Black Widow
Playstyle: Balanced · Complexity: 4/6 · Marvel
Who is this character?
Balanced snowball: Ability Upgrades and Time Bomb raise the damage of every later turn while Infiltrate ticks the bombs closer to detonation.
How to play Black Widow
If after roll 1 5× Widow for Widow's Bite! are reachable. Keep 5× Widow and reroll all dice not needed, aiming at Widow's Bite! (5 dice). If fewer than 5 matching dice remain after roll 1, switch to Grapple. Widow's Bite! deals a documented 10 damage and applies Time Bomb, so the 5 committed dice stay on the table.
If after roll 1 4× Widow for Grapple are reachable. Keep 4× Widow and reroll all dice not needed, aiming at Grapple (4 dice). If fewer than 4 matching dice remain after roll 1, switch to Widow's Bite!. Grapple deals a documented 7 damage and bypasses the defence roll and applies Agility/Ability Upgrades, so the 4 committed dice stay on the table.
With 6+ upgrades Time Bombs start at 0:01 – they explode almost surely next upkeep.
Hoarding Covert Ops instead of placing an upgrade every turn – otherwise your damage stays at starting level.
Tossing Agility singly at 3-point hits instead of saving pairs for the big attacks.
Strengths
- At 5+ upgrades in play: +1 on ALL attacks; Grapple/Gauntlets scale per upgrade
- Covert Ops (start: 3): every turn put an upgrade into play from hand or dig for one
- Time Bombs tick towards 4 undefendable – the opponent only defuses on a 6
- Agility halves hits on 1–3 – two tokens can cancel everything
Weaknesses
- Starts soft: early on upgrades are missing and Baton Strike 5–7 is everything
- Sabotage prevents only ~1 on average
Key attacks
- Baton StrikeStandard route
Reliable damage route for turns without special setup.
Take it as soon as 3× ⚡ Batons is mostly on the table after roll 1 (98% across all three rolls): safe damage beats rerolling working dice for a harder route.
3× ⚡ Batons · 5 damage
- InfiltrateSetup
Setup attack: places effects that later turns rely on.
Play it early while turns remain for the effect to pay off – as the last action of a close game Infiltrate deals no damage.
2× 👁 Espionage + 1× ⚡ Batons + 1× 🕷 Widow · time bomb
- Widows GauntletsBurst
High single-turn damage that locks several dice.
Only go for it when at most one symbol of 3× 👁 Espionage + 2× ⚡ Batons is missing after roll 1 (49% across all three rolls); otherwise you give up an already safe route.
3× 👁 Espionage + 2× ⚡ Batons · about 7 damage
- HackedControl
Control route: damage plus an effect against the opponent's next turn.
Worth it when the opponent is hunting their strong route next turn (59% across all three rolls): the effect beats a few extra damage points there.
Small straight (4 in a row) · about 6 damage · time bomb
- GrappleBurst
High single-turn damage that locks several dice.
Only go for it when at most one symbol of 4× 🕷 Widow is missing after roll 1 (10% across all three rolls); otherwise you give up an already safe route.
4× 🕷 Widow · about 7 damage
- VengeanceControl
Control route: damage plus an effect against the opponent's next turn.
Worth it when the opponent is hunting their strong route next turn (25% across all three rolls): the effect beats a few extra damage points there.
Large straight (5 in a row) · about 9 damage · time bomb
- Widow's Bite!Finisher
Ultimate: the board's highest damage value with the hardest requirement.
Do not force 5× 🕷 Widow (1% across all three rolls): only when the requirement is reachable after roll 1 is giving up the safe route worth it.
5× 🕷 Widow · 10 damage · time bomb
Key statuses & resources
- Covert Ops: Start with 3; Vengeance on a widow pair in the bonus roll.
- Covert Ops: One every turn – the goal is 5 upgrades in play (permanent +1 on everything).
- Agility: Infiltrate, Grapple, Vengeance.
- Agility: Both at once against a big hit: two successes erase it completely.
