CMON’s DC Super Heroes United Gamefound campaign continues to captivate backers with a slew of new character reveals, gameplay mechanics, & exclusive add-ons. As the project gains momentum, fans of both DC Comics & tabletop gaming are witnessing the emergence of a rich, immersive experience that promises to bring the iconic superhero universe to life like never before.
Check out our review of Marvel United Here
Ra’s al Ghul: The Head of the Demon
One of the most significant additions to DC Super Heroes United is the introduction of Ra’s al Ghul as a formidable villain. Known as the Head of the Demon, Ra’s al Ghul presents players with a unique challenge through his “Destroy Evil” master plan. The game begins with only civilians populating the various locations, but Ra’s al Ghul’s influence quickly spreads as he adds his thugs across the board.
Ra’s al Ghul’s gameplay mechanics are intricate & thematic. He can cause overflows, converting civilians into thugs, & when under pressure, his plan escalates, turning even more civilians into his followers. As a master strategist & expert fighter, Ra’s al Ghul can deal devastating blows to heroes, either by knocking them out or causing overflows that advance his twisted goal of destroying evil.
A key element of Ra’s al Ghul’s strategy involves the placement of Lazarus Pits in certain locations. These mystical pools ensure that if Ra’s is defeated near them, he immediately returns, ready to continue his nefarious plans. The threat cards associated with Ra’s al Ghul introduce his deadly henchmen, including Fadir Nasser & Talia al Ghul, whose defeat can actually cause the “Destroy Evil” track to recede. Other notable henchmen like David Cain & Lady Shiva bring their own unique abilities to the table, adding layers of complexity to the villain’s strategy.
Jonah Hex: The Bounty Hunter Rides In
On the heroic side, the campaign has unveiled Jonah Hex as a playable character. This grizzled bounty hunter introduces a unique “Bounty” mechanic to the game. At the start of the game, Jonah can assign Bounty tokens to up to two villains or henchmen. If he manages to defeat these marked targets, he gains a Wild token, providing players with strategic choices & rewards for focused play.
Jonah Hex’s abilities reflect his comic book persona perfectly. As a deadly shooter, he can “fan” his attacks, striking both his current location & an adjacent one. His “Fast on the Draw” ability allows him to gain tokens for extra shots or to recharge his gear. In true Western fashion, Jonah can also choose to give up on a Bounty to avoid being attacked, showcasing his tactical mindset.
The character’s resilience is represented by his ability to ignore one damage after charging his Starting card. Additionally, Jonah’s unique equipment, the Quickdraw Holster, allows him to fire surprise shots at enemies in adjacent locations, further emphasizing his sharpshooting skills.
Ocean Master: Atlantis Rises
Another exciting villain addition is Ocean Master, Orm, the half-brother of Aquaman. Ocean Master’s goal is to reclaim his place as the ruler of Atlantis & exact revenge on the surface world. His gameplay revolves around flooding the world, represented by Water tokens placed on half the game’s locations at the start.
Ocean Master’s attacks are particularly devastating in Water locations, & he can summon lightning to strike heroes in every location with Water. His Dagon Warrior thugs are tougher to defeat in Water locations, adding an extra layer of challenge for the heroes.
The villain’s “Thalassokinesis” threats allow him to move Water tokens around the board, creating a dynamic & ever-changing battlefield. Ocean Master’s ultimate goal is represented by Crisis tokens, which occupy Thug/Civilian slots in locations. These tokens are added through various game events, including when Ocean Master takes damage in a Water location. If half the locations have the majority of their slots filled with Crisis tokens, Ocean Master achieves victory, successfully flooding the world.
Young Justice: The Next Generation of Heroes
In a nod to the younger generation of DC heroes, the campaign has unlocked a Young Justice Team Deck. This addition focuses on teamwork & experience gain, featuring characters such as Superboy from Metropolis, Black Canary from the JSA, & Red Tornado (as a stretch goal). The deck introduces interesting dynamics that reflect the nature of these young heroes working together.
The Young Justice Team cards allow teammates to gain different Action tokens & experience. When a hero performs the same Action twice, they gain a token corresponding to that action, representing their growing expertise. The team also gains access to the Bio-Ship, enabling coordinated movement around the board.
However, true to the nature of young heroes, the deck also introduces potential conflicts. Petty rivalries can cause heroes to lose Action tokens or exhaust Equipment if they are nearby when a teammate clears a Threat, adding an interesting risk-reward element to team play.
Hawkgirl: Reincarnated Warrior Takes Flight
Hawkgirl joins the roster of playable heroes, bringing with her the power of Nth Metal & a unique connection to her partner, Hawkman. Her abilities reflect her reincarnation lore, allowing her to gain Action tokens when clearing Threats, representing the accumulated knowledge from her many lives.
