Marvel: Crisis Protocol Core Set

I had kept Marvel: Crisis Protocol for years under the familiar adult promise of “one day I’ll paint it and play it”. A few evenings with a brush and contrast paint can get fifteen heroes to a perfectly respectable standard, and suddenly the table has that small, bright bit of theatre one hopes for from Marvel. It is a kinder way to come down from code and RFPs.

At heart, this is an honest dice-led skirmish: Marvel heroes collide, the dice settle decisive moments, and both players look for ways to put the other under pressure across the battlefield. The influence of X-Wing is visible, but movement and manoeuvring do not carry the same procedural burden here; the game gets you swiftly to the bit you came for, namely the clash.

The interaction is direct and agreeably loud. You go after the other player, seek the favourable exchanges, and wait for the roll that changes the scene. That also leaves room for the occasional bit of nonsense, such as an extreme roll allowing Punisher to bring down Magneto. Comic-book power rankings are not the point; a quick, pleasant scrap is.

There is interest here, replayability, and a comparatively approachable way in through the core box and a bundle box, even if completing the collection can become a deep descent. If you want a skirmish that feels like Marvel without requiring you to become an accountant of movement, Crisis Protocol is very much in contention for the top spot — quietly excellent.