Marvel Crisis Protocol – Inhuman Royal Court

Today, we will be reviewing the fourth box in our Marvel Crisis Protocol series: the CP166 Inhuman Royal Court.

This affiliation pack, CP166 Inhuman Royal Court, has an RRP of 64,99 USD and contains four miniatures.

As the Inhumans were not as prominent or successful in the MCU — they "only" had a TV series that was cancelled after one season — I would like to briefly introduce the Royal Court. They are the ruling body of the Inhumans, a genetically advanced offshoot of humanity created by the Kree. Residing in the hidden city of Attilan, the Royal Court governs their isolated and highly stratified society. Each member plays a unique role, balancing political, philosophical and military responsibilities, and protecting Inhuman culture and interests from outside threats.

If you have access to Disney+, you can stream the TV show there.

The set includes the following items:

• 4 Miniatures
• 4 Character Stat Cards
• 6 Team Tactic Cards
• 1 Insert

As usual, instructions are not included, but a 'Read This First' leaflet with a QR code linking to the instructions is included. You can also find the instructions on the website, linked under the product page.

All of the printed materials in CP166 are included in four languages: English, German, French and Spanish. As announced by Asmodee Germany, upcoming releases will only be available in English, French and Spanish. This decision will affect Star Wars Shatterpoint, but not Legion.

All these sprues are designed for the CP166 Affiliation Pack, not repacks. Two characters share a sprue, while the other two have sprues of their own. We have 35 mm and 50 mm round bases to go with them.

Casting is without issue, and, as you can see, the available space has been filled properly.

This affiliation pack features King Black Bolt (Blackagar Boltagon), who is not the regular Black Bolt and also possesses the leadership trait for the Inhumans. The silent and stoic Black Bolt is the king of the Inhumans. He first appeared in Fantastic Four #45 (September 1965) and was created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby. His voice is his greatest weapon — so powerful that even a whisper can level mountains — so he remains silent, ruling with dignity and restraint. Having been exposed to Terrigenesis in the womb, Black Bolt possesses vast energy-manipulation powers.

He is motivated by a deep sense of duty and is constantly torn between his personal desires and the heavy responsibilities of leadership. His silence and sacrifice have made him both revered and tragic. Like all the characters in this pack, he belongs to the Inhumans affiliation.

The assembly of King Black Bolt is straightforward, and the way the bolts are incorporated into the design is sturdy. This gives him a dynamic pose without making him too fragile. He is set upon a 50 mm round base.

Maximus the Mad, Black Bolt’s younger brother, has a brilliant yet dangerously unstable mind. He also appeared in Fantastic Four #47 (November 1966) and was affected by Terrigenesis, which later drove him mad. This gave him mind-control abilities and a penchant for manipulation and rebellion. He was also created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby.

Maximus is motivated by jealousy, ambition and a desire to overthrow his brother. Though sometimes tragic, his madness fuels schemes that constantly threaten the stability of Attilan.

Maximus is one of the few miniatures with alternative poses/options. In this case, you can build him with or without a rifle. I like the explosions that can be added to his base. They are generic enough to fit with any of the base designs.

The next two characters are also related to Blackagar Boltagon — they are cousins, to be precise. Karnak is a philosopher and martial artist with the ability to perceive flaws and weak points in anything — people, objects or ideas. Interestingly, he never underwent Terrigenesis, instead training his body and mind to perfection. He first appeared in Fantastic Four #45 (September 1965) and, like the others, was created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby.

Karnak is calm, analytical and spiritually driven. He is motivated by a desire to understand the structure of the world and maintain balance, and he often serves as a strategist and advisor to the Royal Court.

This miniature of Karnak is quick to assemble, and the mould lines are easy to remove. The only slightly fiddly part was the power blast on his hand, as it was not clear from the instructions how it should be oriented. Beyond that, the pose is power-driven and fitting for a comic book heroes.

The last of the quartet, and a cousin to Black Bolt, is Gorgon. He is the Royal Family’s military commander. He first appeared in Fantastic Four #44 (August 1965) and has superhuman strength, generating seismic shockwaves by stomping the ground with his hooved feet.

Blunt, brave and fiercely loyal, Gorgon serves as the Royal Family’s physical protector. He is motivated by duty, honour, and defending Inhuman sovereignty.

This interesting pose properly captures his ability to generate seismic shockwaves. While the miniature assembles without any hassle overall, the arms have a bit of play, so make sure they connect neatly to his shoulders without leaving a gap.

This is the assembled Inhumans Royal Court.

The dynamic poses capture the comic book look convincingly.

Conclusion

You might notice the absence of Medusa from this Affiliation pack, but she is included in CP34 alongside the standard Black Bolt. There are two further Inhumans packs, one with Crystal and Lockjaw, and another with Ms. Marvel. There are also individual characters such as Quicksilver and Beast, which can be added to this boxed set.

This set feels like a good starting point, and it has been said that it is an easier build than the Guardians of the Galaxy. The recommended retail price is about 65 USD, but I have seen the box being sold for 50–55 EUR, which is a decent discount. If you like the Inhumans, this set is a good starting point for a team of heroes that is more unique / niché than the regular X-Men and Avengers squads.

Marvel Crisis Protocol is a game by Atomic Mass Games and distributed by Asmodee.

The reviewed product item was provided by the manufacturer.