Episode 15: Spite

Spite

VS

Haka (dpt)

Dark Visionary (phantaskippy)

Golem Unity (grysqrl)

The Wraith (Envisioner)

Team Leader Tachyon (Matchstickman)

IN

Wagner Mars Base

Golem Unity, please, unless we are overrun with people who are not currently playing but want to (I'm in another game right now).

Starting hand: Construction Pylon, Modular Workbench, Volatile Parts, Flash Forge

Yeah, Meerkat finally not doing a battle vs. someone that is coming up next in my campaign!

(fortunately I got around most of them, but my original line of fights went  Chairman, Omnitron, Apostate, Dawn.  I swapped Matriarch in, and got around the Omni fight till now)

Just wanted to point that out since it is finally broken.

I initially introduced the voting mechanic at the end of the fight in the hope to skip the Chairman fight and go right to Omnitron, but that mechanic has actually worked out great for the story.

I'd be interested in doing either of the normal characters, Haka or Wraith.

So, TLT with PL62 6...hmmm...anyone taking bets on this game?

I'm an idiot.  I'm sick and I think the disease is affecting my brain.  I'll go away and hide now.

MARCO!

Dangit, that actually worked.  I came right back.

Check that, I'm calling Dark Visionary.

Playing her vs. a villain that completely neutralizes her base power should be fun.

Openeing hand:  Mass Levitation, Cerebral Hemorrhage, Decoy Projection, Brain Burn.

Awesome.  Starting.  Hand.

Damn. I cannot resist a Tachyon and a Team Leader just makes it all the more tempting.

I claim that one there.

Opening hand... Nimble Strike, Blinding Speed, Sucker Punch, Quick Insight.

Meh, looks like I draw cards in my opening play

I haven't played Haka yet in one of these games, I'll take him.

Opening hand: Mere, Savage Mana, Taiaha, Elbow Smash

Then Envisioner has Wraith.

Round One

Spite - Transhuman Serial Killer

Spite - 80

In Play: Safe House

Good Samaritan

Trash:

--------------------------------------------------------

Start of Turn: Useless healing.

Play a Card: Lab Raid! Demon's Kiss enters play.

End of Turn: On The Prowl destroys Good Samaritan, reveals Lost Child.

Spite deals Haka 4 energy damage.

Spite deals each non-villain target 1 infernal damage.

-------------------------------------------------------

Spite - 80

In Play: Safe House

"Demon's Kiss"

Lost Child

Trash: Lab Raid, Good Samaritan, On The Prowl

Effects: ST: If there are 5 Drug cards in play, flip Spite.

ST: Spite regains 7HP.

ET: Play the top card of the villain deck.

ET: Spite deals the hero target with the highest HP 4 energy damage.

ET: Spite deals each non-villain target 1 infernal damage.

Hero Start: That hero may have Spite deal them 4 melee damage. If they do, place Lost Child under the Safe House.

When Spite deals damage, he regains that much HP.

When Lost Child is destroyed, Spite regains 5HP.

Safe House, "Demon's Kiss" are indestructible.

Hero HP: Haka - 29, Dark Visionary - 24, Golem Unity - 24, The Wraith - 24, Team Leader Tachyon - 27

TLT uses her amazing leadership abilities to avoid the 1 damage that hits all non-villain targets… does this reveal her as a villain?

Whoops, forgot I started at 28

Wraith would be at 24 because of the nemesis bonuses. I guess you really can't run a game without making 1 mistake.  (Rabit emote time!)

I can't run a round without making a mistake. Sometimes I can't even run a setnence...

Are we going to try to beat Spite's healing before the flip?

Not a chance, he's healing at least 16 every round. Unless we get lots of Throat jabs, Ground Pounds and Hypersonic Assaults he's going to out heal anything we can throw at him.

So best bet is to dig his deck and flip him quick?  I can fish for drugs and lab raids, that is our best bet I think, save all our damage reduction and prevention for his second side.

On his second side he loses his healing, we'll need stun bolts, hypersonics, ground pounds, etc. to stop him with all the instances of damage he deals.

If I get TtE on him and Wraith gets her belt and at least one Stun Bolt (plus another damage card) out we can really shut down his damage, we will just have to protect cards from PL531 and get past PL602.

Should be fun.

Actually -2 damage dealt by Spite and a stealth bot should be our goal.  That should completely shut down his damage.

Or a Meteor storm might come and save us!

The 531 should be managable if I can get at a HUD Goggles and a PtL before he starts making us discard stuff.

Wraith's opening hand:  Grappling Hook, Infrared Eyepiece, Micro-Targeting Computer, Utility Belt.

I wouldn't say the power is completely useless; it means he plays one relevant card each turn instead of two.  It means she can't completely shut him down, but she can still help, if you don't have Mental Divergence or Foresight to make your Power phase useful somehow else.

Openeing hand:  Mass Levitation, Cerebral Hemorrhage, Decoy Projection, Brain Burn.Awesome.  Starting.  Hand.

That, on the other hand, is very typical of my own luck with Visi's starting hands (which is part of why I will never ever play Dark Visi, or likely any other promos that may turn up; Enlighten is just too good).  On the bright (or Dark, if she insists) side, at least you don't have two Brain Burns like I did in my last game with her.

Lab Raid and Mind-Fyre both make Environment cards unlikely to stick around and undesireable to keep.  If Meteor Storm does show up, one of us (probably Haka, he's the least likely to have other things to do when we're not dealing damage) would be reasonably well-advised to skip their turn destroying it, unless Visi has managed to Precog/Suggest the deck and then use Turmoil, so we're absolutely sure he won't bust out one of those cards.

Haka

HP: 29

Hand: Mere, Savage Mana, Taiaha, Elbow Smash

In play:

Trash:

Additional effects:

[hr]
Start of hero turn: Take 4 melee damage from Spite. Put
Lost Child under Safe House.

Play a card: Mere

Use a power: Mere. Deal 2 melee damage to Spite (78). Draw Punish the Weak.

Draw a card: Ta Moko

End of hero turn:

[hr]

HP: 25

Hand: Savage Mana, Taiaha, Elbow Smash, Punish the Weak, Ta Moko

In play: Mere

Trash:

Additional effects:

"You would make these innocents suffer, I shall make you suffer."

Dark Visionary

HP:  24

Hand:  Brain Burn, Cerebral Hemorrhage, Decoy Projection, Mass Levitation

In Play:

Trash:

---------------

Start of Turn:

Play a Card:  Mass Levitation

Use a Power:  Turmoil on Spite

Draw a Card:  Suggestion

---------------

HP:  24

Hand:  Brain Burn, Cerebral Hemorrhage, Decoy Projection, Suggestion

In Play:  Mass Levitation

Trash:

Effects:  Turmoil -> Spite

"I wonder, I wonder. What sorts of friends should I make today?"

Golem Unity

HP: 24

Hand: Construction Pylon, Modular Workbench, Volatile Parts, Flash Forge

In play:

Trash:

Additional effects:

---------------------------------------

Start of hero turn:

Play a card: Skip

Use a power: Skip

Draw a card: Draw Brainstorm and Bee Bot

End of hero turn:

---------------------------------------

HP: 24

Hand: Construction Pylon, Modular Workbench, Volatile Parts, Flash Forge, Brainstorm, Bee Bot

In play:

Trash:

Additional effects:

Oh hey, the quote functionality seems to have improved?!..  Except I don't seem to be able to un-italicize text.  Odd.

I was considering inserting some flavor into my posts, but ended up getting carried away and writing the beginnings of a little fanfiction piece based on this matchup (well, the Wraith vs. Spite on Mars part of it, I'm not committed to using the same heroes apart from the villain's nemesis).  I love Dark Visionary's line, I might throw a similar one-liner in if I can think of one at some point, but for now I'll stay on-task.

The Wraith

HP: 24

Hand: Grappling Hook, Infrared Eyepiece, Micro-Targeting Computer, Utility Belt.

In play:

Trash:

Additional effects:

Play a card: Infrared Eyepiece

Use a power: Stealth. Reduce the next damage that would be dealt to the Wraith by 2.

Draw a card: Combat Stance (oh, wouldn't that have been nice to have had a moment ago!)

End of hero turn:

Hand: Grappling Hook, Micro-Targeting Computer, Utility Belt, Combat Stance.

In play: Infrared Eyepiece

Trash:

Additional effects:   Wraith is Spite's nemesis (+1 damage dealt and received).  Next instance of damage reduced by 2.

Not being sure exactly what Turmoil did, I wasn't sure whether to activate IR Eyepiece this turn, but ultimately decided against it just based on my taking double damage from Demon's Kiss; until I get Utility Belt down, I feel like a half-redundant contribution to Visionary's one-man "just say YES to drugs" initiative was less important than protecting myself.  If Wraith should somehow chance to be tied with 1+ other heroes for highest HP at the start of the end of the next villain turn (or earlier if a card is played to such effect), I give the other players permission to select Wraith to take the 3 damage (and reduce Spite's healing by a net of 1) if they deem it tactically correct (I find this to be improbable, but I won't have time to post like at all tomorrow, so I put the decision in your hands).  Otherwise, I'd much rather let someone else take 4 damage, then have Stealth entirely prevent the nemesis-boosted Demon's Kiss damage to me.

