This is the story of how I lost my first battle against Omnitron Persei 8…
Cosmic Omnitron starts the game by putting Disintegration Ray and Interpolation Beam into play, opening the game with 5 Energy damage to Benchmark {26}. Technological Singularity goes to waste, another Disintegrator is played, and Wraith starts her turn.
Initial hand: Combat Stance, Impromptu Invention, Micro-Targeting Computer, Suture Self.
Not thinking to not play the card that you always play ASAP 99% of the time, Wraith draws Utility Belt, only to be reminded with 1 Energy damage {24} of why that 1% exception exists. So far it seems like a fair trade; she fetches out Razor Ordinance, plops down the MTC next to it, and shoots OT for 5 {95}. Drawing Trust Fund, she takes another zap {23} and still doesn’t regret her decisions…yet.
Initial hand: Doctor’s Orders, Flare Up, Intensive Care, Triage.
Dr Nick is up; zapping himself for 1 {23}, he completely heals Maia of her Interpolation damage {25}, then lets her shoot OT for another 5 {90}, destroying the Interpolator and both Rays. Medico then gives himself a Clinical Consult, figuring he’s certain to hurt himself later today, if only to see if he still feels. No longer at risk of being Interpolated, he draws Prescription Strength.
Initial Hand: Cold Snap, Focused Apertures, Frost-Bound Drain, Impale.
Freedom 6 AZ is a simple man; he just wants to see the world freeze. Playing a tool which will improve his talents in this area, he hits the already battered Cosmotron for 3 {87}, and then draws Modular Realignment.
Initial Hand: Deployment Actuator, Flash Installation Drive, Intel Analyzer (not to be confused with the Electric Butter Churn), Reinforced Chassis.
With an innate power that draws him a card, even though the Beam of Interpolationating is gone for the moment, Benchmark still can’t resist putting his heavy armor on. Four pieces of equipment in play for four heroes; it sure would be a shame if anything were to happen to them. Using the aforementioned power, Benchy draws Legion-core Processor, shoots the big bug (86), and draws Threat Neutralizer.
Megalopolis plays Hostage Situation.
FLIP! Cosmotron plays S-84 Automaton Drone {4} and Electro-Magnetic Railgun. The villain shoots AZ for 3 {24} and Benchmark for 2 {24}, then the Drone shoots Wraith for 4 {21}.
Wraith kills the Drone and draws another MTC; Medico draws Universal Donor and Lifeforce of Will. AZ shoots COT for 3 {83} and draws Impale. Benchmark draws “Inferno” Missile Pod, zaps COT {82}, and draws Fly-by.
The party discards Micro Targeting Computer, Triage, Cold Snap, and Intel Analyzer to destroy Hostage Situation, then Police Backup arrives, shooting COT {81}.
UNFLIP! The Railgun fires, dealing 3 to AZ {21} and 2 to Benchmark {22}. Technological Singularity is played; all the party’s toys are broken, dealing 4 to Wraith {17} and 2 to the men in the tin cans {AZ 19, Benchmark 20}. Electro-Pulse Explosive then enters play.
Wraith plays Combat Stance; using Last Stand, she hits OT {80} and the EPE {14}, then draws Inventory Barrage.
VGDM plays Lifeforce of Will {21}; Wraith repeats her last attack {COT 79, EPE 13}, then AZ shoots the bomb {11}, and Benchmark piles on another point {10} while drawing Overhaul Loadout. Clinical Consult applies to AZ, then the Doc draws Positive Prognosis.
AZ plays Frost Bound Drain, hitting the Bomb for 3 {7} and then doing the same to himself {16}. Using Elemental Wraith on the Bomb brings it down to {5} and he draws Onboard Module Installation.
Benchmark plays Fly-by, bringing the bomb to {3} and COT to {77}, and then returns the card to his hand. Drawing Shunt Energy, he takes the bomb down another point {2} and picks up another Fly-by.
Another Hostage Situation occurs; the police shoot OT {76}, then the robot fires its Railgun on Medico {18} and Benchmark {17}. The EPE goes off, dealing 2 to Wraith {15}, and in response Combat Stance kills it, so nobody else is hit (“Electro-Pulse Explosive’s remaining actions are cancelled”, as the game log puts it). Then Sedative Flechettes is played, dealing 5 to each hero {Medico 13, Benchmark 12, AZ 11, Wraith 10}; Combat Stance retaliates {Omnitron 74}, then it is destroyed along with any other Ongoings that might have been out. S-83 Assault Drone enters play and deals 2 to Medico {11}, and the villain is done.
