VS System
Encyclopedia
Vs. System also written as VS System and abbreviated as VS, is a collectible card game
(CCG) designed by Upper Deck Entertainment (UDE). In the game, players build and play a deck of Vs. System cards in an attempt to win a game against their opponent. It was first published in 2004 and is set in the superhero
genre. The game was discontinued by Upper Deck Entertainment in January 2009.
ic settings of Marvel
and DC Comics
, with the exception of a smaller set called the Hellboy
Essential Collection. For the most part expansion sets alternated release between Marvel based sets and DC Comics based sets with new sets every three to six months. All sets are interchangeable and compatible with each other and share the same card back. This allows players to mix characters fighting against or with each other.
Card art, characters, and gameplay
concepts are inspired by their comic book
appearances with the designers using what they describe as "top-down design", meaning they make every attempt to develop a character's card mechanics in keeping with how the character is represented in comic books.
Well known artists that have contributed card art include Alex Ross
, John Van Fleet, Alex Garner, Jim Lee
, Rachel Dodson
, and Bill Sienkiewicz
.
battles. Each player starts the game with 50 "endurance points". If a player has zero or negative endurance at the start of the Recovery Phase, he or she is knocked out of the game. The Vs. System Comprehensive Rules has an in-depth explanation of every aspect of the game and is official for use in tournament judging.
and M for Marvel Comics
), except for the Essential Collection set, which starts with the letter E.
Most Vs. System cards are released in expansion sets, of which there were a total of 18. The first 14 expansion sets all had either 165 or 220 cards, but starting with Marvel Legends, which had 273 cards, the size of expansion sets grew larger, peaking at 330 cards of the Marvel Universe
set. Marvel Legends also debuted a card face layout
redesign.
The game was also periodically supplemented by the release of starter deck sets, of which there were a total of 6. The starter deck sets each contained two playable 40 card mini-decks. They pitted two teams against each other, typically a "hero
" team versus a "villain
" team. The first 3 (X-Men
vs. the Brotherhood
, Spider-Man
vs. Doc Ock, and Batman
vs. the Joker
) drew all their cards from other expansion sets. However, the last 3 (Batman, Fantastic Four
, and X-Men) contained new cards not in expansions sets. Each of the last 3 starter sets also were published to coincide with an associated film also released that year (Batman Begins
, Fantastic Four, and X-Men: The Last Stand
, respectively). UDE had originally planned to release a 7th starter set, for Superman
(to coincide with the 2006 Superman Returns
movie), but that set ended up being cancelled and never released.
Additionally, UDE planned an Essential Collections line geared towards introducing characters from outside the Marvel
and DC Universe
s. However, only one such set ever ended up being released, the Hellboy
Essential Collection. It contained two pre-constructed 60-card decks, a comprehensive rule book, and a number of other extras. Like the starter decks, the Hellboy Essential Collection is tournament-legal.
UDE also planned a Giant-Size line. However, the only set ever published in the line was The Coming of Galactus, a set geared toward multiplayer play in which multiple players would be pitted against a single powerful player taking on the role of Galactus
. Some cards in the set were legal for tournament play; others, including an oversized Galactus card, were not.
Finally, there were exclusive sets, consisting of promotional cards associated with a particular expansion set released through venues such as conventions and tournaments. The exclusives sets are listed here rather than in the table below. The 5 exclusive sets (with set codes in parentheses) were:
The following table lists all non-exclusive sets in chronological order of release:
Upper Deck Entertainment planned the year-round professional $1 million Organized Play Pro Circuit prior to the release of the game.
The following is a list of cards currently banned.
Unlike most CCGs which have banned lists unique to various formats, UDE has chosen to have one universal all-encompassing banned list.
was released on February 27, 2007 for the PC
, PSP
and Nintendo DS
. It was developed by Vicious Cycle Software
and published by Konami
. The game has been named as the Marvel Trading Card game and only includes cards from Marvel Origins and Marvel-based expansions up to the Avengers set.
.
Collectible card game
thumb|Players and their decksA collectible card game , also called a trading card game or customizable card game, is a game played using specially designed sets of playing cards...
(CCG) designed by Upper Deck Entertainment (UDE). In the game, players build and play a deck of Vs. System cards in an attempt to win a game against their opponent. It was first published in 2004 and is set in the superhero
Superhero
A superhero is a type of stock character, possessing "extraordinary or superhuman powers", dedicated to protecting the public. Since the debut of the prototypical superhero Superman in 1938, stories of superheroes — ranging from brief episodic adventures to continuing years-long sagas —...
genre. The game was discontinued by Upper Deck Entertainment in January 2009.
Superheroic setting
The sets of the Vs. System are based on the superheroSuperhero
A superhero is a type of stock character, possessing "extraordinary or superhuman powers", dedicated to protecting the public. Since the debut of the prototypical superhero Superman in 1938, stories of superheroes — ranging from brief episodic adventures to continuing years-long sagas —...
ic settings of Marvel
Marvel Comics
Marvel Worldwide, Inc., commonly referred to as Marvel Comics and formerly Marvel Publishing, Inc. and Marvel Comics Group, is an American company that publishes comic books and related media...
and DC Comics
DC Comics
DC Comics, Inc. is one of the largest and most successful companies operating in the market for American comic books and related media. It is the publishing unit of DC Entertainment a company of Warner Bros. Entertainment, which itself is owned by Time Warner...
, with the exception of a smaller set called the Hellboy
Hellboy
Hellboy is a comic book superhero created by writer-artist Mike Mignola. The character first appeared in San Diego Comic-Con Comics #2 , and has since appeared in various eponymous miniseries, one-shots and intercompany crossovers...
Essential Collection. For the most part expansion sets alternated release between Marvel based sets and DC Comics based sets with new sets every three to six months. All sets are interchangeable and compatible with each other and share the same card back. This allows players to mix characters fighting against or with each other.
Card art, characters, and gameplay
Gameplay
Gameplay is the specific way in which players interact with a game, and in particular with video games. Gameplay is the pattern defined through the game rules, connection between player and the game, challenges and overcoming them, plot and player's connection with it...
concepts are inspired by their comic book
Comic book
A comic book or comicbook is a magazine made up of comics, narrative artwork in the form of separate panels that represent individual scenes, often accompanied by dialog as well as including...
appearances with the designers using what they describe as "top-down design", meaning they make every attempt to develop a character's card mechanics in keeping with how the character is represented in comic books.
Well known artists that have contributed card art include Alex Ross
Alex Ross
Nelson Alexander "Alex" Ross is an American comic book painter, illustrator, and plotter. He is praised for his realistic, human depictions of classic comic book characters. Since the 1990s he has done work for Marvel Comics and DC Comics Nelson Alexander "Alex" Ross (born January 22, 1970) is an...
, John Van Fleet, Alex Garner, Jim Lee
Jim Lee
Jim Lee is a Korean-American comic book artist, writer, editor and publisher. He first broke into the industry in 1987 as an artist for Marvel Comics, illustrating titles such as Alpha Flight and Punisher War Journal, before gaining a great deal of popularity on The Uncanny X-Men...
, Rachel Dodson
Rachel Dodson
Rachel Dodson is an American comic book inker and colorist, who often works with her husband, Terry Dodson. Her work includes Marvel Knights Spider-Man and Spider-Man/Black Cat: The Evil that Men Do for Marvel Comics and Wonder Woman for DC Comics.-External links:* on Wizard...
