Post by enomus on Aug 29, 2016 16:34:32 GMT 1
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Fantasy Strike "Guide" guide
"Things will turn out well if we keep a positive attitude."
Gloria is a healer who has helped people and animals her whole life.
Gloria and her sister Gwen worked as veterinary assistants from a young age, helping with the care of animals. They studied medicine and the healing arts, as well as the martial arts to keep themselves strong and centered.
Gloria's cheerfulness is irrepressible. She's easy going and keeps a positive attitude no matter what the situation. This mental attitude has gotten her through the many tragedies and depressing situations in health care. People and animals die, their loved ones grieve, and someone must support them in these tough times. Gloria was always good at that.
One day, men rushed a patient to them, one of the Bull Beasts who was injured in a mining operation. Though the sisters were not especially familiar with his race, their general knowledge of animal and human physiology was enough to treat the poor soul, and mend his injuries. The grateful beast mentioned that his people could use more healers back in the Golden Plains, especially these days. The rate of injuries there has been increasing, he said. The sisters looked at each other, nodded, and thus began their first of many journeys across the Realm, to heal the injured and the sick.
One such journey was to the north, into the Dreadlands. Gloria and Gwen heard rumors that an expedition there was in trouble and needed medical help. Though traveling here was a huge risk, the sisters decided to go where their help was needed. They didn't find any members of the expedition though. Before they could, they heard the sounds of a struggle through the trees and they rushed to investigate. A man who was obviously injured was fighting some sort of undead monstrosity. Seeing one of their kind in trouble, they leapt to assist.
The monster struck Gwen with its needled arm and she writhed on the ground. Gloria and the man forced the creature to retreat. Gloria rushed to Gwen's aid, but then the man collapsed too. Gloria realized who he was based on the markings of his clothes. This was the Exiled Dragon named Menelker. It looked like his lifeforce had been sucked out of him, and he was deathly weak. Strange, as Gwen was struck by the same creature yet her symptoms seemed completely different.
Gloria faced a decision all too familiar to her: a triage situation. Her sister and the man each needed immediate medical help. Things must be decided in an instant, and it's the kind of thing Gloria hated the most. Gwen was always better at making snap decisions about risks, while Gloria wanted to help everyone. But Gwen now appeared to be passed out, while Menelker was reeling from serious injuries and his skin was turning gray. Though it broke her heart, the man seemed in more immediate danger of the two. She treated him first with a combination of medicine and healing magic in an attempt to stabilize him, then rushed to Gwen. To Gloria's great surprise, during this time Gwen's skin began to turn blue, and something was obviously very wrong with her, moreso than Gloria had first realized. Gloria tended to Gwen's wounds and gave her the healing touch. Though this returned Gwen to consciousness, it was no cure. From this moment on, Gwen would need Gloria's healing abilities just to keep from slipping into darkness.
Menelker recovered, but in some sense, Gwen never did. Despite Gloria's ever-positive outlook, she can't help but wonder if her split-second decision was a grave mistake.
Gloria is a bright spot in the shadowy going-ons of the world.
Gloria is a healer who has helped people and animals her whole life.
Gloria and her sister Gwen worked as veterinary assistants from a young age, helping with the care of animals. They studied medicine and the healing arts, as well as the martial arts to keep themselves strong and centered.
Gloria's cheerfulness is irrepressible. She's easy going and keeps a positive attitude no matter what the situation. This mental attitude has gotten her through the many tragedies and depressing situations in health care. People and animals die, their loved ones grieve, and someone must support them in these tough times. Gloria was always good at that.
One day, men rushed a patient to them, one of the Bull Beasts who was injured in a mining operation. Though the sisters were not especially familiar with his race, their general knowledge of animal and human physiology was enough to treat the poor soul, and mend his injuries. The grateful beast mentioned that his people could use more healers back in the Golden Plains, especially these days. The rate of injuries there has been increasing, he said. The sisters looked at each other, nodded, and thus began their first of many journeys across the Realm, to heal the injured and the sick.
One such journey was to the north, into the Dreadlands. Gloria and Gwen heard rumors that an expedition there was in trouble and needed medical help. Though traveling here was a huge risk, the sisters decided to go where their help was needed. They didn't find any members of the expedition though. Before they could, they heard the sounds of a struggle through the trees and they rushed to investigate. A man who was obviously injured was fighting some sort of undead monstrosity. Seeing one of their kind in trouble, they leapt to assist.
The monster struck Gwen with its needled arm and she writhed on the ground. Gloria and the man forced the creature to retreat. Gloria rushed to Gwen's aid, but then the man collapsed too. Gloria realized who he was based on the markings of his clothes. This was the Exiled Dragon named Menelker. It looked like his lifeforce had been sucked out of him, and he was deathly weak. Strange, as Gwen was struck by the same creature yet her symptoms seemed completely different.
Gloria faced a decision all too familiar to her: a triage situation. Her sister and the man each needed immediate medical help. Things must be decided in an instant, and it's the kind of thing Gloria hated the most. Gwen was always better at making snap decisions about risks, while Gloria wanted to help everyone. But Gwen now appeared to be passed out, while Menelker was reeling from serious injuries and his skin was turning gray. Though it broke her heart, the man seemed in more immediate danger of the two. She treated him first with a combination of medicine and healing magic in an attempt to stabilize him, then rushed to Gwen. To Gloria's great surprise, during this time Gwen's skin began to turn blue, and something was obviously very wrong with her, moreso than Gloria had first realized. Gloria tended to Gwen's wounds and gave her the healing touch. Though this returned Gwen to consciousness, it was no cure. From this moment on, Gwen would need Gloria's healing abilities just to keep from slipping into darkness.
