Crisis Selection Scoundrels

I am a huge fan of Super Powered Scoundrels under Mystique. Mystique wants fast scoring crisis that encourage wide strategies and scoundrels checks both of those boxes. This article assumes you run a similar list with Rhino/Voodoo and Hulk in your 10. Here we will explore why I believe Mystique is one of the strongest scoundrel teams and what our opening turns on scoundrels looks like.

Kingpin, Sam and Miles

CS, Avengers and Web Warriors are all incredibly strong scoundrels teams. Let's look at each one and how we matchup into them.

Kingpin

Kingpin CS is not as one note as it once was as some still opt for the multiple 2's and some opt for less models but stronger models. Either way Kingpin is not typically bringing Voodoo or a lot of size 4 displacement where we have displacement and potentially 3 size 4 characters.

If you are a Mystique Rhino team you have 3 size 4 charecters that are difficult to move off points, are mobile (Juggs, Hulk) and 2/3 can displace opposing size 4's. This helps mitigate the early advantage Kingpin CS has. I would still expect Kingpin to get an early secure lead depending on priority.

If you are a Voodoo player then you have an amazing control tool to win secures and extracts. Voodoo is as close to a silver bullet as you get against Kingpin and combined with Hulk and Juggernaut you have plenty of ways to win the secures.

Miles

Web Warriors are a matchup I am less familiar with but Juggernaut and Hulk offer interesting puzzles for Web Warriors. Juggernaut is very difficult for web warriors to move and Hulk can be moved by gwen but not a ton else. Voodoo is again an amazing control tool here but if you opted for Rhino his mobility and size are useful here as well. This article will be updated if/when I get more reps into web warriors on this crisis but I can't imagine the matchup is bad enough to make me not take Scoundrels.

Sam

Sam is problematic. Sam being able to displace Mystique, Toad and Voodoo in 1 activation while being very fast is an issue for us. Our team on this crisis isn't great at killing which means well time Heroes For Hires/Taunts can be rough in the matchup. They bring their own Voodoo neutralizing our Voodoo advantage. Overall this is a tough matchup but not enough to make me not want to bring Scoundrels in my 3 secures as Mystique.

The Mystique Token

The Mystique token is an amazing tool on scoundrels because it can be leveraged in two ways. A Token can be dropped on a home secure before moving towards an opponents secure giving us an effective 6th model. Alternatively the token can be dropped by Hulk going last. Hulk attacks/throws to ensure his secure is ours, drops a token and then leaps towards another secure to go contest/secure that point. This is an incredibly strong late round tactic to create major VP swings.

Openings

Mystique's opening of safe grabs and placing Hulk/Voodoo or Hulk/Rhino into the center after activating Hulk last is very strong.

Here we can see that Juggernaut and Toad have safe grabbed and moved onto one of our secures while Rhino/Hulk have moved to take the center. This is opening is contextual based on opponent (Do they have a Hulk/Malekith?). Next round we'll drop a token on a back secure and begin moving towards our opponents secure. The Mystique token will help us set up a VP swing for round 2.

Here we see Rhino and Juggernaut moving to take our opponents secures. Rhino is unlikely to daze a target here but demands our opponents attention and threatens Robbery. Juggernaut can move a target with his attack and has access to his TTC to secure the opponents back point. We hope this pressure prevents our opponent from moving towards our side. If they choose to rotate then you drop a token with Toad and move him towards Mystique or vice-versa. Mystique and Toad's mobility and token drop is a great way to effectively pass a turn and force your opponent to commit to a plan that you can react to with Hulk.

If the opponent does not choose to move towards your side then you can save the token for Hulk to drop at the end of the round and use Hulk to hopefully take 2 points this round. Rounds 2-4 are highly contextual but your goal is to use Rhino/Voodoo and Juggernaut to create pressure your opponent reacts to. It is up to you to leverage Toad, Mystique and Hulk to react appropriately to the situation but your mobility and token drop give you plenty of options.