Marvel: Crisis Protocol Core Set

The only genuinely bright spot in the whole situation was that I finally played Marvel: Crisis Protocol. I had been collecting it for years under the usual “one day I’ll paint it and play it” promise, but after code and RFPs I needed some brush-based therapy. With one week of one or two hours a day, contrast paints, and a decent amount of goodwill, I got around fifteen heroes to a respectable standard and took them to the field of honour against a notoriously cheeky member of the group. And yes: on the table, it looks exactly how I want a game of Marvel miniatures I painted myself to look.

At its core, MCP is straightforward dice-chucking with superheroes. The characters clash in a skirmish that wants to get you into the action quickly and deliver those big, recognisable Marvel-hero moments. The influences from X-Wing are visible, but without the same heavy fuss around movement and manoeuvres.

The game prioritises a quick, enjoyable flow rather than faithfully representing the “real” power balance of the universe. That means some silly moments can happen, such as a BLTG roll letting Punisher take down Magneto. It is not a simulation of superhero power levels; it is an excuse to throw your favourite Marvel characters at one another and laugh at the result.

What I had identified when I first saw it in an FFG presentation demo was confirmed: this game has huge potential. It has interest and replayability, while the core box plus a bundle box seems like a relatively budget-friendly entry point for getting started.

Of course, if you are a hoarder who wants everything, the scale of the spending is now intimidating—probably more than €2,500. For anyone who would rather avoid that path, summer’s Shatterpoint may be the alternative: fewer little bell sounds of “swoosh, bong, crash,” and more “vwoooom, vwoooom” lightsabers. Either way, Marvel: Crisis Protocol can comfortably flirt with first place among skirmish games.