, and Bill Sienkiewicz
Bill Sienkiewicz
Boleslav Felix Robert "Bill" Sienkiewicz [pronounced sin-KEV-itch] is an Eisner Award-winning American artist and writer best known for his comic book work, primarily for Marvel Comics' The New Mutants and Elektra: Assassin...
.
Gameplay
The Vs. System attempts to emulate epic superheroSuperhero
A superhero is a type of stock character, possessing "extraordinary or superhuman powers", dedicated to protecting the public. Since the debut of the prototypical superhero Superman in 1938, stories of superheroes — ranging from brief episodic adventures to continuing years-long sagas —...
battles. Each player starts the game with 50 "endurance points". If a player has zero or negative endurance at the start of the Recovery Phase, he or she is knocked out of the game. The Vs. System Comprehensive Rules has an in-depth explanation of every aspect of the game and is official for use in tournament judging.
Types of cards
There are four types of cards in the Vs. System, with color-coded frames: Character (usually red, but black for "concealed" characters), Equipment (gray), Location (green), and Plot Twist (blue). All four types of cards share a common layout.Phases of gameplay
- Draw Phase: Each player simultaneously draws two cards from their deck.
- Build Phase: Starting with the player holding initiative, and going clockwise, each player goes through the following steps.
- Resource Step: You may place one card face down into the resource row.
- Recruit Step: Spend resource points to recruit characters and/or equipment. Resource points are determined at the beginning of the Recruit step by how many cards a player has in his or her resource row.
- Formation Step: Rearrange your characters between your front and support rows.
-
- After the player with initiative completes the Build Phase, his or her opponent(s) complete theirs in turn. Once each player finishes, the Combat Phase begins.
- Combat Phase: Starting with the player holding initiative, each player begins declaring attacks on their opponent's characters, or directly at each other if possible. The player with initiative attacks with all legal attackers, or until they wish to pass. Repeat this attack step for each player, going clockwise, from the player with initiative.
- Recovery Phase: At the start of the recovery phase, each player compares endurance totals, and determines whether or not the game is over. Then recover one stunned character, KO all remaining stunned characters, ready all unstunned characters (and locations), and pass initiative to the player on your left. All players perform these actions at the same time during the Recovery Phase. Once the Recovery Phase is complete, the next turn commences with the Draw Phase.
- After the player with initiative completes the Build Phase, his or her opponent(s) complete theirs in turn. Once each player finishes, the Combat Phase begins.
Variant rules
- Grand Melee: A regular game of Vs. System for any number of players. Last man standing wins.
- Team Alliance: A 2-on-2 game of Vs. System. Teammates sit across from each other. Plays just like grand melee, but teammates share an endurance total of 100 and cannot attack each other. Play until only one team is left.
- Two-Headed Mutant: A 2-on-2 game of Vs. System. Teammates sit next to each other across from their opponents. Each team begins the game with 100 endurance. This game variant can be played with any number of people on either team, as long as the teams are even numbered. 50 endurance is added onto the total endurance score for each person on a team. Therefore, a Three-Headed Mutant would see a game with 150 endurance.
Card sets
All cards are marked in the lower left with an expansion code or set code, a three-letter code identifying the set in which the card was published. The first letter of the set code indicates the setting (D for DC ComicsDC Comics
DC Comics, Inc. is one of the largest and most successful companies operating in the market for American comic books and related media. It is the publishing unit of DC Entertainment a company of Warner Bros. Entertainment, which itself is owned by Time Warner...
and M for Marvel Comics
Marvel Comics
Marvel Worldwide, Inc., commonly referred to as Marvel Comics and formerly Marvel Publishing, Inc. and Marvel Comics Group, is an American company that publishes comic books and related media...
), except for the Essential Collection set, which starts with the letter E.
Most Vs. System cards are released in expansion sets, of which there were a total of 18. The first 14 expansion sets all had either 165 or 220 cards, but starting with Marvel Legends, which had 273 cards, the size of expansion sets grew larger, peaking at 330 cards of the Marvel Universe
Marvel Universe
The Marvel Universe is the shared fictional universe where most comic book titles and other media published by Marvel Entertainment take place, including those featuring Marvel's most familiar characters, such as Spider-Man, the Hulk, the X-Men, and the Avengers.The Marvel Universe is further...
set. Marvel Legends also debuted a card face layout
Page layout
Page layout is the part of graphic design that deals in the arrangement and style treatment of elements on a page.- History and development :...
redesign.
The game was also periodically supplemented by the release of starter deck sets, of which there were a total of 6. The starter deck sets each contained two playable 40 card mini-decks. They pitted two teams against each other, typically a "hero
Hero
A hero , in Greek mythology and folklore, was originally a demigod, their cult being one of the most distinctive features of ancient Greek religion...
" team versus a "villain
Villain
A villain is an "evil" character in a story, whether a historical narrative or, especially, a work of fiction. The villain usually is the antagonist, the character who tends to have a negative effect on other characters...
" team. The first 3 (X-Men
X-Men
The X-Men are a superhero team in the . They were created by writer Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby, and first appeared in The X-Men #1...
vs. the Brotherhood
Brotherhood of Mutants
The Brotherhood of Mutants, originally known as the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants, is a fictional Marvel Comics supervillain team devoted to mutant superiority over normal humans. They are among the chief adversaries of the X-Men...
, Spider-Man
Spider-Man
Spider-Man is a fictional Marvel Comics superhero. The character was created by writer-editor Stan Lee and writer-artist Steve Ditko. He first appeared in Amazing Fantasy #15...
vs. Doc Ock, and Batman
Batman
Batman is a fictional character created by the artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger. A comic book superhero, Batman first appeared in Detective Comics #27 , and since then has appeared primarily in publications by DC Comics...
vs. the Joker
Joker (comics)
The Joker is a fictional character, a comic book supervillain published by DC Comics. He is the archenemy of Batman, having been directly responsible for numerous tragedies in Batman's life, including the paralysis of Barbara Gordon and the death of Jason Todd, the second Robin...
) drew all their cards from other expansion sets. However, the last 3 (Batman, Fantastic Four
Fantastic Four
The Fantastic Four is a fictional superhero team appearing in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The group debuted in The Fantastic Four #1 , which helped to usher in a new level of realism in the medium...
, and X-Men) contained new cards not in expansions sets. Each of the last 3 starter sets also were published to coincide with an associated film also released that year (Batman Begins
Batman Begins
Batman Begins is a 2005 American superhero action film based on the fictional DC Comics character Batman, directed by Christopher Nolan. It stars Christian Bale as Batman, along with Michael Caine, Gary Oldman, Liam Neeson, Katie Holmes, Cillian Murphy, Morgan Freeman, Ken Watanabe, Tom Wilkinson,...
, Fantastic Four, and X-Men: The Last Stand
X-Men: The Last Stand
X-Men: The Last Stand is a 2006 superhero film and the third in the X-Men series. It was directed by Brett Ratner and stars an ensemble cast including Hugh Jackman, Halle Berry, Patrick Stewart, Ian McKellen, Famke Janssen, Kelsey Grammer, Anna Paquin, Shawn Ashmore, Aaron Stanford, Vinnie Jones,...
, respectively). UDE had originally planned to release a 7th starter set, for Superman
Superman
Superman is a fictional comic book superhero appearing in publications by DC Comics, widely considered to be an American cultural icon. Created by American writer Jerry Siegel and Canadian-born American artist Joe Shuster in 1932 while both were living in Cleveland, Ohio, and sold to Detective...
