🚨Rules mistake: when a minion appears as a result of the Space Stone they will attack you during the “minions attack step” of the villain phase. I missed that when Proxima came out. Thankfully I still should’ve been able to play the rest of the game the same way even with the mistake Thanks to Cindar and Journeyman for catching that!
Hi Josh. Thanks for sharing this Gwen game. On another GS game I mentioned how you value George and Bracelet more than me, and in this game I think I see why. George’s card storage and Bracelet’s card draw help smooth out the awkwardness of GS’s hands, which you mention. Another important way to build consistency that I didn’t see in either game is ramping up your resources. It seemed you only had one copy of Unflappable, and no copies of Team-Building Exercise, Helicarrier, The Power In All of Us, or Power of Protection. The very low econ growth potential in these decks snowballs. You have multiple turns in the mid-game where 1 more resource makes a much better turn. If you end up playing her much more, that might be an avenue to explore. All the best!
Thanks again for your Ghost Spider insights! For this deck in particular, being perfect defense, since it has such a low cost curve I don’t tend to run as many resource generators. As you say, with the bracelets and George I lean on them to help me get ahead. There aren’t enough targets for the power of cards in this deck which is why I chose not to run any. I usually like having at least 7 cards that a Power of can pay for, and there are only a handful of basic and green cards that cost more than 2 That all being said, a Helicarrier probably wouldn’t go amiss in this deck. Clearly I think she needs a little more money and that’s a nice all purpose way to get some. I usually don’t like adding expensive cards to her, but I also don’t necessarily play her that well so maybe I should rethink that policy 😂 Thanks again! I really do appreciate it! She’s a character I want to like more so tips like these are invaluable 🙏😊
Just played your Ghost Spider matchup a couple weeks ago! I’ve been doing 3 games of each perfect match (only have 5 matchups left!) and this one was quite memorable to me. 3 tight victories (first was standard), but 1 was quite close with playing protection and getting all of my Ghost Kicks Snapped 😂. Eeked out a victory with retaliates, allies, and actually using “Ticket to Ride” once to have a second turn, which I very rarely do.
Ticket To Ride 😂😂😂 That’s so cool you’re playing them that much! Sounds like you’re getting to the really tough ones 😅. That last Hood game is brutal lol Ouch having the Ghost Kicks removed must’ve turned that game into a real slog 😆 This is my favorite way to play Thanos. I don’t play him often, but this way is super fun to me because I like not feeling bad about the Stalwart, and it’s fun to actually block those big attacks instead of just chump blocking I really wish there were more reasons to play Ticket to the table. I’m the same as you, I rarely bother because she just doesn’t need it. Plus she needs the extra economy imo. But it’s probably the coolest effect in the whole game lol. I think I’ve only ever done it twice, but it was so cool both times
Yeah the Hood ones are going to be tough. I’ve saved 2 of them for some of the last; I think wolverine will be fun, but I’m not sure I’m the best Adam Warlock player. Even the 1st with Starlord gave me trouble, because, well - Starlord. They were all quick games! I think I either went 2-3 or 3-2 in that matchup haha. It was very much a slog once my Ghost kicks were snapped. And I believe it was actually my first time suffering through the snap. In fact I’m not sure I’ve played Ghost Spider since haha. I am much with you on Ghost Spider. I think I like the idea of her more than my actual experiences? So I try to talk myself up when playing her. I think she has a very high ceiling and when she is working it is a blast, but also she has a low floor, and the feel bad moments (particularly her obligation) are not my favorite. It seems often if I go alter ego either George gets stolen, I draw all hero responses, etc. Or at least it feels that way. She just is a little clunky, unreliable, and needs to stay in hero form for best effect typically. I think I prefer more consistency.
@@CoryLovec14 as always, you said it better than I ever could! You’re description of Ghost Spider mirrors my own feelings, experiences. When it’s going well and you have George it’s some of the most fun the game offers. But those games seem rare. She’s always praised so highly by other people so I always feel like I’m the only one that doesn’t get her to work right. But I know there’s a few of us out there 😂
I still really like Ghost-Spider. She clicked with me more than I thought she would when this box came out. And, even with some awkward hands, the game seemed to go pretty well for you. I think she might also be one of the heroes who could benefit from Taunt, coming in Angel’s pack. It will let her use her best stat and burn an “awkward” card from her hand to gain 3 new options and net 1 effective resource. But, those 3 new options could be a Ghost Kick or a Phantom Flip when you really need one. It also accelerates her deck to draw those better cards more often, which is why I think the Web-Warriors kit works pretty well with her. Case in point, your turn with Otto and Silk leaving play really smoothed out that hand into a great turn. Maybe Nick Fury would even be good in her deck, just for the option of flipping a hand around.