Menelker recovered, but in some sense, Gwen never did. Despite Gloria's ever-positive outlook, she can't help but wonder if her split-second decision was a grave mistake.
Gloria is a bright spot in the shadowy going-ons of the world.
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Life: 70
Max Combo: 4
Innate:
Healing Touch: After the power up phase, if you aren't knocked down, you may discard two non-Hearts cards to gain 4 life and fetch a Hearts card from your discard pile.
Normal attacks: x damage, Speed x.8
Normal throws: 6 damage, Speed x.8, 2 CP Starter, Knocks down
2: Attack 2 dmg, speed 2.8, 1 CP normal // Block
3: Attack 3 dmg, speed 3.8, 1 CP normal // Block
4: Attack 4 dmg, speed 4.8, 1 CP normal // Block
5: Attack 5 dmg, speed 5.8, 1 CP normal // Dodge
6: Attack 6 dmg, speed 6.8, 1 CP normal // Dodge
7: Dodge // Throw (KD) 6 dmg, speed 7.8, 2 CP Starter
8: Dodge // Throw (KD) 6 dmg, speed 8.8, 2 CP Starter
9: Block // Throw (KD) 6 dmg, speed 9.8, 2 CP Starter
10: Block // Throw (KD) 6 dmg, speed 10.8, 2 CP Starter // *Healing Sphere
Healing Sphere: [Draw Phase] Ongoing. At the end of each turn:
Draw a card if you healed (even if you were at max life).
Discard this if you didn't heal or were thrown this turn.
Jack: Moonlight Sphere: Attack 5 (2) dmg, speed 2.2, 1 CP Linker // Ray of Moonlight: Attack 9 (2) dmg, speed 4.0, 1 CP Starter // *Bathed in Moonlight
Bathed In Moonlight: [End of Combat] When you hit with this attack, you may heal yourself and the opponent for 4 life. If you do, return this card to your hand.
Queen: Sunbar Cage: Throw 4+6 (+2 Any) dmg, speed 8.6, Can't Combo // Sunburst: Attack 6+7 (+1 Face) (1) dmg, speed 1.0, Can't Combo
King: Fountain of Light: Attack (KD) 9 (3) dmg, speed 2.2, Can't Combo
Ace: Twilight Key: Attack 18 (2) dmg, speed 2.0, 2 CP Linker AA // Sun and Moon: Attack 29 (2) dmg, speed 0.6, 1 CP Starter AAA // *Overdose
Overdose: [End of Combat] Both players take 10 damage (you first). If you won combat, draw 2 cards. Play only one Overdose per turn.
Max Combo: 4
Innate:
Healing Touch: After the power up phase, if you aren't knocked down, you may discard two non-Hearts cards to gain 4 life and fetch a Hearts card from your discard pile.
Normal attacks: x damage, Speed x.8
Normal throws: 6 damage, Speed x.8, 2 CP Starter, Knocks down
2: Attack 2 dmg, speed 2.8, 1 CP normal // Block
3: Attack 3 dmg, speed 3.8, 1 CP normal // Block
4: Attack 4 dmg, speed 4.8, 1 CP normal // Block
5: Attack 5 dmg, speed 5.8, 1 CP normal // Dodge
6: Attack 6 dmg, speed 6.8, 1 CP normal // Dodge
7: Dodge // Throw (KD) 6 dmg, speed 7.8, 2 CP Starter
8: Dodge // Throw (KD) 6 dmg, speed 8.8, 2 CP Starter
9: Block // Throw (KD) 6 dmg, speed 9.8, 2 CP Starter
10: Block // Throw (KD) 6 dmg, speed 10.8, 2 CP Starter // *Healing Sphere
Healing Sphere: [Draw Phase] Ongoing. At the end of each turn:
Draw a card if you healed (even if you were at max life).
Discard this if you didn't heal or were thrown this turn.
Jack: Moonlight Sphere: Attack 5 (2) dmg, speed 2.2, 1 CP Linker // Ray of Moonlight: Attack 9 (2) dmg, speed 4.0, 1 CP Starter // *Bathed in Moonlight
Bathed In Moonlight: [End of Combat] When you hit with this attack, you may heal yourself and the opponent for 4 life. If you do, return this card to your hand.
Queen: Sunbar Cage: Throw 4+6 (+2 Any) dmg, speed 8.6, Can't Combo // Sunburst: Attack 6+7 (+1 Face) (1) dmg, speed 1.0, Can't Combo
King: Fountain of Light: Attack (KD) 9 (3) dmg, speed 2.2, Can't Combo
Ace: Twilight Key: Attack 18 (2) dmg, speed 2.0, 2 CP Linker AA // Sun and Moon: Attack 29 (2) dmg, speed 0.6, 1 CP Starter AAA // *Overdose
Overdose: [End of Combat] Both players take 10 damage (you first). If you won combat, draw 2 cards. Play only one Overdose per turn.
FAQ
Q: Is a Joker a non-Hearts card?
A: Yes.
Q: Healing Sphere: Do I still draw a card at the end of the turn I was thrown, if I healed on that turn?
A: Yes. (You follow the bullet points in order.)
Q: When should I trigger Bathed in Moonlight?
A: At the end of combat, after combat damage from the full combo is dealt. You can choose whether to trigger Bathed in Moonlight before or after playing Overdose.
Q: What does it mean to win combat? (This also applies to Long Range, Mistress's Command, and Clockwork Soldiers.)
