Crime Syndicate

## **Crime Syndicate Faction Strategy**

**Important Links**
List of Sadistic Figures & Sadistic Synergies

**Overview**

The Crime Syndicate are evil alternate-Earth versions of the Justice League. Ultraman is their leader, so any Crime Syndicate army should include him. The faction has synergy built around the Sadistic personality, so there's a lot of potential for cross-faction expansion, especially due to the low number of Crime Syndicate designs.

**Crime Syndicate Members**

* Ultraman (440) - Ultraman can grant bonding to any Sadistic figure with *Crime Syndicate Motivator* as long as he inflicts a wound during his turn, so you typically want all numbered Order Markers on Ultraman (except for moving other figures up at the start of the game). Because of this, Ultraman has a huge target on his back! It's often a good idea to go for the reliable ranged autowound from *Ruthless Heat Vision* so you can keep Ultraman at a safe distance. Knowing when to move in to switch to Ultraman's big melee attack is key.
* Owlman (210) - Owlman is the supporting figure of the Crime Syndicate - keep him near allies such as Ultraman and Superwoman, and their 20-sided die rolls will be more consistent. He's not someone you'll want to be attacking with often unless you can use the unblockable die from Owl-Grapple. Don't be afraid to use *Calculated Defense* recklessly to wound a troublesome attacker.
* Superwoman (Lois Lane) (250) - Superwoman's *Lasso of Submission* requires you to choose a non-adjacent enemy figure, so it is best for Superwoman to charge right into the midst of several enemies - never send her one-on-one with no other enemies nearby. You can always retreat afterwards with *Secret Orders*. Superwoman is also a useful figure to keep fire off of Ultraman or a burnt out Johnny Quick, as her *Warrior Engagement* makes it difficult for enemies to disengage her.
* Johnny Quick (230) - Johnny Quick is all about the autowounds. Send him after high defense figures or figures with annoying defensive powers like Spider-Man or Batman. Since Johnny Quick's *Speedster Burnout* can leave him vulnerable and useless if you roll a blank, it's best to only activate him (or attempt the unblockable wound from *Speed Dodge Strike*) on Order Marker 3 if possible. But like anything, there are situations where taking the risk is worth it.
* Grid (200) - Grid is a support figure for the Crime Syndicate. If he chooses Owlman for *Observing Emotions*, he can always get +2 to his *Threat Analysis Network*. He's a figure that is designed to stay in your start zone until nearly everyone else in his army is dead.

There are a lot of other Sadistic figures you can include in a Crime Syndicate army, as they'll receive the same synergy from Owlman and Ultraman. I especially like Leatherface (95), Judge Fire (195), and Bomb Queen (200), both for their easy point totals and since their special attacks patch a hole the Crime Syndicate doesn't cover on their own. Notably the Crime Syndicate and Slasher faction has a fair bit of overlap, so using them together in a team game can be interesting.

**Army Build Examples:**

900 Points

* Ultraman, Superwoman (Lois Lane), Owlman

1000 Points

* Ultraman, Superwoman (Lois Lane), Owlman, Leatherface

1100 Points

* Ultraman, Superwoman (Lois Lane), Owlman, Grid

1130 Points

* Ultraman, Superwoman (Lois Lane), Owlman, Johnny Quick