Nio_Darkwind’s
Campaign Guide
Welcome to Nio_Darkwind’s Marvel Champions Campaign Guide. The intent of this document is to try and make a “campaign” using the Core box and eventually the expansions, hopefully leading up to and including the first big box expansion (if they story fits with the rest of the announced products). At minimum this guide will cover the Core Box, the Green Goblin, and eventually Wrecking Crew Expansion.
Version 1.5.0
- Changed restriction list to (hopefully) account for all future hero releases.
- Added Wrecking Crew Scenario
- Added Special Rule for Risky Business
This is the final update for this phase. I will do a wait and see approach based on what FFG does with their story box. I may continue this as is for the next set of conflicts or I might shift this onto custom content (after waiting for some villain packs to be released).
How to use this guide
- Players have a restriction to the cards they are allowed to include in their deck (refer to Deckbuilding Restrictions at the beginning of each Phase for the list of cards)
- At the beginning of the campaign the players choose if they are going to play Standard or Expert difficulty. In the spirit of the game, the campaign will be balanced around sticking with the same difficulty throughout the whole campaign (although you can house rule a switch in difficulty between scenarios if you find it too difficult/easy without penalty)
- Decide if you would like to add any Challenge Mode restrictions before you start the main scenario.
- At the beginning of each “Phase,” I will list the expansions needed for the main campaign and a list of possible side missions (this way you can see what you need before you start)
- There will be a Campaign Log to make notes on. Any paper will do but these notes may or may not affect the ongoing campaign. If you have a matching note in your campaign log then follow the additional setup/conclusion rules
- Currently there are no restrictions on which Heroes the players can play as (but this may be limited in the future for thematic reasons)
- When determining the results of a scenario, if the heroes defeat the villain(s) then they read the appropriate after scenario section. If the heroes lose the scenario from threat on the main scheme then they will read the “X Escaped/Plan Succeeded” section. If all of the heroes lost the scenario by losing all their health, then they read the “X defeated the heroes” section.
- Italicized text is flavor story text for the campaign.
Challenge Mode
Challenge Mode is designed to give players an extra set of adaptive rules to increase the difficulty of their campaign. Before a group of Heroes embark on their Story Arc, players decide on how many of the Challenges that they would like to include with their campaign to increase the difficulty. Players can choose as many challenges as they wish to increase the difficulty. These challenges can be added to both Normal and Expert modes to help adapt the difficulty of the campaign to suit the needs of the group. Hopefully there will be enough challenges in the future to help make the campaign more replayable to people who would like to play again.
If you would like a Challenge to be included here, please submit in the comments/discord channel/forums and I will try to add it (I will Credit you based on Username on chosen platform if selected).
List of Challenges (name of contributor in brackets if not myself):
- Imperfect Plan: Heroes may not attack the Villain until all Side Schemes have been resolved
- Henchmen Wall: Heroes may not attack the Villain if they have any minion in their engagement area
- Chaotic Fight: Players may not use Allies to attack the Main Villain or Thwart the main Scheme
- Inspiration Rut: Hero Decks are locked for the Campaign (ignore adding restricted card rules)
- Super Villain: Heroes must defeat all Villain phases (e.g. Rhino I, II & III)
- Dazed: Your deck cannot contain any copies of "The Power of." (Power of Leadership, Power of Justice, etc.) (Churcher)
- Surprise!: All Heroes start with either Stun or Confused, player's choice. (Churcher)
- Paranoia: Each time a player plays a card they also mill a card from on top of their deck. (KennedyHawk)
- Chaos Magic: At the end of the villain phase each player discards a random card from their hand. (KennedyHawk)
- Running Late - each player discards 6 cards from the encounter deck. (Kermity)
- We Don't Trade Lives - allies cannot be used to defend attacks from the villain. (Kermity)
Main Campaign - Phase 1 (Core Box, The Wrecking Crew Expansion)
Side Missions: (Green Goblin Expansion)
Setup Rules
Deckbuilding Restrictions:
Decks still need to adhere to the deckbuilding rules listed in the Learn to Play guide. When building your deck for this campaign, you also have these additional deckbuilding rules:
These cards are NOT allowed to be included in the Hero Decks at the beginning of the campaign:
Basic | Leadership | Justice | Aggression | Protection |
All allies | All allies | All allies | All allies | All allies |
Helicarrier | Hawkeye* | |||
Avengers Mansion | ||||
Mockingbird* |
*These cards are not restricted in a 4 player campaign if only one core box is shared among all 4 players. They are restricted if the players have access to any additional hero expansion, or more than one core box.
