Welcome to another edition of Character "Gems" Corner, today we do another preview for everyone as i do a preview of everyone's favorite vampiress from Soul Calibur, Amy. Now Amy just like Raphael in the video game is a speed and technique character rather than massive damage all in one hit, this is reflected by her cards in the game, she both similar and at the same time not the same as Raphael's previous incarnations in this game so far when you look at her cards as she loves to give speed pumps, just like Raphael, but there is where the similarities end, let us start the preview shall we:

Amy2

[Good, Order, Water]
Hand: 7
Vitality: 18

E(4+): Your attack gets +X Speed. X equals the block modifier of your attack.
E: Commit: If you block this attack, your block gets Breaker: 2.

Good, Order & Water a few sets ago is an AMAZING Spread of symbols, in the current meta though only Good is the right way to go with her, as it gives many different tricks for her to exploit against her opponent. 7 Hand Size with 18 vitality is fair, though 20 would be better. The First enhance is amazing when you combine it with high block mod attacks (IE Dragon Lifter) and just laugh at your opponent as you can easilly make your attacks damn near unblockable after just that enhance. Her other enhance is one that makes the old Mai3 character from Fortune and Glory blush, for blocking an attack you give your block breaker 2, time that right and you have a turn ender, not bad if i do say so myself, and i love the art of the card.

Amaryllis Spin[U](Action)

[Good, Order, Water]

Block: +2M
While this card is in your card pool, All block modifiers get +2.
F: Your next attack this turn gets +3 speed.
Diff: 3 Control: 5

Amy's Sidestep[C](Action)

[Good, Order, Water]
Block: +2M
After you play this card as a block, discard it from your card pool.
E: Your opponent's attack gets -3 speed and -2 damage.
Diff: 3 Control: 5

Her actions are very versatile and unlike in some characters sets both you should pull 4 of out of a box(neither are rare or ultra rare). Amaryllis Spin at first looks like a card that most will never play until you look at cards that you can combo that with, Dragon Lifter becomes HUGE after a few of these hitting the table, your attacks also get speed bonuses, yes, also do note it affects your OPPONENTS modifiers also, so those character cards are now +2Ms instead of the coveted +0Ms. Amy's Sidestep, is an amazing reprint of a classic card that i played in the early days of the game, Sidestep, except this card automatically clears itself when played as a block, allowing you to set up reversals much easier, it also gives something very few cards do nowadays, IT REDUCES SPEED of attacks as well as damage, both cards are 5 control checks with blocks, should be staples in all decks that can run them.

Albion[UR](Asset)[Unique][Weapon]

[Good, Order, Water]
Block: +2M
E: Your attack gets +1 Speed.
E: Commit: If you block this attack, you may play any attack with printed speed higher than it's printed damage as a reversal.
Diff: 2 Control: 4

Ostreinsburg Castle Throne Room[UR](Asset)[Terrain]

[Good, Order, Water]
Block: +2L
While this card is ready in your staging area, all block modifiers get +2.
E: Commit: This attack gets -2 Damage.
Diff: 2 Control: 4

Her assets have only one real drawback at first, they are BOTH Ultra Rare, hence are gonna be hard to get a hold off unless you have a lot of money on you, also note her sword is NOT Amy Only, and her sword is probably gonna see a lot of play in high speed decks to easilly play painful attacks that couldn't normally be played as reversals, the +1 Speed enhance on it is also nice, the 4 check i could live without though. The Throne Room, at first is a good card for a themed deck as you can make your early game attacks that much harder to block though you have to be careful of your opponents reversals, a good thing you can commit it durring your opponents turn to reduce damage and turn off that ability. Though as i said earlier to get these cards you had better be willing to fork out some money or be able to work out some VERY good trades.

Bloody Funeral[UR](Attack)[Amy Combo: Low Weapon, Weapon]

[Good, Order, Water]
Block: +1L
SZD: 3L6
Combo E: This attack gets +X Speed. X equals the total of all block modifiers in your card pool.
E: If this attack deals damage, your opponent discards 1 random card.
Diff: 5 Control: 3

Flash Needle[R](Weapon)[Multiple: 2]

[Good, Order, Water]
Block: +2M
SZD: 4L3
E: If this attack deals damage, your next attack this turn gets +1 speed. Each multiple copy of this attack also gains this enhance.
Diff: 4 Control: 3

Fridgid Moon[U](Kick)[Reversal]

[Good, Order, Water]
Block: +2H
SZD: 5H4
Diff: 5 Control: 3

Hilt Strike[U](Attack)[Reversal][Stun: 2]

[Good, Order, Water]
Block: +1M
SZD: 4H4
E: This attack gets +2 Speed. Only playable if this attack has higher speed than damage.
Diff: 6 Control: 3

Soaring Dance[C](Kick]

[Good, Order, Water]
Block: +0H
SZD: 4M3
E: Discard 1 card: Take the top card from your discard pile and add it to your momentum.
Diff: 4 Control: 3

Triple Botta in Tempo[R](Reversal)(Weapon)[Combo: Weapon]

[Good, Order, Water]
Block: +2M
SZD: 4M3
Combo E: If this attack deals damage, the next card your opponent attempts to play this turn gets +X difficulty. X equals the damage dealt by this attack.
Diff: 4 Control: 3