Fused with Nth Metal, Hawkgirl gains Action tokens whenever the Villain activates in her location. Her Nth Metal Wings grant her impressive mobility, allowing her to damage multiple enemies as she flies between locations.
Hawkgirl’s signature weapon, the Thanagarian Mace, can double the damage of her attacks against any enemy. In a touching nod to her relationship with Hawkman, she can throw the mace to him, allowing him to wield it even after it’s been exhausted.
Captain Cold: The Icy Villain Freezes the Competition
Captain Cold’s primary objective is to commit crimes while keeping heroes at bay using his infamous Cold Gun. His unique gameplay mechanic involves adding Crisis tokens to surrounding locations whenever he activates, effectively freezing these areas. This creates a significant obstacle for heroes, as they become unable to leave frozen locations without first spending actions to thaw their way out. Captain Cold’s strategy also involves shortening his path to victory by adding facedown Master Plan cards to the Storyline whenever an Overflow occurs or a Hero is knocked out.
The villain’s Threat cards introduce support from The Rogues, Captain Cold’s team of super-criminals. Each Rogue brings their own abilities to the game: Mirror Master mimics the latest Hero card played, Pied Piper attracts Thugs & Civilians, Heat Wave damages Heroes while unfreezing locations, The Top forces Heroes to move or lose a card, & Captain Boomerang attacks Heroes in adjacent locations. An unclearable Threat card enhances The Rogues’ coordination, activating all their special abilities & allowing one to return when Captain Cold moves to their location. This ensemble of villains adds depth & variety to Captain Cold’s strategies, promising engaging & challenging gameplay for DC Super Heroes United players.
Etrigan the Demon: Hellfire & Dark Magic
Summoned by Jason Blood, Etrigan brings powerful abilities to the hero roster. His constant self-healing ability ensures he won’t easily return to his otherworldly realm, providing sustained support to the team.
Etrigan’s dark magic allows him to relocate various elements on the board, including Thugs, Civilians, Heroes, Villains, & even Threats. This versatile ability offers players numerous tactical options. His hellfire attacks not only deal significant damage to enemies but can also set them ablaze, causing continued damage over time.
Condiment King: A Saucy Surprise
In an unexpected twist, the campaign introduces Condiment King as a villain. While seemingly comical, this character brings unique & potentially frustrating mechanics to the game. Condiment King’s strategy revolves around embarrassing heroes by staining their costumes with ketchup & mustard, represented by Stain tokens.
Heroes with Stain tokens are unable to rescue civilians until they clean themselves up, which takes until the end of their turn. This mechanic can lead to Overflows, causing cards to be removed from the Master Plan deck. The effect is even more pronounced if there’s a stained hero in an Overflowing location.
Condiment King’s Threats introduce increasingly potent condiments, from Hot Sauce to Extremely Hot Sauce, each requiring more effort to remove. Stained heroes affected by these Threats must play their cards randomly or even face down, representing their discomfort & rush to find relief.
Katana: Soul-Stealing Blade Joins the Fight
The latest hero addition is Katana, bringing her soul-stealing sword Soultaker to the game. Katana’s traumatic life experiences have honed her skills, allowing her to easily defeat multiple Thugs surrounding her. When facing a single foe, she can deliver a potentially fatal strike that can take down even the toughest Villains.
Reflecting her protective nature, Katana can flip her starting card when about to be knocked out to rescue a couple of Civilians from any location, adding a last-minute heroic option for players in dire situations.
Exclusive Playmat: Enhancing the Gaming Experience
The campaign has also revealed a double-sided neoprene playmat as an exclusive add-on. Priced at $39, this high-quality accessory features both a standard layout & an alternative solo-friendly design. The playmat not only enhances the game’s visual appeal but also helps organize the play area with dedicated spaces for various game elements.
One side of the playmat features a standard game setup with outward-facing locations, themed after Superman, Wonder Woman, & the Hall of Justice. The reverse side offers an alternative layout with all locations facing the same direction, ideal for solo play or when all players are on one side of the table. This side appropriately features a Batman theme.
The playmat includes printed reminders & guides, such as the Mission Guide & slots for various game components, making it an invaluable tool for smooth gameplay.
Check out the our previous coverage of DC Super Heroes United Below
With each update, the DC Super Heroes United’s depth & replayability grow, promising a tabletop experience that will appeal to both hardcore DC fans & board game enthusiasts alike. The mix of well-known characters, unexpected additions, & thoughtful gameplay mechanics suggests that the final product will offer a comprehensive & immersive journey into the world of DC superheroes & villains. The project has already garnered significant interest, with about 21,000 followers on the Gamefound page, indicating potential for success similar to previous CMON campaigns.
At no extra cost to you, The Board Game Site may receive revenue from affiliate and advertising partnerships for sharing this content and from purchases through links.
