Picture this: you’re standing at a crossroads, staring at two paths, both terrible. You’re contemplating the least painful of these awful choices, and just as you’re about to decide, a shadowy figure appears.
Surprise! It’s Mephisto, Lord of Temptation, here with an irresistible offer that promises to make your bad decision… well, even worse.
Mephisto, the ultimate trickster, rules a fiery nether realm, loves pretending to be the actual Satan, and thrives on the souls of the unfortunate. You’d think people would learn to avoid his deals by now, but nope. Mephisto is like that shady car salesman who somehow manages to convince heroes (yes, heroes) to sign the dotted line. Why? Because he’s been practicing for millennia and, spoiler alert, he’s really good at being bad.
Meet Mephisto: The Bargain Master
Mephisto’s secret to success? His Demonic Contract superpower. For every Devil’s Deal token he has, Mephisto gains an additional power each round. He starts the game with one token, but to reach peak evil? He needs three. And guess what? The only way to collect these tokens is through his Infernal Bargain attack. Unfortunately, as a 5-threat character, dealing only one measly damage is a tough look. Luckily, he’s got his sneaky little trick: How Can I Be of Service? This superpower lets him place himself right next to a target and deliver that Infernal Bargain attack—free of charge!
Three Tokens? Now We’re Talking!
Once Mephisto has his three Devil’s Deal tokens, it’s game on! With a stack of tokens, Termination Clause becomes a fiery beam of doom, rolling nine dice and automatically incinerating everyone in its path. Devil’s Due lets Mephisto spend a token to drain the life (and power) from his enemies, and Meet My Associate is his ultimate escape clause, letting him swap places with an ally when he’s attacked. That way, someone else takes the hit—because who doesn’t love a good bait-and-switch?
Hellfire Lash: Burning Through the Competition
When Mephisto needs to dish out some damage and stock up on power, his trusty Hellfire Lash attack is the way to go. Simple, effective, and, best of all, it gains him one power for each hit. Perfect for when he’s scheming and saving up for the real chaos.
The Downside of Being a Devil
For all his fiery power and shady deals, Mephisto has a weakness. Without Meet My Associate to help him dodge damage, he’s actually pretty squishy for a 5-threat character. So he needs to stay close to his friends—er, “business associates”—to make the most of his powers. On the plus side, Meet My Associate lets those allies keep up with his crazy speed. How Can I Be of Service? can even let him move more than Range 5 away in a blink, setting him up to use his allies as literal shields. It’s all about the positioning, folks!
Mephisto’s Big Moment: Up the Ante!
Here’s where things get really interesting. If you want to see Mephisto at his most diabolical, check out Up the Ante. This is the ultimate Faustian deal, where Mephisto forces your opponent to choose between losing power or giving him more Devil’s Deal tokens. Two tokens to be exact—letting him stockpile up to five tokens for the rest of the game. Of course, the opponent could just say “no,” but even then, Mephisto still wins by removing his activated token, meaning he can keep the pressure on.
Brand New Day: A “Win-Win” for Mephisto
One of the most infamous moments in Mephisto’s career? It’s immortalized in his Brand New Day card. With this sneaky play, he offers an enemy character a deal: “Want to avoid being Dazed or KO’d? Cool, just let my ally activate again.” Naturally, whether the opponent agrees or not, Mephisto wins. The deal itself energizes him, reinforcing his win-win mindset. Because for Mephisto, it’s always a good day when someone else pays the price.
When in Doubt, Burn Everything with Hellfire!
Sometimes, even deals don’t get the job done. That’s when Mephisto turns to his trusty Hellfire. He can even light up his allies to supercharge their attacks! Sure, his buddies might catch fire in the process, but hey—what’s a little flame between friends when you’re already in league with the devil?
Damnation and the Legion of the Lost: Mephisto’s Final Play
If things get really dire, Mephisto can always call upon the Legion of the Lost. Through his Damnation ability, the opponent is forced to choose which of their characters will gain Incinerate in exchange for power every round. On top of that, Mephisto and his crew gain a serious advantage. Throw in characters like Corvus and Proxima, and it’s game over. They’ll burn through the enemy squad like a hot knife through butter, especially with Mephisto fueling them with Infernal power.
A Devilish Ally in Unlikely Places
While Mephisto is usually all about serving his own goals, he’s more than happy to work for others—if it suits him. He’s on the payroll of Cabal and Criminal Syndicate, striking deals with Shadowland Daredevil. With Mephisto’s beams and free attacks, he often racks up more than two attacks during his activation, maximizing Daredevil’s leadership benefits. Shadowland Daredevil is tough, making him the perfect target for Meet My Associate, and the Hand Ninjas provide a convenient disposable shield for Mephisto to hide behind.
So, if you ever find yourself at a crossroads, remember: when Mephisto comes calling with a “too good to be true” deal, it probably is—but it’ll be one heck of a ride!