COMIC ACCURATE: The Brotherhood & Freedom Force

[Dr. Morbius]

http://www.hcrealms.com/forum/picture.php?albumid=669&pictureid=7799

featuring...
The Brotherhood and Freedom Force

Last time we took a look at some of Xavier's students, so this week I decided to give you some comic accurate villains for your X-Men teams to brawl with:
The (original) Brotherhood led by Magneto and the new Brotherhood then called Freedom Force under the leadership of your favorite shapechanger Mystique.

Do I have your attention now? ;) good...click on Full Article and join me.

[Dr. Morbius]

The first and probably most dangerous incarnation of the Brotherhood of Mutants consited of the man who started it all Magneto, his offspring Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver, Mastermind and the hideous mutant known as Toad.
They first appeard in the first Volume of Uncanny X-Men in issue #141 and posed a real threat to the first class X-Men.

http://www.hcrealms.com/forum/picture.php?albumid=669&pictureid=8235

A comic accurate presentation of that team might look like this:

ic129 V Magneto
Team: The Brotherhood
Range: 8 :bolt:
Points: 103
Archenemy: Professor Xavier (Green)
Keywords: Acolytes, Ruler
m-winga-fistd-normalg-starburst91017489153881528714277131761216611165111KOKOKOKOKOKOKOKOKOKOKOKOKOKOKOKO

av058 R Quicksilver
Team: Avengers
Range: 0 :bolt:
Points: 49
Keywords: Avengers, Brotherhood of Mutants, Mutant
m-boota-fistd-starburstg-starburst1091629816299172991628815287141KOKOKOKOKOKOKOKOKOKOKOKOKOKOKOKOKOKOKOKOKOKOKOKO
:m-boot: Supersonic Speed: Quicksilver may use Option 1 of Hypersonic Speed.


av057 R Scarlet Witch
Team: Avengers
Range: 8 :bolt:
Points: 35
Keywords: Avengers, Brotherhood of Mutants, Mutant, Mystical
m-winga-fistd-normalg-starburst7916278152681526715157141KOKOKOKOKOKOKOKOKOKOKOKOKOKOKOKOKOKOKOKOKOKOKOKOKOKOKOKO

mu052 U Mastermind
Team: The Brotherhood
Range: 8 :bolt::bolt:
Points: 117
Keywords: Brotherhood of Mutants, Hellfire Club, Mutant, Psychic
m-boota-fistd-normalg-starburst7101617916169161691526814258141KOKOKOKOKOKOKOKOKOKOKOKOKOKOKOKOKOKOKOKOKOKOKOKO
:m-boot: Mind Games: Mastermind can use Mind Control and Stealth. Modify Mastermind's attack value by +2 when he uses Incapacitate or Mind Control.

:d-normal: Chimera: Mastermind can use Mastermind and Super Senses.

ct039 V Toad
Team: The Brotherhood
Range: 0 :bolt:
Points: 37
Keywords: Animal, Brotherhood of Mutants
m-boota-fistd-normalg-starburst10815210815287141871316612164121KOKOKOKOKOKOKOKOKOKOKOKOKOKOKOKOKOKOKOKOKOKOKOKO

In a 400 point battle you may even throw in a few comic accurate feats like:

Force Field - 10 points - on Magneto
Armor Piercing - 10 points - on Quicksilver
and
Mental Shields - 15 points - on Mastermind

Later on the team went through a lot of changes. The Scarlet Witch and her brother became heroes and joined the Avengers. Others replaced them. Even Magneto changed sides and joined the X-Men for some time. It was then the Brotherhood changed their name to Freedom Force with a brand new roster of evil mutants:
Mystique, Destiny, Avalanche, Blob and Pyro. In Uncanny X-Men #178 Mystique uses an attack by the Brotherhood as a diversion so she can sneak into X-Mansion and try to convince Rogue to return to her fold.

