Marvel Champions Review - Gambit-Level Cardplay 

When we thought Matt couldn't top his worm appearances, he blesses us with a Bat-disruption.

The differences between the two games was actually a huge relief for me and mine. Marvel is for when we want to just have fun and throw down some cards, whereas Arkham is for when a group of us have a full Saturday open to sink our teeth deep into some soul-destroying, rich horror. Despite their similarities, we've found them very different thankfully.

Got some cool friends? Buy Arkham Horror Got one okay friend and a few lonely nights? Buy Marvel Champions. I'll be ordering my box of Marvel and tub of ice cream now.

Good review. I have to ask though did I miss you covering "asking for actions" thats a sort of key component to how we played and is actually a big coop part of the game. I probably missed it or something.

If anyone is in doubt, give Arkham Horror a shot, the fact a card game can give so much tension and atmosphere is something you need to witness

I now want a tshirt that says "Sausage rolls are pretty eldritch."

Not sure if it's been mentioned but the whole "I can do 8 on my turn and you do 7 on your turn and he's dead" thing is usually followed by a "Thank God because we were JUST about to lose!" That's pretty exciting to me. I've never had a game that wasn't tense right up until that last turn. It just leaves me admiring the game design every time.

You're absolutely right: Arkham is phenomenal! You know what's too heavy for a non-gamer wife, too gory for kids, and too long for the FLGS game night?... yeah also Arkham. :( Know which game lets a 9yo web kick the bad guy while Ironman is pew pewing the minions around him - Champions, and that is why I jumped in. I know it's not the 3 course meal like Arkham, but its still hearty snack, and I get to share it with way more people. I think they are both going to continue to be super successful.

MC for a quick lunchtime nibble; AH if you have the day off, a packet of Good Quality digestives, the tea brewing, and the pitter patter of rain against the window.

Alternate title: Two reviews and a boom.

This review helped me understand why I love Arkham Horror LCG so much.

The algebra angle at the end reminds me of the Sentinels of the Multiverse review

As a serious LCG player who owns a lot of Arkham Horror and a lot of Netrunner too, I still find Champions delightful. I can actually get through a solo or two-handed game in an hour, and replayability is higher IMO. While not as complex or deep, and of course lacking any narrative (which I can totally see the potential for) it's good that's not a reskin of Arkham but watered down, and rather its own solid game.

The concept of secret identities in a superhero game made me imagine a hidden role worker placement type thing where everyone picks one hero card and one normal dude card, and everyone is basically Batman trying to figure out the secret identities of other players while simultaneously trying to stop evil. Everyone would know which player is which hero and they'd go into battle together and play combat cards and fight bad guys cooperatively, but inbetween fights everyone pairs their identity with a matching location card to go collect resources or whatnot, and they get shuffled into a pile so nobody knows whose card is whose, and everyone's trying to deduce which player might go where and for what reason. I guess you can't take the location cards back without revealing where you went, so maybe you can only visit each location once or twice.. Which would make the deduction part easier the longer the game progresses! I don't know what benefit there would be to figuring out someone else's secret identity, but you can cram some mechanics into that to make it exciting, I'm sure. If all else fails, use victory points, I suppose.

Good points, as a player of both I like that in Marvel I feel more powerful on my turn and also that it's quicker, I wasn't getting Arkham to the table as much (even playing solo) because it's so much set-up and maintenance. I'd think I want to play but then realize it'll take me half an hour to upgrade my deck, record that online, and then set up the new scenario. With Marvel i can set up and play in half an hour.

I appreciate you talking about Eldritch because I was wondering which of the 2 I would want. It's like this video was made for me

Some of the strongest criticisms of the game are resolved when playing the game solo, which is significant.

When my wife (playing Captain Marvel) finished off Rhino after he had just killed me (Spiderman) I totally saw the cinematic moment in my head. Such a great game and incredible solo!

Why do we have to keep sacrificing Black Widow? Rude.

Thank you for the insight as always you guys! I just got the arkham lcg due to your review and am happy with my choice after hearing your thoughts 🙏

Great review, and thanks for the comparison w/ AHCG. Just one thing I'd like to add: when I've played, there's a bit more cooperation between the players. One of the things you can do on your turn is request actions from other players. I often find myself saying "could you really use an extra card this turn to pull off something great?" Additionally, because every player can attack every minion and engage with every scheme, it becomes a group puzzle where each player has some of the pieces. Things like "can you handle this scheme and I'll focus on this enemy?" or "if you can deal some chip damage to this minion, I can use my spider tracker to take out this scheme." It doesn't have the depth or the atmosphere of AHCG, and it does have a problem with anticlimactic endings, but it's a bit lighter and easier to introduce to people. My wife enjoyed it. I'm planning on introducing her to Arkham Horror this weekend, so we'll see which she favours.