A: Normally, the first player to successfully hit with an attack, throw or Joker, or to block or dodge an attack or Joker, wins combat. On clashes, nobody wins combat. Note that some abilities can explicitly affect who wins combat, such as Windmill Crusher or Crash Bomb.
A: Yes.
Q: Healing Sphere: Do I still draw a card at the end of the turn I was thrown, if I healed on that turn?
A: Yes. (You follow the bullet points in order.)
Q: When should I trigger Bathed in Moonlight?
A: At the end of combat, after combat damage from the full combo is dealt. You can choose whether to trigger Bathed in Moonlight before or after playing Overdose.
Q: What does it mean to win combat? (This also applies to Long Range, Mistress's Command, and Clockwork Soldiers.)
A: Normally, the first player to successfully hit with an attack, throw or Joker, or to block or dodge an attack or Joker, wins combat. On clashes, nobody wins combat. Note that some abilities can explicitly affect who wins combat, such as Windmill Crusher or Crash Bomb.
Fantasy Strike "Guide" guide
Gloria is a self-healing character who relies on recurring powerful cards over the course of the game. Her combat options are below average, but in exchange, she has incredible synergy with her abilities. Her primary card engine consists of three things: her Ace ability, Overdose , her 10 ability, Healing Sphere , and her innate ability, Healing Touch . When using these abilities in concert, Gloria can deal hefty damage while maintaining or improving her hand and life total.
If you like playing a complex character who will require a lot of practice in order to master nuanced strategies, then Gloria could be the character for you.
Healing Touch & Overdose
Healing Touch is one of the most powerful, yet most technical abilities in the game. Because Gloria has to get hearts cards into the discard pile to maximize Healing Touch, you will have to be creative with your opening moves in order to get hearts cards into the discard without relying on weak combat options. For example, if your only hearts card is a 9 , it is probably not worthwhile to risk a slow throw with a low payoff. Instead, wait for a pair and power up for the ace of hearts .
The ace of hearts is the most powerful card in Gloria's deck. You can get it early on by powering up a pair, and then continue to reuse it with Healing Touch. Overdose is both Gloria's best way to get ahead, and to close out a game. Dealing 10 damage to both players is hardly a symmetrical effect when you are healing every turn, and drawing 2 cards whenever you win combat makes you one of the only characters who can deal damage while sustaining or even building up your hand.
Due to the power of this strategy, Gloria's matches tend to be momentum based, and if she can keep using Overdose in the early phases of the game, she will amass a crushing advantage towards the middle and late game. However, even when you obtain the ace of hearts, you still have to be careful with your hand management. If you rely solely on Overdose to maintain combat options in your hand, you can find yourself in a terrible situation if you fail to win a few combats in a row.
When should you Overdose?
Overdose can be tough to value depending on the situation. As a general rule, if you're within 30 life of the opponent and are not in danger of lethal damage, Overdose is worth playing on every combat win. In some more specific situations, it can also be worth using, even with a larger life gap. For example, if you're at 14 life and your opponent is at 70 life, you should use Overdose because you have to deal so much damage that you can't afford to pass up any chance you get. However, if you had 24 life instead of 14, it's entirely possible to heal enough to get out of a dangerous life total. In that case, you would rather use your aces for either one of the attacks.
Healing Sphere
Healing Sphere is the third component to Gloria's card engine that allows her to build up a large lead. Deciding when to activate it can be difficult, because there are many things to consider. The first is that you need to plan out how you will heal for the next few turns. You can never allow a sphere to fall off in a situation where you aren't knocked down (and therefore unable to activate Healing Touch ) or thrown (which causes spheres to fall off).
The next thing to consider is how your opponent will react to the sphere being activated. Unless your opponent has an unusually strong attack available, you can expect that they will either throw, or dodge into a throw. The only exceptions are characters who have attacks that knock down, or can combo attacks into throws. Once you have determined how your opponent can respond to Healing Sphere, you need to ensure that you're in a position where a correct guess will give you a large payoff. For example, if you're playing against Argagarg, and you think he's likely to dodge, you should make sure that you have a strong throw and follow up combo available before you activate the sphere.
While there is a lot more nuance to Healing Sphere, these two principles are the most important, and you can discover more as you practice.
Navigating your opening hand
Gloria can be prone to some of the weakest opening hands in the game. Due to her reliance on her abilities, if she lacks the cards to get them going, she will struggle. A couple of things to consider when your opening hand doesn't have strong hearts cards or an Overdose are:
You need to find new cards, or power up as soon as possible. This means that you should play risky normal attacks more often than usual, because you will draw a new card on hit or block. Blocking is also decent, especially if you have a pair ready to power up. Throwing is weak because it does not let you find new cards unless you have Overdose . You only have 70 life. This means that if your opponent is capable of dealing large damage off of a specific option, you should generally play around that option until you can draw some more cards. For example, Zane has very strong throws early on in the game, but his attacks and dodges are much less impressive usually. This means that if your hand is awkward, you should attack frequently, to avoid his superior throws. If you do have an Overdose, you're able to play rather aggressively, and can apply early pressure. In general, throwing is a poor opening move for Gloria due to their low efficiency, but with an Overdose you're able to deal significant damage and find more cards. Your goal with a strong opening is to get a Healing Sphere up as soon as possible. If your opponent has not had time to develop a hand before you trigger a sphere , you can run away with the game in a low amount of turns.
