These days, you can hardly turn around without bumping into the Marvel universe. From the much-anticipated X-Men ’97 series to the action-packed Marvel Rivals video game, Marvel’s heroes and villains are making waves across all media. Even in the realm of tabletop games, Marvel continues to shine with collaborations in games like Codenames and the ever-popular Magic: The Gathering. Come spring, we’re in for another treat with the X-Men joining forces with the dice-rolling combat game, Dice Throne. After spending some time with this version, I can tell you that while it stays true to previous iterations, the introduction of new characters and their distinct abilities gives it a fresh spin that fans of superhero board games will likely appreciate.
The new X-Men version of Dice Throne began its journey on Kickstarter, with backers receiving a unique Battle Chest version. Compared to the retail sets you’ll find in stores, these versions contain higher-quality tokens and game pieces, along with organizational perks like storage trays for each character. If you’re eyeing the retail versions, there are two sets available, each featuring four of the beloved X-Men. One set includes Cyclops, Gambit, Rogue, and Jean Grey, while the other showcases Iceman, Psylocke, Storm, and Wolverine. Whether you gravitate towards longtime favorites or are simply getting started, there’s a set that’ll capture your interest. Each character is rated for difficulty from one to six, which you can find on the back of the box. For newcomers, the set including Wolverine and Storm is ideal as none of these characters exceeds a difficulty of four. By contrast, the Gambit and Jean Grey box presents more of a challenge, with both characters reaching the maximum difficulty.
As Dice Throne at its core, the gameplay remains straightforward: players roll dice to activate abilities on their character cards, either aiding themselves or targeting opponents and allies. Each character board displays eight abilities, most notably a defensive move and a passive ability. And then there’s the ultimate ability, which, true to its name, is quite the challenge to execute. Accompanying each character board are dice, a personalized deck of cards, and dials to monitor resources, alongside character sheets filled with additional info. Understanding a character’s abilities and how they interact with one another takes some getting used to, but it’s ultimately determined by your dice rolls. Cards can help you adjust these rolls, or even disrupt an opponent’s strategy. You’ll alternate turns rolling the dice, each aiming to bring your opponent’s life to zero—a simple goal, but one brimming with strategic layers depending on your approach.
Take Wolverine, for instance; his gameplay style is relatively beginner-friendly. He bulks up in rage as he takes damage, making his attacks more formidable the more he’s pummeled. Contrast him with Storm, who can amplify her powers with additional effects and even borrow dice from other players, boosting her odds of achieving specific rolls similar to poker straights, which are needed for certain attacks.
Swinging to the more complex characters, you’ll find Jean Grey, who alternates between her normal state and the formidable Dark Phoenix. Her abilities change with each turn, gathering resources and more cards while in her regular state, then forgoing entire phases in Dark Phoenix mode for greater offensive power. Gambit adds another layer of complexity by kinetically charging cards to set up future plays, requiring a keen sense of timing to maximize their effects. Each character brings its own comic lore to the table, and mastering their playstyles is essential to a smooth game experience.
Dice Throne can kick off with a simple 1v1 setup, though it suggests other formats for more players, such as a free-for-all King of the Hill for odd-numbered groups, or team battles. One-on-one play is a great way to ease into the game, especially as turns can run longer for players still getting the hang of things. If you’ve played trading card games like Magic: The Gathering, adapting to Dice Throne should be a cinch. Much like Magic, the cards dictate turn order phases such as upkeep, income, main, and dice roll phases, as well as when particular cards can be activated.
I used to gloss over Dice Throne during my trips to the board game aisles, but this Marvel-themed edition captured my attention. There’s something irresistible about rolling dice, especially with Marvel’s iconic characters involved. For those who love diving into Marvel’s universe and want to spice up game night, X-Men Dice Throne is a worthy addition—especially if your friends share the same affection for these characters and their world.
