(Betsy, Skin in the Game | Art by Simon Dominic Brewer)

Welcome back to CnC! Through this series, we’ll break down just what each hero brings to the table, from abilities, to playable cards and equipment, and interactions with other heroes. Looking at Blitz, CC, and UPF, we’ll see which heroes are winners, playable, fun, or need more support. And today we’re looking at Betsy.

It’s been a while since we talked about female Guardians in Flesh and Blood. The only one we’ve had till recently was Valda Brightaxe, a young hero popular in UPF. Then Heavy Hitters came and we got a new strong lady – Betsy. Unlike the other Heavy Hitters heroes, she deals big hits and wagers big bets. She already won when Yuuma Hamazato piloted her at Road to Nationals at Card Shop Llanowar, but does she have what it takes to win over the Deathmatch Arena and our hearts? Let’s take a look.

What Does Betsy Do?

Young Betsy has four intellect and 20 life, while adult Betsy has 40 life. She’s a Guardian hero, which means she can play generic and Guardian cards. As mentioned before, Betsy loves to wager. Her effect says that whenever an attack you control wagers, you can give it +1 attack and overpower if you pay two resources.

Weapons and Equipment for Betsy

A Guardian’s favorite weapon is his or her hammer, and Betsy’s no different. However, she’ll want hammers that take only one slot, such as High Riser or Miller’s Grindstone. She can either play both hammers or keep the second slot weapon free for a shield. You have quite a few shields to choose from, depending on how you want to play your matchups.

Betsy’s specialization is the equipment Good Time Chapeau. Here’s where all that Gold collecting will come in handy. You’ll want Gauntlets of Iron Will as your hand slot, as they’ll negate some other heroes’ abilities. Other pricier cards include Tectonic Plating (a Guardian staple) and, of course, Crown of Providence, which can work in basically any matchup. Your other equipment will basically be standard Guardian supplies: Earthlore Bounty, Crater Fist, and your choice of Civic Steps or Stand Ground. There are quite a few generic pieces of equipment that can work with her, such as the always popular Goliath Gauntlet. Just like with weapons, it’s up to you to choose which cards will be most useful depending on your matchup. Keep in mind that Betsy plays a fast, heavy hitting game, so be sure you keep your stash of equipment that will boost your attacks or set up your turns with tokens. Just don’t forget to add either an Arcane Lantern or your choice of Nullrune equipment to be safe from arcane damage that might just one-shot you.

Core Cards for Betsy

Good Time Chapeau isn’t the only specialization Betsy got. Bet Big is a fitting attack action for her, even more so because of its effect. Not only do you wager the Gold Betsy loves so much, you also wager a Might and Vigor token. Speaking of wager, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that you want as many attack actions as you can get your hands on. Even better than that are attack actions with wager, such as Wage Might or Wage Vigor. Don’t forget about the other awesome Guardian cards at your disposal. A good old Spinal Crush or Cranial Crush will go a long way, no matter what color they are. If it has a big number next to the attack icon – Betsy loves it. Generic attack actions are also welcome, especially if they aren’t just vanilla damage cards. Pull out your Command and Conquer cards as well as Zealous Belting.

With all those attack actions, you’ll also want some actions, as well as reactions, that pump them. Many cards have specific effects if their attack is greater than their base, such as Thump or Command Respect. To set up your turn nicely, you’ll need things like Pummel or even Money Where Ya Mouth Is to give those cards a little extra skin in the game. On another note, Guardian auras aren’t a bad idea – more on those a bit later.

Lastly, defense reactions and instants that give you health, like Sigil of Solace, won’t be needed in Betsy. However, if you really need them, nothing beats a good Sink Below or Fate Foreseen, which will not only block, but also help you set up for your next wager.

Let’s take a look at the formats she can be played in and see if he’s playable, fun, a winner, or needs more support.

Blitz

Hit fast and hit hard. Betsy doesn’t want to take her time in the arena and you shouldn’t either. Make sure you have a lot of blue cards so you can pay for whatever is in your hand while at the same time dishing out that sweet sweet damage. Overpower and dominate effects will work wonders here. The fewer cards your opponent can use to block, the more damage they’ll end up taking. Pitch with reds if you must and wager often. You’re a force to be reckoned with and best show it from the start. You still only have 20 life, so your first hand really doesn’t matter that much – feel free to discard it entirely to block the most damage. That will probably be the only time you block with your full hand.

Classic Constructed

The longer a game lasts, the more you have to pick your cards right. You’ll want an equal amount of blues and reds here because you’ll be wagering quite a bit. Depending on the amount of cards you pitch, you’ll likely circle back to your starting hand at one point. Buffing your attacks and waiting for the right time to smash down is key, and here’s where the auras I mentioned before come into play.

Imagine going at your enemy for 14 damage or even more and you wager that attack. Sure, they might let you have the damage the first time if they really want to keep their hand and hope to level the life difference. But as soon as they see you setting up with your Might, Vigor, and Gold tokens, they won’t be so eager to take that damage anymore. That also gives you the window of opportunity to take a full hand of damage from your enemy, maybe blocking some of it with your equipment. You can take a hit, after all, and then hit back harder in your next turn.

Ultimate Pit Fight

Big hits, no matter how long it takes you to set up for them, are key here. Other players might try to bully you, but worst case scenario, throw a hammer at them. Don’t share the love around; taking down your opponents one by one is the way Betsy goes. We didn’t talk about a few cards that you’ll like to have in your deck, but you can read a bit more about Ultimate Pit Fight Betsy in this article. One card I will mention is Warmongers Diplomacy. This card does nothing against you. Choose whichever you want; the peaceful option will let you put down your auras just in time for them to crash next turn, while hitting hard will focus you on those costly big damage cards.

Overall Score: Fun to Play

Betsy is a killing machine and, true, she did win a RtN as mentioned before. But if she loses wagers against deck that also pack a lot of powerful punches, she loses her main purpose. The big thorn in her eye currently are Brutes. They’re still pretty powerful and have some of the same cards as we do, with many Heavy Hitters cards being split Guardian/Brute. She crushes her opponents most of the time, and if you’re a Guardian fan, this lovely lady will surely become your next favorite hero.

Further Reading:

Heavy Hitters Blitz Deck Review – Betsy and Victor

Flesh and Blood’s Living Legend System, and the Power of Storytelling

Improve Your Flesh and Blood Gameplay

Valera

Valera tried Magic in highschool then forgot about it. Some years later, she fell in love with broken FaB heroes (like Data Doll MKII) and tribal commander MTG decks. A shapeshifter, collector, traveller, writer... Who needs free time?