Tips for playing against Gloria
Her main weakness is that sometimes she cannot get her abilities going, and dies very quickly. She only has 70 starting life, and most of her cards deal low damage. This means that Gloria will sometimes start in a vulnerable state, and early aggression can make her crumble. Due to this, Gloria tends to attack frequently. Since she has a lot of fast special attacks , it's usually hard for the opponent to hit her with a combo starter. Always pay attention to which hearts cards she is recurring with Healing Touch , because she is more likely to play them repeatedly to maintain her targets for the ability. Because filling up her discard with hearts is so vital, her non-hearts options can tell you more about her hand than it would for most other characters. For example, early in the game, if Gloria is attacking with a queen of spades, she is very unlikely to have a queen of hearts, and since that's half of the possible queens in her deck, she is pretty unlikely to have any more queens. Later in the game, these tells become less relevant, because she often has drawn most of her deck, and has most options she wants available.
Card Analysis
2 - This is usually a block, or a combo starter if you have a straight. The 2 of hearts is notable as a great first turn block.
3 - This is just a slower 2 that deals one more damage (or 4 more with the full straight).
4 - Unless you have a straight available, this is generally power-up fodder. Blocking with it is also fine.
5 - This card is surprisingly versatile. It can be a decent opening play if you have a very weak starting hand. It is also a good follow up for a throw in the mid game, as it combos into 6. It is also fine to dodge with it or power it up if the situation demands it.
6 - This is basically the same as 5.
7 - Gloria's fastest throw. Unlike most characters, it can be ok to use this as a dodge or power up fodder if you have the 7 of hearts, because you can recur it later. As the game goes on, Gloria tends to win throw clashes due to having repeated access to her 7 of hearts.
8 - This card is generally a dodge. Gloria doesn't throw enough to need these in addition to her 7s, unless you don't have any 7s. Powering up with this card is also fine.
9 - This is Gloria's weakest card rank, but it's fine to block with. Never hesitate to power up with these though.
10 - Activating Healing Sphere is almost always the proper way to use this card. It can be a block in a bad situation though. Never throw with this if you can help it. Never power up with this unless you plan to win the game on that turn. The 10 of hearts is especially notable as being an incredible recurring threat. If you find it early, you can activate it frequently and gain incredible card advantage.
Jack : Moonlight Sphere - This card is fantastic. It is Gloria's strongest throw follow up. It can also be used to trigger the healing requirement for Healing Sphere, allowing you to wait on activating Healing Touch. The 2.2 speed means it can also be a combat card in a pinch, and can combo into a straight. However, you want to save them for combos to ensure that they trigger. In general, you want to activate the heal, because returning the card to your hand is more efficient than allowing it to go to the discard.
Jack : Ray of Moonlight - This is one of Gloria's best dodge follow ups. It deals significant damage while granting you the option of healing, depending on the situation. It can also be a high risk, high reward combo starter if you're far behind. It is more effective as a combat option vs slower characters such as Midori or Rook. As with Moonlight Sphere, you generally want to activate the heal for efficiency.
Queen : Sunburst - This is Gloria's fastest non-ace attack. It is very important for dealing with some of the fastest combo starters in the game, and being able to pump for extra damage makes it particularly strong in the mid or late game. In general, you should avoid pumping it early unless you have Overdose or Healing Sphere available to make up for the card loss.
Queen : Sunbar Cage - This is Gloria's best non-ace dodge follow up in the late game. When she has the cards to spare, dealing 16 damage (plus another 10 from Overdose) makes this a very damaging option. It can also be a decent throw if you lack throw follow ups for a normal throw, but have cards to spare.
King : Fountain of Light - This is Gloria's most efficient early game defensive option. It beats many combo starters, and deals a hefty 9 damage and knock down. You can use this knock down in concert with a Healing Sphere and a fast attack to safely keep your sphere around. For example, hit with a fountain, then on the next turn activate Healing Sphere and play Sunburst. The majority of characters cannot remove spheres when you make a play like this. You can also use the same setup with a slower attack, but then you risk being hit by a full combo, which might not be worth it.
Ace : Twilight Key (AA) - This is a decent combo super in the mid or late game. You generally shouldn't prioritize it over Overdose though.
Ace : Sun and Moon (AAA) - This is your desperation super. If you're far behind, you usually risk this to try and mount a comeback. Try to limit your use of this attack to those situations though. Twilight Key + Overdose is usually a better dodge follow up for 3 aces. Also, this is the best art in the game. Wowow.
Joker : Gloria should almost never gold burst. While getting 2 aces seems nice, preventing damage and drawing 2 cards is so synergistic with her gameplan that it is the superior option is just about every situation.
Matchups
Grave
Gloria vs Grave
Grave is a fairly even fight. He has efficient damage, so he can usually build up an early lead. However, Gloria can bully him with speed advantages in the mid-game due to Healing Touch . As the game goes on, his only threat that you must avoid is True Power of Storms . It is really scary because it outspeeds all of your attacks and if it is used as a combat card, cannot be jokered. Watch out for it once you think he has 3 aces.
Jaina
Gloria vs Jaina
Jaina has weak throws early in the game. This is great news for you, since it gives you ample time to build up your hand. In the mid-game, you can stifle all of her combo starters with any of your face card attacks, and generally will be successful in combats. You also can avoid Smoldering Embers while still dealing damage by blocking and activating Overdose .
Midori
Gloria vs Midori
Gloria is susceptible to early throws , so Midori has a strong advantage from the start. However, he is poor at dealing with your myriad of fast attacks as the game goes on, due to only having 8 dodges . This means that if you put up enough defense and find your jokers, you can avoid his successful dodges with face down jokers and keep him from throwing you long enough to gain an advantage.