http://www.hcrealms.com/forum/picture.php?albumid=669&pictureid=8236

that team transfered to Heroclix could look something like this:

ui036 V Mystique
Team: The Brotherhood
Range: 6 :bolt:
Points: 51
Keywords: Brotherhood of Mutants, Freedom Force, Spy, X-Corps
m-boota-fistd-normalg-starburst891627915268142671315613156122KOKOKOKOKOKOKOKOKOKOKOKOKOKOKOKOKOKOKOKOKOKOKOKO

xp023 E Destiny
Team: The Brotherhood
Range: 0 :bolt:
Points: 23
Keywords: Brotherhood of Mutants, Psychic
m-boota-fistd-normalg-starburst6.13.5.13.4.12.4.11.KOKOKOKOKOKOKOKOKOKOKOKOKOKOKOKOKOKOKOKOKOKOKOKOKOKOKOKOKOKOKOKO

ct033 V Avalanche
Team: The Brotherhood
Range: 8 :bolt:
Points: 32
Keywords: Brotherhood of Mutants, X-Corps
m-boota-fistd-normalg-starburst881628715277141661315612145121KOKOKOKOKOKOKOKOKOKOKOKOKOKOKOKOKOKOKOKOKOKOKOKO

ui111 V Pyro
Team: The Brotherhood
Range: 8 :bolt::bolt:
Points: 42
Keywords: Brotherhood of Mutants
m-boota-fistd-normalg-starburst891717816167141561214511144101KOKOKOKOKOKOKOKOKOKOKOKOKOKOKOKOKOKOKOKOKOKOKOKO

ct036 V Blob
Team: The Brotherhood
Range: 0 :bolt:
Points: 51
Keywords: Brotherhood of Mutants, Brute, X-Corps
m-boota-fistd-normalg-starburst6916358152581524714247142361313513124121KOKOKOKOKOKOKOKOKOKOKOKOKOKOKOKO

199 points without a single feat. Quite nice for a 200 points battle.


Post and let us know what your favorite lineup of the Brotherhood looks like in Heroclix - and don't forget to return in 2 weeks for another comic accurate team...

[Arsenalroy2k]

I once played Freedom Force in a 300 point game a while back.

Arachne (or Spider-Woman, natch)
E Mystique (Xp)
E Destiny (Xp)
V Avalanche
V Blob
V Pyro
Spiral

Came out to 297. You can maybe downgrade someone a little more if you want to fit on Val Cooper, but this team is weak enough as it is. It didn't do well at all.

Problem with the Brotherhood is that with that lineup, you're going to be WAY under with the 10% rule in effect. So you have two choices:

Option 1: You could swap out Infinity Challenge Magneto with the Unique from Ultimates. Not comic accurate, but you'll actually have someone on your team besides Mastermind with an attack above 10 and still have room for some feats.

Option 2: Throw in Blob and Unus and play a 500 point game.

Either way, good luck.

[tidge]

Never play a Brotherhood team with an Infinity Challenge Magneto and NOT use Inspiring Command. Multiple repeated barriers alone can keep the Brotherhood around longer than usual against min/max/TK/Move+attack teams.

I once played Freedom Force in a 300 point game a while back.

Arachne (or Spider-Woman, natch)
E Mystique (Xp)
E Destiny (Xp)
V Avalanche
V Blob
V Pyro
Spiral


LE Blob is the best of the bunch. A lineup (ignoring the fact that keywords don't work out, stooopid keywords) using Arachne could look like:

56 U Spiral
50 Arachne
45 LE Fred J Dukes
43 E Mystique
42 V Pyro
32 V Avalanche
29 V Destiny
= 297 points

Years and years ago, I played E Black Cat as an amalgam of Spider Woman and Destiny, which left points for a Government-Issued Mandroid Armor (and a medic) IIRC.

[MattPetersen]

One day we shall have an awesome brotherhood team!! Soon hopefully!!
So many of them need remakes!

