Greetings faithful Vs. System 2PCG fans! Welcome to our second look at the new Symbiotes Arc for the game. The first 55-card Issue, that we are going to continue looking at today, focuses on Venom and some other symbiotes. It introduces a new Evil team, the Symbiotes (). The second Issue takes a look at Carnage and “friends” (more Symbiotes). The final Issue involves some more Spider-Friends who are involved with symbiotes.

Before we look at the cards, a quick reminder about symbiotes, hosts, and AKA. From the rules:

AKA is used quite a bit in the Arc, as the Symbiotes change hosts often. And it can be confusing with symbiotes in particular, as they are sentient beings as well. For example, the character Venom could have the AKA of every other hero and villain who ever used the same symbiote, like Agent Venom. Then Agent Venom would need AKA Venom as well. But we’ve already made Venoms and Agent Venoms without these AKAs. Our solution was to focus on the hosts, so any character with Eddie Brock as its host has AKA Venom.

(We’ll see one today!)

Last time we saw Venom himself as well as his symbiote. Today we’re gonna look at some other characters related to that symbiote.

Well, of course this isn’t a symbiote, but this card represents Flash after he lost his legs and volunteers to access the Venom symbiote.

Here’s a very old and previous Agent Venom…

Found in 2015 Vs. System 2PCG: The Marvel Battles set.

Remember that super power…

Please note that Agent Venom has a “Level Down” power instead of a “Level Up” power. It works the same as a Level Up power, except he goes down a level instead of up a level (so back to Flash Thompson Level 1).

Also, note that while his Level Up power is voluntary, his Level Down power is not. This represents that the bond is temporary because everyone was wary of Flash bonding fully with the symbiote.

A final note, Agent Venom has 6 health and Flash has only 5. So if Agent Venom levels down with 5 wounds, Flash will get KO’d.

But there’s another Agent Venom in our midst!

He works great with other symbiotes on your side or enemy characters with lots of counters as well!

But there are other related characters to Venom, some of whom have the same hosts…

Anti-Venom’s host is also Eddie Brock, but with a new hybrid symbiote created by remnants of the Venom symbiote.

Note that Anti-Venom’s Level 2 Cleanse Impurities works on a supporting character you own, not just on your side. (You own cards that started in your deck or out-of-game piles.) Not surprising that Anti-Venom would be helpful against reptilian headgear…

Let’s look at another version of the character…

More like Anti-“Venom”? Amiright? Both a symbiote and a symbiote’s worst nightmare, he will really cure what ails you.

Thanks for joining us today for another look at some symbiotes. Come back next time as we look at the Ultimate Knullifier.

The Symbiotes will rise when Vs. System 2PCG: Lethal Protector unleashes in stores October 27th.