MARTIAL ARTI-X-23

"Maybe we should go see the new Kung-Fu Badger tonight!?"

— X-23 and Honey Badger, training to become MARTIAL ARTISTs

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Overview:

• Play Style: Move in Shadow with many 0-1 cost cards.
• Fun: High (play SO MANY cards with Move in Shadow).
• Difficulty: High (order is very important).
• Power level: Strong (Medium for X-23).
• Recommended Player Count: 2 (see 1p and 3-4p versions at the end).
• Number of cards: 43 (including 4 PSS and draw power).

This deck won against multiple Expert villains, including Mister Sinister with overkill, and Sand-Man with steady+retaliate.

Concept:
X-23 has the lowest cost curve in the game. We add many more 0-to-1-cost cards in order maximize the efficiency of Move in Shadow!
This deck can remove a huge quantity of threat. To do this, Laura needs to train until she gets a Black Belt from the old Stick.

In this deck, we don't invest too many cards in Honey Badger. A Black Belt + Regenerative Longevity are enough to limit setup time while still readying often.

We protect our HPs by healing and recurring Blade. We thwart very well because of our MARTIAL ARTIST cards (Move in Shadow and Know Your Enemy). And we attack very well because we're still X-23.

• My personal best is 9 threat removed with just 1 Move in Shadow, while doing other things with the rest of my many cards.

Also, it's probably not her, but Black Belt artwork looks like X-23, so... :p

How to play this deck / combos:

1. Early game

• Mulligan for Stick or Build Support. One Way or Another, IPAC and Assess the Situation are also great to draw and find Stick.
• Play Black Belt asap. This will reduce the cost of your key cards (Move in Shadow + Know Your Enemy) and give you a 13th hp.
• Try to also play Chance Encounter whenever you can! It will allow you to find either Honey Badger or, and maybe more importantly to protect your health early game, Blade.
• Use Blade for indirect damage and big hits. Give a Black Belt to Honey so you have more time (+1hp) to use her between 2 Regenerative Longevity.
• Obviously, play Grim Resolve and Adamantium Lacing. But you can wait Superpower Training to put Pain Tolerance into play.

2. Gameplay + combos

• Once you're a MARTIAL ARTIST, keep track of your Move in Shadow. It's often worth it to play One Way or Another AND activate IPAC, PLUS any cards from previous Assess the Situation, to gather tons of cards first.
• Then, play 1 Move in Shadow before the rest.
• And finally just play the rest of your cards in the best order, removing threat every time while simply playing the game!
• Stick allows you to get +1THW / ATK / REC. But getting -1THW / ATK is also very useful with X-23 or Honey Badger because you ready a lot and often need that level of precision! Oh and yes, you read correctly, you can get +1 REC to reach 7 REC!
• Replay Blade with Chance Encounter every time you can, it's just incredible value (while playing 2 cards!).
• Contingency Planning is great to hold Puncture Wounds and Chance Encounters for a turn when Move in Shadow is active!
• Battlefield Benevolence is super good with X-23 as you can often deal damage early game. Especially useful in 1-2 players games.
• You can give 1 Skilled Investigator and 1 Black Belt to a teammate.
• Second Chance is a really nice fit for X-23. Just keep it for mid-late game.
• Specialized Training gets us either Combat Specialist (or Surveillance Specialist if we really want to...specialize :p )
• Contrary to most Game Time decks, we don't really care about our Self-Isolation obligation with this deck. Chance Encounter or a free Sisterhood helps. And you get the benefit of replaying a 0-cost Black Belt later.

Other cards to consider:

• If playing solo: Add +1-2 Battlefield Benevolence, and maybe +1-2 Turn the Tide. Remove -1 Skilled Investigator, and maybe -1 Know Your Enemy or -1 Chance Encounter depending if the villain attacks or schemes more.

• If playing in 3-4p: Consider adding more cheap side schemes like De-escalation, Lay the Trap, Going Undercover, Generation X, Show of Empathy or any other aspect PSS (as a group). Consider a third Skilled Investigator and Stealth Training. Maybe remove -1 Battlefield Benevolence, -1 One Way or Another (I'd still probably always keep 2) and -1 Chance Encounter (if someone can protect you).

• If you want the classic "Honey Badger kit": Add +2 Mission Training (or ask a TRAINING from your teammates), +3 Game Time, +1 Sidearm. You could remove -1 Battlefield Benevolence, -1 Second Chance, -1 Skilled Investigator, maybe -1 Chance Encounter.  

• Stealth Training is a bit too expensive for the deck in my experience but it can be super useful as we always snipe side schemes.

• Face the Past is more card draw for a 5-hp Lady Deathstrike+ 0-3 damage when you defeat her. Better in 2-4 players when your teammates can help, as our damage input can be a bit low early game.

• Justice Served. 1-cost, an additional ready.

• Grant Ward. 0-cost, thin your deck.

• Turn the Tide. 0-cost, more damage!

• Foiled!. 0-cost, can be played during the villain phase after you've played 1-2 Move in Shadow, preventing a boost card and thwarting as well.

Anyway, enjoy, have fun,
and don't forget to drop a like/fav, it's always appreciated :)