If nothing drastic happens during the non-hero turns, you can safely assume that my next turn will involve playing Utility Belt and using both powers.  I concur with the general "get him drunkgged" plan, and you may resolve the Eyepiece's effects at your discretion in order to avoid delaying the game.  I should be back to posting sometime past midnight on Saturday morning, or else I'll find time at least once during the day.

Turmoil turns up Collateral Damage and Lost Child.

I would suggest the other Lost Child

Alright team, let's get these innocents to safety, there's a serial killer on the loose.

I draw Vitality Surge. I also concur about the Lost Child.

I've got several cards in my hand I'd really like to get down for setup before the flip. I hope we don't speed up so much that I'll miss those.

Thanks for the concern for the game! In general, I tend to think that level of delay (unavailable for one day) is fine.

(BTW, the quote functionality doesn't seem to have improved for me.)

Team Leader: Unity draws Platform Bot

I am going to go back and check the rulebook, but I am fairly certain that every time Tachy and Unity interact, Unity has to say something.

"Aha! Bee Bot will need a floaty friend!"

Much better. Sorry for being a rules lawyer.

It's almost as if the Mars Base realises that there probably shouldn't be a serial killer, several lost children and a soup kitchen aboard it, and decides that there's only one way to restore logical order...

Wagner Mars Base

In Play: 

Trash: 

--------------------------------------------------------------

Start:

Play: SELF-DESTRUCT SEQUENCE.

End: 

--------------------------------------------------------------

In Play: Self-Destruct Sequence [2]

Trash: 

Effects: ST: Discard the top card of the countdown pile (or abort if countdown <= 7)

Players may skip their turn to place a card on top of the countdown pile.

Round Two

Spite - Transhuman Serial Killer

Spite - 80

In Play: Safe House (Lost Child)

"Demon's Kiss"

Trash: Lab Raid, Good Samaritan, On The Prowl

--------------------------------------------------------

Start of Turn: Useless healing.

Play a Card: Lost Child enters play.

End of Turn: Innocent Bystander enters play.

Spite deals Tachyon 4 energy damage.

Spite deals each non-villain target 1 infernal damage.

-------------------------------------------------------

Spite - 80

In Play: Safe House (Lost Child)

"Demon's Kiss"

Lost Child

Innocent Bystander

Trash: Lab Raid, Good Samaritan, On The Prowl

Effects: ST: If there are 5 Drug cards in play, flip Spite.

ST: Spite regains 7HP.

ET: Play the top card of the villain deck.

ET: Spite deals the hero target with the highest HP 4 energy damage.

ET: Spite deals each non-villain target 1 infernal damage.

Hero Start: That hero may have Spite deal them 4 melee damage. If they do, place Lost Child under the Safe House.

Hero Start: That hero may discard 3 cards. If they do, place Innocent Bystander under the Safe House.

When Spite deals damage, he regains that much HP.

When Lost Child is destroyed, Spite regains 5HP.

When Innocent Bystander is destroyed, Spite regains 5HP.

Safe House, "Demon's Kiss" are indestructible.

Hero HP: Haka - 24, Visionary - 23, Unity - 23, Wraith - 24, Tachyon - 22

Haka sees another little lost child and takes her by the hand, leading her to the safe house where there are some fresh-baked cookies waiting. She doesn’t notice the killer’s fruitless attack behind his bulk.

Haka

HP: 24

Hand: Savage Mana, Taiaha, Elbow Smash, Punish the Weak, Ta Moko, Vitality Surge

In play: Mere

Trash:

Additional effects:

[hr]
Start of hero turn: Take 4 melee damage from Spite (20) while leading Lost Child to the Safe House.

Play a card: Ta Moko

Use a power: Mere. Deal 2 melee damage to Spite (78). Draw Rampage.

Draw a card: Enduring Intercession

End of hero turn:

[hr]

HP: 20

Hand: Savage Mana, Taiaha, Elbow Smash, Punish the Weak, Vitality Surge, Rampage, Enduring Intercession

In play: Mere, Ta Moko

Trash:

Additional effects: Damage to Haka is reduced by 1.

Dark Visionary draws Psychic Maelstrom.

"Dominating the mind of the weak is easy, I shall protect them."

Dark Visionary

HP:  23

Hand:  Brain Burn, Cerebral Hemorrhage, Decoy Projection, Psychic Maelstrom

In Play:  Mass Levitation

Trash:

---------------

Start of Turn:  Discard Brain Burn, Psychic Maelstrom and Cerebral Hemorrhage to lead the innocent bystander to the safehouse

Play a Card:  Decoy Projection [5]

Use a Power:  Turmoil on Spite

Draw a Card:  Twist the Ether

---------------

HP:  23

Hand:  Suggestion, Twist the Ether

In Play:  Decoy Projection, Mass Levitation

Trash:  Brain Burn, Cerebral Hemorrhage, Psychic Maelstrom

Effects:  Turmoil -> Spite, any damage dealt to Dark Visionary is redirected to Decoy Projection

Turmoil turns up two Forced Entries.

Welp, I'll be using IR Eyepiece for sure on my turn...just need the squirrel to post first.

"You're too loud Mister Auto-Exploder. How do we turn you off?"

Golem Unity

HP: 23

Hand: Construction Pylon, Modular Workbench, Volatile Parts, Flash Forge, Brainstorm, Bee Bot, Platform Bot

In play:

Trash:

Additional effects:

---------------------------------------

Start of hero turn:

Play a card: skip

Use a power: skip

Draw a card: Draw Modular Workbench and Scrap Metal

End of hero turn:

---------------------------------------

HP: 23

Hand: Construction Pylon, Modular Workbench (2), Volatile Parts, Flash Forge, Brainstorm, Bee Bot, Scrap Metal, Platform Bot

In play:

Trash:

Additional effects:

I can skip my next turn to feed the countdown. Spite will probably take it out sooner or later. I'd rather save the Bee Bot for something that is hurting us more.

That's good about the Forced Entries; I believe those are the only two copies in the deck, and now they'll be on the bottom. Wraith also has a Grappling Hook.

Meh. It's only good until he Lab Raids, then they get reshuffled.

Also I have Blinding Speed, we have multiple ways of dealing with the destruct sequence, under my leadership we totally have this one guys!

Today was less busy than I feared.  And yes, if there was a change to quote functionality yesterday, it was quickly undone.  TLT draw:  Suture Self.

"Okay people, we know that the killer only strikes at night, so you've got six hours to make this place impregnable.  You there, get some bars on that window, the glass is only four inches thick, that won't hold unless he's feeling lazy.  Over there; I can see stress micro-fractures in that paneling, start layering on the concrete.  Remember, nobody opens that door without a password!"  Her left eye gleaming red, the Wraith might have looked menacing, but the man and the two little girls had Haka's and Visionary's word that she was there to protect them, however overbearing she was about it.  Not normally in-character for Maia, but the presence of one of her worst adversaries in this outre new locale had rattled her severely, and she was overcompensating.  A body count of one was one too many, that poor aid worker; the station's population was only in the dozens of dozens, that meant not a single pair of hands could be spared.  She might have to boss a few innocents around rudely, but she would ensure they lived to complain about it.

The Wraith

HP: 24

Hand: Grappling Hook, Infrared Eyepiece, Micro-Targeting Computer, Utility Belt, Suture Self.

In play:

Trash:

Additional effects:

Start of hero turn:

Play a card: Utility Belt

Use powers: Infrared Eyepiece.  Draw Mega Computer.  (It has video games on it, so let me know when a Bystander stands by.)

Stealth. Reduce the next damage that would be dealt to the Wraith by 2.

Draw a card: Smoke Bombs

End of hero turn:

HP: 24

Hand: Grappling Hook, Micro-Targeting Computer, Combat Stance, Suture Self, Mega Computer, Smoke Bombs.

In play: Infrared Eyepiece, Utility Belt

Trash:

Additional effects:  Wraith is Spite's nemesis (+1 damage dealt and received).  Next instance of damage reduced by 2.  Reveal the top two cards of the villain deck and put one (almost certainly Forced Entry) on the bottom.

Unity, I don't think you need to skip your turn; you've got all those cards in hand and could start cranking out Bots.  (Please use the Modular Workbench, I don't want to give up any Equipment anytime soon.)  I can easily play the Grappling Hook on my next turn to get rid of the Countdown; it'll let me add to my already ridiculous hand size.

Tachyon, you have permission to slap me (Nimble Strike) so that I am no longer highest HP, and then Unity or Visionary's decoy can take the hit from Spite so it isn't increased by 1.  If you want to.  (I'm sure the temptation has occurred to you.)  Nevermind, I forgot I was Stealthing again.  Looks like Spite gets to be my harshest critic, but I can take it.  Almost decided to play Combat Stance instead, just so I could belt out a cutting remark in exchange, but I forgot there was still little point in trying to deal damage to him, so we'll stick to defense mode.

Wraith draws Throat Jab.

Team Leader: Unity draws Hasty Augmentation

Apart from Stealth, Swift, or Bee, I'm not sure there's much point in getting any bots out right now. Spite is healing very quickly and hitting all hero targets every round, so he'll just take the bots out before they can do much good. For the moment, I'm just building up my hand so that, when he flips, I can unload the damage dealers as quickly as possible. I'll throw a little equipment on the board soon so I can pick it up when PL531 lands. Also, this is Golem Unity, so she doesn't eat equipment.

Dark Visionary draws Foresight.

