Dev Download: Betsy

“I beg your pardon?”

The bookie quivered like a featherless chicken in the wind. A fist built like a sledgehammer thumped into the ornate table, denting the specially-picked out walnut finish.

“You must be new here,” Betsy growled, dumping a sack of gold on the terrified man’s lap. “I bet the house.”

“All of it…on… on yourself?” He stammered, counting each glittering piece with sweaty fingers. “You… you do realise who the opponent is, right?”

“Who…”

“Well, it’s the mighty-”

“...asked?” Betsy interrupted, bathing the now-weeping bookie in the shadow of her towering frame.

“Very… ahem… very well, ma’am.” He croaked hoarsely. “Good luck, may the best fighter win.”

She flashed the bookie a toothy grin, a sight that very nearly coaxed his soul out of his body.

“I plan to.”

Welcome to Dev Download, where we share red hot tips and tricks fresh from the game devs at Legend Story Studios so you can pick up a deck and play like a pro! Over the next three weeks we’ll be covering how to play each of the heroes in Heavy Hitters, focusing on Booster Draft and Classic Constructed!

This week, we are going all in with Betsy, Skin in the Game!

Booster Draft

Heavy Hitters has a very dynamic limited style, featuring both multiple heroes of the same class and hybrid cards that are shared amongst them.

Betsy is the Guardian who packs the biggest punch, throwing the full force of her strength behind giant wagers. Betsy’s goal is to use multiple cards to increase the power of a single wager attack, back it up with her hero ability to ensure she makes a dent, and ride the momentum into the next turn. Don’t be afraid to take a hit in order to swing back, but always be mindful of the risk that your opponent could counter your overpower with non-action cards.

Key signals that Betsy is open are red attack actions with wager, as well as red Guardian auras like Big Bop or Bigger Than Big. You will want to pick up as many of these wager attacks as possible in order to use Betsy’s hero ability enough times to close out a game. You only need 1-2 of the auras, as they can be risky to play out. Aim to play more of the auras against other Guardians, and less against Brutes and Warriors. Typically the safest time to play out an aura is on the first turn of the game, with an attack at the ready in your arsenal. Another safe window to drop an aura is when your opponent doesn’t have an Agility token, as it can be difficult for them to effectively make use of their whole hand. Snap up any copies of Lunging Press you see as well - these are great for pushing attacks over the line.

Other cards to look out for are attack actions that gain effects from power increases. They synergise well with your auras, hero ability, Might tokens, and any Lunging Presses you managed to snag. Make sure to also balance your high impact picks with a healthy amount of blues, as you’ll need 13-15 of them at minimum to reliably pay for your turns. Remember that Warriors can defend with attack reactions which can help them wriggle out of overpower, so it’s important to think about what extra late game options you can pack into your deck in order to seal the deal.

Classic Constructed

Betsy can’t wait to make a splash in Classic Constructed, and while some have compared her to the crowd-pleasing Showstopper, our beautiful big bopper brings a few different tricks to the table. Notably, her hero ability works on ANY attack that wagers, which includes non-Guardian attacks and weapon attacks. This opens up a lot of flexible possibilities for smashing the opponent to bits, and a great way to start is with trusty old Anothos, backed up with three copies of Money Where Your Mouth Is. For the low price of just two blues, you can swing that hammer for a clean 10 with overpower, raking in a precious Gold to boot!

Hey, big spender! You down for a good time? Out of all the new heroes, Betsy has some of the best ways to spend her earnings, namely with Good Time Chapeau! This hat allows you to turn any attack into a wager, unlocking her hero ability and stacking additional threats on top. The best part is you can use it multiple times in a turn, provided you have the cash to pay for it! If that wasn’t enough, it offers chunky defense too! Betsy’s play patterns revolve around generating value for the following turn, and using that momentum to snowball advantage. Once she gets going, it can be incredibly difficult for the opponent to keep up. Double Down is a fantastic card to support this value-based play pattern, and synergizes extremely well with her signature attack Bet Big! Combine these and you’ll soon be drowning in so much advantage that you’ll need to spend your Gold on a lifeboat!

Vigor tokens do a fantastic job at shaving that pesky extra resource off 4-cost cards, while Might tokens can threaten breakpoints and unlock effects such as Concuss and Command Respect. One card that synergizes ridiculously well with both tokens is Thump! Disruption is another key element to Betsy’s gameplan, and for this we’re ringing up our old friend Pummel! This longtime staple forces our wagers over the line while also just generally ruining the opponent’s day, and you’ll find it easier to play than ever with 1-2 Vigor floating between turns. Primed to Fight is also an exceptionally slick inclusion, as simply having a Vigor and a Might turns it into an 11-power attack off a single blue!

Lastly, let’s chat about some hot sideboard cards. You’ll find yourself bringing Command and Conquer into the arena often, as you simply cannot understate the insanity of giving it +1 and overpower, while threatening those precious arsenal cards, whether they be defense reactions or power plays. Spinal Crush is an old fan-favourite you’ll want to bring in against aggro decks, while Lay Down the Law allows you to take control decks to town and back again!

Betsy offers some of the biggest smackdowns Rathe has ever seen, and opens up monstrously creative plays that other Guardians could only dream of. Take some time to learn when it’s best to go all in and when it’s best to cut your losses and live to wager another day. Your opponents will quickly realise that if they enjoy having their bones intact, they’ll need to match your energy - go big or go home!