Usually this annual solo kitchen table battle is a joy for me. I get to play all my favorite pieces. Back in 2024, it was 2022 vs. 2023’s best. And usually I have a lot of F.U.N. with these. But that one was all disappointment.
I know part of it was the timing: It was during the Summer Olympic Games and my attention was split. But that’s usually OK. What another part was was the presidential campaign turning ugly like IMMEDIATELY, with October-style mudslinging ads in JULY harassing the mega-positive and inspiring ads and event of the Olympics.
Add to that the grossly one-sided game itself: It seemed the older squad — already at a disadvantage due to power creep, just had the worst time of it.
Misses.
Getting critically hit.
Just not able to do much.
I was nearly ready to hang this series up.
But my friend Lenny came to my rescue, agreeing to pit his favorites of 2024 against mine in one of our mega-games.
I definitely had F.U.N. with that match — and not just because I won. He got really frustrated, though. My powerful swarm force was too strong for his bigger, beefier figs to survive, especially when I had so many ways to survive what normally would be one-shot KOs.
It was instructive. So with my latest kitchen table brawl, I needed to even the odds just a tad to address the power creep factor, with a few extra ground rules:
- PRE-RULING WAKANDA HULKBUSTER. His global 1-FREE per force cap is too strong for this game. So only 1 FREE per fig as God intended.
- TITANIA IS NO PUNK. Her Copyright Claims’ global effect serve as great armor if I keep her in the back row. But she’s a fighter so I would put her in the fight — giving my several Celebs on the 2023 team a chance to actually contribute maybe.
- 2023 SQUAD GOT EXTRA TECH. In addition to the multiple prime rule, I allowed the banned Stop Sign, along with every Mystery Card I can, squeezing on 2023-legal equipment like Bucky’s Arm, and late-blooming almost-fave Scrappy Doo — essentially filling in for the Scooby Chase Scene Gang — enters from the Sideline if certain allies take a fall.
- 2023 GETS MAP CHOICE -AND- FIRST TURN. It’s the defending champ.
The squads were:
2023’s
BTU043V Aquaman
DICN002 Bane
NOT046 Black Adam
NOT012V Black Manta Goon
Brother Voodoo prime
SMBAL039A Cloak & Dagger+Bucky’s Arm
BTU027 Elasti-Girl
AV60030 Falcon
NOT004V G.O.O.N.
BTU054 Jo Mullein + GL Ring 0
NOT019A OMAC x2
NOT019B OMAC Prime
WOV045 Rawhide Kid
NOT014V Riddler Goon
WKD23-002 Space Ghost (60 points)
SMBA037A The Kingpin
NOTL051 The Phantasm
AV60L030 Wasp
NOT015V White Rabbit Goon
NOT032 Zod
along with late additions Zod, Ursa, Non
and Bumblebee
2024’s was
- Black Panther (Black Panther 043b), Donny Blaze, Falcon and Redwing (Black Panther 044), The Flash (Masters of Time 041a), Hadari Yao, Harley Quinn (Masters of Time 061), Irene Adler, Kazi, K.E.V.I.N., King Jefferson, Mister Mind (Masters of Time 006), Multiple Man (Deadpool Weapon X 013) x 2, Multiple Man (Deadpool Weapon X 099), Multiple Man (WizKids MVP-204), Multiple Man (WizKids MVHR24-002), Porcupine (Marvel Studios Next Phase 052), Psylocke (Deadpool Weapon X 033), Reverse-Flash (Masters of Time 041b), She-Hulk (Marvel Studios Next Phase 038), Storm (Deadpool Weapon X 051a and 051b) Titania (Marvel Studios Next Phase 055) and Wakanda Hulkbuster.
SO HOW DID IT GO?
POORLY.
Things started on an even keel, but it became clear that 2024 still had FAR too many advantages.
Wakanda Hulkbuster kept too much in check. For instance, I couldn’t ever Outwit with Bane and then immediately follow with his Venom juicing. Or do a similar Outwit with Jo Mullein so her Flurry could stick.
Even though I didn’t try hard to protect Titania, she just nerfed too many Celebrity players — namely Space Ghost, whose supporting powers were sorely needed. (And he was already incredibly hobbled by WHB)
Meanwhile 2024 had incredible mobility and targeting and mega-target attacks and effects.
I got to a point where the winning team had scored 1000 points before 2023’s had even broken 200.
Still, it wasn’t quite the un-F.U.N.fest that the 2022 v. 2023 contest was.
Now it was time for 2024 to defend its title against 2025.
