Dice Throne kicked off its partnership with Marvel by spotlighting the classic Avengers roster, but this time, Roxley and TheOP went even bigger — and bolder — with the X-Men edition. Featuring eight iconic mutants, a brand-new co-op mode, upgraded tokens, and enough premium extras to make any collector grin, this expansion feels like the next evolutionary step for the series. But does “bigger” really mean “better”?
What’s in the box?
Depending on how deep you want to dive, you can pick up individual heroes or grab the full Battle Chest, which is what I’m reviewing here. The chest comes packed with all eight X-Men heroes — Wolverine, Storm, Gambit, Cyclops, Phoenix, Jean Grey, Iceman, and Psylocke — each with their own beautifully designed tray and custom dice. The box itself is impressively organized, making it easy to store and display your mutant lineup.
Gameplay & Design
I’ll be doing individual breakdowns of each hero later, but for now, let’s focus on the overall experience.
Right away, it’s clear this set was built with cohesion and creativity in mind. The original Marvel Dice Throne characters — the Avengers — felt familiar and grounded, which made them accessible but a bit traditional in terms of mechanics. The X-Men, on the other hand, push boundaries in a way that feels fitting for their mutant theme.
Each character brings something new to the table, for example:
Iceman glides from one attack to another, chaining abilities in a way that feels like a slick evolution of Spider-Man’s combo system — except it’s built around positioning on the board instead of just token management.
Psylocke literally “mutates” her dice rolls with an extra dice, bending the game’s fundamental mechanics in a thematically perfect way.
This set feels like the turning point for Dice Throne’s design philosophy. It’s bolder, flashier, and mechanically more experimental — and for fans who’ve been with the series since its early days, that’s incredibly refreshing.
Feedback
There are, however, a few quirks that hold the set back from perfection.
First, the foldable boards are only included if you buy the full Battle Chest. This was communicated clearly during production, but it’s still frustrating for players who just want to pick up a few heroes without committing to the entire chest. Hopefully, that model doesn’t become the norm.
As for gameplay, balance is where things get uneven. Some heroes clearly shine in certain modes while struggling in others.
Cyclops, for example, thrives in the Marvel Missions co-op mode or team play, where his leadership mechanics really matter. But in solo 1v1 play, he can feel underpowered next to the rest of the cast.
Wolverine, on the opposite end, feels almost too strong. His healing and damage potential can make 1v1 matches feel a bit unfair — like he’s the boss fight instead of a playable hero. Whether that’s due to balance or pure luck of the dice, it can make some matchups frustratingly one-sided.
Final Verdict: I got a fever… and the only cure is more Dice Throne
Dice Throne: X-Men is an ambitious and exciting expansion that successfully mutates the formula in new and creative ways. The hero designs are some of the best the series has seen, both mechanically and thematically. However, small frustrations with hero balance and the Battle Chest model keep it from achieving true greatness. If you’re a fan of Dice Throne or Marvel’s mutants, this set is absolutely worth owning.
Dice Throne: X-Men is available on the Dice Throne website along with all the add-ons, or you can purchase a retail version at select retailers. Keep an eye out for our Dice Throne Marvel Missions review coming soon, and Dice Throne Outcasts coming soon.
