
Winning Hand - A Marvel Champions Podcast
A podcast all about Marvel Champions…one card at a time.
Marvel Champions the Card Game is a Living Card Game from Fantasy Flight Games. Every episode we use one card as the focus of the episode but we discuss a range of topics, news, tips, and decks for the game we love! Join us as we journey through Marvel Champions one card at a time.
Latest episodes

Feb 4, 2025 • 1h 11min
E57 - Team-Building Exercise
"Storm is top 5 X-Men. IMO." - Leethus
In this episode of the Winning Hand Podcast, we talk about our recent gameplay experiences with various Marvel Champions characters, including Hulk and Thor (Leethus), and Black Widow and Black Panther (Boomguy). We highlight a content creator, Joshi of Smeg, and delve into deck-building strategies, emphasizing the importance of consistency and thematic alignment. The conversation then shifts to upcoming heroes like Nick Fury and Maria Hill, and we show off our excitement for their unique mechanics. Finally, we analyze Team-Building Exercise, comparing its two different arts and contemplating what it means to build a team. As a bonus, we each share our top 5 favorite X-Men characters.
You can find Joshie of Smeg here: https://www.youtube.com/@joshieofsmeg
Leethus' Thor deck: https://marvelcdb.com/decklist/view/45855/thor-be-strong-and-hit-stuff-1.0
Leethus Valkyrie deck: https://marvelcdb.com/decklist/view/45910/valkyrie-nibelung-valesti-1.0
Chapters
00:00 Introduction to the Winning Hand Podcast
03:12 Community Engagement and Content Creator Spotlight
05:55 Recent Gameplay Experiences and Strategies
09:04 Deck Building Philosophy and Hero Exploration
12:08 Discussion on Black Panther and Upcoming Heroes
15:10 Excitement for New Characters: Nick Fury and Maria Hill
24:05 Card of the Day: Team Building Exercise
25:23 Exploring Card Art Variations
28:52 Diving into the Team Building Exercise
35:03 Top 5 X-Men Showdown
38:14 Thematic Analysis of Team Dynamics
44:39 Power Mechanics and Team Synergy
45:57 Inconsistent Card Mechanics
47:14 Thematic Elements in Team Dynamics
48:42 Hero Mechanics and Card Synergy
49:32 The Role of Resource Generators
51:16 Thematic vs Mechanical Disconnect
52:39 Final Thoughts on Team Building Exercise
01:10:44 Outro

Jan 31, 2025 • 27min
Popping Your Posse & Saving the Neighborhood - AHoD #10
In this episode of All Hands on Decks, Boomguy and Andy R discuss two decks from Marvel CDB, focusing on a Domino leadership deck and a Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man deck. They explore the mechanics, strategies, and potential improvements for each deck, emphasizing the importance of deck themes and player experience. We also highlight the fun and complexity of deck building in Marvel CDB, while also teasing future episodes where they will build their own decks together.
How come I'm the only one popping my posse up in here: https://marvelcdb.com/decklist/view/45547/how-come-i-m-the-only-one-popping-my-posse-up-in-here-1.0
Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man: https://marvelcdb.com/decklist/view/45545/friendly-neighborhood-spider-man-1.0
Chapters
00:00 Introduction and Deck Themes
04:49 Reviewing the Domino Leadership Deck
12:58 Exploring the Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man Deck
27:02 Conclusion and Future Deck Building Plans

Jan 24, 2025 • 32min
Exploring Community Decks in Marvel Champions - AHoD#9
In this episode of All Hands on Decks, Boomguy and Andyr delve into the world of deck building in Marvel Champions with Reddit-submitted decks. They explore the Chitinous Wasp deck, discussing its strategies and card choices, before moving on to the Ant in the Pool deck, which emphasizes resource management and Pool synergy. We also discuss the limitations of the 'Pool aspect in deck-building and the challenges it presents.
Chitinous Wasp: https://marvelcdb.com/decklist/view/44949/chitinous-wasp-1.0
Ant in the Pool: https://marvelcdb.com/decklist/view/45051/ant-in-the-pool-1.0
Chapters
00:00 Introduction to Deck Building and Community Engagement
03:01 Exploring the Chitinous Wasp Deck
11:53 Analyzing the Ant-Man Deck
23:58 Discussion on Pool Limitations and Deck Strategies
31:54 Conclusion and Final Thoughts

Jan 20, 2025 • 1h 7min
E56 - Lie in Wait (w/ Rey Plays Games)
Dive into the world of Marvel Champions as Rey shares his journey as a content creator. Discover the intricacies of the 'Lie in Wait' card, its gameplay mechanics, and its strategic impact. The hosts compare their favorite comic heroes and highlight vibrant community content, including the Charred Gambit. Explore deck-building dynamics in both solo and multiplayer settings, and enjoy a light-hearted discussion about podcasting challenges and iconic characters like Moon Knight. This episode promises insights, strategies, and a dash of humor!

Jan 18, 2025 • 32min
Is Impede Secretly Great? (All Hands on Decks #8)
In this episode of All Hands on Deck, Boomguy and Andyr discuss the Impede card, its effectiveness, and its place in various deck archetypes. They break down two specific decks featuring Ms. Marvel, exploring their strategies and synergies. The conversation also touches on the importance of deck building for new players and the potential for collaborative gameplay videos in the future.
Here is the Impede deck that started this conversation: https://marvelcdb.com/decklist/view/45086/doctor-icelove-3.0
Andy's Deck: https://marvelcdb.com/decklist/view/41703/ms-marvel-thwarts-and-all-1.0
Boomguy's Deck: https://marvelcdb.com/decklist/view/36600/n00b-support-system-1.0
This deck is meant to work together with this deck: https://marvelcdb.com/decklist/view/36599/learning-to-crawl-1.0
Chapters
00:00 Introduction and Overview of Impede
02:03 Deep Dive into Impede's Effectiveness
05:03 Deck Breakdown: Ms. Marvel Thwarts and All
07:59 Deck Breakdown: Noob Support System
10:55 Comparative Analysis of Decks
14:08 Final Thoughts and Future Plans

13 snips
Jan 14, 2025 • 1h 12min
E55.5 - Agents of SHIELD Reveals w/ Xander from FFG!
Xander Tabler, community manager at Fantasy Flight Games, shares his insights on engaging the Marvel Champions community. He discusses his gaming background and excitement for upcoming organized play. Xander reveals details about new cards like 'Intelligence' and 'Agents of SHIELD,' and talks about selecting heroes for casual gameplay. The conversation also highlights the importance of player feedback in game development and the thriving community culture surrounding Marvel Champions.

Jan 10, 2025 • 49min
What is a Timmy Deck? (All Hands on Decks #7)
In this episode, Boomguy and Andy explore the concept of Timmy decks in Marvel Champions, discussing their characteristics, strategies, and examples. They share their recent experiences with various decks, including Magneto Aggression, Hulk in Justice, and a unique Carol deck focused on allies. The conversation also covers Gamora's deck and a Vision minion control strategy, emphasizing the fun and engaging nature of Timmy decks.
If you have a deck you'd like to suggest, let us know: winninghandodcast@gmail.com
Deck 1 - Aggression: https://marvelcdb.com/decklist/view/45170/magneto-aerial-aggression-2.0
Deck 2 - Justice: https://marvelcdb.com/decklist/view/14430/operation-hulk-and-fury-1.0
Deck 3 - Leadership: https://marvelcdb.com/decklist/view/45295/carol-goes-on-a-recruiting-spree-1.0
Deck 4 - 'Pool: https://marvelcdb.com/decklist/view/44868/gamora-the-perfect-host-1.0
Deck 5 - Protection: https://marvelcdb.com/decklist/view/31780/minion-control-viz-3.0
Chapters
00:00 Introduction to Timmy Decks
02:54 Defining Timmy Decks
05:54 Recent Gameplay Experiences
08:41 Exploring Magneto Aggression Deck
12:51 Hulk in Justice: A Timmy Approach
17:48 Carol Danvers: The Ally Recruiter
22:33 Energy Rechanneling and Timmy Decks
24:57 Exploring Gamora: The Perfect Host
35:15 Minion Control with Vision
48:19 Community Engagement and Deck Building

Jan 7, 2025 • 1h 3min
E55 - The Night Nurse (w/ The Marvel Chumpions)
Join the hosts as they dive into the vibrant world of Marvel Champions, sharing their favorite heroes and deck-building strategies. Discover the intriguing dynamics of the Night Nurse card, exploring its thematic depth and gameplay mechanics. Personal anecdotes add flavor as they discuss collaboration and character synergy in gameplay. Listeners will enjoy insights on maximizing the effectiveness of various cards, while embracing the unique power of teamwork in encounters. A celebration of creativity and strategy awaits!