Haka draws Ground Poind. I'll want to save it, right? If we keep him from dealing damage, we can in principle damage him on this side, but it still doesn't seem so likely.

Play Ground Pound next turn, then on the next turn, just skip your turn for Self-Desturct Sequence.

Which would kick in before Ground Pounds destruction clause... clever!

Someone else would also have to skip; the countdown will decline to 1 this turn, Haka could Ground Pound next turn, and then if nobody had skipped, the countdown would go to 0 and we'd instantly lose.

I am happy to skip turns, since all I'm really doing is collecting cards right now (particularly if Tachyon will keep leading the team).

Ground Pound does shoehorn with Self-Destruct nicely, but I tend to wonder if Ground Pound might be better saved until Spite (or the environment) is doing more damage. PL531 and PL626 will increase his damage output a lot, and we might be stuck with them for several rounds while we fish for the other drugs.

True, but we are also talking about 6-7 rounds of no damage. Lot's of time to find the other drugs and build up the heroes. With TLT's power, you might even find the other one.

Technically, couldn't Haka keep Ground Pound in play forever that way?  IMO, this would make the game boring for everyone, especially Haka's player.  I cannot quite promise that I would not eventually GrapHook the Sequence just to keep the game "interesting".  I'm all for helping the team succeed, but not at the expense of it being at all sporting.

Not forever, once the sequence gets H+2 cards, it goes away.

But with haka being the only one skipping and Self Destruct will discard only 1 card, it would go on forever against most villains.

That’s true. My mistake.

The Environment still plays a card every round, and not all of them can easily be destroyed, so it probably wouldn't go on for the full 14 turns even.  But even 10 turns of "everyone but Haka and Spite can deal damage", we'd be turning him into a carpet with zero risk...like I said, boring.  (Might be different if I was playing someone like Nightmist, or my first ever game with a Vengeance hero...I might welcome a risk-free environment in that case, but with easy-to-play heroes and in particular Spite's nemesis, it'd definitely leave me feeling cheated.)

Ground Pound is destroyed at the start of the turn, you don't skip until the start of your turn, I don't think you could keep it out that way.

Order of play, Self-destruct was out before Ground Pound

Ground Pound would be played after Self-Destruct, so Haka would skip the rest of his turn before Ground Pound's start of turn effect happens.

Spite also has several cards (including one of the drugs that we're looking for) that destroy all environment cards, so Self-Destruct (and Ground Pound) could only last one round.

Oh yeah, sorry.

Infrared Eyepiece reveals the Forced Entry and a Lab Raid. Since you were wanting to get rid of Forced Entries and find Drugs, I'm guessing you want the Lab Raid?

Wagner Mars Base

In Play: Self-Destruct Sequence

Trash: 

--------------------------------------------------------------

Start: Discard top card of countdown pile.

Play: Meteor Storm.

End: 

--------------------------------------------------------------

In Play: Self-Destruct Sequence [1], Meteor Storm

Trash: Meteor Storm

Effects: ST: Discard the top card of the countdown pile (or abort if countdown <= 7)

Players may skip their turn to place a card on top of the countdown pile.

No damage.

Yeah, lab raid is good, forced entry bad.

Let's flip him.

There's 3 enviro cards out, with one in the countdown, I'd rather flip him then have four drugs out.

I can pick up mass levitation for the one drug and play Twist the Ether on Spite, if someone else can throw down some fodder equips and ongoings so we don't lose TtE, after that I'll be able to throw fodder cards to be picked back up.

Woah there hoss! Let's not destroy the Self-Destruct pile and lose the game immeadiately.

I agree we choose Lab Raid but it only gets 3 additional drugs out, 2 for the environment cards and 1 for the card itself, if we let it destroy the pile first the Self-Destruct triggers and we lose. It's 4 drugs or death, your choice.

Round Three

Spite - Transhuman Serial Killer

Spite - 80

In Play: Safe House (Lost Child, Lost Child, Innocent Bystander)

"Demon's Kiss"

Trash: Lab Raid, Good Samaritan, On The Prowl

--------------------------------------------------------

Start of Turn: Useless healing.

Play a Card: Lab Raid! "Mind-Phyre", PL531 Compound Upsilon and PL626 Compound X1 enter play (as Matchstickman pointed out, destroying the countdown pile means ending the countdown. And that would be bad.)

End of Turn: On The Prowl brings out an Innocent Bystander.

Spite deals Wraith 4 energy damage.

Spite deals each non-villain target 2 infernal damage.

Spite deals each hero target 1 psychic damage (0+1=1, right?)

-------------------------------------------------------

Spite - 80

In Play: Safe House (Lost Child, Lost Child, Innocent Bystander)

"Demon's Kiss"

"Mind-Phyre"

PL531 Compound Upsilon

PL626 Compound X1

Innocent Bystander

Trash: Lab Raid, Good Samaritan, On The Prowl x2, Lab Raid

Effects: ST: If there are 5 Drug cards in play, flip Spite.

ST: Spite regains 7HP.

ST: Return 3 Ongoing or Equipment cards to players' hands.

ET: Play the top card of the villain deck.

ET: Spite deals the hero target with the highest HP 4 energy damage.

ET: Spite deals each non-villain target 1 infernal damage.

ET: Spite destroys all environment cards and damages all hero targets for X damage (X being the number of environment cards destroyed).

Hero Start: That hero may discard 3 cards. If they do, place Innocent Bystander under the Safe House.

When Spite deals damage, he regains that much HP.

Increase damage dealt by Spite by 1.

Whenever a hero uses a power, Spite deals that hero 2(+1) damage and discards the top five cards of their deck.

When Innocent Bystander is destroyed, Spite regains 5HP.

Safe House, "Demon's Kiss", "Mind-Phyre", PL531, PL626 are indestructible.

Hero HP: Haka - 19, Visionary - 23, Unity - 20, Wraith - 15, Tachyon - 19

Haka's at 19 (Ta Moko), Visionary's at 23 (Decoy destroyed), Unity 20, Wraith 15, Tachyon 19.

Self destruct sequence does not say it destroys the countdown pile, only when there are (H)+2 in the pile.  Can't we still destroy it?

I went searching and an old official ruling from BGG says that self-destruct does destroy the pile, so yeah, we are stuck at four.

Interesting, there's nothing on the card that says you discard the pile when the SDS is itself destroyed... but I'm sure it doesn't sit around.

Bah! Closest I can find right now

https://greaterthangames.com/forum/topic/omnitrons-terraforming-self-destruct-sequence-and-the-countdown-pile-4283

I hope someone else can save the Innocent Bystander. With Spite at his maximum damage potential, I think it’s time for the Ground Pound. We could conceivably try to beat his damage now, although getting out Ongoing and Equipment cards is also key. Returning Ground Pound to my hand for PL531 is perhaps worth considering.

Haka

HP: 19

Hand: Savage Mana, Taiaha, Elbow Smash, Punish the Weak, Vitality Surge, Rampage, Enduring Intercession, Ground Pound

In play: Mere, Ta Moko

Trash:

Additional effects: Damage to Haka is reduced by 1.

[hr]
Start of hero turn:

Play a card: Ground Pound. Discard Savage Mana and Enduring Intercession.

Use a power: Mere. Deal 2 damage to Spite (78). Draw Haka of Restoration. Discard Taiaha, Ta Moko, Punish the Weak, Rampage, and Dominion.

Draw a card: Haka of Restoration.

End of hero turn:

[hr]

HP: 19

Hand: Taiaha, Elbow Smash, Punish the Weak, Vitality Surge, Rampage, Haka of Restoration, Haka of Restoration

In play: Mere, Ta Moko, Ground Pound

Trash: Savage Mana, Enduring Intercession, Taiaha, Ta Moko, Punish the Weak, Rampage, Dominion

Additional effects: Damage to Haka is reduced by 1. Non-hero cards cannot deal damage.

"Perhaps I should give you over to your desires. . ."

Dark Visionary

HP:  23

Hand:  Foresight, Suggestion, Suggestion, Twist the Ether

In Play:  Mass Levitation, 

Trash:  Brain Burn, Cerebral Hemorrhage, Decoy Projection, Psychic Maelstrom

---------------

Start of Turn:  

Play a Card:  Suggestion  Place Lab Raid on top of the Villain deck and Good Samaritan on the Bottom

Use a Power:  Turmoil on Wagner Mars Base  Discard 5

Draw a Card:  Demoralization

---------------

HP:  23

Hand:  Demoralization, Foresight, Twist the Ether

In Play:  Mass Levitation

Trash:  Brain Burn, Cerebral Hemorrhage, Decoy Projection, Demoralization, Mass Levitation, Psychic Maelstrom(2), Suggestion, Wrest the Mind(2)

Effects:  Turmoil -> Wagner Mars Base

So he'll have all five out this turn.  We want to get Innocent Bystander under the safehouse, and we need some extra ongoing/equip fodder.  I can throw down Twist on Spite next turn so he'll be at -1, but we need some protection for our cards now.

"A floaty bot is an absolute necessity. Anyone can tell you that. What about some other ones, though?"

