History TabletopGame / SmashUp

** The Mounties action [[Main/CanadaEh Eh?]] depicts a Mounty trying to rescue a woman [[Main/ChainedToARailway tied to some train tracks]], a reference to ''WesternAnimation/DudleyDoRight'' (along with minions ''called'' Dudlee).

* YouWannaGetSued: The whole point of the "Cease and Desist" set, having factions that are blatantly obvious references to famous franchises but with the names changed (Astrokinghts -- Franchise/StarWars, Changerbots -- Franchise/{{Transformers}}, Ignobles -- Series/GameOfThrones, Star Roamers -- Franchise/StarTrek).

** The Zombie faction. They have abilities that allow them to draw and even play from their discard pile, where minions go if they are killed. They even have a unit that can be played from the discard pile itself!
** The Magical Girls are able to resuscitate discarded minions, even other players' minions. Most notably, Black Magicat can retrieve Lunar Captain from the discard pile, and Lunar Captain can easily retrieve Black Magicat from the discard pile as well.

** The Kung Fu Fighters' Lady Whirlwind is a strictly better version of the Tiger Assassin.

* ContinuityNod: A ton of references to existing factions exist in the art of several other factions.

* {{Crossover}}: They have a crossover with ''TabletopGame/{{Munchkin}}'' known as Smash Up: Munchkin.
** A crossover with ''Creator/MarvelComics'' is soon to be released.

* OneHitKill: Applied to bases of all things; the Plants, Werewolves and Vigilantes have a card that reduces a base's breakpoint to zero. Taken a step further with Dragons, Kaiju, Tornados and Polynesian Voyagers, who can just straight up ''destroy'' a base.

[[folder:Games and expansions]]

* {{Foreshadowing}}: Astroknights, Cowboys and Magical Girls made an appearance in the It's Your Fault! expansion way before they became full-fledged factions.

* ShoutOut: Has its own page here.