Though unable to play cards, F6 Wraith attacks OT {73} and the Drone {3}, then she draws Impromptu Invention. Medico draws Lifeforce of Will and Intensive Care. AZ and Benchmark then finish the Drone off, drawing Isothermic Transducer, Load on Initialization, and Micro Fabricator.
Hostage Situation collects Inventory Barrage, Intensive Care, Isothermic Transducer and Shunt Energy before going away; Plummeting Monorail replaces it, and OT catches a police bullet {72}.
Cosmic Omnitron fires on AZ {8} and Benchmark {9}, then rolls out another Electro-Pulse Explosive and an S-84 Automaton Drone, which shoots Medico {7}.
Impromptu Invention draws Wraith a Grappling Hook, fetches out a Smoke Bombs, and plays the Hook to un- Plummet the train, drawing Mega Computer. Last Stand hits the EPE {14} and the Drone {3}. Draws Infrared Eyepiece.
Dr. Nick plays Universal Donor, healing himself and triggering his long-held Clinical Consult, leaving him at {11}. Draws Healing Pulse.
AZ plays Onboard Module Installation, drawing Null-Point Calibration Unit and fetching Isothermic Transducer. Playing the NPCU, he shoots the big bomb {12} and draws Focused Apertures.
It’s all up to Benchmark; he plays Fly-by, dropping the bomb to {10} and Omnitron to {70}, with the Drone at {1}. Playing another Fly-By, he finishes the Drone off and puts the Bomb to {8} and its master to {68} He ends his play phase with a Micro Fabricator, then uses the New Standard, drawing Secondary Cannon and dropping the bomb to {7}. Draws Intervening Path Calculator. Micro Fabricator plays “Inferno” Missile Pod, allows him to discard Secondary Cannon into it, and then fires it on the bomb {6}.
Traffic Pileup enters play, but not for long; after a cop shot {67}, the robot shoots Medico {8}, who gives Wraith a point {11} before she too is blasted down to {8}. Then the Bomb goes off; Smoke Bombs redirects 6 damage from AZ into 5 for Benchmark {4}, then redirects again from Benchmark back into AZ {3}. This leaves Wraith to take the full 6 {2}, and Medico the same {2}, which lets him heal Wraith {3}. Fortunately, rather than delivering the death blow, COT rolls out Adaptive Plating Subroutine, then drops the hammer with Terraforming. Traffic Pileup and Police Backup are erased, and COT gets another two plays; fortunately these are a redundant Plating and a completely wasted other Terraforming. The heroes are still up and kicking, for now…
Wraith plays Suture Self to double her HP {6}, whacking Omnitron {66} and the bomb {5} with her double-hockey-sticks. Draws Utility Belt.
VGDM plays Flare Up, leaving the bomb with just {2}, and heals himself {3} and AZ, who still has his Clinical Consult to cash in {6}. Universal Donor brings him up to {5} and he draws Triage.
Isothermic Transducer enters play, and AZ finishes the Bomb off. Draws Hoarfire.
Benchmark tries Deployment Actuation; it reveals Tactical Communicator, Multi-Point H.U.D., Auto-Targeting Protocol, Auto-Targeting Protocol, Intel Analyzer, Countermeasures, Deployment Actuation, Countermeasures, Intervening Path Calculator, Deployment Actuation, and finally Onboard Cooling Systems which goes into play, while he retrieves Reinforced Chassis from his trash into hand. The New Standard then gives him Load on Initialization, and he shoots Cosmic Omnitron {65}. Draws Fly-by, then plays Flash Installation Drive, with the Micro Fabricator, discarding Load on Initialization, which the Missile Pod fires at COT {64}. Flash Installation Drive moved Upgraded Memory Unit from Benchmark’s deck to Benchmark’s trash, puts Intervening Path Calculator into play from the trash, and triggers the Cooling Systems, dealing another 2 to Omnitron {62} and healing AZ for 2 {8}
Megalopolis plays Impending Casualty; Benchmark discards Load on Initialization into the Missile Pod to dispose of it.
Cosmic Omnitron deals 3 Projectile damage to Wraith {3} and Absolute Zero {5}. Two copies of S-85 Repair Drone enter play, healing the big bug to {68}.
Wraith plays Trust Fund, drawing Suture Self, Throwing Knives x2 & Inventory Barrage. She discards Utility Belt and one of the Knives, then uses Last Stand, hitting both S-85 Repair Drones {3}. Draws Infrared Eyepiece.
