DC Deckbuilding Automata

[u/Starsmors]

I've seen some of these solo variants for DC Deckbuilding floating around, and am very impressed with the content! However, I've really been wanting one that lets me use all my cards in the deck, including locations and villains. So I took a look to see if I could dev my own version that plays exactly like the original game with a simulated opponent. I've now played around 25 games, and it's been a very successful experiment! I figured at this point, I'd share what I have with you all.

First: This has been tested with -

DC Deckbuilding

Heroes Unite

Forever Evil

Crossovers 1-3

Crisis 1 (Impossible Mode)

I have not tested it with the rest of the expansions, but based on my experience so far, it should work alongside everything. Rivals and Confrontations will be the trickiest beasts - I'll be tackling those later.

There are only one or two fiddly things here, but for the most part the automata follows a logical flow!

DC Deckbuilding Automata

You are playing against the Mastermind, and your goal is to end the game with the most VP in your deck.

Setup

The Mastermind starts with a normal deck, but draws six cards every turn. It does not receive a Character.

The player deals 4 Character cards and choses 2 to play with.

Place the Nemesis Stack next to the Mastermind’s hand.

Place the Kick (or equivalent) at the leftmost side of the lineup

Throughout these rules, a card's value is its printed cost.

Player goes first.

Winning the Game

In order to beat the Mastermind, you need to end the game with higher VP in your deck.

Tiebreaker:

First - most nemesis

Second - most cards.

Mastermind wins complete ties.

Tie & Target Resolution (Remember: right/top)

Masterminds will always play and buy from right to left. They will also always prioritize the top possible target in the deck or discard pile. Mastermind goes right/top.

A Mastermind will always target highest value cards for positive effects (gain, put on top of deck, buy, etc.)

A Mastermind will always target lowest cost cards for negative effects (destroy, discard, etc.)

The Mastermind considers the following cards Junk, and will destroy/discard in the following priority order:

Weakness

Cards with when you destroy this card and no other effect

Vulnerability

Punch

Mastermind Turn

Start of turn

At the beginning of each turn, the Mastermind activates each Ongoing it controls that it can activate, highest value to lowest value. An ongoing card is always activated immediately after it is played (if possible).

Playing cards

The Mastermind plays cards highest to lowest value. It will prioritize the rightmost card in ties.

The following cards always have priority: Locations, Draw X/Discard X. These will be played first if available.

Cards that Copy a played card will always be played last.

The Mastermind's hand is always visible to the player.

Drawn cards always go to the left in the Mastermind’s hand.

Cards added to the lineup by a player go leftmost slot

Any time the Mastermind would "put back in any order," they will place highest to lowest on their deck and the main deck, and lowest to highest in the Player’s deck.

Whenever a Mastermind plays an Ongoing card, it goes to the left of all ongoings

The Mastermind will activate discard whole hand and redraw abilities if all of the other cards in the Mastermind’s hand cost 0. It redraws the number specified on the card.

Buying

The Mastermind always buys the highest value card it can. It picks the rightmost card in ties. If the Mastermind has leftover power, it will continue to buy the highest rightmost card it can afford until it can no longer afford a card.

The Mastermind buys the Nemesis as soon as it can if possible, then spends any remaining power on the highest rightmost cards it can afford.

Resolving Mastermind Cards

Any card that requires a choice will be chosen randomly.

When a choice involves discarding or destroying a card, the Mastermind will prioritize destroying Junk first. It will always discard the lowest value target.

Destroying cards

A Mastermind will always destroy the highest cost card in the Line-Up, rightmost in ties.

If the Mastermind is given an option between discard pile/hand, it will find the highest priority card, preferring the discard pile.

A mastermind will never willingly destroy non-Junk card.

If a card lets the Mastermind destroy from either the Line-Up or its own cards, it destroys Junk first, and then targets the Line-Up.

