Building Betsy, Skin in the Game for Classic Constructed on a Budget!
Greetings and salutations my fabulous FAB folks! Welcome to our second installment in the Budget FAB Decks series! Last week I (re)introduced myself to you all, so this week we’re skipping all that. Who has time for introductions when there’s hedonistic mayhem to get into and plenty of heads to knock around? Not me. And not this week’s budget hero either. This week, we’re talking about Betsy, Skin in the Game!
Why Are We Building Betsy on a Budget?
Obviously, because she’s a sweet hero! Ever since Heavy Hitters came out, I’ve been rooting for her to become a meta contender. I love her backstory and her underdog status in the meta. Everything in me wants to cheer for anyone running her at an event. She’s definitely a hero that’s under the radar for the moment. But, any hero in Flesh and Blood can be viable with the right expansion slot card… (#GiveUsTheLog)
With the Guardian Mastery product coming next year, and Guardians being down in the meta right now, it’s a great time to pick up staples for the class. Spoiler alert- Betsy is arguably the least powerful hero in Classic Constructed right now.
Last week, I presented a deck that I thought might be capable of winning an Armory if things lined up well. This week, I’m presenting a passion project that is a lot of fun to play, and probably a good hero to have in your back pocket for later. However, this isn’t one that I would recommend playing competitively if your main goal is winning an event.
Ok, So What Are Some Good Budget Cards for Betsy?
Betsy really tested my commitment to staying on budget this week. The cuts I had to make were not easy decisions to get to towards the end. I’d like to take a moment to pour one out for Spinal Crush and Tear Asunder. Those were the last cards cut from the list in order to get to where I wanted. Unsurprisingly, those are also the first cards I recommend getting so you can upgrade the deck later.
While we could go for a go tall strategy that uses a lot of her signature Auras for maximum fun, I wanted a more… traditional Guardian list. I played a little Bravo, Showstopper when I first picked up Flesh and Blood, and I still like his style. Betsy isn’t Bravo though. She wants to make bets and keep winning all game long.
Because Betsy isn’t very prevalent in the meta, the core cards we want are easy pickups. Drink ‘Em Under the Table and Bet Big are Betsy’s bombs and both are very affordable right now. You should be able to pick up playsets of both for cheap. In fact, because we’re running a large amount of commons and rares, most playsets in the list will be about the same price as those staples.
That Sounds Great! What Other Betsy Cards Do I Need the Most Then?
Unsurprisingly, the most expensive card in the list is the chest slot. There’s just no better option than Tectonic Plating. If you’re a new Guardian player, this is a great legendary to prioritize. It blocks extremely well and gives us something to do with an extra card so we can carry over resources to our next turn. Sometimes that Seismic Surge is the difference between sending an attack with an on hit instead of just swinging the hammer.
Civic Steps is currently as cheap as I’ve ever seen it, so it’s another easy include. Boulder Drop blue has a relevant on hit and we can pump it up with some of the other things we’re using. I didn’t realize, it but Sink Below and Fate Foreseen will both cost a couple bucks for a playset too. Fortunately, I went with a two-two split on them.
Pulverize and Buckle are two more pet cards that I like running, but a full set isn’t necessary. (The full sets would break our budget anyway.) If you had a few extra bucks, getting a second Buckle would help in the end game, but Tear Asunder is a higher priority.
What Other Budget Equipment Should Betsy Use?
I don’t know if you know this about me, but I like having options. Fortunately, the equipment suite (aside from Tectonic Plating and Civic Steps), is very, very cheap. We’re going to include two weapons, Titan’s Fist and Anothos, because both have utility in different situations.
I like Anothos in Guardian mirror matches, and the Arcane Barrier set in the sideboard includes an Arcane Lantern, so we need a weapon to use in Wizard matches. Our other Arcane Barrier pieces are Nullrune Boots and Nullrune Gloves, since those slots matter less against Wizards.
For quick decks like Aurora and Zen, I also want Titan’s Fist to pair with Steelbraid Buckler for extra padding. Good Time Chapeau is Betsy’s signature hat and we’re going to lean into the Gold theme a little in the main deck.
Guardians Have Good Budget Equipment! But, What Do You Mean Leaning Into the Gold Theme?
Good Time Chapeau blocks well, but needs Gold tokens to operate. While we don’t need a lot of Gold, we do need ways to get it that are relatively consistent. To that end, Wage Gold is about as straightforward as it gets. It may say “Generic Action” at the bottom, but it’s a Guardian card since we’re playing Betsy. With our naturally large attacks, Test of Strength also helps us get the Gold we need to have a good time.
Money Where Ya Mouth Is red is the card that’s going to do the most work for us though. Since we want to Wager so our attacks gain Overpower with Betsy’s hero power, Money fits right into the cost curve. I only included the reds and yellows though. Unfortunately, we already have more two block cards in the list than I normally like, so I left the blues out.
After filling in the deck with some of the usual suspects, the final list looks like this:
Final Classic Constructed Budget Deck for Betsy, Skin in the Game!
Final Thoughts
Betsy is a fun hero to play. And that’s a good thing, since right now she’s in the “For Fun” tier of the meta, even with a no-budget list. That won’t always be the case though. Every hero has their time to shine in Classic Constructed at some point.
One of these days, Legend Story Studios will give Betsy her signature weapon and she’ll be a force to contend with (#GiveUsTheLogYouCowards). For now though, she’s a perfect side project hero for casual games and low-pressure Armories.
Now, tell me, what do you think of the list? Are you a Betsy fan too? What would you add to a full-powered version of the deck? Do you ever want to listen to random nerds gush about Flesh and Blood in a podcast type setting? Hit me up on Discord, Twitter, or BlueSky as Dracohominis87 and let me know!
To learn about all the recent Flesh and Blood happenings, check out our monthly recap here.
