The Ends Justify the Means

---

One man. Six Missions. And he'll do whatever it takes to get the job done.

Even if that means going up to 45 cards.

Pairing Cable, a hero who revolves entirely around side schemes, with Justice, is an obvious choice. But what might not be obvious is that Cable, while extremely fun, lacks consistency.

This deck changes that.

45 cards lets us dilute both Cable's situational cards and our side schemes so we can take more schemes than most decks while not drawing too many together. And the side schemes themselves let us grab specific cards that would otherwise now take longer to find due to the larger deck size.

And delaying our encounter card from emptying our deck for a turn or so? That really helps on a high-setup hero like Cable.

In other words, we minimize the risks to maximize the rewards. And while thwarting side schemes may seem troublesome, and 45 cards is unusual, the ends really do justify the means.

---

NOTE: Please see the below changes for 2-player and for steady/stalwart villains at either player count.

---

---

• Archetype: Side Schemes
• Difficulty: Above Average
• Play Style: Tempo/Control
• Recommended Player Count: 1-2

---

Changes for 2 Player:

-3 Clear the Area
-1 Turn the Tide
-1 Quake

+3 Making an Entrance
+1 Jessica Jones
+1 Overwatch

-1 Lock and Load IF your other player does not have a Weapon.

---

Changes against steady/stalwart enemies:

-1 Sonic Rifle
-1 Dazzler
-1 Mockingbird

+1 Plasma Pistol
+1 Spider-Man
+1 Deadpool

---

Mulligan Priorities:

• Graymalkin
• Skilled Investigator
• One threat removal card (an event, any ally or Heroic Intuition)
• Lock and Load
• Establish Perimeter

---

Quickstart Guide:

1. Graymalkin is your best card by a landslide. Try to find it on Turn 1, notably with Build Support. Plan your turns to maximize the amount of uses from it.

2. The value of your added side schemes change, but generally: Build Support>Call for Backup>Lock and Load>Establish Perimeter>Superpower Training.

3. The priority to play Technovirus Purge changes based on your hand of cards when you find it. Don't play it Turn 1 in 2-player and, in solo, I advise only playing it if it's the only side scheme you have in hand OR you can defeat it on that turn. Remember that only Cable can thwart it, not your allies.

4. In the early game, Lock and Load is often better used to grab Sonic Rifle. Two confuses often outweighs the value of Plasma Rifle in the first turns where Plasma Rifle deals less damage, and can give you some much-needed breathing room.

5. You can use Superpower Training instead of Lock and Load to get Plasma Rifle. Plasma Rifle is your best identity-specific upgrade, so don't hesitate.

6. Since Cable starts slow, it's important to get the most out of all our early resources. Almost always just let the villain's first attack hit you, and often the second - 12 hp makes this easy.

7. In solo play, the value of a boosted Plasma Rifle far outweighs boosting Cable's events. Giving Telekinetic Blast 4+ extra damage is fine, but you're still paying 4 effective resources for around 10 damage. Plasma Rifle lets you spend 1 effective resource for 4 damage. Telekinetic Blast ends games, but Plasma Rifle will get you to there.

8. Nick Fury and Dazzler are your priorities with Call for Backup, with Professor X a solid third option if you need a confuse and Dazzler is already in play.

9. Remember that, in order for Cable to ready, he has to be the one to remove the last threat from a side scheme and defeat it! This means his basic THW, events and upgrades and NOT allies or supports.

---

Strategy:

Early Game:

This is the most important part of Cable's game, much more so than most heroes; comparable to Ironheart. But where she wants progress counters, you want player side schemes.

In other words, to begin with, Cable is playing a mini-game where he wants to defeat as many player side schemes as possible while maintaining board control.

Another huge factor in Cable's kit, and has subsequently shaped this deck, is he has a lot of situational or delayed-impact cards. Forced Amnesia is good but often does nothing immediately. Askani'son is fine but really wants Technovirus Purge to be completed and a side scheme already out. Precognition is good but weak on Turn 1. Telekinetic Force Field is good but costly for its effect compared. Temporal Leap is interesting but also pricey.

The slow start and odd selection of cards are why we focus on reliable cards and high-tempo plays. And also why we exceed 45 cards (more info on that in the opening!).

In solo, with less demand on the main scheme, you can usually go greedy. For example, with Clear the Area, Lock and Load and Establish Perimeter in your opening hand, you can defeat three side schemes on Turn 1. While rare, this has happened to me and is just an example of how quickly you can blast through them.

Whether in solo or 2-player, it's not unusual to knock out two player side schemes in one turn. And with Graymalkin resetting each time you defeat one, it's often easy to still make valuable plays around doing so.