Setsuki
Gloria vs Setsuki
This is a tough match for Gloria. Setsuki has extremely fast combo starters , and can play aggressively from the first turn of the game. You will not have as much time as usual to build up a hand, so you will need to rely on dealing efficient damage whenever you can. Be alert for her counter , and try to only play abilities when it will leave her with about 3 cards in hand. Also note that she can combo into a throw from an attack, so your spheres are never safe.
Rook
Gloria vs Rook
Gloria is terrified of Rook's early throws and massive HP, but has some advantages as well. You will have a hard time using Overdose due to the starting life total difference, but often times you will need to draw the extra cards from Overdose, so you still have to consider it. Rook is not good at dealing with your repeated fast attacks, especially Fountain of Light , since it knocks down, preventing Rock Armor .
DeGrey
Gloria vs DeGrey
This match is a tightrope walk for Gloria. You have to make sure your hand isn't too big, or else Moral High Ground will add on crazy amounts of damage to DeGrey's combos. To accomplish this, you can play follow ups to your throws earlier than usual, and you should power up rather often. Try to prioritize knock downs more than usual, since they disable his biggest threat, Ghost Riposte .
Valerie
Gloria vs Valerie
This match is usually decided in the early game. If Gloria can get her hand set up, she can dig through her deck quickly and find her jokers, which Valerie hates. If Gloria gets off to a poor start however, Valerie's speed advantage and very fast combo starters can kill Gloria in just a few hits. Keep in mind that Valerie's early game throws are usually weak, so blocking is a strong option.
Geiger
Gloria vs Geiger
Geiger has some powerful advantages over Gloria. He has a 0.2 speed attack that knocks down , and can be comboed into. This means that your spheres are never safe. He also enjoys playing long games, because he can build up a huge Temporal Distortion combo. However, it is very hard for him to break through your barrage of special attacks, and his dodges are unimpressive unless he has multiple aces available. Attack often and make sure you have Overdose to get high damage off of each win.
Lum
Gloria vs Lum
Lum is another character who can play a slow game better than Gloria, due to Poker Flourish . He has attacks of roughly the same speed, although watch out for Rolling Panda (0.4 speed) and Great Pandamonium (0.8 speed) . His throws are some of the weakest in the game, so your spheres will force him to play outside of his comfort zone. Also be aware that if he attacks you while you have a sphere, Roll the Dice can cause a knock down, preventing you from healing . Due to this, you should never block while sphere is up.
Argagarg
Gloria vs Argagarg
The poor fish guy is really at your mercy in this matchup. Healing Touch soundly counters Hex of Murkwood , so he will have to win a large number of combats to finish you off. In general, he is slower than you, but has Bubble Shield to dissuade you from attacking too often. The only crucial thing you should try to avoid is playing your 10 of hearts as your first sphere. If Arg counters it, it goes to the bottom of your deck. This means that you can't recur it in that situation, so you should try and bait his counter with a different sphere if possible (don't wait too long if it's your only sphere though).
Quince
Gloria vs Quince
Quince has a very hard time beating your special attacks, and Sunburst is faster than every attack he has. However, he gains a large reward from successfully blocking, so you can't play attacks too often despite their speed advantage. The best way to win this matchup is to learn Quince's mixups during Positive Spin and Patriot Mirror turns.
Onimaru
Gloria vs Onimaru
Onimaru has weak throws and extremely limited access to knock downs . This means that your spheres are very effective in most cases. However, Onimaru hits extremely hard and can kill you in as few as 4 hits. Due to this, you have to play around high damage options in the early game (primarily his high rank normal attacks), and force him to opt for lower damage fast attacks, or less card efficient dodges.
Troq
Gloria vs Troq
Troq combines the scariest aspects of Midori and Rook vs Gloria. He has access to a high damage super that he can dodge into. He also has very powerful blocks due to getting stacks of Giant Growth . He has an advantage all game, and will require strong reads to overcome.
BBB
Gloria vs BBB
This is one of Gloria's most favorable matchups. BBB has a hard time obtaining range against your special attacks, and even when he gets there he can struggle. His main threat is Piston Hurricane , so as long as you have a joker available in the late game, he will have to play it as his combat card to deal significant damage.
Menelker
Gloria vs Menelker
This is a match that will require a lot of practice to find success in. You have to abandon your normal game plan and go on the all out offensive. Due to the combination of Bonecracker and Into Oblivion , your ace of hearts is in constant jeopardy. Due to the threat of this combo, you need to get as many uses of your ace as possible before it happens. Make sure you can always recur it when you use it, otherwise he can banish it without having to connect with Bonecracker. The good news is that Menelker only has 70 life, so you can win the game rapidly.
Persephone
Gloria vs Persephone
Persephone has strong answers to most of the things you will be trying to do. When you activate Healing Sphere , she can force you to pay 10 life with Do As Told , which is really painful considering that you have to rely on Overdose to defeat her before she can take over the match. She also has Mistress's Command and Bare Your Soul to strip your best cards, such as the ones that will allow you to continue to use Healing Touch . On top of that, she can loop knock downs, which will disable your Healing Touch until you can break out of the cycle. Despite all of that, she only has 75 life, so much like Menelker, you can put her away quickly if you get off to a good start.
Gloria
Gloria vs Gloria
The mirror has no special tricks to it. Knock downs are strong but other than that, manage your hand well and try to make good reads.
Gwen
Gloria vs Gwen
Gwen has some very fast combo starters , so you will have to rely on Sunburst more than usual to avoid taking big damage. Other than that, she doesn't disrupt your game plan very much. Just make sure that you don't underestimate her combo damage (she can do over 40), and put yourself in a dangerous situation with Overdose .