Medico plays and activates Healing Pulse, falling to {3} and granting a point to Benchmark {5} when damaged; the others heal {Wraith 5, AZ and Benchmark 7}, Doc draws Second Opinion, and he heals himself {4}, Wraith {6}, and Benchmark {8}.
AZ plays Modular Realignment & puts Focused Apertures into play. 1 fire damage {6} turns into 2 cold to heal him {8}, then 2 more {10}. Elemental Wrath does in one of the Drones, and he draws Cryo Chamber.
Benchmark replays his old Reinforced Chassis; though allowed to use two powers by the Cooling Systems, he only has The New Standard available, so he draws Tactical Communicator, zaps the other Drone {2}. After drawing Subcutaneous Cybernetics, he plays it with the Micro Fabricator, discards Intervening Path Calculator, and puts it under the “Inferno” Missile Pod, which then fires twice at AZ, who heals himself both times as a result {9, 11, 10, 12}. After that, Flash Installation Drive discards Overhaul Loadout from the deck, and puts Load on Initialization into play. The Coolant Systems finishes off the Drone, as well as further healing AZ {14}. Benchmark himself heals to {9} and he’s finally done.
Megalopolis plays Plummeting Monorail. COT’s Railgun fires on Zero {11} and on the armored Benchmark {7}, who sticks Tactical Communicator into the Missile Pod and heals back to {8}. Another Railgun enters play, then Sedative Flechettes rains destruction on the party; Smoke Bombs protects Medico at the expense of AZ {7}, who then takes another direct hit without reduction {2}, while Wraith barely survives {1} and Benchmark’s armor allows him to retain half his HP {4}. Medico loses his Healing Pulse and Universal Donor, and Benchmark ditches his Softwares.
Wraith desperately Sutures herSelf {4}. Last Stand hits OT for 1 {66} and also scratches the Monorail {9}. Wraith draws Grappling Hook.
The doctor goes into emergency Triage, giving up half his HP {2} and a Prescription Strength from his hand, bouncing himself back up to {10}. AZ gets a Clinical Consult, and Medico draws Positive Prognosis.
F6AZ plays Hoarfire; he heals himself with the cold by a total of 5 {7}, burns Omnitron {65}, making him fireproof with the Plating, and then Zero heals himself another 2 {9}, heats up {8}, and cools down again {10}. His innate power then zaps OT for 3 {62}, who shifts to cold immunity. Draws Thermal Shockwave.
Benchmark plays an Overhaul Loadout, drawing another one along with Multi-Point H.U.D. and Threat Neutralizer, but doesn’t actually move any cards. The New Standard draws Fly-by and zaps COT {61}, which tips the Components over the edge, destroying both Railguns. He then draws Shunt Energy, Micro-Fabricator plays Legion-core Processor, discards Multi-Point H.U.D. into the Pod, and fires two missiles at AZ, doing the {9, 11, 10, 12} dance again. Flash Installation Drive puts Intervening Path Calculator into play, and the Cooling systems feed another 2 Cold to Zero {14} and hitting OT {59}. Subcutaneous Cybernetics heals Benchmark to {5} and he’s finally done.
The Monorail plummets into Cosmic Omnitron {54}, also unfortunately hitting AZ {9}. Impending Casualty taxes Benchmark a Shunt Energy, not that he really minds paying into his Missile Pod.
REFLIP! Interpolation Beam enters play, and the pseudo-Railgun fires on Medico {7} and Zero {6}.
Grappling Hook takes out the Monorail, drawing Mega Computer and being Interpolated, but the Smoke Bombs negates that. Last Stand is ineffective against the recently Train-adapted robot, so Wraith skips her power and draws Impromptu Invention.
VGDM plays Lifeforce of Will, hitting himself {5} to heal Wraith {6}, Benchmark {7}, and Zero {8}. Medico Consults himself and draws Second Opinion, protected from the Beam now that he’s the lowest HP.
AZ plays Thermal Shockwave, which he activates to zap OT for 2 {52}, heal himself {10}, take retaliation {2}, and heal back better again {11}. Draws Sub-Zero Atmosphere and takes actual Interpolation damage {10}.
Now that he can start his turn with a power, Benchmark really is The New Standard! Draws Ally Matrix, shrugs off the Beam damage, and zaps OT {51}. Plays Threat Neutralizer, triggering the Coolants; OT takes another 2 {49}, heals OT {12}. The extra power from Coolant still goes to waste, even now that he played a Software, because he only played one Software; he Neutralizes part of the Adaptive Plating Threat, draws another Ally Matrix, picks “draw” for the Micro-Installer, reshuffles his deck, and gets an Intel Analyzer. Somehow a Shunt Energy wound up under the Missile Pod,and it now fires, dealing a point of Fire to OT {48}. Flash-Installer discards Countermeasures and then puts it into play. He finishes off with a heal {8}.
