Try to predict the next One-Shot

We occasionally get a One-Shot that is thematic to current events, and when things really heat up, they’re not very subtle. One-Shot #323 (Line of Succession) felt like a warmup to something more direct. So as I’ve played a few games in the last couple of days to beat the snot out of would-be dictators, I’ve thought about what an upcoming setup may be. Here’s what I think:

Villain – Baron Blade feels like the obvious choice, either solo or on a team (certainly with Proletariat, maybe add Fright Train and Sergeant Steel. Alternative: Grand Warlord Voss.

Environment: Megalopolis gives the feel of invading a major population center. Dok’Thorath Capital has freedom fighters. Mordengrad has the eastern European flavor, if we treat the cards as an invading force. For Voss, the Maerynian Refuge

Heroes: Legacy (maybe Greatest) and Bunker (maybe GI) are a good fit for the military theme. Expat and Chrono-Ranger feel like guerilla warfare (and CR represents the law) and using weaponry more than powers. Parse and Scholar feel like using knowledge to cut through the lies and misinformation. Setback and the Sentinels feel like the scrappy locals doing their best. Some believe that Putin sees this as a holy war, so bring Fanatic in. For Voss and/or Dok’Thorath or Maerynian Refuge, Sky-Scraper and/or Tempest. Some variants may be more thematic than others, but it’s late.

There’s enough here for at least 3 games, so let’s see…

Baron Blade (Mad Bomber?) at Mordengrad vs GI Bunker, Greatest Legacy, Fanatic, and Chrono-Ranger

Blade, Proletariat, Fright Train, and Sergeant Steel at Megalopolis vs Expat, Setback, the Sentinels, and Parse

Grand Warlord Voss at Maerynian Refuge vs Tempest, Sky-Scraper, and Scholar. Maybe throw in Haka, even though it’s the wrong ocean.

EDIT: since 323 was in Mordengrad and had GI Bunker, maybe move it to Dok’Thorath and swap Sky-Scraper in for Bunker.

So you think they’re doing this because of Ukraine?

It’s possible that #323 is a coincidence, it seems rather on the nose. A villain who tells outrageous lies (which some people somehow believe), giving excuses why he should be in charge of a resource-rich Eastern European country, claiming that he is one of the people he is trying to conquer, perhaps with some religious undertones. Sounds very familiar. (I just haven’t figured out how Wraith and Ra fit, thematically.)

So yeah, I think #323 is about Ukraine, and since the situation escalated since the one shot went live, I wouldn’t be surprised to see a follow-up.