Welcome to Precon Progression, where we take Flesh and Blood‘s preconstructed deck lists and discuss upgrades to further bolster the decks.

This week we look at the lady who seeks neither fame nor glory, just the thrill of the Deathmatch Arena – and maybe some coin and booze to top off the rush of the battle. It’s the ever-lovable wrecking ball, Betsy.

What’s in the Betsy Blitz Precon Deck?

This Guardian hedges her bets on the Wager mechanic to pump up her attacks and give them Overpower. Thus, we should focus on this keyword to generate more Gold and Vigor tokens for a snowball effect.

Big Bop and Bigger than Big aren’t bad per se, but they block for two, which are major red flags for any Guardian deck. Even blue pitches, such as Pint of Strong and Stout and Stacked in Your Favor also suffer from the same drawbacks. We need to have efficient blocks, even on a lower budget.

Power Cards

There are some great inclusions in the precon, with hits such as Wage Gold and Wage Vigor, plus Money Where Ya Mouth Is, which all form the Wager core.

Over the Top red and blue, plus Concuss both complement Betsy’s own game plan. Meanwhile, Command Respect is honestly a sleeper common from Heavy Hitters, as it’s a low-rarity way to deal with the opponent’s arsenal.

However, the lynchpin to the deck is Good Time Chapeau, Betsy’s headpiece, as it allows her to convert Gold into additional Wager triggers, and thus, allows any attack action to gain Overpower via Betsy’s ability.

Initial Upgrades for Betsy

Despite its rarity, Bet Big is the core upgrade piece for Betsy, as it’s a huge attack that also Wagers at the same time. Together with her ability, we only need to pitch exactly two blues to pull off the whole stunt.

As we acknowledged the lack of defensive options in the precon, we should include Flesh and Blood favorites such as Fate Foreseen and Sink Below. Unmovable and Staunch Response red and blue likewise join the ranks to bolster our fort.

An interesting addition is Thump, which gains Dominate alongside Overpower, all while threatening a discard. Again, this can be triggered by utilizing Good Time Chapeau.

Buckling Blow red and blue, plus Debilitate red and blue round out the attack suite, all while providing three block and increasing the deck’s blue card density. Pummel is always fit for discussion whenever heavy-hitting cards are discussed. We would be remiss not to include even a copy.

The equipment suite needs an overhaul, but low-rarity substitutes exist. Anothos is our default mainhand, while Titan’s Fist and Steelbraid Buckler are our go-to mainhand and off-hand combo. Blossom of Spring, Goliath Gauntlet, and Ironrot Legs round out our loadout.

Nullrune Boots and Nullrune Robe are our old reliables for Arcane Barrier, while Arcane Lantern is amazing for any hero who can utilize an off-hand.

This is what the deck looks like after the initial upgrades:

Mid-Term Upgrades

Double Down should be one of the first purchases, as it enables Wager synergy.

Then, we should next focus on forming the disruptive core of the Guardian class. Buckle and Mangle go hand-in-hand, while Cranial Crush, Pulverize, and Spinal Crush are just efficient beatsticks which also hinder the opponent’s plans.

Tear Asunder and Zealous Belting are great pickups, and while the latter is cheap enough as a low-tier upgrade, we need high-powered attacks to fully utilize the tempo boost it provides.

Crater Fist and Earthlore Bounty are cheap equipment that may be purchased – these are just usually used to block, and nothing more. If not looking to splurge more, these are great stopping points.

Long-Term Upgrades

The Guardian core is pretty much concentrated on mid-budget cards, while the equipment serve as the final pieces of the puzzle.

Gauntlets of Iron Will and Tectonic Plating are the gold standard for the class, while Civic Steps, despite its rarity, is only obtainable from the sealed TCC x LSS Ultimate Pit Fight product.

Rampart of the Ram’s Head is a long-term consideration and is a definite investment should we wish to fully stick around with Guardians through thick and thin.

Our next instalment continues the Heavy Hitters coverage with Kayo, then wraps up with another look at Olympia.

Till next time, happy shuffling!

Further Reading:

Betsy – Fun or Competitive?

How to Build Betsy in Ultimate Pit Fight

What to Expect at a Flesh and Blood Skirmish