Similar rules applied: No blanket effect for Hulkbuster. Titania won’t hide. And this time, neither would KEVIN; sure, his area of effect widens, but he’s address-able. And the 2025 team has far fewer Celebs for Titania to nerf.
THE FORCES:
- Aero (sd034) 45 points
- Aquaman (DCD24-003) at 60 points
- Baron Mordo (st003) at 80 points
- Captain Marvel (cltrL054) at 150 points
- Dr. Doom (cltr043) at 225 points
- Giant Man II (sd028a) at 75 points
- Goliath (sd028b) 50 points
- Jericho Drumm, Sorcerer Supreme (st056) at 100 points
- Lady of the Forest (DCP24-022) 65 points
- Mysterio (spv059) at 75 points
- Mysterio (spv018) 50 points
- Mysterio (spv002) at 50 points
- Slyde (spv020) 35 points
- Space Ghost (DCP24-020) at 70 points
- Spider-Byte (spv003) 15 points
- Spider-Byte (spv019) at 60 points
- Storm (xm97040) 65 points
- Toad (sd018) 45 points
Sideline: Jericho Drumm (10 points), 1-3 one-shots (15 points total)
= 1345 points.
vs. 2024 (as usual, I allow multiple primes if they made the list)
- Black Panther (Black Panther 043b) 85 points
- Donny Blaze (Marvel Studios Next Phase 034) 45 points
- Falcon and Redwing (Black Panther 044) 40 points
- The Flash (Masters of Time 041a) 70 points
- Hadari Yao (Black Panther 052) 100 points
- Harley Quinn (Masters of Time 061) 30 points
- Irene Adler (Iconix WKX-006) 50 points
- Kazi (Marvel Studios Next Phase 007) 40 points
- K.E.V.I.N. (Marvel Studios Next Phase 068) 40 points
- King Jefferson (Masters of Time 063) 60 points
- Mister Mind (Masters of Time 006) 30 points
- Multiple Man (Deadpool Weapon X 013) 10 points x 3
- Multiple Man (Deadpool Weapon X 099) 50 points
- Multiple Man (WizKids MVP-204) 40 points
- Multiple Man (WizKids MVHR24-002) 50 points
- Porcupine (Marvel Studios Next Phase 052) 45 points
- Psylocke (Deadpool Weapon X 033) 75 points
- Reverse-Flash (Masters of Time 041b) 40 points
- She-Hulk (Marvel Studios Next Phase 038) 60 points
- Storm (Deadpool Weapon X 051a/051b) 60 points
- Titania (Marvel Studios Next Phase 055) 75 points
- Wakanda Hulkbuster (Iconix MVX-013) 125 points
- and late addition Mr. Immortal (Marvel Studios Next Phase ) 35 points
= 1345 points as well.
Was it F.U.N.?
Surprisingly so! Although it is rare that I do this so early in the year, a January ice storm bound me indoors so I got the fight set up and played it out across the week.
TURNING POINTS
- My decision not to hide difference-makers Wakandan Hulkbuster and Titania proved costly. Though the giant ‘Buster had Stealth to hide in, he got Outwitted just enough for legacy Captain Marvel to damage him badly with her SP (he’s a Vehicle), allowing the 2025 figs to use their FREE actions, well, freely.
- I could have protected Titania a LITTLE more, since non-Celebrity figs were on the board and able to handle her before she could slap Copyright Claims on them. But I don’t regret her getting out in the fray, particularly wrecking terrain for WHB and giving a little more freedom of movement.
- An actual regret, though? I plumb forgot to roll for 013 Multiple Man’s KO trait when I had the chance, and then Giant Man II erased the rest in one mega-Quake.
- Another regret, on the other side, was GM’s sculpt-mate Goliath getting easily one-turned. He was only in position to defend more vital pieces, so he filled that role, but it was still sad to see.
- Although I was playing the 2024 team more recklessly than usual, I wasn’t aggressive enough, I think — or the 2025 squad just had more defensible positioning. In any case, the KOs were piling up, so I blitzed with 051b Storm to carry King Jefferson to the enemy start area, along with what I thought was just enough cover and tie-up to help him survive until next turn, when he would nuke the entire board. There were nearly 10 figs in the KO area, and he would have crippled or killed a bunch of enemies. But with 2025’s 11th action — a Doombot bystander — King Jeff was KO’d, ending the threat. (Doom really was MVP in many ways.)
The game wore on a while longer, and 2024 actually drew within 35 points of 2025’s score. But the newer team hit the 1000-point threshold and 2024 couldn’t answer.
——
I need to reach out to Lenny and see if he’s down for a 2025 faves duel.