"Think Fast!"

"Think Fast!"

Worth noting : taking 1 damage isn't a cost so you can do it even if you have a Tough status ! I just recently realized that :p

Also, that is a very good card !
If you have a Crew Quarters or good healing in general you can basically pay for this every turn in solo or multiplayer :)

captainfire · 33

Nerves of Steel

Nerves of Steel

Since the last review, there are a bunch of good defenses like Side Step, Jump Flip, and Powerful Punch that this pays for and the Flow Like Water deck that incentivizes playing lots of Defense events. I don't think you can play this outside that deck because you need a lot of Defenses to justify this card, and playing a lot of Defenses gives you diminishing returns without that combo. You can also play lots of Defenses in a multiplayer game where it's possible to defend twice or more in one round for other players.

Stretch22 · 348

Side Step

Side Step

Side Step is a nice part of the Flow Like Water + Defensive Energy deck. If you aren't in a defense synergy deck, blocking with allies, stunning, or using tough cards is generally a better way to prevent damage. There are a bunch of 1-cost defenses, but unlike Never Back Down or Desperate Defense, you don't need to defend with your hero's basic power. If you are trying to trigger things like Hard to Ignore or Unflappable, you might want a few extra ways to prevent damage like Energy Barrier, because villains will often attack for more than 3 damage. Jump Flip is another close comparison that I prefer because Protection is light on threat removal, but in the Flow Like Water deck you can definitely play both.

Stretch22 · 348

Warlock

Warlock

Warlock is truly an awful card. The base stats are among the worst in the game for 3-cost allies. The heal ability is actually ok on rate - 1 resource becomes 2 thw/atk as you choose. But it is SO SLOW. A Sidearm can speed things up a bit, but in the aspect with Med Team and Defensive Training, Warlock is far from the best way to do a Voltron strategy. X-Factor is a useless trait. I sympathize with the designers because a self-healing ally does have potential to be broken. If the cost were 2 or especially if one of the stats were 2, Warlock would become very strong, so there is not much to play with in the numbers. As it is, Warlock is just too weak to justify playing.

Stretch22 · 348
In a genius-deck-matters, a sidearm and a Warlock sound like a better two card package than Med Team and ally X. — DirgeOf1937 · 1
Med Team plus a 3 cost 2 ATK 3 HP ally costs 8 resources, and includes 6 points of healing. Sidearm + Warlock would be 6 resources + 1 per 2 heal, so by the time you get to 6 healing that's 9 resources. By the time Sidearm + Warlock pulls ahead on rate, that's like 9 or 10 turns...very long time and less flexible — Stretch22 · 348
Your assertion seems to be that the only cards worth consideration are the ones that can generate the most output for the least amount of input in the shortest time frame. In Marvel Champions, the optimal strategy is a rush strategy for defeating any level of difficulty. I will agree that minimizing input while maximizing output in as few turns as possible feeds that rush strategy. Although there are certain protection builds for specific heroes that can be rush, protection builds for most heroes will likely be non-rush. A genius focused protection deck will definitely be non-rush. If you measure the quality of a card by how much it feeds the rush strategy, then most cards are truly awful, including Warlock and many heroes, and there are optimal heroes with optimal aspects with optimal cards that are worth your time. My assertion is that in a genius heavy, protection deck employing a non-rush strategy, Warlock and Sidearm is a better two card package than Med Team and Ally X. — DirgeOf1937 · 1
If by rush strategy you mean having the most damage and thwarting at your disposal to answer minions and side schemes from the encounter deck before they make you lose, then yes that is how I evaluate cards. — Stretch22 · 348
That's not at all what rush strategy means. — DirgeOf1937 · 1
Forgive my mild sarcasm. The first sentence in your second comment is exactly correct, but you mis-attributed that to an argument for a rush strategy rather than simply staying alive. You need damage and thwart to answer side schemes and minions no matter your deck strategy, and I think Warlock is too slow for accomplishing that — Stretch22 · 348

Speed

Speed

Speed is a pretty fair ally with a high floor but low ceiling. With 3 thwarts of 2 and a block, you get exactly the value you expect for a 5-ER ally. The response lets you front-load with 2 thwarts right away, which could target different schemes, and you can clear his ally slot sooner to make way for a new ally if you're full. I've also liked Speed with Earth's Mightiest Heroes since it gives you another use of Speed's readiness on the turn where you only thwart with him once. Not a staple of Justice I would say, but a totally fine card to use.

Stretch22 · 348