Captain America, Super-SoldierCaptain America, Super-Soldier | Art by Anna Podedworna

Like in the comics and movies, there are two warring creature types in Marvel Super Heroes. One side represents the selfless saviors with superhuman strengths. The other represents the maniacal machinations of the malevolent. Each was formally introduced in the Spider-Man set, and each received significant enough support in Marvel Super Heroes to emerge as a supported type. We’re going to focus on the headliners, the characters most people come to see.

Have you guessed it? It’s Heroes!

In most media, Heroes are the “good guys”. They represent the positive qualities the author values and epitomize teamwork, selflessness, and protection. Oftentimes, they work within the confines of the law, even alongside the criminal justice system. 

These qualities have firmly placed Heroic characters in white as a base color, although some are more concerned with investigation and understanding or defending natural laws instead of manmade ones, which bleed into blue or green, respectively, or let their passions and emotions direct them, going into red.

Hero History

Technically, the earliest creature in Magic to be considered a Hero was Changeling HeroChangeling Hero, although it’s a hero because of changeling and its name, and it didn’t have the Hero type printed on it. Benalish HeroBenalish Hero was the first card to have the word “Hero” on its typeline, but it’s been errata'd to be a Soldier. Theros was the first set that printed a deck that claimed to have Heroes in it, in the “Heroes vs. Monsters” Dual Deck. Despite featuring a mechanic called “heroic”, however, Theros did not introduce the type.

Heroes were formally introduced to Magic in the Spider-Man set. In that set, however, they were mostly used in name only. Marvel Super Heroes brought cards that care about the Hero type. There were also some cute callbacks to the heroic mechanic, but this deck will be about Heroes working together, not Heroes showboating with the focus on themselves being targeted.

But how do we win a game with a defensive creature type? And what kind of commander could bring this motley crew together?

What Does Captain America, Super-SoldierCaptain America, Super-Soldier Do?

While I’m not too familiar with the Avengers, I am aware that Captain America is considered the first one and the generally accepted leader of the group. He’s the one that yells “AVENGERS ASSEMBLE!”, so he’s the one that will assemble our new group.

Our fearless leader protects himself with first strike and a shield counter, the latter of which prevents an instance of damage or destruction. As long as Cap has his shield, we and all of our Heroes have hexproof. All of these defensive abilities work together to ensure that our team stays together through thick and thin.

Somewhat paradoxically, these protective abilities enable our Heroes to leap into the fray of battle, confident that they will be safe. Cap entering with a shield counter means that we can send him into dangerous battlefields with the knowledge that, even if he should meet an untimely end, a three-mana commander is easy to re-cast, and he’ll enter with a brand-new shield.

But what would a Hero deck look like? And how do we simulate teamwork?

Key Cards for Captain America, Super-SoldierCaptain America, Super-Soldier

Heroes have a variety of abilities that give them incredible strength in battle. The Heroes we are going to focus on represent one of two categories, which are common to team battle games: DPS (damage per second) Heroes, who are our frontline forces, and Back Row (support) Heroes, who provide buffs to our team but don’t necessarily engage in combat themselves.

Spider-UKSpider-UK and Falcon, Joaquin TorresFalcon, Joaquin Torres make an intriguingly good team. Spidey uses web-slinging to reset ETBs (enters-the-battlefield effects) like our commanders and draws us a card and gains us a couple life if multiple creatures have entered this turn. Falcon, meanwhile, is a flying, lifelinking beater that grows and scries when it and two other creatures attack.

Cap’s friend Bucky comes back as Winter Soldier, Reborn AvengerWinter Soldier, Reborn Avenger, who, in turn, brings a Hero with lesser power back with him, giving it a +1/+1 counter for being Heroic (kind of). These counter synergies are furthered with Agent Phil CoulsonAgent Phil Coulson, the guy the movie's Avengers were avenging, although he didn’t really die and went on to head the S.H.I.E.L.D. TV series…I think. I’m sure it all makes sense and is super cool. In Magic, Phil is a vigilant Grizzly BearsGrizzly Bears who’s basically Steel OverseerSteel Overseer for Heroes, which is incredible at facilitating the deck’s strategies.

But where does teamwork come in?

Teamwork is an additional cost introduced in the Marvel Super Heroes set, albeit one that didn’t get a lot of support. In fact, only three cards were printed with it, albeit at common rarity. The additional cost comes in the form of tapping creatures with a certain amount of power, which is really similar to convoke, another ability that involves tapping creatures, this time to reduce the cost of a spell.

Creatures working together? Sounds like teamwork to me!

Heroic TeamworkHeroic Teamwork pumps two creatures at instant speed, drawing a card if teamwork was done. Heroes are known for the Clever ConcealmentClever Concealment of their identities, for their and their family’s protection. Concealment in Magic phases out any number of permanents we control, doing a fantastic job of protecting our Heroes by working together, even if we don’t have mana up.

But how do we balance needing to attack to win with needing to tap creatures for teamwork and convoke? We could use vigilance, and some of our creatures do have or grant that. But it’s far more tactical to untap our creatures at instant speed. Battle CryBattle Cry and Rally the TroopsRally the Troops both do this, allowing us to get the jump on opponents and dominate combat.

Both Clive's HideawayClive's Hideaway and Minas TirithMinas Tirith care about legendary creatures, which rewards our deck’s construction. For reference, our Heroes are all legendary, which helps to give the deck a feeling of assembling a new Avengers team. Clive's HideawayClive's Hideaway is, as the name suggests, a hideaway land, letting us cast a free spell if we have enough legends. Minas TirithMinas Tirith enters untapped if we have a legend, and then draws us cards the same way Windbrisk HeightsWindbrisk Heights operates.

But how do we close the game out?

How Does This Captain America, Super-SoldierCaptain America, Super-Soldier Commander Deck Win?

Our primary means of winning is combat, especially involving Heroes with evasion. Many Heroes fly, and even those who don’t can benefit from layers of counters from Agent Phil CoulsonAgent Phil Coulson and Doctor SpectrumDoctor Spectrum. Captain America, Wings of FreedomCaptain America, Wings of Freedom is another way of buffing our team, giving them power equal to his toughness. Note that this has to do with the current toughness, not the printed one, so our buffs stack and we can literally win games with Steve Rogers’s butt implants.

Conclusion

Heroes are some of the more iconic creatures to come out of the Marvel crossover, but there are other ways of building them, including the heroic mechanic, equipment like job-select in Final Fantasy, and activated abilities like power-up.

But how would you build Heroes? And who would lead your super squad?