Tried out my newly gifted copy of DC Super Heroes United: Batman Hush.
This is my first experience with the United game system, assuming it’s the same as the Marvel ones, anyway. The actual mechanics of the game are pretty simple: pick a villain, pick some heroes, shuffle up their decks, place six locations and set the villain and heroes up at opposite locations. The locations have thee to four slots for civilians or thugs, and a starting amount of either. The recommended first play is to use the Superman (controlled) villain, so I did, and decided to two hand with Batman and Catwoman. This particular scenario also has a Poison Ivy token.
Villain starts, and this one has a designated starting card, and it’s kind of BS, because it moves Superman three spaces, so to the Heroes space, and then does his BAM effect, which attacks for 2 damage, meaning one hero is losing two of their starting hand of three cards right off the bat (no pun intended). The effect also moves the Poison Ivy token one space clockwise. The villain cards (for Superman, anyway, as that’s all I have ever seen) typically move the villain, do damage to a hero at that space, then place thugs or civilians at his and neighboring locations. If they fill up there’s an overflow penalty (moving Poison Ivy’s token)
Play then goes to the heroes. You draw a card and then play a card. Their cards have one or two icons on the bottom, for movement, attack, or special (or wild). There is sometimes an effect that can be performed as well. Move let’s the hero move to an adjacent location. Attack can eliminate a thug or (eventually) damage the villain. The special will rescue a civilian or place a token at a location. Once three have been placed, it removes the threat there, moving Poison Ivy back a space.
One neat aspect of the game is the cards all get laid out in a line. The heroes get the icons of the card they play plus the icons on the previously played hero card, meaning you can set the next player up for a more effective turn.
After three hero cards have been played, the villain plays their next card. And then repeat.
There are three missions that the heroes can work at, and they need to accomplish two to have any chance at winning. Remove 4 threat, defeat 9 thugs, and rescue 9 civilians. Once one is complete, the villain is now “Under Pressure” and acts after every two hero cards. Also some of their cards get more effects, plus for Superman, he starts hitting for 3 damage.
After the second mission is complete, you can actually start damaging the villain. If you complete the third mission, all players get to draw a card.
In a two player game, Superman has 7 health. However, you lose the game if a player completely runs out of cards in hand and deck, or if Poison Ivy gets back to her starting location. I played twice and lost both times due to this aspect. As she moves with every BAM effect, which appears to happen on each villain card, or if there is an overflow at a location, and will also move if she is present or adjacent to a location where a hero is KO’d, it doesn’t take her long to get around the board, even with the ability to move her back a space by removing the threat from a location.
So, a simple game to play, but does appear to be a bit tricky to play well. Might try a different hero combination next time.
