Usually, the tactic for dealing with Countdown tiles is to kill the owner or match the tile away. Often, though, there are Countdowns in bad places, so it’s good to have a power that can handle them. Recent changes have removed some of the options for handling countdowns. She-Hulk lost her Countdown removal ability, and Thor4’s ability was bumped to Level 5 only.
Increased health will mean more Countdown tiles go off. Here’s the current status as I see it, with a letter grade from AA (good) to FF (bad) purely on how well they can deal with Countdowns. Cheaper powers got a better grade than expensive powers.
BB 
_7 – Cyclops – 8 
→ 
– Mutant Revolutionary
BB
12 – Thor 3 – add 9 
– Thunder Strike
BB
12 – Thor4 – convert 3 enemy tiles – Striking Distance (level 5)
BB
15 – Hood – choose blocks to destroy – Twin Pistols
CC
_9 – Magneto (C) – 9 tiles become Protect – Coercive Field
AA
11 – Captain America – choose tile – Star Spangled Avenger (level 5)
BB
11 – Magneto (MN) – destroy 5x5 block – Magnetic Flux
BB
14 – Black Widow (GS) – choose blocks to destroy – Pistol
CC
11 – Sentry – destroy 9 red tiles – Supernova
CC
_9 – She-Hulk – destroy 16 tiles – Power Of Attorney
CC
10 – Cyclops – destroy random row – Optic Blasts
CC
_6 – Ragnarok – Add 4 
– Thunderclap
DD
_8 – Thor 3 – Add 3
– Mjolnir’s Might
AA
PA – Falcon – remove random enemy tile – Redwing (level 4)
AA
_7 – Invisible Woman – lock 4 tiles – Force Bubbles (level 5)
AA
12 – Captain America – choose tile – Peacemaker (level 5)
BB
_9 – Black Widow (O) – increase timers – Anti-Gravity Device
BB
_9 – Magneto (MN) – destroy 21 tiles – Iron Hammer
CC
_9 – Doctor Doom – all
→ 
– Technopathic Strike
CC
10 – Mystique – ten tiles to 
– Infiltration
FF
11 – Doctor Octopus – Manipulation
AA
12 – Invisible Woman – explode 3 locked tiles – Force Field Crush
BB
10 – Storm – destroy 14 tiles – Lightning Strike
CC
_8 – Wolverine X-Force – destroy 15 tiles – X-Force
CC
10 – Rocket & Groot – Blammo! We Got Ya!
CC
10 – Hulk – destroy 8+ tiles – Thunderous Clap
CC
12 – Storm (Classic) – destroy 13+ tiles – Lightning Storm
CC
14 – Ragnarok – destroy random column – Godlike Power
CC
19 – Black Widow (GS) – choose reticle to destroy – Sniper Rifle
DD
9 – Beast – Animal Inside
DD
_8 – Punisher – destroy 3x3 – Judgement
AA
10 – StarLord – choose tile – Sleight of Hand (level 4)
BB
_5 – Iron Fist – 9 tiles to
– Iron Fist of K’un-Lun
BB
_5 – Loki – swap 32 tiles – Illusions
BB
_8 – Kamala Khan – chose color for 7 tiles to
– Inhuman Stretchiness
CC
_9 – Magneto (MN) – 3 selected →
, 5 random →
– Polarity Shift
FF
10 – Daredevil – Radar Sense
BB
_9 – Storm (Mohawk) – create 32 attack tiles – Hailstorm
BB
11 – Wolverine X-Force – destroy enemy’s strong tiles – Surgical Strike
BB
11 – Quicksilver – swap two tiles – Idle Hands
CC
17 – Moonstone – control Countdown – Control Shift
Beast and Doctor Octopus should be able to affect Countdown tiles.
Daredevil’s Radar Sense should put a Trap icon over a Countdown. When it goes off, he is Invisible to that immediate effect, but others could be hurt if they are out front.
These are my choices for the most buffable powers.
19 – Captain America – Sentinel of Liberty ----- reduce cost
17 – BWGS – Pistol ----- 3 3x3 blocks for 17 AP. How about 1 3x3 block for 6 AP?
14 – IM40 – Recharge -------- Add variable cost
14 – Hulk – Smash ------- let Anger tiles be 2-count. Invoke “Hulk gets stronger as he gets Angry.”
13 – Colossus – Fastball Special ------- reduce cost
12 – Spider-Man – Web Bandages ------------ something else
10 – Psylocke – Bewilder
_9 – Squirrel Girl – The Bigger They Are
_9 – Storm – Mistress of the Elements
_8 – Black Panther – Defense Grid
_8 – Ragnarok – Lightning Rod
_7 – Captain Marvel – Photonic Blasts
_7 – Punisher – Molotov Cocktail
PA – Deadpool – Life of the Party
