Since the Strategy Guides have started to open up, I figured I'd toss my hat into the ring. As such, here's Omnitron-X!
Character Profile
- Best Attack: Defensive Blast, Singularity
- Best Team Support: Base Power (TimeShift)
- Best Personal Support: Slip Through Time, Electro-Deployment Unit
- Primary Damage Type: Projectile
- Secondary Damage Type: Energy, Fire, Lightning, any
- Worst Card: Rocket Punch
- Nemeses: Omnitron, Cosmic Omnitron
Hailing from the future, the rebellious robot Omnitron-X provides a unique play experience. Utilizing numerous start-of-turn and end-of-turn actions, Omnitron’s options can sometimes seem overwhelming, as he often has numerous cards flying around. While his Components suffer a unique fragility, Omnitron-X can easily become a titan in any Sentinels lineup!
Flirting With Time
OX’s greatest strength lies in his ability to affect the battlefield through start-of and end-of-turn actions. Both Slip Through Time (a One-Shot) and Electro-Deployment Unit provide the ability to play additional cards and either draw (EDU) or use an additional Power (STT). These two cards allow OX to push out his Plating and Components incredibly quickly.
Technological Advancements aid in this set-up. While you won’t be able to pull Slip Through Time from your deck with it, Technological Advancement not only allows you to play Components or Platings from your deck, but also draw afterwards. Laying down these speeds OX’s build-time to incredible levels.
During start-of-turn actions, OX’s Components allow a player several flexible options. I often prioritize Focused Plasma Cannon over Innervation Ray and Gaussian Coil Blaster, as the damage is irreducible, ideal for facing down Iron Legacy or Apostate’s relics. Keep in mind that these three Components are not Limited, which means that you can stack them for additional effect—multiple Innervation Rays can make OX into a capable healer.
Reset can also help get OX set up, but its overall effect is underwhelming, compared to his other options. However, Reset can get a series of necessary cards back into OX’s deck, which can become vital in extended battles.
Power! Unlimited Power!
OX’s base power, Timeshift, is phenomenal. Allowing Heroes to put cards directly from their deck into play aids every Hero, particularly those with extended set-up times, like Unity, Bunker or Absolute Zero. What’s more, Timeshift isn’t limited to Hero decks! You can easily trash Gloomweaver’s relics or deal with pesky cards after another Hero (Visionary or Wraith, perhaps) has peeked at a Villain or Environment deck.
After the team is set, I often find myself switching to Bio-Engineering Beam. Automatic, guaranteed Environment destruction keeps an entire deck under control, and the damage rider makes a nice bonus. Rocket Punch, unfortunately, plays a weak sister here: I’ll always take the guaranteed Environment destruction over the meager projectile damage. Disruptive Flechettes make for a straightforward, quality One-Shot, though the Ongoing destruction is often more useful than the damage.
OX’s best power, hands-down, is Defensive Blast. While it requires OX to both discard a Plating card and have a Plating card in play, Defensive Blast hits all non-Hero targets for an instance of each damage type listed on the equipped Plating. Slightly confusing? It's okay--it got me too! But, since these are all separate damage instances, buffs affect each instance independently. With a single +1 buff, Defensive Blast goes from merely a “good” clearing attack to one capable of wiping out nearly every non-Villain target in one Power usage. Yes, it means that you need to be set up with a Plating and have a Plating in-hand to discard, but it's a phenomenal, minion-scorching attack.
Singularity and Self-Sabotage continue OX’s “self-damage” theme, allowing him to destroy Component or Equipment cards for damage. While these can make for excellent “nova” turns, I find that I gain greater benefit from keeping OX’s items in play. Singularity, though, allows the flexibility of destroying any Equipment cards—even those of your allies. If Mister Fixer’s in play, a quick Salvage Yard can make for a great recovery combo. For Self-Sabotage, this can even extend to Omnitron's own Components, which does provide some situational offense against OX's nemesis.
A Fragile Little Butterfly
OX’s greatest weakness is a pretty significant one: if OX ever takes 5 or more damage in a single turn, all of OX’s Components get destroyed. This can essentially put OX back to square one, if you’re not careful.
OX’s primary line of defense comes in the form of Plating cards. All Platings reduce certain damage types by 2, as follows:
- Ablative Coating: Melee, Projectile, Toxic
- Elemental Exochassis: Cold, Fire, Lightning, Energy
- Temporal Shielding: Psychic, Infernal, Radiant, Sonic
After you’ve gotten a few Components down, do your best to play the most suited Plating to the Villain OX is fighting. Keep in mind that a particularly brutal Environment turn can wipe out your Components just as easily as a Villain can, so keep an eye on damage types in that deck as well. Most dangerous are Villains like Citizen Dawn or La Capitan, whose minions can inflict multiple instances of damage in a given turn, of multiple varieties.
OX does have a “backlash” ability in Reactive Plating Subroutine, though OX actually has to take at least one point of damage for the Subroutine to trigger. While it’s always nice to get some out-of-turn damage, Reactive Plating Subroutine should be a late play. If it’s pinging often, it’s not likely that you’re going to have Components for much longer.
Playing OX successfully often involves ensuring that he never falls into the “Most HP/Least HP” trap. Heroes in either of these positions often take significantly more damage than their allies, which will swiftly result in OX unable to keep Components in play. Innervation Ray’s targeted healing can remedy this problem significantly, allowing you to manipulate who’s at the top and bottom of the hit point stack.
Team Composition
Omnitron-X’s weakness means that he needs a meat-shield to soak up big hits. The Scholar and Legacy are obvious great allies, though OX has great synergy with Bunker: OX can feed Bunker cards while Bunker mows down minions in Turret Mode, while mitigating damage with Heavy Plating, Maintenance Unit, and Innervation Ray. Unity, as well, makes for a great partner for Omnitron-X, as OX can place Unity’s Golems directly into play. This combo works spectacularly for The Scholar’s Elemental Forms, Chrono Ranger’s Bounties, and any number of Nightmist’s Spells.
Solid 4-man OX teams:
- Legacy, Bunker, Chrono Ranger, OX.
- The Scholar, Unity, Nightmist, OX
Villains Matchups
While his ability to lay down cards quickly helps him out, OX is still vulnerable to Equipment and Ongoing Destruction. Citizen Dawn makes for a nightmare matchup for OX, as can Omnitron himself, thanks to the nemesis bonus.
Plague Rat and Ambuscade make for ideal foes for OX, as they have relatively few minions and deal primarily one or two damage types, making Plating choices simple. The Chairman can make for a great matchup for OX, as well, due to The Chairman's heavy reliance on melee and projectile damage.
