Deadpool is a character that transcends his comic book beginnings. Deadpool can be found on just about any piece of merchandise you can think of and as of this Summer, he’s now part of the Unmatched universe. This standalone expansion for Unmatched is only the beginning of the Marvel, Unmatched mashup that is coming from Mondo and Restoration Games.
Welcome to the Arena
Like the Unmatched: Bruce Lee expansion, Deadpool comes with a highly detailed miniature, deck of cards and a health dial. Since this is a single fighter with no map, you’ll need another Unmatched set in order to use this expansion. Thankfully, there are lots of them to choose from.
The Deadpool miniature is a really fun sculpt of him delicately walking while carrying a bomb over his shoulder. The real treat in this expansion is the deck of cards that Deadpool uses during battle. This deck is a smashup of cards from other Unmatched sets that have been “vandalized” by Deadpool himself. Some of the cards take the form of business cards, a napkin, playing cards and an X-Men ID badge that have writing all over them.
Each card has a bit of humor and goes along perfectly with the insane antics of Deadpool himself. It’s really impressive to see how this deck came together while still having all the necessary info on each card.
For the Fun of the Game
Some of the cards call the player to interact or do something out loud. I love the Feint scheme card that tells the player to tip over the miniature and make a fainting noise before gaining 2 health. You have cards that give the advantage to the person who owns the actual expansion and cards that allow you to write a persons name on the card the first time you play it against them. In the future, this card attacks that same person for more points.
While these cards seem really wacky, it’s 100% in-line with the character of Deadpool. This deck of cards is constantly breaking the fourth wall and bringing something fun to the match.
I’m letting you know now that this is the highlight of this review. Deadpool is really, really fun to play… as long as you’re OK with losing.
Dead on Arrival?
Deadpool starts every match with 10 health on his dial. His saving grace is that every time he attacks, he’s able to gain an additional health. This regeneration ability comes directly from the comics and works really well. It’s not tough to keep Deadpool around 6 to 8 health most of the game.
The issue is keeping Deadpool alive against anyone that can deal a big chunk of damage. There are some great card combinations that make Deadpool a solid fighter. Playing “Gaze of Stone” can deal 10 pts of damage or boosting “Cha-Ching!” with “Push to Teleport” can deal 7 pts of damage. Deadpool isn’t lacking in the attack arena, you just have to keep him alive long enough to use these cards.
In more than half a dozen plays of Deadpool, we’ve seen some pretty wild swings. Hitting a player with a significant attack feels good but it’s paralyzing knowing that some of the harder hitting fighters will take you down with a single attack. Since Deadpool is a melee fighters, running for the hills and taking potshots isn’t an option.
Probably your best bet for earning a win with Deadpool is playing against your friends named Logan. On the Deadpool player card it states that all attacks are +5 against players with the name “Logan”, referencing the long running battle against Wolverine. Unmatched players named Logan should probably consider a legal name change at this point.
Deadpool is fun and stylish but struggles to compete with a lot of the better fighters in Unmatched. I personally enjoy playing with underrated fighters because earning a win is so satisfying. Fans of Deadpool will love this expansion while people who are more serious about their Unmatched matchups will find themselves a little disappointed with this expansion.
Unmatched: Deadpool is available through the Mondo webstore (when in stock) and will get a wider release later this year.
Highs
- Lots of inside jokes for fans of Deadpool
- One of the coolest fighter decks around
- Health regeneration is a great special ability
Lows
- Big hits usually decimate Deadpool
- Tough to stay competitive against better fighters
