Another card, please (Ronan defeated)

My story with Gambit is complicated.

This deck is how we made peace.

The defeat

In the beginning, I stuck to his pre-con deck, naturally. Alongside Gambit, I acquired Mojo, eager to dive into the game. As a dedicated player on Expert mode, victory over Magog and Spiral on the first attempt boosted my confidence. Encouraged, I ventured into deckbuilding, thinking I knew the game inside out with almost 700 matches under my belt. Little did I know...

Mojo hit me like a truck.

Was it bad luck? Perhaps (losing simply because drawing Masterplan sucks, and it felt like it was happening every time). Regardless, after enduring seven consecutive defeats, all traces of my cockiness vanished. I kept reassuring myself with a feeble "Next time it will work," but I could no longer believe my own words.

As I gazed at Mojo, his fat face seemed too daunting. Should I retreat to standard play? Suddenly, I felt like a small kid again.

So, I surrendered. I gave up, opting instead for other diversions. Different matches, alternative games. I knew it was just a temporary step back. So I searched the whole marvelcdb website looking for an answer.

It was not the one I expected.

The disappointing victories

I chose to play this deck https://marvelcdb.com/decklist/view/26329/the-ace-of-spades-1.0, incorporating a powerful combo involving Warrior Skill Aggressive Energy. Although I was missing One by One and Utopia, the deck's strength proved sufficient to conquer the formidable Mojo. To be honest, the game-changer wasn't the deck itself, the strategy, or the modulars. It was the realization that I had been playing Mojo incorrectly all along.

Yeah, I was discarding 4-5 cards from the top of the encounter deck even when I was in AE, resulting in a ton of threats. Once I corrected that, I defeated Mojo numerous times with various heroes, achieving a much-improved win rate.

Speaking of win rate, Gambit found himself in a dire situation. To improve his performance data, I pitted him against a plethora of foes, starting with the most manageable. The Offensive Gambit proved effective, enabling victories over the likes of Venom, Sabretooth, Magneto, and many others.

Despite the wins, a lingering sense of inadequacy persisted. Was One by One truly the game-changer? I was missing also Utopia, Honorary X-Men, Forge and Angel. While victories stacked up, an undercurrent of dissatisfaction persisted. Restricted to playing a solitary card per turn due to resource scarcity, each win felt more like a fortunate accident than a strategic triumph. Then, revelation struck.

The absent element was not just a card; it was the heartbeat of it all... the sheer joy of the game

Redemption

With crucial cards absent from every promising deck on MarvelCDB, I steeled myself and embarked on crafting this deck. The primary concept was deceptively simple: unleash the power of 3x X-Men Instruction and 3x Mutant Education to orchestrate a seamless deck cycle, courtesy of X-Mansion. Thus, Another card, please was born.

To my surprise, the deck not only proved robust but, most importantly, it was FUN. Unlike the offensive Gambit, where dealing 'only' 9 damage felt lackluster compared to potential 12 or 15, this deck made 9 damage feel powerful. Its consistency and threat management instilled a sense of strength.

Thus far, the deck has triumphed over formidable foes, including Red Skull, Stryfe, Thanos, Collector, and Ultron on Expert. It also secured victories against Venom Goblin, Loki and Ronan on standard.

Gambit has proven his strength, and I harbor no resentment towards him anymore.

The deck

Given the primary concept revolves around X-Mansion, prioritizing it during the mulligan phase is crucial. However, don't be alarmed if it takes a few turns to secure it. Build Support becomes instrumental in deploying either X-Mansion or Helicarrier to facilitate the deck's functionality.

The resourceful trio of Helicarrier, X-Gene, and Avengers Mansion supplies ample resources. Coupled with contributions from Deft Focus and Sense of Justice this forms a robust foundation for the deck.

Skilled Investigator at zero cost not only boosts card draw but also streamlines our deck by thinning it.

Another essential card to prioritize is Gambit's Guild Armor. Be sure to play it promptly once you locate it.

Consider replacing Jessica Jones and Quasar with alternative allies, preferably X-Men if available.

Opting to include 3x Breaking and Entering strategically enhances your deck, as it's a versatile card playable during the alter ego phase, similar to Creole Charmer. Together with your alter ego power, these cards help maintain control while you accumulate resource generator cards. Additionally, don't overlook the potential to confuse the villain using Creole Charmer, Professor X, and Dazzler.

Exploit these dynamics and you'll win. I had a great time, and I hope you will have an absolute blast too!