Jan 3, 2025 • 28min
All Hands on Decks #6 - Sidekick decks!
All Hands on Decks is a series featuring Andyr that discusses community decks that we think deserve to be seen. We will discuss the decks, and categorize them into the Johnny-Timmy-Spike archetypes so that others can find decks they might enjoy, depending on the type of player they are.
Link to Spike, Johnny, and Timmy: https://magic.wizards.com/en/news/making-magic/timmy-johnny-and-spike-2013-12-03
In this episode of the our mini-series, Boomguy and Andy explore two unique decks in the Marvel Champions game. The first deck, 'Drax Tank and Spank with Mantis Sidekick Healer,' focuses on utilizing Drax's strengths alongside Mantis as a sidekick healer. The second deck, 'Wasp and Ant-Man with a Great Equalizer,' aims to enhance Wasp's capabilities by leveraging Ant-Man's potential through various attachments and strategies. The hosts discuss the strengths and weaknesses of each deck, categorize them based on player archetypes, and share insights on deck building and gameplay strategies.
Drank "Tank and Spank" with Mantis Sidekick Healer: https://marvelcdb.com/decklist/view/38888/drax-tank-and-spank-with-mantis-sidekick-healer-1.0
Wasp and Ant-Man with a Great Equalizer (fixed): https://marvelcdb.com/decklist/view/44671/wasp-and-ant-man-with-a-great-equalizer-fixed-1.0
Chapters
00:00 Introduction
02:08 Exploring Drax Tank and Spank Deck
09:45 Reviewing Wasp and Ant-Man Deck
25:59 Conclusion and Future Deck Suggestions

Dec 31, 2024 • 1h 27min
E54.5 - 2024 Year in Review
In this episode of the Winning Hand Podcast, hosts Boomguy and LazyTitan reflect on the year 2024 in Marvel Champions, discussing the highlights of their podcast, the impact of reprints, the rise of mutants, and the re-introduction of Alliance cards. They also delve into the villains of the year, particularly focusing on the Age of Apocalypse and the Four Horsemen scenario, providing insights into gameplay mechanics and strategies. In this episode, the hosts delve into the mechanics of hit points and villain strategies in Marvel Champions, exploring various scenarios and modular sets. They discuss their favorite hero packs, aspect cards, and ultimately reveal their favorite heroes of the year, highlighting the evolving gameplay and strategies within the game.
Favorite decks of the year:
1. Blue Christmas: https://marvelcdb.com/decklist/view/44647/blue-christmas-1.0
2. Galactic Pool Cleaner: https://marvelcdb.com/decklist/view/38503/galactic-pool-cleaner-1.0
3. The Superior Iron Man: https://marvelcdb.com/decklist/view/38974/the-superior-iron-man-1.0
Chapters
00:00 Introduction to the Winning Hand Podcast
02:11 Recap of 2024 Episodes and Highlights
06:05 Exploring the Age of Apocalypse Wave
11:24 Reprints and Their Impact on Gameplay
15:26 The Rise of Mutants in Marvel Champions
19:22 Exploring the Marvel Cinematic Universe
21:10 The Rise of Mutants in Marvel
23:48 Alliance Cards: A New Gameplay Mechanic
32:53 Villains of the Marvel Universe: The Age of Apocalypse
38:21 Hit Points and Villain Mechanics
41:12 Exploring Apocalypse and Dark Beast Scenarios
46:16 Modular Sets and Encounter Cards
49:13 Favorite Villains and Encounter Sets
56:21 Favorite Aspect Cards and Heroes
01:00:52 Exploring New Archetypes and Strategies
01:02:10 Best Basic Cards of the Year
01:05:12 Justice Aspect Highlights
01:07:24 Leadership Cards and Their Impact
01:11:03 Protection Aspect Innovations
01:19:53 Favorite Heroes of the Year
01:26:50 Signoff
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