DC SUPER HEROES UNITED

My family has had a lot of fun playing the tabletop role playing game collaboration from CMON and Spinmaster Games called MARVEL UNITED. There are a variety of box sets for this game system ranging from an Avengers themed core box to expansion sets focused on Spider-Man, Black Panther, Deadpool, Guardians of the Galaxy and the X-Men. We've had family game nights recreating battles from television shows like Netflix's "Defenders", Disney+ "She-Hulk", Disney+ "Ms. Marvel" and Marvel Cinematic Universe movies including Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness and Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania with the Marvel United gaming system. Now CMON and Spinmaster Games are expanding on the format by launching a DC SUPER HEROES UNITED variation of the game.

From now through July 31, 2024 they are crowdfunding the publishing of the game via Gamefound. Those who purchase the game through the crowdfunding campaign will have access to obtaining exclusive characters and game play accessories that won't be available when DC SUPER HEROES UNITED eventually becomes available from retail stores. Purchasing the game from retail will be slightly less expensive than the crowdsourcing route but doesn't include the extras, like a bonus box full of playable heroes and villains, that are going to be only available through investing in the Gamefound campaign. Most of the customized game scenarios I've played have involved characters obtained as rewards in crowdfunding campaigns; so I'll probably be making a pledge to get DC SUPER HEROES UNITED during this current Gamefound campaign. 

In DC SUPER HEROES UNITED, one to five players team up to take on the roles of Aquaman, Batman, Cyborg, The Flash, Wonder Woman and Superman to tackle the master plan of a villain. Villains included with these heroes in the core set that can be the super heroes adversaries include Lex Luther, the Joker, Darkseid and Cheetah. A comic book story is played out by utilizing decks of cards to complete goals and engage in combat.

Villains and heroes alternate adding their cards to the storyline. Heroes work together to coordinate strategies and attacks while villains are managed by an AI system of rules to compete with players. In the spirit of cooperation and teamwork that is necessary for players to win the game, a player not only can use the designated action moves on a card they played but also those posted on the card a teammate used just before them. 

The game isn't just a fight with the big bad guy though. Your team must overcome challenges before you can confront the primary villain of a game head on. Rescue civilians, defeat thugs, and eliminate threats. Then the battle really heats up! Fighting the boss villain is no push over but if it was the game wouldn't be that fun to play would it.

The game is recommended for ages 14+ but I've played it with my kids when they were twelve. It is a nice family game because parents and kids can equally enjoy the game and have fun playing together. An average game doesn't take all night either but can be played in around a half hour with minimal setup time. From my experiences with the Marvel United games, I absolutely recommend you check out DC SUPER HEROES UNITED either via the Gamefound campaign or when the game hits retail store shelves.

If you haven't participated in a tabletop gaming crowdfunding campaign, heed this word of warning. They will be heavily marketing the campaign using awesome looking images of the game pieces painted by very talented professional artists. The game pieces come unpainted. While there are numerous disclaimers about the game pieces not being painted it is impossible not to become captivated by their marketing images. In reality you will either be playing the game with unpainted pieces or paint them yourself with results that will be nowhere as nice as what you see promoted in the campaign. Be careful not to get hooked in to making purchases based upon awesome imagery that you most likely won't be able to replicate. Just saying!

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MARVEL UNITED RHINO ATTACK

A rhino is on the loose in New York City! He is rampaging through sites ranging from Central Park to Time Square with the goal of stealing technology from OSCORP and Stark Industries labs in Manhattan to sell to the highest bidder.  Stopping this villain's masterplan is our challenge in this Marvel United family game night!

Aleksei Sytsevich, also known by the alias RHINO, was an enforcer with the Russian mob when one of his oligarch bossed "volunteered" him to have an experimental combat suit grafted to his skin. He possesses extraordinary strength and is amazingly fast making him as dangerous as a charging rhino. Aleksei is now an independent contractor providing muscle for mercenary work and burglaries. Rhino charges around the game board with a BAM! that both KOs heroes that oppose this super villain and forces them to waste turns by placing action cards facedown within the storyline. 

In the MARVEL UNITED tabletop game players each assume the role of superheroes cooperating to stop the master plan of a powerful opponent controlled by a deck of cards that serve as artificial intelligence competing against the real-life players. The supervillain's master plan is unveiled as cards are played that trigger different effects and threats are activated that pose challenges across the locations on the game board. Players cultivate their own deck of special effects cards that are placed in a storyline along with the villain's cards to create your Marvel United adventure. Cards placed within the storyline activate superpowers that individual characters can use or can be passed on to teammates for extra powerful combo moves. Build your storyline, unite your powers, save the day!

