Smash Up: Jim's Top 10 Favorite Factions (2019 Edition)

[@spencerfunari7703]

You mentioned it was Difficult to separate factions from their team parings; What are your top 10 favorite-faction-team pairings? I remember you mentioning Superhero Princesses, but I think that could be a fun conversation

[@skidawg22]

I haven't done a Top 10 factions in quite a while (almost 2 years, actually). So, I'll share with you that list and the needed adjustments based on everything that has come out since up to World Tour: International Incident. (As a fellow playtester, I have thoughts on the Penguins and World Tour: Culture Shock factions as well, but will save those for after their releases.) 1. Geeks (will always be my number one) 2. Ninja (my favorite base game faction) 3. Minions of Cthulhu (with Titan) 4. Teddy Bears 5. Kung Fu Fighters 6. Samurai 7. Aliens 8. Truckers 9. Orcs 10. (tie) Fairies (with Titan) and Wizards (with Titan) (dropping out) Bear Cavalry, Elder Things, Mythic Greeks, Star Roamers

[@TerrickTerran]

My Top 10 10. Sumo-I hate movement factions....so this is a fun counter for them. 9. Steampunk-This was my favorite faction at one point. I love some of their actions and its one of the few factions where I enjoy some movement. 8. Teddy Bears-they don't always suspect the teddy bears, but done right, you can have a lot of fun while driving your opponents crazy. 7. Faeries-they mix in a lot of fun features and it's fun to choose what to do. 6. Astroknights-maybe its the Star Wars fan in me, but I just enjoy the faction and the fact it has ten unique minions. 5. Dinosaurs-because sometimes I just want to crush my opponents with raw power. 4. Geeks-I can understand why people hate them, but I enjoy their ability to counter a lot of top tier factions. 3. Super Heroes-for pretty much all the reasons the Bandit already stated. 2. Mad Scientists-I love the mix of building up my minions and then getting rid of some of those counters for other stuff. 1. Shapeshifters-my favorite faction since they came out. You can do so much with them and I love that versatility. I'm pretty sure I'd enjoy Rock Stars but haven't had a chance to use them yet.

[@simondupuis8372]

My 10 favourites are the following, in no particular order -ninjas, because they are a great pairing for slow factions, destroying engine minions or dropping shinobis in order to not fall behind -Plants, because playing them taught me the basics of running out of minions, thus they feel more challenging. Also they have good burst and can impede progress with sleeping spores -Superheroes, because of their long-term potential and the ability to bring out the other factions king minion -Princesses, for their balance of long-term potential, ability to swing bases, and consistency with card draw -Disco dancers, because copying a buff twice is just too satisfying -Explorers, because they are most rounded faction in the game and can use the incoming bases in their strategy -werewolves, because of their Titan and very versatile destruction package -itty critters, because they have access to so many effects from a few of their cards, and critter cube is quite fun to ban a tenacious Z away. -Mounties, because they are now my top pick as the best teaching faction in the game (also I'm Canadian) -Egyptians, because they require a good deal of planning and can last far into the late game unlike most other factions that rely on extra plays.

[@mrdrock]

Lets see if I can do this. I don't think I can put them in an order though. Aliens - because who doesn't want free VP? Dinosaurs - because I was a big lover of dinosaurs as a kid and Dino Riders was one of my favorite toy series. Shapeshifters - being able to morph and copy abilities is so much fun. Time Travelers - I love being able to repeat my plays and taking extra actions/minions. Also that it works great with Aliens. Sharks - scaring your opponent with minion destruction and then buffing your minions is great. Zombies - the theming is fantastic and just makes sense. Kitty Cats - they are mean and full of control. Kung Fu Fighters - being able to control all the +1 power counters in play feels so satisfying to stall/stop your opponents. Samurai - benefiting from your minions going to the discard seems wrong, but the sacrifice plays take people by surprise. Robots - extra minion plays are my jam.

[@josiekitter8595]

My top 5 would be: 1. Tornadoes 2. Star Roamers 3. Pirates 4. Explorers 5. Dinosaurs Recently, Sheep have been making a good case to be my number 5. I guess you could say I like movement factions :)

[@evilpellu]

