A mute king who must rule his people unspoken. A mad brother constantly trying to undermine him. The narrative of the Inhumans unfolds with a Shakespearean flair, rich in intrigue and conflict. This new box adds four new models to the Inhumans range, giving them some much needed muscle, two new leaderships and some new ways to play. Let’s get into it!
Who Is King Black Bolt?
Black Bolt is the silent king of the Inhumans. His voice is so powerful that a mere whisper could shatter mountains, and he must continually concentrate to avoid unintentionally destroying his allies. Born Blackagar Boltagon, he possesses the ability to unleash devastating sonic waves through his voice, making him both a formidable warrior and a figure of restraint. Black Bolt’s history is marked by his royal lineage, having ascended to the throne of Attilan, the hidden city of the Inhumans. He has faced numerous challenges, including conflicts with his own family, the machinations of various villains, and the struggle to protect his people while grappling with the immense responsibility of his powers. Known for his stoic demeanour and unwavering sense of duty, Black Bolt embodies the complexities of leadership and sacrifice.
Character Card
Black Bolt comes in at 6 threat, a threat higher than his current in-game counterpart as they have done with Thor before him. He has 7 health on his healthy side and 8 on his injured for a total of 15, around average for a 6 threat. Though, when you factor in his damage reduction and the fact he can reroll his defence dice he becomes quite the tank.
4 defences across the board make him good at ‘pay-to-flip’ missions that roll based on defensive statlines. And a medium move on a medium base will make him slightly faster than average.
Sonic Blast is his first attack. A range 4, 5-dice energy beam that builds power and can push size 3 characters on a wild. Beams that gain power like this can help generate power very quickly. Its worth bearing in mind that he has the inbuilt Inhumans reroll so a base 5 dice is closer to 6 in effectiveness. Against single targets the 5 threat Black Bolt’s builder will actually do more damage but this attack has more displacement potential and the ability to hit multiple targets.
Wrath of the Midnight King is Black Bolt’s spender costing 4 power it is an 8-dice, range 3 physical attack that lets him advance medium after the attack and throw any size target on a wild. The throw, although only a short distance is before damage is dealt which means that even if you KO your target you’ll still get to throw them into one of their friends first.
Increase the volume is Black Bolt’s first superpower. For 3 power he can add 2 dice to the next attack action he performs. Importantly as this specifies attack action it will apply to every attack on a Sonic Blast beam. It’s also worth noting that this isn’t limited to once per turn. If you set him up correctly then his activation in the mid game could very easily be 2, 7 dice energy attacks across an entire team with Inhuman rerolls and the chance of pushing all of them off of points. Not bad at all!
Hit and run is his second superpower and one we have seen before. 2 power to compress an attack and a movement (in that order) into a single action. The huge benefit this has on Black Bolt specifically is that it will let you set up perfect sonic blast beams to hit as many opponents as possible.
Telepathic Command lets King Black Bolt spend 2 power to advance an allied character within range 4 short. Out of activation movement is always useful as it lets you counteract any displacement your opponent has done earlier in the round.
Inhuman allows King Black Bolt to reroll a defence or attack dice. With the number of attacks that he can put out with his beams there’s a lot of value to be gained here.
Anti-Graviton Control reduces the damage that King Black Bolt takes by 1 to a minimum of 1. In addition he starts each round on 2 power. Damage reduction on top of his high defenses and defensive rerolls should make him quite resilient. Starting each round on 2 power lets him hit and run or telepathic command as soon as he is activated.
Inhuman King allows him to remove a special condition from an ally with the Inhuman superpower at the start of the activation phase. The activation phase is effectively the start of the round not the start of his turn so you can remove one condition per round. Ideally you can use this to remove stagger from himself early on but if an opponent staggers you that same round he won’t have the opportunity to remove it. Interestingly there is no range limitation which will make him a useful addition to an inhuman heavy list.
