Marvel United

2020

Dive into Marvel United, a cooperative board game where players become iconic Marvel Heroes, strategically playing cards to foil a Villain's unique master plan.

40
minutes

1 - 4
player(s)

14+

Medium Light

About the game

Marvel United is a fast-paced, cooperative board game where you team up with friends to play as iconic Marvel superheroes. Inspired by the vast Marvel Universe, this board game immerses you in a world of heroics, villainy, and high-stakes adventure.

In Marvel United, you and your allies will face off against some of the most notorious villains in the Marvel Universe. Each game session is set in a different locale, ranging from the bustling New York City to the shadowy realms of the multiverse, each setting presenting its unique challenges and surprises.

Game components Unboxing the fun!

Marvel United is a cooperative board game where players team up as Marvel superheroes to stop the plans of a villain. The game includes the following components:

1. Hero Miniatures: Each player chooses a hero to play as, represented by a detailed miniature figure. These miniatures move around the game board, representing the player’s location.

2. Villain Miniature: This miniature represents the villain that players are trying to defeat. The villain miniature also moves around the board, causing trouble wherever it lands.

3. Game Board: The game board consists of multiple locations that the heroes and villain can move to. Each location has different effects on the game.

4. Hero Cards: Each hero has a deck of cards that represents their actions and abilities. Players use these cards to move around the board, fight the villain, and more.

5. Villain Cards: The villain also has a deck of cards, which dictate its actions. These can include moving, attacking heroes, and advancing their evil plan.

6. Mission Cards: These cards represent the villain’s plan that the heroes are trying to stop. The heroes must complete the missions on these cards to win the game.

7. Threat Cards: Threat cards represent additional challenges that the villain throws at the heroes. These can include traps, minions, and more.

8. Location Cards: These cards are linked with the location spaces on the game board. They provide additional effects and resources when a hero or villain lands on the corresponding location.

9. Tokens: Various tokens are used to keep track of health, special abilities, and other game effects. These include Health Tokens, Action Tokens, and more.

10. Dice: The dice are used to resolve fights between heroes and the villain. The outcome can result in damage to the villain or heroes, depending on the roll.

In the game, players work together to strategically use their hero cards to move, fight the villain, complete missions, and overcome threats. The villain, meanwhile, uses its cards to hinder the heroes’ progress. The game ends when either the heroes have completed all the missions, or the villain’s plan has come to fruition.

Game setup Lay it out, line it up, let’s go

Marvel United is a fast-paced cooperative board game where players take on the roles of Marvel superheroes to thwart the plans of a supervillain. Here’s a step-by-step guide on setting up the game.

Step 1: Unpack the Game Components

Marvel United Game Board: A circular board depicting various locations in the Marvel universe.
Hero Decks: These are unique decks of cards for each superhero. Each player will have one.
Villain Deck: This deck contains the villain’s actions and abilities.
Threat Cards: These represent the villain’s evil schemes.
Hero Figures: Miniature figures of the superheroes, each player will control one.
Villain Figure: The miniature figure of the villain.
Mission Cards: These cards detail the objectives players need to complete to win the game.

Step 2: Choose a Villain and Set Up Their Deck

Randomly select a villain or choose one to your liking. Place the villain’s miniature on the indicated starting location on the board. Shuffle the villain deck and place it next to the game board.

Step 3: Choose Player Superheroes

Each player chooses a superhero and takes the corresponding Hero deck and miniature. Place the superhero miniatures on the indicated starting locations on the board.

Step 4: Set Up the Hero Decks

Each player shuffles their hero deck and draws three cards to form their initial hand. The rest of the deck is placed face down next to the player.

Step 5: Set Up the Threat Cards

Shuffle the threat cards and place them face down. Draw a number of cards according to the villain’s instructions and place them on the designated locations on the board.

Step 6: Set Up the Mission Cards

Select a set of mission cards according to the villain’s instructions and place them face up next to the game board.

Step 7: Determine the First Player

The last player to have read a comic book goes first. If no one has read a comic book recently, determine the first player randomly.

Now you’re ready to start your adventure in Marvel United. Remember, you must work together to defeat the villain and save the day!

Game flow Round and round we go

Marvel United is a card-driven, cooperative board game where players take on the roles of Marvel heroes to stop the plans of a villain. Gameplay is divided into turns, with each player acting in sequence and then the villain acting after all players have taken their turns.

The following describes the structure of a game of Marvel United:

Game Setup:

Choose a villain and set up their dashboard, placing the villain figure on the starting space of the villain track.
Each player chooses a hero and takes their deck of hero cards and hero figure.
Shuffle the mission cards and place three face up on the table.
Place the threat cards on the locations according to the villain dashboard.
Shuffle each hero’s deck and draw three cards, then place the rest of the deck face down in front of them.