Well, if I had to choose ten .... -10 Pirates They were the first faction I've ever played in the game and to me they simply scream "Smash Up" . Maybe they're a bit underpowered today , and they lack many of the combinations and engines we take for granted in more recent factions , but to me it'll always be fun trying to save a bunch of first mates from being targeted left and right by everything and everyone. Also Uberserum + First Mate exists , something that always makes me smile -9 Steampunks So versatile and powerful ! One of those factions that always makes me change my mind about what action to play next and what strategy to follow. Also , Choo-Choo here comes the aggromotive ! -8 Kitty Cats I really like taking control of other players' minions and using them to my advantage ! They fell to me very different from many other factions , adopting a more devious playstile than many others They also play real nice with ... -7 Elder Things The madness mechanic is janky , the faction can be either overpowered or nearly useless but , when all is said and done, you really feel like an unrelenting malicious force spreading madness and destruction when playing this faction. Then there is sacrificing other players' minions gained with kittens to summon unspeakable horrors , a thing that never gets old. -6 Cyborg Apes Strong . Adaptable. Go with almost every other faction . Also they can provide a decent punch even just by themselves, passing even the *Vampire Test* (wich consists in being able to win against decent pairings even when played with Vampires , the faction I despise the most) -5 Aliens Just plain old broken and always getting better with each new faction that can bounce the Invasor to farm VP. Always fun to use ! -4 Shapeshifters Another faction that feels very different from others , shapeshifters can pull of some ridiculous combos with even the unlikeliest paired factions. They always keep the opponents on their tose and I really love that -3 Mega Troopers Keep the opponent guessing and turn a smash up game into a hand of texas hold'em. Have i got a hand full of Innsmouth Locals or have I got every single special card in my deck ? Do you really feel like breaking that base now ? -2 Ghosts At the beginning I really didn't like how they forced you to discard your resources to play effectively , but with repeated plays i got the meaning of the saying "mean and lean". You really don't need that many options when all the cards you play are really strong and dependable -1 Dragons The feeling of utter power Dragons provide is , for me, unmatched by any other faction. To me they represent the best integration of theming and mechanics, posing as a real challenge that opponents need to decide whether to face or run away from. Fact is, i really like all factions a lot. Save for Vampires, what a wasted opportunity !

[@alchemygal3285]

I’m glad someone likes the elves too

[@ryanmorris9264]

Great list! Like you, I love playing the factions that aren't always the "easy" win; a little bit of extra thinking and playing around goes a long way. That said, I'd list my current Top-10 (in no particular order) as: Astro Knights Itty Critters Truckers Time Travelers Giant Ants Super Heroes Super Spies (still my favourite King Minion) Warriors Magical Girls Luchadors (really loving this new faction!) And my current favourite combo? MAGICAL GIRL TRUCKERS! They can take a while to get going, especially depending on the opponent, but I've found them SO fun.

[@zangostencnik2072]

My top 10, not in order: - Geeks- I like screwing my opponents- denying actions, controlling minions that are not mine, discarding Fans as soon as I get them. Also Felicia Day -Elves- I loooove Trade, seriously. Also Fae Fighter and specials - Vikings- stealing cards from my opponents is one the best mechanisms in Smash up -Wizards- I can pair them with every faction. Who doesn't love extra plays and card draw? Also, Arcane Protector -Kitty Cats- again, stealing minions. I love when I have Queen Fluffy on one base and Whiskers on the another one -Fairies- I didn't expect they would get titan, but I love him. Titania, Glymmer -Werewolves- the best titan which has so much potential -Innsmouth- very unconventional and with Dagon very powerful -Musketeers- they require strategy and I love games where I have to think all the time and adjust my strategy -Penguins- because they are cute and deadly and powerful and I loved playing them when playtesting

[@JuddBrown]

My top 10 List: 1. Shapeshifters Absolute favorite faction. I love all of the minions in this set. Copycating Invaders is one of the best feelings in the world! They don't have too many bad pairings and I love the idea of copying others. 2. Zombies Yes, they are very strong but they are very fun to play with as well. They pair well with almost any other faction. And Shapeshifting Zombies are insane. 3. Kaiju Such a strong faction. I like how it is the opposite of robots...many actions with a couple minions. Really there are not too many counters for them and are a super strong faction. 4. Vikings I love the idea of pillaging other people's cards and using it against them. It is so much fun using another players card against them. So much fun! 5. Cyborg Apes Another faction that I love all of the minions of. There is nothing better than beating one base with a juiced up flying monkey attached to a minion and breaking another base. The first time I did this, it seemed wrong you could do such a powerful play. 6. Robots I love the idea of swarm factions on a base. All very good minions. When you get lucky getting to play a king minion with a hoverbot, can't beat that feeling. Halfling Robots are insane! 7. Mythic Greeks An overall strong faction. I like the diversity of minions and actions. 8. Ghosts I always liked the ghosts, but could never play them because they were just a bit too weak. Once the titan was created...ghosts jumped up to one of my top favorite factions. Very fun to play with. Don't have to worry about not being able to play your actions. Go Creampuff man! 9. Sheep Such a fun faction to play as. Black sheep is one of my favorite minions of this faction. It is awesome being able to move 4 powered plus whatever flocks to a different base when it isn't your turn. It keeps your opponent guessing. Also Hello Dolly! is one of my favorite actions in the game. I love to strike fear in people on their turn with them knowing I may be able to copy their action. 10. Geeks I love the ability to affect other people on their turn (See Hello Dolly! above). I love being able to disrupt their plans in the middle of someone else's turn. I really wish there were more cards like them. But, it seems like they are a controversial faction. That is cool hearing everyone else's top picks. Another top 10 list that would be cool to hear is top 10 favorite faction pairs. Superhero Princesses, Kaiju Truckers, etc.