Golem Unity

HP: 20

Hand: Construction Pylon, Modular Workbench (2), Volatile Parts, Flash Forge, Brainstorm, Bee Bot, Scrap Metal, Platform Bot

In play:

Trash:

Additional effects:

---------------------------------------

Start of hero turn:

Play a card: Modular Workbench

Use a power: Modular Workbench - discard the other Modular Workbench to play Platform Bot; discard Powered Shock Wave, Robot Reclamation, Champion Bot, Stealth Bot, Swift Bot

Draw a card: Draw Scrap Metal

End of hero turn: Platform Bot deals 3 energy damage to Spite [75]

---------------------------------------

HP: 20

Hand: Construction Pylon, Volatile Parts, Flash Forge, Brainstorm, Bee Bot, Scrap Metal, Platform Bot

In play: Modular Workbench, Platform Bot [3]

Trash: Modular Workbench, Powered Shock Wave, Robot Reclamation, Champion Bot, Stealth Bot, Swift Bot

Additional effects: Reduce damage dealt to Platform Bot by 1

No flavor text right now, I'm confused and in a hurry to go to bed, but since it's my turn I didn't want to hold up the game, so I'll run the best turn I can without going and updating my game table.  Assume that any errors, ambiguities, and minor details (such as the cards milled) will be dealt with sometime tomorrow, when I get all the permutations of the game worked out with excruciating precision, as is my way (hopefully I can avoid being a dick about it this time).  Cards I will draw are labelled Y2BD, for Yet 2B Determined; I'll find out what they are tomorrow and inform you promptly.

The Wraith

HP: 15 (ouch)

Hand: Grappling Hook, Micro-Targeting Computer, Suture Self, Combat Stance, Throat Jab, Mega Computer, Smoke Bombs.

In play:  Infrared Eyepiece, Utility Belt

Trash:

Additional effects:

Start of hero turn:  Discard Mega Computer, MCT and Suture Self to rescue the Bystander.

Play a card: Throat Jab on Spite, preventing him from dealing damage until my next turn.  Combat Stance.

Use powers: IR Eyepiece, drawing Throwing Knives.  Mill Throwing Knives, Impromptu Invention, Throat Jab, Combat Stance, Trust Fund.

Stealth. Reduce the next damage that would be dealt to the Wraith by 2.  Mill Utility Belt, Throwing Knives, Grappling Hook, Impromptu Invention, Mega Computer.

Draw a card: Impromptu Invention!

End of hero turn:

HP: 15

Hand: Grappling Hook, Throat Jab, Smoke Bombs, Throwing Knives, Impromptu Invention.

In play: Infrared Eyepiece, Utility Belt, Combat Stance

Trash:  Suture Self, Mega Computer, Micro-Targeting Computer, Throwing Knives, Impromptu Invention, Throat Jab, Combat Stance, Trust Fund, Utility Belt, Throwing Knives, Grappling Hook, Impromptu Invention, Mega Computer.

Additional effects:  Wraith is Spite's nemesis (+1 damage dealt and received).  Next instance of damage reduced by 2.  Reveal the top two cards of the villain deck and put one on the bottom.  Spite cannot deal damage until my next turn.

Turmoil turns up Pervasive Red Dust and Maintenance Level.

Infrared Eyepiece reveals LAB RAID and Potential Sidekick.

Well it's not the fifth drug, but it's definitely something.  Forced Entry to the bottom, let's invite the Sidekick over and rake in some cards.  With Throat Jab, we won't be at risk of damage if he's killed immediately after coming out.

I'm not able to look at my cards until later but IREP is wrong, suggestion put Lab Raid on top, I 'suggest' (hohoho) you do something else.

I'd vote for Red Dust to be our environment card, Lab Raid will kill it and we'll all get an equipment card back into play. The only person who will lose out is the Wraith, and the equipment she loses (IREP) will not help when he flips 2 turns from now.

I'll still use IREP this turn just to draw a card (it's not like I have other powers), but if the second card is Lab Raid, I guess the Sidekick goes to the bottom.

Why would Decoy be destroyed?  I have it still at 3 HP; this was the first time it was in play when anything hit Visi, and the hit was only for 2.  Also I have Unity at 21; Spite has dealt damage with Demon's Kiss three times, and only the last was boosted by Upsilon.

It is a target itself.

Spite deals each non-villain target 2 infernal damage.

Spite deals each hero target 1 psychic damage (0+1=1, right?)

(posting my turn now too)

I missed the Ground Pound, so me playing Throat Jab was stupid.  Do I get to take it back?  If so, do I get to play a different card in its place?

I stand corrected on the HP totals; I totally missed that Mind-Phyre dealt 0 damage increased to 1.

EDIT - My last post is now fully updated and correct on the assumption that I did indeed play Throat Jab for very little reason (though I forgot to mention the damage to Spite, which would be 3 due to nemesis).  This does mean that it'd be safe for Haka to pick up Ground Pound at the SOVT (otherwise doing this is a very bad idea), but in that case he'd have discarded two cards for no real reason.  If you'll let me take it back, I'll put out Combat Stance instead.

Ah damnit, you posted as I was doing my turn. Someone let me know when you have finally finished correcting things so I can take a look and redo my figures

Wraith's Tachyon draws are Grappling Hook and Micro-Targeting computer.  It looks like you guys are indeed okay with my Throat Jab blunder, so my last post should be correct.  At last, I believe my modeling of the game is correct.

"Hmmm...still no good ideas."

Unity draws Brainstorm and Inspired Repair on Tachyon's turn.

I would save throat jab.  You might want to throw Smoke Bombs, since that will save you some beatings.

I would like to, if that's okay with everyone else.  Matchstickman suggested letting Haka take back Ground Pound, but that's a less than spectacular idea.  Ta Moko could go, since Haka won't suffer damage that round, and Visionary has Mass Levitation; with Pushing the Limits that's the required 3.

You might want to throw Smoke Bombs, since that will save you some beatings.

Alas, Pervasive Red Dust is about to destroy 5 Equipment, with only 4 being in play.  Each player will get 1 back, but Wraith is losing 2 as-is, so she definitely wants nothing to do with playing another one.  Combat Stance is another Ongoing that could be dispensed with for the round, though I'd kind of rather keep it out and continue building up.

I'm OK with you changing the Throat Jab play; I don't think it affects much else.

Haka draws Haka of Battle and Vitality Surge.

Vis draws Cerebral Hemorrhage and Telekinetic Cocoon.

Hmm, Tachyon is going to get HUD Goggles out of the Pervasive Red Dust shenanigans.

Yeah, but we lose 3 for the "take back" effect of 531 before Lab Raid gets played, it's not one of the ones I can "take back" this turn.

Right, this turn we can only take back Ongoings.

Okay, Combat Stance it is.  That Throat Jab will certainly be useful soon though.

Can you update your turn when you get a chance?

Done.  (Though still no flavor text.  Better save that for if I continue the fanfic I started.)

With no Throat Jab Spite currently sits at [74], but his healing will take him all the way back up now.

Welllllll bollocks.

As Team Leader I have been evaluating the battlefield, and let me tell you folks, it doesn't look pretty.

If Bluehairedmeerkat leaves the card order as we've accidentally seen it, Forced Entry is his second play, which means we have a round to get all those civilians to safety again. More damage and more card discarding when we can ill afford either.

Looking at my situation I can discard cards to save both Bystanders, and possibly should do so to fuel my trash. I've only got enough cards for 2 more uses of my power before I must use both my Lightspeed Barrages and then I become largely irrelevant to the fight. Most of my cards will not penetrate his armoured hide, Hypersonic Assaults would be particularly useless.

On the plus side Spite will be at full or nearly full health when he flips, meaning regaining 25HP is as pointless to him as the damage we have been dealing to him so far.

EDIT: If it is Forced Entry I volunteer to lose Synaptic Interruption as the '3rd card' for 531 this turn, so I can discard 6 burst cards to rescue both Bystanders on my turn.

Well, the drug-fuelled psycho had ruined his whole 'explode and kill everyone' plan, but the Mars Base still had a few tricks up his sleeve. They never wondered how the Mars dust got into the hermetically-sealed, airtight base...

Wagner Mars Base

In Play: 

Trash: Self-Destruct Sequence, Meteor Storm x2, Pervasive Red Dust

--------------------------------------------------------------

Start: 

Play: Pervasive Red Dust.

End: Red Dust; Break all your equipment. (You hear a stragne noise from the walls of the base, almost a gleeful cackle...)

--------------------------------------------------------------

In Play: Pervasive Red Dust

Trash: Self-Destruct Sequence, Meteor Storm x2, Pervasive Red Dust

Effects: 

Round Four

Spite - Transhuman Serial Killer

Spite - 74

In Play: Safe House (Lost Child, Lost Child, Innocent Bystander, Innocent Bystander)

"Demon's Kiss"

"Mind-Phyre"

PL531 Compound Upsilon

PL626 Compound X1

Trash: Lab Raid, Good Samaritan, On The Prowl x2

--------------------------------------------------------

Start of Turn: Useful healing!

Three cards get bounced; PtL, Ta Moko, Mass Levitation

Play a Card: Lab Raid! Pervasive Red Dust is destroyed ("Nooooo!"), each player puts an equipment card from their trash into play, PL602 pops out, and the villain deck gets shuffled.

End of Turn: Good Samaritan enters play.

-------------------------------------------------------

Spite - 80

In Play: Safe House (Lost Child, Lost Child, Innocent Bystander, Innocent Bystander)

"Demon's Kiss"

"Mind-Phyre"

PL531 Compound Upsilon

PL626 Compound X1

PL602 Compound Omicron

Good Samaritan

Trash: Lab Raid x2, Good Samaritan, On The Prowl x2

Effects: ST: If there are 5 Drug cards in play, flip Spite.

