Here come the robots!
+++ Cerebro Strike Files 160497 +++ Full alert +++ Receiving distress signals from multiple locations +++ Genosha, Muir Island, Morlock Tunnels, Massachusetts Academy +++ Mutants are under attack +++ Mutants are under attack everywhere +++ Despatch all X-Men +++ Save all you can +++
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Chapter 2 of our Marvel Crisis Protocol narrative campaign where I, Stylus, lead the plucky X-Men and my opponent, Grasshopper, attempts to crush me beneath the armoured boot of the Sentinels.
Sentinels
We get to see the villain of the story for the first time - Bastion! For a 4 Threat, he comes with a bag of tricks, including removing the ability to heal (Wolverine will enjoy that) and wounding anyone who has the temerity to daze his allies.
We're only playing 16 Threat, so it's a tight squad of Omega Sentinel (fast moving, hard-hitting) and a couple of MK4s to provide heavy fire support.
Squad: Bastion, Sentinel MK4, Sentinel MK4, Omega Sentinel
Tactics: Extinction Event, Scrap Metal, Heavy Firepower, Recalibration Matrix, Patch Up
Threat: 16
X-Men: Blue Team
I was going for narrative picks, so after Storm led the last mission, Cyclops got this one. As this is a mission of mercy, I went for characters who are famous for noble self-sacrifice: Angel, Wolverine and Jean Grey.
Stepping back, I appear to have collected a soap opera of everyone who was in love with Jean, but there you go.
I'm also keeping Archangel in my back pocket, hoping to launch him with the Fallen tactics card. I'm not sure if he loves anything. Except perhaps brooding.
Squad: Cyclops, Jean Grey, Wolverine, Angel
Tactics: Children of the Atom, Xavier's Dream, Jean!!!, Fallen, Patch Up
Threat: 16
Mission and deployment
Extract: Surprise Assault! Mutant Homes Destroyed
Secure: Assault Ships Make Sweeping Search!
Now that the X-Men have exposed the Sentinels' evil scheme, Bastion makes his move - which is basically attacking all mutants, everywhere.
The X-Men are in the firing line, obviously, but there are many other mutants who are less able to defend themselves. So Xavier's Finest are despatched to save as many as possible before they are caught in the Sentinels' restraint cables.
In New York, Cyclops is leading a rescue of the Morlocks - a subterranean clan of mutants who are getting scooped up out of the sewers as quickly as they peep out of the manholes, like a deadly game of Whac-a-Mole.
(there probably is a mutant called 'Whacamole')
Compared to the last mission, these are pretty straightforward. The Extract objectives simply recycle at the end of the turn. The Secure extracts allow an attacker to reroll a dice when targeting someone within Range 2 (the idea being they're standing under a spotlight).
These Crises are paired together, which is interesting, as the objectives are placed so close to each other, even a small base can stand on both and claim them each turn. This may be something of a shootout.
The Uncanny X-Men deploy from left to right: Angel, Cyclops, Wolverine and Jean Grey.
The Sentinels deploy (from the picture's perspective), left to right: Sentinel #1, Bastion, Omega Sentinel, Sentinel #2.
Sentinels win priority and we're away!
Round 1
Nothing fancy for the Sentinels - both MK4s lumber forward, booting aside any small bits of terrain, and take the Secure objectives on their respective flanks, each grabbing an Extract as they do.
Angel also flies up the left, taking an Extract and Secure. Cyclops ignores the objectives and heads down the street, taking a pot-shot (quite a good one) at Sentinel #1.
But this wasn't just recklessness. Cyclops, the supreme tactician, was activating his leadership ability to pass power to Wolverine (enabling his charge ability) and to use his own Field Leader ability to advance Wolverine forwards.
Omega Sentinel jumps forwards, not taking any objectives, but looking threatening enough to dissuade Jean Grey from coming too far forward. She cautiously steps forward to claim the Secure objective and zap Sentinel #2 with a Psionic Bolt.
Bastion advances cautiously and take a pop at Angel. Then Wolverine finally gets his turn, with enough power to unleash The Best At What I Do and charge into Sentinel #2. His Adamantium Slash sinks deep, giving him enough power to follow up with a Berserker Barrage.
Sentinel #2 is left clinging to one wound left, but Wolverine does get to contest its Secure objective, neutralising it (which compensates for him running straight past the Extract objective on his way to rip metal).
After a dramatic finish, the Uncanny X-Men are left with two Secures and one Extract; tying with the Sentinel's one Secure and two Extracts (so they're grabbing more mutants, at least).
Score - X-Men 3 : 3 Sentinels
Round 2
With priority still in their control, the Sentinels go first. It doesn't take a supercomputer to realise that Sentinel #2 has to go first - it blasts away at Wolverine, but the energy cells are running low and he's left standing on a couple of wounds remaining.
Cyclops is next, and he uses his Field Leader ability to send Angel forwards, at point-blank range of Bastion and Sentinel #1 (I assume there's a plan there). He then runs onto the Secure point that Angel vacated, picking up another Extract.