* ShoutOut: A ''heavy'' amount of them.
** The Aliens have "[[Franchise/StarTrek Beam Up]]", and are directly styled on the Martians from ''Film/MarsAttacks''.
** Some of the tech in the Dinosaurs card artwork have serial numbers [[WesternAnimation/DinosaurTrain 71N4 (Tiny) and C0RY]].
** The Pirates' Pirate King resembles UsefulNotes/{{Blackbeard}}; one of their bases is "[[Franchise/PiratesOfTheCaribbean The Grey Opal]]"; and their Titan, the Kraken, can only be played if the player says "[[Film/ClashOfTheTitans Release the Kraken!]]".
** The Robots' basic minion, Zapbot, is an [[WesternAnimation/WallE orange, cubical robot with eyes that look like binoculars.]] Microbot Alpha resembles [[Film/ShortCircuit Johnny 5]].
** The Tricksters' "Flame Trap" card features a person opening a cereal box reading "UNLUCKY".
** The Wizards have a based called "[[Franchise/HarryPotter School of Wizardry]]".
** The Zombies have the [[Music/TenaciousD Tenacious Z]] and a herd of [[Series/TheWalkingDead Walkers]]. On "Not Enough Bullets," a zombie has a [[VideoGame/PlantsVsZombies traffic cone on its head]], and the human has a nametag reading "[[Film/DayOfTheDead1985 Steel]]". "Overrun" features a recreation of a scene from ''Series/TheWalkingDead''. The Zombie Lord has a [[Franchise/EvilDead Necronomicon Ex-Mortis]]. "Mall Crawl" refers to ''Film/DawnOfTheDead''. The bases are [[Film/NightOfTheLivingDead Evans City Cemetery]] and [[Film/DayOfTheDead Rhodes Plaza Mall]].
** The ''Awesome Level 9000'' expansion references ''Anime/DragonBallZ''.
** The Ghosts have a base called "[[Literature/TheTaleOfEricAndTheDreadGazebo The Dread Gazebo]]". Their Titan is [[Film/{{Ghostbusters|1984}} Creampuff Man]].
** Killer Plants' bio in the rulebook begins with "''[[Theatre/LittleShopOfHorrors Feed them, Seymour! (Don't do it Seymour!)]]''".
** Elder Things have an action card, "Touch of Madness", whose artwork references ''Theatre/TheKingInYellow''.
** The Miskatonic University faction is a huge shoutout to ''Franchise/ScoobyDoo'', with cards such as "Jinkies!", "Those Meddling Kids", and "Old Man Jenkins". The Librarian minion is a parody of Velma Dinkley.
** The ''Science Fiction Double Feature'' expansion is named after the first song in ''Film/TheRockyHorrorPictureShow''.
** The Cyborg Apes have [[Literature/CuriousGeorge Furious George]] and [[Film/EveryWhichWayButLoose Clyde 2.0]].
** Super Spies:
*** They're full of Film/JamesBond references, with cards like [[Film/LiveandLetDie Live and Let Chum]], [[Film/DiamondsAreForever Discards Are Forever]], [[Film/ForYourEyesOnly For My Eyes Only]], [[Film/TheSpywhoLovedMe The Spy Who Ditched Me]], [[Film/FromRussiaWithLove From Q With Love]], [[Film/TheWorldIsNotEnough The Base Is Not Enough]] and [[Film/LicenceToKill Permit to Kill]]. Of course, the strongest minion in the faction is the Secret Agent himself.
*** The Mole references to Film/AustinPowers.
*** Their bio also describes their ongoing struggle against the evil [[FunWithAcronyms Henchmen And Villains Of Chaos]] organization, making them appear to be equal parts [[Series/TheManFromUNCLE U.N.C.L.E.]] and [[Series/GetSmart CONTROL]]. Additionally, their own organization is [=I.S.I.=], which is one letter away from being [[WesternAnimation/{{Archer}} ISIS]].
** The Time Travelers have cards like [[Film/BackToTheFuture 1.21 Gigawatts]] and [[Series/DoctorWho Doctor When]]. They also have [[WesternAnimation/WackyRaces Repeater Perfect]] and [[Franchise/TombRaider Time Raider]]. Their Titan is the [[Franchise/DoctorWho Time]] [[Franchise/BillAndTed Box]], which features a [[Film/BackToTheFuture flux capacitor]] and parts from Film/TheTimeMachine. They have actions titled [[Film/TheRockyHorrorPictureShow "It's Astounding", "Time is Fleeting" and "Into the Time Slip"]].
** The Geeks have Creator/WilWheaton and Creator/FeliciaDay as minions, and Game Guru as an allusion to Bo Radakovich. "Force of Wil", in addition to depicting Creator/WilWheaton in its art, duplicates the gameplay effect of the noted ''TabletopGame/MagicTheGathering'' card [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=3107 Force of Will]].
** The ''Monster Smash'' expansion references the song "Monster Mash".
** All of the Giant Ants' actions are named after Music/{{Queen}} songs, including their strongest minion, "Killer Queen." The Titan card that they later got, Death on Six Legs, is likewise a reference to the Queen song "Death on Two Legs".
** Mad Scientists' bio starts out with lyrics from "Monster Mash".
** The Heavy Drinker and Nightstalker minions in the Vampire faction are [[LooksLikeOrlok Count Orlok]] and Film/{{Blacula}}, respectively (with Nightstalker being named after ''Series/KolchakTheNightStalker''), and the Fledging Vampire and The Count are references to [[Creator/ElviraMistressOfTheDark Elvira]] and Dracula as portrayed by the late, great Sir Creator/ChristopherLee. Their Titan, Ancient Lord, is a parody of UsefulNotes/VladTheImpaler, who Dracula was based on.
