Marvel: Crisis Protocol – X-Force Affiliation Pack Unboxed & Up Close
The X-Force Affiliation pack is in the house! Let’s crack it open and see what’s new for Marvel: Crisis Protocol.
Atomic Mass Games has re-released the X-Force Characters in a new Affiliation Pack. We’ve got Cable, Domino, X-23, and Honey Badger all in a brand new boxed set. I was sent a review copy and I was looking forward to diving in. Full disclosure here — this is my second chance to build these miniatures. So I did! I learned a few things the first time around and I also got to experiment with building Cable with his alternate options. So let’s get in there!
X-Force was the first Affiliation I dabbled with when I first started getting into Marvel: Crisis Protocol. Cable’s leadership was a really simple one and it made playing MCP easy to learn. A re-roll for your attacks (including skulls) is just a good and simple boost to your team’s damage output.
X-Force Affiliation Pack Unboxed
Since I had already built and painted the X-Force characters in this pack before I wanted to see what was new. Well, the packaging was essentially the same. Baggies for both the Sprues and the cards — you know the drill!
But what was new were the cards themselves. They are in the new style with the latest rules updates on them. Cable got his changes added in the new card and all of them got the new(er) horizontal format. I’m pretty sure the art was updated as well. I need to double check that vs the old cards.
Additionally, we’ve got the updated Team Tactic Cards. I’m also pretty sure a few of these got Errata’d/FAQ’d in the past. These new versions have those changes added to them. Looking at you Instant Recovery.
If you’ve already got the old cards and know about the errata and other changes you don’t exactly need this new box. However, it’s nice to have them. If you’re new or looking to get an X-Force Affiliation started, well, this box is kind of a nice way to hop in. Oh and if you really want to get a rundown on how X-Force works direct from AMG, they covered them and their updates here.
And now we get to the sprues. These are the same ones from their previous incarnation. So, again, if you have them already there’s nothing really new here. However, for Cable in particular, he does have an optional cape/gun you can attach to him. So if you already had one you could build him the other way. As for the others, well, this was a good excuse for me to rebuild them.
X-Force Affiliation Pack Up Close
I wanted to take another crack at Cable with a more “Box Art” look. Previously, I painted up Cable using a comic-inaccurate Black and Grey look. I wanted all my X-Force characters to match on the tabletop. Now, I’m going to do the blue suit look this time around. As for the rest, I wanted to rebuild and repaint them in their more comic-book accurate looks, too.
As mentioned with Cable, this time around I went with the cape as well. I didn’t really have a strong preference the first time around so I opted for the look without it. Who knows, maybe I’ll do a dirty or camo look with it.
Build-wise he was pretty easy. There’s not really any good tricks for his assembly. Maybe attach the explosions to the shield first. But really, that can be done after you glue it to the base. It was a simple build.
For X-23, my only issue with this model has always been how much she sticks off the base. That doesn’t really impact playing her on the tabletop as you can still easily measure from her base. However, I do find myself getting snagged by her front claw more than I’d like.
Again, this build is really simple though. The trickiest part was getting her right arm to sit correctly. It’s bent at a sever angle so just be mindful not to use too much glue on that joint. Otherwise, it’s going to ooze out and get everywhere you don’t want it.
Now on to my bane…Honey Badger.
Honey Badger isn’t a particularly difficult pose to assemble. No, what makes her my bane are her super-thin claws. If you manage to get her to the tabletop without breaking or having to repair them, you’ve got super powers. My first version of her has been repaired multiple times because her claws kept snapping. I had to shave plastic sprue down and make that razor thin to glue “support” to them. And even those felt flimsy. I get that she’s supposed to be small and her claws reflect that. But holy crap… that is the thinnest plastic I’ve had to work with. Be super careful with her.
As for Domino, this build was also easy. Not much to say about it as it goes together really well. I did think about cutting off some of the explosion to make her more centered on the base but I decided against it. I do like this action pose as it’s a good way to showcase her “luck” power.
X-Force Available Now
This new Affiliation Pack is out now. So if you’re looking to jump into an X-Force list, pick this one up from your FLGS or from Asmodee directly!
Marvel: Crisis Protocol – X-Force Affiliation Pack $64.99
Resistance comes to Marvel: Crisis Protocol with the X-Force Affiliation Pack. This box includes highly detailed miniatures for Cable, Domino, X-23, and Honey Badger. With Chraacter Stat Cards and Team Tactic Cards to match, the X-Force will take out any foe that endangers mutant-kind. The X-Force Affiliation Pack is a perfect addition for players looking to add powerful mutant characters to their rosters. It can also serve as a good branching-off point from the Earth’s Mightiest Core Set (CP143) or as a starting point for players who prefer to begin the game purely with X-Men characters alongside CP139 X-Men Affiliation Pack.
X-Force is a gateway team in to X-Men. Just sayin…
