This is my take on the tempo-combo Zabu deck with the cards I have in Pool 3. I really like this concept because it plays with lots of energy-cheating but balances out some of the rough edges thanks to a little extra help from Lady Sif, Ghost Rider, and Jubilee. The theme here stems from always drawing Domino and America Chavez but pulling cards back from their demise with Ghost Rider to change the outcome of each match.
EDIT: The deck here after the Zabu nerfs can struggle, so I'm going to try to theory craft another one. This deck served me well, and I have no regrets!
The Game Plan
It probably isn't surprising, but the main idea with this deck is to play out a lot of powerful 4 cost cards with Zabu on top of cheating out The Infinaut or even more 4 cost cards using the classic Lady Sif + Ghost Rider combo.
The nice part about this deck is that even if you don't get all the combo pieces you need, it has extra consistency thanks to Jubilee and America Chavez thinning your deck while Domino and Sunspot cover the turns where you won't be capitalizing on your Energy.
The Decklist
- Sunspot is a great all-rounder for most decks, and here is no different. He can float the awkward card droughts should you not get your combo pieces.
- Zabu is obviously the centerpiece of the deck. Allows for tons of value, but it's not a loss if you don't draw them!
- Colossus is a tech card that I love for locations that minimize power or destroy cards and is entirely replaceable if you don't feel the same! There are some cards below this section that I think are good replacements should you have them.
- Domino is here for that early-game consistency. You won't be doing much until turn 4, so she is perfect to fill the gap before Zabu or Lady Sif.
- Lady Sif allows for large tempo-plays by discarding a 4 cost card or The Infinaut to be brought back later.
- Jubilee allows for extra tempo, extra consistency, and pairs extremely well with Zabu.
- Ghost Rider is the second piece needed after Lady Sif is played. Put him down and he gets you a ton of value, especially on turn 6 where he can circumvent things like Leader or Death's Domain.
- Shang-Chi adds some flexibility if you're versing a high-power location. Since Zabu creates a discount, he's really effective if you know that your opponent's big turn 6 play is coming and you can throw priority.
- Jessica Jones is a solid, high power card and is fantastic to play after rescue, since the two of them combined create 17 power on their own.
- Rescue pairs well with any of your other cards. While she can choreograph your next move, she is great value with the cost and can really lock a location when paired with Jessica Jones or a play-maker like Ghost Rider or Shang-Chi.
- America Chavez is here, like Jubilee, to thin your deck and create that great consistency. She essentially makes your deck 11 cards until turn 6, and pairs well with a lot of your other play-making cards like Jubilee, Lady Sif, and Ghost Rider if she does get pulled from your deck.
- The Infinaut is a favorite of mine, so to have him included in the deck feels great. He's an obvious choice to use with the Lady Sif + Ghost Rider combo, and pairs well with Sunspot and Jubilee.
Deck Replacements and Improvements
I have a few tech cards thrown in, but if you want to get down to business you could include other high-power cards like Death, Magneto, and etc. to really double down on the combo. I just like the consistency that comes with this version.
If you have the cards, Dracula, Crossbones, Spiderman, and Magik are also all amazing with this kind of deck and I'm excited to try them out in the future. Additionally, if you somehow have access to Shuri, I think she would make the Zabu combos even more insane.
The Wrap-Up
I'm having a blast with this deck and I'm going to try to use it to get to Infinite. I used to use a deck that focused on cheating out The Infinaut and duplicating him with Arnim Zola, so you could understand how having a deck like this would make me excited. Zabu enables some really awesome gameplay, and I hope more support comes in the future.
Let me know what you think, and I hope you can enjoy this deck too!