That’s very true, I always seem to win with Gwen even while complaining about my draws 😆 That’s a fantastic idea with Taunt. I think you’re absolutely right! Since she’ll likely be ready to defend again during the hero phase it’ll be easy to defend and trigger cool things. Plus if she does have a hand full of villain phase cards she could just play one then during the attack. The web warriors can handle the board so you’re not missing out on much giving up her basic activation I think I’ll definitely be trying this!
I’ve been meaning to ask: have you done an ranking video on signature allies/persona supports? Would create some interesting discussions since they’re all kind of apples and oranges!
Great question! I’ve toyed with the idea before, and even filmed something once but I didn’t like how it turned out. I’ve got it on a list so I’m sure I’ll get back to it eventually! And you’re right, they’re SO apples and oranges which is why I need to come up with a different approach than the way I tried it the first time lol. I’ve got a good idea for it, just need to get to it 😊
Nice! I really need to start playing her. I've been playing the Wolverine vs. The Hood perfect match, won in standard several times, won a few lucky in Expert and lost to horrible minions here and there 😅
Great game. I’ve played several of your best matchups and had a bunch of fun so far. When Proxima entered into play by the Space Stone, wouldn’t she have immediately activated against you since you were still in the phase were minions can attack you? I know she activated due to the treachery card but I thought it was like when Klaw’s Weapons Runner attacks you when they are a boost card and get put into play.
Thanks! Oh I’m so glad to hear you’ve enjoyed some of the matchups! Yeah she should’ve attacked me when she came out with the Space Stone. I totally forgot that’s how that works lol. Good catch and thanks for pointing it out!
Great game. I haven't played Thanos or Infinity Gauntlet - cool to see that you are mostly dealing with 1 stone at a time as they rotate. It would be crazy facing more than one most of the time. It does seem like Gwen relies on strong setup but George Stacey, web of life and destiny, web-bracelet, and ticket to the multiverse are all great for drawing / storing cards. Add in some assess the situation and now you're REALLY talking, LOL! Her abilities are more dependent than I'm comfortable with at first glance. Perfect defense build also seems really dependent on having you defense cards in hand. Would you consider replacing one of those cards with something like defensive stance? It costs 2 instead of 1, but then it's out there for when you need it. Maybe hard knocks, so you have Tough instead of needing a def card in hand? Are there any other builds you like with Gwen, or is protection just too good?
Yeah Thanos is pretty hit and miss with me. I don’t play him often since I’m such a big fan of stun and confuse and Stalwart is lame lol. But with a hero like Gwen who doesn’t rely on those it’s fine. And the Infinity Gauntlet is very cool, but can be really punishing depending on which stones come out early. If you get the Reality Stone first it can really slow down your early game build, and if the Time Stone hits 3 or 4 different card types that’s basically a free Advance the villain gets that round. And I played it wrong in this game, but when the Space Stone spits out a minion, they still activate against you that round, so it’s basically Quickstrike. And if they already have Quickstrike they attack twice! Lol As you say, thankfully there’s usually only one stone every other round Gwen is such a hit and miss hero with me. I think most people would say she’s fine without all the setup since her hero ability triggers off so many of her cards. And her events are so powerful. But for me, without the Bracelets and George, yeah she can still win, but I don’t find her to be nearly as much fun to play. She’s near the top of a lot of people’s favorites list but she always lands in the middle for me because I get such a mix of good and bad games with her. Assess is a great call for her, I really wish I had thought of that lol. Because of her awkward cost curve Assess the Situation makes for a great include! You’re right that a perfect defense build without its events can be in trouble. I play it a lot and it’s usually a little more consistent than what I got in this game. Once it gets set up it’s so so strong. I’ve never used Defensive stance in a deck like this, because usually the events you’re using like Desperate Defense, Never Back Down, and Not Today come with some really nice additional benefits. I guess that makes up for their unreliability lol I do like that card though, and have used it in different styles of protection decks, particularly ones that draw a lot of extra cards on their turn like Scarlet Witch. It’s not particularly helpful to keep drawing into defense events, but if I draw a Defensive stance I can actually play it during my hero turn and it’ll be useful. Hard Knocks is definitely a good card to bring with certain heroes. I didn’t think to grab it here just because I try to keep Gwen’s cost curve as low as possible She’s best in protection for sure just because it gives you the most opportunities to take advantage of her hero power in the villain phase, as well as make the best use of her high DEF. But she definitely plays well in Aggression with Skilled Strike, and Leadership with Teamwork and Last Stand. Her Justice build currently is nothing special, but when Upside the Head comes out with Psylocke that’s gonna change!
