Gotta Thwart 'em All!

I wanna be the very best
Like no one ever was
To find them is my real test
To thwart them is my cause
I will travel across timelines
Searching far and wide
Each PSS to understand
The power that’s insiiiiiide

(PSS! Gotta thwart ‘em all!)
It’s Hope and me
I know it’s my Des-ti-ny (no not that one)
Oh, you’re constant pain
In a world we must traaaain
(PSS! Gotta thwart ‘em all!)
A thwart so true!
For Justice will pull us through!
You thwart me and I’ll thwart you (wait, what?)
P, S, S! (Gotta thwart ‘em all)
Gotta thwart ‘em all!
PSS

Our adventure starts with Nathan Summers, of Pallet Town future Earth. Actually, he's from present-day Earth but was sent to the future to cure an incurable virus an- actually, we're getting off-topic already and don't have enough time to cover all of that.

Our adventure starts with Cable drawing a hand of 6 cards, taking a mulligan, and looking at them first to choose the best starting Player Side Scheme.

Choose Your Starter

Nathan Summers' Soldier X ability lets you choose any Player Side Scheme you want out of your deck to start in play. Choosing the right starting PSS is essential for success. You can complete all the villain setup, including any effects from the scenario, draw your starting hand (and resolve any mulligans) before deciding which one to start with. Don't just Auto-lock Technovirus Purge every time. In fact, TVP is often not the right choice anyway.

All stats based on single player counts

• Build Support

Benefits: Soldier X saves 1 resource and starts with (almost) any support you want.

Cable needs at least 1 additional thwart to clear this turn one. Once cleared, ideal targets would be Graymalkin, Professor, or Team-Building Exercise to quickly set up. Moira MacTaggert and Weapon X are also available. Whether this is your first or your last, there are plenty of targets for you.

• Call for Backup

Benefits: Soldier X saves 1 resource and grabs Professor X for an immediate confuse on the villain or stun on a minion, 3 THW, and a free block.

Needs at least 1 additional thwart to clear turn one. Once cleared, grab Professor X out of your deck or discard. Since he goes away every round, you can basically always get him whenever you clear it. If you have multiple side schemes in hand turn one, he can help you clear them (except for TVP). Otherwise, it might not be necessary, as you'll want to usually clear with Cable for the ready.

• Establish Perimeter

Benefits: saves 1 resource, gives Cable a tough, and can be cleared very easily with Cable's basic THW.

This is usually a last resort, but it's the easiest to clear no matter what your board position is like because it only has 2 threat.

• Lock and Load

Benefits: Soldier X saves 1 resource and gets out Plasma Rifle or Sonic Rifle for free.

Needs at least 1 extra thwart to clear turn one. Even if you have Plasma Rifle in play, Sonic Rifle should usually be an option (since it goes away after two uses). Remember that even if the villain is confused, you could at the very least deal 3 damage to them.

• Superpower Training

Benefits: Soldier X saves 1 resource and can find some of your strongest cards, like Askani'son or Plasma Rifle. If those are already in play, there are a few others in Forced Amnesia, Telekinetic Force Field, and Temporal Leap. The Force Field is single-use, so you should almost always have a target after clearing this.

• Technovirus Purge

Benefits: Soldier X saves no resources, but gives you +1 to all stats when cleared.

Cable needs 3 additional thwart to clear turn one, but once cleared, he can clear any other PSS in the deck with a single basic activation. Keep in mind that his obligation, Technovirus Resurgence, pulls it out of your hand, deck, discard pile, and victory display, so if you've already cleared it, you'll have to clear it again, and you'll lose all of your stat boosts. Sometimes you can get lucky by drawing Resurgence while it's still in your deck and clear it right away. Also note that it doesn't surge if it's already in play. You can at least attach Resurgence to Purge.

Also keep in mind that Professor X cannot help clear it. Although not relevant for this deck, only characters other than Cable are restricted from removing threat. So what can't help: basic thwarts from any identity or ally that isn't Cable. Abilities that remove threats when allies enter play (like Quasar, for example). Events that remove threat (whether they are thwart events or not) play by other players. Upgrades controlled by other players. Upgrades attached to allies you control.

What you can use: Cable's basic thwart action. Upgrades under your control not attached to allies (attached to Cable or not attached to anything). Supports under your control. Events you play.

One final note is that the best way to keep it in play is using Precognition to scry the encounter deck and discard your obligation, Shadow of the Past, Advance, etc. (basically anything else that's going to make you lose). You definitely want a lot of side schemes in the victory display before you start precogging though, so that's another reason to save TVP for later.

Battle Preview

After drawing your starting hand, check to see if you have For Justice! or Mind Scan. There are 6 total copies, so that's a ~65% of having one in your starting hand (which goes up to ~90% after a full mulligan). What, you didn't think we'd bring math into this? My sibling in Arceus, have you not seen the calculation table for Hidden Power? We got numbers.

