The resource system in the Marvel TCG is about as simple as it gets. Once a turn, you get to choose a card in your hand and put it into play face down as a resource. Then, you get a number of resource points equal to the number of resources you have. You can then spend these points to recruit characters and equipment cards. There… easy as pie.

The tricky part is that while any card can be played as a resource, certain types of cards make much better resources than others… which brings us to today’s preview card. 

When it comes time to play a resource, you’ll be faced with a world of options, as any card in your hand may be used as a resource. However, there are definite advantages to playing a plot twist or location into your resource row. But which one to choose?

Location, location, location! There’s more than one way to play a plot twist, but locations only work while face-up in your resource row. For that reason, they are more difficult to play, but oh-so worth it. But which location to play?

Check out the silver number in the upper left-hand corner of the card for guidance. That’s its threshold cost. A location’s threshold cost is the number of  resources you must have in your resource row in order to be able to flip it face up. So, if you have two locations in your hand at the start of the game, you should probably play the one with the lower threshold cost, as you’ll be able to make use of it soonest. You’ll put it into your resource row face down, then flip it up when you meet the threshold cost and wish to make use of it.

Danger Room

Of all the rooms in the Marvel Universe, the X-Men’s Danger Room is certainly the most famous. Time and again in the comics, we find X-Men new and old taking some time out of their busy schedules to practice in the room that Shi’ar Technology built.

In the Marvel TCG, the Danger Room provides a continuous modifier, which means it’s always turned on. You don’t have to do anything to make it work (except flip it face up). X-Men team members practice a lot of maneuvers and hone their combat skills here, so the game text of the card reflects that by giving them bonuses in combat. Front row characters (who are usually your heavy-hitters) get a +1 ATK bonus. Support row characters (usually your back-up characters) get a +1 DEF bonus.

This gives the X-Men player the opportunity to set up his characters in an absolutely deadly formation, one where the front row bristles with Wolverine-like claws and the support row is as solid as Colossus. How you set up your formation depends a great deal on whether or not you have the initiative for the turn. But it usually isn’t the right move to just throw everyone up front for your attacks and retreat them to support when you’re defending. What’s the key to the ultimate formation? Know thy enemy.

Careful observation of your opponent’s characters and predicting his likely character recruits are both crucial. That +1 bonus to the ATK or DEF could mean the difference in combat, especially when both players are using characters of roughly the same size. If an opponent’s biggest character has an 8 ATK and your key character has an 8 DEF, put your character into the support row to keep him safe (barring any dastardly manuevers).

One of the greatest tricks to play with the Danger Room is the surprise reveal. While you could just flip it face up on turn one, it might be more worthwhile to wait until your opponent makes an attack. Just when he thinks he’s going to take down one of your characters… surprise! Cyclops has been training in the Danger Room all this time and saw the attack coming a mile a way.

Locations provide powerful effects throughout the game, but keep in mind that they only work when they’re face-up in your resource row. Since you’re (usually) only able to play one resource per turn, each slot on your resource row is a piece of prime real estate. Be careful not to overstock your deck with locations or you may not be able to make use of them all. And that would be sad, as there are so many good ones out there…

Check back tomorrow, when Magneto pulls the adamantium right out of Wolverine.