Impossible to predict, the future is. . .

Yeah, right. Destiny, guided by your steady hand and careful planning, can teach that little green muppet a thing or two about fate.

The Brotherhood is one of the best teams for an early rush deck, as it has lots of ways to make its early characters all big and beefy. Destiny, with a 0 ATK and 2 DEF, doesn’t seem like a great character for that sort of deck. Wouldn’t you prefer someone with some actual attack numbers for a deck that’s all about attacking? Yes, but her activated power can be a thorn in the side of any opponent who fails to stabilize his or her board position by the midgame, essentially putting your opponent’s life on a clock. A rush deck will normally have more early drop characters in play than the average deck, so there will always be someone around to make Destiny’s predictions come true.

Let’s break down her power and see where, when, and why it’s so good.

Choosing your target is the key to Destiny’s ability. A big part of that is being patient and using her ability after your opponent has completed his or her formation step. The ability has the requirement that the prediction must be made during the build phase, but you can do it anytime within the phase. (In the Marvel game, most abilities can be used at any time. Some are only usable during the combat phase.) Since the ability must be activated during the build phase, you will actually be trying to predict the future when you use it. Be sure to wait until the end of the build phase to activate her ability, so you can absorb as much information as possible before choosing your target.

Destiny’s ability is targeted and lasts for the whole turn. If you’re the forgetful type, feel free to write down the name of the character you’ve chosen so you remember which one you targeted. Or put a spent bullet casing on your opponent’s card for a slight intimidation factor.

The controller of the targeted character loses 4 endurance if Destiny’s prediction comes true. Being able to deal 4 is a lot for a character that doesn’t have any attack value herself. Most 1-drop characters can’t even dream of causing that much endurance loss a turn. Dealing 4 is certainly fair, though, as it does take a friend or teammate to make Destiny’s prediction come true. But when you’re in the zone and your predictions are coming true with alarming regularity, that 4 endurance a turn is a real pain. If the game goes at least six turns, and she stays on the board, your hapless opponent might lose as much as 20 endurance!

Normally, your best bet is to target a front row character with her ability. Since front row characters aren’t protected (there’s no one standing in the way shielding them), you know you’ll be able to get to them when you attack. However, things get much trickier when you don’t have the initiative. You’ve got to do some careful planning and really study your opponent’s formation before making your pick. Will you be able to protect a character well enough that it can get in an attack when it’s your chance to go on the offensive? Does your opponent have a character will definitely be attacking, despite any acts of Destiny? It’s unlikely that someone like Wolverine would sit out the combat just because he might get an owie, but can any of his potential targets take him down? Do you have a Nasty Surprise waiting in your resource row? If you do, congrats. That’s one of the best ways to make sure Destiny’s prediction comes true, even when you don’t have the initiative. Just be sure to wear your poker face when your opponent ponders a seemingly “safe” attack by the targeted character.

So sometimes even a character that doesn’t look like it fits into a particular strategy can have surprisingly good compatibility. Brotherhood characters are known for being very aggressive. Destiny could be called passive-aggressive, but it’s your opponent who’ll be seeking professional help when your predictions come true over and over and over . . .

Tomorrow, get ready for some real team tactics. What’s better than a well-trained team of superheroes? Tune in tomorrow to find out.