The Trophy Room: Celestial Madonna!

[ol_Dut]

<table><tr><td>http://www.hcrealms.com/temp/Mantis.jpg</td><td valign="top">She made it through turning green.
Somehow she made it through.
She got killed by Thanos, but
She beat Galactus, too.

With defeat near complete
Don’t get mad, don’t be sad and blue
Cuz she’ll make you feel
Yeah, she’ll make you feel
Shiny and new

Like a hero
Clicked for the very first time.

OK. Well now I just feel dirty. While I go try to recover from ripping off the Madonna lyrics, click on “Read More” to find out all about the Celestial Madonna. She’s much more interesting than the terrestrial Madonna. I mean she’s green for cryin’ out loud!</td></tr></table>

[ol_Dut]

Celestial Madonna (LE #211 – Mantis)
Type: V Different
Range: 0
Targets: 1
Team: No Affiliation
Range: 0 /
Points: 64
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Veteran Mantis
Range: 0
Targets: 1
#069 V Mantis
Team: None
Range: 0 /
Points: 67
m-normala-normald-normalg-normal8101727916268152810142891416913268131KOKOKOKOKOKOKOKOKOKOKOKOKOKOKOKOKOKOKOKO


LE Celestial Madonna’s Gains vs. Veteran Mantis
Madonna adds one more click of Flurry than the Vet, and she also picks up two clicks of Phasing. On her attack track, the major difference is that Madge has three more clicks of Incapacitate than her red-ringed counterpart. There are also a couple of minor numerical changes – the LE has one more cklick of three (3) damage and one more of 16 defense. The more substantive changes, however, come in the form of one click of Regeneration and two four clicks of Support that she has on the back end of her dial. It’s these powers that really make her an interesting departure from her REV.

LE Celestial Madonna’s Losses vs. Veteran Mantis
Charge is entirely absent from her dial, as are Exploit Weakness and Close Combat Expert – two Mantis REV staples. This is a big clue that we’re dealing with a different animal here. Numerically, the LE also drops one 10 attack and one 17 defense. All told it may not seem like a lot, but it’s more than enough to shift how the figure is used and why it is put in play.

Neutral Dial Tinkering
Veteran Mantis has her two clicks Incapacitate squarely in the middle of her dial. The Boy Toy, however starts off with two up front, and finishes with three more in the trunk which actually lends a lot to the figure's playablity.

Cards That Work
Automatic Regeneration is a great card for the Celestial Madonna. Despite the figure’s lone click of Regeneration, she’s almost guaranteed to be able to use it. Just look at her dial. She gets two “warning” clicks of Phasing to let any player know, “Danger, this figure is about to get Regen.” As soon as that Phasing shows up, use it to get as far away from the enemy as possible, push to heal wounded figures as much as is practicable and then – voila – it’s time to Regenerate! Given her respectable starting 10 attack, she may also get some mileage out of Knockdown to potentially double Incap a figure in one round or Stunning Blow to leverage her high attack and opening three (3) damage. Either of these feats would make her a legitimate threat.

Since her dial is full of ways to dodge attacks and defensive boosts in close combat, she may benefit from Armor Wars. That Battlefield Condition makes certain that her blows hurt their targets, and because she doesn’t have any damage reducers she really doesn’t have anything to loose. Given her lack of range, Darkness will prevent her from getting picked apart at range while she tries to maneuver into position.

If ol_Dut had to Choose
LE Celestial Madonna vs. Veteran Mantis? Vet Mantis is basically Karnak-lite. Some EW, some Charge, some Super Senses – all told a pretty decent offensive potential for a figure with a modest point cost. She’s a good piece, but I would never bring things down to a decision between her and the LE. The pieces are too different. The Vet is going to get into the fight and she’s going to swing away at all comers until either she or they are KO’d. For what she is she’s a decent piece.

The Celestial Madonna starts out as an effective close combat piece. And while some may shun Incap with no range, it can still work out very well for her, especially if a flier sets her down next to her victim. With Super Senses to protect her, she should be able to hang around for a few rounds. But just like on the road, when you see those yellow lights on her dial it’s time to speed up and get the heck outta Dodge. The initial warning comes as Support make its first appearance on her dial, but Phasing one click later will allow her to make good her escape. Then it’s off to tend the wounded. With the promise of Regeneration at the end of her dial, the Celestial Madonna is an extremely push-friendly medic who should be able to get a figure or two back into fighting shape before turning her attentions to herself so that she can do it all over again. And should she be threatened when she is either positioned to heal or Regen, she can use Incap to affect even the most Impervious of opponents.

Looking at the set as a whole, the Celestial Madonna is an important piece. Only three other figures possess Support, and none have it for as many clicks as she does. That makes her a pretty hot commodity within Supernova. Broadening our scope to the entire game, only eleven figures in total have the Support/Regeneration tandem. Of those, she is far less expensive than any of the three Silver Surfers, and no one will ever expect her to front a team. And then there are the six Ravens. But she doesn’t feel as much like a pure support piece like Raven does, who spends most of every game standing in the back looking spooky and doing her best Brittany Spears impersonation. The Material Girls is also more combat-ready than Ghost Widow, who can match neither Madonna’s attack values nor her dial depth. And she just plain makes more sense than Vet Aquaman (Icons), who by the time he hits his Regen/Support tandem will be far better served going the Regen route and getting back into the fight ASAP. Only the Celestial Madonna really pulls off her dual role well.

When my medic chores are being ignored or are otherwise handled by a pure medic, I’ll go for the Vet Mantis. Otherwise I’ll reach for the Celestial Madonna. A capable fighter, and a reliable medic wrapped up with Phasing and Regeneration? I’m sold. She’ll be a great tag-along for any flying primary attacker. And while she may not have the “star power” that some other LE’s in the set have, I’m convinced that given time her fan club will grow.