Finally he has the flight and immunity to poison superpowers. Flight will be useful on any terrain heavy board as he is only a size 2 character. Poison isn’t a common condition but an extra immunity is always helpful. As a side note, in the comics the Inhumans have often been portrayed with a weakness to the pollutants of the human world so it is odd that in MCP they often have this as an immunity!
Verdict
Overall King Black Bolt should do well on a narrow map setup. It won’t take much for him to hit multiple opponents with 7 dice energy attacks multiple times. With his in-built Inhuman rerolls and the potential for displacement he will certainly make a big impact when he hits the table. Additionally a medium base, medium move, flight and immediate access to hit and run will make him very mobile. And 4 defence across the board with a defensive reroll and damage reduction should make him difficult to take down.
The issue that King Black Bolt will have is that he competes with the original Black Bolt but without himself having a leadership ability. Considering how strong the ‘King of the Inhumans’ leadership is, time will tell if King Black Bolt will be able to justify his spot in Inhumans squads. On maps where the opponents are clustered together is where he will really shine and he may be a specialist you bring specifically for those situations. The latest map changes hurt King Black Bolt specifically as he would have loved to beam multiple opponents on a Gamma Wave or Research Station mission. For these reasons I’m ranking him lower than I might otherwise. C+
Who Is Maximus the Mad?
Maximus the Mad is the younger brother of Black Bolt and is usually characterised by his high intellect combined with mental instability, hence his title “The Mad.” He is obsessed with taking the throne from his brother and with Medusa, Black Bolt’s wife. Maximus possesses the ability to manipulate the minds of others, granting him the power to influence their thoughts and actions. Throughout most of his history, he has attempted to usurp Black Bolt’s throne, enjoying mixed success but often being thwarted by his own madness.
Character Card
For base stats Maximus is a 4 threat character with 2, 3, 5 defences. 2 Physical defence may end up problematic as physical is the most common attack type and physical defence is also used for dodging collisions. His innate Inhuman rerolls and ability to modify opponent’s dice may help his survivability somewhat though.
Brain Freeze is Maximus’ first attack. A range 4, 5-dice mystic attack which gives power equal to the damage dealt. For each wild rolled the opponent loses power which is a nice extra bonus to this builder but a sap power that gave Maximus power on wilds would be much appreciated.
Neuro Annihilation is Maximus’ spender. A range 3, 9-dice mystic attack for 5 power. Opponents cannot modify or add defence dice vs this attack which means their critical defences won’t ‘explode’ and that they won’t be able to use any defensive rerolls. On a wild it gives the stagger condition. The ability to prevent an opponent ‘spiking’ on their dice and getting a really strong roll is good. 5 power is quite expensive though so you will only use this if you are flush with power or really need it.
Leadership
Call Me Maximus the Magnificent! is Maximus’ leadership ability. There is a new mechanic here which we have not seen before – a forced reroll. The first time each turn an allied character is attacking or defending each turn it must reroll a dice. If that dice is a skull then, after the attack is resolved then the opponent places your model within range 1. The upside to this is obvious. It’s rare to roll all successes on your dice the first time around so the opportunity to reroll is always welcome.
On top of that there is a 7/8 chance not to roll a skull and even when you do it fuels power for Maximus. The downside however is big as your opponent placing your model can displace you off objectives, out of range for your own follow up attacks or even trigger certain abilities of theirs like ‘Tricks and Traps’ on Mysterio. On top of that applying to your own defence dice means your opponent can start each turn attacking one of your activated characters to fish for the skull with no way to prevent it. At least on attack your second action can be to move back into position.
As we haven’t seen an effect like this before there are some open questions on how it will work. What happens if you are not allowed to modify dice against an opponent? What will happen if you only roll skulls which cannot be modified? Once these models are released the rules forum should answer these for us. Overall this leadership is likely to be more fun than good; the upside is potentially strong but the downside could cost you the game.
Did You Forget Why You Are Here? is Maximus’ first active superpower. Once per turn, for 2 power he can choose a character with an activated token and advance them short. Interestingly this power doesn’t limit itself to enemies or allies. It potentially helps mitigate the downside of his own leadership but the limitation on once per turn means it will never completely fix the positioning that your opponent places on you.
