I went to my first Realms Open Championship event of 2016 with a team I knew didn’t stand much chance of winning the whole thing but thought could still be competitive:

ATTACK OF THE 50-FOOT WOMEN

Chameleon Girl [Superman and the Legion of Super-Heroes] 115

Giganta [Legion of Doom Fast Forces] 100

Elasti-Girl [World’s Finest] 100

Ms. Marvel [Avengers Assemble 056] 66

H.E.N.R.Y. 15 points

=396 points.

 

ROUND 1

I face Jennifer’s cheese figs du jour team of Nick Fury [NFAOS 056], Nighthawk [NFAOS 059b], Mr. Mxyzptlk and Copycat with Doc Magnus and Mercury rounding out matters as the pit crew. Right away I was in trouble because I did not factor Copycat into my meta prep. But I was also in better shape than most because my team is designed to survive losing a key fig in the early game. She took Elasti-Girl. No problem. I got map and chose the indoors Hank Pym Lab to blunt Fury’s lines of fire.

TURNING POINTS

Sidestep For the Loss. This is where that one more game of testing would have helped greatly. When I used Giganta’s free action of Sidestep to taxi in my first turn, I forgot that she needs to be ready to push to get the best use of her combo of powers. So when Jen moved into my potential swing range, I was unable to take advantage. It wasn’t a total game-killer, but it was a classic avalanche decision that led to worse later.

The Right Ruling…But the Wrong One. So Jen used my Elasti-Girl’s Plasticity to gum up the narrow passageway, and under the new size rules giants no longer ignore Plasticity, keeping me from freely advancing past her to engage Nick Fury. I double checked with the judge and a Powers and Abilities Chart.

…but what we both missed was that the PLASTICITY rules had ALSO changed with the size rules. I could have moved Ms. M past Elasti-Girl with impunity and she would have made MUCH better — and less costly — tie-up vs. Fury than the Chameleon Girl I gambled and lost with. I blame WizKids for this one, because in this setting, even if I had remembered the right rule, not having it on a printed document where a judge can make a fast and correct ruling on may have led to the wrong ruling being made anyhow.

Stupid Senses. Despite losing Cham Girl, I was still in the game with Giganta now able to freely Quake most of Jen’s team. But Mr. Mxyzptlk scored a Super Senses roll that saved him from KO and the game for my opponent, who was in full retreat mode.

So close. But now I was 0-1.

 

ROUND 2

Rob’s KC Shazam @ 170, Mr. Mxyzptlk, Mercury, Harlequin, and KC Spectre @ 35.

TURNING POINTS

Are You Kidding Me? Thirty-seven potential opponents in the room and I end up facing the one guy in the room who successfully play tested against my team? What a terrible draw!

Too Fast on the Draw. Forewarned that Rob would be aggressive, I decided to go for his Spectre to take an early lead in points. Unfortunately, I didn’t think to take the time to push either Elasti-Girl or Chameleon Girl onto Plasticity to prevent Shazam’s Hypersonic Speed strike with an ultra-heavy. Once again, Cham’s SC fails and I’m immediately down a fig. But I felt all right because while my easy KO of Spectre is now denied, Rob had overextended his force a bit and I would get right back in the game with an overwhelming counterattack, first to KO Harlequin, then to wear down Shazam.

But Dice.

Despite needing a 7 or less to hit, Ms. Marvel missed her attack. Then Elasti-Girl pushed and missed with an even easier shot. Then Giganta pushed and missed TWICE with Flurry. Then she hit with Quake — but hit two Mystics with it, to take THREE clicks of damage.

Elasti-Girl attacked every round after, using Colossal Stamina and missed every time, either outright or with “help” from Mr. M.

Any ONE of those hits kills Harlequin. If Shazam is the only attacker instead of me having to weather up to THREE attacks per round, maybe I’ve got a shot at clawing back into the game.

But no. 0-2.

 

ROUND 3

Omar’s Zombie Super Skrull, Mercury, Black Cat, Primehawk, Proxima Midnight, and KC Wonder Woman @ 30 on my United Nations map.

Everything went normally this time. Yes, Ms. Marvel was KO’d — and zombified — in far too short order, but the girls gave every bit as good as they got. I got the benefit of some low rolls from Proxima.

Finally a win! 1-2.

 

ROUND 4

Bob’s KC Superman @200, Batman [Trinity War 051] @ 85, SLOSH Stargirl @ 75, and KC Green Lantern @ 35 on his Black Mercy map.

TURNING POINT

Wearing down Superman was going to have to wait. Batman was the real threat, with his Outwit and Perplex and PC and any number of extra powers at his disposal. At 85 points, Cham could take him out in one shot. It was completely worth the push to do so with a Sidestep then Flurry.

Critical missed, stranding CG on her one bad click, effectively removing her from the fight until far too late in the game. Even worse: I hadn’t opted to place the H.E.N.R.Y. she’d carried next to Batman, who was then free to either softened up or finish off Elasti-Girl, Ms. Marvel and Giganta. Unbelievable that that one dice flail essentially cost me the game.

FINAL: 1-3 with barely over 300 points scored. UGH! This team is much stronger than this performance, though the fact that two of the losses came against eventual Top 8 finishers takes some of the sting out of it.

Really missed that last play test. That would have shown me the importance of keeping Giganta ready to push for that blitzkrieg, and then I completely change the makeup of Round 1. I also may have considered a different tempo against a HSS team like in Round 2, given that I had two Plasticity figs on click 2.

Then again, there’s little to be done about the horrid dice and luck of the draw I had in Round 2.

I’m still so mad. 😀