** The Werewolves have a minion named [[Film/TeenWolf Teenage Wolf]]. "Moontouched" features a wolf with a moon symbol on its back, similar to the design worn by [[VideoGame/TheKingOfFighters Iori Yagami]].
** The Fairies have [[Theatre/AMidsummerNightsDream "Titania" and "Puck"]] as two of their minions, along with some Franchise/DisneyFairies allusions.
** The Kitty Cats are based entirely around WebOriginal/LOLCats, with a Grumpy Cat CaptainErsatz as one of their minions. Some of their cards reference the "Hang in there, Baby" poster and the Invisible Bike meme.
** The Mythic Horses have plenty of references to ''Franchise/MyLittlePony'' (two of the minions are even named Pinkie and Rainbow), and most of their abilities revolve around [[WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic the power of friendship]] (having more minions in a base). They also have an action based on ''VideoGame/RobotUnicornAttack''.
** The Princesses minions are all [[CaptainErsatz obvious parodies]] of pop culture Princesses, including [[Franchise/{{Frozen}} Elsa]], [[WesternAnimation/ThePrincessAndTheFrog Tiana]], [[Franchise/SuperMarioBros Peach]] and [[Franchise/TheLegendOfZelda Zelda]] ("Heirloom" references the Triforce). Numerous references to Disney princesses as a whole abound in the whole deck.
** The Elves have a [[Film/GuardiansOfTheGalaxy2014 Dancing Root]].
** The Dragons' Hatchling somewhat resembles Franchise/SpyroTheDragon, and they have a base called [[Literature/TheHobbit "Wyrm's Desolation"]].
** The Spartans of the Mythic Greeks are all depicted as buff warriors with crimson capes and full helmets but no body armor to speak of. Exactly like the Spartans from ''Film/ThreeHundred''. Their depiction of Hades is a dead ringer for the Gods appearance in Disney's ''WesternAnimation/{{Hercules}}'', albeit colored red instead of blue.
** The Sharks as a whole are a reference to ''WesternAnimation/StreetSharks'', along with cards called "Week of Sharks" and [[Film/AustinPowers "Freakin' Laser Beams."]] Their Minion lineup of "Great White", "Hammerhead" and "Mako" is also the exact same set of sharks seen in ''WesternAnimation/FindingNemo''. Their bases are even a sunken sub in a minefield and a dark ocean trench with a vicious, luminescent anglerfish.[[note]]Furthering the Nemo connection is that the Mako card depicts them with a fishhook through their nose like Chum's, and the Great Whites are wielding a pair of naval mines, the same weapons used to "defeat" Bruce.[[/note]]
** The Superheroes have minions based on Franchise/{{Superman}}, [[ComicBook/CaptainMarvelMarvelComics Captain Marvel]], ComicBook/TheFlash and ComicBook/JeanGrey, and has an action called "Franchise/{{Justice|League}} [[WesternAnimation/SuperFriends Friends]]", as well as several other superhero comic book references. The "Secret Base" action references the Batcave, and features a parody of [[WesternAnimation/VeggieTales the Larrymobile]].
** The Tornado deck has references to [[Literature/TheWizardOfOz Kansas]], as well as an action called "Film/GoneWithTheWind" and a minion called Film/{{Twister}}. They are also billed on the box as the [[Film/{{Sharknado}} "Shark Delivery System."]]
** The Astroknights are a parody of ''Franchise/StarWars'' and contain several references:
*** Space Knight is a genderswapped parody of Luke Skywalker, and somewhat resembles Rey. Her card's setting resembles Tatooine.
*** Walking Carpet is a parody of Chewbacca, and his name comes from a memorable line uttered by Princess Leia Organa in ''Film/ANewHope''.
*** Scoundrel is a genderswapped parody of Han Solo.
*** Space Prince is a genderswapped parody of Princess Leia, although he looks like [[WesternAnimation/HeManAndTheMastersOfTheUniverse1983 He-Man]] more than anything else. His card references the scene in ''Film/ReturnOfTheJedi'' where Leia strangles Jabba the Hutt, whose parody on the card resembles [[Film/{{Ghostbusters|1984}} Slimer]].
*** Pupoks are a parody of the Ewoks.
*** Mannersbot is a parody of C-3P0.
*** Astro Robot is a parody of R2-D2 and BB-8.
*** Alien Guru is a parody of Yoda, and resembles a blue [[Franchise/TheMuppets Kermit the Frog]] as a nod to Creator/JimHenson, whose puppet designs helped inspire the original Yoda puppet. The card's background resembles Dagobah.
*** Annoying Alien is a parody of Jar Jar Binks, his cards background resembles the Great Rotunda.
*** Ghost Knight is a parody of Obi-Wan Kenobi, and his appearance of being cut in half references the character's death.
*** "Yield to Rage" features a parody of Darth Vader.