It’s Madness, My Favorite Kind is Maximus’ second active superpower. For 2 power when an enemy character within 3 makes an attack, during the modify dice step of the attack this character can reroll 2 of the attacking character’s dice. This is an extremely strong superpower and an upgraded version of what we have already seen on Crimson Dynamo. As this happens in the modify dice step you will have already seen what your opponent rolled when you decide whether or not to use the power. On top of that, rerolling your opponent’s dice will allow you to prevent key triggers on their attacks as well as blunting the damage they put out.
Often a character will start their activation with a builder attack to hope to build up enough power to do a superpower or spender attack later. It’s Madness can be used to stop that first attack making their entire turn less impactful.
Maximus has the standard Inhuman superpower allowing him to reroll 1 die in attack or defence and an immunity to poison.
Verdict
An in-affiliation mystic attacker will be a welcome addition to the Inhumans roster. The downside of Maximus’ leadership might be a little too harsh to justify his use competitively though he will certainly be a lot of fun on the table. His ability to modify an opponent’s dice should help on tight attrition scenarios where you can save his power to effectively blunt your opponent’s attacks. He may be particularly good into Web Warriors who hate mystic attacks, have key triggers on their attacks and want to move you off points. C+
Who Is Karnak?
Karnak is a key member of the Inhuman Royal Guard, first appearing in “Fantastic Four” #45 in 1965. He is the cousin of Black Bolt and possesses the ability of “perfect perception,” allowing him to see weaknesses in people, objects, and plans, making him an exceptional strategist. Karnak is also a skilled martial artist and has served as an advisor to Black Bolt, helping navigate the complex challenges faced by the Inhuman royal family. His unique abilities and role in the Inhumans’ storylines make him a vital character in their legacy within the Marvel universe.
Stat-wise, Karnak is a 3 threat character with 5 health on both his injured and healthy sides. and 3/3/4 defences and a medium move on a small base. Base stat wise there is nothing special here being fairly average for a 3-threat character.
Shattering Strike is Karnak’s first attack. A range 2, 5-dice physical attack that gives him power based on the damage dealt and on a wild can push any size character away. With 5 dice and an Inhuman reroll he has just under a 60% chance to get the push. It’s important to note that this does not say ‘may’ push so there are times when Karnak will want to do 2 attacks into an opponent but the first push away puts them outside his range.
Let Me Show You Your Flaw is Karnak’s spender. A range 3, 7-dice physical attack for 4 power. This attack is pure damage and has no additional displacement triggers. The main benefit is counting both your and your opponent’s skulls in successes. Counting skulls is particularly powerful into characters with defensive rerolls as generally they will be unable to reroll out of skulls. Thematically this attack is on point as he is damaging his opponent based on their own skulls aka their flaws.
Meditate is Karnak’s first superpower. Once per turn, for one action he can gain 2 power. This ability will be particularly useful under the original Black Bolt’s leadership as this additional power can be passed onto characters who otherwise struggle to generate their own power. Under that leadership it also makes certain turn 1 shenanigans easier to achieve.
Teaching of the Three Words is Karnak’s second superpower for 4 power he can change up to 2 of an ally within 3’s skull results into successes. As this happens in the calculate successes step it is after all other dice modification and you will have near perfect information on how impactful it will be. Knowing that, you can guarantee 2 damage or prevent 2 damage can be the difference between dazing an opponent or surviving a key attack.
Pinpoint Weakness ties all Karnak’s other abilities together. For 2 power after he attacks an opponent or after he has been attacked he can give them a weakness token/move a weakness token onto them.
For passives, Karnak can reroll 1 dice in his attack and defence rolls as an Inhuman and counts blanks as successes from physical and energy attacks within range 2 with martial artist.
