Overview
Unmatched is a fast-paced, asymmetrical miniature dueling game that allows you to choose from an ever-growing roster of legendary heroes and villains from ancient mythology, classic literature, and blockbuster movies. This is a crossover like no other with many volumes, sets, and expansions that offer a wide variety of characters and playstyles. Unmatched: Hell’s Kitchen introduces three iconic heroes from the Marvel underground.
Hell’s Kitchen includes:
- 3 miniature figures
- 4 sidekick tokens
- 3 combat tokens
- 3 scheme tokens
- 3 health dials
- 75 cards
- 1 double-sided gameboard
- 1 rulebook
Presentation
One way Unmatched stands apart from other games is the dedication to art. In Hell’s Kitchen, the gameboard is colorfully printed with easily identifiable zones for combat, and even features a reverse side where the spaces leave more room to show off the art of the board. Each hero’s deck features unique, stunning, and thematic artwork for each hero. Staying true to the concept of a crossover, each individual hero and their deck feel as if they were pulled directly from their source material and placed in an arena to battle one another. Each deck is incredibly thematic, featuring special abilities and card titles that include an abundance of references that fans of each hero are sure to appreciate.
Objective
In Unmatched: Hell’s Kitchen, pick your favorite hero and use their unique playstyle and abilities to defeat all who oppose you. You must take two of the following actions each turn: maneuver, scheme, and attack. You may choose two different actions or the same action twice. Each card has a special effect or value, leading to exciting and unique engagements every time you play. The new map provides a unique environment that you can use to your advantage. You can also mix and match characters and maps from other Unmatched game sets.
For the full rulebook click here.
Gameplay
Hell’s Kitchen can be played 1v1, 2v2, or a 3 player free-for-all. The latter is our favorite since it is ripe for unofficial alliances and betrayals. A single match can take 20-40 minutes and is full of constant action. The basic mechanics might seem complicated at first glance, but they are easy to learn once you start playing. Some heroes do have more complicated mechanics than others, so there can be a learning curve. Fortunately, every card has specific instructions written on them, but you can always turn to the included rule book and our FAQ for more clarification.
In this set, every fighter features unique and interesting mechanics. Bullseye can attack anyone up to 5 spaces away, ignoring zones. Daredevil has a smaller deck than most, but he can recover cards from his deck infinitely if played correctly. Elektra has the smallest deck in the game and very little health, but she resurrects after her first defeat and becomes even stronger. While some fighters may have advantages over others, heroes like Daredevil are actually at their strongest when at a disadvantage so we find this set to be well balanced. Each hero has weaknesses that can be exploited and tools that allow them to compete with each other.
Map: Hell's Kitchen
Hell’s Kitchen is a well rounded map that plays well with the heroes in the set. There are only 2 spaces that occupy three zones and they are positioned on the rooftop of a building, which is fitting for the setting. Considering Bullseye is the only ranged fighter in this set and he isn’t limited by zones, the zone placement is mostly beneficial when playing with heroes from other sets. The spaces are well spread out with a few areas containing opportunities for pins.
Like with all of the other Marvel sets, this board comes with 3 combat tokens and 3 scheme tokens. These tokens sit adjacent to specific spaces and can be used by any fighter in that space. As usual, all combat tokens are versatile so they can be used to boost a fighter’s attack or defense. The schemes allow you to recover 2 health and draw 1 card, choose 1 card in your discard pile and return it to your hand, and target any space with your next attack. Each of these tokens can give strategic advantages to any player.
Heroes
Bullseye
The World’s Greatest Assassin delights in the mayhem and chaos his job creates, finishing every fight with a single flick of his wrist.Â
Read more about Bullseye here.
Daredevil
“The Man Without Fear” is at his best when he is fighting through adversity. This son of a boxer can withstand a brutal pounding and turn that pain into strength.
Read more about Daredevil here.
Elektra
This mystic assassin and her army of Hand ninjas attack from the shadows. Strike her down though, and she resurrects stronger than ever.
Read more about Elektra here.
Final Thoughts
Hell’s Kitchen accurately translates three new Marvel heroes to Unmatched. Bullseye’s insane accuracy, Daredevil’s reckless endurance, and Elektra’s mystic assassin arts all add even more diverse playstyles to the ever-growing roster of Unmatched.Â
Unmatched: Hell’s Kitchen is an excellent game on its own, and Marvel fans will have a blast with the art and multitude of references. When paired with other editions, players have access to a massive and ever-growing variety of matchups and battlefields. This is an excellent addition to the Unmatched series and a must have for Marvel fans and Unmatched enthusiasts. If you are looking to expand your collection further, check out the following sets and expansions:
