Today I visited a “street level” team-up deck featuring the Underworld and Marvel Knights teams. What vile incantations and rituals are going on in the shadowy back alleys? It’s all about the Voodoo, baby.

That Voodoo

3 Dagger, Child of Light

4 Orb, Drake Shannon

3 Iron Fist, Danny Rand

4 Werewolf by Night

4 Brother Voodoo

2 Elektra, Elektra Natchios

3 Blackout

4 Luke Cage, Street Enforcer

2 Daredevil, Matt Murdock

3 Zarathos

2 Blackheart

1 Varnae

3 Black Magic

3 Evil Awakens

3 Midnight Sons

3 Mist Form

3 Quick Kill

4 Strength of the Grave

3 Wake the Dead

4 Wild Ride

First of all, yes, it’s a 61-card deck. You just might need that extra card, as the goal of the deck is to fill your KO’d pile with juicy characters as soon as possible. Brother Voodoo is one of the best Underworld characters in the game . . . except that he’s a Marvel Knights character, so this team-up is a match made in, well, not heaven. This deck wants the even initiative, as you will soon see.

To get this team-up off to a quick start, what could be better than searching for the Marvel Knights team-up card Midnight Sons with Dagger? Heck, she can even return herself to your hand, so you can get in an early attack or two, and then dig for the team-up when you have the proper characters in play. Another way to draw into the cards you need is to sift through your deck. Orb can sit out (most of) the fighting in the hidden area and fill your KO’d pile, giving your unneeded character cards in hand a better purpose in the afterlife.

Iron Fist is a 2-drop, but he’s just so much better if you go off curve. Getting three free +1 ATK/+1 DEF counters is pretty good. You’ll want to go this route if you didn’t manage to get Brother Voodoo into play on turn 3. So, after recruiting Luke Cage on turn 4, recruit Voodoo and Iron Fist]on turn 5. If you don’t have Voodoo in hand on turn 2, Werewolf by Night is the better bet, especially if you have the initiative, because then you’ll control an Underworld character

Turn 3 is Voodoo time. If you weren’t lucky enough to draw him, take a Wild Ride for just three E-tickets and search him out! Don’t even think about attacking with him. Take the short-term loss for the long-term gain. Of course, if you managed the even initiative, you hopefully won’t get the chance, anyway. I mean, really. Sometimes I have to protect you people from yourselves. Speaking of protecting you, Elektra, Elektra Natchios doesn’t do so well skulking in the shadows, but she will do in a pinch if you fail to find Voodoo.

The 4-drop characters serve to help others in the deck. Blackout helps Voodoo. How? Because Voodoo will probably be the only visible character you control on turn 4, and if you don’t have the initiative, sometimes it’s worth it to protect him. Blackout can move out of the shadows to protect Voodoo. Luke Cage helps Iron Fist, should you play Fist on turn 5. Luke Cage can also help you keep some of your cards in hand. If you recruit Cage, you’ll also want to play Quick Kill that turn. You’ll lose a card to play it, but you’ll gain it right back with Cage’s power. This is probably the biggest reason you want the even initiative.

On turn 5, if Orb is still hanging out in your hidden area, reel him back in with the additional cost to play Zarathos. Or, play Daredevil if you can’t afford to lose a character. Both of the 5-drops in the deck are big, so this is the turn where you want to try to break serve on your opponent and set yourself up for a great turn 6. You should be able to Strength of the Grave for at least +4 DEF by now, and that should do the trick. You don’t want to empty your KO’d pile completely unless your opponent is playing with combat plot twists. You’ll likely be left with at least one character able to attack, even though you don’t have the initiative. This is the perfect time for a Mist Form attack, as you certainly don’t want to risk another stunned character.

On turn 6, Blackheart should also be able to attack risk-free. Before attacking with him, attack with a hidden character and use Evil Awakens for a quick combat bonus and an extra card in hand to discard for Blackheart’s power. The game will probably go to turn 7, as you haven’t been attacking with Voodoo (you haven’t been, have you?), so Varnae is the perfect defender. If turn 6 went according to plan, you should be able to get in an attack and bring the game to a speedy conclusion. Here’s your chance to perform the rest of your Black Magic rituals and keep your attacker alive and kicking.

Questions or comments may be sent to mhyra@metagame.com.