I finally got the new super rare Despero figure from the Arkham Asylum set and wanted to try out the Time Stealers keyword themed team. 

A Nazi, an ape and an alien walk into a bar...

AA Ultra-Humanite 177 + Outsmart 10
Per Degaton 90 + Protected 8 + Outsmart 10
AA Despero 88 + Contingency Plan 12
Dr. Jeremiah Arkham 2
Movie Star 3

=400 points

My plan: Once Contingency is all planned for (by waiting a few rounds to go on the attack), use Despero’s TK to get 1st strikes with Ultra-Humanite, force rerolls with Per Degaton and keep him next to the white ape for maximum anti-Outwit from Outsmart. 

FIRST ROUND was against 

Batman (Icons) 102
Lex Luthor (Justice League) 161
Cosmic King 80
Captain Gordon 50

My opponent was Ademba, an inexperienced lad, so I chose not to inflict my Bright Lights on his Stealth-heavy team. I picked the Days of Future Past map, and he chose to start indoors. 

He didn’t place his crew efficiently, so I was able to get into prime TK position for a first — but unsuccessful — strike on Lex. In fact, Lex was fairly untouchable for largely the whole game, while Per Degaton took multiple shots. Demba’s inexperience in positioning cost him a pair of opportunities at Outwit and saved me near the end when I got Batman and managed to Barrier off an otherwise clear line of fire from Cosmic King, also untouched. 1-0.

SECOND MATCH was vs. Matthew, a young soldier on leave from Iraq. He played:

SI Doom 249
M+M The Leader 116
Howard the Duck 35

On the Dawn of Time map, I Disbanded the field. Using the Dynamostat to give myself a bit of cover from the far-seeing (and shooting) Doom, I rushed where Matt camped his trio across the river with Ultra-Humanite and Per Degaton. Despero, hit very early and very hard, went stumbling for my Eleha’al Vine in the corner.

So a deadly dance began around Matt’s Force Field Generator…how to get U-H to paste someone with the Meteorite without getting blasted through Invulnerability by Doom. Doom would phase away (after either failing to Outwit thanks to Outsmart or, more often, BEING Outwitted by one of the Time Stealers), and I would either chase and base both Psychic-Blasting foes. Leader was the easier target, so I concentrated on him (and, via Mastermind, the Duck). Safely out of the line of fire, I marched my pogs to back up Ultra-Humanite’s own Mastermind defenses. Meanwhile, Despero began the slow recovery process on the Vine.

Losing Per Degaton but ahead by the KOs of Leader and Howard, I then turned all attention to Doom, who broke for the Vine himself. Despero was near full health and managed to hold out while U-H slowly rumbled to his aid. But Despero was swiftly losing the battle when time was called for my win. 2-0.

FINAL ROUND was against Jazhmin, a teenager whose soft-spoken nature hides a cunning and aggressive play style. She’d rolled her opponents with:

X-23 35
Arachne 50
Shang-Chi 58
Reed Richards (Secret Invasion) 100
Spider-Man  (Secret Invasion) 50
Super-Skrull X-Men 106

On the Dawn of Time again. She ran her crew into hindering too close to Despero, and I finally got to use his Dangerous Game SP to jank Spidey next to Ultra-Humanite for a Meteorite-enhanced one-hit-KO. From there, my multiple Outwitters kept Richards in check* and the Time Stealers were able to dismantle the girl’s team after a long but completely one-sided fight.

WIN/LOSS: 3-0. Was slightly surprised that this team did so well. I’ll have to try these time-traveling despots again sometime!

*DOOM would have been jealous.