Thursday 13 #12: Thirteen Attack

Apologies for the lateness of this week’s T13. Normally I try to have it posted Wednesday night, so it’s there for perusal on Thursdays, but heck, I guess I got carried away with M.O.D.O.K. goodness yesterday as part of Lost Hemisphere’s ongoing Crime Lords Month. Of amusement, that was the 100th entry on the Lost Hemisphere.

On with the show! After last week’s listing of VS character cards with 13 DEF, it’s time to flip the coin over and look at those with 13 ATK. The list of potential cards is much shorter, and saddly for the female readers there’s less characters representing the fairer sex, but nonetheless…

To celebrate this fact, let’s kick it off with a testosterone-laden machismo-exuding DC fan favourite.

 

	DCL240 Lobo: The Main Man… I still had to include Lobo. He is, after all, the “Main Man”. I’m not sure what the appeal of an obsessively selfish homicidal maniac is, but for many he’s become the epitome of badassishness. In VS terms, the art’s pretty cool and the effect means that he’s awfully dang hard to get rid of, since he’ll keep fishing himself out of your deck.
	MVL161 Human Torch: Flame On!… Oh, how I love me some Fantastic Four, and oh, how I love me this card. If you’ve been playing a pretty beaty game so far, which is pretty much par for the course for the Fantastic Four, then there’s a good chance the burn may put them over, or on the verge. If you can load some turn-long pumps in there before you fire off the burn, all the better!
	EHB014 Roger: Homonculus… Any time I see someone named Roger I’m reminded on my Latin professor from my university days. Our Roger was amazingly… um… flamboyant. This Roger, not so much. Well, what with him being an artificial being and all that jazz, it’s hardly surprising.
	MTU027 Wolverine: Canucklehead… There’s not a lot to be said about this card that hasn’t already been said here (link to Billy’s article). Click the linky and have a good read, the writing’s solid and it’s a good look into the thought process behind the creation of the card. I may not be a huge Wolvie fan, but he’s fun to have in the deck if you’re attacking on 6.
	MTU215 Quicksilver: Terrigenesis Rebirth… It’s fashionable to hate Quicksilver in VS, just as its’ fashionable to hate Tony Stark in comics. The difference is, I think Tony’s redeemable. Quicksilver, on the other hand, is, and always has been, a jerk. Peter David explained it beautifully during his original X-Factor run, but me, I’m still waiting for someone to hold him accountable for his part in House of M, let alone the Secret War (and the followup Silent War). I really to love to loath Quicksilver… and this is probably my favourite version in VS.
	DLS092 Dark Kryptonian @ Dark Superboy: Mockery… I freely confess I’ve never been much of a DC fan, but I kinda stumbled into Darkseid’s Elite and looked to get playsets once Darkseid got the Legends treatment in DCL. This card is just such an enabler, allowing the curve jump to get 8-drop Darkseid into play and Endgame to follow it up. It ain’t my favourite art on the team, but it sure it niftiness on a stick.
	DJL123 Gorilla Grodd: Simian mastermind… Who doesn’t like a monkey? Alright, an ape, but the point still stands. Grodd is what made the Society as it was back in the DJL days, what it was. He was the most splashed character into toolbox decks, and remains a nasty simian, especially with the Grood Legend cards that came out in DCL. But seriously, a gorilla in a cape? That’s comedy gold waiting to happen.
	DGL129 Supermanhunter: Kryptonite Armor… The much maligned Supermanhunter actually saw a little revitalisation as counters became more prevalent, especially since he can remove Cosmic Counter at whim. Doom Patrol especially need to watch out for this guy. Of course, since he’s relegated to Golden Age tourneys, chances are their paths will never cross, but still…
	DOR002 Azrael: Jean Paul Valley… Possibly the most unpopular byproduct of the “lets give all our characters belt pouches and make them grim and gritty” 90’s was Azrael in his role as the replacement Batman. I’ll stand by that to some extent, since I pretty much can’t stand the Azbats costume… but in his identity as Azrael, flamethrower and all, I kinda liked this dude.
	DWF146 Sondra Fuller @ Clayface: Mud Pack… See? See! I found a female character with 13 ATK! Sure, she’s an amorphous blob of clay. Sure, she’s a villain. Sure she leaves muddy tracks all over your freshly cleaned deep pile shag carpetting… but considering the Mud Pack story arc is one of the few Batman tales I own in single issues, I have a soft spot for Sondra.
	DCL165 Deathstroke the Terminator: Killing Machine… Oooh, how I loathe thee, Deathstroke the Terminator. Garaunteed, every time he hits play, I’ll forget whether he stuns or KO’s, or I’ll forget to save an unstunned weenie for his effect to trigger on. Every. Bloody. Time. It’s only appropriate that he be the bane of the existence of pretty much all of my heroic decks, very flavourful, but damn, I just want to stomp on his little one-eyed head.
	DGL127 Rocket Red: Manhunter Sleeper… Yay! I got to feature him on both lists! (*hee*) Sure, you saw him last week, but that doesn’t change his niftiness. Look! He’s all Manhuntery! He has stats better than most 6-drops, a turn earlier! Wheee! … can you tell I’m looking forward to the Manhunters getting refeatured one of these years? I may be hoping in vain, but hope I shall!
	MTU131 Baron Mordo: Karl Amadeus Mordo… R-r-r-rock me, Amadeus. The ultimate jealous git (the primary contender for that title being the Steel Serpent/Steel Phoenix), all he wants is the title of Sorceror Supreme. Is that so much to ask? Why, if only that bloody annoying Stephen Strange would just keel over and die… it’s neat how his power counterbalances Dr Strange’s hiding teammates with Astral Projection, but dragging them back into view.