Hey there TTRPG Network! I'm a brand new user, so please forgive me if I post or format this a little incorrectly.

My need for advice comes from a friend of mine who is running a 3rd edition Mutants and Masterminds game. He's new to the system, but wanted to get away from D&D 5e to try something new and out-of-genre.

However, come session one, there was a combat encounter. He had followed some advice on how to run the encounter (I'm not exactly sure where from) and the fight was a curbstomp on the players side. Multiple PCs made use of Multiattack + Takedown, as well as high damage. They started out with about 150~ points, I think. Several mooks were taken out before the DM had a chance to make them a threat. His boss monster got taken out in about two rounds.

While I know throwing easy fights can be fun for players, I think the DM had plans for the encounter, and that there were missed opportunities.

As a fan of Sly Flourish, I've recommended using things like "monster dials". Although I have little idea how the system works, but I have plenty of experience with TTRPGs in general. I was wondering if any fans of M&M had advice for new GMs? Any advice, general or specific, would be appreciated.