*** "It's a Trap!" is entirely a reference to Admiral Ackbar, in its name and the artwork featuring a fishlike alien.
*** "Laser Sword" is a parody of lightsabers.
*** "Recycle the Trash" references the famous trash compactor scene.
*** The bases are "Hive of Scum and Villany" referencing the Mos Eisley Cantina, and "No-Moon™" referencing the Death Star. Both names are based on quotes from Obi-Wan Kenobi.
** The Changerbots are a parody of ''Transformers'' and contain several references:
*** Leader Two is a parody of Optimus Prime and is named after Leader One.
*** Solarshout is a parody of Starscream.
*** "The Touch" refers to the Transformers movie song.
*** "Matrix of Bossiness" is a reference to the Matrix of Leadership.
*** "Change Up and Roll On" is a reference to the Transformers catchphrase "Transform and roll out!".
*** One of the bases is "Unicrave" referencing Unicron.
** The Ignobles are a parody of ''Series/GameOfThrones'' and contain several references:
*** Aunt of Drakes is a parody of Daenerys Targaryen, the Mother of Dragons. She has an object resembling a [[Franchise/{{Pokemon}} Pokeball]].
*** Foot of the King is a reference to the position of Hand of the King, and is a parody of Jaime Lannister.
*** Betrothed is a parody of Sansa Stark.
*** Sneaky Squire is a parody of Tyrion Lannister.
*** "Inevitable Betrayal" is a reference to ''Series/{{Firefly}}''.
*** "Red Birthday Party" references the Red Wedding.
*** "Repaying Debts" references "A Lannister always pays his debts".
*** The Titan is The Hill that Strolls, a parody of the Mountain.
*** The bases are "Spikey Chair Room" referencing the Iron Throne, and "Wintersquashed" referencing Winterfell.
** The Star Roamers are a parody of ''Franchise/StarTrek'' and contain several references:
*** Ship's Captain is a parody of James T. Kirk.
*** Science Officer is a parody of Spock.
*** Medical Officer is a parody of Christine Chapel.
*** Ensign is a parody of Red Shirts and resembles Wesley Crusher.
*** "Port Me Up" references "Beam me up".
*** "Whiplash Maneuver" is a parody of the Picard Maneuver.
*** One of the bases is "USS Undertaking" referencing the USS Enterprise.
** The Explorers have Idaho Smith (Franchise/IndianaJones), the Guide ([[WesternAnimation/JonnyQuest Hadji]]/WesternAnimation/{{Dora|TheExplorer}}), and the Crypt Looter ([[Franchise/TombRaider Lara Croft]]). Furthermore, "I Said No Camels!", "It Belongs in a Museum", "X Never Marks the Spot" and "You Call This Archaeology?" are Indiana Jones quotes. Another card is "Dr Livingstone, I Presume?" referencing Henry Morton Stanley finding David Livingstone. One of their bases is "[[Anime/TheMysteriousCitiesOfGold City of Gold]]".
** The Rock Stars naturally have many references to classic bands and singers. Notably they have The Monarch (Music/ElvisPresley), Classic Rocker (Music/LynyrdSkynyrd), and [[Music/RickAstley Rick Roll]].
** The Teddy Bears have Fun Bear, a clear ''Franchise/CareBears'' {{Expy}}.
** The Itty Critters are a parody of ''Franchise/{{Pokemon}}'' and contain several references:
*** Leafaroo is essentially if Pikachu was a grass-type.
*** Calicoin resembles Meowth.
*** Krakatoad is essentially if Bulbasaur was a fire-type.
*** Tadpour is essentially if Charmander was a water-type.
*** Shellshock is essentially if Squirtle was an electric-type.
*** Flooffairy is a parody of Clefairy.
*** The Titan, Rainboroc, is a parody of Ho-oh.
*** The Critter Champion resembles a female Ash Ketchum.
*** "Ittypedia" is based on Pokédex and resembles a Game Boy from the '90s.
*** "Critter Cube" is based on Pokéballs.
** The Kaiju Titan is [[Franchise/{{Godzilla}} Gorgodzolla]]. They also have Kaijookey ([[WesternAnimation/TheGodzillaPowerHour Godzooky]]) and [[Film/TimeOfTheApes Johnny]], and their action cards "The Folly of Men", "Oh, No!", "Pick Up A Bus", "There Goes Tokyo", "They Say He's Got to Go" and "Wade Through the Buildings" are based on lyrics from "[[Music/BlueOysterCult Godzilla]]".
** The Magical Girls contain many anime references, most notably Lunar Captain is a parody of Anime/SailorMoon, Fancy Suit Lad is a parody of Tuxedo Mask, the Titan Walking Castle is a parody of Anime/HowlsMovingCastle, and the base "Q Point" is based on D Point and contains a Coca-Cola reference.
** The Mega Troopers are a parody of ''Franchise/PowerRangers''. "Plan For More!" features a parody of Zordon, and "Beta 6" is a parody of Alpha 5.
** The Sheep have "Wood for Sheep" referencing ''TabletopGame/SettlersOfCatan'', "Hello, Dolly!" referencing Dolly the cloned sheep, and "[[Franchise/TheLordOfTheRings Ewe Shall Pass]]".
** The ''That '70s Expansion'' [[DepartmentOfRedundancyDepartment expansion]] is named after ''Series/That70sShow''.
