One of the major advantages of RPGing is we don't have to follow the conventions of Computer RPGing.

The Computer RPG to properly use it resources has the convention of waves of Minions followed with a Big Boss battle at the end.

Do you as player enjoy it when you find that the battle is going to be 12 thugs, 1 Gaterkeeper Villain, and the Big Boss?

Would you rather it be 7 Supervillain team instead?

I can understand if you want both.  If you want both is it an even 50/50 spilt?

When push comes to shove, there's something so sweet about the imperfectly perfect villain team. But I always find it cooler when a superhero group only has one or two villain-group rivals (and if there are two, they need to have different motives). In my new campaign, the evil Crusaders might just fill that role.

So I voted for both. (One of the shortcomings I found in using some of the classic modules was that too many of the villain groups didn't have a strong enough reason to be together. But that's an aside.)

When it comes to uber-villains with minions, I like it best when there is some originality or at least a motif to the minions. One villain's minions should be different from another villain's minions. All henchmen aren't created equal.

I don't mind different combinations too. Ultimately, I think keeping a campaign and a comic book series alive rests on having foes with a purpose, a clear motivation, the powers/resources to back them up, and something creative about how it's all executed that we haven't seen before.

Imaginos wrote on May 10^th, 2010 at 11:43am:

And sometimes a legitimate superteam actually end up serving as the minions for a more powerful leader. Take the Destroyers and Dr. Apocalypse.

Here are follow-up questions for everyone:

When fighting waves of minions, you you prefer/mind that they all have the same stats, like the Capellan soldiers From the Deeps or Space who all have the same weight, SEAIC, Hits, Power, and Level?

Or do you prefer when the module provides a list of 8-40 similarly powerful minions--and each not-quite identical thug/ninja/soldier has individual stats and hit points?

Is it better to individualize every guy with a gun? Or is it better just to give one or two sets of general stats that can apply equally well to all the usually disposable group-think hirelings?

As a GM or a player, I'm fine with thugs/minions being generic.  I sometimes add some personality to them, but the randomness of the player rolls makes up for the static nature of their stats.

Yeah, I agree (especially when GMing) that they can all be the same.  The only time I might make 'goons' different is if they're a bit beyond the standard thug.  For example, when facing some vampires one time, our heroes ran into a squad of mercenaries (sort of familiars for the vamps).  Each was a fairly decent mercenary (probably 4th to 5th level), with solid stats; I probably rolled them all up on the skills table.  And I found some cool markers that made them really unique (cool and individual tattoos on their faces, distinct races and hair styles, etc.).  So in a case like that, where they're not just a generic soldier, guard, or thug (that are pretty much interchangeable), I might do individual stats.  But that's the exception that proves the rule, and mostly I do just what Mike said.  I will usually even have them only roll one initiative (and have them all move on that initiative); the only thing that I keep track of separate is HP and Power (and Armor).  I will often even tell the heroes what their chance to hit (and be hit) with these generic thugs (which I figure out ahead of time).  So they'll at least know the "base", so that the only thing that needs modification (usually) is facing.  So I might say "You have an 18 or less with your Power Blast to hit these thugs" or "a 16 or less will take these guys out, as they can only take one hit".  That moves combat along even faster, as I don't have to even consult my chart after that, as each player can remember what their chance to hit is, and anyone can quickly factor in if they are behind the target, above them, beneath them, to the side, etc. and add the simple +2  or +4.