Scenario #1 - “The Heist”
Walking on the Streets of New York, you are reminded that not even a year ago you were just a normal person going about your daily life. Fate has brought you the ability to help the Citizens from the growing threat of people with powers. Just last week you stopped Kingpin from robbing all of the major banks in the 5 Boroughs.
Earlier in the week you heard rumors about a planned robbery of a high value and rare metal called Vibranium. Shaking down local thugs has brought you a small building in Hell’s Kitchen. The rundown place looks like nothing out of the ordinary except for the advance surveillance equipment all around the building. After a night of scouting out the building it seems like it looks like a SHIELD storage facility. Just as you are about to leave for the night, you hear a loud CRASH!!!! As you look down you see a large figure stampeding towards the facility. A couple of SHIELD agents are running out to stop this man dressed as a Rhino but they are quickly dealt with. You are probably the only hope of stopping this guy before reinforcements come.
The Heist | Standard | Expert |
Vilain Deck | - Rhino (I) - Rhino (II) | - Rhino (II) - Rhino (III) |
Main Scheme Deck | The Break In! | The Break In! |
Encounter Sets | - Rhino - Standard - Bomb Scare | - Rhino - The Masters of Evil - Standard - Expert |
After Scenario is finished:
Thwarted Rhino:
The last attack hit Rhino square in the jaw and forced him to the ground. He attempts to push himself off the ground but succumbs to the pain and collapses to the ground. You hear what sounds like a helicopter in the distance. Within minutes additional SHIELD agents show up at the crime scene ready to apprehend the villain. As you help with the rescue of the bystanders a figure walks up to you and states “So I guess we should be thanking you for stopping Rhino and preventing him from stealing this supply of vibranium.” You turn around to see a man standing in the distance. He is wearing all black with full body trench coat for clothing and an eyepatch over his left eye. He introduces himself as Nick Fury, leader of SHIELD. “You’ve done good work here, I could use people like you working with me. Let me tell you about the Avengers Initiative ...” Players may now add the following cards to their decks:
Players Note in the Campaign Log that: “The vibranium was recovered” Players Move on to “Black Market Dealings” |
Rhino Escaped:
After breaking through the vault wall, Rhino grabs the vibranium and starts charging towards outside. As he charges to the outside he Shouts “Lets see you chase me after this!” As he runs he swipes the last remaining support column at the facility. The ceiling starts crashing down behind Rhino blocking the path. The heroes dodge the rubble and focus on saving the remaining bystanders left in the facility. By the time they are safe and you make it outside, Rhino is long gone and nowhere to be seen. You stick around to tend to the wounded, and make sure no one else is trapped in the destroyed facility. Eventually SHIELD arrives on the scene and you inform the agent on scene of what happened. He then tells you, “Come with me. Fury wishes to question you…” Players may now add the following cards to their decks:
Players Note in the Campaign Log that: “Rhino stole the vibranium” Players Move on to “Black Market Dealings” |
Rhino Defeated the Heroes:
After breaking through the vault wall, Rhino grabs the vibranium and starts charging towards outside. As he charges to the outside he Shouts “Lets see you chase me after this!” As he runs he swipes the last remaining support column at the facility. The ceiling starts crashing down behind Rhino blocking the path. You try to dodge the falling rubble but it is too much and the ceiling falls on you and you are knocked unconscious. You wake up in a hospital, not a normal one but what looks like a SHIELD medical bay. As you open your eyes and in the chair by your bed you hear a voice call out, “You have a lot of explaining to do.” You look over to see a man with an eye patch sitting in the chair, you recognize him at once as Nick Fury. This is not good... Players Note in the Campaign Log that: - “Rhino stole the vibranium” & “Heroes Suffered a Concussion” Players Move on to “Black Market Dealings” |
Scenario #2 - “Black Market Dealings”
Working with SHIELD this past month has led you to believe that the attack on the facility was not just a random robbery. It seems like Rhino was hired by an underground weapons network to steal the Vibranium. It has been difficult to gather further details about this underground weapons network but one individual has been constantly been brought up and that is the Klaw. He seems like he is the leader of this network and you have figured out that there is a deal going down here in the city for some new type of weapon and that Klaw will be at this meeting. You head to Wall Street to stop the exchange and hopefully capture Klaw and his buyer.