Analyzing Strike shows you what that weakness token does. When attacking or defending against an opponent with a weakness token he adds 3 dice. After attacking an opponent with a weakness token it is removed. This is a similar ability that we have seen on Drax and can be very powerful. It can turn his Shattering strike into an 8 dice attack or his Let me Show you your flaws into 10 dice counting skulls. For one attack it can turn his defences vs a specific character into 6/6/7 and with his inbuilt Inhumans reroll and martial artist this can make him very difficult to one shot. For context if he is in martial arts range and the opponent has a weakness token if they attack him with a basic 5 dice physical attack they do 0.18 damage on average!
Verdict
The one aspect that Karnak is missing is action economy. He has no access to charge or other movement tools so may have to rely on Royal Decree from Medusa or Lockjaw’s teleport so as to not waste actions moving on his own turn. He will shine most when he can take on a single opponent on a flank where the weakness token mechanic will give him the boost he needs to overpower them. He is far from invincible though and when attacked by an opponent without a weakness token from outside martial arts range he’s just as fragile as an average 3 threat. Just like we learned in Indiana Jones, no matter how good you are at martial arts, the gun wins. B+
Who Is Gorgon?
Gorgon is another key member of the Inhuman Royal Guard, first appearing in “Fantastic Four” #44 in 1965. As a result of his transformation in the terrigen mist Gorgon has goat-like hooves which enable him to stomp on the ground and create seismic shockwaves. He is fiercely loyal to the Inhuman Royal Family. Charging into battle in the name of their home, Attilan.
Character Card
Gorgon is a 3 threat character with 4/3/3 defences and 6/5 health. Defensively the 4 physical is a welcome addition as it will also help when he needs to dodge collisions but overall his defences are only slightly above average for a 3 threat.
Mace Strike is his first attack, a range 2, 5-dice physical attack that builds power equal to the damage dealt and has a stun trigger on a wild. When you factor in his inherent Inhuman reroll he has just under 60% chance to stun his opponent.
Hoof Quake is another free attack but doesn’t build power. A beam 3, 4 dice energy attack that gives shock on a wild. With one less dice than Mace Strike the chances of the shock are only around 50% but being a beam attack means he may have the opportunity to shock multiple opponents in a single activation.
God Crusher (Or Goo Crusher in that font) is his spender. For 4 power it is a range 3, 8 dice physical attack. It is guaranteed to throw a size 4 or less character away short after the attack and gives a stagger on a wild. The stagger has a roughly 75% chance to happen so won’t happen every time but with 8 dice with a reroll and a throw you might not end up needing it. It’s worth noting that this attack is almost the same as the Hulk’s spender who himself is a 6 threat!
Gorgon’s first superpower is charge, the standard 2 power to combine a move and attack action into one. Under the original Black Bolt’s leadership this means that he will often be a key target to pass a power to for early charges.
You’re Going to Have to Deal With Me First lets him force an opponent within range 2 to attack him rather than their target for 2 power. Forcing an opponent to attack your 3 threat instead of your more valuable characters will always be useful. The issue Gorgon has is that other than a reroll he doesn’t have any defensive tech or damage reduction so he may not be able to tank as many attacks as you would like.
Finally as a standard Inhuman Gorgon has the Inhuman reroll on attack and defence and an immunity to poison.