[Wombatboy]

Mystique's version of the Brotherhood first appeared in Uncanny X-Men #141-142 ("Days of Future Past") when they tried to kill Senator Kelly. Their next appearance was in Avengers Annual #10 which marked the debut of Rogue and was the issue she permamently absorbed Ms. Marvel's powers. Rogue left the group and joined the X-Men in Uncanny X-Men #171, and Mystique's version of the Brotherhood became the government sanctioned Freedom Force in Uncanny X-Men #199. The new Spider-Woman joined this version of the group after returning to Earth from the Secret Wars but soon had concerns over working with the ex-Brotherhood and later left the group (and would later be known as Arachne after Jessica Drew reclaimed the Spider-Woman name).

[saturnflight]

We seriously need Brotherhood updates, but start with the non-barrier members; the barrier ones still play very well.

[Clclix]

The dials that had to be chosen of Freedom Force shows how much all of those characters need a remake, Need a new Magneto too, but with the exception of Toad, the Original Brotherhood team isnt horrible. TY for the article

[peasant]

So many stories and so many rosters for this team. I've always found these villains (in most incarnations) much more compelling and intriguing than their heroic counterparts, possibly because they don't get as much face time (and don't spend it mewling). You've certainly hit upon the two most iconic lineups, but I'm surprised you didn't take a stab at the most recently visible version... that seen in X3. Heroclix' maturation has not been overly kind to the Brotherhood and this incarnation has something most of the others lack... firepower (albeit at a high point level).

Ultimates Magneto 144
LE Cain Marko 155
V Pyro 42
V Arclight 57
R Dark Phoenix 600
998

Mystique's Brotherhood as you've presented it here has a fair chance of being annoying to any other rounded army at the 200 point level. But let's face it, 200 point games are fairly few and far between. So why don't we scale them up to 300. There's really no such thing as a good Rogue figure, although you could add the V IC Rogue and almost not regret it or the R FF Rogue, which in very lackluster fashion seems to have her stolen powers correct, but my money is on Warbird for the win. That would look something like this...

E Blob 42
LE Dominic Petros 22
R Destiny 20
E Mystique 43
V Pyro 42
Warbird 129
298

As usual, a good article to get the creative juices flowing for team building. Just such a shame that these figures are so dated and further hamstrung by the inconsistent use of the Mutant keyword.

[ComicJunkie]

My Brotherhood teams have never done too horrible. Back in the day, I used to add a quick 100 points to an army by adding all 4 rookie members up to Clobbering Time (Toad-23,Pyro-27,Avalanche-19,Blob-31). The double Barrier and extra Mastermind fodder for 100 points was viable then, not so sure about now.

Nowadays, my Brotherhood team usually consists of Ultimates Magneto (by far the best version of Magneto) with Inspiring Command. Pyro is out and Black Tom is in. Mastermind is now a must on any Brotherhood team. I am fortunate enough to have won a Victor Creed during the original tournament season, and he is the best Mastermind dummy (Regen w/Stealth) at 75 points. Unus is also an incredible dummy, but the added TK will allow you to keep swinging with Magneto.

Due to the tentpolish nature of the Brotherhood, I recommend playing on indoor maps where you can really capitalize on the Barrier. Bring a SIF along, maybe Mjolnir for Black Tom, and shoot, incap, wall-off, and repeat as needed. Just don't forget to Outwit before the Barriers go up.

I have played them at many levels, but they do best at 300-600. Don't forget about Xorn as a medic with TK, Polaris for the Novablast potential, and all the cheap support. For anything more than 600, I use Cain Marko or the Exp Juggie from FF to tie up other bricks while advancing with the rest of the crew.

They require heavy feating, but they usually do well.

[mr-coffin]

Sabertooth, Black Tom and Jiggernatut weren't on the brotherhood until the mid-late 90s. It seems weird to have him on the same team as Magneto who hadn't led them since the 70s especially since Juggernaut isn't even a mutant.

[admironheart]

My 500 point team is like this:

Magneto as Xorn {with a modded mags of course!!]
Mastermind with Contingency Plan Feat
R Scarlet Witch from Avengers
R Quicksilver from Infinity Challenge
E Blob
R Toad
E Vanisher With Passenger Feat
Unus the Untouchable with Sidekick Feat

500 points even

This team did appeare once {except QS and SW}and it would be no long shot to imagine that the siblings at the time could not be goaded back into the fold as they had been before.

Sidekick Blob to his best friend Unus. He is a huge damage/attack sponge. Toad and QS make good mastermind fodder and vanisher gets Mastermind out or into needed spots!

This is a comic theme team.

I much rather like my non theme team.

In it I use better versions of some of the pieces, get rid of Vanisher and use the V mags from IC. One of the best pieces.

Give mags Nanobots and Protected. If you play/position right...Mags can push a lot for 4 and 3 damage and then heal back up to his 19 DV{20 in hindering}. All the while Unus/Blob and QS tie up the enemy and Mastermind Dual incaps or mind controls to bring some hurt to the enemy.
You have PC from the witch...and if only it were a theme team....it would be a very strong team.:p Mags got skrewed with his keywords and the IC pieces...they give brotherhood to Xorn but not to those other version....how exceptionally lame!! Keywords need to be given out equally to all the pieces with the same name...old as well as Seth's newest hotness....unless the pieces is ACTUALLY something from a specific storyline outside of the character's norm. Game would be a whole lot better if they would address that.

wes

[2 Gun Kid]

Always go for the Ult Magneto. Just better. Unus is needed as well for TK and tie up also.

Other members that can be used: Spiral, Sauron, and LE Polaris.

[exodus147]

I'm a huge X-Fan and you couldn't pay me to use any of those teams, I get what you're trying to do, but untill we get some new Brotherhood pieces they are a very weak team

[phillynorthstar]

I'd thoroughly enjoy a Brotherhood Action/Starter whatever Pack.
All of these figures desperately need remakes.
Mystique could be an amazing piece with some special powers. I'd love a Blob with indomitable and impervious with moderate defense numbers.

[Boozehound]

Love the selections you chose, but I'd run it somewhat differently. Also taking note to the playability aspect of the team.

So let's do a couple variations for point totals. For 300 points, I'm also a fan of sticking to the theme team and utilitizing that extra PC when possible. So I'd pick a Magneto that has the Brotherhood keyword. Unfortunately it would mean that I only have Rookie Magneto to choose from (doh!). It ends up being comic accurate but lacking in a lot of power unfortunately.

300 points:
R Magneto IC
R Quicksilver AV +Alpha Flight
R Scarlet Witch IC
R Toad
Mastermind +Infiltrate

Depite the low values, this team is functional on its own right. The players will actually be focused more on taking out Mastermind which allows enough distraction to utilize your other pieces. Toad is strictly tie up in this case and Mastermind's mastermind fodder. Magneto is capable to mobilize the entire team via TK effectivly and will most likely not be seen as a target but can act as an attacker in the beginning and end with TK support. Scarlet Witch is purely for her PC but with her 8 range she can ping away hoping for a hit. Her main task anyways is helping out Mastermind, Magneto and Quicksilver get their shots in with her full dial of PC. and hopefully make use of the 3 theme PCs the team boasts. Quicksilver is the brawler and the assist of Alpha Flight will provide capable attack values. Essentially if focusing on controlling the team via incap or mind control Mastermind can handle the crowd while Quicksilver and Magneto dish damage. Mastermind's Infiltrate will
also be key if he ever is stuck in a position where he needs to move himself to Mag's LoS or to Mastermind fodder. But if Magneto is overlooking Mastermind' position it should be pretty safe.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
I'd go with Ultimate Magneto since it's much more playable for the 400 point build. And you'll need someone with more power in 400 that can get you that PC also.