Another Impending Casualty is averted with an Ally Matrix.
RE-UNFLIP! S-85 Repair Drone enters play, followed by S-84 Automaton Drone; OT heals to {51} and AZ gets shot by the Automatons {8}.
Wraith’s Impromptu Invention draws Throat Jab, taking a point of Interpolation {5}, searches out Micro Targeting Computer and plays Throwing Knives. This combination throws 3 projectiles at Omnitron {48}, makes the Automatons almost harmless {1}, and also near-kills the Repair Drone {1}. Draws Mega Computer and Smoke Bombs her Beam damage to the armored Benchmark, now that she’s tied with VGDM for HP.
Positive Prognosis can heal the whole party, even Medico himself, because Intervening Path Calculator lets Benchmark take the self-damage and bounce it off the Armor. Interpolation damage is Smoke Bombed away as the Doc draws Regeneration; Benchmark also ignores this damage and gets Auto-Targeting Protocol. Both Smoke Bombs and IPC protect Wraith as she draws Throwing Knives, and AZ draws Modular Realignment and actually takes damage {7}. Then the healing actually happens {Wraith 6, AZ 8, Benchmark 9}, with the doc getting his Clinical Consult to heal for 3 {8}. Another Consult is given to AZ, and Medico draws Doctor’s Orders, taking a Beam damage {7}.
AZ plays Cryo Chamber and uses Thermal Shockwave; Omnitron takes 2 cold {46}, and AZ heals himself for 1 cold, +1 for Apertures, +1 for Cryo Chamber, +2 for clinical Consult, and rockets up to {13}. Having only dealt 2 cold damage out, he takes 1 fire damage because of the Chamber {12}, and turns that into 3 healing {15}. Draws Glacial Structure and takes an Interpolation damage {14}.
Benchmark again starts his turn with The New Standard, drawing Overhaul Loadout and finishing off the Repair Drone. Playing the Loadout, he draws Countermeasures, Threat Neutralizer, and Deployment Actuation, then he picks up Legion-core Processor, plays Threat Neutralizer, and gives 3 HP to the Cryo-Chambered Zero {17}, also destroying the remaining Drone. Threat Neutralizer destroys the other Plating Subroutine, Benchmark draws Upgraded Memory Unit, and Micro Fabricator plays Upgraded Memory Unit. He discards Countermeasures, then fires the Missile Pod; he should have hit Omnitron now that the Platings are gone, but instead I fired at Zero, forgetting that the Cryo Chamber would prevent the hits, and didn’t Undo this mistake, since I was still trying for Mint. The Flash Drive discards Tactical Communicator and then returns Threat Neutralizer to play. Upgraded Memory Unit was played by the Micro-Assembler somewhere in there, so Subcutaneous Cybernetics heals Benchmark to {11}, and the Memory Unit also allows him to play Auto-Targeting Protocol.
Megalopolis plays Police Backup, shooting OT for 1 {45}.
S-83 Assault Drone x2 are played, dealing 3 melee to AZ {14} twice {11}.
Wraith plays Utility Belt, allowing her to use Throwing Knives and Last Stand together to kill both drones, meanwhile hitting Omnitron for 3 {42}. Draws Razor Ordnance and Smoke Bombs away the Interpolation Beam.
VGDM plays Regeneration, gives himself a Clinical Consult, draws Second Opinion, takes Interpolation damage {6}, and then heals 4 {10}.
AZ plays Impale on COT, then activates Thermal Shockwave. Freezes OT for 2 {40}, heals himself by 3 {14}, takes 1 fire {13}, and heals again {16}. Draws Onboard Module Installation and takes a point from OT {15}. Medico regenerates {12}.
No longer having his Processor, Benchmark doesn’t get a start phase action, but goes ahead to play Overhaul Loadout, drawing Intervening Path Calculator, Load on Initialization, and Fly-by. Withdrawing Intervening Path Calculator, he plays Load On, triggering OCS, healing AZ to {18}; I seemingly failed to hit Omnitron. The New Standard draws Multi-Point H.U.D., and again doesn’t hit Omnitron (perhaps I was trying to avoid breaking the Component, since it was around this time that I checked the 5 remaining cards in OT’s deck and discovered that 4 of them were Drones…actually that turns out to have been earlier). Draws Deployment Actuation. Micro Fabricator plays Legion-core Processor, then discards an IPC, which the Missile Pod fires ineffectually at AZ. Flash Installation Drive discarded Multi-Point H.U.D. from Benchmark’s deck and then put it out; Benchmark heals to {13} and Medico regenerates {14}. Upgraded Memory Unit plays Intel Analyzer, just because it can.