Vendetta
Gloria vs Vendetta
Vendetta has a hard time using his normal attacks against your special attacks, which puts him on the defensive in the early game. He does have faster throws and the dangerous Wall Dive Suplex available to him, so he tends to rely on a throw/dodge mix up game.
Zane
Gloria vs Zane
Zane has a strong throw game , a strong knockdown game , efficient dodges, and situationally fast combo starters. Since all of these are traits that Gloria struggles against, it is a tough match for her. You need to keep a Sunburst available in case he knocks you down. Other than that, you just have to play well in order to win.
If you like playing a complex character who will require a lot of practice in order to master nuanced strategies, then Gloria could be the character for you.
Healing Touch & Overdose
Healing Touch is one of the most powerful, yet most technical abilities in the game. Because Gloria has to get hearts cards into the discard pile to maximize Healing Touch, you will have to be creative with your opening moves in order to get hearts cards into the discard without relying on weak combat options. For example, if your only hearts card is a 9 , it is probably not worthwhile to risk a slow throw with a low payoff. Instead, wait for a pair and power up for the ace of hearts .
The ace of hearts is the most powerful card in Gloria's deck. You can get it early on by powering up a pair, and then continue to reuse it with Healing Touch. Overdose is both Gloria's best way to get ahead, and to close out a game. Dealing 10 damage to both players is hardly a symmetrical effect when you are healing every turn, and drawing 2 cards whenever you win combat makes you one of the only characters who can deal damage while sustaining or even building up your hand.
Due to the power of this strategy, Gloria's matches tend to be momentum based, and if she can keep using Overdose in the early phases of the game, she will amass a crushing advantage towards the middle and late game. However, even when you obtain the ace of hearts, you still have to be careful with your hand management. If you rely solely on Overdose to maintain combat options in your hand, you can find yourself in a terrible situation if you fail to win a few combats in a row.
When should you Overdose?
Overdose can be tough to value depending on the situation. As a general rule, if you're within 30 life of the opponent and are not in danger of lethal damage, Overdose is worth playing on every combat win. In some more specific situations, it can also be worth using, even with a larger life gap. For example, if you're at 14 life and your opponent is at 70 life, you should use Overdose because you have to deal so much damage that you can't afford to pass up any chance you get. However, if you had 24 life instead of 14, it's entirely possible to heal enough to get out of a dangerous life total. In that case, you would rather use your aces for either one of the attacks.
Healing Sphere
Healing Sphere is the third component to Gloria's card engine that allows her to build up a large lead. Deciding when to activate it can be difficult, because there are many things to consider. The first is that you need to plan out how you will heal for the next few turns. You can never allow a sphere to fall off in a situation where you aren't knocked down (and therefore unable to activate Healing Touch ) or thrown (which causes spheres to fall off).
The next thing to consider is how your opponent will react to the sphere being activated. Unless your opponent has an unusually strong attack available, you can expect that they will either throw, or dodge into a throw. The only exceptions are characters who have attacks that knock down, or can combo attacks into throws. Once you have determined how your opponent can respond to Healing Sphere, you need to ensure that you're in a position where a correct guess will give you a large payoff. For example, if you're playing against Argagarg, and you think he's likely to dodge, you should make sure that you have a strong throw and follow up combo available before you activate the sphere.
While there is a lot more nuance to Healing Sphere, these two principles are the most important, and you can discover more as you practice.
Navigating your opening hand
Gloria can be prone to some of the weakest opening hands in the game. Due to her reliance on her abilities, if she lacks the cards to get them going, she will struggle. A couple of things to consider when your opening hand doesn't have strong hearts cards or an Overdose are:
You need to find new cards, or power up as soon as possible. This means that you should play risky normal attacks more often than usual, because you will draw a new card on hit or block. Blocking is also decent, especially if you have a pair ready to power up. Throwing is weak because it does not let you find new cards unless you have Overdose . You only have 70 life. This means that if your opponent is capable of dealing large damage off of a specific option, you should generally play around that option until you can draw some more cards. For example, Zane has very strong throws early on in the game, but his attacks and dodges are much less impressive usually. This means that if your hand is awkward, you should attack frequently, to avoid his superior throws. If you do have an Overdose, you're able to play rather aggressively, and can apply early pressure. In general, throwing is a poor opening move for Gloria due to their low efficiency, but with an Overdose you're able to deal significant damage and find more cards. Your goal with a strong opening is to get a Healing Sphere up as soon as possible. If your opponent has not had time to develop a hand before you trigger a sphere , you can run away with the game in a low amount of turns.
Tips for playing against Gloria
Her main weakness is that sometimes she cannot get her abilities going, and dies very quickly. She only has 70 starting life, and most of her cards deal low damage. This means that Gloria will sometimes start in a vulnerable state, and early aggression can make her crumble. Due to this, Gloria tends to attack frequently. Since she has a lot of fast special attacks , it's usually hard for the opponent to hit her with a combo starter. Always pay attention to which hearts cards she is recurring with Healing Touch , because she is more likely to play them repeatedly to maintain her targets for the ability. Because filling up her discard with hearts is so vital, her non-hearts options can tell you more about her hand than it would for most other characters. For example, early in the game, if Gloria is attacking with a queen of spades, she is very unlikely to have a queen of hearts, and since that's half of the possible queens in her deck, she is pretty unlikely to have any more queens. Later in the game, these tells become less relevant, because she often has drawn most of her deck, and has most options she wants available.
