The Horsemen of Apocalypse

The Apocalypse is nigh! As we approach the onset of Marvel Champions: The Card Game’s latest expansion, we want to provide a deeper look at each of the scenarios in the Age of Apocalypse campaign.

Today, we’re showcasing the campaign’s second scenario. So, without further ado, let’s take a look at the Four Horsemen!

Rough Riders

As we first introduced in the Age of Apocalypse announcement article, the Four Horsemen scenario pits you against four villains at once: War (Age of Apocalypse, 81A), Famine (Age of Apocalypse, 82A), Pestilence (Age of Apocalypse, 83A), and Death (Age of Apocalypse, 84A). Together, they are The Horsemen of Apocalypse (Age of Apocalypse, 85B), and you will need to defeat all four of them in order to survive.

Similar to past multi-villain scenarios, the Four Horsemen scenario has an “active villain” counter that moves each time a villain activates. However, this time the villains are dealt out in a random order, which affects the order of their activations. This means each time you play the scenario will be slightly different, and depending on the order you face them in, the Horsemen may hit you with some brutal combos.

Like with past multi-villain scenarios, only the active villain will attack or scheme, but there are plenty of cards in the Four Horsemen encounter set that help them assail you even out of turn. For example, each of the Horsemen has a signature side scheme that mimics their inherent abilities: The Ravages of War (Age of Apocalypse, 86) destroys your assets, A Time of Famine (Age of Apocalypse, 87) drains your deck, Plague and Pestilence (Age of Apocalypse, 88) blocks your hero’s powers, and The Specter of Death (Age of Apocalypse, 89) rains destruction on you and your allies. They also each have their own treachery—such as Horseman of War (Age of Apocalypse, 92)—that heals them and lets them activate outside the usual order. Combine this with the Golden Horses (Age of Apocalypse, 90) and Death’s Metal Wings (Age of Apocalypse, 91), and you’ll have to pull out all the stops to keep these Rough Riders (Age of Apocalypse, 96) from overwhelming you!

Of course, the Four Horsemen are not the only ones hunting the heroes. One of the scenario’s recommended encounter sets, Hounds, introduces the insidious Ahab (Age of Apocalypse, 97) into the fray. This ruthless cyborg commands a pack of Hounds (Age of Apocalypse, 98) that can sniff you out even from alter-ego form, and he can hurl an Energy Spear (Age of Apocalypse, 99) at you for some devastating damage. With his ability to Release the Hounds (Age of Apocalypse, 100) immediately upon arrival, this is one foe you can’t afford to take lightly.

With threats like the Horsemen and Ahab at large, it’s no wonder the state of the world is such a dystopian nightmare. Sometimes, you are Hunted (Age of Apocalypse, 72) with additional encounter cards, sometimes you’re so War-Weary (Age of Apocalypse, 73) that it drags you down, and sometimes you’re just Targeted for Extermination (Age of Apocalypse, 74). As the shadow of Apocalypse looms high, you and your fellow heroes will have to pull out all the stops to emerge victorious.

Onward to Apocalypse

Each of the Four Horsemen is threatening on their own; together, they are exceedingly dangerous, and with minions like Ahab in their ranks, they are downright devastating. Of course, even with all their might, the Horsemen pale in comparison to their master. Keep your eye out for more previews of the Age of Apocalypse scenarios in the coming weeks!