On the one hand, I do think it's good to stretch your early resources (your hit points and the main scheme's threat value) to power up, but try not to let too much build up against you. Against scenarios that start with multiple things in play against you, you will have to deal with them.

Either way, while very simple, Skilled Investigator is incredibly good for Cable and that's why even in solo play I include 2, dramatically increasing our chances of finding it early. Playing this Turn 1 gives you so much card draw throughout a game and also serves to block Caught Off-guard from annihilating your precious Graymalkin.

To cut a long story short, while player side schemes might seem like a hefty tax with how precious threat removal can be in Marvel Champions, the ends really do justify the means. Great effects, Skilled Investigator card draw, Graymalkin readying and readying Cable? That's huge profit every time before you even factor in how they power up your events and your Plasma Rifle.

Which Side Scheme to Begin With?

This is a complicated question and doesn't strictly have any wrong answers. However, Graymalkin is your single most powerful card and should be your priority, which means Build Support is generally your best grab with your Setup ability. But this will vary depending on how much threat removal you find in your opening hand or if you simply find Graymalkin.

In solo play, anything will let you defeat Build Support alongside your basic THW. In 2-player, it's often wise to arrange for the other player to go first so they can soften it up for you to then defeat and ready from - bonus if they then get a Helicarrier from it which they can then use on you.

If you find Graymalkin in your opening hand, you can often just play it and choose a player side scheme that's easier to defeat, though in 2-player getting both yourself and another player a Helicarrier on Turn 1 alongside Graymalkin is still absurdly good.

Call for Backup is another good choice for your first side scheme. This generally offers the most short term value, though that will vary based on your hand. If you can defeat multiple player side schemes on Turn 1, Graymalkin's value rises. But if you have lots of good cards in your opening hand, using Call for Backup to get Nick Fury's card draw could be better.

In solo, and in 2-player if your other player has a good weapon, Lock and Load rises in priority and, on the rare times I don't start with any extra threat removal beyond my basic 2 THW in solo, this will be my choice over Establish Perimeter - you already have 12 hp to lean on after all!

Both Plasma Rifle and Sonic Rifle are great choices from Lock and Load. Sonic Rifle is a great early choice that gives you a ton of tempo - Superpower Training can always grab Plasma Rifle later. But if you can clear two side schemes on Turn 1, Plasma Rifle is hard to turn away. Especially if Graymalkin is around.

The value of weapons also rise if you start with minions in play or are in a minion-heavy scenario. Note that while Plasma Rifle is poor value if you're spending 1 resource for 1 damage, at even 2 damage it starts to become extremely useful and I advise using Graymalkin to pay for it on most turns, usually as the last thing you'll do on your turn.

While Technovirus Purge is powerful, I've found most success in relegating it to a mid or even late-game play. If you see your obligation go past, it goes up in priority. It can also be useful to simply let your obligation put it into play. But committing 5 threat removal to defeating it only for it to come back is a considerable setback and it's generally already a slow tempo play on the turn you play/clear it.

One of my favourite methods for dealing with Technovirus Purge is to grab it with Professor on any turn where I start alter-ego with Mind Scan or Clear the Area/Making an Entrance when I already have Heroic Intuition in play.

And don't forget that, in order for Cable to ready, he has to be the one to defeat the side scheme. This can be a basic THW, event, or upgrade - but not an ally or support card.

Doing Justice Things:

In addition to your player side schemes and powering up from them, you have powerful tools at your disposal from your aspect and basic cards.

Heroic Intuition is a great way to knock out schemes in one go (solo) or help significantly in 2-player. It's one of the reasons Technovirus Purge isn't so necessary, and when combined they're a force to be reckoned with.

The card draw from Clear the Area is very valuable and you'll be using Turn the Tide a lot to deal with minions or take chunks out of the villain.

While Followed is a good card for the deck, the deck aims to defeat any side schemes immediately, making Turn the Tide (1 effective resource for 3 damage) generally far superior to 2 effective resources for 4. Turn the Tide can also trigger from the main scheme which just adds to its flexibility.

In solo, the confuses are great to go alter-ego and dodge a villain activation while reaping the benefits. Against steady/stalwart enemies, it becomes more important to block damage and make sure you heal when you use Bodyslide.

In 2-player the healing from Making an Entrance means that, in combination with Bodyslide, you should rarely end your turn in alter-ego. This means your other player is free to go alter-ego much more. (The reason we switch to Making an Entrance in multiplayer coincides with why we bring another Overwatch - we can duplicate more threat removal this way!)