Who will stand up to Rhino and save New Your City from his crime spree? It appears the Avengers and Spider-Man are tied up dealing with other threats to the world. So, the fate of the city is up to an unlikely trio of heroes: Black Cat, Howard the Duck and the Unbeatable Squirrel Girl!

Black Cat

One of the most talented thieves on the planet, Felicia Hardy is an anti-hero who will standup against wrongdoers committing evil acts and hurting the innocent while also picking the pockets of the ultra wealthy to finance her own lavish lifestyle. She will standup to Rhino to protect civilians in his path, but is she out to do good or simply trying to take his score for herself. This cat burglar has feline-type abilities that include enhanced agility and the power to project bad luck onto others.

Howard the Duck

Howard was transported to Earth from another dimension where water fowl are the planet's leading intelligent form of life. Howard has no superpowers but is skilled in the martial art of Quak-Fu which allows him to hold his own against much larger and more powerful opponents. He also carries a big freaking gun that can be used to clear locations on the gameboard of the thugs that are serving as henchmen for the Rhino's masterplan. 

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Squirrel Girl 

Not intimidated by the Unbeatable Squirrel Girl? You should be! Doreen Green has squirrel-like abilities that include super speed, strength and senses. She has the sharp teeth and jaw strength that allows her to chew through almost any material including metal. She can also communicate with and command squirrels to assist her. Plus, she has a big, fluffy tail! Most importantly, in a nut shell Squirrel Girl has some of the best cards available in her deck to provide the final blow for a hero victory in the game.

The heroes in our game were having a rough time with Rhino stampeding theme preventing them from getting any traction against him. In Marvel United, players must unlock two of three objectives involving rescuing civilians, stopping henchmen and eliminating threats before they can combat the villain straight on. Things were looking bleak as the Rhino knocked out Black Cat over and over again with his charge move and the villain's masterplan kept resulting in player's not being able to play their special effects cards.

Black Cat, Squirrel Girl and Howard the Duck remained persistent though. They kept fighting! The team held out long enough that Squirrel Girl was able to play an action card from her deck that squashed Rhino's masterplan. She used her Common Sense ability → If the number of your Special Effects cards in the Storyline is greater than the Villain's current Health, the Heroes win the game.

While our heroes hadn't been able to unlock the accomplishments needed to attack Rhino directly, Squirrel Girl's common sense was his undoing. Rhino had 8 health points, but the team had played 9 special effect cards within the Storyline when Squirrel Girl's turn came up. Luckily, she had been able to hold onto that card in her deck without it being drained during the gameplay. Tossing that tenth special effects card down won the game!

Just in the nick of time too! If a villain, expends all of its A.I. action cards that completes the masterplan and ends the game with a loss for the heroes. Rhino only had 2 cards left when Squirrel Girl made her move! Whew ... that was close! Doreen Green really did earn the name Unbeatable Squirrel Girl with that game winning move.

MARVEL UNITED combines strategy, teamwork and luck in an entertaining combination of board game, RPG and card decking building competitive play. It provides a nice time having players engage in cooperative play where no individual wins the game but rather everyone wins or losses as a team. We've had some great family time playing the Marvel United tabletop game. It has absolutely earned a Geek Daddy nod of approval! 

One last note. Playing pieces come unpainted with the Marvel United MARVEL UNITED game. The characters shown in this post were decorated with my own amateurish skills. Be nice!

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Marvel United

Avengers Assemble! Roleplay as Earth's Mightiest Heroes in MARVEL UNITED, a hybrid card game that incorporates fantastic tabletop miniatures, which lets players team up as their favorite Avengers. Have yourself a super family game night attempting to stop the dastardly master plans of dangerous villains. 

Two to four players each take on the role of one of seven Avengers characters (Ant Man, Black Widow, Captain America, Captain Marvel, Hulk, Iron Man or Wasp) in this cooperative game co-created by CMON and Spin Master Games. MARVEL UNITED is a mashup of plots and characters from both the Marvel comics and cinematic universe with the artwork and figure models in a unique chibi style to be appealing to tweens and teenagers based upon the current popularity of anime and manga. The game has been specifically designed to be easy to learn yet challenging enough to be entertaining to play to maximize its playability with a wide range of ages making MARVEL UNITED an ideal selection for a family game night.

One of the reasons I picked up MARVEL UNITED was that it isn't too complicated for my twelve year old twins to enjoy but is comprehensive enough to keep me interested in playing it too. I also appreciate the cooperative nature of the game where we would all be working together to win the game. This game has the potential for a lot or repeat playability and I liked how it can provide us quality family time immersing ourselves in the fantasy world of Marvel super heroes and villains.

