Hey, hey, Geekly Gang! Kyra Kyle here, and today, we’ll be discussing Marvel United. Yes! We haven’t discussed this board game in quite some time, and it’s time to fix that. Marvel United’s various villains and the way they alter the gameplay are the game’s most intriguing game design elements. In today’s list, we’ll share our picks for the Top 5 Marvel United Villains.
Dishonorable Mention: Gladiator (War of Kings Expansion)
Right off the bat, we’re shaking up things with this list. While a Top 5 Marvel United Villains list is up for debate (everyone has their own taste), Gladiator may just be one of the most universally hated villains in the game. Simply put, he’s unwinnable at heroic mode, unless you use multiple heroes with lots of wild symbols, which limits the number of heroes you can even use to defeat this villain. Most games against Gladiator end with the heroes auto-losing after a couple of turns. No thanks.
While the rest of the War of Kings Expansion adds some nice variety, Gladiator as a villain is plain unfun. Fortunately, he is an antihero. I’d use him as a hero, not a villain.
5: Dark Phoenix (Marvel United Season 2, X-Men, Stretch Goals)
We’ll be seeing a ton of Marvel United Season 2 on this list. Most gamers list it as the best Marvel United Season, and I tend to agree. Marvel United X-Men rules. Unlike our previous entry, Dark Phoenix may be difficult to acquire. Difficult, but not impossible. She’s available in the Season 2 Stretch Goal box. This box includes a heap of fantastic characters. We may see another one on this list from the same box, so the hefty price tag of $80 to $100 may be worth the cost.
Dark Phoenix offers a chaotic and fun fight. She doesn’t go down easy, but at the same time, Dark Phoenix doesn’t feel unfair of a fight (ahem, Gladiator). It also doesn’t hurt that Dark Phoenix is an iconic villain. I love playing against her, reliving moments from the epic Dark Phoenix Saga. And look at that mini. Gorgeous.
4: Legion (Marvel United Season 2, X-Men, Stretch Goals)
It did not take long for us to get to another Marvel United Villain from the Season 2 Stretch Goal box. Legion may be the pinnacle of Marvel United villain design. Like in the comic book, his personality changes. Every two turns brings a new wrinkle and mechanism into the game. Sure. This gimmick functions like an intricate puzzle in miniature game form, but puzzles can be a blast.
I’ve heard rumblings that at least one DC Super Heroes United villain borrows some game design ideas from Legion. I hope that’s true. Legion’s changing personality adds plenty of spice.
3: Doctor Doom (Fantastic Four Expansion)
Doctor Doom is our third representative from Marvel United Season 2 (X-Men). Such a great set. Naturally, Doctor Doom is included in the Fantastic Four Expansion, and he makes this list for more than nostalgia reasons. I swear. Doctor Doom is a “fantastic” Marvel United villain. All jokes aside, I’ve always had tight games against Doctor Doom as a villain. The Marvel United design team made sure to tune his combination of cards so players will always be one turn away from winning or losing each game. Brilliant!
Combination doesn’t begin to describe Doctor Doom’s Threats and Master Plan cards. They work so well together, and every time a new card gets revealed, players will be forced to make tense and meaningful decisions. Doctor Doom is one of those villains you face, and you’ll know which decision caused you to win or lose.
2: Juggernaut (Marvel United X-Men Core Set)
The X-Men set is four out of four on this list. Yowza! See what I mean when I said the Marvel United X-Men was a banger? Juggernaut makes this list–and almost tops it–because he makes a phenomenal introductory Marvel United villain. And he happens to be included in the Marvel United X-Men Core Set. Unless you really want Avengers in your game, I almost always suggest picking up the readily available X-Men Core Set. This makes Juggernaut one of the easiest villains on this list to add to your collection.
Juggernaut makes a great introductory villain because he’s thematic and fun. He charges around the board, headbutting people. Juggernaut behaves like you’d expect Juggernaut to behave. His ruleset is on the simpler side, but he can be challenging. Marvel United found a way to make Juggernaut easy to play and rewarding to defeat. I’ve never had a table dislike Juggernaut, and he just may be one of my most commonly played Marvel United villains.
1: Sinister Six & Assembled Sinister Six (Return of the Sinister Six and Maximum Carnage Expansions)
I’m double-cheating with our top entry. First, the Sinister Six is a supervillain team. Second, I’m picking two expansions here. Return of the Sinister Six was a KickStarter exclusive all the way back in Season 1, but plenty of stories carry this expansion, so it shouldn’t be too difficult to find. Maximum Carnage was released in Season 3, but the modular Sinister Six add-on was only available in the KickStarter exclusive variant of the expansion. I picked up the Maximum Carnage expansion via retail, so I have a method of adding the modular Sinister Six.
Above is a picture of Carnage’s puzzle piece that can be used in the modular Sinister Six. Using the Marvel United wiki, I took images (and real-world measurements) and printed out my own copy of each puzzle piece of a modular villain at my local library. There are some unique cards you won’t find in a retail copy of Maximum Carnage, so you’ll need to print out those as well. Both are easy to find and download.
I love both iterations of Marvel United’s Sinister Six. Featuring the Sinister Six’s founding members, Return of the Sinister Six provided Marvel United’s first supervillain team. Like Legion, The Sinister Six functions like another intricate puzzle. But once you’ve figured out the puzzle, it may be time to move on to the modular Sinister Six. This version of the Sinister Six includes every villain who has ever joined the Sinister Six, so that static puzzle becomes an ever-changing puzzle. The first Sinister Six holds a special place in my heart (and you’ll need them to fill out your roster of every Sinister Six member), but the modular Sinister Six is clearly the best Marvel United villain. Fun, adaptable, and never boring.
Did we get the list right? Let us know who your favorite Marvel United villains are in the comments. Thank you for reading, wherever you are, I hope you’re having a great day.
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