(to coincide with the 2006 Superman Returns
Superman Returns
Superman Returns is a 2006 superhero film directed by Bryan Singer. It is the fifth and final installment in the original Superman film series and serves as a alternate sequel to Superman and Superman II by ignoring the events of Superman III and Superman IV: The Quest for Peace .The film stars...
movie), but that set ended up being cancelled and never released.
Additionally, UDE planned an Essential Collections line geared towards introducing characters from outside the Marvel
Marvel Universe
The Marvel Universe is the shared fictional universe where most comic book titles and other media published by Marvel Entertainment take place, including those featuring Marvel's most familiar characters, such as Spider-Man, the Hulk, the X-Men, and the Avengers.The Marvel Universe is further...
and DC Universe
DC Universe
The DC Universe is the shared universe where most of the comic stories published by DC Comics take place. The fictional characters Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman are well-known superheroes from this universe. Note that in context, "DC Universe" is usually used to refer to the main DC continuity...
s. However, only one such set ever ended up being released, the Hellboy
Hellboy
Hellboy is a comic book superhero created by writer-artist Mike Mignola. The character first appeared in San Diego Comic-Con Comics #2 , and has since appeared in various eponymous miniseries, one-shots and intercompany crossovers...
Essential Collection. It contained two pre-constructed 60-card decks, a comprehensive rule book, and a number of other extras. Like the starter decks, the Hellboy Essential Collection is tournament-legal.
UDE also planned a Giant-Size line. However, the only set ever published in the line was The Coming of Galactus, a set geared toward multiplayer play in which multiple players would be pitted against a single powerful player taking on the role of Galactus
Galactus
Galactus is a fictional character appearing in comic books and other publications published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer-editor Stan Lee and artist and co-plotter Jack Kirby, the character debuted in Fantastic Four #48 , the first of a three-issue story later known as "The Galactus...
. Some cards in the set were legal for tournament play; others, including an oversized Galactus card, were not.
Finally, there were exclusive sets, consisting of promotional cards associated with a particular expansion set released through venues such as conventions and tournaments. The exclusives sets are listed here rather than in the table below. The 5 exclusive sets (with set codes in parentheses) were:
- associated with Marvel Legends: Age of ApocalypseAge of Apocalypse"Age of Apocalypse" is a 1995 - 1996 comic book crossover storyline published in the X-Men franchise of books by Marvel Comics. The Age of Apocalypse briefly replaced the universe of Earth-616, although it was later retconned as having occurred in the alternate universe of Earth-295, it had...
(MAA) and Marvel Exclusives (MEX) - associated with DC Legends: DC Exclusives (DCX)
- associated with Marvel Universe: Marvel Equipment (MEQ) and Marvel UltimatesUltimatesThe Ultimates is a fictional group of superheroes that appear in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The team was created by writer Mark Millar and artist Bryan Hitch, and first appeared in The Ultimates #1 , as part of the company's Ultimate Marvel imprint...
(MUL)
The following table lists all non-exclusive sets in chronological order of release:
| Release order (expansion sets only) | Set name | Set code | Setting | Set type | Date | Featured teams | Teams introduced | Size (number of cards) | New mechanics and notable features |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Marvel Origins | MOR | Marvel Comics | expansion set | X-Men X-Men The X-Men are a superhero team in the . They were created by writer Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby, and first appeared in The X-Men #1... Brotherhood Brotherhood of Mutants The Brotherhood of Mutants, originally known as the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants, is a fictional Marvel Comics supervillain team devoted to mutant superiority over normal humans. They are among the chief adversaries of the X-Men... Doom Doctor Doom Victor von Doom is a fictional character who appears in Marvel Comics publications . Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, the character first appeared in Fantastic Four #5 wearing his trademark metal mask and green cloak... Fantastic Four Fantastic Four The Fantastic Four is a fictional superhero team appearing in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The group debuted in The Fantastic Four #1 , which helped to usher in a new level of realism in the medium... Sentinels |
X-Men X-Men The X-Men are a superhero team in the . They were created by writer Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby, and first appeared in The X-Men #1... Brotherhood Brotherhood of Mutants The Brotherhood of Mutants, originally known as the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants, is a fictional Marvel Comics supervillain team devoted to mutant superiority over normal humans. They are among the chief adversaries of the X-Men... Doom Doctor Doom Victor von Doom is a fictional character who appears in Marvel Comics publications . Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, the character first appeared in Fantastic Four #5 wearing his trademark metal mask and green cloak... Fantastic Four Fantastic Four The Fantastic Four is a fictional superhero team appearing in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The group debuted in The Fantastic Four #1 , which helped to usher in a new level of realism in the medium... Sentinels Skrull Skrull The Skrulls are a fictional race of extraterrestrial shapeshifters that appear in publications by Marvel Comics.-Publication history:The Skrulls first appeared in Fantastic Four #2 and were created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby.... Negative Zone Negative Zone The Negative Zone is a fictional setting, an antimatter universe depicted in publications from Marvel Comics, most frequently in Fantastic Four and Captain Marvel. Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, it first appeared in Fantastic Four #51 .-Fictional description:The Negative Zone in the Marvel... |
220 | first set | ||
| N/A | X-Men X-Men The X-Men are a superhero team in the . They were created by writer Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby, and first appeared in The X-Men #1... vs. the Brotherhood Brotherhood of Mutants The Brotherhood of Mutants, originally known as the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants, is a fictional Marvel Comics supervillain team devoted to mutant superiority over normal humans. They are among the chief adversaries of the X-Men... Starter Deck |
MOR (same as for Marvel Origins) | Marvel Comics | starter set | X-Men X-Men The X-Men are a superhero team in the . They were created by writer Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby, and first appeared in The X-Men #1... Brotherhood Brotherhood of Mutants The Brotherhood of Mutants, originally known as the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants, is a fictional Marvel Comics supervillain team devoted to mutant superiority over normal humans. They are among the chief adversaries of the X-Men... |
none | all cards are drawn from the Marvel Origins expansion set | ||
| N/A | Spider-Man Spider-Man Spider-Man is a fictional Marvel Comics superhero. The character was created by writer-editor Stan Lee and writer-artist Steve Ditko. He first appeared in Amazing Fantasy #15... vs. Doc Ock Starter Deck |
MSM (same as for Web of Spider-Man) | Marvel Comics | starter set | Spider-Friends Sinister Syndicate Sinister Syndicate The Sinister Syndicate is a group of supervillains in the Marvel Comics universe, who serve as a collection of lesser-known Spider-Man's villains... |
Spider-Friends Sinister Syndicate Sinister Syndicate The Sinister Syndicate is a group of supervillains in the Marvel Comics universe, who serve as a collection of lesser-known Spider-Man's villains... |
all cards are drawn from the Web of Spider-Man expansion set, released a few months later | ||
| DC Origins | DOR | DC Comics | expansion set | Gotham Knights Batman supporting characters Throughout the stories published in DC Comics and in adaptations in other media since 1939, the Batman character has accumulated a number of recognizable supporting characters. The first Batman supporting character was Commissioner James Gordon, who first appeared in the same comic as Batman , and... Arkham Inmates League of Assassins League of Assassins The League of Assassins is a group of fictional comic book villains, an organization of killers formerly led by Ra's al Ghul, an enemy of Batman in the DC Comics Universe.-Doctor Ebeneezer Darrk:... Teen Titans |
