I had my deck. I had my training. And now IT. IS. ON.
My final deck decision was my spirit-animal deck, S.H.I.E.L.D. Ultimates. It is a surprisingly resilient engine that feels like Curve Sentinels meets MKKO meets purist toolbox. I elected to tie the MUL set in with MUN to grant hidden hate access via Blade on turn 3, and allow the Thor master-burn win condition via Lady Deathstrike as a non-combat alternative win condition.
MUN also, of course houses a potent pump in the guise of Trouble with Dinos, allowing some beefy pump utility if needed. Full discosure though, it's weak to agressive rushes. and with an RFP theme it can't consistently manage the Messiah Complex interactions necessary to sustain through early heavy damage. So clearly, it isn't without it's issues.
To remedy this, I took on an MKKO philosophy and tuned it to take advantage of a full set of Clint Bartons, adding in a few License to kill, and further splashed in Death. (in an ultimates list triskelion can recur it for multiple uses in a game) So I had consistent and ready access to getting characters off the table, hopefully this allows me to live the dream.
With not much access to defensive options, I elected to run Now I'm Fighting Dirty, since Triskelion is already asking me to discard my hand, it made sense to make it a bit of a theme while hopefully bricking a swing or two.
Round 1 gets posted and I play Jonathan Brami. Now historically, I know this list is likely going to be a high tiered variant. perhaps TNB reservist or AntiGL.
He's got Hulk.
Eh can't say I didn't expect it.
GAME 1: He wins intiative and takes evens, (standard hulk move)
He opens the generic early game, wiffing 1 while i land my wasp.
On 2 he hits Miek, and i play Clint Barton hidden for more early solid damage.
On 3 he wiffs entirely, while I recruits Nick Fury Visible. again i send it all to his face for solid endurance loss.
on 4 though his solo gamma hulk swings over my front row Hank Pym into my Nick fury thanks to archangels giving flight with a Hulk Smash for 19 ATK. then i get righteous firy'd and hulk swings into my 4 for a mutual stun. the stunned hulk stuns my hidden 1 and 2 leaving my entire board stunned. not good. The score is suddenly close for us. I keep hank.
On 5 i recruit iron man protected by hank.
he KOs his 4 for the 5 and stuns Hank. iron man's effect shows a hand full of hulks and i realize I am not sure i can get over it so i pass paranoid of hulks defensive bullying on team swings. Hulk swings uncontested over Ironman. I lose hank.
On 6 he swings for the fences with his 18/18 monstrosity over my Captain America 6. and either by accident or by design leaves me at 1. (I know he had several power ups and i also had several ultimates to toss. Fun fact. this entire game has wiffed my triskelions and only given me 2 plot twists.
turn 7. triskelion finally comes to play, but i only have 13 cards in my rfp. I recruit Thor. He passes recruit. I activate thor and he flips up a LEGACY MAV card for X-statix that prevents burn entirely.
oh snap!. I sub in lady deathstrike over iron man and we go into combat. I declare Thor into Hulk. Once legal, using triskelion to nab a trouble with dinos to get the stun. Then cap swings in direct twice thanks to lady for game.
GAME 2 he takes evens again.
turn 1, once again i land wasp, however i also open an early trisk, so i dont feel bad running wasp hot early on. he wiffs.
Turn 2, he wiffs MIEK! and drops his 1 drop Elloe. I play Clint. I swing over it, he RFP's her
Turn 3, he recruits archangel. Things are looking up! I toss out Blade hidden and let archangel go direct. Cling stuns teh angel and the rest go wide.
Turn 4, Gamma Hulk for him, hank pym for me, Hank actually hits his effect and goes to 8/8! This is huge as hulk now has to power up if he's going to see a righteous anger. He does so. I power up hank. His hand is a bit low now but with a solo visible defender he drops a hulk smash and an archangel and powers up again. I pop a rowed now i'm fighting dirty unboosted to keep it even. its a mutual stun.
WHEW! My hidden death squad goes wide.
Turn 5 He boosts his 5, stuns my 4, iron man with a trouble with dinos gets the job done and wasp gets a license to kill hulk. the rest go wide.
Turn 6, he drops his 6 no boost. I play cap behind Hank. Hulk hits iron man for an easy stun. Cap swing on hulk with trouble with dinos for the mutual, the rest end the game.
Round 1: I win 2-0!
Some bad beats but an illuminating take on hulk wiffing Exello 2 games in a row. it's an entirely different deck, really.
Next Game is vs Nick with his Publicly listed Skrull deck! Should be a good one! Stay tuned!
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