Next version of Cap - What you'd like to see

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As I've mentioned many times, the Captain America 2 movie with Chris Evans is coming out later this year.

Without putting too fine a point on it, let's just say it would be nutrageous for D3P to miss out on the opportunity to ride that new wave of interest in the character by not adding a new version of the character to the game around that time.

Though I've previously suggested that Cap be a 4-star, now that we've seen what 4-star cards are for I suggest he be a 3-star. An actual good one, better than his 2-star version.

IMO there are 2 main options for Captain America:

- Classic / Marvel Now! (both would be the original Steve Rogers, "scrawny kid gets a steroid needle in the butt and becomes a supersoldier" version)

- Bucky Barnes, bionic arm, post-Winter Soldier version after Steve Rogers was assassinated in the Marvel Civil War comic book storyline. I don't think this one makes sense since the villain in the movie is Winter Soldier, which is presumably supposed to be Bucky. (Also, I think we should see D3P add a 2-star or 3-star Winter Soldier card as well. I've posted my suggested Winter Soldier in another thread.)

For a 3-star Steve Rogers version, I am thinking the character should be, if not a top-tier character, then an upper-mid tier character. A significant player in the meta, if not a major one. In other words, when you see this guy on another player's team in PVP, you actually don't get to laugh him off this time.

For health, I'm thinking he should be almost, but not quite as, tanky as Model 40 (due to his superhuman endurance and indestructible shield). According to Shikao's research, Model 40 caps out at 7250 health at 141. I'm thinking Steve should have anywhere from 6250 to, say, 6800. I'd want him to be a good, solid, tanky character, but not quite as tanky as Ragnarok or Model 40, since him having 3 GREAT abilities plus 7K+ health might be too OP, especially when buffed for various events.

I'd want to see him have 3 abilities so he can top out at 141 (rather than 115 like Doom with his 2 abilities). I'm thinking he would still be red/blue/yellow, since those are still the closest to his signature red, white, and blue.

Right now, the meta is still dominated by quick, direct damage in a single shot (C. Magneto, Grey Widow, possibly Hulk red, but we'll see), big cascade potential (Ragnarok, C. Magneto), and stunlock (Spidey).

With Hulk and Punisher, we are starting to perhaps see a rise in special tiles as well, especially with Frank's black and green, which turn the board into an absolute cluttered mess of special tiles.

I would suggest designing Cap as a solid all-rounder who has a leg up in at least partially countering some of the meta's current top dogs, while also joining the club in some respects. Here's a first pass that also attempts to reflect Cap's skillful shield throwing, his natural leadership, and his self-sacrificing nature. Note: The yellow would work similarly to Cecil's Protect ability from Final Fantasy IV (he basically jumps in front of a wounded teammate and gets hit by an incoming attack instead of his teammate). I can't take credit for it since it was suggested by a couple different people on this forum (can't remember who or I'd credit you guys and link) but I think it suits the character.



Blue

8 AP
Vibranium Shield Slash

Level 1: - Captain America hurls his indestructible Vibranium shield in an arc that passes through a horizontal row of 3 tiles, dealing 100 damage to and stunning the current target for 1 turn. If any of the tiles his shield hits are basic color tiles, Cap changes those basic tiles to basic yellow tiles.

Level 2: - Deals 150 damage.

Level 3: - In addition to changing any basic color tiles into basic yellow tiles, Cap's shield now also changes the color of any colored special tiles it passes through (including strike tiles, attack tiles, or protect tiles) into yellow versions of those special tiles. Example: Any red strike tiles that are hit by this ability become yellow strike tiles. Any purple protect tiles hit become yellow protect tiles. This ability does not affect environment or critical tiles.

Level 4: - Deals 250 damage. Stuns for 2 turns.

Level 5: - Hits a horizontal row of 4 tiles. Cap's shield now also changes the color of any basic color tiles into basic blue tiles. It changes any colored special tiles it passes through (including strike tiles, attack tiles, or protect tiles) into blue versions of those special tiles. Example: Any red strike tiles that are hit by this ability become blue strike tiles. Any purple protect tiles hit become blue protect tiles. This ability does not affect environment or critical tiles.



Red

7 AP
Triumphant Battlecry

Level 1: - Captain America rallies his team around him, using his natural ability as a tactician and leader to flag any dangerous traps or obstacles and spur his comrades into action. Neutralizes 1 random enemy special tile by turning it into a basic tile of that color. Heals Captain America's teammates (not himself) for 25.

Level 2: - Neutralizes 2 random enemy special tiles by turning them into basic tiles of those colors. Heals Captain America's teammates (not himself) for 50.

Level 3: - In addition to neutralizing two random enemy special tiles into basic tiles of those colors, and healing Cap's teammates (not himself) for 75, also, if the teammate immediately adjacent to Cap is currently stunned, reduce the duration of that teammate's stun by 1 turn.

Level 4: - Costs 1 more AP. Neutralizes 3 random enemy special tiles by turning them into basic tiles of those colors. Heals Captain America's teammates (not himself) for 100.