Gotham Knights Gotham Knights The Gotham Knights Rugby Football Club is a division III men's club in the Metropolitan New York Rugby Union. Their home pitch is on Randall's Island, between the boroughs of Manhattan, Queens, and the Bronx... Arkham Inmates Arkham Asylum The Elizabeth Arkham Asylum for the Criminally Insane, commonly referred to simply as Arkham Asylum, is a fictional psychiatric hospital in the DC Comics Universe, usually appearing in stories featuring Batman... League of Assassins League of Assassins The League of Assassins is a group of fictional comic book villains, an organization of killers formerly led by Ra's al Ghul, an enemy of Batman in the DC Comics Universe.-Doctor Ebeneezer Darrk:... Teen Titans Fearsome Five Fearsome Five The Fearsome Five is a fictional group of comic book supervillains from DC Comics. They were created by George Pérez and Marv Wolfman, and first appeared in The New Teen Titans #3 , going on to become recurring adversaries for that superhero group... Deathstroke Deathstroke Deathstroke the Terminator , originally simply the Terminator, and known by the Teen Titans as Slade, is a fictional character, a supervillain and sometimes antihero in the DC Comics Universe. He is a mercenary and assassin who first appeared in The New Teen Titans #2... |
165 | Boost Loyalty Transferable |
||
| N/A | Batman Batman Batman is a fictional character created by the artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger. A comic book superhero, Batman first appeared in Detective Comics #27 , and since then has appeared primarily in publications by DC Comics... vs. the Joker Joker (comics) The Joker is a fictional character, a comic book supervillain published by DC Comics. He is the archenemy of Batman, having been directly responsible for numerous tragedies in Batman's life, including the paralysis of Barbara Gordon and the death of Jason Todd, the second Robin... Starter Set |
DOR (same as for DC Origins) | DC Comics | starter set | Gotham Knights Arkham Inmates |
none | all cards are drawn from the DC Origins expansion set | ||
| Web of Spider-Man Spider-Man Spider-Man is a fictional Marvel Comics superhero. The character was created by writer-editor Stan Lee and writer-artist Steve Ditko. He first appeared in Amazing Fantasy #15... |
MSM | Marvel Comics | expansion set | Spider-Friends Sinister Syndicate |
Spider-Friends Sinister Syndicate |
165 | Evasion | ||
| Superman Superman Superman is a fictional comic book superhero appearing in publications by DC Comics, widely considered to be an American cultural icon. Created by American writer Jerry Siegel and Canadian-born American artist Joe Shuster in 1932 while both were living in Cleveland, Ohio, and sold to Detective... , Man of Steel |
DSM | DC Comics | expansion set | Team Superman New Gods New Gods The New Gods are a fictional race appearing in publications by DC Comics, as well as the title for four series of comic books about those characters. They first appeared in New Gods #1 , and were created and designed by Jack Kirby.... Revenge Squad Darkseid's Elite Darkseid's Elite Darkseid's Elite are fictional characters created in Jack Kirby's Fourth World miniseries in DC Comics.-History:The Elite are the top chosen to Darkseid, ruler of Apokolips... |
Team Superman New Gods New Gods The New Gods are a fictional race appearing in publications by DC Comics, as well as the title for four series of comic books about those characters. They first appeared in New Gods #1 , and were created and designed by Jack Kirby.... Revenge Squad Darkseid's Elite Darkseid's Elite Darkseid's Elite are fictional characters created in Jack Kirby's Fourth World miniseries in DC Comics.-History:The Elite are the top chosen to Darkseid, ruler of Apokolips... |
165 | Cosmic Invulnerability |
||
| Marvel Knights Marvel Knights Marvel Knights is an imprint of Marvel Worldwide, Inc. that contains material taking place within the mainstream Marvel Universe .-Production:... |
MMK | Marvel Comics | expansion set | Marvel Knights Marvel Knights Marvel Knights is an imprint of Marvel Worldwide, Inc. that contains material taking place within the mainstream Marvel Universe .-Production:... Crime Lords Kingpin (comics) The Kingpin is a fictional character, a supervillain in the . Kingpin is one of the most feared and powerful crime lords in the Marvel Universe. The character is a major adversary of Daredevil, the Punisher, and Spider-Man... Underworld X-Statix X-Statix X-Statix was a fictional team of mutant superheroes in Marvel Comics, specifically designed to be media superstars. The team, created by Peter Milligan and Mike Allred, first appears in X-Force #116 and originally assumed the moniker X-Force, taking the name of the more traditional superhero team,... |
Marvel Knights Marvel Knights Marvel Knights is an imprint of Marvel Worldwide, Inc. that contains material taking place within the mainstream Marvel Universe .-Production:... Crime Lords Kingpin (comics) The Kingpin is a fictional character, a supervillain in the . Kingpin is one of the most feared and powerful crime lords in the Marvel Universe. The character is a major adversary of Daredevil, the Punisher, and Spider-Man... Underworld X-Statix X-Statix X-Statix was a fictional team of mutant superheroes in Marvel Comics, specifically designed to be media superstars. The team, created by Peter Milligan and Mike Allred, first appears in X-Force #116 and originally assumed the moniker X-Force, taking the name of the more traditional superhero team,... |
220 | Concealed Double-Loyalty hidden area first reprint: Marvel Team-Up |
||
| Green Lantern Corps Green Lantern Corps The Green Lantern Corps is the name of a fictional intergalactic military/police force appearing in comics published by DC Comics. They patrol the farthest reaches of the DC Universe at the behest of the Guardians, a race of immortals residing on the planet Oa... |
DGL | DC Comics | expansion set | Green Lantern Green Lantern Corps The Green Lantern Corps is the name of a fictional intergalactic military/police force appearing in comics published by DC Comics. They patrol the farthest reaches of the DC Universe at the behest of the Guardians, a race of immortals residing on the planet Oa... Emerald Enemies Anti-Matter Qward Qward is a fictional world existing within an antimatter universe that is part of the . It was first mentioned in Green Lantern # 2 .-Fictional history:... Manhunters |
Green Lantern Emerald Enemies Anti-Matter Qward Qward is a fictional world existing within an antimatter universe that is part of the . It was first mentioned in Green Lantern # 2 .-Fictional history:... Manhunters |
220 | Concealed-Optional Willpower non-character cards ("Construct") |
||
| N/A | Batman Batman Batman is a fictional character created by the artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger. A comic book superhero, Batman first appeared in Detective Comics #27 , and since then has appeared primarily in publications by DC Comics... Starter Deck |
DBM | DC Comics | starter set | Gotham Knights Batman supporting characters Throughout the stories published in DC Comics and in adaptations in other media since 1939, the Batman character has accumulated a number of recognizable supporting characters. The first Batman supporting character was Commissioner James Gordon, who first appeared in the same comic as Batman , and... League of Assassins League of Assassins The League of Assassins is a group of fictional comic book villains, an organization of killers formerly led by Ra's al Ghul, an enemy of Batman in the DC Comics Universe.-Doctor Ebeneezer Darrk:... |
none | some cards are drawn from the Green Lantern Corps expansion set; others are new released to coincide with Batman Begins Batman Begins Batman Begins is a 2005 American superhero action film based on the fictional DC Comics character Batman, directed by Christopher Nolan. It stars Christian Bale as Batman, along with Michael Caine, Gary Oldman, Liam Neeson, Katie Holmes, Cillian Murphy, Morgan Freeman, Ken Watanabe, Tom Wilkinson,... , the 2005 Batman film |
||
| N/A | Fantastic Four Fantastic Four The Fantastic Four is a fictional superhero team appearing in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The group debuted in The Fantastic Four #1 , which helped to usher in a new level of realism in the medium... Starter Deck |
MFF | Marvel Comics | starter set | Fantastic Four Doom |
none | some cards are drawn from The Avengers expansion set; others are new released to coincide with Fantastic Four, the 2005 Fantastic Four film |
||
| The Avengers Avengers (comics) The Avengers is a fictional team of superheroes, appearing in magazines published by Marvel Comics. The team made its debut in The Avengers #1 The Avengers is a fictional team of superheroes, appearing in magazines published by Marvel Comics. The team made its debut in The Avengers #1 The Avengers... |
