The eternal conflict between good and evil
As for the storyline of the board game Marvel: DAGGER , it is obvious, although the creators decided to outline it for us anyway. As you can probably guess, we lead a group of superheroes known from comic books and try to stop the “evil” from destroying the Earth. Of course, as in a licensed game, we have many characters to choose from, including for example Spider-Man, Captain America, Thor, Iron Man or Hulk. Interestingly, we were also offered their alternative and less known characters, i.e. Miles Morales, Sam Wilson, Jane Foster, War Machine or She-Hulk. And this is still not all who will stand up to the mission. On the other side of the barricade, we have less choice. We will only be able to fight with Thanos, Loki, Red Skull or Ultron. However, the group of “bad guys” is complemented by helpers, including Vulture or Titania. Thanks to such a range of characters, we will certainly feel the atmosphere of the House of Ideas. And to delve even deeper into this universe, the set also includes a booklet with descriptions of individual characters. It is a great supplement for those who would like to expand or supplement their knowledge about them.
A pawn on the map
The board game in question is enclosed in a large box. And what will we find inside? Well, after opening it, you will certainly notice how many elements it consists of. Perhaps even such a multitude of chips, markers and cards will scare some people away. On the other hand, solid workmanship should attract players. I will also immediately add that you will need a large table to play or you will have to move to the floor to accommodate everything. So we get a board with a map of the world (probably some people will immediately associate it with the series Pandemic series)., but I immediately reveal that this is not another variant of this title). On it you will find some real places, but also Wakanda, Madripoor and even Asgard. Our heroes, in turn, did not get figures, and were presented only on cardboard, which in turn can be inserted into plastic stands and thus create a pawn for the game. Each hero also has several cards, including a card that describes skills, special abilities, and moves. The same goes for villains. In addition to all this, there are “bad guy” helpers, health and damage tokens and markers, a progress and threat track, as well as mission and event cards. The set also includes two special, octahedral dice, thanks to which we will check whether our actions are successful. I will also mention that in the box itself there are also special places for individual elements, making it easier for us to put them in and take them out. This makes it much easier to set up the board during subsequent meetings. And once we’ve laid out all the pieces, it’s finally time to play!
One for all, all for one!
Marvel: DAGGER is a cooperative game for up to five players. It also has a solo variant. According to the publisher’s description, the game time is 3 to 4 hours. At the outset, it should be noted that it is quite demanding and rather not suitable for beginner players, although on the other hand, we are a team here, so if we are just starting our adventures with board games, in this case a more experienced co-player can help us. But here’s the catch – such a person can also dominate the game by giving us instructions, and then our role will be limited to moving the pawn on the map and reading the next cards, which will be not very interesting entertainment.
However, we assume that we all have the ability to control our own superheroes and go to battle against the archenemy. So we have the board laid out, we have chosen our favorite characters, we have added aspects and all the missions, and what next? Let’s start with the fact that the game is divided into two phases – heroes and our villain. We start, of course. Each player has two actions to choose from and carry out. We can make a move, fight one of the “evils”, decide to rest, which will restore our lost health points, or take up the challenge, i.e. try to complete the objective of one of the missions drawn by us. All four are standard shares and each of us has them. However, since one of us will be Daredevil and another player will choose Captain Marvel, then we will also have some of our abilities and individual items corresponding to those from the comics. For example, Spider-Man has his “Spider Sense” here, and Doctor Strange can use the Cape of Levitation. But that’s not all. There is also the so-called “improvement” is a special action that gives us unusual bonuses, often affecting the entire team. However, they are limited, so you need to think carefully and plan when to use them. It is also worth noting that starting with the first player, everyone in turn performs their first action, and then we complete the circle and perform only the second. “improvement” is a special action that gives us unusual bonuses, often affecting the entire team. However, they are limited, so you need to think carefully and plan when to use them. It is also worth noting that starting with the first player, everyone in turn performs their first action, and then we complete the circle and perform only the second. “improvement” is a special action that gives us unusual bonuses, often affecting the entire team. However, they are limited, so you need to think carefully and plan when to use them. It is also worth noting that starting with the first player, everyone in turn performs their first action, and then we complete the circle and perform only the second.
Once we’ve done our actions, it’s time for the villain. His phase consists of three things – increasing his threat, checking his mission, and resolving an event card. As for the mission, it may turn out that it has been completed and its effects should be resolved and applied. On the other hand, we draw an event card from the face-down pile, read it and also perform it. The archenemy always has three missions. He can execute them or our heroes can thwart his plans. Regardless of the results, when all three have been completed, either success or failure, we move on to the final showdown. Then we read the hidden rules for the final fight, follow their rules and try to win, and thus save the world.
If we manage to bring the super villain’s health points to 0, then the game ends with our victory. However, when the threat indicator reaches 20, we will not be able to draw an event card or we will lose all our bases, then we lose. One more condition of defeat is to defeat all the heroes. However, it should be mentioned here that if you die for the first time, you are not finished with the competition. You then turn over the card and take on the role of the alternate hero. For example, if you chose Black Panther and T’Challa lost his life points, Shuri replaces him. Unfortunately, when he too falls in battle, it will be over for you and you will have to cheer for the rest of the players to manage to deal with the archenemy and his henchmen.
Finally, I will add that although the course of the game may seem complicated, in fact you will remember very quickly how the individual phases go and after a while you will not need the instructions, and everything will run smoothly. And in case of doubt, the publishers have also prepared help cards, with the possibilities of the action listed in a nutshell.
The Super Villain strikes again!
Just like in the Marvel comics, defeating our nemesis won’t be the end of the game either. A new one may appear soon, or the previous one may return. To DAGGERit is worth coming back. It is extremely replayable. A large number of superheroes with unique abilities will make you want to test the powers of more. There are four “bad guys” alone, so each one is worth defeating, but in addition, each of them has 12 different missions, of which we only take three to play. Next time we’ll probably find a completely different one. Anyway, we also draw our own missions and choose events. It is difficult for us to quickly create an identical arrangement twice. There’s a lot of randomness to all of this. Don’t expect to be able to plan all your moves in advance. You’ll keep up with your tactics.
Is it worth becoming a superhero?
Marvel: DAGGER is a solidly made game that will appeal not only to comic book fans. It will be perfect for those who like challenges and a higher level of difficulty and are looking for something for a few-hour meeting. It takes some time to prepare and lay out all the numerous elements. However, once you start playing, it will flow smoothly. The biggest threat to having fun can be someone who wants to dictate to everyone what to do. For such people, the solo variant will be perfect.
