Editor: Staff. Tuesday 7th June 2005
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Editor: Staff. Tuesday 7th June 2005
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Power Cards In Retrospect: Overload
Note: These series of articles are for those of you just getting into the game. It can be quite daunting for any first timer to pick up a game and try it out, especially against people they do not know. It is my hope that this and subsequent articles give you ideas with which to build your decks. Making its appearance in Marvel Origins, Overload has been successfully coupled with Savage Beatdown, making a formidable defence pairing and making any likely attacker think twice before proceeding with the motion. Overload does not have the same impact as Savage Beatdown as its mainly a defensive card but it can actually be used offensively with Nasty Surprise, a card that was glanced over in the previous article. There are no other known alternatives to Overload so this makes it a one of a kind card. Its definitely very good at its job. Use it wisely in combat and you can get the step up on your opponent.
“Stun target character with ATK greater than twice its printed ATK.” Overload's strength lies in its defensive capabilities, which should always be considered when constructing a deck (unless of course you're playing a suicidal deck but that's another matter altogether). Overload's combinations are a bit limited as the only combinations worth playing involve Savage Beatdown or Nasty Surprise. Its not very synergistic at first glance, but in the grand scheme of things it can make a difference. Timing cannot be more stressed when it comes to this particular card. Keep in mind though that there are no wrong moves when using this card, just better moves. Always be on the lookout for that opportunity to de-stabilise your opponent's attacking plan, which Overload does extremely well. De-stabilising your opponent's plan can either win you the match or at the very least grant you some sort of advantage. The card itself is easy enough to get so this section is obvious. When an opponent powers up their character past the double ATK threshold, activate Overload to stun that character. Pretty simple right? Yes it is and its also good if you're in a vindictive mood and want to get back at your opponent. Should the opponent try to stun your four-drop (or even three-drop for that matter) using Roy Harper, play your Overload to stun Roy. Sure his effect will go through because Overload does not prevent the effect taking place. But at least you made things even. Though its not an ideal situation, its definitely better than conceding a character without inflicting any endurance loss. Overload is also good against decks that just simply love to power themselves up (The New Brotherhood is an example of this). Say your opponent is playing The New Brotherhood and they have two of the cards on the field. Now let's assume that your opponent also has Pyro, St. John Allerdyce on the field too (2 ATK 2 DEF). One would assume that Pyro is now 6 ATK due to the cumulative effect of the two ongoing plot twists, this would definitely be a good time to play Overload and stun Pyro. Overload's Defensive capabilities show with this little combination. The Overload and Savage Beatdown combo was outlined in the last article but for the sake of this one, a re-hash of concepts is the order of the day. An attacker can stun the defender if the attacker's ATK is higher than the Defender's DEF that much is true. A way to sidestep it is to use something like acrobatic dodge, which will raise your defences but the attack will still end in a draw and no one gets stunned. The more aggressive way to do it is by using the Savage Beatdown to powerup the offensive character past double its attack, then stun it using Overload. Those who are familiar with the various uses of Overload will also know how valuable it is when it comes to countering team attacks. Commonplace in VS, team attacks allow one's characters to gain the ability to stun a character they wouldn't have been able to stun individually. Now two situations can arise out of this. One is where the opponent powers up one of the team attackers in order give them the edge in this particular attack. If you're fortunate enough that the opponent powers up one of his weaker characters to more than double its ATK, activate Overload and stun the attacker thereby weakening the overall offensive. With the offensive blunted, proceed to stun another attacker when the attack resolves as is stated in the team attack rules. If the opponent used only two characters in the offensive then you stun both of them and you would have gained board advantage. If they do not powerup their characters, use the Savage Beatdown and Overload combination to take down one of their attackers as well as save your own character. Lo and behold, Overload actually has an offensive combination in the form of the Overload and Nasty Surprise combo. This combination is merely the reverse of the Overload and Savage Beatdown combination. If for example your opponent on first drop has Destiny, Irene Adler (0 ATK and 2 DEF) and you have Roy Harper, Speedy (1 ATK and 1 DEF). Clearly Roy cannot hope to stun Destiny without some sort of powerup, and at this stage of the game its rare that you get such a powerup. This is where the combination comes in. Declare an attack on Destiny which gives her the Defence attribute, then play Nasty Surprise which will bring her up to 5 ATK then play Overload, giving you the field advantage and a chance at a direct attack. While the example outlined is not the best situation, its gives you a clear understanding of the offensive applications of this card. Overload does not have a card tutor and therefore, you cannot put in additional cards to call it out in case you do not get it. Even at that, Overload is used to stun opponents who become over zealous as well as provide support to other plot twists. It is mainly a defensive card with the occasional offensive applications and it should be treated that way. Overload's drawback lies within its wording, a lot of mistakes happen when players tend to forget the text. You cannot stun a character with double its attack; it must be more than that to qualify it for an Overload. Mistakes like that cause the opponent to glance your card before you would've had a chance to play it effectively, therefore, taking the element of surprise away from you. But this can also be said about every other card. Do not reveal your hand so quickly. Whilst Overload may not run as rampant in decks as its defensive partner Savage Beatdown, it definitely deserves its place among the powerhouse cards. What it does, it does extremely well and if you timed your Overload usage right, you may turn the tide of the battle and destroy the opponent. - Marc Conrad
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