sankovitch, Nick Lowe, Tom Brevoort

Here, again, we're seeing a skirmish in progress through the telepathic visions of Emma Frost, who is scanning the globe for Hope. 

The Battle

For this battle, I'm using the Latveria map from the AvX event.  It doesn't necessarily represent the battlefield depicted above, but it's interesting nonetheless.  As you can see below, it has our teams facing off from corner-to-corner.  In between are a couple buildings and a giant fountain statue of Dr. Doom himself!

Here are our teams:

X-Men

avx012 V Colossus

Team: X-Men
Range: 0
Points: 175
Keywords: Armor, Mystical, X-Men

(Improved) Mantle of the Juggernaut: Improved Movement: Ignores Hindering Terrain, Ignores Blocking Terrain and destroys Blocking Terrain as the character moves through it.

(Speed) I Believe In The X-Men: Colossus can use Charge and Plasticity. If he has two action tokens, adjacent friendly characters that can use the X-Men team ability can use that team ability as a free action.

(Defense) Steel-Skinned X-Man: Colossus can use Defend and Impervious.

wxm008 E Dazzler
Team: No Affiliation
Range: 6
Points: 75
Keywords: Celebrity, Excalibur, Mojoverse, X-Men

(Speed) Charge of the Light Brigade: When Dazzler has no action tokens, she can use Running Shot. When Dazzler has one or more action tokens, you may give her a free action and characters within 4 squares can't use Stealth until your next turn.

dp027 V Domino
Team: No Affiliation
Range: 6 :bolt:
Points: 89
Keywords: Six Pack, X-Corps, X-Force

(Speed) Infiltration Assassination: Domino can use Running Shot and Stealth. Give Domino a free action when she has no action tokens, and until your next turn decrease her speed value by any amount and increase her range by the same amount. 

  

And that comes out to 339 points.  Unfortunately, no theme team bonus since Domino isn't a member of the X-Men.  Colossus is the only one with a team affiliation as well, and it's X-Men, which requires another character with the X-Men team affiliation to be useful.  That said, Colossus is a monster, and Dazzler and Domino can provide decent ranged support.

Avengers

ffcw005 E Mockingbird
Team: No Affiliation
Range: 2
Points: 50

(Special) October 12th: When a friendly character named Hawkeye is adjacent to Mockingbird, they both modify their attack values by +1 if not already modified by this effect.

avx004e E Spider-Man
Team: Avengers|Spider-Man
Range: 5
Points: 100
Keywords: Avengers, Scientist, Spider-Man Family

(Special) Whatever a Spider Can: When Spider-Man is the target of a ranged combat attack, he can use Super Senses, but evades the attack on a result of 4 - 6.

dp015 V Daredevil
Team: No Affiliation
Range: 4
Points: 108
Keywords: Avengers, Martial Artist, Marvel Knights, The Hand

(Improved) Rooftop Acrobat: Improved Movement: Ignores Elevated Terrain, Ignores Hindering Terrain, Ignores Characters; Improved Targeting: Ignores Hindering Terrain

(Special) Ally of Heroes: At the beginning of the game, choose Enhancement or Empower. Daredevil can use that power this game. A Heroes for Hire themed team may include Daredevil and is still a theme team.

(Special) Radar Senses: Daredevil can use Super Senses.

cw037 V Spider-Woman
Team: Avengers
Range: 5
Points: 82
Keywords: Avengers, Detective, Hydra, Lady Liberators, S.H.I.E.L.D., Spy, S.W.O.R.D.

(Damage) Pheromones: Give Spider-Woman a free action. She may modify the attack value of an adjacent friendly character by +1 and she may modify the defense value of an adjacent opposing character by -1 until your next turn.

That comes out to 340 points.  This team features my favorite incarnation of Spider-Man that I've played in Heroclix, so I have high hopes.  Daredevil is pretty mean as well, and Mockingbird and Spider-Woman are great harassment characters that opposing teams can't afford to ignore, despite their cheap costs.  All of that, combined with four Avengers Theme Team Probability Control uses and Avengers team affiliations, means the X-Men have an uphill battle ahead of them in this one.

Before the game starts, Daredevil chooses Empower for his "Ally of Heroes" special ability, in case I need him to support Spidey or Mockingbird in melee.  

