Beginners Play Drax Wrong in Solo

"I want to take hits to draw cards but then I take damage and need to flip down to recover and then the Villain schemes and I flip back up with no counters and then I lose. Drax sucks in solo." - Beginner

Drax was my first love in Marvel Champions ever since I watched Josh play him on Get Up and Game and I have played more solo games with Drax than any other Hero - and mostly in Protection. So it makes me sad to see players relegate him to only multiplayer (probably due to losing to a scheme - especially after flipping down to AE). But there is something thematic about Drax trying to take down the Villain all by himself...

I think that Drax may be difficult for beginners in solo for two reasons.

The first is that they should look at Drax's response of drawing a card as compensation - not a prize. It makes up for his hand size of four. You win by attacking, not by getting hit.

The second reason some people might struggle in solo is that they think Drax doesn't ever want to flip down to AE or he will lose all of his Vengeance counters (making many cards in his kit weak and unusable). This creates the mental image of two phases of a Drax game:

1. Without Vengeance counters
2. With Vengeance counters

But in reality, each game has another phase. And everyone knows that it is DWI Theet Mastery because that is when you can start attacking and drawing cards. Before that you are just thwarting and defending. But this is where I think many people make a mistake. They incorrectly think that the phases would be:

1. Without Vengeance counters
2. With Vengeance counters
3. With Vengeance counters and DWI Theet Mastery

When in fact it should be:

1. Without DWI Theet Mastery
2. With DWI Theet Mastery
3. With DWI Theet Mastery and Vengeance counters

Importantly, this distinction makes it clear what we should be doing to advance our gameplan in the correct order as quickly as possible. To move to phase 2, we need DWI Theet. And we need to find it as fast as possible. Drax is more dependent on one card unlocking his play style that anyone else in the game except possibly Ant-Man. We do not therefore care as much about gaining or losing Vengeance counters yet. Just finding DWI Theet Mastery. So flipping down to get more cards is ok! Except...that...we can't thwart for crap and letting the Villain scheme leads to a lot of losses for big green.

But we could play the Professor on turn one, flipping up to let him block, then back down to AE next turn which lets us see more cards as we look for DTM. Or even stay down with Ready for a Fight as we essentially use it like a double Assess the Situation and then flip right up to defend. In fact, playing a RFAF on turn one and staying down is not a bad idea. And while you might have that feeling of "So, am I just going to waste my attack/thwart of 1?" Well the alternative is two more cards from staying in AE. One thwart...or two cards...

Option 1 is you play RFAF and stay down on the first turn. You draw no cards this turn (0). Next turn you draw six in AE (6). You saw 6 more cards total.

Same goes playing a Nick. Even the one that only draws you two cards. Option 2 is you could play old Nick and flip up on the first turn. You draw two cards this turn (2). Next turn you draw four in Hero (4). You saw 6 more cards total.

Of course, young Nick is the best option as he would would let you see 7 cards total. And those examples assume you didn't have any Taunts which each dig three deeper for DWI.

Words of advice after many games

• Daredevil and Grant Ward help tremendously with removing 10 threat total.
• If you allow the Villain to scheme when you go to AE, you will probably be so far behind that you cannot win.
• In most games that are wins, Professor X confused the Villain.
• "Come Get Me, Bub!" is almost always the right call if you have taken three damage and do not have a tough.
• Don't forget to draw a fourth card after you Taunt.
• Allies can block attacks from "Fight Me, Coward!".
• Play Jocasta whenever Parry is in the discard pile.

Honorary mentions

Leading Blow is a win more card and is fine for multiplayer but not if you want to play expert solo. It is a dead card if you get stunned, get exhausted, or had to defend. Useful in situations with many low HP minions. If you throw one in it will not break the deck.

Specialized Training. Confession...this is what I almost always play with instead of Superpower Training. It is less consistent but I just like that once I am built out, a single Intimidation will give me +1 Attack and an extra card each turn.

Nick Fury, Sr. for reasons mentioned above plus he can one-shot Specialized Training. Rocket Raccoon is totally worthy of inclusion as he usually has a minion to hit for 4 and thwarts for 2 if there is not a minion. Brother Voodoo has plenty of targets as well.

Unflappable works every time you use Parry. Solid if you add Defiance with a basic defense (which you should be doing a few times a game). Plus when Get Their Attention comes out, it can trigger Unflappable when you have a tough from "Come Get Me, Bub!". I think that Get Their Attention would be great against some Villains like Magneto with instant thwarting requirements of three. Other scenarios would prefer DD/Jocasta/Brother Voodoo thwarting for 2+2 better.

After all is said and done with DWI Theet happily on the table in front of you, the concern might be that you have a useless RFAF in the deck. Wrong! You are scheme proof! You have health to spare, toughs, Parrys, can always defend if you need to and now the scheming is no longer a problem? Heck, have the Professor throw a confuse on the Villain and just leave it there. Time to go stab your way to victory!