Magic: The Gathering's latest Universes Beyond expansion, Marvel Super Heroes, is now available for both tabletop play and Magic: The Gathering Arena. Unlike the previous Marvel-themed set focusing on Spider-Man, this new release introduces robust synergies and introduces novel mechanics that elevate its gameplay.
Magic's head designer, Mark Rosewater, reportedly expressed a strong personal interest in developing a Marvel set. This enthusiasm appears to have translated into the Marvel Super Heroes expansion, which offers a more cohesive and synergistic experience compared to its predecessor. The Spider-Man set, while featuring individual cards that appealed to fans of the characters, lacked the integrated mechanics and interconnected gameplay that define a truly standout Magic set.
One of the new mechanics introduced is Plan, a type of enchantment that requires accumulating plan counters. Once a Plan is completed, it grants a reward. For example, the Plan card "Doom Reigns Supreme" advances whenever a Villain card is played. Upon completion, it forces an opponent to exile the top five cards of their deck, allowing the player to cast two of those cards for free. Additionally, each time a Villain enters the player's control, they gain one life point from each opponent and one life point for themselves.
This mechanic synergizes particularly well with the Doctor Doom card. As a Villain himself, he summons two Doombot tokens upon entering play, both of which also count as Villains. This interaction generates three life points from each opponent and three for the player, while simultaneously advancing the Plan by three counters.
While Plans are exclusive to Villains, the Teamwork ability is accessible to all players and emphasizes synergy. Found on instant and sorcery cards, Teamwork allows players to tap creatures in addition to paying the card's regular cost to activate bonus effects. For instance, the card "HULK SMASH!" normally offers a choice between destroying an artifact or having a creature deal damage equal to its power. With Teamwork, players can accomplish both objectives.
Another universally available mechanic is Power-Up, which grants abilities that can be used only once. Nick Fury's Power-Up ability, for example, allows him to gain two +1/+1 counters and then search the top seven cards of a deck for a Hero, Vehicle, or Equipment card to play for free. If the discovered card is double-faced, either side can be played. This is particularly useful for the set's double-faced cards, which often represent superheroes and their secret identities. Normally, a weaker form might be played first, with an additional cost to flip it later. Nick Fury's Power-Up enables immediate transformation, such as playing Bruce Banner and flipping him to the Hulk.
Power-Up abilities can typically be used only once, but effects that cause cards to leave and re-enter play can recharge them. The Mind Stone, an Infinity Stone card in this set, facilitates this by allowing a card to be flashed out and back in.
Beyond the new mechanics, the Marvel Super Heroes set also offers cards beneficial to existing Magic: The Gathering decks. For players utilizing Merfolk strategies, Namor is a valuable addition, with his power scaling based on the number of Merfolk on the board. Fin Fang Foom provides the ability to copy instants and sorceries that target artifacts and lands, making him a strong inclusion for decks that frequently employ such spells.
