Palatinus' OverPower Forum

I'm Sure it's been covered, but not by me.

Going through deck ideas and realized I kept revolving decks around 8 Stat Characters, for one reason or another.  Whether it was a Single 8 or a dual 8 team, they were there.  So I said who is the best 8 Grid Character and how do I build a team around them.

I am asking all of you the same question and throw down a quick sentence or two why.  Or drag it out in a long break down of stats and analysis.. Whatever floats your boat..  Of Course I will start...

So many good ones, so many reasons...

After debating the "Special Cards/Game Changing-Big Boy Cards/Teamwork/Point Cost/Play-abiity in the current Tournament Meta Game factors"

I came up with (under much internal debate) with MR. FANTASTIC

MR FANTASTIC
2528 - 17 Point Total (Great Start)
3 Team Works all one suit (Not his best attribute, but 8 stat equals 3 TW)
Specials
Team Defender 1-9 (To Protect 1st Kill Characters)
Int 7 (Heavy Hit.  Could run two, if you really need the offence)
Python Hold (Mini - Big Boy Card, in the days before Penance and Raza)
Draw 3 (One of the Biggest Boy Cards in the current Meta Game and a Game Changer, unreal that it was not originally an OPD)
MARVELS OPD (Originally meant to be for whole team, got nerfed to just himself.  Still, a Hand Changer.)

The question is how to create an Intellect Deck that can run with the Big Boys of OP.  I Guess you must possess the Intellect, to hone the Blue Head!

Thats my Pick whats yours....

M
OP GOD

check out my deck idea.

http://www.beenhereandthere.com/SMF/deck-construction/illuminated-infinitive/

x-man (great defense and off with specials)
spawn (great non opds, off and def)
inhumans (great opds)

Prof X 8217. That's an 8 AND 7 but at a cost of 18.  Take that spawn and H4H!  So that's 6 TW if you include the Any power.  Unlike brainiac, Prof has sweet specials, more good opd's than Inhumans.  Unlike mr. F , Xavier has a straight up AG....and AH.  Few get KO'd faster than heroes with teammate avoids but w/o personal AG. And he's readily available...I can't afford X-man.  Finally he's on SEVERAL locations.  That leaves the others in the dust!... Oh, and  he's played by SIR Patrick Stewart!

Neron Donald Pierce Robin Mrfantastic is a favorite deck of mine. Typical card advantage deck. Use a Hell's Kitchen battlesite with it, a very underrated site in my opinion. Used to use red skull instead of robin. could also use black king in there somewhere. Deck has 3 ways to draw 3 or 4, 2 8-stats, a good backup stat in strength, and a negate character. Nerons 6 discard 2 will continue to piss your opponent off. Thoughts?

i like bucket head iron man instead of Robin, he's got some nice offense and defense cards, I like his power card draw one avoid

Not the wrong thread. The OP's question was how to create a intellect deck that is competitive.

As for Iron Man, I never really thought of that. That may work well, I never really considered this deck with any The Marvels cards being in it.

Trying to pick the best 8 stat character without considering the options that go with that character is futile.

by my count, there are 50 different characters with an 8 (including 3 and 4 stat versions of characters, and variants)

i'll give my thougths on the different icons (but probably leave out galactus)

brainac: with the 7 in intellect, and 20 points, he looks good at a glance, but comes up lacking.  he doesn't have any killer specials, and is more or less outclassed entirely by prof x

dr strange:  with the marvels AD, he became THE go to reserve for energy decks.  the 6i is nice, and he has some small chain attacks if you want him on front line, but no killer opds.  at 19 points, he's sum deck neutral...a great character

dr strange (3grid): same as above, but you can squeeze in an extra 2 points for sum deck, at the cost of losing the 6i...very nice

inhumans: an offensive special juggernaut, the marvels EE gave them some defensive oomph.  they are 21 points, but paired with crystal, are sum neutral, and allow you to use the KO event...fantastic character

jean grey/dark phoenix: interesting one.  usually not good enough to build a team around.  with really only 1 offensive card (the 9), you can use a couple of her AXs, which more or less become AVs.  marvels EB and the 6s are nice features as well, but her 21 sum deck holds her back

magneto: at 22 points, you usually only see him on homebase decks.  if using asteroid m, you have the eternal question of whether to use 4 stat for the aspect, or 3 stat for the inherent.  his 11a makes him a perfect reserve, but you can put him up front as well with the 4m, 6e, and AV...specialist character

magneto (3stat): at 15 points, he's a STUD.  a staple in beyonder decks, and great for any time you want to use sum deck points elsewhere

onslaught: solid specials, and a tw machine, but at 23 points, you have to build your deck around him.  I don't like his specials THAT much

professor x: the gold standard.  17 points, a backup 7, 4 opds.  2 weaknesses are, no killer opds, and no teamwide defense (excluding the BG)

professor x (3stat): same as magneto, 15 points.  don't like to put him in reserve though, and lose the opds.  can be worked around with x-men original, reducing versatility

the ray: draw 3, 9m, 18 points...DAMN solid

spawn: the anchor.  21 points, but solid specials, and an AD.  no wonder he shows up so often.  paired with strange, he's a tournament staple.

x-man: the perfect support character.  17 points, 3 fantastic offensive cards, and the EE. 

it's tough to rank them in a vacuum, as previously stated, but my rough tier list would be:

GOLD

dr strange
dr strange 3
spawn
x-man

SILVER

professor x
professor x 3
magneto 3
ray
inhumans

BRONZE

jean grey: dark phoenix
onslaught
magneto
brainiac

thanks. totally swapping my deck. downgrading dr.strange to 3 grid and swapping crystal with inhumans.

