You can have anywhere from two to five X-Men on your team as long as you don't exceed 30 team points (team points are indicated on the X-Men cards). Each X-Man is rated according to his or her skills. Lately I have been having a lot of fun playing a two-man team of Wolverine and Cyclops. They are both rated 14 points, so my total is 28. I usually go first since most of my opponents build 30-point teams.

One drawback of the two-man team is that I can do only two things a turn, since I must tap an X-Man to play a card or go on a Mission. The other drawback is the damage counters start piling up quickly because I have only two guys to take the hits.

The major advantage is in the characters. Wolverine can heal himself, and Cyclops has an Optic Blast that adds more damage to an attack. I get to use special Strength test cards that require a roll equal to or less than the X-Man's Strength in that color. These cards are really good. Wolverine's special card lets him triple his Red Strength if he goes on a mission alone, which makes him perfect for this kind of deck strategy.

I can't get too cute when selecting cards for this deck; I look for every card that helps me do damage or heal damage. Any subtle control stuff takes too much time with only two X-Men on the team, and I will find myself in trouble by Danger Room level 5. (The power requirement in the game is set by the Danger Room level going up one notch each time the first player starts his or her turn. Each card tells you the minimum Danger Room level so you know if you can play it.) Most players start with three X-Men on their team and I would recommend you do the same. As soon as you feel comfortable with the game, try some different ideas like this two-person theme.