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Just a little note... think next time you can list cards each on a separate line? Makes it a whole lot easier for me to see.

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From: "Robert Evans"

Date: Sat, 11 Oct 2003 10:27:12 -0500

As promised, here is the 18 Deck. Tear her appart, patch her up. I really want this thing to work. At the end I will explain a few choices and I hope you can work with that I have. Remember,I don't have any of the uber/UR nons/Drills, so go easy there.

Android 18 1-3 CS, no HT

Trunks Saga Black Style Mastery South Kai Sensei BSM x3, Huh!?, Black Pivot Kick ( want 3, but Sensei deck restrictions)

Combat Cards Dazed, SSE, TES x3, Smokescreen x3, Risky Manuver, Aura Clash x2, 18's Stare Down x3, TiaWT, Cell's Defense, Black Taunting Attack x2

Physical Combats Cards Goku's Flight x3, Gohan's Kick x3, Black Defensive Stance x3, Vegeta's Physcial Stance, Black Shift Kick x2, Android 18's Left Hook x4, Nappa's Physical Resistance, 18's Iron Defense x2

Energy Combat Cards Krillin's Heat Seeking x3, Nappa's Energy Aura, Yamcha's Skillful Defense x3, Android 19's Energy Burst x3, SKKP x2, Returning the Favor x2, Goku's Swiftly Moving x3, Black Dark Energy x2, Black Big Bang x3, Vegeta's Jolting Slash x3, Straining Focusing Move x2, Straining Force Positioning Move, Straining Floating Attack Move x2, Straining Power Move x2

Non-Combats Bulma's Looking Good x3, The Hero's Heart is Strong x2, Entering the Arena x2

Ally - Android 14

Locations City in Turmoil x2, Dying Planet

Okay, I went with the Trunks mastery for one reason, there aren't a whole lot of black cards in the deck, so I figured I would run that one instead of Cell. After 3 test runs with the cell mastery, I realized it was just sitting there, so I figured go with the trunks, since it boosts all attacks. The straining moves are in there for some extra pop, expecially the power moves, which can deal a lot. Aura Clashs (working on getting them all, running proxies right now) and SKKP to raise them, and knock me back down to my stage one. Hand control on my part is nice, along with card advantage. I had to beg to get the huh?! off my friend, and then I wanted the pivot kicks and the BSMs, I'm thinking of going with more of a 2 each rather than 3/1 mix. South Kai is there to pull out 14 early, and let him eat cards from my hand I can't use. The Left hooks are just nice, killing endurance and what not, same thing with Dying planet. I would run 3 CiT, but only have 2 at this point. Thats what I've got so far, anything you can suggest?

I want to make this deck as good as it can be, and right now, its shaping up nicely in my eyes, but I'm sure there are some things I can do better with it.

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Black's biggest strength comes from the fact that is has very powerful Sensei Deck and Sensei Deck only cards. South Kai is great with A14, but honestly I would switch to North Kai because missing out on all the great Sensei Deck cards isn't worth getting 14 out early. North is really good too.

I would run a level 4 just because of the nasty 3 level anger decks out there.

Smokescreen is terrible because it can be Sphered. So run Goku's Flight, Yamcha's Skillful Defense, or Goku's SS Blast instead. Problem with Risky Manuever is you'll have to set it up really well with a big hand, and I don't see that working in a deck like this. Black Taunting Attack generally works with the MBS Mastery, and who actually uses that. You shouldn't be raising your anger much in this deck, and hence it won't help much.

You should try out Cell's Threatening Position, Android 17 Smirks, Battle Pausing, and Android 16 Smiles just to name a few.

18 is an Android, so use Andriod cards to your advantage.

No Wrist Blocks eh? Anyway, you are missing some of the best Black cards... Black Body Destruction, Black Turning Kick, Black Knife Hand Strike, Black Recovery, Black Energy Web, and so forth. All of these are better than some of the cards you are running.

18's Left Hook I've always considered pretty weak because all it does is turn off endurance for one turn, and endurance shouldn't annoy you too much to waste space on that card.

18's Iron Defense isn't going to do much. NPR and VPS I generally don't run anymore, but you can if you want.

Black Shift Kick never excited me.

Returning the Favor... interesting... well, you have to take a big energy for it to be of much use, and who want to do that?

Black Big Bang is for Namekian only and really shouldn't be used because Face Smash is so much better.

The Straining Moves are generally not necessary. Floating Attack Move is weak. I would rather run some of the broke Android cards and chain energy after energy, then beatdown with Android allies. That's how 18 is supposed to work.

Android 13's Prepared Stance, 16 Smiles, Looking Good, Super A13's Destruction Bomb, and Injured Circuits are good for Android 18. Oh, and run all the level 1 allies except maybe 16. Gathering of Heroes is really good too.

Entering the Arena and Bulma's Looking Good should be cut. I would rather run Vegeta's Quickness Drill, Black Weakness Drill and Black Smoothness Drill, and maybe some other good nons like Foreboding Evidence, Expectant Trunks, and Frieza is Ready.

Dying Planet does not kill endurance.

Anyway, your major problem is you missed the point of Androids. Their point is major good Android cards, and the utility in which to use them. Try those out, and you'll see they'll help a whole lot more than Straining Moves and whatnot.

matthewlow@franceslow.com

"You will not be allowed to do this to anyone else!" - Gohan