Thanks for this. Having recently got very heavily into AHLCG off the back of your enthusiasm when it first got released, I was wondering if you are still playing it. Glad to know it hasn’t lost its lustre

What Quinns said about Arkham making you feel like a hero really hits home for me. The Arkham LCG is my favorite board game ever (favorite game maybe even). That is a large part of the reason why.

As always, a very interesting and in-depth review. I will say that while I completely understand all the points made, I personally find that Marvel Champions gave me everything I wanted from Arkham Horror without all the bits I didn't want. Firstly, obviously the theme is going to be a major point of contention. I just generally find the Marvel theme to actually be very appealing compared to the dreary depressing nature of Lovecraftian works. I know some have issues with Marvel being everywhere right now, but for me it is refreshing to have such an iconic series stay consistent in quality and combine many genre's into an easily consumable form with well thought-out and iconic characters. With the Marvel theming, I find myself actually feeling more attached to the events than I do with investigators that I'm not incredibly familiar with. Secondly, as was briefly mentioned in this review and I believe has been mentioned in past when they've talked about AHLCG - it's brutal. And to me, it's so brutal that I just feel down after playing it a lot. Sure, Marvel Champions is a bit of a number crunch and I will admit that I did occasionally find the end to be anti-climactic (possibly due to the lack of randomness that's present in AH's bag system), but I feel like MC makes us work for it, constantly managing things while chipping away, and it starts slow and hits that point similar to the second act of a movie, where you feel like maybe it's impossible to beat the villain. But then, your upgrades give you something you need, and that happens for the other players too, and suddenly you're doing more damage, and it feels like a scene from The Avengers where the camera is panning around the heroes as they clean up minion after minion and their plan falls together perfectly. Of course, some people may feel this in AH, and I did a few times as well, but more often than not, it was a constant beatdown with only glimmers of hope, and if we did win, it felt good, but the constant beating from the game had already drained me a lot. From memory, I also feel like I was always able to do SOMETHING in Marvel, while in AH there were turns where I felt like I was useless, I didn't pick up the right cards or I got stuck with an encounter that really screwed over my next few turns so I can't help at all. I DO wish that Marvel Champions offered that more Campaign approach, because that is absolutely a highlight of AH, but generally I find the gameplay more satisfying, still challenging but more like a fun Sudoku where you're constantly getting closer to a solution, rather than a 9x9 Rubik's Cube that constantly yells at you for making the wrong moves and every wrong move you make just gets you further from the solution. Although re-reading that, it sounds like I dislike AH. Not true at all, it's still one of my top games I've ever played. But much like Quinn's can't see himself wanting to play Marvel Champions in favour of AH, I can't see myself wanting to go back to AH now. HOWEVER, great review as always!

Both are great games. As a longtime player of LOTR LCG, Marvel Champions has very similar game mechanics. I've just gotten into Arkham Horror and have just begun my collection with the first three cycles. I think one of the underestimated aspects of Marvel Champions is that solo, you can whip through a game in 30 minutes or less. Both setup and playthrough are much simpler than Arkham or LOTR. That doesn't make it better, just gives it a nice niche.

Just as an FYI, from the FFG website regarding future espansions: "Campaign Expansions - The larger Campaign Expansions introduce a series of three to five linked scenarios that let you live out your favorite comic book stories! These boxes contain both new heroes and villains to expand your game of Marvel Champions!"

I find that the fact that all the "draw an extra card" things are Actions helps the pacing a lot. You don't have to wait until it's your turn to do your draw extra card things. You can do them on another players turn and start to plan your action immediately. And you should, because once everyone has done their selfish actions immediately after the player phase starts, everyone on the table can start to coordinate. There are a lot of cross-player actions that let players help each other out. Absolutely agreed on the scenario and story issues though. Hopefully the upcoming story box will bring something more connected rather than just a collection of schemes.

This review is woefully outdated at this point. There are scenarios you literally can’t even win with just dealing damage. And you can create amazing unique scenarios. Like what if? Rhino got the infinity gauntlet and joined forces with the Brotherhood of Mutants? This game is absolutely massive now. Should get an update review.