Player’s Turn:

Play a Card: The player chooses a card from their hand and places it on the storyline, to the right of the last card played. This card should show one or more of the action symbols: Move, Heroic Action, Attack, or Wild.
Perform Actions: The player can perform the actions shown on the card they just played and the card to the left of it, in any order. Actions include moving to other locations, resolving heroic actions to remove threats or rescue civilians, and attacking to deal damage to the villain or henchmen.
Draw Cards: The player ends their turn by drawing two cards from their hero deck. If the deck is empty, the player shuffles their discard pile to form a new deck.

Villain’s Turn:

Draw and Resolve a Masterplan Card: Draw the top card of the villain deck and place it on the storyline. Resolve the effects on the card, which may include moving the villain, adding threats, and attacking heroes.
Activate Threats: If the villain is in a location with an unresolved threat card, activate the effect of the threat.

The game continues in this manner, alternating between players’ turns and the villain’s turn, until either the heroes achieve the victory conditions, or the villain achieves their victory conditions.

Players'turn One turn to rule them all

Marvel United is a fast-paced, cooperative board game where players join forces as Marvel superheroes to stop the plans of a vicious villain. Each player’s turn involves a sequence of actions that can greatly affect the overall gameplay. Here is a detailed breakdown:

1. Play a Hero Card: The player begins their turn by playing a hero card from their hand onto their storyline. This card will depict certain actions that the player can perform on their turn. It’s important to note that the cards played in the storyline can also benefit the next player.

Movement action: Allows the player to move their hero to an adjacent location on the board.
Heroic action: Can be used to rescue civilians or secure a location.
Attack action: Allows the player to battle thugs or the villain. Players must consider the villain’s health and the potential rewards of defeating them.

2. Resolve Actions: After playing a hero card, the player resolves the actions on their card in any order they wish. This also includes the actions on the hero card played by the previous player. The decision of which actions to take and in what order can greatly influence the game’s outcome.

3. Draw a New Card: The player concludes their turn by drawing a new hero card from their deck, bringing their hand back up to three cards. It’s crucial to plan in advance and consider the potential heroes that could be drawn.

4. Villain Turn: After all heroes have taken their turns, the villain takes a turn. The villain’s actions can disrupt the heroes’ plans and add new challenges to the game. Players must anticipate potential villain actions and strategize accordingly.

5. Strategic Choices: Marvel United requires players to make strategic decisions throughout the game. These may include:

Teamwork: Players need to cooperate and plan their actions together to overcome challenges. The use of hero cards in the storyline requires coordination to maximize their benefits.
Hero Selection: Each hero has unique abilities and strengths. Choosing the right hero to play at the right time can make a significant difference in the game.
Location Control: Controlling key locations on the board can provide advantages and disrupt the villain’s plans.

Understanding these steps and strategic choices is crucial to mastering the gameplay of Marvel United. Teamwork, planning, and smart decision-making are keys to defeating the villain and saving the day.

End of the game All good games must come to an end

Marvel United is a cooperative board game where players work together to defeat the villain before they can complete their evil plot. The game ends either when the players have successfully defeated the villain, or when the villain’s plot is complete.

The game has several victory conditions, each depending on the specific villain the players are facing. These are:

Defeating the Villain: The players win the game immediately when they reduce the villain’s health to zero.
Completing Missions: Some villains have specific missions that the players must complete. When all of these missions are completed, the players win the game.

On the other hand, the players lose the game if any of the following conditions are met:

Villain Completes Plot: Each villain has a plot represented by a deck of cards. If the villain’s plot deck runs out, the villain completes their plot and the players lose the game.
All Heroes Knocked Out: If all heroes on the team are knocked out at the same time, the players lose the game.

Before final scoring, players must ensure they have done the following:

Check the villain’s health. If the villain’s health is at zero, the players win and the game ends.
Ensure all missions have been completed, if applicable. If all missions are complete, the players win and the game ends.
Check the villain’s plot deck. If the deck is empty, the villain’s plot is complete and the players lose the game.
Check the status of all heroes. If all heroes are knocked out, the players lose the game.

After these checks, if the game has not ended in a victory or defeat, play continues until one of the end conditions is met.

Scoring Did you outsmart your rivals?

In Marvel United, the main objective is not to accumulate points, but to work cooperatively to defeat the supervillain. Therefore, a traditional scoring system is not present in the game. Instead, the players win or lose together based on their success in meeting the game’s objectives.

