SP//dr Suit vs. Mysterio (Heroic Roulette)

Welcome to the Sp//dr entry of my Heroic Roulette game project where I tune decks for individual scenarios and try to win on Heroic difficulty. I also require that within an expansion pack (like Sinister Motives), I use each aspect at least once. Here are the first two rounds if you'd like to check them out:

1. Miles vs. Sandman (https://marvelcdb.com/decklist/view/21987/miles-vs-sandman-heroic-roulette-1.0)
2. Spider-Ham vs. Venom (https://marvelcdb.com/decklist/view/22061/spider-ham-vs-venom-heroic-roulette-2.0)

For most of the matchups, I had a good reason for picking the hero and aspect. This is the scenario that got what was left over, though Sp//dr still matches up with Mysterio in a few interesting ways. One is that with such a small hand size, you don't draw the encounter cards that get shuffled into your player deck as often as with other heroes (Relevant for Fearmonger as well). It is also an interesting matchup because of how slow both the hero and villain are. It takes a long time for Sp//dr to get her interfaces set up, but it takes a while for you to see the encounter cards that get put in your deck by Mysterio. So as the game goes on, you make stronger and stronger turns while drawing more and more encounter cards every round. Very fun if you don't mind all the shuffling that takes place.

The Big Picture:

• The best word I could use to describe this scenario is annoying. Shifting Apparition requires an increment of 1 damage. Déjà Vu might trigger from your deck 10 times in a game. Encounter cards will mess with your allies or require a flip to AE during your turn. Nothing individually devastating, but you sometimes get 4-5 encounter cards a turn in the late game and these small inconveniences add up.
• Mysterio is a villain that is very susceptible to stuns, toughs, and ally blocks. In any scenario where this is the case, it should be a part of our strategy.

Modular Set: Whispers of Paranoia

• It is the recommended set, is filled with Illusions, and most importantly has Mysterio art on the cards, so it is the obvious choice for this scenario.

Significant Encounter Cards:

• Shadow of the Past, Analysis Paralysis, Old Grudge. In addition to the standard Shadow card, Mysterio has an extra way of fetching your Nemesis minion and side scheme, and both of Sp//dr's are nasty. Morbius is a must-kill, but Sp//dr Suit+Web-Fluid Compressor+Host Spider can take it out without generating any resources. Sp//dr Suit + Psychic Link can take out Giant Monster Attack with only one resource spent. All of this to showcase the importance of getting those interfaces out ASAP.
• Shifting Apparition. It's not the end of the world if you have to overkill this, but once we hit a critical mass of 1-dmg effects in the deck, it becomes a complete whiff of an encounter card...even better.
• Induced Panic. Not a difficult card to answer, but if you draw it in hero form it will stop you from generating resources with your interfaces until you remove it.
• Humongous Hallucination. I mention this one to say that you are better off leaving it in play than turning it into two more encounter cards. With the amount of stunning and ally blocking available, 5-ATK Mysterio should never be able to hit you.

Card Selection:

• Plasma Pistol. My answer to Shifting Apparition. There are allies that can handle them too, but I like the consistency of the pistol. 1 damage increments are also relevant for Evil Doppelgänger since you can attack it for 4 with your identity and use the pistol to finish it off.
• R&D Facility. A sweet card for Sp//dr Suit with Host Spider out, and especially on a All Systems Go! turn. While a little expensive, you can expect to get the value back with 7-8 extra points of thwart/damage.
• Mockingbird + Rapid Response. A tale as old as time to make it impossible for the villain to ever hit you.

Game Review: 2nd real attempt, 5th if you count the times I restarted for breaking the rules (forgetting to deal myself boosted illusions, mistaking all the encounter cards with Mysterio art on them for each other, it was bad...)

• This was a long and grindy game due to the time needed to set up interfaces and the barrage of encounter cards from the villain deck and my deck. I think the most I ever had to resolve in one turn was 7: 4 that had been shuffled into a small deck, 1 from player deck reshuffle, and the normal 2 for heroic. Whenever Déjà Vu came through, I chose to take damage since I literally never let Mysterio attack me directly except for the very first villain phase. I got one Plasma Pistol out, but my turns ended up using Make the Call+Squirrel Girl a lot to deal with Apparitions. I still stand by their inclusion though. I ended up defeating Mysterio from 4 health on stage 1 with a R&D Facility use, All Systems Go! to ready, and a Web-Trap among other chip sources.

Thanks for reading, and next in the series is Ghost-Spider vs the Sinister Six!