Do Not, Not KO Hulk

 Do Not, Not KO Hulk

Going into my local monthly tournament this weekend, I am reflecting on a regretful situation in my last tournament.

During the third Turn of my second game, Gamma/Skrulls (15). My squad Beta Ray Bill, Thor, Hero of Midgard, Loki, God of Lies. Against Hulk, Namor, Captain America (Steve Rodgers). I successfully debilitated the enemy Hulk down to 8-5 wounds remaining. He had taken the first turn to collect the extract on my left. For which I advanced my Thor immediately from his mirror deployment, and Loki to attrition hulk Turn one, and duel Turn 2. During Turn two Hulk triggered Giants Blood and I retreated Loki into the middle onto a Gamma Secure, to support Bill and shore up points. By the end of Turn two, Thor had pushed Hulk far away from the center but at the edge of Range three where Thor could still attack him from his position. However, instead of remaining there, I paid for Have at The and pulled Thor to the middle.

This is the decision that cost me the game. Without considering it, I allowed my opponent an opportunity to Patch Up Hulk. If Thor had earned another opportunity to activate into Hulk, which was likely, I truly believe he should have KO’d him. But, because of my alleviation of pressure, my opponent pulled Hulk back in. Patch Up Hulk up and cost me several other activations to KO him. Because of those focused activations on the Hulk problem. I could not control Captain America, who was braving the Gamma storm to collect the far-right Extract, which we had both ignored at the start of the game. Who then retreated completely into the corner of the map. Whom, with my taxed activations, I could not reach with my remaining characters Loki and Bill, before my opponent scored his sixteenth point and finished the game.  
To give myself credit where it credit is due. I scored fourteen points, and could have scored fifteen points, if the Skrull Bill collected at the final moment hadn’t pushed him off the Gamma Secure, but I am choosing to ignore the credit of this memory.

The lesson learned in this instance is that if you have an enemy character at the door of Death. Remove them with extreme prejudice. Especially, if that model is Squad defining. I remember distinctly the conversation I had with myself where I concluded I could Throw Thor to the middle and cost Hulk his activation to move back to the middle. I concluded that allowing Hulk to leap and double walk back was enough time wasted for me to “finish him off later”. “Don’t put off to tomorrow, what can be done today.” Within this lesson, there is a statement of lacking expertise on my part. Where I was not making my decision based on the option of Patch Up by my opponent. However, I believe that should have nothing to do with it. I should have made the game three on two. Thor carried a few wounds from Hulk, but regardless, I should have made a fifteen Threat game into fifteen against nine Threat game. All of which isn’t even bringing up the amazing gift that Turn one Captain America attempted to take my Skrull and was pushed toward my Gamma Secure where Bill Advanced and struck with six successes to no defense. Dazing Captain America and dropping a Skrull. Which means besides everything else, I was healthier than my opponent the entire game.

This is the first TTG that I have pursued competitively. MCP is the first game I have ever traveled to more than my local game store to play. I love the game and find myself trapped in the effort to express all parts of the game when I play. Making sure I attack, react, throw, move, trigger, and roll dice. Not capitalizing on my own successes has been an issue while learning to run a Type 4 attrition team. I get confused in places, trying to collect VP instead of setting up my next turns approach. Targeting characters who aren’t threatening and not scoring points. Putting crises into my list based on my ability to score points. Part of these troubles is bad habits ingrained from running my preferred team tempo of Type 3 attrition. However, I know that excelling at this playstyle will make me a better player all around.

One reason I am so hung up on this tournament game, and most games that I have lost recently, is that in hindsight, I can always identify the personal decisions that caused my defeat. Never dice, opponent dice, or opponent tactics. My personal decisive failures, which is clinically a recipe for depression, but not an issue because of the overwhelming affection I have for the game and all my opponents. At worst, demoralizing. But again, the reason I am so hung up by this specific game is that my opponent ended up four and zero as the grand champion of the tournament. Which to me means that I could have beat the leader of the tournament. My final record was two and two. Beating him would elevate me to three and one, creating a four-way tie for first place. Devolving by SOS and VPS. I would not have had the higher SOS, but simply a contender. Far better than my sixth-place finish. Key to this to me is that I, in my own hypothetical interpretation of the board state, should have defeated the lead player. Which begs the question.

Should I be the lead player?

 

Here is my List for my upcoming Tournament
*disclaimer*
Not the list I played with at the tournament referenced in the blog.

Characters (10)
Thor, Hero of Midgard (6)
* Loki, Prince of Lies (5)
* The Mighty Thor (5)
Angela (5)
Beta Ray Bill (4)
Lady Sif (4)
Heimdall, The All-Seeing (3)
Mysterio (3)
Valkyrie (3)
Winter Soldier (3)

Team Tactics (10)
Freyja‘s Blessing
Odin‘s Blessing
Skuttlebutt, on Me!
Joint Effort
Trickster‘s Boon
Giant‘s Blood
The Grand Illusion
Brothers in Arms (R)
Indomitable (R)
Rainbow Bridge

Secure Crisis
Intrusions Open Across City As Seals Collapse (C, 19)
Gamma Wave Sweeps Across Midwest (E, 15)
Demons Downtown! Has Our Comeuppance Come Due? (E, 19)

Extract Crisis
Deadly Legacy Virus Cured? (C, 19)
Fear Grips World As “Worthy“ Terrorize Cities (D, 18)
Alien Ship Crashes In Downtown! (C, 17)