Overall Goals

• Establish the Institute: install #Utopia, #Cerebro, #Team-Building Exercise, #White Hot Room, and maintain 2–3 allies to power #Band Together. • Seed the Victory Display early with a Player Side Scheme (#New Recruits, #Call for Backup, #Superpower Training) so #Mission Planning turns are live. • Remain Restrained early; pivot to Unleashed when your board is secure and #Rise from the Ashes is down. • Convert threats into assets with #Mind Control and maintain tempo with #Rapid Response loops. • Defender Role (free cards): #Skilled Investigator (Justice Upgrade) for repeatable draw and #One Way or Another (Justice Event) to fetch a side scheme and draw 3. These do not count toward deck size.

Mulligan Priorities (keep 2+)

1. Utopia
2. Cerebro
3. Team-Building Exercise
4. White Hot Room
5. Phoenix Suit

Then keep as context allows: • #Band Together (when hand already has 1–2 allies) • Early allies (#Forge best opener; #Professor X / #Pixie excellent) • A Player Side Scheme (prefer #New Recruits early; #Call for Backup when the table can immediately convert; #Superpower Training if Phoenix upgrades are missing) • Role cards: #Skilled Investigator (free, install early), #One Way or Another (only if your table can clear the fetched scheme this turn)

Turn‑by‑Turn: Opening Two Rounds

Turn 1 — Restrained (3 THW emphasis)

Play two economy pieces from: #Utopia / #Cerebro / #Team-Building Exercise / #White Hot Room.

Play an X‑MEN ally: • #Forge to find a missing support. • #Professor X to control Magneto and enable a #Utopia ready. • #Pixie if you plan to recur an ally next turn.

If feasible, drop #New Recruits (PSS) now (0 cost) to seed the Victory Display and load hands for Turn 2.

Install #Skilled Investigator (Role, 0) — you will draw when a side scheme is defeated (Hero Response; be in hero form).

Turn 2 — Stabilize and Accelerate

Use #Cerebro to fetch the ally you need (Prof X / Forge / Storm).

Aim to sit at 2–3 allies so #Band Together becomes reliable.

If the table is ready, play #Call for Backup (PSS) so each player puts an ally into play from deck/discard.

Consider #One Way or Another (Role) to fetch a side scheme and draw 3 — ONLY if your team can immediately clear it this phase.

Stay Restrained and erase side‑scheme pressure with 3 THW + allies.

Midgame Engine — “To me, my X‑Men.”

• Mission‑Planning turns: with any side scheme in the Victory Display, allies you control take no consequential damage this phase. Stack #Psychic Kicker and loop with #Rapid Response. • Recursion: #Pixie returns a key X‑MEN ally; #Rapid Response repeats high‑impact enters‑play (#Professor X, #Forge). • Economy: #Band Together pays for spikes (#Telekinetic Attack / #Psychic Blast / #Mind Control) once you’re at 2–3 bodies. • Draw: #Skilled Investigator (Role) triggers each time a side scheme is defeated while you are in hero form. • Role line: Fire #One Way or Another early to gas up and create a scheme you or Jubilee can clear; this keeps #Mission Planning and SI triggers active for the rest of the game.

Closing Lines — The Unleashed Mind

Ensure #Rise from the Ashes is installed.

Pivot to Unleashed on a turn you can press damage.

Execute a Mission‑Planning phase: #Psychic Kicker your best ally; chain actions; then spend resources on #Telekinetic Attack / #Psychic Blast to finish Magneto.

For large minions, consider #Mind Control to convert them into a 3/3 ally and remove a problem.

Ally Roles

• #Forge — fetches supports (#Utopia / #Cerebro / #Team-Building Exercise). Best T1. • #Professor X — premier control & ready target; excellent with #Rapid Response. • #Pixie — recursion glue for Prof X/Forge. • #Beast — finds a resource (often #Band Together). • #Storm — flexible stats; strong #Psychic Kicker target. • #Angel / #Colossus — board presence & safe blocks (protects Jubilee); keep one to maintain #Band Together math. • #Triage — stabilizes Rogue or Jean after spikes. Magneto Tips

• Threat: partition duties—Jubilee handles big bursts; you clear the rest, especially during Mission‑Planning phases. • Minions: use #Mind Control on the fattest targets; #Mental Paralysis and #Telekinetic Shield pace rough turns. • Damage spikes: Rogue is primary blocker; supplement with #Colossus / #Angel when you’re not lining up a Mission‑Planning turn. • Counters: spend Phoenix counters deliberately; keep 1–2 available for flexibility and pivot Unleashed only when your board can capitalize.

Common Pitfalls (and how to avoid them)

• Playing PSS with no plan — only drop #Call for Backup when all players can immediately convert value. • Starving Band Together — chump block sparingly; aim to maintain 2–3 allies. • Early Unleashed — wait until #Rise from the Ashes is down and your board is ready to press damage.