[@Bundeskaiser]

My favourite factions (power/tier doesn't count here, it's only personal taste and preference): 1. Zombies It's almost a shame that this is my favourite factions of all because they are a no-brainer. But I'm a huge Zombie fan and I really like how they work thematically. Probably a bit too well. But as said, power doesn't matter in this list. Even when I have to admit that I almost never use most of their Actions and Zombie Lord's ability seems pretty useless. But they are carried completely by Walker, T-Z and Gravedigger. 2. Tricksters As I'm a mean person when I play I really like the Tricksters' concept. At least on paper. I commented several times that I love them but that I'm also very disappointed how weak they are and BFG didn't make anything better. But I love their concept so much that they are still easily my 2nd favourite. 3. Dragons The Dragons are the Tricksters done right from a balance standpoint. They are more self synergistic and work well with every player count and do their job of area control and punishing other players better than the Tricksters even when the Tricksters have the more funny and interesting concept on paper. 4. Steampunks I like the Steampunk theme and they have some of my favourite cards in the game, especially Aggromotive. They are easy and straightforward to play but still are more fun to play than the Astroknights. Aggromotive would have been a great card for the All Stars as well. 5. All Stars Speaking about All Stars: they are also in my top 10. Their idea of creating this deck is already great and has more potential for the future. And I like the overall strategy (card draw to get your best cards) and the chosen cards with only a few exceptions (one of them is favor of Dionysos which is counterproductive for the All Stars). Having King Rex as the KM and Begin the Summoning to bring him back is great. 6. Shapeshifters I like mean factions. And I like factions with versatility. The Shapeshifters are - at least to some degree - both. Mimic is one of the best Minions in the game. When your opponent plays a power faction then Mimic becomes an annoying and powerful tool for countering them. Doppelgänger and GELF give access to the useful cards in the deck. Cellular Bonding can even copy useful Actions. They are my first pick when there are many different factions in the draft pool which make it difficult to predict which combos my opponents will choose and which strategy they will use. With the Shapeshifters I'm well prepared for everything they can bring to the table. The only thing I don't like is their artwork. 7. Dinosaurs Again, straightforward and powerful. A perfect Shapeshifter victim but their concept is nice. Laseratops is disappointing but I like all the other Minions, especially War Raptor and King Rex and their Actions (Augmentation!), even when some of them are very outdated (Tooth, Claw and Guns). 8. Orcs My favourite Munchkin faction. It works so well with many other factions. Sword Lord is even one of my favourite King Minions as his ability is so useful and works perfectly for the Orcs themselves and most partner factions. Angry Pillagers is also one of my favourite Actions in the game. Not easy to use, but almost unblockable. 9. Vigilantes Talking about versatile factions: the Vigilantes also often one of my first picks when I have to pick first or when it's unclear which strategies and/or faction combos will be used. They are not as versatile as the Shapeshifters offensively but defensively they are very strong. I don't like their theme that much but they do very well what they are supposed to do. 10. Spies I like being mean and I'm a huge James Bond fan (at least the pre-Craig-movies), so I like the references and overall theme. Their King Minion is very annoying for most opponents. Moon Zero Three creates an insane amout of power. While I don't like most of their other Minions their Actions, King Minion and theme overall earn a place in my top 10. Honorable Mentions: - Vampires. I really love Vampires but they were executed so poorly on a mechanical level. They are an ordinary destruction faction and not even a good one. Weaker Sharks. The envy mechanic doesn't even make sense. - Time Travelers. They suffer from the same problem as the Vampires. This had so much potential and yet was executed so poorly thematically. Unlike the Vampires they don't even really have a theme outside of being the Action version of Zombies. - Astroknights. I'm was (before the new trilogy) a huge Star Wars fan and I enjoy the references but they don't feel special. Greeks on steroids with a cooler theme. - Ninjas. Once again a great theme on paper with a poor execution. Their only really sneaky card is Shinobi and their bases don't even help them really as Ninja style bases are more attractive when you can switch bases, move away before scoring, giving control away or for parking your engine minion there. They provide nothing of that. They've wasted a lot of potential with this faction. - Princesses: Like the Vigilantes very versatile but even more Action heavy and some abilities are clearly better than others. While I still like them, they were replaced by the Vigilantes. - Innsmouth: I always liked their concept despite their obvious and sometimes crippling weaknesses. Now, with Dagon, they have become too powerful to be fun to play for me. Credits for their concept but they were always unable to find the perfect balance with them. - Teddybears: Again, a versatile faction, protective and reactive. However, I can't figure out a clear theme and I always struggle when I summarize the overall strategy and theme of the factions when I explain the factions in the draftpool to the other players. - Minions of Cthulhu: I love Star Spawn and Cthulhu. But the other Minions leave somewhat to be desired. They're lacking more self-synergy and a clear matchplan outside of slowing the game down. To destroy 4 of your 8 Minions to get an Action back (even when there are some powerful Actions) while unable to combine it with R'yleh hurts them. They are too easy to counter for some factions. - Cowboys and Samurai: Well executed thematically and I like the theme of both quite well. But there were 10 even better factions.