** The Disco Dancers have Dancing King, based on [[Music/{{Abba}} Dancing Queen]] and [[Film/SaturdayNightFever Tony Manero]]; Disco Lou, based on [[WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons Disco Stu]]; and their actions are "[[Music/KoolAndTheGang Celebration]]", "[[Music/TheTrammps Disco Inferno]]", "[[Music/KCAndTheSunshineBand Get Down Tonight]]", "[[Music/ThePointerSisters I'm So Excited]]", "[[Music/GloriaGaynor I Will Survive]]", "[[Music/TheWeatherGirls It's Raining Men]]", "[[Music/DonnaSummer Last Dance]]", "[[Music/TheBeeGees Stayin' Alive]]", "[[Music/VickiSueRobinson Turn The Beat Around]]" and "[[Music/SisterSledge We Are Family]]". Their bases are "[[Music/EarthWindAndFire Boogie Wonderland]]" and "[[Music/LippsInc Funky Town]]".
** The Kung Fu Fighters:
*** Dragon Warrior is a parody of Creator/BruceLee and his character in ''Film/GameOfDeath''.
*** Drunken Master is based on [[Film/DrunkenMaster Beggar So]].
*** Their action cards are [[EverybodyWasKungFuFighting "Everybody Was Kung Fu Fighting", "Fast as Lightning", "A Little Bit Frightening", "Expert Timing", "Ancient Chinese Art", "Everybody Knew Their Part", "Let's Get It On" and "Oh-hoh-hoh-hoah"]].
** The Truckers' minions are all based on nicknames truckers use to refer to themselves and each other over CB Radio, some of which are references: "El Bandido" is based on [[Film/SmokeyAndTheBandit Bo "Bandit" Darville]], "Rubber Chicken" is based on [[Film/{{Convoy}} Martin "Rubber Duck" Penwald]] and "Skinny Minnie" is based on [[Film/PeeWeesBigAdventure Large Marge]].
** The Vigilantes' minions are based on crime fighters in '70s films and TV shows: Brojak is based on [[Series/{{Kojak}} Theo Kojak]], Death Wisher is a reference to ''Film/DeathWish'', Dusty Henry is a parody of Film/DirtyHarry, Foxy Green is a parody of Film/FoxyBrown, Jackie Bill is a parody of Film/BillyJack, Shift is a parody of Film/{{Shaft}}, and Stoneford is a parody of [[Series/TheRockfordFiles Jim Rockford]].
** The whole idea of the All Stars faction is that they took the best, most iconic cards from all the other ''Smash Up'' factions, brought them all together... and made them [[Film/SpaceJam play basketball in space]].
** The Ancient Egyptians have an action called "Seal the Tomb" featuring a Mummy wearing a t-shirt reading "Senpet 4 Life" referencing ''Legend of the Burning Sands''. One of their bases, "Star Portal" is a reference to ''Film/{{Stargate}}''.
** The Cowboys have Deputy, who is designed after [[Franchise/ToyStory Jessie]]; and a based titled [[Film/GunfightAtTheOKCorral So-So Corral]].
** The Vikings have an action called "Berserk", in which there is a [[VideoGame/{{Berzerk}} tiny pixelated robot]].
** The Luchadors have Yellow Demon, a parody of [[Wrestling/ElSanto Blue Demon]].
** The Mounties have Dudlee, a parody of WesternAnimation/DudleyDoRight, and the action "Eh?" features him saving a bound woman from an oncoming train. Similarly, the action "Bring 'Em In" features a parody of Snidely Whiplash.
** The Musketeers are directly inspired by ''Literature/TheThreeMusketeers'', with Athos, Porthos, Aramis and d'Artagnan as minions, and Milady de Winter appears in "Token of Affection" and Cardinal Richelieu in "Make Way". "Biding Time" features Film/TheManInTheIronMask.
** The Sumo Wrestlers have Yokozuna, a parody of [[Franchise/StreetFighter E. Honda]]. "Fighting Spirit Prize", "Performance Prize" and "Technique Prize" are named after the Sanshō.
** The Penguins have Surfing Penguin, referencing [[WesternAnimation/SurfsUp Cody Maverick]]; Command Penguin, referencing [[Franchise/{{Madagascar}} Skipper]]; Dancing Penguin, referencing [[WesternAnimation/HappyFeet Mumble]], and the Titan Emperor Penguin referencing [[Franchise/StarWars Emperor Palpatine]], even having a name tag reading "[[Memes/RevengeOfTheSith The Senate]]". "Secret Mission" references the Penguins of Franchise/{{Madagascar}}.
** The Anansi Tales are ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin and revolves around the West African fairy tales.
** The Ancient Incas have "Golden Condor" referencing ''Anime/TheMysteriousCitiesOfGold''.
** The Grimms' Fairy Tales contain references to ''Hansel and Gretel'', ''Snow White and Rose Red'', ''Little Red Riding Hood'', ''The Frog Prince'', ''Rumpelstiltskin'' and ''The Mouse, the Bird, and the Sausage''.
** The Polynesian Voyagers have Maui and Wayfinder, parodying ''WesternAnimation/{{Moana}}''.
** The Russian Fairy Tales contain references to ''The Wooden Eagle'', ''Tsarevitch Ivan, the Firebird and the Gray Wolf'', ''The Feather of Finist the Falcon'', ''The Wonderful Birch'', ''Baba Yaga'', ''The Frog Princess'', ''Go I Know Not Whither and Fetch I Know Not What'', ''The Bold Knight, the Apples of Youth, and the Water of Life'' and ''The Gigantic Turnip''.

