First Class: Absolute Zero

This is my take on a Silver Age X-Men–themed deck. It’s an ice-smooth, resource-driven build that uses recursion synergy and Band Together to power a strong and thematic First Class lineup.

I highly suggest reading the X-Men First Class comic series that began in 2006 which is a lighthearted, modern take on the Silver Age lineup. They're an absolute joy to read and make the game that much more enjoyable, sincerely. Now let's talk a bit about the deck.

First, you might notice there are some omissions compared to many other decks. X-Jet is too much of a tempo hit for Iceman's high cost hero cards, and with other cheap options available, it's seldom missed. Honorary X-Men synergizes with Uncanny X-Men, Utopia, and alter-ego form, but it's not too useful here.

Highlights of this deck include Band Together and Resource Reserve. Iceman's access to cheap allies like his Snow Men and Angel mean you can pump up Band Together very quickly. Resource Reserve helps smooth out turns where Band Together isn't online yet.

Instead of using Iceman to supplement strong aspect cards, this deck focuses on making Iceman resource-rich so you can consistently play his kit. Because of this, you don't have to swap to alter ego as often, your allies rarely need to chump block, and this further enables Band Together in a kind of feedback loop.

Don't forget to mulligan away any Band Together in your starting hand.

Prioritize in this order:

• Cryokinetic Perception
• Uncanny X-Men
• One copy of Snow Clone or Angel
• Utopia
• Team-Building Exercise
• Resource Reserve

Overall, this is a deck that’s just a lot of fun to play from beginning to end. The engine feels smooth, the turns are flexible, and the recursion and Band Together synergies come together in a really satisfying way. If you’re at all interested in a themed Iceman deck, I'd recommend giving this one a try. You might be surprised how well it plays.