She has 6 good attacks for her set, the first one is Bloody Funeral, an Ultra Rare attack with a combo enhance that allows it to gain a speed bonus equal to the sum of all your block modifiers in your card pool, that is an AMAZING Speed pump right there, for those playing legacy see Deceptive Look to just drool. Now if you cannot get off it's combo enhance it still has one thing going for it, the ability that if it deals damage, it's a low attack, then it'll discard one random card from your opponent's hand, which is never a bad thing. Her next attack is Flash Needle, a Multiple: 2 attack that gives your next attack +1 speed, not a bad thing, it is a Rare though, which means ya may have to work a bit to get it. Next is Frigid Moon, a Kick attack that is also a reversal, and has high printed speed at 5 and 4 damage, though no abilities on it, not a bad card, not a GREAT one though, it can set up combos though. Hilt Strike is the next card, this attack gives itself a +2 Speed bonus as an enhance if it ever has higher speed than it's current speed, so use Amy's enhance and then that and you have a 7 speed MID attack, though at 6 difficulty you MAY wanna think about this, even for an attack with Stun: 2 and Reversal. Next up we have Soaring Dance, first thing that should stick out to most everyone is the block, a +0 High block, the second thing is the enhance basically *barring legacy games* you get to add a card from your hand to your momentum, 4 mid for 3 is kinda good but not great though. Triple Botta in Tempo is her last attack and was highly talked about when it was first spoiled, it allows a quick end of a turn, blocking with a weapon attack, use Amy's breaker enhance, then play Triple Botta and your opponent is REALLY gonna have fun playing another card this turn, even foundations, a block on the card is just icing on the cake of a good overall card.

Cute Prankster[C](Foundation)

[Good, Order, Water]
R: Commit after your attack played as a reversal deals damage, add it to your hand.
Diff: 2 Control: 4

Inhuman Speed[C](Foundation)

[Fire, Good, Water]
R: After your attack gets a Speed Bonus, change it's zone to any other zone.
Diff: 2 Control: 5

Loyal at all Costs[U](Foundation)

[Good, Order, Water]
E: Destroy this foundation, discard 1 momentum: If your attack deals damage, add 1 other card in your card pool to your hand. Only playable if your attack has a higher speed than damage.
Diff: 2 Control: 4

Not Human[U](Foundation)

[Good, Order, Water]
E: Commit: This attack gets -X Damage(Min 1). X equals the total of all block modifiers in your card pool.
Diff: 2 Control: 5

Strange Fashion[R](Foundation)

[Earth, Good, Water]
E: Commit: If you block this attack, it deals no damage durring the damage step.
Diff: 3 Control: 5

To the Ends of the Earth[C](Foundation)

[Good, Order, Water]
Block: +3L
E: Commit 2 foundations: If you completely block this attack, your block gets Breaker 2.
Diff: 3 Control: 5

Together Again[R](Foundation)

[Good, Order, Water]
Block: +2M
R: Commit: Before you play a block, that card's block modifier gets -2.
E(4+): Your attack gets +1 speed.
Diff: 2 Control: 5

Together Again for a simple R Commit, allows you to play your blocks at -2 to the Block mod, again like i mentioned in the X Article, notice the lack of a (min of 0) hence you can essentially block a 8 speed attack with 3 of these and a +2M block at only 4 difficulty. The enhance is another use of Amy's ability though just 1 speed, 2 diff with 5 control is nice, the ONLY bad thing about it is it's a rare. Cute Prankster is the next card and a card similar to it in legacy (Getting an Education) just blushes in jealousy, this card after your attack played as a reversal deals damage, you can commit it to add that reversal back to your hand, the only drawback to this card is the 4 control. Inhuman Speed, yes people you are reading that right there is NO Commit cost on that card it only requires a speed bonus to be played, and it has Fire, dear lord. Loyal at All Costs allows you to loop your attacks though with a steep requirement of 1 momentum, destruction of the foundation AND higher speed than damage on your attack, it is still an amazing foundation for those that need to set up a kill condition quickly. Not Human is simply a reprint of the action side of More Machine than Woman and is even better as it is always availible to you in your staging area. Strange Fashion, a reprint of 2 very good cards from the previous block in Fast Food Lover and Tira's Contract, allows you to take no damage from a blocked attack, if all you have is an off zone block and you have one of these in play, use it but be wise at the same time if you think they have more attacks coming for you. To the Ends of the Earth, yes another use of Amy's Breaker ability, a +3 low block is not optimal but a low block is nice anyway. Now i will try to make a good deck for Amy, it will be off the Good symbol:

Character: Amy2

Actions(8)
Amaryllis Spin x4 3/5 +2M
Amy's Sidestep x4 3/5 +2M

Assets(4)
Albion x2 2/4 Unique Weapon +2M
Ostreinsburg Castle: Throne Room x2 2/4 +2L

Attacks(20)
Dragon Lifter x4 4/2 3H4 Stun: 2 Weapon Combo(Kick) +4M
Fridged Moon x4 5/3 5H4 Kick Reversal +2H

Soaring Dance x4 4/3 4M3 Kick +0H
Swooping Hawk Lunge x4 5/3 5M4 Weapon +2M
Triple Bota in Tempo x4 4/3 4M3 Reversal Weapon Combo(Weapon) +2M

Foundations(28)
Enemies now Friends x4 2/5 +3H
Hope for One's People x4 0/5 +3H
Inhuman Speed x4 2/5
Not Human x4 2/5
The Man Behind the Mask x4 0/5 +3M
To the ends of the Earth x4 3/5 +3L
Together Again x4 2/5 +2M

Some tech cards were put in the deck mainly Hope for One's People and Man Behind the mask but the rest of the cards should be understandable though some will be hard to get a hold of, i hope this article helps people to see the potential in this great character, until next time this is Nathan "NJBrock22" Spade, signing off.

Originally Submitted 11/23/2009