* OutsideTheBoxTactic: Many abilities amount to "do X to ''a minion''". A whole world of possibilities open up when players realize that they can do these things to their ''own'' minions (including killing their own minions to activate on-death effects, and placing their minions back into their hands so they can replay them).
** A potentially game-breaking example is in the Aliens faction, which contain many cards that force a minion to be returned to its owners hand, as well as an Invader minion that grants 1 VP upon playing. There's nothing that says the returned minion has to be someone else's, so if the Invader can be drawn early in the game, one can easily use it to farm [=VPs=] without ever breaking a base.

* PlanetOfHats: Each faction centers around a given mechanic/playstyle, usually related to the faction thematically, but most factions can do a little of everything.
** Aliens pose a pest to planets and players by forcefully beaming players' minions back to their hands, and can also modify the bases themselves, emulating abductions and crop circles. They can also "invade" parts of the battlefield, granting them points without breaking bases.
** Dinosaurs are big and powerful, and focus on beefing themselves up even more or crushing weaker foes.
** Ninjas are sneaky tacticians who can assassinate high-power targets and launch unexpected plays.
** Pirates commandeer their ships to provide great mobility as well as destroying groups of weak foes via gunpowder.
** Robots mass-produce whole hordes of (mostly) low-power minions that synergistically support each other.
** Tricksters prevent other players from taking actions, either explicitly or implicitly (i.e. "you can't do that" or "you ''can'' do that, but there's a penalty").
** Wizards wield their magical powers to warp physics, easily drawing more cards and playing more actions in a single turn.
** Zombies refuse to stay dead, and can play cards from their discard pile, often easier than they can play from their hands.
** Bear Cavalry has high levels of power, being [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin soldiers on bears]] (though they are not quite as strong as Dinosaurs), and can force other minions to flee bases due to being intimidating.
** Ghosts gain benefits as their controller loses cards, growing more powerful as they become more immaterial.
** Killer Plants "put down roots", so they become stronger if they remain in play for at least one turn.
** Steampunks "tinker" with bases, adding actions and new abilities to them.
** Elder Things can be strikingly powerful (they have the strongest minion in the game) for a sacrifice, and cause insanity in their opponents.
** Innsmouth has only low-level minions, but can empower them and play them in droves, mirroring the town's status as being populated by belligerent but not-particularly-powerful half-humans.
** The Minions of Cthulhu acquire great power by inflicting madness on themselves or sacrificing their own minions; one would expect that bargaining with the unfathomable Cthulhu comes with non-trivial drawbacks, while bestowing great power.
** Miskatonic University's careful study of eldritch horrors lets them gain power and get rid of madness at just the right times in the just the right ways.
** Cyborg Apes, being cyborgs, like to modify themselves with play-on-minion action cards. Being apes, they can also be whipped into frenzies, increasing their power.
** Shapeshifters mimic the power and abilities of other cards, including cards belonging to their controller or other players. Many of their minions can be exchanged for other minions.
** Super Spies gather intelligence about players' decks, allowing them to plan ahead and disrupt the plans of other players.
** Time Travelers let their controller dip into the 'past' by replaying things that are already on the field, or in their discard piles.
** Vampires drain minions, destroying them while increasing their own power.
** Mad Scientists "experiment" on their minions to augment their power levels.
** Giant Ants have minions with relatively low power, but get lots of power-bonus tokens that can be swapped around, simulating them having a hive mind.
** Werewolves can gain temporary bursts of power, representing their transformation to wolf form.
** Geeks can [[RulesLawyer negate or otherwise mess with the cards]] in various ways, including countering or even banning them.
** Fairies have abilities that give them a variety of options, making them very tricky and versatile. They also have a lot of minion-altering actions that can move around between minions.
** Kitty Cats can use their mix of cuteness and grumpiness to decrease other minions' power and then take control of them, often destroying them for bonus effects.
** Mythic Horses are herd-based, and can play and move large amounts of minions at a time. Their minions also gain increased power when on bases with ally minions through ThePowerOfFriendship.
** Princesses have only unique, 5-power minions, befitting their royal station. They also have many actions that let them take control of situations and showcase their supremacy.
** Clerics use protection and resurrection magic to prevent minions from being discarded and retrieve cards from the discard pile.
** Dwarves dig treasures out of the treasure deck and discard pile and get stronger when they are equipped with treasures.
** Elves like helping others, by allowing them to draw cards or get power boosts, but they always benefit as well.
** Halflings, being sneaky underdogs, can spawn several minions at the same time, usually on bases where you're behind.
** Mages spend your cards as {{mana}} to cast powerful spells.
** Orcs are tough and nearly unaffected by actions. Being bullies, some cards even reward you for overpowering or outnumbering your opponents.
** Thieves smuggle treasures to get more points or power. They can even steal other players' points or action cards.
** Warriors hunt down monsters and gain power from destroying them or from being on the same base as them.
** Superheroes start out as mild-mannered citizens, but can transform into formidable forces for good.
