Welcome, Jack to our Marvel Champions 20 Questions Hotseat. Thank you for taking time out of your day to answer our questions.
Hey all! JustJack here! Some of you might know me from Star Wars: Destiny where I ran a podcast called Golden Dice. Sadly that game has ended, so I have found myself diving into Marvel Champions and a big thanks to JediGeekGirl for inviting me to do this!
Without further ado, let’s get started.
1. Let’s kick this off with your history with Marvel. What was your history with Marvel, if any, before you discovered Marvel Champions?
I will admit that my knowledge and depth of Marvel is pretty shallow. I have read a few individual comics but almost all of my knowledge comes from the movies that have been coming out. They really amped up my excitement for the universe and got me diving in more!
2. Moving into Marvel Champions, where and when did you learn about the game?
I learned just when it was announced. I am pretty plugged into FFG games as they are usually solid ones. I know one of my co-hosts Tommy was all over this so really helped me get excited as well.
3. Before playing the game, what was your first impression?
I was really excited for a LCG type game coming from Destiny being a CCG. Not only was the price of entry much lower, I was able to play solo. I knew that I wouldn’t have to worry about anything OP, I could buy this and play this in the comfort of my home. Plus, who doesn’t want to smash face with their favorite superhero?
4. When did you play the game your first time and how did it affect your first impression?
My first game was actually a demo at NOVA Open in Alexandria, VA while I was there for the Destiny Grand Championship. I got to try out Iron Man, but no one told me his hand size went down to 1 when I flipped. So my first game went very poorly. I don’t like take-backs, it makes for a better story and now I will never make that mistake again.
5. Clearly you love the game enough to do content for it, what was the final push that made you want to do content?
The big push for me to do content was when Tommy jumped into it. Him and Bananacrapshoot started The Side Scheme and they push out great content. I am really just the equipment guy and open to hosting streams and recording videos. Sadly we haven’t been able to do that with everything going on in the world, but its been fun just playing games with friends while making content.
6. Speaking of content, what kind of content do you do for the game and where can people find it?
Banana and Tommy really carry the load of The Side Scheme. You can follow them on Facebook for consistent articles and on Twitch for live-streams. They have done a great job covering all the heroes and currently diving into ways to play a draft league with friends.
7. Has doing content for the game taught you anything about the game or yourself that you may not have learned? If so what was it, If not why not?
It has mostly helped me hone in some rules. I learn by experience and nothing like people on the internet telling you that you messed up, or Scott. He will definitely tell me that too. Playing live and looking deep into lists has really helped me manage the new aspects of this game.
8. Diving into the game itself, who is your favorite hero to play as, what aspect is your favorite and why?
Iron Man hands down. He is my favorite hero in the Marvel universe and they designed him perfectly. There is nothing as fun as wrecking face past turn 3 with Iron Man and his suit assembled. It really feels good to blow minions off the board and keep the threat down. Then Repulsor Blast for 7+ is always a good feeling.
9. How about the villain side, who is your favorite villain to play against, which encounter set is your favorite so far and why?
I have probably enjoyed Ultron the most but theme-wise, I am in love with Wrecking Crew. It isn’t the most challenging but bouncing between each member and all of them having unique abilities is so flavorful. It is probably my most played villain encounter set.
10. How do you prefer to play and if it is not alone, what does your playgroup look like?
I usually do at least two heroes. Whether that is my wife tagging in, or me playing two-handed, I really enjoy this way. Being able to play on my own is great, but I find some of the villain scenarios aren’t the best with 1 character, adding that second one really opens up space for the game to do its thing.
11. Do you customize your gaming experience anyway that goes beyond the official rules for the game, if so how and why?
I haven’t experimented with any customization, I am weird that I do not enjoy custom content and don’t print out character packs early to play with. I am trying my first Heroic mode game soon, with Wrecking Crew Heroic 1 in our draft league! I also did manage to snag Iron Man protection, so I am enjoying myself!
12. As is, how does Marvel Champions stack up to other games you play or have played?
It is an absolute blast and I love every moment of it. It doesn’t fill the Destiny hole that I have but it’s a great game to have. Destiny had competitiveness that Champions just cannot get by nature, but that doesn’t mean I am enjoying myself any less.
13. Is there anything you would change with how the game currently is? If so how, If not why not?
More characters and encounters! I know they can’t flood the market early but more me the biggest thing I want is just more stuff to play with! The campaign box is looking amazing and I certainly can’t wait to get my hands on it. There really isn’t any gameplay mechanic I would want to change.
14. What was the craziest game you’ve had so far or your favorite memory from playing the game to date?
It either has to be my latest draft game or when Scott and I debuted against Mutagen Formula. My last draft game I managed to kill Green Goblin in Mutagen scenario, just before he wrecked my face with pumpkin bombs while he had 3 of his henchmen waiting to throw in a punch as well. With Scott, we just went in blind and I went off with Iron Man. I hit big Repulser Blasts along with my Supersonic Punches landing for 8 each time.
15. If FFG came to you and said they wanted to put you in charge of creating OP for this game, how would you do it and what would that look like?
Really just something to get people into the shops. This is a weird game to make OP in a competitive sense so you really just have to get people wanting to come back and play. Something like a draft league would be awesome, or all coming together to play through 2-3 scenarios and getting points for wins. Sure it would be an honor-based system, but it’s hard to really crack down on that when it is 4 players vs the game.
16. If you could bring any hero into the game, who would they be, what would they do and why?
Iron Man again! I kid! I kid! I also find myself loving Antman and Star-Lord, so I really hope we see those two in the future. It would be excited how they work in shrinking with Antman into the game and Starlord’s crazy nature.
17. If you could bring any villain into the game, who would they be, what would they do and why?
Thanos when? But aside from the obvious, I would love to see Loki get his own encounter deck. He is one of my favorite characters from the MCU and I would love to see what they come up with for him!
18. If you had to turn yourself into a card for the game, what kind of card (it can be a hero, upgrade, event, hero, villain, minion, etc) would you be, what would you do and why?
I’d probably be some ally for Iron Man, that is his biggest fan. Somehow help him get his tech upgrades on him, some sort of tutor for tech upgrades. I’m the worst with Iron Man aren’t I? I know Tommy hates me.
19. Time to head towards the conclusion but we need to touch on the MCU. What is your favorite MCU film and why?
Uhhh I know it is a dead horse at this point but Iron Man! The first one is really so amazing in setting the groundwork for the MCU, on top of just being a great movie. Downey does a perfect job being Tony and rides that throughout Endgame. After that is a close 2nd in Guardians of the Galaxy.
20. Before we get out of here, what is something you would like to share with our readers that most of them may not know about yourself?
Well since Destiny has ended, I have not only been working with Tommy and Banana but I have started streaming video games on Twitch. It has been a fun experience and would encourage any to explore that! I just play what I want so no pressure really. Plus I don’t think people would want to see me lose in Runeterra everyday…
Thanks again Jack for answering our questions. We wish you the best in your content and would like to thank you for giving back to the community.
Thanks again to JediGeekGirl for inviting me to be apart of this series! I am really excited to see where Marvel Champions ends up going with heroes, scenarios and the campaign box! It is an exciting future for the game and I am just here for the ride.
If people would like to find you or your content, where can they find it?
https://www.facebook.com/thesidescheme/
https://www.twitch.tv/thesidescheme/
https://www.twitch.tv/just_jack13
Thank you readers for reading this article and stay tuned for our next entry into this series, coming Friday. Till then, we wish you nothing but the best and stay safe out there.
-JediGeekGirl
irebeldestiny.com 