Marvel: Crisis Protocol – Elsa Bloodstone Rules Preview
Elsa Bloodstone is coming to the tabletop in Marvel: Crisis Protocol. Get ready to do some Monster Hunting!
Monsters beware: Elsa Bloodstone is on the prowl and she’s out for blood. Joining the Midnight Sons faction as a new Leader option Elsa is bringing her unique skillset to the faction. Turns out killing Supernatural Monsters has a lot of bleed over when it comes to fighting Super Powered heroes and villains.
“Elsa Bloodstone is the daughter of Ulysses Bloodstone, a legendary monster hunter who began his adventure as a caveman and came across the eponymous Bloodstone, an alien artifact that grants strength, healing, and slowed aging, rendering Ulysses almost immortal. After thousands of years of life, Ulysses views his children as little more than extensions of his monster-hunting enterprise and trained Elsa ruthlessly as a young child. He often would expose her to fearsome beasts to remove her weakness and encourage bloodthirst. What it also encouraged was a hatred for her father and his brutal parenting. After his passing, Elsa took up his monster-hunting career using her late father’s fortune, the Bloodstone, and her extensive weapons and combat training.”
Elsa Bloodstone In Marvel: Crisis Protocol
Elsa is starting off things strong with defenses of 4/3/4 and 6 stamina on both sides of her card. She’s also size 2 with a medium move and a threat of 4. Based on her abilities, that seems about right. She’s also going to be a new leader option for the Midnight Sons giving Blade a little competition. That said, her Leadership ability is also kinda great. Allies can pay an extra energy on their attacks to either cause an AoE of 1 to all characters within range 2 of their targets, apply Root, or cause the damage to bypass damage reductions and preventions from super powers or Team Tactic Cards. Personally, I think that Silver Bullet makes her worth taking by itself…
As far as her own attacks, Monster Hunting Weapons is a nice builder. It’s range 4 and 5 dice so it’s already in a good spot. But if you get a crit, it causes Cursing Shot to trigger which applies Slow. And if you get a wild, it causes Hellfire to trigger which applies Incinerate. So yes, her basic attack can cause two conditions at range 4. That’s a pretty good start!
Her spender attack changes things up. It’s mystic and is range 3 with 6 dice for 1 energy. However, you can pay up to 3 additional energy to boost the number of dice you’re rolling. If you get a wild, the target can’t have any damage removed from it during this Activation Phase. That’s really going to be a problem for folks who have healing factors.
Run and Gun is a 2 cost power that allows her to make an attack action followed by a move action. I kind of wish it was named “Gun and Run” but this is a power we’ve seen before. Elsa also has Supernatural Senses. For 2 energy she can re-roll any number of dice, including skulls, when defending against physical or mystical attacks.
Finally, she’s go the Bearer of the Bloodgem rule. This ability not only prevents her from being Advanced to Placed by mystic attacks, it also acts as a retaliation ability. Any time a character causes her to gain one or more special conditions, that character takes 1 damage.
Team Tactic Card
As far as Team Tactic Cards, Elsa gets access to Covering Fire. This card allows her to essentially take shots at any enemies attacking her crew within Range 4 of her. It’s 2 energy and for these 5 die “attacks” as well. Sure, they only do damage on crits and wilds, but it’s not terrible! Plus the targets don’t get to roll defense against this damage either.
Overall, I think her kit is solid. She’s got decent attacks, strong defenses, and can run somewhat lean on energy. But really it’s her Leadership ability that’s going to shine. The Midnight Sons are really going to benefit from being able to customize their attacks on the fly. The fact that it’s the characters that are attacking and not Elsa having to spend energy is really what I like about it, too. Will it be enough to unseat Blade’s “Bump in the Night” — I think it could! It’s at least worth checking out. I’m going to have to hit up Ben and see what he thinks of her in the Midnight Son now.
Elsa is going to be available on January 31, 2025. She’s current up for Pre-order now.
Elsa Bloodstone & Man-Thing Character Pack – $44.99
Man-Thing is a durable tank, who punishes enemies for damaging his allies. Elsa Bloodstone, in her legendary monster hunter fashion, has ranged attacks that deal with supernatural and natural threats. They both bring an exciting next chapter to Marvel: Crisis Protocol and show just how much more can be added to the game.
Now THAT’S a Monster Hunter.