Arkham Horror LCG is my personal favorite tabletop game of all time. This video only reminds me of why. Thank you, SU&SD!

My wallet and I are so relieved when we get a mid-review turnaround from you guys and I don't have to immediately go order a new game.

I skipped Marvel Champions as we're die hard Arkham Horror LCG fans (and I'm not a millionaire) - mostly due to the lack of a campaign element. You hit the nail on the head as to why Arkham is my favorite game of all time. No other game combines the narrative with mechanics nearly as well. I'll wait for a friend to pick up a copy of MC and give it a shot then.

Thank you so much. Was debating between the two myself.. You made it Easier!! Arkham Horror it is!!!

12:40 THANK YOU! Gambit is totally the best!

Fantastic Review. Truly. Incredibly entertaining and informative. - On a personal note, I like Marvel Champions and Arkham Horror equally ... they simply have different feels to them.

I love the little jokes like Tom holding the sausage roll wail Matt takes a bite of it or Paul throwing the pear in the background in the Dead of Winter review, I will sometimes just get one of those images in my heard and I can't stop smiling! 😆😆

What a fantastic review. I have watched a lot of your videos and this is one of the best. You do such a great job of talking about the innovative and fun aspects of Marvel Champions, and then it suddenly shifts to your love of Arkham Horror. I just started playing Arkham Horror a month ago and it's absolutely fantastic! The campaign aspects, the immersive atmosphere, and the interaction among players is truly wonderful. If I do end up checking out Marvel Champions, it will mainly be to study the game design aspects (which you do a great job of highlighting). Incidentally, I wonder if you guys develop games yourselves, given your sophisticated understanding of mechanics? Another game I'm just starting is Lord of the Rings LCG, which is a different kettle of fish again...! Never heard of KeyForge until now so I'll check it out.

I appreciate your reviews. I was on the fence with getting this game and Unmatched. And you made me appreciate that I've been still playing Arkham Horror into 2021.

Having a complete collection of all of FFG's LCGs except 3, I feel ya on the story aspects and campaign. That said? There's a few things that separate marvel Champions for me and put it into a different class of game. First, there's a smaller initial buy. Because they included full playsets of every card in the base game (making it $60 instead of $40) it is overall cheaper to get into the deckbuilding aspect. Second, the hero packs are complete decks like the starters are - so if you want to try a new character, you don't have to think about deckbuilding. And third.. . Well, the lack of a huge, juicy story means it is a lighter, quicker game. And sometimes you want that. The ability to just throw down and teach someone to play and let them be superheroes is fun. But I can imagine playing it over and over in a short period could get tedious.

Thank you for putting my favorite marvel, mr batman, in the review since fantasy flight apparently forgot to put my boy in the game

Ok, I am getting Arhham Horror LCG as my main go, and maybe Marvel Champions for my lunch breaks. You do excellent videos btw.

Amazing review as usual. The conclusion makes me wonder how it compares solo.

Great review :) entertaining and informative!

WOAH WOAH WOAH, we need a prequel to explain how the mantle of bat-critic man got passed down to Matt!!

She-Hulk knows quality when she sees it. That's canon

Great review! Though I was interested in Marvel Champions, after seeing this review I'm now convinced we are still playing the best game. Arkham is amazing!

Hype during the whole review and then comes the hammer!

I really consider this game a solo experience. It is puzzly and really quick playing if you know what you are doing. The main appeal is If the decks are ready I can play a game in under 20 minutes. It is definitely not thematic but it is a ton of fun to "figure out".

Whoa! That table with the leafs built-in is awesome! Quinns, where'd you get it??

I came back to watch this video again. I'm curious if you guys feel any differently or have come back to Champions since this review. I am noting that while you are somewhat positive, the negative feedback really overshadows anything good. I mean, your positive thoughts are punctuated by the fact that you're getting rid of the game soon as the review is over. You also seem to gloss over the fact that well Arkham Horror is fantastic (I think it's one of the best LCGs ever), One of the main appeals of Champions that makes it so delightfully and intensely popular is that it is far more accessible, easy to set up, easy to deckbuild, and easy to play together. Campaign games like Arkham Horror seem to be harder and harder to get groups together that will play eight scenarios in a row.

I really appreciate your review that explored both sides of the game.