The game’s success criteria typically revolve around the following tasks:

Defeating the Supervillain: Players must deplete the Supervillain’s health to zero. This is achieved by playing cards with attack symbols and choosing the Supervillain as the target.
Completing Missions: Depending on the chosen Supervillain, different mission cards will be in play. Players must fulfill the requirements of these missions, which can involve rescuing civilians, neutralizing thugs, or clearing threats from specific locations.
Surviving the Supervillain’s Masterplan: The Supervillain will be drawing and playing cards from their own deck, known as the Masterplan. Players must manage the threats posed by these cards while also progressing towards their own objectives.

If the players manage to defeat the Supervillain and complete all necessary missions before the Supervillain’s Masterplan deck runs out, they win the game.

In case there is a need to determine individual performances within the team, players could count the number of successful actions they personally contributed to the team’s victory. This could include counting the number of attacks dealt to the Supervillain, the number of missions completed, or the number of threats neutralized.

As for tie-breaking rules, since Marvel United is a cooperative game, there isn’t a traditional tie-breaker. However, if players are using the aforementioned method to evaluate individual performance, the player who contributed the most towards the team’s objectives could be considered the ‘winner’ in the event of a tie. Alternatively, the player who dealt the final blow to the Supervillain could be considered the winner.

Particular Cases and Exceptions Wait… is that legal?

Marvel United is a fast-paced cooperative board game where players take on the roles of iconic Marvel superheroes to stop a villain from completing their scheme. While the game rules are straightforward, there are some exceptions and special rules that players should be aware of, which can significantly impact the game.

Hero Abilities: In Marvel United, each hero has unique abilities represented by their Hero cards. These abilities offer various benefits and can greatly influence the course of the game. However, it’s important to note that these abilities cannot be used while a Hero is KO’d. They regain access to their abilities once they are revived in the subsequent turn.

Villain’s Master Plan: The villain player draws a Master Plan card at the start of their turn. However, if the Master Plan deck is empty, the Villain does not draw a new Master Plan card, and the game continues.
Movement: When a move action is taken, the hero can move to any location, not just adjacent ones. This represents the heroes’ superhuman abilities.
KO’d Heroes: If a hero is KO’d, they are not out of the game. Instead, they skip their next turn and then revive at the start of their subsequent turn with their health fully restored. They can then continue playing as normal.
Threats: Threat tokens remain on the board even after a location is cleared of thugs. They can only be removed by specific hero actions.

End of the Game: The game ends immediately if the players fulfill the victory condition mentioned in the chosen villain’s dashboard. However, the game also ends if the villain completes their scheme or if all heroes are KO’d at the same time. In these cases, the villain wins.
Crisis Tokens: It’s worth noting that Crisis tokens do not have any immediate impact on the game. However, they may contribute to the villain’s victory if not dealt with.
Wild Actions: A wild action can be used as any action (Attack, Move, or Heroic Action), but it cannot be split into multiple actions. It must be used entirely for one type of action.

These specific rules, exceptions, and clarifications can make the gameplay of Marvel United more interesting and strategies more complex. Understanding them can significantly enhance the gaming experience.

Tips and tricks Play smarter, not harder!

Advanced Strategies for Marvel United

In Marvel United, one advanced strategy involves coordinating with your teammates. Use this strategy to your advantage:

Communicate with your fellow players to plan your actions strategically. Know who can do what and when they can do it. This can help you utilize your heroes’ abilities more effectively.
Utilize your Hero cards wisely. Some cards are better in certain situations than others. Be sure to use the right card at the right time to maximize its effect.
Focus on the Villain’s Masterplan cards. These cards are the source of the Villain’s power. If you can thwart these, you can significantly weaken the Villain.

Beginner Tips for Marvel United

If you’re new to Marvel United, here are some tips to get you started:

Learn the abilities of your heroes. Each hero in Marvel United has unique abilities. Understanding these can help you play more effectively.
Remember to work together. Marvel United is a cooperative game, so make sure to plan your strategies with your teammates.
Don’t underestimate the power of the Villain. The Villain can be tough to beat, especially for beginners. Always be on your guard and prepare for the unexpected.

Common Mistakes to Avoid in Marvel United

Avoid these common mistakes when playing Marvel United:

Not utilizing each hero’s unique abilities. Each hero has specific strengths and weaknesses. Make sure to use these to your advantage.
Ignoring the Villain’s Masterplan cards. These cards can cause a lot of damage if left unchecked. Always keep an eye on them.
Not working together with your team. Remember, Marvel United is a cooperative game. Teamwork makes the dream work!

Ways to Optimize Gameplay in Marvel United

Here are some ways to optimize your gameplay:

Plan your moves. Take a few moments at the start of each round to discuss your strategy with your teammates. This can save a lot of time and effort in the long run.
Know the game mechanics. Understanding how the game works can give you an edge over your opponents.
Practice! The more you play, the better you’ll get. Don’t be discouraged if you lose a few times at first. Keep playing and you’ll soon be a master of the game.