Big Green Blocking Machine (MCDC 2026)

The goal of this deck is simple: defend for the entire table, every villain phase. Ghost-Spider is already well suited to defending, and this deck takes that idea to its logical extreme. You should generally be able to manage around four defences during a villain phase, keeping your teammates safe while still getting some extra value out of all that blocking through chip damage and thwarting.

The key to making this work is getting Ghost-Spider's DEF high enough that she can reliably take hits without needing to flip down to alter ego to recover. You want to start with Innate Reflexes and mulligan aggressively for a second DEF boost, getting yourself to 5 DEF as early as possible. If your DEF is too low, you will be forced to flip down to heal, and your friends will suddenly find themselves without their personal bodyguard.

Getting that DEF up

The deck has several ways to improve Ghost-Spider's defence, but the opening turn is particularly important.

Innate Reflexes is essential. It gives you that quick boost to your DEF, and you should be looking for another boost to get the stat where it needs to be. Armored Vest is the obvious option, while Ronin gives you another point of DEF alongside retaliate. Yes, please!

Defensive Conditioning is another piece of the defensive package, and Nerves of Steel helps pay for all those defence events. Since you will be defending constantly, you want to make sure you can afford to keep doing it without running out of resources.

You also have two copies of Indomitable. Ideally, you will have at least one in play as a backup in case something goes wrong and you need to ready for another defence.

Making every defence count

Blocking attacks is the main job, but it doesn't have to be the only thing you accomplish during the villain phase.

Electrostatic Armor and Flow Like Water provide chip damage as you defend and play defence events. Hard to Ignore turns those successful defences into threat removal, helping you keep the main schemes under control while everyone else focuses on their own plans.

Unflappable gives you card draw when you successfully defend without taking damage, and the two Web-Bracelets help keep cards flowing as you trigger Ghost-Spider's interrupt abilities. The idea is to make defending so efficient that you can protect the table and still contribute to defeating the villain.

The most important event in the deck

"I Can Do This All Day" is the star of the show. You defend the first attack, play the event, and get to defend again without exhausting. Because it is an interrupt, it also lets you ready Ghost-Spider, setting you up to block a third attack. With the right timing, that's three defences from one card, and you haven't even exhausted your normal defensive options yet.

Stand Alone can also give you an extra defence each round, but there is an important catch: it is almost useless on rounds when you are the first player. You need to be exhausted before you can make use of it, so your position in turn order matters.

Never Back Down adds another layer of protection by stunning the attacker. Preventing an attack is even better than defending against it, especially when that attack would otherwise land on a teammate. Desperate Defense is a useful tech option when you need one more activation in a pinch.

The rest of the deck

Ghost-Spider's own events give you plenty of ways to keep the villain under control. Ghost Kick provides damage, while Phantom Flip and Not Today! let you contribute to thwarting without abandoning your defensive role. Pirouette and Punch and Web Binding give you further options for handling threats.

Ticket to the Multiverse and Parental Guidance round out the kit, while George Stacy lets you store events for the right moment. I have included just one copy of Disarming Defense as a tech card to tuck under George Stacy for those occasional situations where you need it.

Finally, Defensive Energy helps pay for the events that keep the whole engine running, and Establish Perimeter supports the deck's commitment to keeping the table safe.

How it plays

This is a very satisfying deck when it gets going. You become the table's dedicated defender, taking attacks that would otherwise hit your teammates and turning those defences into damage, thwarting, and card draw. With enough DEF and the right cards in play, you can make the villain phase feel much less threatening for everyone else.

The main weakness is that the deck really wants to establish its defensive upgrades early. If you start with low DEF, or have to flip to alter ego to recover, you lose the ability to protect the table at the level this deck is built for. Mulligan aggressively for Innate Reflexes and another DEF boost, and remember that your job is to stay ready and stay in hero form.

When everything comes together, your teammates can focus on doing what they do best while you make sure the villain has a very hard time getting through to them.