Battle Rules!

[BigBadHarve]

Back when original overpower came out, the rule book had provisions for a 'battle' game that didn't involve venture. It was just a good, old fashioned smackdown played to the last character standing.

In that spirit, I present to you an updated edition of the classic battle game, one that makes use out of the venture cards. Try it out, it's a lot of fun, and it's a very different dynamic. No adjustments to your deck are necessary. In fact, once you're used to the rules, try flipping a coin before you play a match to randomly determine if it's a Battle or Venture match. Shake up the variables.

-BBH



Battle Game:


Setup is the same. Character placement, 7 venture cards in the reserve, draw pile etc.

Each round must be fought out. There is no venture, and no conceding, not even before battle. (For a concede option, see below). The game is won when the opponent's characters are all dead.

Regrow phase - After the discard phase, before the placing phase, each player may move one venture card down from reserve to defeated (or completed to reserve, see below) for each card discarded during the discard phase to regrow your discards. The maximum is the # of cards discarded during discard phase, or until all venture cards are in the defeated pile. (7 cards in defeated does NOT lose the game in a battle game.) Normal rules for discarding duplicates and unusable cards still apply during the regrow phase.

For each character on the opponent's team a player KO's, that player may move two venture cards up, from either the defeated to the reserve, or the reserve to the completed piles. (7 Cards in completed does NOT constitute a win in a battle game)

After each battle, total up the amount of venture (as normal), the player with the most venture points wins and may go first in the next round.

Conceding. In a battle, the only way to concede is by the use of a card. Characters with cards that allow a concession are the only way to escape a battle.

[a_noble_kaz]

I like where you're going with this. Do you play like this sometimes? Are they any shorter than Venture Battles?

Also:
"Regrow phase - After the discard phase, before the placing phase, each player may move one venture card down from reserve to defeated (or completed to reserve, see below) for each card discarded during the discard phase to regrow your discards. The maximum is the # of cards discarded during discard phase, or until all venture cards are in the defeated pile. (7 cards in defeated does NOT lose the game in a battle game.) Normal rules for discarding duplicates and unusable cards still apply during the regrow phase."

So say for example I have 7 missions in my Reserve pile. I draw my eight cards, and discard three cards. I then can move three Mission cards from the Reserve Pile to the Defeated pile to draw three more cards? And the only way to replenish my Defeated Missions is by KO one of my opponent's heroes?

[BigBadHarve]

I like where you're going with this. Do you play like this sometimes? Are they any shorter than Venture Battles?

Actually, yes, we play the battle rules as much as venture rules. My usual playing partner and I usually make 4 decks each (2 site, 2 any hero) and square off so that each of our decks with face the other decks. Each faceoff consists of one Battle game and one Venture game.

They usually last about the same amount of time. Because there's no conceding, each hand is played out, and you tend to play carefully, knowing that there's no running away if things get touchy. Placing is usually at a minimum because you can't load up and concede (unless you have a card that allows it). That in itself is a whole strategy. If you are playing against a team that has such a card, and your opponent starts to place, you know that he might bail, so it's wise to place something yourself unless you can negate his concede.

Also:
"Regrow phase - After the discard phase, before the placing phase, each player may move one venture card down from reserve to defeated (or completed to reserve, see below) for each card discarded during the discard phase to regrow your discards. The maximum is the # of cards discarded during discard phase, or until all venture cards are in the defeated pile. (7 cards in defeated does NOT lose the game in a battle game.) Normal rules for discarding duplicates and unusable cards still apply during the regrow phase."

So say for example I have 7 missions in my Reserve pile. I draw my eight cards, and discard three cards. I then can move three Mission cards from the Reserve Pile to the Defeated pile to draw three more cards? And the only way to replenish my Defeated Missions is by KO one of my opponent's heroes?

Yes, that's exactly how it works. We've found that barring truly bad draws, or losing characters, we're often well past the mid game before all missions are gone, and even by then characters are inevitably dead, so you'll have already started replenishing. Sometimes the game has gone into Power Pack, and both of us have totally exhausted our Venture cards.

It also makes those venture reset cards (Captain MarVell: Universal Alignment) extremely valuable.

We don't play with any bonus to KO'ing a battlesite, though it has been discussed. We're thinking of going with a 3 Venture card bonus if you KO an opponent's site. It rarely comes up, though.

-BBH

[a_noble_kaz]

It also makes those venture reset cards (Captain MarVell: Universal Alignment) extremely valuable.

Word!

Also, this style of play seems greasy! I'll tell my brother about it and see if I cant talk him in to trying it out.

[gameplan.exe]

Dude, Kaz! what gives?! I'd totally try this out - but you have to share these discoveries, homie! LOL

[Kal-el]

I like this a lot!

My friend and I have always played without missions, but just recently started thinking that some of the things we do are kind of broken (mainly, allowing to concede without missions to lose doesn't really make sense). This works pretty well.

[BigBadHarve]

I like this a lot!

My friend and I have always played without missions, but just recently started thinking that some of the things we do are kind of broken (mainly, allowing to concede without missions to lose doesn't really make sense). This works pretty well.

Thanks! They really work well, and add a wild dynamic.

We have made one slight amendment, however, that makes things a little more interesting:

There is still no 'venture' in the traditional sense. But, when you KO an opponent's character, you get to 'venture'  two missions, and they don't move up until the end of the battle. You don't have to win the round to move your missions, any 'ventured' mission from either player moves up at the end of the round. For purposes of the Battle game you get to choose to 'venture' from the reserve or defeated piles, (as opposed to reserve or complete in a proper venture game.)

So, rather than getting your two missions from knocking a character out right away, you have to wait until the end of the round.

The reason behind playing it this way was so that the various specials that affect the ventured missions are still usable in a battle scenario. Gambit's 'Sinister Connection' now has a good use in a battle scenario. Nick Fury's 'Battle strategy' can also be good against your opponent.

So the sequence of play in a Battle is as follows:

1. Draw Phase.
2. Event Phase.
3. Discard Phase.
4. Regrow Phase.
5. Placing Phase.
6. Battle Phase.
7. End of round, both players move any Ventured cards up.


Make sense?

-BBH

[steve2275]

i just play normally without missions now and again