also, I realize now I called prof the 'gold standard', then put him in the 'silver' tier...weak.  i'll amend to the gold standard for offense!

here's some thoughts on the fighting characters

azrael: 19 points, excels at nothing, no backup tws.  has only 2 decent specials, so best place is reserve, with the 10f, but that role is better suited for other characters.  poor start

batman/avenger: same as above, but costs 20 points, and has a crappier 'good' special with the 3i...boo DC

bullseye: at 18, he's tied for the cheapest 8f you can get.  he has some neat offensive cards, but nothing mindblowing

captain America: finally, someone you can build a team around.  nifty offense, decent defense (have to use 2 cards instead of 1, but better than nothing), and you get a 6i to boot.

domino (3grid): 3 mid attack cards is decent, and she's only 18 points

hand: I've always wanted to like this team, but there's not a lot to get excited about.  3e/6a/8a are ok cards.  6i and 19 sum points are nice, but they just don't have anything that grabs you

maverick: his cards are a nice mix of offense/defense, but you need to assure your opponent will be attacking mav.  luckily, the GI (event immunity) will make things go that way.  the GI finally gives an 8f character a gimmick to build around.  can also be paired with team x. 

sabretooth: a funny case.  19 points is good.  he's got some mixed offense, so he's usable up front, but the AD makes him appealing in the back.  none of his cards are tempting enough to include if you put him in reserve, so the AD could be placed.  of course, then you'd probably prefer to use silver sable, who has the better avoid.  6s also.  solid char

sabretooth (3grid): lose the 6s to gain a point in sum deck.  always liked the art on this card though!

wolverine/wolverine AoA: these characters are virtually the same. solid offensive cards, and his marvels is a killer.  his best is probably the 5i+aspect.  keeps opponent guessing at the end of rounds, and may steal you some concedes

wolverine (3stat): similar to 'tooth.  1 point cheaper, but no real drawback

wonder woman: the 2nd front line defender.  shame they split it among 2 cards.  her offense is woeful, and the BQ is a cruel joke.

zealot: nifty offense with some pop (the 11).  pure AD makes her a target, so if you can keep the attacks off of her, you're laughing

tiers

GOLD

captain America

SILVER

maverick
wonder woman
zealot
sabretooth
sabretooth 3
wolverine/wolverine AoA
wolverine 3

BRONZE

azrael
batman: avenger
bullseye
domino 3
hand

not as much to choose from as the energy crew, but some decent characters in the bunch.  the fighting 8s have remarkable sum deck consistency, all being either 18, 19, or 20 points.  I see maverick as almost good enough to make the gold tier...it's really close

next up are the strengths

darkseid: typical DC fizzle.  2 specials, both intellect.  on the plus side, he can play 5 tws, on the negative, he's 23 points

doomsday: actually, he's not too bad.  the GL  is  a solid opd, and the 6f is a nifty sneak attack.  throw in the 6f tw and 19 sum, and he's a decent support character

heroes for hire: here we are.  an 8s that can anchor the team.  4 fantastic attack specials, and a 7 fighting stat.  all the offense you could ever want.

hulk: I've come around on hulk.  2 good attack opds, and a tricky marvels card make him an attractive support character.  you also get a 6i, and he's only 18 sum deck points

hulk (3grid): made obsolete by 4 stat hulk.  same sum deck, so unless you REALLY need an extra energy or fighting point, there's not much reason to use him.  also, the artwork is hideous

juggernaut: 3 decent attack specials, but he's 19 points.  pretty much no reason to use him over hulk

morlocks: these guys are interesting.  I've used them a lot with sewer, where they can't last long.  they have good offensive cards, good trick cards (leech and tar baby), and the best version of the AL.  19 points, and a 6e to boot.  I suspect the key is to pair them with an even better character, so they'll be alive to actually USE those specials

namor/sub mariner: good variety attacks, and good personal defense.  decent character who becomes top tier with four freedoms plaza

namor (3grid): only 17 points, and you MUST use him to get a defenders team sum deck legal. 

savage dragon: 3 garbage specials, 2 average attacks, and a way below average opd.  19 points...no thanks

thing: was the perfect ffp reserve with the 10s.  now he's got stonewall too, so he's great up front as well.  a cheap 17 points as well

thing (3stat): same sum deck as 4 grid, but with 1 lower fighting...pretty much obsolete, unless you wanted the 4f for the ffp inherent.

GOLD

heroes for hire
thing (using ffp)
namor: submariner (using ffp)

SILVER

doomsday
hulk
hulk 3
juggernaut
morlocks (maybe could go higher)
namor: submariner
namor 3
thing
thing 3

BRONZE

darkseid
savage dragon

Lookin forward to the intellect 8s.  After you do those tell me toasty. Who's your number one 8 character. 

M

probably not captain America or heroes for hire, just because they don't really mesh with my play style.  and while dr strange fulfills many roles, it's hard to label a reserve character as #1.

so I guess it would come down to mr fantastic, spawn, and x-man.  I think my lean would be towards x-man.  you can pair him with spawn, inhumans, or prof x, and still have versatility for your other 2 characters. 

I've really psyched myself up on morlocks though...hmm.  will the tournament you're hosting be allowing proxies?

It will. as in tradition of all Toronto tournaments.  Both the Friday and the Saturday event will allow proxies. But more to come on that later and in a different section.  I have been enjoying your breakdowns though.  Can't wait for intellect. Though I think you just gave away your good standard. 

M