** Mythic Greeks grant the player bonuses for playing multiple actions in a turn, relying upon godly actions to give them divine power.
** Sharks move hard and fast, destroying weak minions with ease and drawing more sharks with the resulting blood in the water.
** Dragons specialize in fire-fueled destruction, ruining bases and occupying the wreckage.
** Tornadoes are quick and unpredictable, blowing into bases with ease, and scattering enemies to the four winds.
** Astro Knights use the power of [[TheForce The Fours]] to increase their power and break bases. Also, they're currently the only faction to have 10 unique minions.
** Changerbots transform between low-power utility vehicles and high-power robots.
** Ignobles constantly switch sides and betray their controllers to gain benefits.
** Star Roamers can teleport your minions back into your hand or move them to other bases.
** Explorers travel from base to base and search for the next interesting base to break.
** Grannies can call faraway relatives for a visit (as far as being on the bottom of the deck) and always have a little treat ready in their bag (the top of the deck) for their grandchildren.
** Rockstars perform way better on the best stages (bases with a high breakpoint) and their performance can attract a handful of Groupies.
** Teddy Bears can defend you against most threats (high-power minions, swarms of minions, low-power minions, minions with troublesome abilities,...)
** Smash Up All Stars can easily pass the ball with their partner faction, showcasing their stronger elements.
** Itty Critters feature trainers that can repeatedly summon their small minions and recall them back into the deck.
** Kaiju uses the city-flattening Actions of the immense [[Franchise/{{Godzilla}} Gorgodzolla]] to smash bases rather than a standard compliment of minions.
** Magical Girls have magical powers that get better the more members there are on their team.
** Mega Troopers wait for the climax of a fight (right when a base scores) to fully unleash their powers and fight for the points.
** Sheep are the ultimate followers in that their minions actually follow any minion they see moving and they can redo other players' used actions.
** Disco Dancers can create groups of "synchronized dancers" -- if one of them does something (move, gain power, kill themself), the whole group does it as well.
** Kung Fu Fighters train to gain power and use the power of their opponents against them (hence leeching their power), and can one-hit-KO most minions.
** Truckers treat base actions like actual trucks, driving them to other bases and stealing them from their opponents.
** Vigilantes are a "kingless" faction with just minions of power 4, but can still defend themselves quite well and have abilities you really don't want to mess with.
** Ancient Egyptians embalm your cards, making use of the new burying mechanic, so they can rise from the base they were buried on when the time is right.
** Cowboys start one-on-one duels with other players' minions in an attempt to destroy the weak minions, because clearly bases ain't big enough for the two of them.
** Samurai are fighters with a strong, near-suicidal sense of honor who will give you great pride and benefits if they meet their end on the field.
** Vikings are the ultimate pillagers, stealing and ransacking any card from your opponents' hand, deck and discard pile for you to use.
** Luchadors like to show off by creating complex card combos, usually setting things up with a Set-Up action and finishing with a big card.
** Mounties defend the bases against your opponents, pointing their guns when enemies are present and chasing them down.
** Musketeers' fencing skills allow them to chain a lot of actions.
** Sumo Wrestlers throw opposing minions off their bases and get stronger each time they eat.
** Penguins pop directly out of their deck, sometimes going back there, like they are coming in and out of water.
** Anansi Tales are all about sharing stories with other players and those stories are also worth sharing with others as well.
** Ancient Incas, known for their architectural prowess, stack actions to create big cities, adding walls, temples, armories, etc.
** Grimm's Fairy Tales recreate key moments of known German tales, such as reuniting the Gretel and Hansel duo or the lesser-known Red Rose and Snow White duo (renamed "The Other Snow White", not to be confused by the other apple-loving Snow White), using The Woodsman's Axe to kill off Big Bad Wolf to spawn two minions from its remains, or having a minion kiss The Frog Prince to change it into Prince Charming or a better fit.
** Polynesian Voyagers travel from island to island, exploring unvisited ones or discovering all new ones, and use their tattoo power to gain strength.
** Russian Fairy Tales revolve around minions transforming into other stuff, a common fairy tale trope.
** Avengers are a team of everyone's favorite unique kick-ass heroes. You know you just want to see them show off their signature moves, unique action cards that combo with their respective Avenger for much greater effects.
** Hydra stand by their motto -- kill one of them and it's litterally replaced by two others, especially when they sacrifice themselves on the orders of their leaders.
** Kree are a militaristic race that can chain powerful action combos and burst with full force to take down bases.
** Masters of Evil are always working on some sort of secret plans that can help them get much closer to victory if they manage to carry them out.
** S.H.I.E.L.D. are able to call in other minions for backup and work more efficiently when they all gather as a team.
** Sinister Six chose an unorthodox way to conquer bases: directly shooting down their breakpoints, and the more chaos that causes, the more they revel.
** Spider-Verse can swing in on bases at the last second, but that's not where they can get the most out of their skills, preferring to stick to their own friendly neighborhood (your own Play Cards phase).
** Ultimates fly all over the bases to where they are needed, with that FTL velocity allowing them to pack quite a punch.