If your Campaign Log has the following:
- “Heroes Suffered a Concussion,” then they all must start the scenario with the “Stunned” and “Confused” conditions.
- “The vibranium was recovered,” players Move on to “Black Market Dealings A”
- “Rhino stole the vibranium,” players Move on to “Black Market Dealings B”
Black Market Dealings | Standard A | Standard B | Expert A | Expert B |
Vilain Deck | - Klaw (I) - Klaw (II) | - Klaw (I) - Klaw (II) | - Klaw (II) - Klaw (III) | - Klaw (II) - Klaw (III) |
Main Scheme Deck | - Underground Distribution - Secret Rendezvous | - Underground Distribution - Secret Rendezvous | - Underground Distribution - Secret Rendezvous | - Underground Distribution - Secret Rendezvous |
Encounter Sets | - Klaw - Standard - Masters of Evil | - Klaw - Standard - Legions of Hydra | - Klaw - Standard - Expert - Legions of Hydral | - Klaw - Standard - Expert - Legions of Hydra - Masters of Evil |
After Scenario is finished:
Thwarted Klaw:
You and your team are successful in stopping the Kalw’s minions and were able to capture Klaw before he escaped. You were not able to capture the Crimson Cowl however. It seems like there is not a lot of evidence regarding this individual. You recover the weapons that were supposed to be sold to the Crimson Cowl. Hopefully SHIELD agents can go through this and discover any clues on this individual. You and Nick Fury take Klaw to the Vault for processing. It is here where Fury thinks they will be able to crack the Klaw and find out who his buyer is. Hopefully you will be able to gather more information on this individual by interrogating Klaw but you feel time is your enemy and you might not be able to crack him before the Crimson Cowl acts on their plan. Players Note in the Campaign Log that: “Klaw was Captured” Players may now add the following cards to their decks:
If the players have in their campaign log “The vibranium was recovered” Then they may read the following: When gathering evidence on the Crimson Cowl has led the Avengers to recover one of the containers that the Crimson Cowl was purchasing. Looking in this container has revealed an incomplete android in the box. Using the recovered Vibranium from the Rhino encounter, Tony Stark was able to get the android working and started building an android to help prevent further destruction and possibly use it as a means to stop the Crimson Cowl.
Players Move on to “Building A New Tomorrow” |
Klaw Escaped or Klaw Defeated the Heroes:
You and your teammates are overwhelmed by the klaw’s minions and both him and the Crimson Cowl escape without a trace. You feel that this is just the start of something big but you have nothing to go on. NickFury has all SHIELD agents on high alert but with nothing to go on, it is like looking for a needle in a haystack. You will just have to hope that your feeling is wrong and that the Crimson Cowl is just a mercenary buying weapons. Players Note in the Campaign Log that: “Klaw Escaped” Players may now add the following cards to their decks:
If the players have in their campaign log “The vibranium was recovered” Then they may read the following: When gathering evidence on the Crimson Cowl has led the Avengers to recover one of the containers that the Crimson Cowl was purchasing. Looking in this container has revealed an incomplete android in the box. Using the recovered Vibranium from the Rhino encounter, Tony Stark was able to get the android working and started building an android to help prevent further destruction and possibly use it as a means to stop the Crimson Cowl.
Players Move on to “Building A New Tomorrow” |
Scenario #3 - “Building A New Tomorrow”
It has been a month since the Crimson Cowl has escaped and there has been no signs of this individual or any indication of what they have planned. SHIELD has been searching the globe for indicators but the Crimson Cowl has not left any clues to their identity or their whereabouts. As you are going through the counter-intelligence reports from SHIELD a spy satellite has found what looks like the Crimson Cowl in Denver. Nick Fury tells you “Gather the team but be careful, this smells like a trap.” Avengers Assemble…..