ST: Spite regains 7HP.

ST: Return 3 Ongoing or Equipment cards to players' hands.

ET: Play the top card of the villain deck.

ET: Spite deals the hero target with the highest HP 4 energy damage.

ET: Spite deals each non-villain target 1 infernal damage.

ET: Spite destroys all environment cards and damages all hero targets for X damage (X being the number of environment cards destroyed).

SE: The heroes may play the top card of the villain deck. If they do, place Good Samaritan under the Safe House.

When Spite deals damage, he regains that much HP.

Increase damage dealt by Spite by 1.

Whenever a hero uses a power, Spite deals that hero 2(+1) damage and discards the top five cards of their deck.

When Good Samaritan is destroyed, Spite regains 5HP.

The first time Spite would be dealt damage each turn, reduce that damage by 3.

Safe House, "Demon's Kiss", "Mind-Phyre", PL531, PL626, PL602 are indestructible.

Hero HP: Haka - 19, Visionary - 23, Unity - 20, Wraith - 15, Tachyon - 19

I think there were only four Ongoing cards in play at the start of the villain turn: Ta Moko, Ground Pound, Pushing the Limits, and Mass Levitation. I think the choice is clear... I'll bring back Mere when Pervasive Red Dust is destroyed. It looks like we'll get one more villain card play.

With the serial killer about to reveal himself, Haka focuses his rage. His veins pop out alarmingly.

Haka

HP: 19

Hand: Taiaha, Elbow Smash, Punish the Weak, Vitality Surge (x2), Rampage, Haka of Restoration (x2), Haka of Battle, Ta Moko

In play: Mere, Ground Pound

Trash: Savage Mana, Enduring Intercession, Taiaha, Ta Moko, Punish the Weak, Rampage, Dominion

Additional effects:

[hr]
Start of hero turn: Ground Pound is destroyed.

Play a card: Punish the Weak.

Use a power: Mere. Spite deals me 3 damage (16), discard Elbow Smash, Enduring Intercession, Haka of Battle, Haka of Restoration, Ta Moko. Deal spite net 0 melee damage, draw Haka of Battle.

Draw a card: Vitality Surge

End of hero turn:

[hr]

HP: 16

Hand: Taiaha, Elbow Smash, Vitality Surge (x3), Rampage, Haka of Restoration (x2), Haka of Battle (x2), Ta Moko

In play: Mere, Punish the Weak

Trash: Savage Mana, Enduring Intercession, Taiaha, Ta Moko, Punish the Weak, Rampage, Dominion, Elbow Smash, Ground Pound, Enduring Intercession, Haka of Battle, Haka of Restoration, Ta Moko

Additional effects: The Weak (i.e., Spite) is Punished (damage increased by 1).

Huzzah for misremembering Lab Raid and the villain deck getting shuffled!

HUD Goggles goes into play for Tachyon.

Dark Visionary

HP:  23

Hand:  Cerebral Hemorrhage, Demoralization, Foresight, Mass Levitation, Telekinetic Cocoon, Twist the Ether

In Play:  

Trash:  Brain Burn, Cerebral Hemorrhage, Decoy Projection, Demoralization, Mass Levitation, Psychic Maelstrom(2), Suggestion, Wrest the Mind(2)

---------------

Start of Turn:  

Play a Card:  Twist the Ether on Spite.  (I will be lowering his damage by 1, feel free to change the type to whatever)

Use a Power:  Turmoil on Wagner Mars Base, Spite deals me two cold damage, discard 5.

Draw a Card:  Suggestion

---------------

HP:  21

Hand:  Cerebral Hemorrhage, Demoralization, Foresight, Mass Levitation, Suggestion, Telekinetic Cocoon

In Play:  Twist the Ether on Spite

Trash:  Brain Burn, Cerebral Hemorrhage, Decoy Projection, Demoralization, Mass Levitation, Mental Divergence, Mind Spike, Precognition, Prophetic Vision, Psychic Maelstrom(2), Suggestion(2), Wrest the Mind(2)

Effects:  Turmoil -> Wagner Mars Base

Maintenence Level and Fire in the Biosphere

Maintenance level on top.

@ Meerkat:  I don't think Spite has a Good Samaritan in the trash (not that it matters much).  Visionary put it on the bottom of his deck, and I don't remember another one being both played and destroyed.  There should be one in play and two others somewhere in the just-shuffled deck.

I will reluctantly leave IR Eyepiece in the trash and get back my Utility Belt.

Are you sure?  Fire in the Biosphere is nasty, but at least it's a known quantity.  Maint Level plays a new Enviro card at the end of the turn, so it could just turn out to be the other Biosphere Fire, or a new Pervasive Red Dust, or worst of all a Villainous Weaponry.  If we're lucky, it might be Oxygen Leak, but that's about the only way it could not suck.  (It also might get the other Maint Level and then that would play another card, resulting in the same issue.)

Also, now that I have Throat Jab back, it turns out to be useless with Compound Omnitron (see what I did there?) in play, unless someone can give me at least a +1 to damage dealt (Nemesis would give me the other +1 I need).  If we'd been planning this perfectly, Haka could have saved Ground Pound that round and I'd have done Throat Jab instead.  Oh well.

The only thing Maintenance level will do is raise the damage dealt by Mind Pyre by 1, since there will be one more card to destroy, the chance of the next card not being Fire in the Biosphere is worth the exchange.  Meteor Storm, Oxygen leak, Villainous Weaponry, any of those would be great since they wouldn't get to do anything before they are destroyed.

On the other hand, hypersonic assault is useful. Tachyon just needs to hit him some other way, then play Hypersonic Assault.

Also, can someone with the cards in front of them check to be sure Throat Jab is conditional on doing damage?

Okay, fair enough.  It definitely won't be Meteor Storm, there are only two in the deck (ask me sometime about how that knowledge was drilled into my head), one was played and the other discarded from the Countdown Pile.  But I had forgotten about Mind-Fyre, although that will fire after Demon's Kiss, so a Villainous Weaponry would increase the damage of Drug-Wracked Monstrosity's global attack, as well as that of Demon's Kiss (since both Spite and Demon's Kiss were in play before Mind-Phyre). 

I for one vote that we DON'T play a villain card on the environment turn in order to safehouse Good Samaritan.  It does offer the possibility of playing one or both other Samaritans, which could immediately be Safehoused, but there's also the risk of Forced Entry, or Potential Sidekick (which, when destroyed by Spite flipping, would damage us all for 2+1, and another +1 if Villainous Weaponry).  If the other players agree to live dangerously and do it, I won't complain, but my opinion is that it's a bad idea (and, with Wraith having 15 HP and +1 damage from Spite, I hope you will all take my opinion with particular seriousness when developing your own).

Good Samaritan went into the villain trash on turn 1.

It says "the target dealt damage this way", which is a bit less clear than HSA's "Targets dealt damage this way", but probably intended to carry the same meaning.  Spite is still "the target" of Throat Jab, but was not in fact "dealt damage this way", so the wording is a little ambiguous as to intent, but almost certainly is intended to line up with HSA.  (I can't remember what other cards also work like this, apart from Offensive Transmutation which is a near-clone of Throat Jab.  In general, things that entirely stop the target from dealing damage, like TJ and HSA, seem to need to get through, while things that apply a -1 damage penalty, such as Stun Bolt, Hoist Chain and Neurotoxin Dart Thrower, generally work even if entirely blocked.  But there may be exceptions to that pattern - I can't remember whether non-hero cards like Ethereal Bonds and Beat Down follow the same rule as hero cards.)

My Throat Jab will probably be useless forever (serves me right for not looking at what Compound Omicron would do before it came out), but if you can commit to doing HSA on your turn, I have Impromptu Invention in my hand, which will make it possible for me to tutor up a Razor Ordinance and then play Throwing Knives.  I won't dare use two powers on my turn while it results in damage, but once that's been fixed, I can play MCT to go with the other two, and then each turn I can have the Throwing Knives eat his Omicron shield with 1 point getting through (thanks to nemesis), then put Razor Ordinance through his face for 6 (thanks to nemesis again).

Of course, I'll be depending on Visionary to Turmoil the environment deck and protect me from Pervasive Red Dust.  Also if I'm correct in believing she has a second Twist the Ether in hand, playing that on me would be quite nice, as it would let me Throat Jab effectively and then let fly with the Micro-Targeting Barrage for a spectacular 12 damage, plus 1 from the Throat Jab.  Of course, it would be at least as reasonable to play a second TtE on Spite himself, reducing his damage by 2 every time (hooray for TtE not being Limited); this would entirely negate his damage output except for the damage-on-powers stuff, or Mind-Phyre if it somehow finds a lot of Environments in play.  So it might be better for ensuring we win the game, but would make the game feel a bit more lame, and in particular would deprive me of agency.  The decision will be up to Visionary's player, of course; I'm just expressing my wishes for a more gripping and uncertain battle, rather than a boringly effective lockdown.

Yes, and then Dark Visionary Suggested it onto the bottom of the villain deck, which was reshuffled three times by two Lab Raids.  So it could be anywhere in the deck, but not in the trash, unless I missed something (which is of course possible when I'm not looking at my table, and substantially less possible but still somewhat so even when I am).  It amuses me greatly to think that it's the exact same Samaritan in both cases - Spite killed him, but Visionary suggested that he come back to life, and now he's been either amnesiac or incredibly stupid, so he blundered into Spite's company again in exactly the same fashion in which he did so on turn 1.

