Rope-a-dope

Note: This deck was formerly known as Drax the Dauntless on my previous account.

Drax has been my go to protection deck since I first starting playing the game. Though some of the cards in his deck may have changed, the ethos behind it has not. You may tell everyone you're playing Protection, but there's plenty of red paint under the recent coat of green. You're protecting your team only because it makes you a better killer.

Deck Briefing

This deck has five cards to get Vengeance counters on your turn, three cards that let you take a hit for someone else without having to turn sideways, four cards to give you Tough Statuses, seven cards that let you draw more cards, and eight cards that let you ready up. Drax is one tough cookie and he has a lot of ways to dish the damage back out. Mantis, Med Team, What Doesn't Kill Me, Render Medical Aid, and The Night Nurse are Drax's support team, he is gonna eventually take damage and these lovely people are gonna keep him standing through any amount of punishment. Also keeping him on his feet are Anticipated Attack and Establish Perimeter to dole out those tough statuses he loves so much. Desperate Defense, Hard to Ignore and Unflappable are there to take advantage on his high defense and/or tough statuses to either ready him back up after a defense, mitigate threat, or help him draw more cards. Unflappable, Taunt, Gamora, and DWI Theet Mastery all keep cards flowing into your hand.

First Turns

Mulligan Priorities:

1. Something to get punched during your first turn: "Fight Me, Coward!" / Taunt
2. DWI Theet Mastery
3. Establish Perimeter / Render Medical Aid / Specialized Training
4. Drax's Knife / Drax's Other Knife
5. Mantis / Med Team

I'll always advocate for an aggressive mulligan. If I don't have atleast one kit card in my hand, I'll throw it all away unless something in that hand tells me it can help me get going. You really want to get all three Vengeance counters by turn two if you can so we are gonna search really hard for cards that will let you do that. Getting "Fight Me, Coward!" or Taunt are great openers, especially if you have something to help you mitigate that damage on turn one. DWI Theet Mastery will help you get more cards in your hand to mitigate his low hand limit in hero mode. Putting one of your side schemes down so you can activate Anticipated Attack is also wise since it's such a good card. Otherwise get out something to boost his turn to turn capabilities or a healing card. First two turns you're just doing damage where you can and blocking as much as you can for your allies.

Northstar is great at keeping you healthy from all the hits you’re going to take. I would recommend saving their uses for when you’re not defending or when you’re trying to use Desperate Defense and they happen to swing a little harder than you expected. If you don’t have any other important kit cards to get out, they are a priority to get out of your hand. The Med Teams are there mostly to keep Mantis alive, but can be used to heal you in an emergency.

Mid Game

Once you have your Vengeance counters, it's time to show all those red players what "Tons of Damage" actually means. You have 5 Attack once you get going so you'll always be able to ready up after using Leading Blow. Knife Leap can do some crazy damage and if you happen to have multiple of these in your hand and can combo off, you're going to make every Aggression player jealous. What Doesn't Kill Me can also ready you back up and keep you swinging at the villain.

Closing Things Out

Keep the damage coming and it shouldn't take long to drop any villain if you're working with an Aggression player worth their cardboard. Block as much damage for the other players as you can to keep them fulfilling their jobs. I think the goal for this deck is the opposite of the great Playing Poker with Natasha, instead of defeating the villain and never becoming a hero, your goal with this is to go hero on turn one and never drop to Alter Ego. Just keep swinging, just keep blocking, and just keep putting Toughs on Drax, and things should go fine.

Adjusting the Deck

I have Specialized Training in this deck because if it’s on the field and you draw Intimidation it can clear it on its own if you’re set up, but it is more of a “win more card”. I think there is room in this deck for C.I.T.T. because of the readying, but it’s really only useful to help finish the game so you can take it or leave it based on your preference. I really like Anticipated Attack, but if you don’t want to have to wait to be ablw to use this card you can leave it out. If you’re a 40 card cultist, drop Specialized Training and Anticipated Attack.

• • • Munkey