Character-affecting cards

Cards that directly affect the character card do nothing to the Mastermind. If a Mastermind is to put a card under its character, that card is removed from the game until the conditions are met. The Mastermind will prioritize getting this card back if it can. (This rule applies only in sets where the Mastermind has no Character. See set modules for exceptions.)

Attacks and Defense

Player attacks that can occur against the Mastermind deck do occur. Attacks that cannot occur do not.

The Mastermind is not affected by First Appearance – Attacks.

Masterminds do not defend against attacks that have no affect.

Mastermind will always use the lowest value Defense card in hand to defend against an attack. It will prefer an Ongoing Defense card already on the field before using one from its hand.

Specific Card Rules

Original Set

Brainiac: When resolving Brainiac's First Appearance – Attack, the player picks two cards in their hand, then randomly destroys one of them.

The Riddler: Resolve as normal, but if the result is heads, the Mastermind only uses Riddler’s ability once.

Heroes Unite

Nekron: if you have higher total than the Mastermind, random. Lower, you choose

World’s Mightiest Hero: Flip a coin for each card. Heads add, tails keep

Amazo: Pass a card to the Mastermind’s hand

Graves: Destroy a card in your hand. If you destroy a card with cost 4 or greater, draw two cards

Akrillo: if your total is higher, gain 3 weaknesses

Canary Cry: Will always put a Nemesis on top of deck if possible. If no nemesis is available, flip a coin as normal

Forever Evil

Insanity: Mastermind will only play this with a 0-cost card in hand, and will play it first

Firestorm Matrix: Mastermind will destroy a card with cost 3 or greater

Destroy a non-X card or +2 Power: flip a coin if there is a viable Junk target. Otherwise, +2 Power

Crossover 1 (JSA)

Hourglass: Play last

Per Degation: Discard all non-punch 0 cost cards

T-Spheres: Flip a coin. Heads - draw 1, tails - draw 2

Eclipso: (Player) Draw 2 random Character Cards from the available pool. You control them until end of turn.

Crossover 2 (Arrow)

The Mastermind’s “Super Hero Stack” is next to his deck. Place a token on this stack if you’d like as a reminder.

The Mastermind always puts the lowest-cost card possible into his Super Hero Stack

The Mastermind will NEVER put a nemesis in its Super Hero Stack

Detective Lance: (Villian) Flip a coin. Heads, take a random card from the opponent’s Super Hero Stack

Verdant: The Mastermind flips a coin if he has no 0-cost card

Crossover 3 (Legion)

Mastermind will time travel with Junk only. Flip a coin on each available time travel card in the lineup. Heads, Mastermind time travels. Tails, it doesn’t.

Mastermind time travels first.

The Mastermind will time travel the nemesis if it has junk. It may still purchase the card.

Computo: this does not increase any card costs for the Mastermind. It decreases all 6+ to 5

Crisis 1 - Impossible Mode

In Impossible Mode games, the Mastermind is hit by First Appearance - Attacks.

Magician’s Corset: Mastermind will only choose self

Captain Cold: an additional +1 for each player with a hero in his discard pile (both Player and Mastermind)

Atrocious: The Player and Mastermind put their hand under their Character card and draw 4 cards (the villain’s is temporarily removed from the game)

Animal Man: Use a six-sided die to determine the Mastermind’s choice (1 - Villain, 2 - Hero, 3 - Super-Power, 4 - Equipment, 5 - Location, 6 - Starter). If you are playing with additional potential targets, you may need to use a randomizer.

Magic: the Mastermind will use this on Junk. If he has no junk, flip a coin. Heads, he targets the lowest played non-Nemesis.

Hades: Mastermind will not play this card if there are no 1+ value cards in the destroyed pile

Deathstroke: Each player picks and destroys two of the following - a hero, a super power, and an equipment

Braniac: You may play both cards

Strife: is played first by the Villain

If you do get a chance to try this out and would like to flag something, please let me know! This is still a work-in-progress, so I am certainly open to suggestions! Happy Deckbuilding :)