The core box of MARVEL UNITED focusses on the Avengers with a team that is pretty consistent with the makeup of the characters as portrayed in the Marvel cinematic universe. You can pick from one of three villains (Red Skull, Ultron or Taskmaster) for your team of Avengers to tackle in an adventure. Players only go head to head against one of these villains per game. Each villain and hero gets their own deck of cards which are utilized in turns throughout the game.

RED SKULL

Rising to power during World War II, the Red Skull was one of the planet's most dangerous threats and Captain America's greatest enemy during the conflict. Exposed to an experimental gas near the end of the war he remained in suspended animation for decades. He emerged in modern times to continue his desire for world domination as the leader of a terrorist organization known as Hydra.

TASKMASTER

Has photographic reflexes that allow him to replicate any super hero fighting move he sees. He is a mercenary who trains super villains in combat techniques and engages in covert missions. Taskmaster utilizes his martial arts skills and special ability for a wide range of criminal enterprises from assassinations to high priced heists. He doesn't have loyalty to any particular creed beyond the accumulation of wealth. 

ULTRON

A science experiment gone wrong, Ultron is a sentient robot that hates and seeks to destroy humanity. Ultron’s abilities include superhuman strength, flight, and various weapons such as concussion blasters, radiation emitters and his “encephalo-ray,” which plunges its victims into a deathlike coma. As a mechanical being Ultron can transfer his consciousness from robotic body to body making him nearly indestructible.

In MARVEL UNITED an actual storyline is created by drawing villain cards that imperil the heroes and move the master plan forward. Players build a hand of cards from drawing blindly from their individual hero decks during the game. Hero cards allow players to take certain actions such as moving to different locations, clearing threats, fighting thugs, rescuing civilians, inflicting damage on the villains and their henchmen or utilizing a unique power. 

Don't rush into making a decision in your turn because your decision also impacts your team mates. Heroes can unite their powers so your move can impact what someone may or may not be able to turn the next turn. Remember no one wins the game unless your team prevents the villain from enacting their master plan.

While the Avengers strategize and leap into action, the villain will roam around six locations in the game (ranging from the grounds of New York City's Central Park to the airborne deck of a S.H.I.E.L.D. helocarrier hovering over Manhattan) creating chaos. They could be deploying minions to terrorize the city, kidnapping civilians and more. Oh and while there is only one primary villain (represented by a game board figure piece) they do have some powerful henchmen that the Avengers will have to battle one on one too. 

Plus just to make things a little more tricky ... you can't battle the main villain until you do two of three things. Before you can inflict damage on the villain your heroes must defeat nine minion thugs, rescue nine civilians or do a combination of defeating powerful henchmen and clearing threat scenarios. And once you get close to getting to the big bad guy the villains cards start to be drawn after every two hero turns instead of at the conclusion of an entire Avengers' team. Are you up to the challenge?!

For our first family game night playing MARVEL UNITED, we took on Red Skull. While the Avengers we played as resembled the heroes portrayed on the silver screen, the Red Skull and his henchmen were closer to characters from the pages of Marvel comic books. As I said earlier, the Red Skull wasn't just backed by nameless thugs. We also had to combat Crossbones, Madame Hydra, and Bob (Agent of Hydra) before we can go after Red Skull. And while we can't engage right away with the main villain, Red Skull and his henchmen can inflict damage on each of our heroes from the get go. We have to make quick work of the henchmen and thugs or our heroes could get KO'd. Game over!

BAM! BAM! BAM! Red Skull and his henchmen were hitting us hard doing a ton of damage to our heroes as the Avengers started off the game clearing out locations of minor thugs and rescuing civilians in danger. Things started to swing our way though starting with Bob being a bit of a pushover and Madame Hydra falling next. Crossbones was more of a challenge but Captain America and Iron Man combined their abilities to take him down. With Hydra's thugs and henchmen out of the way this opened up an opportunity for The Incredible Hulk to smash Red Skull for an Avengers victory in our first time playing MARVEL UNITED.

This game has been available for retailers since the 2020 holiday season, but we just received it now because I purchased it through a Kickstarter pledge which took awhile to arrive because it included some exclusive items. One of those items is the wonderful game mat with a neoprene non-skid backing shown in our pictures playing the game. This game mat really enhanced the game play. 

Also I received a box of additional hero and villain miniatures with their own card decks. While the core box focus is on the Avengers this Kickstarter exclusive expansion pack brings into play a variety of characters from the comic books, television shows, and movies. These range from heroes such as Daredevil, Squirrel Girl, and Howard the Duck to villains that include M.O.D.O.K. and Kingpin. 

With these Kickstarter exclusives there is so much re-playability with MARVEL UNITED. We're going to be having a lot of family game night fun with this game. MARVEL UNITED absolutely gets a Geek Daddy nod of approval.