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In addition to the abilities added by bystanders, players also have access to heroic traits which can be drawn on any normal turn as an action. A heroic trait is a single use ability that mildly augments the hero – perhaps allowing them to absorb a wound, draw more power or similar. In other Zombicide games, this would normally be the search action – with shotguns and ammo being drawn, rather than superhuman reflexes. The transition is remarkably smooth, and features like this in Marvel Zombies: X-Men Resistance somehow feel completely natural in the existing Zombicide framework. Their step is the enemy spawn. Scattered around the edges of each mission are spawn points where enemy reinforcements appear. Players draw a spawn card for each spawn point and space the designated enemy type and numbers there. The higher the threat level, the more enemies are likely to appear at a spawn point. Some spawn cards can also give enemies extra action, meaning the difference between victory and defeat in some situations.
But being a superpowered zombie isn’t as easy as it sounds. Standing between you and your banquet of famous faces of the Marvel Universe are some of Marvel's most powerful surviving heroes and an army of specially trained S.H.E.I.L.D. agents. As I drag the latest massive box (or boxes) of Zombicide through my door, I often wonder whether it will simply be more or the same. The last time out, when I reviewed Zombicide: Undead or Alive, I was pleasantly surprised by new mechanics and features. However, the newest Zombicide game – Marvel Zombies: X-Men Resistance offers something else entirely. Gone is the endless list of unknown characters, and in their place, an impressive roster of X-Men heroes that almost anyone would recognise. Typically, Zombicide has up to six characters working their way through zombie infested streets and buildings, collecting powerful items and dispatching the undead in their hundreds. This series is a classic dungeon crawler, and objectives might include collecting a few things, opening some doors, maybe even escorting someone from to A to B, but no matter what, the focus is on action above all else. Bystanders make up about 20% of the miniatures in the box and in honesty, I would rather have had half the number of additional heroes (on both sides of the fight.) Bystanders are fairly static, moving only at the end of each round and simply fleeing towards the nearest hero. This could easily have been represented by a cardboard token, but if nothing else it does serve to highlight how keen the designers are to make the importance of bystanders very clear.
The last step is the end phase. At this point, any game effects stated to happen in the end phase happen here and if any zombie heroes were defeated in the round, the game ends and the mission failed. Final Thoughts
Marvel Zombies: X-Men Resistance Is one of the more expensive Zombicide products, yet there is a lot in the box, and there is also the unique possibility of adding that second core box to play a completely different mode with the same components and only minor changes to the rules. This, along with the massive Marvel IP gives Marvel Zombies: X-Men Resistance appeal that other dungeon crawlers (including other entries in the Zombicide series) just can’t match.Like other ‘Zombicide’ games, as players complete objectives and defeat enemies, their zombie heroes gain experience and new abilities. But with each time a level is gained, so does the threat level, taking us into the next round, the enemy phase. On that note, Marvel Zombies: X-Men Resistance captures the theme of both IP’s that it draws upon at the same time. It feels like Zombicide right from the outset, and at the same time, having reviewed the original Marvel Zombies lore, it covers that base extremely well too. Whilst some missions are easier than others, all of them convey a feeling of desperation from the outset. Gain zombie trait’ is the closest equivalent to ‘search’ action from previous games. Rather than searching for weapons and equipment, zombie traits give zombie heroes special abilities that can be used to give them an advantage, such as free actions and bonuses to dice rolls.
Additionally, there are 140 cards. 116 of which consist of Zombie Hero IDs, zombie traits, spawn, bystander and Superhero cards. The remaining 24 cards aren’t usable in the game on their own and are intended to be used alongside the upcoming Marvel Zombies – X-Men Resistance. Next comes a total of 87 miniature game pieces. Broken down into 6 types, including 6 zombified heroes, 6 survivor superheroes, 12 bystanders and 63 S.H.E.I.L.D agents made up of troopers, Specialists and Guards. Including Zombie Hulk and Spider-man, all well-sculpted and a lot of fun to paint, but if painting isn’t your thing, each type of game piece is moulded in a different colour plastic, making it easy to tell who’s who and what’s what on the table. The Marvel iteration of ‘ Zombicide‘ is different enough from previous versions to warrant giving it a go for ‘Zombicide’ and represents the Marvel universe well with its lore-friendly rules for both comic book and MCU fans alike.Inspired by the 2005 ‘Marvel Zombies’ comic book series, ‘ Marvel Zombies – A Zombicide Game’ not only puts you into the shoes of Earth's Mightiest Heroes but also takes a unique spin on the Zombicicde formula by having you play as the ravenous flesh eaters. But being a superpowered zombie isn’t as easy as it sounds. Standing between you and your banquet of famous faces of the Marvel Universe are some of Marvel’s most powerful surviving heroes and an army of specially trained S.H.E.I.L.D. agents. The whole setup takes around 15 minutes at most for the larger games and is made super easy with the instruction, clearly stating what tiles are used and where and the location of all tokens. Game Play Inspired by the 2005 ‘Marvel Zombies’ comic book series, ‘ Marvel Zombies – A Zombicide Game’ not only puts you into the shoes of Earth’s Mightiest Heroes but also takes a unique spin on the Zombicicde formula by having you play as the ravenous flesh eaters.
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