* AttackOfThe50FootWhatever: Several of the "King Minons" [[note]]A factions highest power minion, usually with a Power of 5 or higher.[[/note]] fall into this. Of particular note is the Dinosaurs' King Rex, while a real life T-rex is about 20 feet tall, King Rex is depicted as being well over a hundred feet, almost making him a full-blown {{Kaiju}}.

* AuthorityEqualsAsskicking:
** Typically, the strongest minion in a given faction will be unique, and something in their name will identify them as the 'leader' of their faction (including ''King'' Rex, ''General'' Ivan, Zombie ''Lord'', Microbot ''Alpha'', etc.). The Elder Thing is a slight variant: instead of having a title to identify it as the leader, the faction is ''named after it''.
** There's also the Princesses, who have only one copy of each minion, but they're all 5 power, the same power as virtually every other leader.
** Subverted (or not) by the Vigilantes, who are all 4 power, so they aren't really on the same level as power-5 "king" minions, but they can kick ass real hard.

* ThePowerOfFriendship: The Mythic Horses' hat, in perhaps a ShoutOut to ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic''. Many of their actions and minions gain benefits for having one or more minions on the same base.

* PromotionalPowerlessPieceOfGarbage: The playmats aren't that great, especially in games with factions that can add bases beyond the normal number of bases. The pins don't add anything to the game.

** The Ghosts have a base called "[[TheTaleOfEricAndTheDreadGazebo The Dread Gazebo]]". Their Titan is [[Film/{{Ghostbusters|1984}} Creampuff Man]].

** The Superheroes have minions based on Franchise/{{Superman}}, [[ComicBook/MsMarvel Captain Marvel]], ComicBook/TheFlash and ComicBook/JeanGrey, and has an action called "Franchise/{{Justice|League}} [[WesternAnimation/SuperFriends Friends]]", as well as several other superhero comic book references. The "Secret Base" action references the Batcave, and features a parody of [[WesternAnimation/VeggieTales the Larrymobile]].

* EverythingsBetterWithPenguins: The Penguins faction.

* EverythingsEvenWorseWithSharks: The Shark faction will hunt down and kill low-power minions and gain power from doing so.

* KingOfTheDinosaurs: The Dinosaurs' King Rex.

* MagicalGirlTropes: The [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin aptly named]] MagicalGirl faction runs with these, of course. We have an {{Expy}} of [[Manga/SailorMoon Sailor Moon and Tuxedo Mask]], [[MentorMascot two magical cats]], a CuteWitch, a {{Meido}}, and a [[{{Magitek}} Technomancer Girl]] as a MagicalGirlWarrior team. Support spells involve summoning and even a cute MagicWand.

* ManiacMonkeys[=/=]KillerGorilla: The Cyborg Apes.