@GetUpandGame fantastic points! I love and hate list building. It's so hard to cut down to 40 cards! I think your list was great, BTW. Nothing wrong at all. * Segway * Do you know if there are more multi-player coop events like Con of Heroes and Con of the Rings?
Haha it was a weird game. Really felt like I kept drawing bad hands, but we found our way through. I hope something there might help with your Thanos games!
@@psovitzky yeah that can definitely happen with Thanos. My thinking is Gwen should be able to get her Defense high enough to handle it but as we saw here that doesn’t always work out lol
🚨Rules mistake: when a minion appears as a result of the Space Stone they will attack you during the “minions attack step” of the villain phase. I missed that when Proxima came out. Thankfully I still should’ve been able to play the rest of the game the same way even with the mistake
Thanks to Cindar and Journeyman for catching that!
Hi Josh. Thanks for sharing this Gwen game.
On another GS game I mentioned how you value George and Bracelet more than me, and in this game I think I see why.
George’s card storage and Bracelet’s card draw help smooth out the awkwardness of GS’s hands, which you mention.
Another important way to build consistency that I didn’t see in either game is ramping up your resources.
It seemed you only had one copy of Unflappable, and no copies of Team-Building Exercise, Helicarrier, The Power In All of Us, or Power of Protection.
The very low econ growth potential in these decks snowballs. You have multiple turns in the mid-game where 1 more resource makes a much better turn.
If you end up playing her much more, that might be an avenue to explore. All the best!
Thanks again for your Ghost Spider insights!
For this deck in particular, being perfect defense, since it has such a low cost curve I don’t tend to run as many resource generators. As you say, with the bracelets and George I lean on them to help me get ahead.
There aren’t enough targets for the power of cards in this deck which is why I chose not to run any. I usually like having at least 7 cards that a Power of can pay for, and there are only a handful of basic and green cards that cost more than 2
That all being said, a Helicarrier probably wouldn’t go amiss in this deck. Clearly I think she needs a little more money and that’s a nice all purpose way to get some. I usually don’t like adding expensive cards to her, but I also don’t necessarily play her that well so maybe I should rethink that policy 😂
Thanks again! I really do appreciate it! She’s a character I want to like more so tips like these are invaluable 🙏😊
Just played your Ghost Spider matchup a couple weeks ago!
I’ve been doing 3 games of each perfect match (only have 5 matchups left!) and this one was quite memorable to me. 3 tight victories (first was standard), but 1 was quite close with playing protection and getting all of my Ghost Kicks Snapped 😂.
Eeked out a victory with retaliates, allies, and actually using “Ticket to Ride” once to have a second turn, which I very rarely do.
Ticket To Ride 😂😂😂
That’s so cool you’re playing them that much! Sounds like you’re getting to the really tough ones 😅. That last Hood game is brutal lol
Ouch having the Ghost Kicks removed must’ve turned that game into a real slog 😆
This is my favorite way to play Thanos. I don’t play him often, but this way is super fun to me because I like not feeling bad about the Stalwart, and it’s fun to actually block those big attacks instead of just chump blocking
I really wish there were more reasons to play Ticket to the table. I’m the same as you, I rarely bother because she just doesn’t need it. Plus she needs the extra economy imo. But it’s probably the coolest effect in the whole game lol. I think I’ve only ever done it twice, but it was so cool both times
Yeah the Hood ones are going to be tough. I’ve saved 2 of them for some of the last; I think wolverine will be fun, but I’m not sure I’m the best Adam Warlock player. Even the 1st with Starlord gave me trouble, because, well - Starlord. They were all quick games! I think I either went 2-3 or 3-2 in that matchup haha.