Level 5: - Costs 1 more AP. Neutralizes 4 random enemy special tiles by turning them into basic tiles of those colors. Heals Captain America's teammates (not himself) for 200. Also, if any of Captain America's teammates is currently stunned, completely remove the stun effect from all stunned teammates.



Yellow

0 AP (Passive)
Gallant Defender

Level 1: - Captain America uses his peak human reflexes, battle intuition, and shield to leap to the defense of a teammate. Whenever a teammate is at 25% or less of his/her maximum health and is about to be hit by a single damage-dealing ability or a single matching cascade that would deal more than 20% of that teammate's maximum health, Captain America leaps in front of the attack, sustaining the full amount of damage and reducing the damage done to his teammate to only 15% of that teammate's maximum health).

Level 2: - Whenever a teammate is at 25% or less of his/her maximum health and is about to be hit by a single damage-dealing ability or a single matching cascade that would deal more than 20% of that teammate's maximum health, Captain America leaps in front of the attack, sustaining the full amount of damage and reducing the damage done to his teammate by half, to only 10% of that teammate's maximum health.

Level 3: - Whenever a teammate is at 30% or less of his/her maximum health and is about to be hit by a single damage-dealing ability or a single matching cascade that would deal more than 20% of that teammate's maximum health, Captain America leaps in front of the attack, sustaining 75% of the incoming damage and reducing the damage done to only 5% of that teammate's maximum health.

Level 4: - Whenever a teammate is at 30% or less of his/her maximum health and is about to be hit by a single damage-dealing ability or a single matching cascade that would deal more than 15% of that teammate's maximum health, Captain America leaps in front of the attack, sustaining 60% of the incoming damage and reducing the damage done to only 5% of that teammate's maximum health.

Level 5: - Whenever a teammate is at 30% or less of his/her maximum health and is about to be hit by a single damage-dealing ability or a single matching cascade that would deal more than 15% of that teammate's maximum health, Captain America leaps in front of the attack, sustaining 50% of the incoming damage and reducing the damage done to his teammate to zero.

Unknown

someguy wrote:

nutrageous

I personally think his blue skill should cost more ap at level 4 and 5 to prevent it becoming spammy/overpowred.
For example most people who activate his blue would typically have 9 blue ap 3x3 blue match, after his level5 skill they have 5ap, 1 blue match and you have the skill again.

Unknown

bongo king wrote:

someguy wrote:

nutrageous

I personally think his blue skill should cost more ap at level 4 and 5 to prevent it becoming spammy/overpowred.
For example most people who activate his blue would typically have 9 blue ap 3x3 blue match, after his level5 skill they have 5ap, 1 blue match and you have the skill again.

As I've written it, yeah. Which means you would need to prevent Cap from matching blue again. Because if you don't, this ability might actually be scary-ish. Because this version would be an actual threat. Because he's friggin' Captain America, one of Marvel's most established and popular heroes.

The character would also be able to self-replenish his blue at level 5 if there were this pattern on the board:

B B x x x x B B

Where B is a blue tile and x is a colored, non-env, non-crit tile. He could turn the x tiles blue, making 8 more blue AP, replenishing the entire cost and letting him use his blue twice in one turn. Why? Because even though this is a very rare board pattern, that's actually kinda scary. Why should he have something scary? Because he's friggin' Captain America.

Note that if he doesn't match this exact pattern, Cap would only get, at most, 5-6 blue AP back. Not enough to use twice in one turn but enough to be a real threat should he match blue again after that.

In comparison, Classic Magneto can already do this, right now, in one turn, with 5 covers in blue (costs 5 blue AP to overwrite ANY two tiles on the board into blue protect tiles). This means any blue tiles on the board near each other that could be turned into a match-5 with 2 more tiles becomes an actual blue match-5 instantly for Magnus. Which gives him back 5 AP, replenishing the entire cost of the ability with one use. If there are enough blue clusters on the board, he can do this as many times as he wants on the same turn, generating crit tiles each time. Which he should be able to do. Because he's friggin' Magneto, the original X-Men villain.

Unknown

I've lobbied for an ability like your yellow, but think it should work at all health levels (the opposite of Hawkeye's Avoid). Higher ranks would decrease the actual damage taken by 5% each or something.

I'd love to see another legitimate defense character as an alternative to Spider-Man.

Unknown

I like the yellow skill a lot, but I think it's a little clunky. Maybe rework it to be something more like this.

When an enemy attacks a teammate for at least 80% of their current health, Capt. America, leaps forward to protect, blocking 10% of the damage and absorbing 40% of the damage. (Levels progress as 15%:45%, 20%:50%, 25%:55%, 30%:60% or something.)

i know the ratios are different, and the health limit is gone, but I think it would still function largely the same. It probably wouldn't be used when the character is at full health, but it would be nice for countering Mags purple.

Still, as is, the idea is really cool. Nice job.