MAV | Marvel Comics | expansion set | Avengers Avengers (comics) The Avengers is a fictional team of superheroes, appearing in magazines published by Marvel Comics. The team made its debut in The Avengers #1 The Avengers is a fictional team of superheroes, appearing in magazines published by Marvel Comics. The team made its debut in The Avengers #1 The Avengers... Masters of Evil Masters of Evil The Masters of Evil is a name for a number of fictional supervillain teams that appear in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The first version of the team appeared in The Avengers #6 , with the lineup continually changing over the years.... Kang Council Kang the Conqueror Kang the Conqueror is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appears in Avengers #8 , and was created by writer Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby... Thunderbolts Thunderbolts (comics) The Thunderbolts are a Marvel Comics superhero team, which consists mostly of former supervillains. The group first appeared in The Incredible Hulk #449 , and was created by Kurt Busiek and Mark Bagley.-Publication history:... Squadron Supreme Squadron Supreme The Squadron Supreme is a fictional superhero team that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The Squadron Supreme first appeared in Avengers #85 - 86 The Squadron Supreme is a fictional superhero team that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The Squadron Supreme first... |
Avengers Masters of Evil Kang Council Thunderbolts Squadron Supreme |
220 | Leader Reservist non-character cards ("Team-Up") |
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| Justice League of America | DJL | DC Comics | expansion set | Justice League of America Justice League International Justice League International Justice League International is a DC Comics superhero team written by Keith Giffen and J. M. DeMatteis, with art by Kevin Maguire, created in 1987.-Publication history:... Injustice Gang Injustice Gang The Injustice Gang is a group of fictional supervillains in the DC Comics universe. They are antagonists of the Justice League.-First Formation:The original Injustice Gang's membership consisted of:... Secret Society |
Justice League of America Justice League International Injustice Gang Secret Society |
220 | Ally dual team affiliations |
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| X-Men X-Men The X-Men are a superhero team in the . They were created by writer Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby, and first appeared in The X-Men #1... |
MXM | Marvel Comics | expansion set | X-Men Brotherhood Morlocks Morlocks (comics) The Morlocks are a group of several fictional comic book mutants associated with the X-Men in the Marvel Comics universe. Created by writer Chris Claremont and artist Paul Smith, they were named after the subterranean race of the same name in H. G. Wells' novel The Time Machine. They first appeared... Hellfire Club Hellfire Club (comics) The Hellfire Club is a fictional society within the Marvel Comics Universe that often comes into confrontation with the mutant superhero team, the X-Men... |
Morlocks Hellfire Club |
220 | Mutant Traits (Physical, Mental, and Energy) | ||
| N/A | X-Men X-Men The X-Men are a superhero team in the . They were created by writer Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby, and first appeared in The X-Men #1... Starter Deck |
MXS | Marvel Comics | starter set | X-Men Brotherhood |
none | some cards are drawn from The X-Men expansion set; others are new released to coincide with X-Men: The Last Stand X-Men: The Last Stand X-Men: The Last Stand is a 2006 superhero film and the third in the X-Men series. It was directed by Brett Ratner and stars an ensemble cast including Hugh Jackman, Halle Berry, Patrick Stewart, Ian McKellen, Famke Janssen, Kelsey Grammer, Anna Paquin, Shawn Ashmore, Aaron Stanford, Vinnie Jones,... , the 2006 X-Men film |
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| 10 | Infinite Crisis Infinite Crisis Infinite Crisis is a 2005 - 2006 comic book storyline published by DC Comics, consisting of an eponymous, seven-issue comic book limited series written by Geoff Johns and illustrated by Phil Jimenez, George Pérez, Ivan Reis, and Jerry Ordway, and a number of tie-in books... |
DCR | DC Comics | expansion set | JSA Shadowpact Shadowpact The Shadowpact is a group of magic-based heroes who fought against the Spectre in the 2005 limited series Day of Vengeance, published by DC Comics. They are a sort of Justice League for the supernatural elements of the DC Universe... Villains United Villains United Villains United is a six-issue comic book limited series, written by Gail Simone with art by Dale Eaglesham and Wade Von Grawbadger, published by DC Comics in 2005... Checkmate Checkmate (comics) Checkmate, a division of Task Force X, is a fictional covert operations agency within the DC Comics universe. It first appeared in Action Comics #598 and proceeded to have its own ongoing title in Checkmate!... |
JSA Shadowpact Villains United Checkmate Secret Six Secret Six (comics) The Secret Six is the name of three different fictional comic book teams in the , plus an alternate universe's fourth team. Each team has had six members, led by a mysterious figure named Mockingbird, whom the characters assume to be one of the other five members.-Original Secret Six:The Secret Six... Crisis Crisis on Infinite Earths Crisis on Infinite Earths is a 12-issue American comic book limited series and crossover event, produced by DC Comics in 1985 to simplify its then 50-year-old continuity... |
220 | Vengeance Backup Loyalty-Reveal Identity concept expanded non-character cards ("Magic") "Champion" characters |
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| 11 | Heralds of Galactus | MHG | Marvel Comics | expansion set | Heralds of Galactus Herald of Galactus The Heralds of Galactus are fictional characters appearing in publications from Marvel Comics. The Herald concept was introduced in Fantastic Four #48 - with the character the Silver Surfer - by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby.-Publication history:... Inhumans Inhumans The Inhumans are a fictional race of superhumans, created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby. This race appears in various comic book series published by Marvel Comics and exists in that company's shared universe, known as the Marvel Universe.... Kree Kree The Kree, also known as the Ruul, are a scientifically and technologically advanced militaristic alien race in the fictional Marvel Universe. They are native to the planet Hala in the Large Magellanic Cloud... Doom Doctor Doom Victor von Doom is a fictional character who appears in Marvel Comics publications . Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, the character first appeared in Fantastic Four #5 wearing his trademark metal mask and green cloak... Skrull Skrull The Skrulls are a fictional race of extraterrestrial shapeshifters that appear in publications by Marvel Comics.-Publication history:The Skrulls first appeared in Fantastic Four #2 and were created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby.... |
Heralds of Galactus Inhumans Kree Infinity Watch Infinity Watch The Infinity Watch is a group of fictional characters in Marvel Comics' universe. The Watch was gathered in Warlock and the Infinity Watch #1, and starred in that series until it ended with issue #42... |
220 | Press Terraform Cosmic-Surge |
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| 12 | Legion of Super-Heroes Legion of Super-Heroes The Legion of Super-Heroes is a fictional superhero team in the 30th and 31st centuries of the . The team first appears in Adventure Comics #247 , and was created by Otto Binder and Al Plastino.... |
DLS | DC Comics | expansion set | Legionnaires Future Foes Teen Titans Darkseid's Elite Darkseid's Elite Darkseid's Elite are fictional characters created in Jack Kirby's Fourth World miniseries in DC Comics.-History:The Elite are the top chosen to Darkseid, ruler of Apokolips... |
Legionnaires Future Foes |
220 | Substitute alternate use of Cosmic |
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| 13 | Marvel Team-Up Marvel Team-Up Marvel Team-Up is the name of several American comic book series published by Marvel Comics. The series featured two or more Marvel characters in one story... |
MTU | Marvel Comics | expansion set | Spider-Friends Sinister Syndicate Underworld Marvel Defenders Defenders (comics) The Defenders is the name of a number of Marvel Comics superhero groups which are usually presented as a "non-team" of individualistic "outsiders," each known for following their own agendas... Wild Pack Silver Sable Silver Sable is a fictional character from Marvel Comics, a female mercenary, hunter of war criminals, the leader of the Wild Pack, and CEO of Silver Sable International... |
Marvel Defenders Wild Pack |
220 | Dual Loyalty alternate use of Boost paying attack or defense |
|
| N/A | Hellboy Hellboy Hellboy is a comic book superhero created by writer-artist Mike Mignola. The character first appeared in San Diego Comic-Con Comics #2 , and has since appeared in various eponymous miniseries, one-shots and intercompany crossovers... Essential Collection |