If the Heroes Campaign Log has: “Rhino stole the vibranium” then the last phase of the Villain must be defeated twice.
If the Heroes Campaign Log has: “Klaw was Captured” then move to “Building A New Tomorrow A.” If the Heroes Campaign Log has: “Klaw Escaped” then move to “Building A New Tomorrow B”
Building A New Tomorrow | Standard A | Standard B | Expert A | Expert B |
Vilain Deck | - Ultron (I) - Ultron (II) *(x 2) | - Ultron (I) - Ultron (II) *(x 2) | - Ultron (II) - Ultron (III) *(x 2) | - Ultron (II) - Ultron (III) *(x 2) |
Main Scheme Deck | - The Crimson Cowl - Assault on NORAD - Countdown to Oblivion | - The Crimson Cowl - Assault on NORAD - Countdown to Oblivion | - The Crimson Cowl - Assault on NORAD - Countdown to Oblivion | - The Crimson Cowl - Assault on NORAD - Countdown to Oblivion |
Encounter Sets | - Ultron - Standard - Under Attack | - Ultron - Standard - The Doomsday Chair | - Ultron - Standard - Expert - Under Attack | - Ultron - Standard - Expert - The Doomsday Chair |
* See scenario setup notes
After Scenario is finished:
Thwarted Ultron:
The countdown is winding down as the heroes defeat the last of the Ultron Drones. The clock is ticking down as you run to stop the destruction from the missles. Ultron attempts to stop the heroes but with out it’s drones, it is overwhelmed by the heroes. As the last of Ultron’s power is drained from its body, the countdown stops. The heroes have managed to advert a catastrophic disaster. It seems the impending danger has been averted for the time being. Nick Fury congratulates you for saving the world. “It seems like you have earned some R&R time.” Players may now add the following cards to their decks:
Players Choose to move to either:
|
Ultron Defeated all the Heroes:
The Heroes have tried valiantly to thwart Ultron’s plans but they have been overwhelmed by the Legion of Ultron drones attacking them. While the Heroes were fending off the drones, Ultron activated the self destruct program and ended the Heroes chances of stopping him. Players may not use the defeated hero for the rest of the Campaign:
Read Ultron’s Plan Succeeded to continue the story |
Ultron’s Plan Succeeded:
As the countdown hits Zero, Ultron released a video on the internet welcoming humans to the new world order. “This has all been to better the planet from the infestation of humankind.” The destruction of Chicago was heard around the world. The all available S.H.I.E.L.D. agents have been deployed to Chicago to help with disaster relief. Ultron has disappeared for now and has not appeared on any surveillance videos. Looks like we will have to wait for him to show up again. Players Add “Ultron Escaped” to their Campaign Log Players may now add the following cards to their decks:
Players to move to:
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Scenario #4.1 - “Escape from Ryker's Island” (Coming February/March 2020)
The heroes respond to the information of a prison break at Ryker's Island. As the heroes approach the island, they can see flames and smoke coming from the guard towers. The events of the past month have left resources low and people are taking advantage of it. As the Quinjet lands on the helipad of the prison, the heroes can see that the prison break is being led by 4 individuals. It looks like they are trying to cause chaos while the rest of the prisoners escape. The team is going to have to deal with them before anyone else.
If players have Phase 3 Plans Found in the Campaign log then all Wrecking Crew Side Schemes have 2 less threat on them to start the scenario, otherwise skip this section.
.
With the Green Goblin Plans found, the heroes were able to discover the plan to breakout the villains from the prison. Using a Quinjet they were able to get to the island just after the breakout started.
If players have Riot in the City in the Campaign log then all Wrecking Crew Side Schemes have an additional 3 threat on them to start the scenario, otherwise skip this section.
The Chaos in the city (because of the Mutagen Formula) has made it more difficult for the heroes to make it to Ryker's Island. They were lucky to make it there in time to try and stop the villains.
If players have Ultron Escaped in the Campaign log then players will add Ultron (I) & (II) to the villain deck and place the Ultron Drones Environment card from its set beside Ultron , otherwise skip this section.