Abilities & board
Health: 50 · Starting CP: 2
Dice symbols
Level I abilities
- Baton StrikeNormal
- Dice requirement:
- 3× ⚡ Batons
- Damage/healing:
- 5 damage
- Infiltrate
- Dice requirement:
- 2× 👁 Espionage + 1× ⚡ Batons + 1× 🕷 Widow
- Damage/healing:
- Not sufficiently verified
- Key effects:
- time bomb
- Widows GauntletsNormal
- Dice requirement:
- 3× 👁 Espionage + 2× ⚡ Batons
- Damage/healing:
- about 7 damage
- HackedNormal
- Dice requirement:
- Small straight (4 in a row)
- Damage/healing:
- about 6 damage
- Key effects:
- time bomb
- GrappleUndefendable
- Dice requirement:
- 4× 🕷 Widow
- Damage/healing:
- about 7 damage
- VengeanceNormal
- Dice requirement:
- Large straight (5 in a row)
- Damage/healing:
- about 9 damage
- Key effects:
- time bomb
Ultimate
- Widow's Bite!Ultimate
- Dice requirement:
- 5× 🕷 Widow
- Damage/healing:
- 10 damage
- Key effects:
- time bomb
Defense
Sabotage The defense roll is made whenever you are attacked. On average it prevents about 1 damage. The prevention depends on the roll. Avoiding the attack is also possible. Sabotage: 3 dice – prevent 1 per espionage (~1), counter 1 per baton, a widow pair plants a Time Bomb. With 4+ upgrades you may reroll these dice. The real protection is Agility.
Special mechanics
- Covert Ops as upgrade engine Token mechanicStart 3, cap 3, resupply only via Vengeance. One token per turn puts an Ability Upgrade into play for free or searches the top 3 cards for one. · Maximum: 3
- Agility as a halving roll Token mechanicAt most 2 tokens. When taking damage spend 1 token and roll 1 die: success on 1-3 per the hero leaflet, then the hit is halved and rounded up. Does not work against ultimate damage and is consumed on 4-6 as well. · Maximum: 2
- Time Bomb with countdown MechanicUp to 3 bombs sit on the opposing side at once. Each ticks down one step during the enemy upkeep, is only defused on a 6 (about 16.7%) and detonates at 0 for 4 undefendable damage. Infiltrate ticks all bombs one extra step. · Maximum: 3
- Upgrade thresholds as a state Board mechanicThe effect of many abilities depends solely on the number of Ability Upgrades in play: +1 per upgrade on Grapple and Widows Gauntlets, 4 upgrades allow the Sabotage reroll, 5 upgrades give +1 on all attacks, 6 upgrades let new Time Bombs start at 0:01.
- Sabotage: prevention and counter separated Mechanic3 defense dice: 1 damage prevented per espionage (about 1 on average), 1 counter damage per baton (about 1.5 on average), a widow pair plants a Time Bomb. Only the espionage share is prevention.
Resources
- Covert OpsMax 3, once per turn in a main phase: put an upgrade from hand into play OR dig the top 3 deck cards for an upgrade. · Start with 3; Vengeance on a widow pair in the bonus roll. · One every turn – the goal is 5 upgrades in play (permanent +1 on everything).
- AgilityMax 2: spend when damaged, roll 1 die – on 1–3 the hit is halved (rounded up). Not against ultimates. · Infiltrate, Grapple, Vengeance. · Both at once against a big hit: two successes erase it completely.
Upgrades & cards
What changes?
- Baton StrikeLevel II
- Damage: 6 damage instead of 5 damage
- Dice requirement: 4× ⚡ Batons instead of 3× ⚡ Batons
- Baton StrikeLevel III
- Damage: 7 damage instead of 5 damage
- Dice requirement: 5× ⚡ Batons instead of 3× ⚡ Batons
Hero-specific cards
Not sufficiently verified
Works well with
Good matchups
- Headless Horseman
Headless Horseman lands spikes up to 14 damage off Dreadful without a long ramp – and Black Widow has little to absorb it.
- Black Panther
Black Widow keeps Black Panther tied up with Time Bomb, and Black Panther already needs tight rolls.
- Vampire Lord
Black Widow pushes damage through that Vampire Lord barely stops with Immortal Flesh.
Tough matchups
- Wolverine
Wolverine keeps Black Widow tied up with Alpha, many of Black Widow's effects get cancelled that way.
- Necromancer
Necromancer keeps Black Widow tied up with Decrep Ify, many of Black Widow's effects get cancelled that way.
- Barbarian
Barbarian keeps Black Widow tied up with Concussion and Stun, many of Black Widow's effects get cancelled that way.
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