Verdict
With access to charge Gorgon will have the mobility to get stuck in the fight where he is needed. Hoof Quake not generating power will mean it will likely only be used when you really need to try to shock multiple opponents but the Goo Crusher spender is very strong. It’s difficult not to compare him to Luke Cage the difference being Gorgon has better action economy but Luke can better take a hit with his damage reduction. Overall he feels like he will be the offensive version of a Luke Cage especially when you take into account his team tactics card. A
Team Tactics Cards
The Great Refuge lets an Inhumans character with an active leadership spend any amount of power, for each 2 power spent place an allied Inhumans character without an objective within range 3. There are a lot of options with this card. Although this could be used by any Inhumans leader the original Black Bolt is the most likely leader to have the power to make the most of it especially as he starts on 2 power from round 1. An early use of the card would let you move a long moving character like Quicksilver or Crystal range 3 up in their first activation giving them the opportunity to safely steal an opponent’s home objective. Alternatively you could save up power later in the game to move multiple characters into the optimal position. Out of activation movement is very valuable in this game and deciding when to use this card will require some planning especially as once your characters are holding objectives in the mid-game they won’t be viable targets. A+
Royal Guardians is an unaffiliated reactive card that lets either Gorgon or Karnak spend 3 power to place within 1 of an ally being attacked in range 3 and become the new target of the attack. If they survive they either give the attacker a weakness token in Karnak’s case, or shock and stun in Gorgon’s case. In a similar vein to Heroes for Hire, being tied to 2 characters can be a benefit in itself with the flexibility it brings. Being able to place Karnak in range 1 of the ally being attacked may put him in martial arts range of the enemy to count blanks on defences and make it more likely to survive the initial attack. The issue with using Karnak as the target is that either, there is no secondary effect as his weakness token is elsewhere. Or he does put a weakness token on them and then they have no incentive to attack Karnak again. Gorgon makes a slightly more attractive recipient as once he is in range he will be able to taunt any follow up attacks from a target who should then be shocked. A
Inhomo Supremis is a reactive Inhumans card that lets any Inhumans character pay 4 power in the power phase, then for the rest of the round any character with the Inhumans superpower can reroll an additional dice in their attack rolls. As it lasts for the entire round it could lead to a huge amount of additional output for your characters especially ones like King Black Bolt or crystal who will roll multiple attacks per activation. It will also help characters like Medusa who have key triggers that they want to hit. Under Black Bolt’s leadership you can manipulate power in your previous round to ensure a character has the necessary 4 power in the following power phase. It’s worth noting that not all Inhumans affiliated characters have the Inhumans superpower so those who married into the family like Beast or Ronan won’t get any benefit but can still pay the cost if needed. A-
Inhuman Queen allows you to give Medusa a leadership at the cost of a tactics card. Once per turn when an allied character Dazes or KO’s an enemy character it may gain one power, remove one damage and advance short. This is very similar to Malekith’s The Dark Council leadership but benefiting the character doing the dazing rather than another character. The benefits are high especially the out of activation movement. The issue with this card is that Black Bolt already has such a strong leadership and the main situation that this leadership will be used is when using King Black Bolt. On top of that the ‘once per turn’ stipulation means that you are end up losing much of the benefit when you daze multiple characters at once. C+
Plots within plots costs Maximus 4 power in the power phase. Until the next cleanup phase when a character ends a movement within 2 of an ally, another character not within 2 may advance short. There are a few things to unpack here, as it is an unaffiliated card there may be reasons to play this outside of Inhumans. It would be fantastic in a Spider Foes traps list, allowing Mysterio to float around wherever he needs to. Within Inhumans it could help them on wider maps where characters like Black Bolt can struggle. The issue will be ensuring Maximus has 4 power in the power phase as he spends his power effectively already. A
Genetic Prophecy is the final card in the box. An allied Blackagar Boltagon (either Black Bolt) can play this in the power phase as long as you have 2 fewer VP than your opponent. You gain 2 VPs but this round Black Bolt can’t make attack actions. 2 Victory points is certainly a big upside but not being able to make attack actions with your 5 or 6 cost model may not be worth it. Neither Black Bolt have throw superpowers that could affect the battle outside of attack actions and if your model is just making two move actions it may as well be a 2 threat. On top of that with their attack actions they may be able to daze key models preventing 2 or more victory points from the opponent. C+
And there we have it the Inhuman Royal Court. This box should be a fantastic addition to any Inhumans player’s arsenal and brings some much needed life to the affiliation.
For more on the Inhumans check out our affiliation spotlight or our affiliation overview.
Have any questions or feedback? Drop us a note in the comments below or email us at contact@goonhammer.com. Want articles like this linked in your inbox every Monday morning? Sign up for our newsletter. And don’t forget that you can support us on Patreon for backer rewards like early video content, Administratum access, an ad-free experience on our website and more.