EHB | Hellboy | Essential Collection | B.P.R.D. Thule Society Thule Society The Thule Society , originally the Studiengruppe für germanisches Altertum , was a German occultist and völkisch group in Munich, named after a mythical northern country from Greek legend... |
B.P.R.D. Thule Society |
first and only set not set in Marvel Marvel Universe The Marvel Universe is the shared fictional universe where most comic book titles and other media published by Marvel Entertainment take place, including those featuring Marvel's most familiar characters, such as Spider-Man, the Hulk, the X-Men, and the Avengers.The Marvel Universe is further... or DC Universe DC Universe The DC Universe is the shared universe where most of the comic stories published by DC Comics take place. The fictional characters Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman are well-known superheroes from this universe. Note that in context, "DC Universe" is usually used to refer to the main DC continuity... |
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| 14 | World's Finest World's Finest World's Finest may refer to:*A number of DC Comics related media, typically involving the teaming up of iconic superheroes Superman and Batman** World's Finest Comics** World's Finest Team** World's Finest Trinity... |
DWF | DC Comics | expansion set | Team Superman Gotham Knights Revenge Squad Arkham Inmates Outsiders Outsiders (comics) The Outsiders are a fictional DC Comics superhero team. As its name suggests, the team consists of superheroes who allegedly do not fit the norms of the mainstream superhero community, namely the Justice League.... Birds of Prey |
Outsiders Birds of Prey |
220 | Insanity |
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| 15 | Marvel Legends | MVL | Marvel Comics | expansion set | X-Men Brotherhood Marvel Knights Fantastic Four Doom Shi'ar Shi'ar The Shi'ar are a fictional species of aliens in the Marvel Comics universe. The Shi'ar Empire also called the Aerie, is a vast collection of alien species, cultures and worlds situated close to the Skrull and Kree Empires, and alongside them, is one of the three main alien empires... |
Shi'ar | 273 | new card layout Concealed and Concealed-Optional changed from keywords to symbols team symbols added "Legendary Character" concept minor rule changes and clarifications vast number of game mechanics temporarily abandoned to make the game easier for newer players |
|
| N/A | The Coming of Galactus | MCG | Marvel Comics | Giant-Size set | Heralds of Galactus | none | for multiplayer play, pitting multiple players against a single player taking on the role of Galactus Galactus Galactus is a fictional character appearing in comic books and other publications published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer-editor Stan Lee and artist and co-plotter Jack Kirby, the character debuted in Fantastic Four #48 , the first of a three-issue story later known as "The Galactus... |
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| 16 | DC Comics Legends | DCL | DC Comics | expansion set | JLA Teen Titans Injustice Gang Secret Society League of Assassins Doom Patrol Doom Patrol The Doom Patrol is a superhero team appearing in publications from DC Comics. The original Doom Patrol first appeared in My Greatest Adventure #80... |
Doom Patrol | 273 | return of Reservist return of Concealed-Optional characters return of dual affiliations Secret Society and Villains United teams combined into one team |
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| 17 | Marvel Universe Marvel Universe The Marvel Universe is the shared fictional universe where most comic book titles and other media published by Marvel Entertainment take place, including those featuring Marvel's most familiar characters, such as Spider-Man, the Hulk, the X-Men, and the Avengers.The Marvel Universe is further... |
MUN | Marvel Comics | expansion set | Avengers Thunderbolts SHIELD Shield A shield is a type of personal armor, meant to intercept attacks, either by stopping projectiles such as arrows or redirecting a hit from a sword, mace or battle axe to the side of the shield-bearer.... Crime lords HYDRA HYDRA is a fictional terrorist organization in the Marvel Universe.Despite the name's capitalization per Marvel's official spelling, the name is not an acronym but rather a reference to the mythical Lernaean Hydra... Warbound Warbound The Warbound is a group of fictional characters in the Marvel Comics. They first joined forces in The Incredible Hulk vol. 3, #94 as a combination of new and existing characters, the former created by Greg Pak and Carlo Pagulayan.-Planet Hulk:... Negative Zone Alpha Flight Alpha Flight Alpha Flight is a fictional superhero team published by Marvel Comics, noteworthy for being one of the few Canadian superhero teams. Created by John Byrne, the team first appeared in Uncanny X-Men #120 .... Infinity Watch |
SHIELD Warbound Alpha Flight Asgardians Atlantis Atlantis (Marvel Comics) Atlantis is a fictional location in the Marvel Universe. It is based on the mythical island of Atlantis first mentioned in Plato's initial dialogue the Timaeus, written circa 360 BC. In the Marvel Universe, Atlantis was a small continent with many human settlements... Invaders Invaders (comics) The Invaders is the name of two fictional superhero teams in the . The original team was created by writer Roy Thomas and artist Sal Buscema in The Avengers #71 . A present-day incarnation was introduced by writer Chuck Austen and artist Scott Kolins in The Avengers vol... Nextwave Nextwave Nextwave is a comic book series by Warren Ellis and Stuart Immonen, published by Marvel Comics between 2006 and 2007.-Concept:The series was written exclusively in two-issue story arcs, a choice deliberately bucking the trend in modern American comics toward decompression... Phalanx Phalanx (comics) The Phalanx are a fictional cybernetic species in the Marvel Comics universe. They have come in conflict with the X-Men and related groups on several occasions. They form a hive mind, linking each member by a telepathy-like system.... United Front Nova Corps Weapon X Weapon X Weapon X is a fictional clandestine government genetic research facility project in the Marvel Universe conducted by the Canadian Government's Department K, which turns willing and unwilling beings into living weapons. The project often captures mutants and experiments on them to enhance their... |
330 | Rally return of Boost (including Boost on non-character cards) return of Leader return of Terraform return of Substitute return of Evasion return of Cosmic return of Invulnerability |
|
| 18 | Marvel Evolution | MEV | Marvel Comics | expansion set | X-Factor X-Factor (comics) X-Factor is an American comic book series published by Marvel Comics. It is a spin-off of the popular X-Men franchise, featuring characters from X-Men stories. The series has been relaunched several times with different team rosters, most recently as X-Factor Investigations.X-Factor launched in... Exiles Exiles (Marvel Comics) The Exiles are a group of fictional characters that feature in three Marvel Comics series, Exiles, New Exiles, and Exiles vol. 2. The Exiles consists of characters from different dimensions, or realities, which have been removed from time and space in order to correct problems in various alternate... X-Force X-Force X-Force is a fictional Marvel Comics superhero team, one of several spin-offs of the popular X-Men franchise. Conceived by writer/illustrator Rob Liefeld, the team was formed in New Mutants, vol. 1 #100 and soon afterwards was featured in its own series.The group was a new incarnation of the 1980s... Marauders Marauders (comics) The Marauders is a team of fictional supervillain characters in comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Chris Claremont and artist John Romita, Jr., the team first appear in Uncanny X-Men #210 The Marauders is a team of fictional supervillain characters in comic books published by... Weapon X |
X-Factor Exiles X-Force Marauders Starjammers Starjammers The Starjammers are a fictional team of space pirates from the pages of the X-Men comic books published by Marvel Comics. The Starjammers first appeared in Uncanny X-Men #107 and were created by Chris Claremont and Dave Cockrum... Runaways Runaways (comics) Runaways is a comic book series published by Marvel Comics. The series features a group of teenagers who discover that their parents are part of an evil crime group called the Pride. Created by Brian K. Vaughan and Adrian Alphona, the series debuted in April of 2003 as part of Marvel Comics'... Purifiers Purifiers The Purifiers, also known as the Stryker Crusade, are a fictional paramilitary/terrorist organization in the Marvel Comics universe and enemies of the X-Men... |
275 | Shift Energize Hunter |
Organized Play
In tournament play, there are three common formats:- Modern AgeModern Age of Comic BooksThe Modern Age of Comic Books is an informal name for the period in the history of mainstream American comic books generally considered to last from the mid-1980s until present day...