Card Analysis
2 - This is usually a block, or a combo starter if you have a straight. The 2 of hearts is notable as a great first turn block.
3 - This is just a slower 2 that deals one more damage (or 4 more with the full straight).
4 - Unless you have a straight available, this is generally power-up fodder. Blocking with it is also fine.
5 - This card is surprisingly versatile. It can be a decent opening play if you have a very weak starting hand. It is also a good follow up for a throw in the mid game, as it combos into 6. It is also fine to dodge with it or power it up if the situation demands it.
6 - This is basically the same as 5.
7 - Gloria's fastest throw. Unlike most characters, it can be ok to use this as a dodge or power up fodder if you have the 7 of hearts, because you can recur it later. As the game goes on, Gloria tends to win throw clashes due to having repeated access to her 7 of hearts.
8 - This card is generally a dodge. Gloria doesn't throw enough to need these in addition to her 7s, unless you don't have any 7s. Powering up with this card is also fine.
9 - This is Gloria's weakest card rank, but it's fine to block with. Never hesitate to power up with these though.
10 - Activating Healing Sphere is almost always the proper way to use this card. It can be a block in a bad situation though. Never throw with this if you can help it. Never power up with this unless you plan to win the game on that turn. The 10 of hearts is especially notable as being an incredible recurring threat. If you find it early, you can activate it frequently and gain incredible card advantage.
Jack : Moonlight Sphere - This card is fantastic. It is Gloria's strongest throw follow up. It can also be used to trigger the healing requirement for Healing Sphere, allowing you to wait on activating Healing Touch. The 2.2 speed means it can also be a combat card in a pinch, and can combo into a straight. However, you want to save them for combos to ensure that they trigger. In general, you want to activate the heal, because returning the card to your hand is more efficient than allowing it to go to the discard.
Jack : Ray of Moonlight - This is one of Gloria's best dodge follow ups. It deals significant damage while granting you the option of healing, depending on the situation. It can also be a high risk, high reward combo starter if you're far behind. It is more effective as a combat option vs slower characters such as Midori or Rook. As with Moonlight Sphere, you generally want to activate the heal for efficiency.
Queen : Sunburst - This is Gloria's fastest non-ace attack. It is very important for dealing with some of the fastest combo starters in the game, and being able to pump for extra damage makes it particularly strong in the mid or late game. In general, you should avoid pumping it early unless you have Overdose or Healing Sphere available to make up for the card loss.
Queen : Sunbar Cage - This is Gloria's best non-ace dodge follow up in the late game. When she has the cards to spare, dealing 16 damage (plus another 10 from Overdose) makes this a very damaging option. It can also be a decent throw if you lack throw follow ups for a normal throw, but have cards to spare.
King : Fountain of Light - This is Gloria's most efficient early game defensive option. It beats many combo starters, and deals a hefty 9 damage and knock down. You can use this knock down in concert with a Healing Sphere and a fast attack to safely keep your sphere around. For example, hit with a fountain, then on the next turn activate Healing Sphere and play Sunburst. The majority of characters cannot remove spheres when you make a play like this. You can also use the same setup with a slower attack, but then you risk being hit by a full combo, which might not be worth it.
Ace : Twilight Key (AA) - This is a decent combo super in the mid or late game. You generally shouldn't prioritize it over Overdose though.
Ace : Sun and Moon (AAA) - This is your desperation super. If you're far behind, you usually risk this to try and mount a comeback. Try to limit your use of this attack to those situations though. Twilight Key + Overdose is usually a better dodge follow up for 3 aces. Also, this is the best art in the game. Wowow.
Joker : Gloria should almost never gold burst. While getting 2 aces seems nice, preventing damage and drawing 2 cards is so synergistic with her gameplan that it is the superior option is just about every situation.
Matchups
Grave
Gloria vs Grave
Grave is a fairly even fight. He has efficient damage, so he can usually build up an early lead. However, Gloria can bully him with speed advantages in the mid-game due to Healing Touch . As the game goes on, his only threat that you must avoid is True Power of Storms . It is really scary because it outspeeds all of your attacks and if it is used as a combat card, cannot be jokered. Watch out for it once you think he has 3 aces.
Jaina
Gloria vs Jaina
Jaina has weak throws early in the game. This is great news for you, since it gives you ample time to build up your hand. In the mid-game, you can stifle all of her combo starters with any of your face card attacks, and generally will be successful in combats. You also can avoid Smoldering Embers while still dealing damage by blocking and activating Overdose .
Midori
Gloria vs Midori
Gloria is susceptible to early throws , so Midori has a strong advantage from the start. However, he is poor at dealing with your myriad of fast attacks as the game goes on, due to only having 8 dodges . This means that if you put up enough defense and find your jokers, you can avoid his successful dodges with face down jokers and keep him from throwing you long enough to gain an advantage.
Setsuki
Gloria vs Setsuki
This is a tough match for Gloria. Setsuki has extremely fast combo starters , and can play aggressively from the first turn of the game. You will not have as much time as usual to build up a hand, so you will need to rely on dealing efficient damage whenever you can. Be alert for her counter , and try to only play abilities when it will leave her with about 3 cards in hand. Also note that she can combo into a throw from an attack, so your spheres are never safe.
Rook
Gloria vs Rook
Gloria is terrified of Rook's early throws and massive HP, but has some advantages as well. You will have a hard time using Overdose due to the starting life total difference, but often times you will need to draw the extra cards from Overdose, so you still have to consider it. Rook is not good at dealing with your repeated fast attacks, especially Fountain of Light , since it knocks down, preventing Rock Armor .
