User Manual

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get the most Victory Points). Some play
groups like to focus on cooperating. Other
groups focus on competing. And some
groups do a little of both. Some players
even start out competing, and then switch
to cooperating more and more as the
Mastermind gets closer to victory. This
matches a lot of Marvel storylines!
AdjustingDifculty
Some play groups like an easier challenge
when introducing new or younger players
or after the Mastermind wins. Other
groups like to face tougher and tougher
challenges. One way to adjust the difficulty
level is choosing which cards to use in your
next game:
• Mastermind
The Masterminds with higher Power
are much harder to beat. This is the
easiest way to adjust difficulty.
• Scheme
You will find that some Schemes are
more difficult than others. Some
Schemes are especially difficult in
combination with certain
Masterminds or Villain Groups.
• VillainGroups
Some Villain Groups are tougher than
others. For example, the Enemies of
Asgard are especially tough, while the
HYDRA Villain Group is much easier.
If you are seeking even greater challenges,
you can also play these especially
dangerous Challenge Modes. You can
even combine the extra Scheme Twist
modes with the extra powerful Mastermind
modes. See if you can beat them all!
ChallengeMode Effect
Heroic Mode
Add an extra Scheme
Twist to the Villain
Deck.
Champion Mode
Add two extra Scheme
Twists to the Villain
Deck.
Legendary Mode
Add three extra
Scheme Twists to the
Villain Deck.
Distracted
Mastermind
The Mastermind gets
-1 Power.
Maniacal
Mastermind
The Mastermind gets
+1 Power.
Enraged
Mastermind
The Mastermind gets
+2 Power.
Tyrant
Mastermind
The Mastermind gets
+3 Power.
Nightmare
Mastermind
The Mastermind gets
+4 Power.
All-Powerful
Mastermind
The Mastermind gets
+5 Power.
If you want to give newer or younger
players a boost to help them compete with
veteran players, you can replace some of
the S.H.I.E.L.D. Agents with S.H.I.E.L.D.
Officers in the new players’ starting decks.
This will also make it easier for all the
players to beat the Mastermind.
HowtoTeachtheGame
For most groups, the best way to teach the
game is just to start playing it. There’s no
need to explain every single detail before
• Mastermind-IgnoretheMastermind’s
“Always Leads” ability.
• Scheme-UseanySchemeexcept 
Super Hero Civil War and Negative
Zone Prison Breakout.
• VillainDeck:Usethesecards:
  •1VillainGroup
  •3Henchmancardsfromthesame
Henchman Group
  •1Bystander
  •1MasterStrike
  •ThenormalnumberofScheme
Twists listed on the Scheme Special
Solo Rules
Whenever you complete a Scheme Twist
effect,KOaHerofromtheHQofcost6orless.
Scoring
If you win the game, add up your Victory
Points and subtract these penalties:
 •-4foreachBystandercarriedawayby
escaping Villains
 •-3foreachSchemeTwistthatoccurred
 •-1foreachVillainthatescaped
Write down your score and which Heroes
and Scheme and Mastermind you used.
Compete to get better scores against
that Mastermind and Scheme with
different Heroes!
Final Showdown (Optional)
When a player defeats the fourth
Mastermind Tactic, that player finishes
their turn and draws six cards as normal.
Then it’s time for the Final Showdown
between the players and the Mastermind!
Each player in turn now takes a special
“Showdown Turn,” starting with the player
on the left of the player who defeated the
you begin. Instead just tell people the
overall theme and goal of the game,
pointing to the different elements as you
mention them. You can use your own
words, or say something like this:
“This is a Marvel Super Heroes Deck-Building
Game. Each of us starts with a small deck
of basic Heroes. Over time, we’re going to
recruit these awesome Super Heroes, fight
Super Villains, and eventually take down the
evil Mastermind. There are different Heroes
and a different Mastermind every time you
play. This time it’s Red Skull. If we beat Red
Skull four times, then we all win as a team,
and the person who scores the most Victory
Points is the individual winner. But while
we’re playing, the game is fighting back.
Red Skull is trying to accomplish this evil
Scheme, “Unleash the Power of the Cosmic
Cube.” If he does, then evil wins, and all of us
lose. The best way to learn is just by playing.
Everybody shuffle your deck and draw six
cards. I’ll go first.”
Then just take your first turn, explaining
what you do as you do it. You don’t need
to explain what Bystanders or Scheme
Twists or Master Strikes do until they
come up. This method gets people into
the action quickly, and everyone will
figure it out as they go.
Solo Play
You can also play Legendary with a
single
player. Here are the adjustments
you need:
Solo Setup
• HeroDeck-Usethecardsforthree
Heroes.
42 cards in total.