Aleksei Sytsevich, aka Rhino, may be one of the sillier Spider-Man villains in look and concept, but he’s been an absolute terror on the Marvel Crisis Protocol table since his initial launch in early 2023. A massive Size 4 model with unprecedented mobility, Rhino has been further bolstered by his signature Team Tactics Card, This Is A Robbery. This meta-defining Extract token steal, combined with his innate strengths, has made him one of the most popular splash characters in the entire MCP line since release.
However, as part of their yearly Ministravaganza event, Atomic Mass Games recently implemented the long-expected nerf to Robbery. While it doesn’t fundamentally change the card’s effect, and Rhino himself remains the same, Aleksei isn’t quite the point-and-click model he used to be in most affiliations. So, how do you play Rhino most efficiently in his current state? Aggressively.
Rhino: The Basics
Several Marvel Crisis Protocol models dazzle with walls of text and complex attack/superpower interactions, but Rhino isn’t one of them. While his character card is fairly full, it boils down to a straightforward set of effects. However, simplicity can be beautiful.
Taking a look at Rhino’s stat line makes him seem fairly fragile for a supposedly tanky character. While 13 total HP is reasonable, a 3-3-2 defensive spread is below par. However, this is made much more reasonable by his Innate Rhino Hide superpower, which reduces all damage from enemy effects by 1 (to a minimum of 1). Similarly, it may seem counterintuitive that one of the most mobile models in the game only has a short move, but the rest of his card makes it clear how easy it is for Rhino to get where he needs to be.
First, Alekskei’s Stampede Active superpower allows him to be pushed medium, only stopping early when he comes into contact with a terrain feature of Size 3 or greater or another character. Paired with his 65 mm base, this is a massive amount of movement (and it boosts his next attack, too). Moreover, Rhino has an automatic trigger on his lone attack that mandates he place within one of the target character before damage is resolved. Between a medium push and two places (Range 3, plus the size of the opponent’s base, plus the 65 mm of Rhino’s base), almost nobody moves as far and with as much ease as Rhino.
Rounding out Rhino’s card is Aggressive, which gives him even more mobility; Ornery, which improves his Power generation; and an excellent Size 4 terrain throw.
Which Crises Does Rhino Like & Dislike?
Given Rhino’s incredible mobility, he’s especially effective on any of the more spread-out Secures. Stampede means he can rotate between points on a D with one push, then either a move action or an attack on an enemy model (which lets him place on the objective). Similarly, he can bounce around a B quite effectively. His mobility isn’t quite as impactful on bunched-up E and C shape secures, though he’s still worth considering if his Extract steal will provide value. The only combination of Secures and Extracts that Rhino may struggle to contribute to is a slow, bunched-up Secure like Demons Downtown and the “Extract in name only” Research Station.
Turn 0 & The Early Game
Knowing where to deploy Rhino and what to do with his early activations is critical to getting the most out of Aleksei Sytsevich. While this isn’t universally true, it’s generally best if Rhino can either pick up an Extract token round 1 to encourage interaction from enemies and ensure his kit is fueled or line up across from a midline Secure so that he can move, attack an enemy on the objective, then place onto it (his base size, movement distance, and attack range mean he can reach any enemy securing a midline objective if he’s lined up straight across from it). It’s even better if you can do both!
After that, be sure to make Rhino impossible to ignore. Once he has a few Power, he can fuel his Stampede and terrain throw, and it’s easy to keep the Power train going. He’ll likely daze, but that’s ok! He takes a reasonable amount of commitment to take out, and then he can wake up with all the power he needs to use Robbery and the rest of his superpowers.
Using This Is a Robbery Effectively
When This Is A Robbery was released, it cost a minuscule two Power for an incredible effect – Rhino would force an opposing model within Range 1 to drop all Extract tokens it held. If the enemy character dropped any, Rhino could then throw the opposing model Medium. There’s no doubt that this was over the balance line, especially for a character who gains power so exceptionally well. Even without any assistance, it was possible (and often ideal) to line Rhino up directly across from a midline Extract objective, from which his large base and short move would allow him to advance, attack, place via the attack’s special rule, then use the power from the attack to use This Is A Robbery. A 5 dice attack has high odds of doing the one damage necessary for the power to play the card, which was enough even if it didn’t let Rhino himself pick up the Extract then and there. When he gained two power and could play the card and Interact, he sometimes almost won games on the spot.
However, this play pattern is no longer possible except in some extremely niche cases (it’s possible, if unlikely/not ideal, to give him three extra Power before his first activation with leaders like Magneto, She-Hulk, and a few others). Does this make Rhino feel a little worse? Sure. Is it more fair? Absolutely. But it does necessitate different play patterns early in the game.
Previously, it was almost always ideal to avoid picking up an extract with Rhino so he could keep his power and play Robbery as early as possible for that early points swing. Now, It’s usually best to grab an extract and force opponents to interact with Rhino. Aleksei can feel back when enemies ignore him, sometimes taking until round 3 to get the power he needs to fuel his kit. Grabbing an Extract means he’s one down on Power, but enemies can’t generally afford to ignore a scoring model for long.
Which Affiliations Does Rhino Like Best?
Given Rhino has been among the most splashed models in almost every large Marvel Crisis Protocol competitive event since release (his play rate has gone down a bit after the Robbery nerf, but he’s still quite common), the apparent answer to “Which affiliations does Rhino like?” is “Almost all of them.” However, there is, of course, much more nuanced than that. First and foremost, Rhino should be auto-included in any Spider-Foes roster and should be present in the vast majority of Criminal Syndicate lists. These two home affiliations enable him in different ways – Doc Ock, Sinister Scientist helps him stay powered up and gets rid of pesty Incinerates and Shocks, Kingpin appreciates the chunky stat-line, and the others appreciate his general mobility and can help him deal a bit more damage.
Beyond that, Rhino is now competing with Doctor Voodoo, Spider-Woman, Miles Morales, and other characters with an Extract steal for a splash spot if that’s why you’re taking him. However, his mobility and high HP pool help him stand out and continue to dominate his specific niche. Moreover, any affiliation that can quickly funnel him early Power, like Hellfire Club, Brotherhood, or Inhumans, can get Stampeded and Robbery online fast.
So, while Rhino’s card looks pretty simple at first glance, he’s the definition of a model that plays better on the table than he reads. Rhino is a staple in his home affiliations and a meta-defining piece across the game at large. While using This Is A Robbery isn’t quite as easy in terms of timing as it used to be, a simple shift in early-game aggressions ensures that Rhino simply cannot be ignored.
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