DeGrey
Gloria vs DeGrey
This match is a tightrope walk for Gloria. You have to make sure your hand isn't too big, or else Moral High Ground will add on crazy amounts of damage to DeGrey's combos. To accomplish this, you can play follow ups to your throws earlier than usual, and you should power up rather often. Try to prioritize knock downs more than usual, since they disable his biggest threat, Ghost Riposte .
Valerie
Gloria vs Valerie
This match is usually decided in the early game. If Gloria can get her hand set up, she can dig through her deck quickly and find her jokers, which Valerie hates. If Gloria gets off to a poor start however, Valerie's speed advantage and very fast combo starters can kill Gloria in just a few hits. Keep in mind that Valerie's early game throws are usually weak, so blocking is a strong option.
Geiger
Gloria vs Geiger
Geiger has some powerful advantages over Gloria. He has a 0.2 speed attack that knocks down , and can be comboed into. This means that your spheres are never safe. He also enjoys playing long games, because he can build up a huge Temporal Distortion combo. However, it is very hard for him to break through your barrage of special attacks, and his dodges are unimpressive unless he has multiple aces available. Attack often and make sure you have Overdose to get high damage off of each win.
Lum
Gloria vs Lum
Lum is another character who can play a slow game better than Gloria, due to Poker Flourish . He has attacks of roughly the same speed, although watch out for Rolling Panda (0.4 speed) and Great Pandamonium (0.8 speed) . His throws are some of the weakest in the game, so your spheres will force him to play outside of his comfort zone. Also be aware that if he attacks you while you have a sphere, Roll the Dice can cause a knock down, preventing you from healing . Due to this, you should never block while sphere is up.
Argagarg
Gloria vs Argagarg
The poor fish guy is really at your mercy in this matchup. Healing Touch soundly counters Hex of Murkwood , so he will have to win a large number of combats to finish you off. In general, he is slower than you, but has Bubble Shield to dissuade you from attacking too often. The only crucial thing you should try to avoid is playing your 10 of hearts as your first sphere. If Arg counters it, it goes to the bottom of your deck. This means that you can't recur it in that situation, so you should try and bait his counter with a different sphere if possible (don't wait too long if it's your only sphere though).
Quince
Gloria vs Quince
Quince has a very hard time beating your special attacks, and Sunburst is faster than every attack he has. However, he gains a large reward from successfully blocking, so you can't play attacks too often despite their speed advantage. The best way to win this matchup is to learn Quince's mixups during Positive Spin and Patriot Mirror turns.
Onimaru
Gloria vs Onimaru
Onimaru has weak throws and extremely limited access to knock downs . This means that your spheres are very effective in most cases. However, Onimaru hits extremely hard and can kill you in as few as 4 hits. Due to this, you have to play around high damage options in the early game (primarily his high rank normal attacks), and force him to opt for lower damage fast attacks, or less card efficient dodges.
Troq
Gloria vs Troq
Troq combines the scariest aspects of Midori and Rook vs Gloria. He has access to a high damage super that he can dodge into. He also has very powerful blocks due to getting stacks of Giant Growth . He has an advantage all game, and will require strong reads to overcome.
BBB
Gloria vs BBB
This is one of Gloria's most favorable matchups. BBB has a hard time obtaining range against your special attacks, and even when he gets there he can struggle. His main threat is Piston Hurricane , so as long as you have a joker available in the late game, he will have to play it as his combat card to deal significant damage.
Menelker
Gloria vs Menelker
This is a match that will require a lot of practice to find success in. You have to abandon your normal game plan and go on the all out offensive. Due to the combination of Bonecracker and Into Oblivion , your ace of hearts is in constant jeopardy. Due to the threat of this combo, you need to get as many uses of your ace as possible before it happens. Make sure you can always recur it when you use it, otherwise he can banish it without having to connect with Bonecracker. The good news is that Menelker only has 70 life, so you can win the game rapidly.
Persephone
Gloria vs Persephone
Persephone has strong answers to most of the things you will be trying to do. When you activate Healing Sphere , she can force you to pay 10 life with Do As Told , which is really painful considering that you have to rely on Overdose to defeat her before she can take over the match. She also has Mistress's Command and Bare Your Soul to strip your best cards, such as the ones that will allow you to continue to use Healing Touch . On top of that, she can loop knock downs, which will disable your Healing Touch until you can break out of the cycle. Despite all of that, she only has 75 life, so much like Menelker, you can put her away quickly if you get off to a good start.
Gloria
Gloria vs Gloria
The mirror has no special tricks to it. Knock downs are strong but other than that, manage your hand well and try to make good reads.
Gwen
Gloria vs Gwen
Gwen has some very fast combo starters , so you will have to rely on Sunburst more than usual to avoid taking big damage. Other than that, she doesn't disrupt your game plan very much. Just make sure that you don't underestimate her combo damage (she can do over 40), and put yourself in a dangerous situation with Overdose .
Vendetta
Gloria vs Vendetta
Vendetta has a hard time using his normal attacks against your special attacks, which puts him on the defensive in the early game. He does have faster throws and the dangerous Wall Dive Suplex available to him, so he tends to rely on a throw/dodge mix up game.
Zane
Gloria vs Zane
Zane has a strong throw game , a strong knockdown game , efficient dodges, and situationally fast combo starters. Since all of these are traits that Gloria struggles against, it is a tough match for her. You need to keep a Sunburst available in case he knocks you down. Other than that, you just have to play well in order to win.