[@davebunce1529]

I love Heroquest! what a classic game.

[@mattvoegtli9928]

It's hard for me to rank the new factions because I've only gotten to play each one once. They were all fun IMO, but it's hard to tell how much I like something I haven't played. I tend to like complicated factions even if it makes the game harder. I am also including them with titans. My top 10 without thinking about it too much is: Explorers Rock Stars Ghosts Shape Shifter Grannies Sharks Star Roamers Super Spies Giant Ants Samurai

[@Bundeskaiser]

8/10 Musketeers and Shapeshifters were at least a consideration, so I count them half, so it's a total 9/10. At least if I remember correctly, I can't find the post with my guesses. Edit: Ok, found it. Not as good as I thought I was. 7/10 (6 + 2x0,5). Unbelievable how I was able to forget the Ants and the Shapeshifters at all.

[@ryanervin2668]

Vampires is part of one on my favorite combinations, Vampires(w/T)/Kung Fu- Fighters. You should try it out some time!

[@CrankItUp]

I have played this pairing quite a bit actually and do enjoy them on occasion. In a Titans tournament, for the player who drafted Vampires this was also my suggestion for their pairing. They can work well together, but they have no card draw and are entirely dependent on drawing their cards in the right order, which may not happen. The Ancient Lord can provide antisynergy if you don't have the means to transfer multiple counters at once, because placing two counters on DM/LW makes it harder to remove both to activate their abilities.

[@ryanervin2668]

@@CrankItUp Those are all valid points. My group plays by randomizing our first faction with a rng app and then we draft our second faction. I get Vampires a lot from the rng app, so I was at least excited to find a decent pairing with them.

[@wwmandalore]

Dragons Wizards Time Travelers Samurai Superheroes Tricksters Secret Spies Grannies Vampires Changerbots These aren't in order, just my favorite factions.

[@Sonus2011]

I'll take the 2018 9/9 lol. You have similar taste's as someone from my group. He loves Ants/Elves/Wolves, and is the only one who ever plays Ants or Elves.

[@gregorylee1395]

I'm surprised you didn't list Ghosts. 1. Ghosts 2. Dragons 3. Shapeshifters. 4. Werewolves 5. Vigilantes 6. Ancient Egyptians 7. Vikings. 8. All stars 9. Wizards 10. Sharks Ghosts are by far my favorite. Everyone else is a pretty distant second and in no particular order.

[@gianpierogiacomini2468]

Here is my top 10: 10 - Cowboys: I like duels and they are the best in town; 9 - Musketeers: chain of actions, draw cards, multiple power increase; 8 - Astroknights: unique minions with good abilities, great specials during scoring; 7 - Rockstars: the Groopies are awesome and the power that can be dropped in a single turn on a base it’s incredible; 6 - Shapeshifters: we all know their power and potential; 5 - Itty Critters: I like Pokémon and they are well represented in this faction; 4 - Kitty Cats: control opponent’s minions and destroy them, what do you want more?; 3 - Dragons: denying VP from bases making opponents overpaying for few points; 2 - Vigilantes: with this faction you can have total control over opponents in many ways; 1 - Aliens: simply the best, I love farming VP with the Invaders and use Crop Circles and Terraforming when my opponent is getting stronger.