I've been enjoying Marvel Champions, but in a fast food kind of way. It's good for a quick bite. In terms of player interaction, while you largely play your own cards, you do want to spend some time discussing with the other players how you want to balance thwarting vs attacking depending on the schemes in play. There's also the ability to ask to use another player's action cards during your turn, pulling in the feel of tag teaming against the villain. For me, Marvel Champions will likely see more play than Arkham Horror or Lord of the Rings just because I can easily fit it into a 30-45 minute session if I'm playing solo.

OK I am pretty convinced I am gonna buy Arkham horror the card game

12:31 Boom Mic III: The Reflection

"No one wants to hear you say all the card names." ....Thats exactly how my group of 4 always plays 🥺 haha we always announce everything we're doing and anything we're even considering. It helps make a turn that would otherwise be solitary into a more collective experience.

Thanks. I was confused whether to buy this or invest in an AH LCG cycle.

For Marvel, I do feel like I AM the hero. I agree everything else about why Arkham Horror LCG is a better game, according to SU&SD. ...but I'm a superhero. I fight and heal, fight and heal. I get support from allies and more bad guys come out. This is why I am keeping both games in my collection.

Great video as always, but I’m left with one burning question: how do I get such a glorious t-shirt?!

I love the way this review went. I bought into Arkham early and have kept up and its been excellent. I bought Marvel Champions soon after release and I enjoy it, it is faster and more accessible but far less compelling or interactive. I will keep it since i still get occasional plays and i will buy the occasional expansion but i will not keep current with it.

I like this review, a lot of fair points and appreciation for what this game is, and isn't. Of course it's the subjectivity that makes us all different. I love it because you CAN play it in a short period of time - I did not like Arkham as much, although it is obviously a well thought out and produced game with a lot of theme itself, because of the campaigns which are too long for me. Also, I feel just the opposite about the comment that Champions does not make you feel like a hero. I believe it captures EXACTLY what it would be like to be these heroes in card game form, as they all have their own unique strengths and weaknesses. Perhaps the difference of opinion comes from how much you love or loved superhero comics growing up, and into adult hood. Good review.

Aw shit, I want this and I'm ashamed of it. 12 year old me would've been so into it. I think our table would have fun narrating our turns and coming up with a story that fits our moves.

Interesting review. On one hand, I want a how-to play as well as the review but that isn't fair. The review explained the highlights, pacing, and whether I enjoy it. Good stuff.

I wouldn't have noticed the boom mic unless that comment "hello i am boom mic" came up and now I can't stop looking at it. :p

Very quality video, Quinns. But you shoulda went for the sausig rolls lest they colden

Matt Newman of Arkham LCG designer fame is now on the Marvel LCG team so watch this space. Also, I find Marvel a great introduction to non gamers to card games so that is a big positive.

Thanks Quinns!!!! I'll keep spending money on my AHLCG ;)

Ah guys, I had to pause the video after the Bat-Disruption because I was laughing too hard! Good work, now I will finish up the video!

what about solo play? would you still recommend AH? I have AH (core + 1/2 of the first exp.) and I like it a lot. But Marvel looks very appealing to me because of its action.

Does anyone have any comparisons / opinions on how Marvel Champions compares to Marvel Legendary? Obviously one's an LCG and one's a deck builder so their core mechanics differ, but is having enough Legendary to build a reasonably sized house with an indicator that I'd enjoy Champions or begrudge it?

Great review! I love the Arkham Horror Card Game but also love Marvel so will definitely be picking up Marvel Champions. I play Arkham solo pretty much exclusively so that will likely be how I play Champions as well, so I feel like the letdown of multiplayer you described might not be as big a deal for me. Good to know though!

Another enjoyable review. I love the way you build the game up with positives before bringing it back down with the negatives. Would you say the game works better as a solo play?

Is that a standard reference boom mic?

Is that a "Tainted Grail: fall of Avalon" game in the background at 13mins? When is the review?

The view from your apartment is pretty dope! Is that the coast line?

I definitely respect your opinion about the game not being all up to par when compared to Arkham Horror. I do believe these two can't completely be compared though. Arkham Horror gives you the sensation of experiencing an immersive story through cards, where Marvel Champions wants to give you the feeling of being a powerful hero who knows how to punch hard through cards. Conclusively, I think that a game like Marvel Champions can be viewed as a game that is more "arcade-like" for people who don't feel like playing a heavy game.

I see those Tower of Babel books in the background. More proof of SU&SD's excellent taste.

Weird question, but what tune is Matt singing to in the beginning?

