Focus is an Attack that is little bit less powerful than Sweep but is definitely a lot safer. A large majority of the things that I said about Sweep tend to apply to Focus as well. It usually dominates attack interactions, and results in you getting a life lead and card advantage. In line with this, its low speed also makes it highly susceptible to faster Effects. However, Focus has a few advantages that Sweep does not. This Attack’s built-in Armor values mean that it can still shrug off attacks at low life totals. Its “cannot be moved” Effect is also quite powerful, letting you guarantee your positioning for at least another turn. However, this also means that Focus has a few weaknesses when compared to Sweep. These are, mainly, its lower Range and Power values. This means it can’t kill as fast and more mobile characters can dodge it should they wish. Therefore, look to Focus should you need a safer, more defensive alternative to the powerful Sweep. Just be mindful about the opponent’s movement tools.

Now, onto the meat of this card: Reading. If Sweep is the “best Normal Attack”, then Reading is the “best Normal Boost”. While many newer players might not exactly appreciate it, experienced players know the power of Reading. The text might seem a bit odd at first, but it essentially lets you call out Normal and force the opponent to Attack with it, if they have it. This ability, when used correctly, allows you to win virtually any Strike by calling the right card! Simply call an attack that will lose to a card in your hand and you will find yourself getting a “free win”. Granted, the opponent won’t always have the Normal that you name, so it is important to keep track of what cards could be in the opponent’s hand so you don’t name a card they can’t possibly have! Should you fail the read, don’t worry too much. Your opponent still has to reveal their hand to you, which gives you crucial information on what attacks they can play, setting you up to win Strikes on later turns.

Block