Marvel United: X-Men (2021) Board Game

Marvel United: X-Men is a cooperative board game that was released in in 2021. Designed by Édouard Guiton and published by CMON Global Limited, this game allows players to take on the roles of iconic X-Men characters to work together to defeat villains and save the day.

Game Components of Marvel United: X-Men

Hero Decks: 8 unique decks, one for each hero.

Villain Decks: Each villain has their own deck with unique master plans and effects.

Location Cards: 8 city locations, with players choosing 6 per game.

Cardboard Tokens: For actions, thugs, civilians, crisis tokens, and damage tokens.

Miniatures: Color-coded hero and villain miniatures.

Villain Dashboard: Made of thin cardboard.

Challenge Cards: To increase the game’s difficulty.

Super Hero and Super Villain Cards: For the one vs. many mode.

How To Setup Marvel United: X-Men

To set up the game, players need to choose the villain and their corresponding deck. Then, they select 6 location cards and arrange them in a circle. Each player chooses an X-Men hero and their deck. The game starts with each player drawing three cards. As the game progresses, players build a tableau representing the history of actions, which requires a significant amount of table space.

Gameplay Mechanics and Game Objective

Cooperative Game: Players work together to defeat the villain.

Hand Management: Players manage their action cards to leverage symbols effectively.

Modular Board: Locations are chosen randomly each game.

Variable Player Powers: Heroes have unique decks with different actions and superpowers.

Objective: Stop the villain’s master plan by saving civilians, defeating henchmen, and ultimately the villain.

Player Experience

Marvel United: X-Men offers a simple yet engaging cooperative experience. Players take turns using symbols on their action cards to save civilians, beat henchmen, and defeat the villain. The game requires thinky cooperation, as each subsequent hero can use symbols from the previous hero’s card. Despite its simplicity, the game can be challenging, especially with the addition of expansions that introduce new mechanics like semi-cooperative team vs. team modes and hidden traitor mechanisms.

Pros

Easy to Teach: Simple mechanics make it accessible to new players.

Fast Gameplay: Games are typically 40 minutes long, allowing for multiple sessions.

Thematic: The game looks and feels very thematic, especially with the miniatures.

Cooperative: Encourages teamwork and discussion among players.

Family-Friendly: Suitable for playing with children, making it a great intro game.

Cons

Limited Character Distinction: Heroes lack unique powers, making them feel somewhat alike.

Few Locations: The core box includes only a few locations, which can lead to repetition.

Cheap Components: Some components, like the cardboard boards, feel cheap.

Dependence on Expansions: The game can get boring quickly without additional expansions.

Personal Thoughts on Marvel United: X-Men

Marvel United: X-Men is perfect for families and new board game enthusiasts due to its simple and fast-paced gameplay. It is an excellent introduction to cooperative games and can be enjoyed by both children and adults. However, experienced gamers might find it too simplistic and may appreciate it more with the addition of expansions that add complexity and new mechanics. Overall, it’s a fun and thematic game that encourages teamwork and strategic thinking.

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