Yes, and out of the trash on Round 3 thanks to Suggestion.

Spite's trash is currently 2x Lab raid and 2x On the Prowl.

And I agree with Envisioner, we must sacrifice the Good Samaritan, for the greater good.

While not ideal I can do an Hypersonic Assault this turn, this turn is the only turn I could do it, once he flips he has DR1 and I'm all about building for the Lightspeed Barrages.

"Let's surround him! Go get him floaty bots!"

Golem Unity

HP: 20

Hand: Construction Pylon, Scrap Metal (2), Volatile Parts, Flash Forge, Brainstorm (2), Bee Bot, Hasty Augmentation, Inspired Repair

In play: Modular Workbench, Platform Bot [3]

Trash: Modular Workbench, Powered Shock Wave, Robot Reclamation, Champion Bot, Stealth Bot, Swift Bot

Additional effects: Reduce damage dealt to Platform Bot by 1

---------------------------------------

Start of hero turn:

Play a card: Flash Forge - discard Scrap Metal (2) and Brainstorm (2); draw Platform Bot (2) and Raptor Bot (2)

Use a power: Modular Workbench

• Discard Bee Bot to play Platform Bot
• Discard Inspired Repair, Bee Bot, Brainstorm, Raptor Bot, Cryo Bot from deck
• Spite deals 2 toxic damage to Unity [18]

Draw a card: Draw Powered Shock Wave

End of hero turn:

• Platform Bot deals 3-3=0 energy damage to Spite [80]
• Platform Bot deals 3 energy damage to Spite [77]

---------------------------------------

HP: 18

Hand: Construction Pylon, Volatile Parts, Platform Bot, Raptor Bot (2), Hasty Augmentation, Inspired Repair, Powered Shock Wave

In play: Modular Workbench, Platform Bot [3], Platform Bot [3]

Trash: Modular Workbench, Scrap Metal (2), Bee Bot (2), Champion Bot, Cryo Bot, Raptor Bot, Stealth Bot, Swift Bot, Brainstorm (3), Flash Forge, Inspired Repair, Powered Shock Wave, Reobot Reclamation

Additional effects: Reduce damage dealt to Platform Bots by 1

Ninja city!  I was editing my post to say the same thing while you were posting it.  So which of us ninja'ed the other?  Better ask that funny chap in the police box to sort this one out…

And I agree with Envisioner, we must sacrifice the Good Samaritan, for the greater good.

If I understand the timing correctly, the upshot of this will be that Spite will flip to DWM side, he'll destroy all his non-indestructible cards which consist entirely of the Samaritan, he will heal himself for H because the Samaritan died, then he will heal himself for Hx5 from his advanced text, and only then the Safehouse will deal him 5 damage for each of those it contains.  Right?

If I had retained my Eyepiece, I could have used that (dropping to 11 HP) to determine whether the saving the Samaritan was safe.  But even though Utility Belt is much less useful with me not daring to use powers while Spite can damage me for them, IR Eyepiece is completely worthless (except to draw an extra card each turn) after Spite flips (unlike Turmoil, it can only affect the villain deck).  So I'd be giving up much of my ability to put down Spite if I saved the Samaritan - or saved him this time, if you buy me theory that he's the exact same one that Spite already "killed". (This assumes he just barely survived the turn-1 attack, and then Visi wiped his memory of meeting Spite while also controlling Spite's mind to make him Lab Raid again, leaving the Samaritan to repeat the entire incident and be killed in the same way, if Wraith doesn't prevent this.  I kind of want to work this entire funny scenario into my story, but it requires me to somehow acknowledge the very game-mechanical decision of which equipment to let the Red Dust perma-destroy and which one to salvage from its effects, and I haven't been able to figure out a way of translating that into setting-reality terms.)

My science detects that you have lost too many hit points there Unity, gain 1 back as Visionary has Twist the Ether on Spite. Also, would you happen to know anything about the baked potato explosion in the lab?

My science detects that you have lost too many hit points there Unity, gain 1 back as Visionary has Twist the Ether on Spite. Also, would you happen to know anything about the baked potato explosion in the lab?

I seem to suffering from some sort of doppler effect!

The Wraith

HP: 15

Hand: Grappling Hook (2), Throat Jab, Smoke Bombs, Throwing Knives, Impromptu Invention, Micro-Targeting Computer.

In play:  Infrared Eyepiece, Combat Stance

Trash:  Suture Self, Mega Computer, Micro-Targeting Computer, Throwing Knives, Impromptu Invention, Throat Jab, Combat Stance, Trust Fund, Utility Belt, Throwing Knives, Grappling Hook, Impromptu Invention, Mega Computer., Utility Belt

Additional effects:

---------------------------------------

Start of hero turn: 

Play a card: Impromptu Invention!  Draw Utility Belt ("oh, lovely.").  Search deck for Razor Ordnance and put it to play.  Play Throwing Knives.

Use powers: "Oh, you'd like that, wouldn't you, Donovan?  Me go Stealth to prevent 2 damage to myself, but you deal me 2 more damage than that and burn off a third of the deck I have left, and then I throw a Wraitharang at you but you just catch it and cut your hand a little, and then you hit me for 4 more and take away more of my cards?  And then you turn over and heal yourself by 25 (not counting the 5 you get for killing that Samaritan without even having to play a card for the purpose?), so it doesn't even matter if I throw everything I have at you and take the full 8 damage doing it?  Yeah, I'll get right on that Mr. Donovan, sir.  (Asshole.)"

In other words, no powers this turn.

Draw a card: Draw Infrared Eyepiece ("OH, LOVELY!").

End of hero turn:

---------------------------------------

HP: 15

Hand: Grappling Hook (2), Throat Jab, Smoke Bombs, Utility Belt, Infrared Eyepiece, Micro-Targeting Computer.

In play: Utility Belt, Combat Stance, Razor Ordnance, Throwing Knives

Trash:  Suture Self, Mega Computer, Micro-Targeting Computer, Throwing Knives, Impromptu Invention, Throat Jab, Combat Stance, Trust Fund, Utility Belt, Throwing Knives, Grappling Hook, Impromptu Invention, Mega Computer., Utility Belt, Impromptu Invention

Additional effects:  Wraith is Spite's nemesis (+1 damage dealt and received).

PS, any chance you guys could let me on on the joke with the "gleeful cackling from the walls" and "Noooooo!" on either side of Pervasive Red Dust's brief reign of terror?

I haven't had much inspiration vis a vis role-playing Spite, so I've taken to role-playing the Mars Base instead...

Oh, okay.  It sounded more specific than that; I assumed it was an in-joke from some earlier game.

Wait, changing turn as I realised something was wrong

All fixed.

I cannot use Hypersonic Assault. If I do then he deals himself no damage from the victims we saved. The "minor" damage he deals out is as nothing compared to our gains for the damage he will deal himself.

Good catch.

Haka draws Enduring Intercession. Too bad about the Hypersonic Assault.

Unity draws Robot Reclamation.

Visionary draws Prophetic Vision

Wraith draws a Stun Bolt.

The Mars Base, stung at having so much of its stuff broken, withdrew its AI to the Maintenance Level - but not before making a small hole in its wall...

Wagner Mars Base

In Play: 

Trash: Self-Destruct Sequence, Meteor Storm x2, Pervasive Red Dust x2

--------------------------------------------------------------

Start: 

Play: Maintenance Level enters play.

End: Oxygen Leak enters play; I assume no-one wants to discard to destroy it.

--------------------------------------------------------------

In Play: Maintenance Level, Oxygen Leak

Trash: Self-Destruct Sequence, Meteor Storm x2, Pervasive Red Dust x2

Round Five

Spite - Drug-Wracked Monstrosity

Spite - 75

In Play: Safe House (Lost Child, Lost Child, Innocent Bystander, Innocent Bystander)

"Demon's Kiss"

"Mind-Phyre"

PL531 Compound Upsilon

PL626 Compound X1

Good Samaritan

Trash: Lab Raid x2, On The Prowl x2

--------------------------------------------------------

Start of Turn: Spite flips, Spite heals for 5HP [80], Good Samaritan is destroyed, more useless healing, Spite deals himself [20+1+1-1-3=]18 justice damage [62].

Three cards get bounced; PtL, Mere, Punish The Weak

Play a Card: Spite deals 0 fire damage to an irrelevant selection of heroes.

End of Turn: Spite deals 0 fire damage to each non-villain target.

Spite destroys all environment cards ("STOP IT!") and deals 2 Mars Base damage to each hero target.

-------------------------------------------------------

Spite - 62

In Play: Safe House, "Demon's Kiss", "Mind-Phyre", PL531 Compound Upsilon, PL626 Compound X1, PL602 Compound Omicron

Effects: ST: Return 3 Ongoing or Equipment cards to players' hands.

ET: Spite deals each non-villain target 1 infernal damage.

ET: Spite destroys all environment cards and damages all hero targets for X damage (X being the number of environment cards destroyed).

Whenever a villain card would be played, instead Spite deals each hero target other than the hero target with the lowest HP 1 projectile damage.

Decrease damage taken by Spite by 1.

Increase damage dealt by Spite by 1.

Spite's Ether is Twisted.