Cramped Quarters Combat enters play; Police Backup deals 2 melee to Omnitron {38}, breaking the Interpolation Beam; Medico regenerates {16}.
UN-RE-UNFLIP! Omnitron reshuffles its deck and plays Terraforming; the Police and their Quarter-Staves evaporate, and Technological Singularity is the first of two cards played from the fresh deck. Wraith’s and Benchmark’s entire kits explode, taking them down hard; AZ survives the loss of his four devices and 8 HP {10}, and Medico is untouched by all this havoc so far (but has little hope of winning the game if everyone else is gone, so his entire mission in the game is now to keep AZ up and functional). Fortunately, Omnitron is done devatating the team for now, as his second play is another Terraforming; he fires on the two survivors for 3 {DM 13, AZ 7}, and then Medico regenerates {15}.
The Wraith uses the incapacitated ability “One player may draw a card”; Dr. Medico draws Immunization, and then he regenerates {17}.
Medico draws From the Brink and Experimental Medicine, Clinical Consults AZ, and destroys Regeneration. He plays From the Brink, not gaining another Power, so he skips that phase and draws Positive Prognosis.
Impale triggers and OT falls to {36}; F6AZ plays Onboard Module Installation, drawing Isothermic Transducer and fetching NPCU, and the latter is of course what he plays. While he still has Thermal Shockwave, it isn’t worth using with only a partial kit, so he uses his innate to freeze OT some more {34}. Draws Glacial Structure.
Benchmark uses the incapacitated ability “One player may play a card”; Intensive Care is plade, trading 2 of Medico’s HP {15} for a 4-point heal and a 2-point shield on AZ {11}, plus Medico draws Flare Up and Prescription Strength.
Megalopolis plays Paparazzi on the Scene, which isn’t TOO devastating so far. OT spits out an S-84 Automaton Drone, and then hurls Flechettes (that’s 2 “kill the whole party” cards played out of 5 since the Robot’s reshuffle); Medico falls to {10}, and the protected AZ is left at {8}, plus From the Brink is wasted and AZ loses Impale and Thermal Shockwave, before OT shoots both heroes {Medico 7, AZ 5}, and the Drones blast Medico again {3}. “From The Brink” would have been pretty useful about now…
The Wraith uses the incapacitated ability “Destroy an environment card”; Paparazzi cease to be On The Scene.
Medico plays Flare Up, dropping the Drone to {1} and healing himself {4} and AZ {6}. Clinical Consult is used on AZ, then Dr. Medico draws Preventative Care
Modular Realignment puts Cryo Chamber into play, negating the fire damage and increasing the cold healing, so AZ goes up 4 {10}. I thought that keeping the pressure up on OT was wiser than overkilling the Drone to finish it off, so I hit him down to {32} and drew Null-Point Calibration Unit.
Benchmark tells Medico to play Preventative Care, shielding Zero from the next hit, and he follows it up with Second Opinion.
Targeting Innocents enters play, then OT plays Interpolation Beam. Direct fire from the Dropship leaves Medico at {1}, while Zero is shielded from it; the Drone zaps him for 1 {9}, then Wraith takes out the Environment card.
Unable to play anything immediately effective without killing himself, or even to draw thanks to the Beam, literally all Medico can do on his turn is fire Second Opinion for 3 damage to Omnitron {29}, then drop a Prescription Strength, whose effect he’ll heighten with Clinical Consult.
At the start of Zero’s turn, Medico pops his super-pill (I never got that before, I feel dumb now), healing to {6} and gaining an irrelevant damage boost. AZ’s last action of the game is the same as his first; he plays Focused Apertures and then uses his power.
Omnitron takes 3 Cold damage {26}, then Zero draws Null-Point Calibration Unit and takes 1 Energy damage {8}. Benchmark then lets us play another Second Opinion.
Cramped Quarters Combat enters play and seals our doom. Unflipping and playing Sedative Flechettes (after a Disintegrator), Omnitron deals 6 Melee damage to Medico {X} and AZ {2}. Automaton Drone deals AZ 2 Melee damage; F6AZ is now at 0 HP, and “All heroes have been defeated”. (This might be the first one of my recent game reports to end in defeat; I don’t recognize that final line offhand.)