format draws a card pool from only the last two released sets of a particular brand (e.g. only the last two Marvel sets or only the last two DC Comics sets). - Silver AgeSilver Age of Comic BooksThe Silver Age of Comic Books was a period of artistic advancement and commercial success in mainstream American comic books, predominantly those in the superhero genre. Following the Golden Age of Comic Books and an interregnum in the early to mid-1950s, the Silver Age is considered to cover the...
format draws a card pool from only the last eight released sets from both brands (e.g. the last four released sets from Marvel Comics and the last four released sets from DC Comics). - Golden AgeGolden Age of Comic BooksThe Golden Age of Comic Books was a period in the history of American comic books, generally thought of as lasting from the late 1930s until the late 1940s or early 1950s...
format draws from a card pool of all legally playable cards.
Upper Deck Entertainment planned the year-round professional $1 million Organized Play Pro Circuit prior to the release of the game.
Notable players in UDE Organized Play
The following is a listing of players who have won more than one 10K event or have won a Pro Circuit event.- William Hodack, 2004 Origins $10K Champion, June 26, 2004
- Marshall James, 2004 Philadelphia $10k Champion, July 10, 2004
- Jeremy Tucker, 2004 $10K Champion, Wizard World Chicago
- Brian KiblerBrian KiblerBrian M. Kibler is an American game designer currently working with Gamer Entertainment, a gaming consultancy. In 2010 Kibler designed Ascension: Chronicle of the Godslayer with Justin Gary, Rob Dougherty, and John Fiorillo. Previously he worked on Chaotic and was the lead designer of the World of...
, first-ever Pro Circuit Champion, Gen Con Indy, August 22, 2004 - Robert Leander, $10K Wizard World TexasTexasTexas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
Champion, November 6, 2004, $10K New JerseyNew JerseyNew Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
Champion, January 15, 2005; first Vs. System player to win multiple $10K events - Ryan Jones, Pro Circuit Los AngelesLos ÁngelesLos Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
Champion, December 3, 2004 - Dean Sohlne, $10K LondonLondonLondon is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
Champion, March 21, 2005, $10K AmsterdamAmsterdamAmsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population...
Champion, April 9, 2005. - Michael Jacob, $10K ChicagoChicagoChicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
Champion, April 2, 2005, $10K TorontoTorontoToronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
Champion, August 27, 2005, $10K OrlandoOrlando, FloridaOrlando is a city in the central region of the U.S. state of Florida. It is the county seat of Orange County, and the center of the Greater Orlando metropolitan area. According to the 2010 US Census, the city had a population of 238,300, making Orlando the 79th largest city in the United States...
Champion, October 15, 2005 - Ian Vincent, Pro Circuit San Francisco Champion
- Anthony Calabrese, Pro Circuit IndianapolisIndianapolisIndianapolis is the capital of the U.S. state of Indiana, and the county seat of Marion County, Indiana. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city's population is 839,489. It is by far Indiana's largest city and, as of the 2010 U.S...
2006 Champion - Adam Horvath, Pro Circuit AmsterdamAmsterdamAmsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population...
Champion, April 7, 2005 - Adam Bernstein, Pro Circuit New YorkNew York CityNew York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
Champion, May 26, 2005 - Adam Prosak, $10K San Diego Champion, July 15, 2005, $10K Atlanta Champion, September 4, 2005 Pro Circuit Los AngelesLos Angeles, CaliforniaLos Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
November 17, 2006 - Kakarot Turker, $10K SydneySydneySydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
Champion, December 1, 2006, 6 consecutive 10K top 8s - Darryn Ying, $10K MelbourneMelbourneMelbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
Champion, October 20, 2006, - Vidianto Wijaya, Pro Circuit Atlanta Champion, March 24, 2006; as of August 13, 2006, has a record five Pro Circuit top eight finishes and has won over $100,000
- Kyle Dembinski, Pro Circuit Sydney 2007 winner
- Brian Eugenio, 1st Vs. Worlds Champion 2008
- Robert Rietze, Gen Con Indy 2008 1st Place
- Alexander Antonias, BrisbaneBrisbaneBrisbane is the capital and most populous city in the Australian state of Queensland and the third most populous city in Australia. Brisbane's metropolitan area has a population of over 2 million, and the South East Queensland urban conurbation, centred around Brisbane, encompasses a population of...
and AdelaideAdelaideAdelaide is the capital city of South Australia and the fifth-largest city in Australia. Adelaide has an estimated population of more than 1.2 million...
10k champion
Banned list
As with most TCGs, the ever increasing card pool leads to more and more combinations and possibilities. While this is generally considered to be a good thing, sometimes these combinations bring a degeneracy that is unhealthy for tournament play and the long term health of the game. When this occurs, organized play intervenes and the offending cards are usually banned.The following is a list of cards currently banned.
- "Overload" was banned because of its synergy with various ATK pumps. Used in tandem, players were able to stun their opponent's board at minimal cost. UDE later released a fixed—playable but unremarkable—version of the card called System Failure, released in MAV.
- "Justice League of Arkham" was banned following Pro Circuit: San Francisco. By using various ways to search out the card and recursion mechanism, a player could routinely make their opponent discard their entire hand before they even engaged in their fourth turn.
- "Antarctic Research Base" is the first card that was pre-emptively banned. This is due to its incidental synergy with the Fate Artifacts. The synergy between the artifacts the Antarctic Research Base allowed a player to draw his or her entire deck as early as the fourth turn and kill the opponent. UDE later released a fixed card called New Baxter BuildingBaxter BuildingThe Baxter Building is a fictitious 35-story office building in Manhattan whose five upper floors house the Fantastic Four's headquarters in the Marvel Universe.-Publication history:...
