So, the Lantern Batteries I own are Red, Green, and Violet (Star Sapphire). Of those three, Green has been done to death by everyone and Red lacks a fun factor (except when used like this), but I’m always trying to dream up teams for the Star Sapphire battery. Sure I had some fun with it in Sealed. I think I also came up with something nice for it in our Lantern article. But, I feel like I’m not quite there yet.

So lately I’ve been looking at the pieces I like to call “Summoners.” That’s not an official term, but what I am referring to are pieces that bring an unlimited amount of pieces into play during a game (although they may have a limit of how many pieces can be put into play at one time). To clarify further, AAOU101 Iron Man Mk. 43 brings in an AAOU002 Iron Legion once per game. If you kill that piece, he can’t summon another. On the other hand, AAOU001 Iron Man can summon an unlimited amount of AAOU002 Iron Legions per game, but he can only have 4 in play at a time. I would consider AAOU001 Iron Man a Summoner, while AAOU101 Iron Man Mk. 43 is not a Summoner. He’s just, I dunno, friendly.

Anyway, Summoners are probably my favorite kind of piece and the newest set (Avengers: Age of Ultron) brought us three new summoning pieces. Those three pieces are AAOU007 Ultron Sentry, AAOU001 Iron Man, and AAOU016 Baron Strucker. The Sentry is best on Ultron teams and I think Iron Man is a bit overcosted, but I have been looking for a team for Baron von Strucker since I first got him. I originally thought of running him with his Hydra buddy (and fellow Summoner) DP054 Arnim Zola because I remembered him fondly from this article. But, Strucker and Zola together just lacked an offensive punch. Sure they could flood the map with people, but to what end? Even Mind Controlling Gwens or Test Subjects to attack three at a time just isn’t that effective, and the two pieces together didn’t leave enough room for a primary attacker (especially not a Hydra themed one – sorry Hydra Wolverine). So I scrapped that Idea and I’ve moved on to what you see below:

Team Name: Test Subjects… of Love!

Keyword Theme: Scientist

Roster: IIM037 Iron Monger 2.0 (with ATA103 Hammer Industries), AAOU016 Baron Strucker, DP020 Weasel, WOLR106 Power Battery (Star Sapphires) – WOLR306 Star Sapphire Ring, WOLR206.03 Mallet (Violet), WOLR206.14 Sniper Rifle (Violet), WOLR206.12 Spotlight (Violet), WOLR206.13 Stop Sign (Violet)

Total = 300 Points

How it Works: IIM037 Iron Monger 2.0 is an average ranged attacker. But if you add in DP020 Weasel, Hammer ATA, and a Spotlight he becomes a very formidable ranged attacker. The Star Sapphire Battery helps him both on offense by boosting his Range via it’s emotional power and on defense by granting him Shape Change. Weasel is there because he is the number one way (outside of GOTG058 Mentor) to make a ranged attacker more dangerous. He gives +1 range,+1 damage, +1 attack, and evens offers the possibility of a reroll if you happen to juuuust miss. If your name isn’t WKM-015 Doop, JLTW068 Gluttony, or IIM038 Iron Man – you are going to be taking a ton of ranged damage.

AAOU016 Baron Strucker will eventually be an offensive monster, but for most of the game his role will be an entirely different one. He is there to produce AAOU004 Test Subjects that will run forward and tie up opposing characters. That way Iron Monger 2.0 can take shots all day without having to worry about the opponent shooting back. The idea is that Baron Strucker’s special power (WE LEARN SO MUCH FROM THEM… ) lets you put a new Test Subject into play anywhere within 6 range. It doesn’t have to even be within line of fire. Then they each have 6 Movement and can move immediately.

[EDITOR’S NOTE: As a former Magic: The Gathering player, no Summoning Sickness for the Test Subjects just makes me giggle with glee… ]

That means if an opposing figure is anywhere within 12 spaces of Baron Strucker, he should be able to base them with a Test Subject. Just remember to put a Construct on that new figure. Also, make sure that Iron Monger 2.0 carries Baron Strucker (and not Weasel) so that he is always ready to create a Test Subject without pushing. You should also try to keep an extra Test Subject next to Baron Strucker for Mastermind purposes.

So what are an opponents choices when based by a Test Subject?

He can:

1. Do nothing, or
2. Try to break away, or
3. Try to kill the Test Subject.

Option 1 won’t hurt the opponent directly, but if he’s just sitting there then you can just sit back and pick him off with Iron Monger 2.0. Option 2 may fail – especially if that Test Subject has plasticity or the WOLR206.13 Stop Sign (Violet). So that may end up being like doing nothing and giving your character an action token to boot. That leaves option 3. Here’s some reasons why option 3 is the worst of the three options.

• The Test Subject might hit shape change and you’ll have wasted an action. This is probably the best case scenario.
• If the Test Subject takes damage, then the attacker gets a Mystic TA unavoidable damage back because of the battery.
• If the Test Subject dies after taking damage from an attack then every opposing character it’s adjacent to will take an unavoidable damage because of Iron Monger 2.0
• After Test Subject Dies and does it’s unavoidable damage, Baron Stucker may get a stat increase. Then he can simply recreate that same test subject with a power action the next turn and it will be able to run right back to where the last one died. You won’t even lose the construct. Those go back to the Battery ready to be redeployed when the figure they are on is KOed.

When he or she is considering those those three options, I like to remind my opponent of my favorite Jerry Seinfeld MEME: