Counter-cat!

Shadowcat is a very strong defensive hero thanks to her Mass form. To get the most out of her kit, you want to be able to manipulate her forms efficiently and that makes her a fun hero to play! Generally try to always end Hero phase in Phased form. The easiest way to do this is to plan your attacks and flip to Phased after the last attack you play (note that flipping to Solid is forced but flipping to Phased is not).

Another important mechanic to know is playing a defense event lets you "get aggro" (be the attack target) when the enemy is attacking another player. This lets you defend for another player even after you're exhausted.

Combos

1. Basic defense (P>S) > Counter-Punch (S>P): defend against 1 attack and puts you back to Phased. Useful to continue defending or setup Airwalk/Phase Strike.
2. Defiance/Jump Flip (P>S) > Counter-Punch (S>P): same as #1 if you're the 1st attack target while letting you be ready to use basic defense/thwart/attack.
3. #1 > Quick Shift/Preemptive Strike (P>S): defend against 2nd attack.
4. #1 > Defiance/Jump Flip (P>S): defend against 2nd attack if you're the attack target.
5. #1 > Ready to Rumble: gives versatility in the follow-up since you can defend against 2nd attack or basic thwart while Phased for Intangible Interference.
6. Basic defense (P>S) > Powerful Punch (S>P>S): defend against 2 attacks. Since Powerful Punch is both an attack and defense, playing it while Solid will flip you to Phased (b/c you attacked) and get aggro (b/c you also defended). While defending, the flip back to Solid is delayed until after the attack is over.
7. Basic defense (P>S) > Quick Shift (S>P>S): defend against 2 attacks. Quick Shift will flip you back to Phased (card effect) and get aggro (b/c you also defended). Then you'd flip back to Solid after the attack is over.
8. Quick Shift (P>S) > Counter-Punch (S>P) > basic defense (P>S): draw 2 cards while defending against 2 attacks.

Card Choices

• Counter-Punch: lets you flip back to Phased after defending.
• Preemptive Strike: lets you defend any player without using a basic defense but has a risk of not being playable if there's 0 boost icon revealed.
• Defiance: lets you defend when you're getting attacked without using a basic defense.
• Jump Flip: like Defiance and also lets you trigger Intangible Interference as you'll be Phased when it resolves.
• Powerful Punch: lets you change form and defend with just one card. You want to play this when you're Solid and since this is the case, you can use Solid to pay for its cost.
• Jocasta: 4 thwart and gets back your Powerful Punch/Quick Shift.
• Ready to Rumble: flipping between Solid/Phased meets the requirement to trigger this so this lets you ready up to use another basic defense or save it for a basic thwart/attack. This is better than Indomitable because it's usable in the hero phase.
• Plan B: with the way the turn structure works, there's a good chance you'll have a card or two laying around before the hero phase ends and this lets you convert that to more damage before you re-draw.
• Deft Focus: most of your hero specific cards are Superpowers (except Lockheed, Kitty's Room, and Phased and Confused).

Cards not included

• Hard to Ignore: with the timing of things, this will never get to ignore crisis and trigger Intangible Interference unless you take damage (ending with Phased after the attack ends). It's also only limited to the main scheme.
• Not Today!/Expert Defense/Never Back Down/Desperate Defense: defense events that only works after you're defending isn't very efficient since ideally you want to play defense events after you're exhausted. Never Back Down/Desperate Defense allows for an extra ready but isn't as efficient as Ready to Rumble since you can't just leave it in play.
• Side Step: similar function to Jump Flip but removing 2 threat is often more valuable than doing 1 damage.
• Warning: was errata'd to no longer be a defense.
• X-Gene: the cards this can affect compared to Deft Focus doesn't overcome the fact that you'd have to be in alter-ego to play it making this awkward to play if you draw it after turn 1.