Whenever a hero uses a power, Spite deals that hero 2(+1) damage and discards the top five cards of their deck.

The first time Spite would be dealt damage each turn, reduce that damage by 3.

Safe House, "Demon's Kiss", "Mind-Phyre", PL531, PL626, PL602 are indestructible.

Hero HP: Haka - 14, Visionary - 19, Unity - 16, [PB - 2, PB - 2,] Wraith - 12, Tachyon - 13

I'll take back both Mere and Punish the Weak.

Haka just grins.

Haka

HP: 14

Hand: Taiaha, Elbow Smash, Vitality Surge (x3), Rampage, Haka of Restoration (x2), Haka of Battle (x2), Ta Moko, Enduring Intercession, Mere, Punish the Weak

In play:

Trash: Savage Mana, Enduring Intercession, Taiaha, Ta Moko, Punish the Weak, Rampage, Dominion, Elbow Smash, Ground Pound, Enduring Intercession, Haka of Battle, Haka of Restoration, Ta Moko

Additional effects:

[hr]
Start of hero turn:

Play a card: Haka of Battle. Draw Haka of Shielding and Mere. Discard everything (15 cards).

Use a power: Crush. Deal 2+15-1-3 melee damage to Spite (49). Spite deals me 2 melee damage (12) and mill Elbow Smash, Dominion, Rampage, Haka of Shielding, and Ground Pound.

Draw a card: Punish the Weak.

End of hero turn:

[hr]

HP: 12

Hand: Punish the Weak

In play:

Trash: Savage Mana, Enduring Intercession, Taiaha, Ta Moko, Punish the Weak, Rampage, Dominion, Elbow Smash, Ground Pound, Enduring Intercession, Haka of Battle, Haka of Restoration, Ta Moko, Haka of Battle, Taiaha, Elbow Smash, Vitality Surge, Vitality Surge, Vitality Surge, Rampage, Haka of Restoration, Haka of Restoration, Haka of Battle, Ta Moko, Enduring Intercession, Mere, Punish the Weak, Haka of Shielding, Mere, Elbow Smash, Dominion, Rampage, Haka of Shielding, Ground Pound

Additional effects:

Unity can take Modular Workbench back for PL531.

I will discard for Oxygen Leak (more bursts!)- Sucker Punch to the discard pile Ah! I see people being smarter than me, I wont discard.

We only need to take into hand 3 cards, 1 of those cards is Pushing the Limits, 1 of them can be HUD Goggles, we only need to take back 1 more card. If someone wants to take back 2 cards I am happy to leave out HUD Googles but we don't need to 'hamper' ourselves when I can play those cards "for free" every round.

Ok. I'll keep workbench out. I won't use it for a couple of turns, but it'll save me a card play later (or I can take it back on a subsequent turn).

Venessa felt strange, like her body was thinking seperately from her.  That Mars Base damage had really thrown her off.  Why did she suddenly feel like more sand might be the answer, or a fire, that would be good.

Dark Visionary

HP:  21

Hand:  Cerebral Hemorrhage, Demoralization, Foresight, Mass Levitation, Prophetic Vision, Suggestion, Telekinetic Cocoon

In Play:  Twist the Ether on Spite

Trash:  Brain Burn, Cerebral Hemorrhage, Decoy Projection, Demoralization, Mass Levitation, Psychic Maelstrom(2), Suggestion, Wrest the Mind(2)

---------------

Start of Turn:  

Play a Card:  Foresight

Use a Power:  Foresight reveals Telekinetic Cocoon, Wrest the Mind and Decoy Projection.  Put Decoy Projection in my hand, Wrest teh mind on top and Telekinetic on the bottom Spite deals me two inferiority complex damage, discard 5.

Draw a Card:  Mind Spike

---------------

HP:  19

Hand:  Cerebral Hemorrhage, Decoy Projection, Demoralization, Foresight, Mass Levitation, Mind Spike, Prophetic Vision, Suggestion, Telekinetic Cocoon

In Play:  Twist the Ether on Spite, Foresight

Trash:  Brain Burn, Cerebral Hemorrhage, Decoy Projection(2), Demoralization, Mass Levitation, Mental Divergence, Mind Spike(2), Precognition(2), Prophetic Vision(2), Psychic Maelstrom(2), Suggestion(2), Wrest the Mind(3)

Effects:  

Twist the Ether on Spite (-1 damage dealt)   

I can take back Foresight for that one drug.

I already took back two cards in my posted turn, although I can change that for minor adjustments to the damage. (Every card in my hand was worth 1 more point of damage.)

I wouldn't be so quick to offer here–you need to get cards out of your hand and into your trash, and the easiest way to do that is to play them.

I don't think the game will last more than one more round. Tachyon will do upwards of 30 damage when she unleashes those Lightspeed Barrages, which is not far from Spite's current HP.

Edit: I'm pretty sure we can win this round, between Wraith's equipment, Unity's Bots (esp. Raptor Bots), and Lightspeed Barrages from Tachyon. Tachyon can optimize by using Lightning Reflexes and Quick Insight, and can add 3 extra damage by having Visionary increase the PL626 damage and then redirecting it with Synaptic Interruption.

If you put Wrest The Mind on top of your deck, surely you'd then draw it?

"Know what's better than floaty bots? Chompers riding on floaty bots!"

Golem Unity

HP: 16

Hand: Construction Pylon, Volatile Parts, Platform Bot, Raptor Bot (2), Hasty Augmentation, Inspired Repair, Powered Shock Wave, Robot Reclamation

In play: Modular Workbench, Platform Bot [2], Platform Bot [2]

Trash: Modular Workbench, Scrap Metal (2), Bee Bot (2), Champion Bot, Cryo Bot, Raptor Bot, Stealth Bot, Swift Bot, Brainstorm (3), Flash Forge, Inspired Repair, Powered Shock Wave, Reobot Reclamation

Additional effects: Reduce damage dealt to Platform Bots by 1

---------------------------------------

Start of hero turn:

Play a card: Inspired Repair - draw Supply Crate; play Construction Pylon; heal Platform Bots up to full HP

Use a power: Construction Pylon

• Put 2x Raptor Bot into play and destroy Construction Pylon
• Spite deals 2 damage to Unity [14]
• Discard the top 5 cards from Unity's deck: Brainstorm, Volatile Parts, Construction Pylon, Supply Crate (2)

Draw a card: Draw Hasty Augmentation

End of hero turn:

• Platform Bot deals 3-3=0 energy damage to Spite [49]
• Platform Bot deals 3-1=2 energy damage to Spite [47]
• Raptor Bot deals 5-1=4 melee damage to Spite [43]
• Raptor Bot deals 5-1=4 melee damage to Spite [39]

---------------------------------------

HP: 14

Hand: Volatile Parts, Platform Bot, Hasty Augmentation (2), Powered Shock Wave, Supply Crate, Robot Reclamation

In play: Modular Workbench, Platform Bot [3], Platform Bot [3], Raptor Bot [2], Raptor Bot [2]

Trash: 24 cards that are not in my hand, in play, or in my deck (Construction Pylon, Bee Bot, Turret Bot, Flash Forge)

Additional effects: Reduce damage dealt to Platform Bots by 1

It depends whether the forced discard happens before or after the actual power effect.

True. The concensus in this thread seems to be after, and anyway at this point I don't suppose it'll make much difference...

Definitely not.

The draw would be due to the draw phase, the effects of Spite's drug would happen well before that.

Also Spite is on 39, those Raptors do 5-1 Melee damage.

I don't think that's the question. What is unclear is which sequence to use during the power phase:

1. Declare power, drug effects resolve, power resolves
2. Declare power, power resolves, drug effects resolve

Ah, I forgot the +1. Revising.

Things that respond to a power respond to the use of the power, which means it would trigger after the power resolves.

Things that respond to a card being played can happen before the text of the card because playing a card is the trigget for the text on the card activating.  When you use a power you use it, you don't do an action to trigger the power that things can respond to.

I put WtM on top because it is pretty worthless in this match, where as Cocoon getting used twice is something far more likely to happen.  We'd have to do the Cryo Bot TtE/WtM shenanigans, which would stink with Spite's reduction.

Ah, I see.

I think that because of the ruling that Omnitron can safely use his Bio-Engineering Beam and destroy Toxic Seaweed without taking the damage for using a power that the sequence is

declare power, power resolves, drug effects resolve

but I have been known to be wrong.

Whew, lots of catching up to do.  As usual, I will respond to messages as I read them and probably end up sounding stupid.

Why would you assume that?  Wraith is at only 15 HP and takes increased damage from Spite; she is not terribly interested in giving him one more thing to destroy with Mind-Fyre and damage everybody by an additional 1.

Oh, I see, it's so that Twist the Ether cancels his damage for the round.  I guess that does work out in our favor.

Maia's mask shifts slightly as the mouth beneath it twists into a satisfied smirk.  With most of his intended victims spirited away to safety, Donovan's drug-wracked metabolism was self-destructing; without the adrenaline rush he got from killing things, he was a dead man walking, and certainly in no condition to pick a fight with Haka.  She could pretty much have stood back and let her teammates take the killer down over the next couple of minutes, but where was the fun in that?  No sense in taking any chances that he'd get away; it was time to end this now, even if it put her in the hospital while Donovan went to the morgue.  Or vice versa, if necessary.  Drawing three small blades in one hand and a big blade in the other, she went into a fighting crouch and started to slink inside the psychopath's guard, preferring a couple punches in the face to any chance that her throws might miss.  But then she felt a pocket of twisting ether in front of her, and realized there was no need to get within grabbing distance after all; with Visionary's help, she could finish the battle from her preferred respectful distance.