Ultron will be treated like the “active” villain in this scenario. It will always be the active villain alongside the active Wrecking Crew villain. This means during the villain phase the Wrecking Crew Villain will attack/scheme first and then after they have attacked the entire party, Ultron will repeat the process. Ultron will NOT use boost cards when attacking or scheming. When Ultron schemes, it will only add 1 to the Main Scheme. Ultron Drones will follow normal Wrecking Crew minion rules for this scenario. Ultron will have to be defeated in order to win the scenario.
As the heroes dash towards the 4 Wrecking Crew members, a blast knocks them over. As they stand up the heroes hear a mechanical laugh from above. “Now, now. You didn’t think I was done with you yet, did you?” Ultron calls out from above. Looks like things got more complicated.
Escape from Ryker's Island | Standard A | Expert A |
Vilain Deck | - Wrecking Crew Side A - *Ultron (I) & (II) - *Ultron Drone Environment | - Wrecking Crew Side B - *Ultron (I) & (II) - *Ultron Drone Environment |
Main Scheme Deck | - Breakout | - Breakout |
Encounter Sets | - Wrecking Crew Sets | - Wrecking Crew Sets |
* See scenario setup notes
Thwarted Wrecking Crew:
The villains are all contained and placed back in their cells. S.H.I.E.L.D. will need to spend the next couple of weeks finding the remaining escaped prisoners that got off the island. Fury approaches you after the last of the chaos is resolved. “The world thanks you for your service. We will still need to sort out the last couple of months but I think we can manage without you for a little while. I think you have earned a little R&R. I hear Wakanda is nice this time of the year.” |
Wrecking Crew Escaped:
The villains and other prisoners overwhelm the heroes and capture them. “Now you get to see what it is like to be behind these bars!!!” The heroes are placed in cells while the rest of the prisoners escape. With the heroes incapitated, there is no one that is able to stop the influx of villains into the world. Without the heroes eventually all strongholds were overtaken and even Krakoa eventually fell. Rumors have recently come up about the fallen heroes out in the world. We know that is impossible. The heroes can’t be in two places at once can they? |
Wrecking Crew Defeated Heroes:
The villains can’t be stopped. This team of villains are too much for the heroes and defeat them. With the heroes incapitated, there is no one that is able to stop the influx of villains into the world. Without the heroes eventually all strongholds were overtaken and even Krakoa eventually fell. Rumors have recently come up about once defeated heroes rising from the grave and walking the Earth again. These are just ghost stories used to spark hope. They can’t be roaming right? |
Side Scenario #1.1 - “Risky Business”
It has been 2 weeks since the events at NORAD. The Ultron attack has caused the rest of the United States of America to enter a State of Emergency. Criminal organizations have become bolder with their activities using the panic of the public to their advantage. They are now committing crimes in broad daylight. Among this chaos, Oscorp has plans to take a different route and takeover Stark Industries.
*Special rule: For this scenario, the heroes may only thwart a maximum of 1 threat per player each round.
Risky Business | Standard | Expert |
Vilain Deck | - Norman Osborn I - Norman Osborn II | - Norman Osborn II - Norman Osborn III |
Main Scheme Deck | - Hostile Takeover - Corporate Acquisition | - Hostile Takeover - Corporate Acquisition |
Encounter Sets | - Risky Business - Standard - Running Interference | - Risky Business - Standard - Expert - Power Drain |
Thwarted Green Goblin:
The Takeover has been thwarted and Osborn has gone into hiding. As the Avengers look around Oscorp’s offices, they see a note left on his desk: Players Add “Takeover thwarted” to their Campaign Log Players may now add the following cards to their decks:
Players Choose to move to:
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Green Goblin Escaped/Defeated Heroes:
The Heroes were powerless to stop Osborn with finding a loophole with the Shareholders and has successfully taken over Stark Industries. They were stretched too thin defending New York from dealing with other Villains. Oscorp’s takeover has left the Heroes stranded without the resources provided from Stark Industries. They are forced to retreat and regroup to stop Osborn later. Players Add “Takeover successful” to their Campaign Log Players may now add the following cards to their decks:
Players Choose to move to:
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Side Scenario #1.2 - “Mutagen Formula”
If the Heroes Campaign Log has: “Takeover thwarted” then read the following section, otherwise skip this section.