, which was released in MTU. - "Gone But Not Forgotten" when used in tandem with various payment powers that required life payments as opposed to discards or resource points, allowed one to engineer a variety of infinite or near-infinite combos wherein a player could create any number of arbitrarily large characters, or gain large quantities of life. An example of this would be 2 Moloids, Decoy Program, Devil's Due, and Mr. Fantastic, StretchMister FantasticMr. Fantastic is a fictional character, a Marvel Comics superhero and a member of the Fantastic Four. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist/co-plotter Jack Kirby, he first appeared in Fantastic Four #1 ....
. - "Valeria Von Doom, Heir to LatveriaLatveriaLatveria is a nation in the . It is an isolated European country ruled by the supervillain Doctor Doom, supposedly located in the Banat region. It is surrounded by the Carpathian Mountains, and also borders the Symkaria to the south. Its capital is Doomstadt.-Publication history:Latveria first...
" (effective November 16, 2006) when used in tandem with A Day Unlike Any Other, Valeria von Doom allowed a given player to cycle through huge amounts of their deck while filling up their KO'd pile. The offending deck in this situation Cycled cards until it had everything it needed to win using Rigged Elections, usually as early as turn 3. - "TaliaTalia al GhulTalia al Ghul is a fictional character in the DC Comics universe, the now-estranged daughter of the supervillain Ra's al Ghul, a love interest of Batman, and the mother of his son Damian Wayne, the fifth Robin...
, LexCorpLexCorpLexCorp is the fictional company founded by Lex Luthor in the popular DC Comics Superman series. It made its first proper appearance in John Byrne's The Man of Steel miniseries, which established the post-Crisis Superman setting...
CEO" (effective November 16, 2006) was used in ways similar to Valeria von Doom. In tandem with Punisher's Armory, Talia would allow a player to cycle through huge amounts of their deck. While slightly weaker than Valeria von Doom, if left unchecked Talia would have a detrimental effect on game play and was thus banned. - "Go Down Fighting" (effective November 16, 2006) when used with Tommy (a Morlocks character that could stun herself and was free if you had another stunned character) and a method to grant characters in your resources row the reservist ability, it was possible to recruit Tommy an infinite number of times, which was lethal when combined with cards like Surrounded or Rigged Elections.
- "FiddlerFiddler (comics)The Fiddler is a fictional character, a DC Comics supervillain and a recurring foe of the first Flash . He first appeared in All-Flash #32 .-Fictional character biography:...
, Isaac Bowin" (effective November 16, 2006) when used in tandem with another copy of himself, allowed you to continually re-recruit each other a high number of times per turn. Previously, this interaction was abused with Gone But Not Forgotten, and later with cards including Nega Bomb, Surrounded, and Rigged Elections. - "Detective ChimpDetective ChimpIn the fictional DC Universe, Detective Chimp is a deerstalker-wearing chimpanzee with human-level intelligence who solves crimes, often with the help of the Bureau of Amplified Animals, a group of intelligent animals that also includes Rex the Wonder Dog...
, Bobo T. Chimpanzee" (effective November 16, 2006) is an incredible cog in any multi-team deck. He was most commonly used in combination decks in order to abuse global team-stamped effects - most notably Attend or Die! or Rigged Elections. - "Dr. Light, Master of Holograms" (effective January 19, 2007) allowed a player to recur a character with cost two or less from the KO pile. In tandem with increasingly more powerful low drops - such as Poison Ivy and Frankie Raye, Dr. Light was able to do too much for a relatively small investment.
- "Frankie RayeFrankie RayeNova is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared as Frankie Raye in Fantastic Four #164 , and as Nova in Fantastic Four #244 .-Fictional character biography:...
<> Nova, Optimistic Youth" (effective February 9, 2007) allowed players to draw an unfair amount of cards by playing her multiple times, particularly deadly when used with a character like Admiral Galen-Kor. - "Nenora, SkrullSkrullThe Skrulls are a fictional race of extraterrestrial shapeshifters that appear in publications by Marvel Comics.-Publication history:The Skrulls first appeared in Fantastic Four #2 and were created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby....
Usurper" (effective February 9, 2007) allowed a player to gain the KreeKreeThe Kree, also known as the Ruul, are a scientifically and technologically advanced militaristic alien race in the fictional Marvel Universe. They are native to the planet Hala in the Large Magellanic Cloud...
affiliation with little cost to them. This card caused some of the same problems as Detective Chimp.
Unlike most CCGs which have banned lists unique to various formats, UDE has chosen to have one universal all-encompassing banned list.
Video game
A video game based on the Vs. SystemMarvel Trading Card Game
Marvel Trading Card Game is a video game for the Nintendo DS, PC, and PlayStation Portable. It was developed by Vicious Cycle Software and 1st Playable Productions and published by Konami...
was released on February 27, 2007 for the PC
Personal computer
A personal computer is any general-purpose computer whose size, capabilities, and original sales price make it useful for individuals, and which is intended to be operated directly by an end-user with no intervening computer operator...
, PSP
PlayStation Portable
The is a handheld game console manufactured and marketed by Sony Corporation Development of the console was announced during E3 2003, and it was unveiled on , 2004, at a Sony press conference before E3 2004...
and Nintendo DS
Nintendo DS
The is a portable game console produced by Nintendo, first released on November 21, 2004. A distinctive feature of the system is the presence of two separate LCD screens, the lower of which is a touchscreen, encompassed within a clamshell design, similar to the Game Boy Advance SP...
. It was developed by Vicious Cycle Software
Vicious Cycle Software
Vicious Cycle Software is a video game development company based in Morrisville, North Carolina, United States.-History:Vicious Cycle was founded in 2000 by Eric Peterson, Dave Ellis, Marc Racine and Wayne Harvey after layoffs at the local MicroProse development studio forced several game...
and published by Konami
Konami
is a Japanese leading developer and publisher of numerous popular and strong-selling toys, trading cards, anime, tokusatsu, slot machines, arcade cabinets and video games...
. The game has been named as the Marvel Trading Card game and only includes cards from Marvel Origins and Marvel-based expansions up to the Avengers set.
Awards
In 2004, Vs. System won the Gamers’ Choice Award and was also nominated for Best Collectible Card Game or Expansion both from Origins Awards. In 2005 it received the Game of the Year award from InQuest GamerInQuest Gamer
InQuest Gamer is a discontinued monthly magazine for game reviews and news that was published from 1995 to 2007. Originally, the magazine was named InQuest and focused solely on collectible card games ; InQuest, along with its competitor Scrye, were the two major CCG magazines...
.
External links
- Current Rulebook, released with the Hellboy box set
- Vs. System Comprehensive Rules
- Vs. System Update: Marvel Evolution Article
- Upper Deck Entertainment Vs. System Marvel Site
- Upper Deck Entertainment Vs. System DC Site
- Official Marvel TCG Online Site
- VsSystem.org "The post-UDE (un)official Vs. System (fan)site"
- VS TCGplayer Magazine
- TCGWorkshop.com The #1 repository for TCG Legacy content
- VSParadise.com Australia and New ZealandAustralasiaAustralasia is a region of Oceania comprising Australia, New Zealand, the island of New Guinea, and neighbouring islands in the Pacific Ocean. The term was coined by Charles de Brosses in Histoire des navigations aux terres australes...
VS Community SiteVirtual communityA virtual community is a social network of individuals who interact through specific media, potentially crossing geographical and political boundaries in order to pursue mutual interests or goals... - Vs. System deck designs (Pojo.com)
- VS Skillze Asia's VS Community Site
- DocX's Search Engine A search engine for Vs cards.
- ccgdb.com card engine: vs system A search engine for Vs cards.
- VS-ESP Spanish unnofficial VS community.