(Hopefully Visionary's player doesn't mind me picking damage types for TtE on my turn.)

The Wraith

HP: 15

Hand: Grappling Hook (2), Throat Jab, Smoke Bombs, Utility Belt, Infrared Eyepiece, Micro-Targeting Computer, Stun Bolt.

In play:  Utility Belt, Combat Stance, Razor Ordnance, Throwing Knives

Trash:  Suture Self, Mega Computer, Micro-Targeting Computer, Throwing Knives, Impromptu Invention, Throat Jab, Combat Stance, Trust Fund, Utility Belt, Throwing Knives, Grappling Hook, Impromptu Invention, Mega Computer., Utility Belt, Impromptu Invention

Additional effects:

Start of hero turn: 

Play a card: Micro-Targeting Computer

Use powers: Throwing Knives deals 0 net damage to Spite [39]; Spite slobbers on the knife and throws it back at her for 3 projectile damage [12], making her mill 5 irrelevant cards.  Combat Stance triggers and deals 2 net damage to Spite [37].

Razor Ordinance deals 5 more damage to Spite [32]; she takes 3 toxic damage [9] from Spite's drool in her knife wound and mills 5 more irrelevant cards.

Draw a card: Draw an irrelevant card.

End of hero turn:

HP: 9

Hand: Grappling Hook (2), Throat Jab, Smoke Bombs, Utility Belt, Infrared Eyepiece, Stun Bolt, an irrelevant card.

In play: Utility Belt, Combat Stance, Razor Ordnance, Throwing Knives, Micro-Targeting Computer

Trash:  Suture Self, Mega Computer, Micro-Targeting Computer, Throwing Knives, Impromptu Invention, Throat Jab, Combat Stance, Trust Fund, Utility Belt, Throwing Knives, Grappling Hook, Impromptu Invention, Mega Computer., Utility Belt, Impromptu Invention, 10 irrelevant cards (assuming the deck had 11 cards left in it and didn't reshuffle the trash).

Additional effects:  Wraith is Spite's nemesis (+1 damage dealt and received).  Wraith's projectile damage increased by 2.

Welp, I believe that's the first time I've ever gotten a Combat Stance (or Flame Barrier) to do anything relevant.  Thanks to that damage, Tachyon should be able to finish Spite off without the need for another Environment or Villain turn.  Good game everyone.

EDIT - Sigh, I knew I must have been missing something.  Revising my numbers accordingly.  Still, even if Spite gets another turn, I probably won't; the environment has no way of healing him and no heroes except me are close to death, so he'll probably be dead before it gets back to my turn.  Thusly, I will still say "GG".

Unfortunately you haven't accounted for the DR 1 from his advanced text, Spite starts the turn at [32].

…

And nope, can't do it, we get another round.

Wow, not quite...

I draw Haka of Shielding.

Unity draws Bee Bot

With crayons?

If Spite somehow fails to die on Haka's or Unity's turn, it will be because the enviro deck brought out Villainous Weaponry and added damage to all Spite's attacks, and I'm pretty sure even that wouldn't take them down from 16 and 20 HP.  But Wraith might die, and almost certainly she won't get another turn.  Therefore, it's only logical that I volunteer to lose Utility Belt, Throwing Knives, and possibly even Micro-Targeting Computer to Compound Upsilon on Spite's final turn.  Keeping Combat Stance will allow me to deal damage one last time, and if it somehow gets to my turn again, I'll want Razor Ordinance to have the best chance of getting through his Compound Omicron shield.  Thusly, all my other cards can be spared.

The ten cards milled from Wraith's deck by Compound Xi are IREP, Smoke Bombs, Razor Ordinance, Inventory Barrage, and MCT followed by Suture Self, Inventory Barrage, Razor Ordnance, and 2x Trust Fund.  Wraith draws Stun Bolt during her draw phase and Mega Computer due to Team Leader Tachyon.  She is left with a single card in her deck, and that card is a Stun Bolt.

(In the doubly unlikely event that I do indeed die and then get an incap turn, I will save myself the effort of looking her incap abilities up by listing them now: "One player may play a card", "One hero regains 2 HP", and "Destroy an Ongoing.")

I will now put my copy of the game away for the night.

The Mars Base had stopped caring. It was all pointless; he wasn't going to get to kill any heroes.

Wagner Mars Base

In Play: 

Trash: Self-Destruct Sequence, Meteor Storm x2, Pervasive Red Dust x2, Maintenence Level, Oxygen Leak

--------------------------------------------------------------

Start: 

Play: Oxygen Leak enters play.

End: 

--------------------------------------------------------------

In Play: Oxygen Leak

Trash: Self-Destruct Sequence, Meteor Storm x2, Pervasive Red Dust x2, Maintenance Level, Oxygen Leak

Round Six

Spite - Drug-Wracked Monstrosity

Spite - 5

In Play: Safe House, "Demon's Kiss", "Mind-Phyre", PL531 Compound Upsilon, PL626 Compound X1, PL602 Compound Omicron

--------------------------------------------------------

Start of Turn: Three cards get bounced; Utility Belt, Throwing Knives, Micro-Targeting Computer

Play a Card: Spite deals 0 fire damage to an irrelevant selection of heroes.

End of Turn: Spite deals 0 fire damage to each non-villain target.

Spite destroys all environment cards and deals 1 futility damage to each hero target.

-------------------------------------------------------

Spite - 5

In Play: Safe House, "Demon's Kiss", "Mind-Phyre", PL531 Compound Upsilon, PL626 Compound X1, PL602 Compound Omicron

Effects: ST: Return 3 Ongoing or Equipment cards to players' hands.

ET: Spite deals each non-villain target 1 infernal damage.

ET: Spite destroys all environment cards and damages all hero targets for X damage (X being the number of environment cards destroyed).

Whenever a villain card would be played, instead Spite deals each hero target other than the hero target with the lowest HP 1 projectile damage.

Decrease damage taken by Spite by 1.

Increase damage dealt by Spite by 1.

Spite's Ether is Twisted.

Whenever a hero uses a power, Spite deals that hero 2(+1) damage and discards the top five cards of their deck.

The first time Spite would be dealt damage each turn, reduce that damage by 3.

Safe House, "Demon's Kiss", "Mind-Phyre", PL531, PL626, PL602 are indestructible.

Hero HP: Haka - 11, Visionary - 18, Unity - 13, [PB - 3, PB - 3, RB - 1, RB - 1] Wraith - 7, Tachyon - 12

Haka sees that the matter in hand, and turns to comforting the
survivors. Soon he is playing patty cake with the little girls.

Haka

HP: 11

Hand: Punish the Weak, Haka of Shielding

In play:

Trash: (lots)

Additional effects:

[hr]
Start of hero turn:

Play a card: Haka of Shielding. Draw Dominion and
Savage Mana. Discard Savage Mana. Next damage to Haka is reduced by 2.

Use a power: None.

Draw a card: Taiaha

End of hero turn:

[hr]

HP: 11

Hand: Punish the Weak, Dominion, Savage Mana, Taiaha

In play:

Trash: (Lots)

Additional effects: Next damage to Haka is reduced by 2.

Visionary

Visionary will play Telekinetic Cocoon, and take a nap.

Unity forms a Bee Bot from some spare parts and laughs as she chases it down the hall, completely oblivious to Spite's screaming as the flying Raptor Bots tear him apart.

Golem Unity

HP: 13

Hand: Volatile Parts, Platform Bot, Hasty Augmentation (2), Powered Shock Wave, Supply Crate, Robot Reclamation, Bee Bot

In play: Modular Workbench, Platform Bot [3], Platform Bot [3], Raptor Bot [1], Raptor Bot [1]

Trash: most cards

Additional effects: Reduce damage dealt to Platform Bots by 1

---------------------------------------

Start of hero turn:

Play a card: Volatile Parts

Use a power:Modular Workbench

• Discard Supply Crate and put Bee Bot into play
• Spite deals 2 damage to Unity [11]
• Discard the rest of Unity's deck

Draw a card: Draw some really fancy, irrelevant card. Probably Stealth Bot.

End of hero turn:

• Platform Bot deals 3-3=0 energy damage to Spite [5]
• Platform Bot deals 3-1=2 energy damage to Spite [3]
• Raptor Bot deals 5-1=4 melee damage to Spite [-1]
• Raptor Bot deals 5-1=4 melee damage to Spite [-5]

---------------------------------------

HP: 11

Hand: some cards

In play: Modular Workbench, Platform Bot [3], Platform Bot [3], Raptor Bot [1], Raptor Bot [1], Bee Bot [1]

Trash: no cards

Additional effects: Reduce damage dealt to Platform Bots by 1

VICTORY :D

Yay we won! And all thanks to that sentient mars base, three cheers for the AI!

Thanks for running again BlueHairedMeerkat, always a pleasure to have you try to kill us.

It's always a pleasure trying to murder y'all :D (and even more of a pleasure when I succeed...)

Say, did anyone ever post this game on the old statistics thread?  (Not the one Pydro just started today, but the original one with 5000 games and counting.)  If not, shall I go ahead and do it?