Marvel: Crisis Protocol – Operation: Zero Tolerance Unboxed & Up Close
The Sentinels are fully online and operational with the new Operation: Zero Tolerance Character and Crisis Pack. Time to dive inside!
When it comes to the Marvel Universe, I think the Sentinels are one of the scariest villains out there. Especially if you were a fan of the X-Men growing up or watched the Terminator a little too young. Well, as much as the idea of them scared me as a kid, I was pretty stoked to see them joining the ranks on the tabletop in Marvel: Crisis Protocol. I think I’ve mentioned I’ve got a bit of a problem with them collecting them. Thankfully, there’s a lot of MKs to go around.
Anyhow, this is a pack that I was going to pick up for multiple reasons. And I DID. This time, AMG didn’t send me a preview copy, and I bought this one with my own money. Not that it would have changed the way I feel about this pack. It’s kind of a must-buy for me – and a lot of other MCP players out there.
You see, it’s not just a character pack. It’s also got the new Crisis Cards for this “season,” and they are spicy! But we’ll get into that below. So let’s dive into the pack!
Operation: Zero Tolerance Unboxed
Starting off, we’ve got the typical goodies we’d expect from AMG, but there’s just MORE of them thanks to the Crisis Cards. But first, I wanted to point out the extra flyer that’s in the bag. Much like the Gladiator pack, this one can also be played in a series as a narrative.
If you want to play through the story of Operation: Zero Tolerance, you can follow this guide. It’s not mandatory or anything, but it’s easy to see how these missions pair up, and the narrative is right there to read. As a fan of the X-Men, I thought this was super cool. And while it’s not exactly a 1:1 translation, you could even watch X-Men ’97 season 1 for a little inspiration! Also, this artwork on the flip side is SWEET.
Another key feature of this pack is that it’s got a new set of tokens. And yes, I’m pretty sure they got the size right this time around. And YES, they are different beyond just being new. They relate to the Crisis Card missions.
Now, I’m not going to go over all these missions individually. AMG already did a pretty good job doing that. Plus, I’m still playing them myself and trying to build a good set for the Sentinels to run. These missions do change up quite a bit, and I really recommend reading them closely when you have the time.
I’ve mentioned this before as well, but they are going to change the game up quite a bit. Why? I think they can kind of mess with the energy economy for some Affiliations. There are also a couple of really potent re-roll options in there, too. So just keep an eye out, is all I’m saying.
More Sentinels Online
Aside from that, we’ve also got the Prime Sentinels to deal with as well. We’ve seen their cards before, but I wanted to mention they are included in this pack as well. And you get a play set for both of them and the Crisis Cards in the supported languages, too.
In my handful of games with Sentinels, the Prime Sentinels work in tandem with Bastion very well. The Team Tactic Card Know Thy Enemy can really make for a serious clap-back by allowing Bastion and both Prime Sentinels to return fire after being targeted. Also, that Sentinel Nanotech Infection can be downright nasty!
As far as the sprues go, you get the bases and the miniatures. These were pretty easy builds, so let’s check them out!
Seriously, these miniatures are pretty dummy-proof to build.
Operation: Zero Tolerance Miniatures Up Close
So, to be perfectly honest, I was in a bit of a rush to get these built. So much so that this was the only photo I took of them unprimed.
I did a quick spray primer job on them. Typically, I do a matte black primer job all over the miniature. Then I’ll come back with white and do a spray at an angle. It’s basically a zenithal priming job, but I also do one more spray on their faces. I find that helps with the contrast paints I use on faces. The white spray doesn’t have to be perfect here, as I still use a lot of regular (ie, non-contrast) paints. I know slap-chop is all the rage these days, but this method works for me.
Anyhow, as far as the build goes, there’s really not a lot of tips to give here. They are really simple miniatures to build. If you’ve assembled a Space Marine at some point, you’ll probably find these easier to build. Alternatively, the instructions are also online right here. If you’re really confused, just take a look at those, which should clear things up.
I also like that both the male and female Prime Sentinels have different “things” going on. The male has those mecha-tendrils going on and is giving off a sort of “Doc Ock but not” vibe. If they weren’t coming out of his back, I’d almost think they were more Omega Red-like.
The female Prime Sentinel is packing a mechanical blaster on her arm. She’s certainly leaning into those Omega Sentinel ideals of shoot first and ask questions later!
Operation: Zero Tolerance Is Live
Anyhow, I’m actually really excited about the whole Sentinel Affiliation now. They really feel like a full-on fighting force. If you’re curious who you could add as a 10th-member, I’ve put together a list already. Spoiler: Hawkeye has been my go-to for a few games, but I’m starting to think Nebula might be the play.
The Operation Zero Tolerance pack is out now. If you’re playing MCP, you don’t have to pick it up for the Crisis Cards (but having physical cards is nice). But if you’re playing Sentinels, this is a must buy!
Marvel: Crisis Protocol – Operation: Zero Tolerance Character & Crisis Card Pack $44.99
The X-Men face a new crisis in Marvel: Crisis Protocol! This pack adds 2 Prime Sentinels characters and 5 new Extract Crisis Cards and 5 new Secure Crisis Cards.
These new Crisis Cards create a set of campaign missions that retell the events of the Operation: Zero Tolerance storyline. They can also be added to a player’s existing Crisis Cards and used to build a mission as normal.
Mutants Detected!
