Counter Limits

Are effects limited to the number of counters in the box? Specificially, can Absolute Zero only make 12 Impaling Structures?

Correct.

Does this include Attack +1 and Defense +1 counters as well?  Not that I've come close to running out yet, but we might as well get the question out of the way.

Yes, all tokens work that way.

On that note, is feedback plating once-per-attack or once-per-die? Because if it’s the latter, you can run out of those…

OK, I know how to run out of Attack +1/-1 tokens now.  Use Visionary and Legacy on Citizen Dawn Scenario 1.  Between Obilivion Shard handing out +1's, and Visionary handing out -1's en masse, poor Legacy didn't get to claim any with his Surge of Strength in the later rounds.

I’m not sure I buy the +1/-1 counters “running out” partly because it’s really dumb. The impaling structures are a specific power that makes sense to have some limitation, the attack and defence tokens are basically just tracking game effects, which shouldn’t just stop because someone else has hogged all the tokens.

Unless you're playing against Baron Blade.

Then you'll be very glad they ran out…

I had the same issue. My work around is using one of each token and used dice to keep track of how many a character has.

I don't see why someone would build up hat many tokens.  It has yet to be a problem for me.

 Plus I think running out of tokens is a pos  itive, it takes away the worst playstyle which is everyone sitting around stocking tokens while the game sucks.

Go use your tokens.

Yeah, this is definitely something that comes up in the demos - folks just play too conservatively, which causes the game to drag out.

I am ambivalent about tokens running out, but not because i am worried about stalling tactics. I think stalling should be handled in the scenario or skirmish rules. Each side should have an incentive to not stall. This could be direct, like a round limit, or indirect, like in omnitron scenario 3: if the heroes decide to stall, they are losing ground against the villians, quite literally. (As an aside, I believe there is incentive to stall as Baron Blade in BB scenario 1, by avoiding contact with the heroes and building up as many Defense+1 tokens as possible before risking contact.)

With all that being said, neither side was stalling in my example: Visionary simply deals out tokens faster than the Citizens can possibly use them.