399 points:
Mastermind +Infiltrate
R Quicksilver AV +Alpha Flight
R Scarlet Witch AV/FF +Alpha Flight
V Toad
U Magneto ULT+ Inspiring Command

If you're playing a 400 point team you're gonna want to maximize the number of actions you can do in each turn. This is where you'll need that Inspiring Command for Magneto. It is necessary that the team be able to attack more than the opponent as well as reposition themselves to protect Magneto. Magento becomes more proactive in attacking and will most likely be targetted first. Here Mastermind and Quicksilver remain in their roles from before; board control and to protect Magneto. Toad is upgraded for a better tertiary attacker. Scarlet Witch can be chosen depending on play type; if going for Avengers, she has the flight and Barrier to her advantage and utiltize Alpha Flight; or if going with Fan Forces, she gains Stealth and a 10 range and more PC than the former. I personally would go for the flyer as she will be able to help control the board also, and become an effective attacker with help from Alpha Flight.

[The Werle]

I love Insp. Command barrier abuse brotherhood teams, between Pyro, Avalanche, and Magma you have a ton of cheap options that will let you wall things up indefinitely. Its the best strategy I've ever found for taking down Galactus/Spectre, just put up 2 layers of barrier each round and then blast away when they come down.

[Boozehound]

For Mystique's team 300 points you could add Rookie FF Rogue in for the "third incarnation" of the Brotherhood.

My 300 point version would include:

298 points
R Rogue FF +And Stay Down!
V Mystique CT +Alias, Inside Information
V Pyro +Spotter, Armor Piercing
E Blob
V Avalanche
R Destiny +Book of Destiny

I downgraded Blob because a) he wont be charging a lot of people with a 6 Charge anytime soon and both the Vet and Exp only have 3 damage for that first click, afterwards, its not worthwhile. Also Downgraded destiny because she's really there for PC, and she has 3 Theme PCs she can use even if she does get hit. The downgrades open up a few feats available to the team that is SORELY needed to be effective. I tried to be as comic accurate as possible for selecting the feats, So Alias and Inside information was selected for Mystique to utitlize the Spy keyword, Alias to potentially protect her first click. Pyro was given Armor Piercing to make his dual targets useful for Energy explosion. Spotter also to assist Mystique and Avalanche's values. And Stay Down to assist Rogue and her opportunity to hit a critical hits. Book of Destiny because well, I think it's highly accurate if you're considering the character and her notable diaries. This team really needs Rogue for moving Blob around once she's off her activation. Pyro and Avalanche can take shots from range but I would think probably best to have Avalanche set up Barriers when needed when Rogue and Blob move in close.

If I weren't using Vet Mystique and breaking out of theme, I would pick up Armor Wars Mystique and change the following:

R Rogue FF
U Mystique AW +Loner, Camouflage, Opportunist, Infiltrate
V Pyro +Suppressive Fire
E Blob
V Avalanche
E Destiny

This build is a little heavy on feating up Mystique who's clearly the centre piece but with more utility. Her SHIELD abilility alone will assist Pyro and Avalanche's range capababilities. Pyro's Suppresive Fire will assist in controlling the board while Barriers can help provide cover for Mystique and crew. Mystique shares no keywords with her teammates so a jump to her defenses will help greatly. Opportunist to boost the team's chances to hit later in the game. Infiltrate to reposition also. Or another combination could be to downgrade Destiny, and remove Suppressive fire to give Pyro his Armor piercing back.

Overall if I had the pieces, I'd say Switch out Avalanche and Blob selections for Fred Dukes and Dominic which serves the're purposes or has a better grasp of their role.

[Silver Lantern]

For 500 I run:

500 Pts Brotherhood:

Ultimates Magneto 144
Unus 90
Black Tom Cassidy 55
Scarlet Witch SR 35
Quicksilver SR 49
Mastermind 117
W/ Swingline or AP on Quicksilver

For 400 I run:

Ultimates Magneto 144 + Contingency Plan 12 (the tent pole)
Unus 90 + alias 3 (the tie up)
Black Tom Cassidy 55 (Outwit/Barrier/range)
Scarlet Witch SR 35 (Prob/Barrier/range)
Quicksilver SR 49 + Armor Piercing 10 (harasser/2ndry tie up)

[hot_fusion]

I would totally love an updated Pyro, complete with a power that creates damaging terrain.