The guys over at Turn Zer0 Gaming have been championing a list called BDT, but what is it and how does it play?

The list is simple: Captain America, Hulk and Thor played on Gamma Shelters, with pretty much any extract you like. It is a powerful and versatile list with a few ways of playing it, but there are some strategies you will see used commonly.

Turn one

There is a general game plan the list uses. It may deviate from this in specific match ups, but it has a recurring powerful play it makes.

Typically, The BDT player will be outnumbered. 4 is a common team size for a 15 threat gamma shelters build, and 5 is not uncommon. That means their early turns can be passes to let opposing characters advance. The opponent may claim extracts, but that doesn’t bother the BDT player that much.

Cap might go and grab an extract if the scenario allows, but he will typically end up at or around the central gamma shelter. Hulk hangs back on the first turn, securing the closest gamma shelter, and importantly staying within range 2 of Thor, who has not activated yet.

In the final activation of the round, Hulk Gamma Launches Thor to the middle shelter, by which time there is normally a choice of opposing targets. Between Thor’s size 4 throw and two strike attacks, it is very likely he will daze someone.

A vital skill in this list is target priority. Knowing which characters to choose to attack and which to ignore is the difference between winning and losing.

After one activation form the opponent, the round ends, with priority in the hands of the BDT player for round two. Powered up by his strikes from round one, Thor can activate again first in round two and stands a good chance of KOing the character that he dazed. Suddenly, your opponent finds themselves down 3-4 threat on a 15 threat crisis. That kind of disadvantage is hard to come back from. The BDT player brings Hulk in to the centre, protected by Cap and Thor can threaten the far Gamma Shelter, or the powerful attackers can aim for a board wipe.

Patch Up and Brace for Impact can keep the heavy hitters in the game and Field Dressing can prevent losing an activation.

Countering BDT

It’s a really strong list, well tailored and you will lose to if you haven’t got a plan. Here are some suggestions for what to do about it.

• Don’t play their game – make sure you select a secure scenario that isn’t Gamma Shelters. Only works half of the time, but does work!
• Tech your list – I think Wakanda Wave has tools and a game plan that can work. It becomes a highly technical matchup, which will likely be won by the player with more experience, or to an extent, better dice.
• Cede the centre – don’t try to contest the central gamma shelter. Hang back on turn 1, maybe grab some wide or close extracts so you don’t fall too far behind on scoring. Prevent Thor from getting a big alpha strike on round one, and deal with him in the following rounds.
• Keep Brace for Impact available – Thor’s two attacks by themselves aren’t that likely to daze or KO a character with no damage on them. The throw really skews the maths, so removing it from the equation helps a lot.
• Hold back a counterpunch – a character like Killmonger or Valkyrie can be a real threat to Thor and Hulk. They will likely be a high priority target for the BDT player to go after, so keeping them back and threatening to go after either Hulk or Thor with them can force the BDT player to change how they are playing those characters. That might mean your damage dealer is hanging back and securing you closest gamma shelter, but that may keep you opponent on edge and affect their plans.

Sadly, that’s not all

Although the list often fires a Thor at you, there is more to it than that. Even if you mitigate the launched Thor, it has the power to daze characters quickly, and every character has a throw to keep you off the gamma shelters. There are more tricks it can pull, but if you can reduce the impact of Thor in the early game, you stand a chance.