Strategic Initiative: Pivoting on B and D Secures.

Welcome back to another edition of Strategic Initiative! 

Today I'll be doing something a little different with this strategy article and focus on overall play patterns available to X-Men on certain crisis shapes, namely B and D, which are both amongst the widest secure shapes we have access to in Crisis Protocol.

So let's start with the first one: D shaped secures (Extremis, Cosmic Invasion and Spider-Portals)

This scenario shape has a few interesting characteristics, the first one is that while there are 4 points to contest or interact with, two of them sit in the middle of the table on opposite sides of the board. This means that these two points are relatively exposed and are risky to contest early in round 1 as it gives your opponent potentially multiple activations to hit and maybe daze your character. Since both points are somewhat exposed and can be dangerous for the models you would put there, trying to fight for only one of the two points is a far less risky option, especially given the models available to X-Men. So the idea becomes to focus your attention on 2 of these 4 points to maintain at the very least parity while using one or two models on another point to try and break it with either attrition or control.

So here's an example of deployment that would telegraph that strategy.

The relevant part is that you don't have to make it as clear on which side you'll commit your models. One of the advantages of deploying in a more noncommital manner is that you can pivot and try to take any one of the two Secures on the central line. Ideally, you want to go over the Secure on the side where there's the highest concentration of VPs, meaning that if you or your opponent uses a safe extract, or sends their models holding extracts towards one side, that's where you should aim to go, as having more models or more threat where the VPs are, gives you a better chance of getting them. Usually, the number and concentration of extracts dictate where the highest amount of VPs are concentrated.

Here's an example of deployment that doesn't over-commit to one side or another.

Collapsing on the side where there's the highest concentration of VPs and the lowest amount of opposing models is, in my opinion, one of the best ways to get ahead. You still have to keep in mind that it's a lot easier to force your opponent to move away from their side of the board if you have the advantage on the extracts. I believe this to be true for both D and B shaped secures. 

B shaped secures (Mutant Madmen, Infinity Formula)

For B shaped secures, the same guiding principle holds true but it can be harder to identify and execute well. Ideally, you want to collapse on the side with most VPs. Assuming an extract advantage, you can, near the end of round 1 and early in round 2, identify on which flank your opponent has the fewest models or total threat cost and move to force the engagement there with most of your models. 

If you don't have the advantage on extracts (either because your opponent has more or because they're tied), you should collapse towards where the highest concentration of VPs lies. While it may look like you're giving up a few secure points, being able to take over the extract advantage on a side and after that the secures on that side of the board will allow you to catch up that tempo loss. Leaving too many models behind, yes will still score points but will, in my experience, more often than not, only make you lose slower. 

Another very important thing is knowing how far your models can go. On B shapes, any models with a long move or models with 50/65mm bases and at least a medium move can all double move to take control of a back B point. So characters like Beast and Colossus can move twice and try to flip a Madmen Trap or contest an opposing Infinity Formula to break parity. 

With that in mind, here's an example of flexible deployment that can commit to either side while still being able to exert pressure if needed.

These are some tips and tricks I like doing when playing on those shapes and reasons why I think X-Men is still amongst the best affiliations to play wide and spread out maps. With the innate mobility of their characters, they can pivot better than most affiliations and still play the game very well. Knowing how and when to collapse is also a tricky skill, so it's worth taking the time to practice it and figure out when's the best moment to do it. Knowing how to pivot is, in my opinion, a very invaluable skill, especially for the people looking to play X-Men Blue, as being able to leverage your mobility will help keep the leadership very relevant on maps where, a priori, the leadership seems more limited.

Once again thank you for taking the time to read this piece, and as always, don't forget to have fun!