It was very much a slog once my Ghost kicks were snapped. And I believe it was actually my first time suffering through the snap.
In fact I’m not sure I’ve played Ghost Spider since haha.
I am much with you on Ghost Spider. I think I like the idea of her more than my actual experiences? So I try to talk myself up when playing her. I think she has a very high ceiling and when she is working it is a blast, but also she has a low floor, and the feel bad moments (particularly her obligation) are not my favorite.
It seems often if I go alter ego either George gets stolen, I draw all hero responses, etc. Or at least it feels that way.
She just is a little clunky, unreliable, and needs to stay in hero form for best effect typically. I think I prefer more consistency.
@@CoryLovec14 as always, you said it better than I ever could! You’re description of Ghost Spider mirrors my own feelings, experiences. When it’s going well and you have George it’s some of the most fun the game offers. But those games seem rare. She’s always praised so highly by other people so I always feel like I’m the only one that doesn’t get her to work right. But I know there’s a few of us out there 😂
Watching this half an hour before I go watch Across the Spider-Verse is PERFECT 😊
Haha nice! I REALLY want to see that as soon as possible!
I still really like Ghost-Spider. She clicked with me more than I thought she would when this box came out. And, even with some awkward hands, the game seemed to go pretty well for you.
I think she might also be one of the heroes who could benefit from Taunt, coming in Angel’s pack. It will let her use her best stat and burn an “awkward” card from her hand to gain 3 new options and net 1 effective resource. But, those 3 new options could be a Ghost Kick or a Phantom Flip when you really need one. It also accelerates her deck to draw those better cards more often, which is why I think the Web-Warriors kit works pretty well with her. Case in point, your turn with Otto and Silk leaving play really smoothed out that hand into a great turn. Maybe Nick Fury would even be good in her deck, just for the option of flipping a hand around.
That’s very true, I always seem to win with Gwen even while complaining about my draws 😆
That’s a fantastic idea with Taunt. I think you’re absolutely right! Since she’ll likely be ready to defend again during the hero phase it’ll be easy to defend and trigger cool things. Plus if she does have a hand full of villain phase cards she could just play one then during the attack. The web warriors can handle the board so you’re not missing out on much giving up her basic activation
I think I’ll definitely be trying this!
I’ve been meaning to ask: have you done an ranking video on signature allies/persona supports? Would create some interesting discussions since they’re all kind of apples and oranges!
Great question! I’ve toyed with the idea before, and even filmed something once but I didn’t like how it turned out. I’ve got it on a list so I’m sure I’ll get back to it eventually!
And you’re right, they’re SO apples and oranges which is why I need to come up with a different approach than the way I tried it the first time lol. I’ve got a good idea for it, just need to get to it 😊
Nice!
I really need to start playing her.
I've been playing the Wolverine vs. The Hood perfect match, won in standard several times, won a few lucky in Expert and lost to horrible minions here and there 😅
She can be a ton of fun!
Oh awesome! Glad to hear it was successful for you! The last Hood match is completely bonkers lol
Great win and great game. I think you missed his +1 ATK from the gauntlet a few times but its lovely to its possible to beat Thanos
Thanks Ragnot! Ah dang it did I? Sigh, always something lol
@@GetUpandGame Dont worry about it
I’m sad that this is the first time I’ve seen energy barrier demolish retaliate. But I am happy to watch that play out. So satisfying!
Honestly I wasn’t even thinking of it til it came up and I was like “oh this is going to be very nice” 😂
Of course I would pick an early morning video to queue up during a spin on my bike.
Haha I hope you could still hear it!
Barely but I could follow along. And it inspired me to play same matchup and it was very enjoyable. GS is great in Protection.
@@dhdoc_h8839 nice! She really really is. Bet you’re excited for Upside the Head though!
Nice game!
Thanks! 😀
Great game. I’ve played several of your best matchups and had a bunch of fun so far. When Proxima entered into play by the Space Stone, wouldn’t she have immediately activated against you since you were still in the phase were minions can attack you? I know she activated due to the treachery card but I thought it was like when Klaw’s Weapons Runner attacks you when they are a boost card and get put into play.
Thanks! Oh I’m so glad to hear you’ve enjoyed some of the matchups!