One Way or Another is good, and there are some scenarios where it's great to bring more, but also - between player side schemes and the main scheme - you generally have plenty of threat to deal with already. More side schemes are good, but by the time you get through your own ones you should basically be closing out the game. In other words, One Way or Another is very powerful but adds an element of risk that, combined with Cable's risks, means it should be used in moderation in this deck.

Chance Encounter is another good card you could include here and was also originally in the deck. Unfortunately, despite many plays, I was basically never using it. Cable already has a lot of valuable places to spend his resources - in the early game, it's on side schemes and upgrades. In the late game, it's on his boosted events.

Also note how good Turn the Tide is for defeating your nemesis minion, as is Plasma Rifle. In combination, Stryfe should be easy enough to dispatch. However, in the early game, Stryfe is a menace who can be very difficult to deal with. Shadow of the Past on Turn 1 means that Cable is in a whole heap of trouble.

While I could go into specifics on allies, in general the 1 THW allies are amazing in solo play to help you take down 3 threat-per-player side schemes easily from Turn 1. And, in 2-player, still great to help you take down the 2-threat-per-player side schemes in combination with Heroic Intuition or Technovirus Purge.

The 2 THW allies are great to control the main scheme in solo or help with player side schemes in a pinch, but really come into their own in 2-player to help with them. And those with 2 ATK help with early minion control and pushing the villain toward defeat.

Allies are versatile, consistent, and strong from Turn 1 - when Cable might lack those qualities to begin with. Use them relentlessly and apologize to no one.

The End Game:

Player side schemes can seem to compete with clearing the board and defeating the villain, but thanks to Graymalkin and Cable readying after defeating one (note Cable's only works once per turn, but Graymalkin can keep readying), you can usually gain huge value from them while powering up and pushing ahead.

With Plasma Rifle, it's just a matter of time until the villain is ready to be flipped to their final stage. In solo play, it's also fairly easy to get at least one and sometimes even two basic ATKs off per turn against the villain.

In either case, once the villain is on the ropes, it's time for Telekinetic Blast. If the villain becomes notably more difficult on the final stage, perhaps dropping a bunch of encounter cards on you, you may wish to wait and find Telekinetic Blast before knocking them into their final stage to try and immediately take them out.

And then you win.

By the time a game ends, I usually have 4-6 side schemes in the victory display, including using Forced Amnesia but not including any side schemes from the scenario which put themselves in the victory display.

Summary:

• Prioritize a taking down a few player side schemes early - but don't abandon the board state. Stay mindful.

• Graymalkin is extremely good. Find it, use, profit!

• Use anything you can to control threat, but make sure to give Cable the last hit on the first side scheme.

• Use Turn the Tide, Plasma Rifle and any spare uses of your basic ATK to control minions.

• Leverage your hit points. Consider taking the first couple of attacks without defending, with you or allies. But otherwise lean on blocking with allies or Bodyslide to REC for 4.

• Blast the villain with Plasma Rifle and your powered-up Telekinetic Blasts to win.

At the end of the day, a soldier's work is never done. There's always another battle. Always another side scheme. But hopefully, with this deck, you'll emerge from the fray triumphant.

Alternative Cards:

Generally, there are a ton of cards that work well with Cable. The trick is to find space them alongside player side schemes and all his own situational upgrades. Would I love another Overwatch? Yes. But not if I draw it alongside a bunch of niche cards and now I can't make any direct impact on the board state.

While I mention Jessica Jones for 2-player, she is also invaluable in solo play for most campaigns including NeXt Evolution and Mutant Genesis.

Take Out the Guards is the only missing side scheme. While player side schemes are good, and going up to 45 cards lets us be greedy with them, I find this card to be more trouble than its worth.

If there are no minions out, there's no direct benefit from defeating it. You can leave it out while you wait for one or two, but that's taking up your limit of 1 player side scheme being out. It also comes in with more threat than the other side schemes released with NeXt Evolution. It's just awkward.

But in the future, new player side schemes could definitely find a home here.

I've already touched on Chance Encounter, Followed and One Way or Another above, but adding them/more of them is still a very valid choice and may work better depending on your play style.

A card I do like here is Multitasking, but at the end of the day the need for a mental resource was the deciding factor in us taking Clear the Area instead. While we have plenty of mental resources, we might not find one or we may wish to play the one we do find. This decks wants to be consistent and Clear the Area won out in that regard.

Weapon X is another card I like here, and cutting it (for Helicarrier) was painful. It could easily be swapped back with good results or instead swapped with Deft Focus.

---

Credit to Deadwolf for a discussion on Discord about exceeding 40 cards with Cable. I now swear by it. And thanks to anyone who's read this far!

Good luck, soldier!

---