Avengers win the roll-off for first turn

Spider-Man moves to I19

Daredevil moves to I20

Spider-Woman moves to F14, making herself a tempting target that far out

Mockingbird moves behind cover at C14 to support her in case things get rough

Colossus wastes no time, picking up a super-heavy object and smashing through the buildings in his path, moving adjacent to Spider-Woman at F13

Domino moves to K9 in cover

Dazzler moves to O1, hanging back until a decent target presents itself

Daredevil moves to M14, since he has indomitable

Spider-Woman uses her Pheromones on Colossus to reduce his defense and increase her own attack by 1

Everyone else clears

Colossus uses that super-heavy object to great effect on Spider-Woman, hitting on a 17 for 7(!) damage.  Ouch!  Even with Spider-Woman's toughness reducing it to 6, that one hurt.  

Dazzler and Domino clear

Mockingbird moves to E14 to support her teammate against Colossus

Spider-Woman uses her pheromones again on Colossus

Spider-Woman uses Close Combat Expert to attack Colossus and give herself +1 attack and +1 damage.  She hits on a 17, but Colossus rolls a 6 on his Impervious roll, reducing the damage to 0.  Tough break!

Spider-Man uses Perplex to increase his own attack by 1 and Charges to G14, missing Colossus with a roll of 15.  So close!

Daredevil clears 

Domino uses Running Shot to move to K14 and attack Daredevil, hitting on an 18.  Daredevil rolls his Super Senses and gets a 6, evading the attack!
Dazzler moves to K9
Colossus clears

Spider-Woman uses Pheromones on Colossus, and gives the +1 attack to Mockingbird
Spider-Man perplexes Mockingbird's attack by +1 as well
Mockingbird uses Exploit Weakness on Colossus, hitting on a 17 for 2 damage.  It can't be reduced, so no impervious roll for big C.
Daredevil charges to L14, hitting Domino on a 19 with a Precise Strike, which Domino attempts to use Probability Control on, forcing a reroll.  The reroll is a 22!  3 damage is done to Domino.
The two Spider-peeps clear their action tokens

Colossus attacks Spider-Woman, but misses on a 16 thanks to her Combat Reflexes.
Domino and Dazzler clear

Spider-Woman keeps using those Pheromones on Colossus, giving Spider-Man the +1 attack.
Spider-Man uses Perplex to give himself another +1 attack
Spider-Man uses Precise Strike on Colossus, hitting on a 16.  Colossus has impervious, but Spidey still deals him one damage thanks to the Precise Strike
Spider-Woman uses Close Combat Expert to give herself +1 attack and +1 damage, but misses on a 14
Daredevil uses Precise Strike and hits Domino with a 21, dealing 3 damage, enough to KO her

Dazzler uses Precise Strike on Daredevil, hitting on a 19.  Daredevil misses his Super Senses roll, so he takes 2 damage thanks to his Toughness
Colossus hits Spider-Woman on an 18 for 3 damage, KOing her

Spider-Man uses Perplex to increase Mockingbird's damage by +1
Mockingbird uses Exploit Weakness, but misses Colossus with an 11
Daredevil and Spider-Man clear

Colossus and Dazzler clear

Spider-Man Perplexes Colossus' defense by -1
Spider-Man uses Precise Strike, hitting Colossus on a 16.  Colossus still has Impervious, though, and takes only 2 damage
Mockingbird uses Exploit Weakness, but misses Colossus with a 14
Daredevil moves to K9

Colossus attacks Spider-Man, but misses on a roll of 13
Dazzler uses Precise Strike on Daredevil, but misses on a 13 as well

All the Avengers clear

Colossus attacks Spider-Man, but misses on a 14
Dazzler clears

Spider-Man uses Perplex once again on Colossus, reducing his defense by 1
Spider-Man uses Precise Strike, hitting on a 19 for 1 damage thanks to Colossus' Impervious
Mockingbird attacks using Exploit Weakness, hitting on a 15 for 2 damage, KOing Colossus
Daredevil uses Flurry on Dazzler, hitting on an 18 with doubles, dealing 2 damage and knocking Dazzler back into a wall for another 1 damage.

Dazzler uses Penetrating Blast on Daredevil, critically missing, dealing 1 damage to herself.  She wants to end this as much as I do, I think.

Mockingbird moves to I8
Spider-Man and Daredevil clear

Dazzler uses Precise Strike on Mockingbird, but misses on a 16

Spider-Man charges to J9, hitting on a 21 for 3 damage, KOing Dazzler.

Winner: Avengers

This fight was very one-sided.  It quickly became clear that while Colossus is really great, his teammates were not.  If I were to play this again, I might group my X-Men together so Dazzler and Domino could take advantage of Colossus' Defend ability.  Alas, I still think it would be tough for the X-Men to claim victory.  

I hope that you enjoyed this return to CBB.  Next time, we have another AvX skirmish in the Wundagore Mountains!