Alter-Ego

Unlike many other X-MEN heroes, Shadowcat does not have many reasons to change form to her alter-ego. If I change her form to her alter-ego it is usually because something went wrong and she needs to recover.

The only card in her deck that supports alter-ego is Kitty's Room. If I changed Shadowcat form to her alter-ego then I usually need to use Kitty's Room for some extra healing, even though I prefer to draw a card if I can.

Resources

Shadowcat starts the game with a resource generator for attack or defense events in her Solid upgrade. Her deck also has a resource generator for defense events in her Nerves of Steel upgrade. Deft Focus reduces the resource cost of SUPERPOWER cards. These are 3 resources that can be used every round.

The two Defensive Energy cards give Shadowcat a resource that she will want to use for defense events.

Allies

Shadowcat does not need allies, but some allies can certainly improve her deck. Since I am only playing multiplayer and we all use the same limited pool of cards, I lost my wanted allies to the player with the Colossus deck. This is what I was left with.

Colossus is an ally that I usually remove from this deck because someone else around the table play Colossus hero and I hate that this deck has more than 40 cards.

Lockheed is usually the only ally I use in this deck. He is cheap and flexible ally that can help Shadowcat with dealing damage or removing threat.

Phased and Confused

The Phased and Confused cards are usually used to protect the other players around the table. This card prevents an enemy from attacking, but Shadowcat wants to be attacked and take no damage. Also, the confuse status is mostly to protect other heroes in alter-ego, as Shadowcat rarely change form to her alter-ego when I play her.

Players Phase

Thwart

With 2 thwart and no way in her deck to increase her stats, Shadowcat is no more than decent at thwarting in the early game. At this stage, thwarting is what I do if Shadowcat is ready and already Phased and I do not want to change her mass form.

In the late game Shadowcat will have epic rounds like playing Airwalk while Phased for 4 thwart, then defend against an attack and takes no damage with 3 copies of Hard to Ignore for 3 more thwart. At this stage there will be rounds when Shadowcat will be the best thwarter around the table.

Intangible Interference will add 2 more thwart as long as there is a scheme with crisis icon in play, but that is very situational and depends on the scenario you play.

Attack

With 2 attack and no way in her deck to increase her stats, Shadowcat is no more than decent at dealing damage in the early game. At this stage, attacking is what I do if Shadowcat is ready and Solid and I want to change her mass form in preparation for the villain phase.

The attack cards of this deck somewhat improve the damage output, but the best feature of these attack cards is not their damage output. Shadowcat Surprise ready your hero and Phase Strike can be used to discard an attachment from an enemy.

Acute Control will add 2 more points of damage to a minion as long as it has guard or patrol keyword, but that is very situational and depends on the scenario you play.

Villain Phase

Shadowcat may be only a decent superhero during the players phase, but she is the undisputed queen of the villain phase.

Defending You

Your main play happens when an enemy attacks you. Side Step and Preemptive Strike are the defense cards Shadowcat wants to use when she is Phased. They will enable her to defend without exhausting, take no damage, and dealing some damage to the attacker.

Shadowcat can also use her basic defend action then use Ready to Rumble to ready again.

Defending Others

After Shadowcat defended herself and changed mass form to Solid, she still has some options to help defend the other players around the table, or defend herself from another attack.

Counter-Punch can deal damage to the enemy that just attacked Shadowcat, enabling her to change mass form to Phased again for the next defending. Powerful Punch and Shadow and Steel are both attack and defend cards, enabling Shadowcat to start Solid but be Phased for the defend part.

Quick Shift is a last resort option. I prefer to use it while Phased and draw two cards, but it is a panic button card when Shadowcat is caught Solid.

The Best Offense is a Good Defense

Change of Fortune makes Shadowcat wants to deal damage during the villain phase. All of the defend cards in this deck, except Quick Shift, do just that. Another card that helps Shadowcat deal damage during the villain phase is Dauntless.

I am thinking if I should replace Dauntless with Flow Like Water, but I think that in this deck Dauntless is slightly better. Retaliate will trigger when Shadowcat uses her basic defend action, Flow Like Water will not.

Draw Cards

I found that after some built up Shadowcat will draw at least one card every villain phase, and you can expect to draw 3-4 cards on a good round.

Unflappable should draw a card any round. Change of Fortune should draw 2 cards often, depending on the scenario you play. Defensive Energy will draw a card whenever you use it. Quick Shift can draw 2 cards, but I often use it to defend one of the other players around the table.

I considered adding Taunt for some extra cards drawing. Shadowcat would have no problem dealing with a villain attack for 3 extra cards. Alas, I couldn't find any room for it in the deck.