Marvel United rules: how to play and how to win

Marvel United quick rules

The goal

You play Heroes who team up against a Villain run by the game. You must first complete two of the three Missions; only then can you hit the Villain. When the Villain has no Health tokens left, you all win together.

The Storyline

The cards played form a row, the Storyline. The Villain opens with a card from their Master Plan deck, then the Heroes play three cards, one per turn, and the Villain plays again. After the first Mission is completed, the Villain plays after every two Hero cards.

The Villain turn

The Villain’s card resolves top to bottom: the Villain moves clockwise and sometimes triggers the Threat at their Location, then come the BAM effects, which often damage the Heroes, and the Thugs and Civilians added around them. A full Location overflows: the Villain’s Overflow effect applies.

Your turn

Draw a card, play one at the end of the Storyline, then take the actions shown at the bottom of your card and of the previous Hero’s card. Special Effects only work for the player who plays the card. At the end, a Location without a Threat gives you its End of Turn effect.

Actions

Move: a neighboring Location. Attack: one damage to a Thug, a Henchman or, after two Missions, the Villain. Heroic Action: rescue a Civilian or work toward clearing a Threat. Wild: any of the three. Action tokens can be saved for later.

Missions

Rescue Civilians, Defeat Thugs, Clear Threats: each success fills a Mission. The first puts the Villain Under Pressure, the second lets you attack them, the third, optional, lets everyone draw a card.

Damage and defeat

Each damage makes you discard a card from your hand to the bottom of your deck; with no cards left, your Hero is knocked out and the Villain triggers their BAM. You lose if the Villain completes their Villainous Plot, if their deck is empty when they must play, or if a Hero starts their turn with no cards at all.

Beginner traps

Attacking the Villain before two Missions are completed. Forgetting the symbols on the previous Hero’s card, or using their Special Effect. Letting Locations fill up. And playing for yourself: choosing your card for the next Hero is the heart of the game.

How to win Marvel United

No points

Marvel United has no points: the whole team wins or loses together.

Victory

The Villain has no Health tokens left. You can only attack them after two completed Missions.

Defeat

The Villain completes the Villainous Plot on their Dashboard, their deck is empty when they must play, or a Hero starts their turn with no cards at all. In solo, being knocked out means you lose.

Challenges

Moderate, Hard or Heroic: each Hero removes one or two cards from their deck. The Ludingo sheet records the Challenge played and what ended the game.

Example ending

With 3 Heroes against Red Skull, the team has rescued its Civilians and cleared its Threats: two Missions, the attack is open. Leo plays a card with two Attacks and adds the Attack from Mia’s card: 3 damage. Red Skull goes from 3 to 0 Health tokens, and the team wins.

Common mistakes

• Hitting the Villain before the second Mission: the damage doesn’t count.
• Thinking you must complete all three Missions: two are enough to attack.
• Forgetting that a Hero with no cards at the start of their turn makes the whole team lose.

How to set up Marvel United

Setup takes about ten minutes: the Villain, the city of six Locations, then the Heroes. In solo, you control three Heroes.