As lead designer for the Heralds of Galactus expansion, I have the unique privilege of bringing you the first preview for one of the most anticipated Vs. System sets ever released. When design for Heralds began, there seemed to be an infinite number of ways to approach the set. Aliens, humans, and heroes of all shapes and sizes vied for what limited set space there was, and countless new mechanics twinkled into and out of my mind so fast that I surely remember but a small fraction of them today. After all considerations, pretty much everything and everyone was jammed in, making Heralds one of the most mechanic- and team-heavy sets ever released. Starting today, previews will appear across the Internet introducing each new mechanic and highlighting each new team. Strap in and prepare to absorb it all so that nothing catches you unaware come Sneak Preview day.

Finding a Common Tie

The vast array of entities in Heralds created one of the set’s biggest design challenges: From the (mostly) Earth-bound heroes like the Inhumans, to the Kree army, to the world-devouring Galactus, what could possibly bring them all together in a cohesive set? The secluded Inhumans pretty much kept to themselves, venturing out of Attilan only occasionally. Philosophically opposing them were the war-faring Kree and Skrulls, who actively invaded and fought in foreign lands. At the same time, the ever-present Dr. Doom lurked in the shadows from his Latverian home, forging his Doom-bot army and waiting for opportunity to strike. And while all this was happening, a silver star twinkled in the sky, reminding us that these were but appetizers for the big purple man himself. In the end, the one common bond shared between each team was simple: power. Each team searched for and created power in a different way, but it was power nonetheless. In terms of Vs. System, this conclusion presented a simple yet challenging objective: each team had to be designed to play completely differently than each other team.

Mechanics, Mechanics Everywhere . . .

From this basic objective, three mechanics leapt into the fray. For the Heralds, the cosmic mechanic was an obvious pick to represent the various cosmic powers that each Herald wielded. As you’ll see on Tuesday, cosmic—surge offered a nice boost to the original power for the times when we wanted players to work a little harder to get a big power reward. Surge also served as a novel way to represent the Inhumans and the powers they derived from the Terrigen mists—in one second, there’s an innocuous looking human, and the in the next, there’s a medusa-headed, leather-skinned terror with giant bat wings. To supplement surge on the Inhumans and to demonstrate the planet-altering powers that many characters possessed, terraform joined the set as the first-ever location mechanic (check it out this Wednesday). Finally, press (invading Metagame.com this Thursday) was created as a way to represent Army teams like the Kree that wanted to have a little more . . . character. The remaining teams took a little of everything and developed their own identities from previous mechanics and card types.

But Not a One to See

As should be obvious from the preview, we decided that Galactus was simply too big to be on just one card. Of all the teams in the past and in the set itself, few have been so focused on a central character as the Heralds team. While teams like the Inhumans and Kree were powerful because of teamwork or numbers, a single being fuels the power and very existence of the Heralds. Creation of a Herald is one of the many cards that demonstrate this fact. Not only does Galactus matter, but his power and hunger also influence the game from the very first turn until the turn when he arrives.

The question posed by Galactus is the first and final example of the design philosophy for Heralds of Galactus: diversity. Each team has a unique play pattern, whether it is on curve, off curve, or other, and each character has a power level anywhere from 0 to immeasurable. Unlike some sets that focus on re-centering the game along a single axis, such as promoting off-curve decks or making better low-cost characters, the Heralds of Galactus expansion attempts to offer something for everyone without a strict design focus on large scale. And ultimately, I hope that the set inspires. If I learned anything from designing the set, it’s that Galactus and his space buddies can do anything you can think of under or beyond the stars. And despite our own efforts, there are still plenty of these guys, as well as countless other unwritten heroes and villains, who still haven’t seen the light of day. Each new mechanic brings us, and you, closer to being able to express your favorite hero perfectly.