Quick and Dirty Price Tag
Captain Kirk taught us long ago that green women are good. What more of an endorsement do you need? A paltry $15 or less gets this green woman in your hands every single time, and she's almost certain to be much more fun than a whole pile of Tribbles.

That’s all for this week. Thanks for reading. Next week? Even more Supernova – much less Madonna!

[olcottr]

Great review!

Does Flurry work with Support? :p Yeah, I know it doesn't, but what if it did?

Not a big fan of zero range incap. CM'd make a decent tie-up piece, except for the fact you probably don't want her in the melee when those support clicks come up. Bottom line is you've got to be able to get her out of combat when it's time to heal. Seeing as how she's a close combat fighter, that's going to be difficult if not downright impossible. It would have been much better with the Flurry up front and having Leap/Climb (or the Phasing) on that 4th click.

[Ghost_Rider]

Great review. I agree that the LE and the veteran are much too different to choose one over the other. Both fill specific needs. But I would definitely go with Karnak over Mantis V any day.:laugh:

[scholarx]

Nice article.

I'd have to disagree on the AutoRegen, though. Those yellow-powered 'warning' clicks are just as easily noticed by an opponent. Once the C.Madonna hits that 1st click Support, she's quite the easy target (15def) for any opposing ranged piece... and if they can do 4dmg (with the multitude of 2dmg RCE figs and 4dmg shooters out there, that's a lot of figs), the C.M.'s gonna get knocked past Regen and straight to oblivion. The warning lights work a lot better for the opponent, since they can damage her for multiple clicks... meanwhile, if she wants to get to Regen herself, she'll have to push for it (giving the opponent more opportunity to take her out before she gets the chance to heal herself).

Auto.Regen is just never a good idea on any fig with just one Regen click - no matter how well you know the dial, odds are you're going to have to work too hard to try to get to Regen, while all the opponent has to do is keep hitting. AutoRegen on the C.M. is most likely just going to be a 12pt bonus to your opponent for knocking her green-ness out.

I'm also no big fan of late-dial Support - it makes an already weakened fig an even more desirable target. More often than not, those 'warning lights' on the Celestial Madonna's dial will spell her doom, not her Regeneration. There's no way I'd play a weaker, late-dial Supporter over the vet. secondary Attacker/Harasser.

[tidge]

I was stuck using the Vet on both my Marquee teams...and I did not enjoy it either time. I may use the Avenger version at some point, but neither the LE nor the Vet will get me to invest 60+ points ever again, unless some crazy theme idea demands her use.

Thanks for the review tho'!

[2Face]

I think this is one of your better reviews. I saw CM as being a largely worthless figure at first, but you make some very valuable points aobut her shifting from an attack piece to a support piece. She doesn't really fit my play style since I rarely use support, but I can definately see her value and won't underestimate her when I see her played against me.

[kontrol]

Great review.

And for those looking for a theme with her.

This is the Mantis that hung out with Surfer early in volume 3 of Surfer's comic. The Vet Surfer looks to be the one that symbolizes that time frame, so look to that one or I guess the Norrin Radd LE to team with her.

[SilverySurfer]

Good review. She might be somewhat useful afterall!

[AbeSapien]

Its hard to justify playing any of her versions. She's pretty much a swiss army knife version of Mockingbird, or another way of saying it she's can do a lot more but is in no way streamlined like MB. The Vet is interesting, but I would only play the LE, simply because she has such a unique dial.

[Vevilaughs]

I was really looking forward to having one of the best martial artist on a team I put together. However, I will have to stick with Iron Fist or Karnak for that duty.

Mantis, like most bug-named things, just needs to be stepped on.

[XStreme]

Auto.Regen is just never a good idea on any fig with just one Regen click - no matter how well you know the dial, odds are you're going to have to work too hard to try to get to Regen, while all the opponent has to do is keep hitting. AutoRegen on the C.M. is most likely just going to be a 12pt bonus to your opponent for knocking her green-ness out.

I have to disagree with you here...Automatic Rgeneration can work on some characters with one click of Regen...It goes great on R Drax or LE Barbara Ann Minerva...R Drax has that nice 17 defense on his Regen click which keeps him alive if he gets knocked onto it and Barbara Ann has some really good L/C to get her to safety when she needs it...Throw on Protected on either of those figures and it becomes even simpler to get use out of Auto Regen..anyone TBolted or wildcared to MoE could work with one click of Regen and Auto Regen also...


Good review dut! I really don't like LE Celestial Madonna though...she just seems a little too weak for me, but I could see how some people would get use out her...just not my cup of tea...

[Kite-Man]

She's a bit pricey for 'bait' duty, but I think that's how I'd use the LE.
I love putting my 'support' figs in a precarious place.
They get creamed because nobody can resist killing the medic, but then the ambush hits.

"Hit the grit, Chicken-- it's an ambush!!!!"

I think that was on an old Sgt. Rock cover I had as a kid.

:sleep:

[HK-47]

I only started yesterday and got a Vet Mantis in a booster...

I have to say she is really fun to play!

Leaping covers terrain and beats on flyers.
Exploit rips open those tough guy bricks
And Senses really ires the oppoent when you land a 5-6 a few times in a row.

I'm not up to speed with calculating worth based on point value .. but for sheer fun she is my fave peice so far.

[zeppelined]

I'm not up to speed with calculating worth based on point value .. but for sheer fun she is my fave peice so far.

Which is as good a way to judge as any!

[Kite-Man]

Which is as good a way to judge as any!
Forever and ever, the power and the glory.
Amen.

[SpaceGhost]

Ws there ever a review for Kraven the Spider?