So plan your turn one before deciding which PSS to start the game with. If you get super unlucky and don't get a single thwart event, grab Establish Perimeter. If all you have is Professor X, you can maybe go for Build Support, or Superpower Training (definitely don't get Call for Backup since Prof is your only target, and don't get Lock and Load, since Superpower Training gets your best option anyway, your Plasma Rifle). You want to just clear side schemes as quickly as possible. Remember the first rule of success: always be thwartin'. You want to clear as many side schemes as quickly as possible so your Mind Scan, Precognition, Telekinetic Blast, and Plasma Rifle charge up. You have to plan ahead if you want to be a PSS master, so don't focus on right now.

Build Support for Graymalkin / Professor is usually going to be your best option for most turns. If you have another PSS in hand (like Build Support) or One Way or Another, grabbing Call for Backup for Professor X or Technovirus Purge (if you have For Justice! or Mind Scan) can allow you to clear two side schemes turn one. Remember that, although you can only play one PSS at a time, you can clear one and play another in the same turn. You could even get very lucky and clear 3+ in a single round.

Definitely mulligan away the side scheme in your starting hand you think you'll start with since Cable can put it into play for free. It's an extra card, so draw it.

They're all named after trees

PSS Research

To help you be the best that you can be, the PSS Research Lab is hard at work for you.

Graymalkin gives 1 but readies every time you clear a side scheme. Keep this in mind as you plan your turns and spend it first or be sure to save cards in your hand to play after clearing a side scheme. Also remember that it readies on any side scheme clear, not just PSSs.

Moira MacTaggert draws on average 1/2 a card per turn. With Bodyslide, that average goes up slightly. Every little bit helps.

Professor gets you more side schemes. Definitely go for them first until they're all cleared. If you flip often, it's basically a card draw every turn. Weapon X is similar. It'll mill your aspect and basic cards, but generally your own cards are going to be the most powerful.

Team-Building Exercise is here instead of Deft Focus or X-Gene because it can be searched out with Build Support. Although you could get something like Quincarrier, we don't want to end up with dead cards, since it can only be played with Build Support, and Graymalkin is generally a better target. Remember that Cable has the Psionic trait, so it works on most things Deft Focus work on anyway: Mind Scan, Telekinetic Blast, but it also works on things X-Gene doesn't: Forced Amnesia and Telekinetic Force Field, and it also works on Professor X, which isn't helped by either of the other two.

Professor X confuses the villain and thwarts for 3 to help clear anything except technoviruses, and there are two Chance Encounters and a Call for Backup to make sure he's always there to help out.

Item Clause

Cable has a lot of great upgrades and support options, and there is a bit of nuance to them.

Bodyslide is great for flipping down to Alter-Ego quickly for some healing and a lot of triggers from things like Moira, Professor, and Weapon X.

Mutant Education is an absolute staple for any mutant hero, and Cable is no exception. The best options are Bodyslide, Mind Scan, or Telekinetic Blast though. It can also be used to recover things that have been lost to an untimely Caught Off Guard, but you have to consider things like: Graymalkin / Professor (if you have already cleared Build Support), Askani'son or Telekinetic Force Field (if you have cleared Superpower Training), or Plasma Rifle (if you have cleared both Superpower Training and Lock and Load), because clearing those PSSs can just grab them for you anyway.

One Way or Another helps find more side schemes for Cable to clear and accelerate your game plan. Definitely play them early and often. It's especially useful turn one if you have a Professor X play since he can help you clear it after a Call for Backup.

Skilled Investigator needs no introduction. It's a single card that draws a card every single round if you clear a side scheme. Even if it drew you one card, it'd be worth it, but it likely triggers every single round. Imagine just playing Avengers Mansion for 0. Feels so good. Just remember that it only triggers in Hero form though.

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Askani'son seems like it's good for a protection build, but remember that Cable's ability triggers once per phase, not once per round. So once you've purged your technovirus and have Graymalkin, you can pay for Askani'son with Graymalkin, thwart 3 off of a side scheme (easily clearing most side schemes in solo), then ready Graymalkin and Cable for next round.

Forced Amnesia gets a troublesome side scheme out of the encounter deck. Playing Legions of Hydra? How about just one Legion? The Masters of Evil? Not anymore. Its main benefit is just that it adds another side scheme to the victory display, so you get +1 on your Mind Scan, Precognition, Telekinetic Blast, and power up your Plasma Rifle faster.

Telekinetic Force Field isn't like most other shields. It's not forced, so you can save it for a big hit (or one that would otherwise kill you). You don't have to use it on whatever the next attack is that just so happened to be like 1.

Sonic Rifle is mainly there so you always have a target for Lock and Load, but it helps add more confuse with Professor X to help Cable flip often. You definitely want to flip as often as possible to get Moira, Professor, and Weapon X triggers.

Temporal Leap is pretty huge. It adds 4 threat, but you can clear another PSS again. Once Mind Scan is pretty powered up, it's usually one-shotting PSSs anyway, so that extra 4 might not even matter. It also saves you just in case the main scheme would pop.

I Choose You

You are beginning your steps on the journey to becoming a PSS Master. Hope this guide was helpful. Just remember: always be thwartin'!