A Marvel Champions Showdown: Black Panther vs. Rhino
Follow in the footsteps of Black Panther on his quest to take down Rhino in Marvel Champions: The Card Game.
My usual process is to report on practically every session. Marvel Champions: The Card Game has been on my game table for days… And I’ve been hard at work! My ability to lose is simply astounding. I should qualify for an award. Ha ha! Yet today, I wanted to capture some of my moments as I continued to battle away as Black Panther. Whoosh!
Game Overview
Game Name: Marvel Champions: The Card Game
Publication Year: 2019
Designers: Michael Boggs, Nate French, and Caleb Grace
Artist: Uncredited
Solo Mode: Included in the Base Game
Throughout my handful of plays, I never really took advantage of the allies. Often, they were buried near the bottom of the deck. Great shuffling… It’s like superhero-level BAD. Ha! This time, though, Luke Cage and Shuri took center stage as they fought beside Black Panther. And what a difference they made early on.
First Play
August 8, 2020
Complexity
3
Latest Play
July 21, 2025
Expansions
53
Setup Time
10 Minutes
Lifetime Plays
31
Play Time
1 Hour
High Score
N/A
Game Area
36" x 22"
Low Score
N/A
To the Claw
As the showdown with Rhino wore on, Black Panther didn’t have a lot of upgrades out. His armored vest proved most useful, though. Go, defense! It actually saved him.
His claws were most persistent and tenacious. Usually, “Wakanda Forever!” makes the most sense with a series of impressive upgrades. Just… Claws? Rhino smirked.
But even with this minimal selection, there was no stopping Black Panther. Crack! Swoosh! Me-OW!
Alright. That last sound effect was uncalled for. I’ll admit it. Rhino was still laughing, though. And so was I…
Knocking Down Rhino
Take that, you terrible villain! That’s right: Rhino fell with a terrific crash and Black Panther was victorious. Bam!
But he ended the game with the confused status. It felt thematic. After my horrendous prior plays, anyone would have felt the same about my capability of winning.
So, how did I do it? Experience. I slowly learned the better card combinations. At the same time, I got better at managing threat and dealing damage.
It was a very fine balancing act that easily could have gone poorly. Black Panther only survived with 2 health!
A Sea of Encounters
Honestly, I wasn’t sure how I pulled this off. Some of the encounters were downright terrible. Take the advanced Rhino suit… Which effectively gave him 5 more health.
T’Challa’s obligation showed up, which resulted in a lost upgrade. How terribly rude! I’m out here fighting evil, and there’s something else back home? Absolute tomfoolery.
But somehow, I made better choices and navigated through the worst encounters. And it was far from easy.
I may have seen all of these cards in former plays, yet I had a plan this time! That made quite the difference.
Back to the City
T’Challa was all set and could bask in his victory over Rhino. Safe at last at home… Until the genius over here decided to give it another whirl to prove my prowess!
My prior experiences helped me learn a lot. I had plans in mind. If I could reasonably and reliably improve… This looked like it boded well for me. Back-to-back wins!
Yet the bright lights of the city might have blinded me a little bit. The encounter deck isn’t all that easy.
Pow! Black Panther managed to whittle Rhino down, and it looked like I really was going to pull off another win.
Session Overview
Play Number: 9 and 10
Solo Mode: Included in the Base Game
Play Details: Black Panther (Protection) vs. Rhino I/II
Required Play Space: 22″ x 20″
Setup Time: 5 Minutes
Play Time: 15 Minutes per Play
Outcome: 1 Win and 1 Loss
Sure, sure. Rhino had a secret card up his sleeve and he got it just when he needed it. “Out of my way!” he bellowed as Black Panther watched the threat level get too high. There went my winning streak! But still… I got a win in there!
%
30 Plays
Affordability
Price & Value
10
Functionality
Challenges & Mechanics
8
Originality
Design & Theme
7
Quality
Components & Rules
9
Reusability
Achievement & Enjoyment
8
Variability
Distinctness & Randomness
10
Victory Conditions
Defeat the Villain
- Overall Goal Progress 100%
Goals and Milestones
Defeat each base game villain with a duo team. (3/3)
Continue the Conversation
How many tries did it take you to beat your first villain in Marvel Champions: The Card Game? Maybe I’m on my own with a 10% win rate to start… Though that’s not bad for me! Any recommendations on where to go next, like a new hero or aspect? The amount of variability is excellent in terms of all the combinations. Also… I told you I would get Rhino!
Aarrgh… the dreaded “Advance”. How many a hero has fallen to such treachery!
The other frustrating thing about Rhino is that you think you’re going to put him down next turn and he heals up 4 health or gets the tough status card which is just enough to keep the game going for yet another turn!
Congrats on the win though! It looks hard-fought and well worth it!
So are you getting the itch to try a different aspect villain, or hero yet?
Thank you kindly! Those healing or armor cards really were frustrating when they came up. Rhino! It was like he just knew when to plan it. But through a little luck and a lot of planning, it all worked out.
I’m thinking of trying out Captain Marvel next. I know I could switch up the aspects… But at that rate, I would never play anything else! A wonderful prospect, though not for the majority of my collection. Ha ha!