Yeah she should’ve attacked me when she came out with the Space Stone. I totally forgot that’s how that works lol. Good catch and thanks for pointing it out!
Great game. I haven't played Thanos or Infinity Gauntlet - cool to see that you are mostly dealing with 1 stone at a time as they rotate. It would be crazy facing more than one most of the time. It does seem like Gwen relies on strong setup but George Stacey, web of life and destiny, web-bracelet, and ticket to the multiverse are all great for drawing / storing cards. Add in some assess the situation and now you're REALLY talking, LOL! Her abilities are more dependent than I'm comfortable with at first glance.
Perfect defense build also seems really dependent on having you defense cards in hand. Would you consider replacing one of those cards with something like defensive stance? It costs 2 instead of 1, but then it's out there for when you need it. Maybe hard knocks, so you have Tough instead of needing a def card in hand? Are there any other builds you like with Gwen, or is protection just too good?
Yeah Thanos is pretty hit and miss with me. I don’t play him often since I’m such a big fan of stun and confuse and Stalwart is lame lol. But with a hero like Gwen who doesn’t rely on those it’s fine. And the Infinity Gauntlet is very cool, but can be really punishing depending on which stones come out early. If you get the Reality Stone first it can really slow down your early game build, and if the Time Stone hits 3 or 4 different card types that’s basically a free Advance the villain gets that round. And I played it wrong in this game, but when the Space Stone spits out a minion, they still activate against you that round, so it’s basically Quickstrike. And if they already have Quickstrike they attack twice! Lol
As you say, thankfully there’s usually only one stone every other round
Gwen is such a hit and miss hero with me. I think most people would say she’s fine without all the setup since her hero ability triggers off so many of her cards. And her events are so powerful. But for me, without the Bracelets and George, yeah she can still win, but I don’t find her to be nearly as much fun to play. She’s near the top of a lot of people’s favorites list but she always lands in the middle for me because I get such a mix of good and bad games with her. Assess is a great call for her, I really wish I had thought of that lol. Because of her awkward cost curve Assess the Situation makes for a great include!
You’re right that a perfect defense build without its events can be in trouble. I play it a lot and it’s usually a little more consistent than what I got in this game. Once it gets set up it’s so so strong.
I’ve never used Defensive stance in a deck like this, because usually the events you’re using like Desperate Defense, Never Back Down, and Not Today come with some really nice additional benefits. I guess that makes up for their unreliability lol
I do like that card though, and have used it in different styles of protection decks, particularly ones that draw a lot of extra cards on their turn like Scarlet Witch. It’s not particularly helpful to keep drawing into defense events, but if I draw a Defensive stance I can actually play it during my hero turn and it’ll be useful.
Hard Knocks is definitely a good card to bring with certain heroes. I didn’t think to grab it here just because I try to keep Gwen’s cost curve as low as possible
She’s best in protection for sure just because it gives you the most opportunities to take advantage of her hero power in the villain phase, as well as make the best use of her high DEF. But she definitely plays well in Aggression with Skilled Strike, and Leadership with Teamwork and Last Stand. Her Justice build currently is nothing special, but when Upside the Head comes out with Psylocke that’s gonna change!
@GetUpandGame fantastic points! I love and hate list building. It's so hard to cut down to 40 cards! I think your list was great, BTW. Nothing wrong at all.
* Segway *
Do you know if there are more multi-player coop events like Con of Heroes and Con of the Rings?
@@njh113 hmmm, I think there’s an Arkham one as well, but as far as co-op specific goes, none that I know of beyond the regular big conventions
Wow!!!
Haha it was a weird game. Really felt like I kept drawing bad hands, but we found our way through. I hope something there might help with your Thanos games!
@@GetUpandGame I need to try this again. I kept getting such bad draws and he kept getting immense boosts. It was rough.
@@psovitzky yeah that can definitely happen with Thanos. My thinking is Gwen should be able to get her Defense high enough to handle it but as we saw here that doesn’t always work out lol
Ghost spider is a character I want to like but she just doesn't click with me.
I totally get it. I go back and forth with her constantly. Sometimes I have an awesome game and sometimes I struggle to do what I want 🤷♂️
Interesting because Gwen died years ago.
Haha that’s true. The Spider-verse/multiverse makes anything possible lol
So which multiverse Josh is this? 🤣
Sleepy-Josh of the 5am-Verse 😆