Zulu's Board Game Cafe
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What's super about MTG Marvel Super Heroes? The VILLAINS! Let me explain… and while I'm at it I'll give you a list of highlights that'll prepare you to have a great time at the upcoming prerelease or at the kitchen table where you're most likely playing commander. The ENDGAME is clear and it's all about commander.

Unlike Spiderman, this Universes Beyond large set was very well supported by MTG Design and Dev, with four prebuilt commander decks (one for us Villains fans) and infinite fanboy/fangirl flavor. Legendary creatures are at every rarity but common, much like FINAL FANTASY was. That fact alone will probably piss off a vocal minority of the limited players (oops, legendary rule, anyone?) and delight anyone who has an extra Karakas in their trade binder (stonks going up!!!). 165 Legendary Creatures at Uncommon, 155 at Rare and 45 at Mythic means lots of new commander choices. I've already chosen mine! Move over, Norman Osborn! We're going to connive up a new plan.

Flavor, flavor flavor!!!

Caltrops + The Incredible Hulk, anyone? Sounds like a smashing good time in the vein of Splinter Twin (either you have the solution, or you're shuffling up for the next game…)

If you're a TMT/team Mutants fan, MSH gives you 10 fresh Mutants to add to your Shredding team on the half shell. My favorite in MSH is Wolverine, Best There Is, although under duress, I'll 'fess up to the hot mutant mess that is Deadpool, Trading Card.

There are three other things that I'm excited about with Marvel Super Heroes (MSH):

• Connive is a returning mechanic that digs, puts a counter on creatures and fills your graveyard. Sign me up!
• The new "Plan" card type has a full cycle at uncommon + 2 Rares, so you'll see it a lot in limited. Mind your triggers & anyone for interested in a little proliferation?!?
• SPOILER ALERT: MSH unleashes a new version of an already solid alternative win con (again, in VILLAINS) that lets you play mono-black. Hint: move over Thassa and Jace! Combo-tastic!

As of the time of writing this article there were 92 heroes, 69 villains, and 4 hero villains spoiled. Who knows what else the Wizards of the Coast have up their sleeves?!?

How to get involved

What you can count on at Zulu's is the chance to get all these cards on prerelease Friday, 19 June, whether as sealed product, singles or by joining a Prerelease event.

We are also celebrating all this Commander glory by holding TWO MSH Commander parties! Mark your calendar for Sunday, July 5 and for Thursday, August 6. Always free and fun, there's also an optional minigame that you can add to spice things up. We're giving this double party a try. If it is well received, we'll do it for every set in the future.

Clearly, I'm a villain fan and my victory soliloquy has gone on too long. I wanted to talk about my SPM+TMT-era Norman Osborn tribal villains deck but I am out of space! Next time you see me at the commander table I'll be sporting a new version of this deck with Dr Doom: https://edhrec.com/commanders/norman-osborn/optimized

Until then… you'll know me by the sound of your DOOOOOM … TOOT!

Artificial Intelligence (AI) influenced by Darkness, Death and Fire takes on a rival AI made of Metal that is using its psychic powers to spread plague through the environment. No, this is not a battle coming into the headlines of our next news cycle. Rather it is an entertaining 2 player card game, Compile, where players control two rival AIs duking it out for control to manifest their reality.

The core gameplay of Compile is straightforward. Players take turns drafting 6-card mini decks (protocols), each with a different theme, mechanic or style of play. At the end of the draft, each player will have 3 protocols, lined up across from their opponent's protocols, forming 3 lanes. Then players shuffle up their 18-card deck, draw 5 cards and take turns either playing a card into one of the lanes or passing their turn to refresh their hand to 5 cards.

The goal of the game is to be the first person to compile all 3 of your protocols. You can compile a protocol if the sum of your cards is higher than your opponents AND your total is 10 or higher. If you can compile, you must, which means you discard all the cards in the lane and then flip your protocol to the compiled side. Furthermore, any cards your opponent played in that lane are discarded, making them start anew!

Compile is unique because the Immediate section is triggered any time the card is Played, Flipped or Uncovered, meaning that the middle effect can be used multiple times. (Abusing an ability in TCG parlance). When done correctly, it can lead to some powerful turns.

Play Example

In the scene above, my opponent is about to compile on their next turn!

I play Fire 2, which allows me to discard a card and return 1 card to a player's hand. I choose to return the card I just played, Fire 2, back to my hand.

By returning Fire 2 to my hand, I have revealed Fire 1 and I now get to activate the middle region, allowing me to discard 1 to delete 1 card to remove it to the discard pile. I discard and choose to delete my opponent's Darkness 4.

Got 'em! My opponent's score is now below 10, which means they cannot compile on my next turn. Also, I only gave up 3 points of value to make them lose 4. This allowed me to slow down their tempo and also sets me up for a strong position next time I play in this lane!

These synchronistic card actions and simple rules make this game insidiously fun. You play a card face up into a protocol that flips all your opponents' cards in that lane face down. You move a card from one lane to another, which in turn reveals a previously covered card which now activates again! Your opponent makes it so you can only play cards in the face down lane, each worth only two points, ruining your wicked combo you had been building towards.

There are 30 protocols currently available from the 4 different products that have been released and more protocols being released this year, based on the 7 deadly sins and others. With each game lasting roughly 30 minutes, you can play several rounds in one sitting. I found myself wanting to go back after 2 plays to try out more and more combinations.

The ease of play and the deep thematic protocols make for a great tug-of-war, adversarial 2 player game. The price point is reasonable for what you get; Zulu's also has a 20% off bundle if you buy the whole collection. If you want to try your hand at mastering tabletop AI, pick up a copy of Compile, grab a friend and have fun compiling protocols.