S.H.I.E.L.D. has been out looking for Norman Osborn for the past week. While looking for him, there has been an increase of reports of activity from A.I.M.. They have been many science labs raided in these reports, but investigators have not been able to determine what the materials will be used for. On your usual patrol of the city, you hear NickFury over the comms stating that surveillance has spotted Green Goblin on his Glider heading towards Times Square. |
If the Heroes Campaign Log has: “Takeover successful” then read the following section otherwise skip this section.
The heroes have been strained with their resources since Oscorp took over Stark Industries over a week ago. Without the help of Stark Industries, they are not able to respond to threats as easy. As the night sky rises in the city, a mysterious explosion happens over Times Square and a green gas is spreading throughout the city. The Avengers must stop this before too many people are affected by it. During setup: Before drawing your opening hand, discard the top 5 cards of the deck. Heroes may NOT use any setup abilities. |
Mutagen Formula | Standard A | Expert A |
Vilain Deck | - Green Goblin I - Green Goblin II | - Green Goblin II - Green Goblin III |
Main Scheme Deck | - Unleashing The Mutagen - Mutagen Cloud | - Unleashing The Mutagen - Mutagen Cloud |
Encounter Sets | - Mutagen Formula - Standard - Goblin Gimmicks | - Mutagen Formula - Standard - Expert - A Mess of Things |
Thwarted Green Goblin:
As the heroes deal the final blow, Green Goblin falls off his glider to the ground. S.H.I.E.L.D. medics have been able to clear out the gas, and the affected citizens have been rounded up and quarantined to help find a cure for the gas. As Tony Stark is looking through the Green Goblin’s mask, he is able to pull a file from the helmet’s storage. It mentions a phase 3 to his plans and it happens tonight at Ryker’s Island. Players Add “Phase 3 Plans Found” to their Campaign Log Players may now add the following cards to their decks:
Players move to:
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Green Goblin Escaped/Defeated Heroes:
There is pandemonium in the streets, as a majority of the people in Times Square have been affected by the toxin released by the Green Goblin. The Avengers are overrun with the hoards of affected people attacking citizens. Osborn was able to escape during the confusion of the scene. As you try to save the remaining citizens, you hear an explosion in the distance. On the comms you hear that Ryker Island is being attacked. Looks like Green Goblin is not done yet, Players Add “Riot in the City” to their Campaign Log Players may now add the following cards to their decks:
Players move to:
|
Campaign Log
Hero 1 | Hero 2 | Hero 3 | Hero 4 |
Previous Version Log
Version 1.2.0
- Added Captain America, Ms. Marvel, and Green Goblin Expansions to the guide
- Updated restricted card list to include cards from Captain America & Ms. Marvel Hero Packs
- New Challenges Updated
Version 1.0.0
- Balance Scenario difficulty.
- Changed difficulty of Ultron based on certain conditions met.
- Balanced Deckbuilding restrictions to be a little more restricted
- I know Leadership is more restricted than the other aspects, due to the size of the current card pool, but I feel it still fits with the theme that you need to earn the trust of allies before you can lead them. It will change as soon as Captain America comes out and we have more options.
- Scheme Flavour Text removed now that it is out and in your hands
- Fixed Modular Encounter set error for Rhino
Version 0.5.0 (Core Box Pre-release)
- Added Challenge Mode
- Adjusted Expert mode to include entire set instead of individual cards
- Added remaining story text for Ultron that was missing
- Adjusted the Campaign so Wrecking Crew is the next Main Scenario after Ultron and Green Goblin is the Side Mission. This is based on what has been spoiled right now, and that Wrecking Crew fits better as the next steps for the “Avengers” story.
Version 0.0.2 (Core Box Pre-release)
- Added flavor text of revealed (spoiled) main schemes to each scenario. This temporary as I am just including it as reference to my story text for feedback purposes. It will be removed when version 1.0.0 is released after the core box is released.
- Added story for Klaw and Ultron scenarios. The ultron story text for the conclusion will be updated after release and I have received my copy to see the missing flavor text for his main schemes.
- Updated Rhino story to better suit his flavor text.
- Pictures removed to avoid breaking Copyright Laws
Version 0.0.1 (Core Box Pre-release)
- Covers Core Box (before official release). This is based on the Learn to Play guide that was leaked online from the GenCon demos and the Team Covenant Spoiler videos