Marvel Champions Mad Titan’s Shadow Campaign Expansion Review

Marvel Champions is my absolute favorite game for both solo and cooperative play. “The Mad Titan’s Shadow” completes the first arc and pits heroes against the Mad Titan himself, Thanos. He comes fully equipped with the Infinity Gauntlet and packs a serious punch, but that’s not all this box has to offer.

At the time of its release, this expansion was highly anticipated due to the villains it features, and it didn’t disappoint. It delivers solid gameplay, one of the best campaign experiences, and a ton of surprises with a brand new campaign featuring multiple exciting scenarios where players face off against notable characters like Thanos and his Black Order. Let’s dive in and see how The Mad Titan’s Shadow holds up today and whether it’s still worth picking up.

An Overview of What You Get

One of the best ways to expand your collection is through campaign boxes, and the third campaign expansion, Mad Titan’s Shadow, introduces a significant storyline involving Thanos, providing two new heroes (each with their own playable deck), five brand-new scenarios, and an optional campaign linking them. These offer the best value for your money, and Mad Titan’s Shadow is no exception.

A Note on the Theme and Story Elements

The thematic integrity of The Mad Titan’s Shadow is truly the standout feature of this expansion. It excels at telling a cohesive story, tying each experience to the next, and carrying narrative elements from game to game. Few campaign boxes do this as well.

The Heroes of the Campaign

The mighty champions Adam Warlock and Spectrum are the latest additions to the hero lineup in this exciting campaign.

Spectrum

Mad Titan’s Shadow starts with the introduction of new heroes, specifically Adam Warlock and Spectrum, who are presented with pre-built decks.

I wasn’t too familiar with Spectrum or her alter-ego Monica Rambeau before this box, but when she appeared in the MCU, I felt pretty smug knowing a bit about her.

Her deck is built around switching between three different forms, each enhancing different stats and focusing on attack, defense, or thwarting. This makes her great for solo play, as she’s well-rounded, but it can be tricky to get her in the right form at the right time. If you lose track, you may find yourself unable to deal with what you need to.

While her form-switching mechanic is intriguing and synergizes well with transformation cards from other sets, like Wasp and Ant-Man, her playstyle has never really clicked for me. Instead of feeling flexible, Spectrum often lacks a clear specialization, making her less compelling to strategize around. Personally, I don’t find deck-building for her very interesting, so she doesn’t see the table often. However, her leadership aspect cards, like Mighty Avengers, are excellent and are must-haves for certain builds.

Adam Warlock

Adam Warlock’s gimmick is unique: he can select cards from all four aspects, but with two limitations—each aspect must be equally represented, and each card can only be included once. As one of the mighty champions in the Marvel Champions: The Card Game expansion, Adam Warlock stands alongside other powerful heroes like Spectrum, ready to face significant threats such as Thanos and his forces.

The second limitation is problematic for deck-building. Since you can only include one of each card, it’s hard to hone in on a consistent strategy. Instead, I often end up including cards that complement his hero kit.

There’s a great deck on MarvelCDB that focuses on wild resources, which helps trigger his player ability and card effects more consistently. Don’t get me wrong—his hero kit is powerful and fun to play. I just found myself disappointed because I loved Spider-Woman’s versatility, and Adam Warlock doesn’t offer the same synergies between aspects. Over time, his gimmick felt too limiting, and he’s become a hero I don’t think about much when new cards are released.

The Villains of the Expansion

The Mad Titan’s Shadow expansion introduces thrilling scenarios pitting heroes against the formidable forces of Thanos and his Black Order. This expansion brings a new level of conflict and strategy to Marvel Champions: The Card Game, offering players intense confrontations and dynamic challenges.

Ebony Maw

Ebony Maw’s focus is on powerful spells that trigger after a set number of rounds. This fits the character well, as his spells can have devastating effects, but you can at least plan for them—sort of. Some cards accelerate the spells’ execution, throwing off your plans.

He isn’t insanely difficult, but he’s no pushover either. His design feels fresh, and I often revisit this scenario for a fair and engaging challenge.

Tower Defense Scenario: Proxima Midnight and Corvus Glaive

Tower Defense marks the second time a multi-villain scenario appears in the game. There’s an additional loss condition: if Avengers Tower is destroyed, you lose.

I like the added pressure of protecting the tower and the way encounter cards focus on setting up Proxima and Corvus to break through your defenses. However, the scenario isn’t particularly difficult and suffers because it doesn’t feel like you’re truly facing multiple villains. They essentially switch off each turn, with one acting as the primary villain at a time. While not my favorite multi-villain scenario, it was innovative when it came out and still introduces some unique mechanics to the game.

Thanos

Thanos, surprisingly, is not the final villain in the expansion, but he’s the most challenging and the best-designed. In this epic saga where mighty heroes clash against villainous forces, Thanos, with the power of the Infinity Gauntlet, gains +1 to both attack and thwart stats, and he unleashes devastating effects every other activation. In solo play, you can somewhat prepare for these effects, but in multiplayer, it becomes a brutal and unpredictable ordeal.

Thanos starts with a side scheme that must be cleared before you can even damage him, presenting a formidable challenge. However, unlike Ronan from the previous box, he is fair. A well-built deck can secure victory, but it will be hard-fought. This is difficulty done right—tough but not impossible.

One of Thanos’s coolest mechanics is his ability to snap his fingers, which causes you to lose half your deck if he completes his first scheme. Thematically, this is a perfect design, and I still think it’s one of the best integrations of theme in the entire game.

Hela: Goddess of Death

Hela’s scenario is one of the most story-driven and unique in the game. She’s captured Odin, and you must fight through her creatures and locations to rescue him. You face monsters in turn and progress through different locations before you can win. It feels like an epic quest and is thematically one of the best-designed scenarios in the game.

While the scenario loses some of its appeal after multiple plays, it’s still one I return to often, though it does tend to run longer than most. Still, it’s a must-experience for every player.

Loki

It was, of course, the trickster Loki all along.

Loki absconds with the Infinity Gauntlet and takes over Asgard. You’ll face his variants as he continuously changes tactics and forms. This scenario can be punishing and, unfortunately, a bit too long for my taste. It also feels inconsistent—his difficulty varies wildly depending on which form you’re facing. While I value his unpredictability, I prefer Thanos for difficulty and Hela for theme, so Loki doesn’t see much play at my table.

Pros of The Mad Titan’s Shadow Expansion

• Enhanced Replay Value: While I’m not a fan of the heroes in this box, the villains are fantastic. Ebony Maw is solid, and Thanos and Hela are two of the best-designed villains in the game. These scenarios alone make the expansion worth picking up.

• Strong Campaign and Story Elements: The campaign feels like a real narrative as you chase down the Infinity Stones and the Gauntlet. The twists and turns in the second half are particularly enjoyable. Team up with your fellow heroes to face thrilling scenarios and new characters in the Marvel Champions game.

Cons of The Mad Titan’s Shadow Expansion

• Potential Balance Issues: Some scenarios, especially Loki, feel unbalanced. The overall difficulty may also be too high for newer players.

• Underwhelming Heroes: The heroes in this box don’t feel compelling long-term. Their gimmicks feel limiting, rather than opening up new strategic options.

Final Thoughts on The Mad Titan’s Shadow Expansion

While Mad Titan’s Shadow isn’t perfect, it contains content that any Marvel Champions fan will eventually want. It has more misses than hits, and the difficulty can feel swingy at times. However, it’s worth picking up for Thanos alone, but I’d recommend grabbing some of the better, more consistent boxes first.

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