Card draw simulator
| Derived from |
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| None. Self-made deck here. |
| Inspiration for |
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| None yet |
AbisMal · 732
S.H.I.E.L.D. in the Sky Keeps on Turning
Due to the "Self" trio of resource cards (Self Confidence, Self Control, and Self Preservation, the 'Pool aspect has the potential to facilitate playing the 6-cost S.H.I.E.L.D. supports more readily than any other aspect. This deck leans into a heavy resource build, while building in a number of "insurance" cards that create a strong deck that minimizes potential losses.
Quick Aside: For another thoroughly playtested deck built around a similar idea but with an alternative take on it, see EpicBeowulf's Isn't broken enough? No... There's always more. This build proved itself against an impressive array of expert villains.
'Pool deck disclaimer: I no longer use the Dreadpool encounter set when I playtest 'Pool decks (see (2) at the bottom of this deck description if you wish to know why).
If you'd like to see a discussion of this deck, see the following video: Maria Hill Pool Deck Discussion | Plus a Bonus Build from EpicBeowulf
VILLAINS TESTED AGAINST to refine the deck (in both standard and expert): Klaw (with an expert house rule(1)); Black Widow; En Sabah Nur (Apocalypse); and Magneto.
Deck Refinements: This was the rare case for me of having no deck changes!
NOTABLE ELEMENTS OF PLAY:
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Mulligan with No Resource Sinks: Normally, I prefer to have resource sinks available if I include Mulligan, but I decided in this deck that I merely wanted to ensure I have no dead hands with so many resource cards included. If there's no danger of losing the game to scheming for the most part, one can also avoid the "dead hand" issue by going to alter-ego and using Maria Hill's alter-ego action. Not my Responsibility is in the deck to help facilitate that move.
- Potential Changes to Consider: I didn't play Mulligan a single time in 9 games. This is why I often don't put Mulligan in my solo decks, so one might consider switching them for other cards; however, I still valued their inclusion in this case because they felt like insurance for the deck in the same way that I sometimes include Lockjaw in my decks -- in the rare case when I do have a "dead" hand, they could potentially change everything. Others might want to choose differently, and I could honestly see Lockjaw being included in this deck, which I did consider in my initial build.
- Potential Changes to Consider: I didn't play Mulligan a single time in 9 games. This is why I often don't put Mulligan in my solo decks, so one might consider switching them for other cards; however, I still valued their inclusion in this case because they felt like insurance for the deck in the same way that I sometimes include Lockjaw in my decks -- in the rare case when I do have a "dead" hand, they could potentially change everything. Others might want to choose differently, and I could honestly see Lockjaw being included in this deck, which I did consider in my initial build.
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Pool Resource Cards: These cards, Self Confidence, Self Control, and Self Preservation, facilitated playing all of the S.H.I.E.L.D. supports, and were my main motivation for wanting to play the 'Pool aspect. The following cards were included in order to maximize their resource value by keeping Maria Hill's health at 9 and helping keep allies on the board indefinitely:
- Healing Factor
- 3 copies of Med Team
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Villain-Phase Loss-Prention Insurance:
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Stun & Confuse Cards:
- Primarily The Pericles
- Secondarily Professor X and Mockingbird
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All-Around Great Card for Maria Hill:
Conclusion:
S.H.I.E.L.D. in the Sky Keeps on Turning leverages the unique resource generation capabilities of the 'Pool aspect to consistently deploy powerful 6-cost S.H.I.E.L.D. supports. By prioritizing a robust resource engine and integrating strategic "insurance" cards, this deck is designed for resilience and sustained board presence. It aims to minimize the impact of adverse draws or unexpected villain schemes, ensuring that your S.H.I.E.L.D. operations remain unhindered and effective throughout the game. With this build, you'll find yourself consistently outmaneuvering threats and maintaining control, turning the tide of battle with a well-oiled S.H.I.E.L.D. machine.
(1) Note on expert house rule for Klaw: This modification assures that expert Klaw makes for a consistently challenging villain during playtesting. After discarding cards at the beginning of the game and putting into play the first minion that is discarded from the encounter deck, if that minion is NOT a Masters of Evil minion, I search the encounter deck for a Masters of Evil minion and replace the original discarded minion with it. I then shuffle that original minion back into the deck.
(2) Reasons I no longer use the Dreadpool encounter set when playtesting 'Pool decks: (a) It is highly random whether one draws Crisis of Infinite Deadpools, and some heroes I'm playtesting get a completely different "playtest" than others depending upon that luck over the course of typically 8 to 12 games, making it truly impossible to compare the efficacy of decks, especially in 2-deck comparisons; (b) I think the encounter set is completely unfair compared to the other aspects in an aspect that has no real advantages over other aspects -- just a few cards that are "upgraded" compared to some other cards, but the lack of selection more than makes up for this in the other aspects; (c) I have played 'Pool decks using the encounter set well over a hundred times and feel I have done so plenty of times.