It's the Thundercats! A review

 I finally got my hands on my very own set of Thundercats and I'm itching to play them. I'm really happy overall with their synergy and team play. The lean into each other well and can gather from across map as a team thanks to Lion-O. And since that's all "placement" actions are wide open. I like them as a general 300-point team, but they will best shine in combo animal teams. I already have one that I'm planning to play soon. The Thundercat I like the least (not to say I don't like her) is Cheetara. While some of you gasp, it's just the manner of which she eventually reaches regular probability control. 

Rerolling at the cost of a click feels strained to me. If she's going to reroll and the team does need it, she should just have had prob from the start. This makes that reroll an expensive decision in a heavy damage landscape. Especially when the only figure I plan to play at a full 100 is Lion-O. The rest are fine at 50 points so long as you've got some extra support like I did with my team.

My build is meant to be high on maneuverability with ability for extra attacks in those movements. I'm opting shape change instead of reroll for broad defense measures. The bats mean that you have to come in at me to attack or wait for me to come to you. Either way, I've got attacks open all the way. Since G'nort gets to be a Thundercat, Lion-O will draw him in close as well. That allows me to deliver attacks and then pull everyone back away to cut down on retaliations. Lots of movement, lots of options. 

Animal man on Lion-O is a no brainer. The universal weapon on Tigra is exceptional in my own opinion. 4 space quake is always a legit choice against high numbers and pog teams. Practiced teamwork helps me keep the number of attacks going even with high full group mobility. I'm feeling good about this team at least giving my opponent a challenge.

But now for the unfortunate side of this set because I really doubt I'm ever going to play Mumm-Ra. I'll tell you why. First, he does have some good points while he's on his card. You get to pick a shut down that would arguably serve better in a much larger point game. On its own it will keep some effects from being used on his mutant bystanders, but it only delays the inevitable. Mumm-Ra would have been much better served if he played like Larfleeze. Other figures have had similar shutdowns before, and they started on the map.

Then you consider how he enters the game. First, his special effect goes away. Second, he's appearing during your opponent's turn. That leaves him wide open for attack. I expect him to at least be at his first stop click before he gets a chance to fight. Yes, you can place him up to 3 spaces away, but that depends highly map for being useful. I know, I know, if you're lucky with your rolls, you'll get him on the table with still a few mutants in the way.

I would certainly hope so, however those mutants don't over much more than being meat shields and I almost never play in the world of "if". All of those mutants are very slow and squishy. On top of that, there are too many ways for newer figures to ignore them. Competitive teams will wipe them off the map. So back our tentpole figure that is now outmaneuvered by your opponent. If he isn't knocked past that first start click before it's even your turn, he can attack for 5 damage right away.

Sadly, 12 attack and 19 defenses just aren't as shiny as they used to be. Most teams I face get attacks bumped up to 14 or my defense reduced to 16. Either way, you get one significant damage attack chance, and maybe a few follow up 3 damage attacks with low numbers. After that, your foe can have one guy with penetrating damage stick with Mumm-Ra while any mutants are mopped up. 

Now you might also tell me that there's more balance to him because those mutants are worth zero points. I say you won't find much comfort in that when there rest of the above becomes true. At the end of it, I just don't find Mumm-Ra to be strategically viable and even in larger point games, 300 off the map is awful expensive even for his shutdown trait. I think, unless you never hit anything with the dice for the entire game, the catsa alone with no feats or equipment at 300 handily take down Mumm-Ra every single game.

That's my take, feel free to leave a comment on what you think or tell me how he played for you. I'm sure there are success stories and I'd like to hear them. But I'm pretty sure when you win with him, it's entirely based on him being alive when time runs out and I find that really cheap.