Grasshopper has no idea what mad tactical gambit is at play (I think Angel was planning to fly through both Bastion and the MK4), so he plays it safe and Sentinel #1 dazes Angel with a boosted Plasma Blast.
Bastion also throws some Disintegration Blasts at Cyclops, but he has more tactical awareness than Angel, so hides behind cover and stays alive on half his wounds (the bodega gets pretty well disintegrated though).
Jean Grey lobs a dustbin at Sentinel #2, hoping to despatch it, but it wisely uses Brace for Impact. Instead, she throws a Psionic Bolt at Omega Sentinel, and steps up to claim an Extract.
This is bad news for the mutants, as Omega Sentinel can now play her Extinction Event card, which shreds Jean Grey down to one wound. Sadly, it doesn't manage to roll the trigger to make the attack again (a single hit was all that was needed), so Wolverine gets away unhurt.
That was a pivotal escape. Wolverine makes the most of his good luck by dazing Sentinel #2, grabbing an Extract, then running back to Patch Up Jean Grey to full health (the simp) and heal two of his own wounds.
With Uncanny X-Men holding two Secures and three Extracts, they're edging ahead of the Sentinels one Secure and one Extract. Though the scores are still close, though both sides are taking damage.
Score - X-Men 8 : 5 Sentinels
Round 3
The Sentinels will be going first, but before that, I activate the Fallen card, which removes the dazed Angel (moved once, got dazed, thanks for playing) and replace him with Archangel. I'm not sure if it's tactically sound, but it's too narrative to pass up.
On the right flank, Sentinel #2 wakes up and starts shooting at Wolverine again, though it finds its plasma blasts are less effective (although the plasma leak is helping to damage its targets). It also has the power to Patch Up Omega Sentinel, before Wolverine claws off most of its wounds.
Omega Sentinel retaliates by targeting Wolverine, finally dazing him and grabbing a couple of objectives. Jean shoots back at Omega, but can't bring down her newly-recovered health.
Back on the left flank, Archangel starts with a charge that dazes Sentinel #1. This triggers Bastion's Prime Nano-Virus Reanimation Protocols, which is a very long name for something that inflicts a point of damage and the Root condition on Archangel.
Archangel then follows up with an Avatar of Death attack that staggers Bastion. In his aggression, he realises that he has no power left to collect the Extract, but the Children of the Atom card allows him to remove the Root condition, gain a power and scoop up the Extract (although he can't get around Sentinel #1's big base to grab the secure).
Bastion can't do much but shake the Stagger and punch Archangel. This leaves Cyclops to continue managing things from the home point, blasting Bastion and using Field Leader to get Archangel onto the back Secure
That turned into a big swing for the Uncanny X-Men. With most of the Sentinels neutralised, and the unlucky failure of Omega Sentinel's big attack, they are able to score big this turn, bringing them in touching distance of victory.
Score - X-Men 14 : 7 Sentinels
Round 4
Omega Sentinel and a reawakened Wolverine continue to trade blows, with Wolverine coming off best this time, dazing Omega Sentinel.
The diminutive mutant doesn't get much chance to celebrate, as Sentinel #2 (how is that still functioning?) KOs Wolverine with double Suppression Protocols - and the Sentinels have their first capture!
Jean Grey, a little too late, slams Psionic Bolts into Sentinel #2 and KOs it, claiming her two objectives.
On the left flank, Archangel is thirsty for blood (or, in this case, engine oil) and, after absorbing some Suppression Protocols on his Wing Shield, he strikes back.
Sentinel #1 is KO, but isn't going quietly. Grasshopper plays the Scrap Metal card to self-destruct the Sentinel, and produces the best attack roll of the game. Massive damage explodes from the downed Sentinel - enough to KO Archangel and, rather unexpectedly, Bastion himself.
At least there's no-one alive to look sheepish at having dazed the boss.
That just leaves Cyclops to grab some more points and secure the win for the Uncanny X-Men. Bastion's attack may be coming down hard on mutants, but they've saved enough refugees to make it back to the X-Mansion.
Score - X-Men 19 : 7 Sentinels
Back in the X-Mansion
That was quite a game - and what an epic finish! I was riding my luck in the early rounds, both in the damage my big hitters were able to inflict and surviving the counter-attacks (the great - and terrible - thing about the 8-sided MCP dice is they really can spike).
When I first looked at this scenario, I though it would favour the Sentinels, who could stand on their double-objectives and just blast away for the whole game. I hadn't realised that Cyclops and Jean would be able to do that as well, while my more aggressive characters could close in and deny the opposition points.
Wolverine did well, as he usually does. I did feed Angel into the mincer somewhat, so he's harder to gauge, but I was impressed by his alter-ego appearing. Once they started tearing into the Sentinels on their respective flanks, there was no way back (I think Sentinels really miss Sentinel Prime's reroll bubble, so that's a consideration).
Onwards to the next chapter - but of course, there's a couple of mutants I won't be including my next squad.
+++ Cerebro Strike Files 160497 +++ Morlock Tunnels under sustained assault +++ Street level escape routes secured +++ Refugee mutants to be escorted back to the X-Mansion +++ Angel captured +++ Wolverine captured +++
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