http://www.hcrealms.com/forum/showthread.php?s=&threadid=83675 The Strategy of Scenario Construction Taking Hulk #300 from comic book pages to playable game. Originally, I had no plans to enter the article competition. However, thanks to a recommendation in Wizard, I hopped on eBay and picked up a (relatively cheap) copy of [COLOR=green]The Incredible Hulk[/COLOR] #300, way back from 1984. The art and writing are OK, compared to other comics of the time (and thusly, seems a bit `dated' by today's standards.) However, the story is what really caught my attention. [b]THE STORY:[/b] Dr. Strange's attempt to cure Dr. Banner are thwarted by his arch-rival Nightmare, causing the Banner persona to be "lost forever" and unleashing... the savage Hulk! Without Bruce's mitigating influence, Hulk rampages across Manhattan, resulting in the mayor calling for an evacuation of the island. As SHIELD agents (led by Gabriel Jones) in hoverfighters foolishly try to take down the monster, we're treated to cameos of Spider-man and Daredevil saving innocent victims from Hulk and stampeding crowds alike. There's also a surprisingly good couple pages of riot police armed with shotguns, ready to try and stop the Hulk, fully aware of the futility of their plan. While Dr. Strange searches for a dimension suitable to banish the Hulk, the Human Torch, Power Man and Iron Fist all try to slow the green goliath's destruction, but to no avail (Power Man is thrown [i]through[/i] a couple buildings for his trouble, and Iron Fist has the power of his punch reflected [i]back[/i] at him.) Luckily, the mayor's phone call finally comes to fruition, as the Avengers show up. Vision, Scarlet Witch, the Wasp, (the second) Captain Marvel and Starfox all try their best, but it comes down to Thor and Hulk fighting to a standstill. At last, Dr. Strange shows up, and banishes the Hulk to another dimension... [b]BUILDING THE SCENARIO:[/b] Just reading the above, you can see a shopping list of clix to include. Naturally, we don't have any clix for Starfox, Captain Marvel, Power Man and Iron Fist (or the SHIELD hoverfighters, for that matter.) There's still a shopping list to choose directly from the book, for purists: Dr. Strange E 71 Gabriel Jones 17 SHIELD Troopers 11/14/17 Daredevil E (CM) 43 SWAT Specialists 17/18/22 Spider-man (IC) 112 Human Torch E 59 Vision 112 Scarlet Witch V 40 Wasp E 33 Thor R 109 and, naturally Hulk (XP) 201 The essence of the scenario is the heroes, most entirely outclassed, still doing their best to take on the unstoppable monster. One good trend I think we will be seeing in a growing number of scenarios out there is the use of the upcoming Power Cosmic team ability. This ability lets the user push without taking damage, and also the user's powers and abilities are immune to being canceled (which removes the fatal flaw of Outwit.) This is handy for scenarios such as this, where any single figure would be at a *vast* action token deficit from any other team. Using it lets the 'unstoppable monsters' (Hulk, Juggernaut, etc.) take on entire teams of figures, and remain a viable threat. Thusly, I would let Hulk use the Power Cosmic team for this scenario, to simulate this. Now, to mix up the heroes a bit. First, substitutions. Obviously, you could use any flavor of SHIELD you want; ditto the police. Gabe Jones would be wise to bring a Mandroid Armor or two, in fact. You can bring your favorite mix of Avengers, or swap in your favorite good guy team. Or get creative: maybe Nick Fury springs a bunch of Spidey villains from Riker's, bartering their freedom on the condition that they take down the Hulk. And I doubt Kingpin and Doc Ock are going to sit idly by while their city is torn down to the Stone Age. Even the lowly Thug has civic pride!* Adding in a couple of the street level/Marvel Knight-type heroes (Blade, Moon Knight, etc.) also helps capture the feel of the comic. These guys aren't the kind to normally take on Hulk-level fights, but they can run interference. 400 points of good guys is about right, in the end. Want a little more spice? Maybe Nightmare's been lurking nearby to watch his handiwork unfold, and shows up at the beginning of turn three on a random table edge to even out the odds. He's not exactly a one-man crime wave, but his presence will definitely throw a monkeywrench into the do-gooders' plan. (No Power Cosmic for him, though. He knows when to hold 'em, and when to fold 'em.) I recommend an outdoors urban map, with [i]plenty[/i] of objects. Add a handful of generic bystander tokens to be rescued (and thusly earn the heroes some extra points.) The player controlling the Hulk can also run the bystanders, with the strict instructions that the bystanders' only job is to run away from the big green machine, and get in the heroes way. No attacking the good guys with the paper boy! There you have it. The beast is unleashed, and it's up to your stalwart defenders to stop it. The above is a good strategy for building a scenario: take the comic as a source; figure out what you want to do with it; come up with a list of figures to use (and alternates); finally, the brass tacks. Please, send me any comments in a PM here (username PMMJ) or an e-mail (paul at otd dot com). Thank you for reading. -P. * - However, all the Con Artists took the first bus across the river.