I really like the game, but I can relate to that moment near the end when you realise you have enough to kill the boss...you just go "oh, it's over" throw your cards down and pick up your phone 😄

One thing i wish you talked about in the review is how this game holds up to Marvel-Legendary seeing how similar the 2 are in concept and likely in entertainment value based off this review

Lol I like how this just became an ad for Arkham Horror. If I could get my friends to play it I definitely would. I think my friend group would play Marvel before Arkham unfortunately

Review tip! Quartermaster General 2nd Edition!

I understand the "anti-climactic" ending notion, but I'd say now that the card pool is larger (and more specifically, the encounter modules) the villain's turn can change what you thought might have been a winning next turn pretty regularly and easily. And while it is possible to have that last turn of crunching numbers and determining if you've won, there are lots of other times when a combo can allow you to draw cards that extend your turn and give you a chance to defeat the villain that will almost certainly win on his/her next turn. Is it a perfect situation every play-through, no... in fact, Rhino and probably some other villains, can simply scheme out on you in one turn and ruin the entire play.... but, overall, I think I've had a lot of enjoyable end of the game experiences with MC and highly suggest trying it (with two caveats): 1) You're willing and able to buy some additional content to boost the experience of the core box. 2) You think you'll get just as much enjoyment out of solving the riddle that is building a deck to combat a villain's strengths as you would if you were to be caught up in table talk and interaction with your friends. Very fair review and huge thanks to SU&SD for providing great content!!!

Glad you finally reviewed this game after teasing us with the Daredevil tattoo on your arm for so long.

Great review! How does this game compare to the LOTR LCG?

I picked up Marvel Champions and I've been enjoying it a lot. Arkham looks cool too, but I think that'd be a harder sell to get to the table with my girlfriend compared to letting her play as characters she knows and loves from the movies and comics. Not sure if my larger board game group has played the Arkham card game, it might be easier to get them to play but idk. Still nice review, and I can agree that Champions has some flaws but I'm still excited to get some more expansions and such for it.

Good review, but I think the only criticism I have is that when we play there is much discussion. We plan on who could take damage for who on the villain turn or who might have a card to stop the treachery. Also there are response cards that can trigger during a player's turn from another player and some actions might need to be coordinated with other players. I get that some turns could get a multiplayer solitaire feel, but in my experience, most of our turns everyone is talking, interacting, and planning on how to most effectively takedown threat or the villain (definitely more than Sentinels of the Multiverse and it plays smoother too). You know you can request actions from other players right?

Is that t-shirts for sale?

My local store has marvel zombies: heroes resistance, champions, dice throne, and damage control. Which one should I pick up?

This review sold me more on Arkham Horror then the Arkham Horror review did I may just have to buy that game now

nice energy. thank you!

Probably not even worth mentioning there's also the L5R card game, as well. :) Fantasy Flight really likes these LCG's of late.

I love the SU&SD genuflection.

Speaking of boom mic... Has SU&SD ever talked about their current video camera setup (camera body, lens, mic, audio recorder, etc)? Love the quality now despite endeared to the old SUSD vids

100% agree. I wish Marvel Champions was a lot more interactive and had story lines like AH:LCG

Excellent review. Thanks.

I’ve been debating on getting Arkham horror card game for awhile and just as I was about the ask if this was better you pulled Arkham horror box out from under the table

At about 16:00 I got distracted by that amazing view in the background

the only problem with these LCG games, (or any card game really) is that the amount of expansions and cards already made makes it a bit scary to get into

I watched this review and after looking at the overall reviews from many sources decided to give it a shot. I've only played it solo, but based on that I'll say this game is at least an 8/10, maybe a 9. The fun factor is huge. The mechanics are deep enough to be interesting but simple enough that you don't get bogged down. It's relatively fast to set up. During play you have so many choices and all of them feel relevant. If you lose you can look back and think "maybe had I done this differently...", which is a good thing. Each hero/villain combination has a learning curve and it usually takes a few games to beat the villain, IF you can beat it. The coolest aspect for me is that there is a deck-construction part of it! If you like VTES, MtG, L5R, etc. then you'll love this part of the game. Yes the beginning card pool is limited so there aren't that many choices, but just adding or removing 2-3 cards is significant in a 40 card deck (you usually stick to the minimum of 40). For anyone on the fence on this one I'd say definitely get it.

His Forearm tattoo = netrunner link strength! I love it

Where can I get one of those SUASD shirt!? 😱