• ATTACK DECKS
• DISARM DECKS
• CHEESE DECKS
• OTHER THINGS TO REMEMBER (all strategies)

ATTACK DECKS
The SwordMaster Game System  (on which Highlander is based) represents a sword fight between two people.  An attack deck tries to "out-pummel" his opponent by attacking so hard and so often that he or she has to take some damage.  There are a couple of ways that this can be accomplished:

• Using multiple attacks each turn (Battle Rage, Berserk, etc.)
• Doing lot's of damage with each attack (Power Blows, Kurgan's ability, etc.)
• and Limiting your opponents Defenses (unblockable/undodgeable attacks, Challenge SE, Catwalks, etc.)
• Hidden Attacks

Multiple Attacks
It should stand to reason that the more you attack, the harder it is for your opponent to defend against them.  Using cards like Battle Rage, Extra Shot, and Combination and many of the new Weapons of Choice will allow you to make extra attacks.  Each attack does 2 damage, so the more attacks that get through the better.  Some tips to make your multiple attacks more effective:

• Use lots of corners! - attacking to opposite corners will make it harder for your opponent to defend with just one defense.  This is especially true when you use Extra Shot, since any additional defenses have to come from an Exertion!  And remember, he has to defend your attacks in the order you played them.
• SLASH!  - Only the first attack can't be to where you just blocked.  Slashes do less damage, but are harder to defend.  If you block to an area cover by your Slash, use Slash as your second (or later) attack.
• Non-Basic Attacks - don't underestimate these babies for multiple attacks!  A good Shove or Stunning Blow at the right moment can be just what the doctor ordered.

Heavy Damage Attacks
A good Power Blow is always a great way to do some damage to your opponent.  Combine that with Kurgan's special ability and you can have a possible six point attack (Thrust)!  Remember, there are more ways to make Power Blows than just Exerting:

• Slan Quince - he can make power blows without exerting!
• Spinning Attacks - just the thing for following up those Jumps, Ducks, Distracts and Master's Dodges
• Power Blow cards - you can use the Power Blow card instead of making an Exertion.  If you're using the Kurgan, his Hammer Blow is an excellent card for this as well.
• Cards That Add Damage - cards like the Bright Blades promo, War Axe Weapon of Choice, Twist, and Ceirdwyn's Twist all cause attacks to do additional damge if they are successful.

Just don't forget that your opponent get's a free hidden attack when you make a Power Blow (unless you're Duncan)

Controlling Your Opponent's Defense
You can land more of those carefully played attacks by controlling your opponent's defensive options.  This can range from playing unblockable/undodgeable attacks to removing standing defenses.

• Prevent them from playing defenses - Challenge SE will stop your opponent from dodging your attacks, but don't forget that you can't dodge next turn, either!  Both the Head Hunter and Cat & Mouse: Defense plots will help you get rid of their defenses, as well as Kiss Your Butts Goodbye or Kastigir's Charm.
• Special Attacks - lots of special attacks are unblockable and undodgeable, making them harder to defend; even with Alertness to help.  Also, Ranged Attacks can't be blocked even with Alertness: Block.  Try a Challenge/Shooting Blade sometime (ouch!)
• Removing Standing Defenses - There are lots of ways to remove standing defenses.  Trip and Rush are great cards for this.  The Ruins location will prevent your opponent from even playing a standing defense.  You don't even need to use a Special card to remove a standing defense.  Try using a Dirty Trick: Shove as the first attack in your Battle Rage.
• Unblockable/Undodgeable Specials - Lots of special cards allow you make attacks unblockable, undodgeable, or both.  Most of these are Immortal Specific cards.  Amanda's Seduce does both, Nefertiri's makes it undodgeable, and Xavier's Hook is unblockable AND gives you an extra attack!  Combine this with a Power Blow and you've got some damage coming!
• Stopping Holy Ground - don't you hate it when your opponent avoids all 13 of your Bloodlust attacks by running to Holy Ground?  Well, try Carl or the promotional card The Gathering to stop that!  Lt. John Stenn can stop any Event for a price, or if you're playing as Xavier you can use his Forethought.  And let's not forget the new Ring of Fire!  That will stop those nasty Disappears and Live Forevers as well!

Hidden Attacks
It's harder for your opponent to defend against your attack if he doesn't know where it's coming from .  And there are lots of ways to make hidden attacks:

• After a Power Blow - if your opponent makes a Power Blow, use that opportunity to make a Hidden Attack!
• Special Cards - lots of Special Cards give you Hidden attacks: Trip, Mountain Cave, and Nakano's Swords to Snakes to name a few.
• Riposte! - use this card after you block and it's hidden!  However, you have to tell your opponent that it's Hidden because it's a Riposte unless you could have made it Hidden by other means.

Combining Tactics
While all of these tactics can work by themselves, they work best when you put them together.  How about an unblockable/undodgeable Power Blow?  Challenge/Hidden attack?  Battle Rage in the Mountain Cave?  A little practice and planning will have you taking heads in no time!

DISARM STRATEGY

Disarm Strategies rely on your ability to remove your opponent from his sword, and then using any of the above Attack strategies to do lots of damage before he can recover it.  Here's a few of the finer points on disarm strategies:

• Increase Your Chances - using the Generic Disarm, you have a 1 in 6 chance of disarming your opponent.  Not very good odds if your strategy depends on it.  You can use Iron Will to increase your odds all the way up to 6 in 6 (they're Edge cards, you can play as many as you want), and if you still don't roll successfully you can use Practice, Practice... to try again.  Any Disarm Deck should have six of each of these.
• Prevent Them From Re-Arming - once you've disarmed them, keep it that way.  Use Theif or Misfortune on any Extra Weapons in play.  Use Forged Steel or Break Weapon and they can't Recover Weapon or roll to recover.  Fighting in the Parking Garage will keep them from rolling to recover their weapon.  Unfortunately there's not a whole lot you can do about Watcher: Fair Fight other than a Watcher: Counter or ripping a TCG.
• More Than Just Disarm - There are more ways to disarm your opponent than just Disarm. Connor, Nakano, and the Kurgan all have a Master's Disarm.  Try using Honed Weapon, Break Weapon or Forged Steel to break their weapon.  Try using Collapse on the Catwalks, or Hidden Shrine in the Ruins.  And Iron Will and Practice, Practice... work on all of these.

CHEESE DECKS
Not all Immortals are out for a fair fight.  Instead of coming after you with their sword, they send Street Punks and Angry Mobs to do their dirty work for them.  This kind of strategy is called Cheese (because it's a really "cheesy" way to win).

• Lot's of direct damage! - some immortals have an advantage over others in this.  Xavier has Alliance and Katana has Toadies.  Careful Planning/Angry Mob is a real popular combo.  Then there's Muggings, Street Punks, Watcher: Hunters... it's a big, bad, dangerous world out there!
• Ability Loss - your opponent can't Police out of Ability Loss!  How about the ever-popular Unholy Alliance plot?  Are those attacks clogging up your hand?  Use Bassett and Hotchkiss to get rid of them!  Just remember that you lose ability as well.
• Stop The Heal - keep your opponent from healing back all that damage you've just dealt him.  Use Watcher: Counter or Xavier's Forethought on their Watcher: Healers.  Kate them when they use Lost Love.  Police that Master's Advice, Thief that Quality Blade.  You get the picture.  (This also works well for Attack and Disarm strategies)
• Dodge, dodge, DODGE! - avoid all those nasty attacks; they're interfering wth the game ;).  When you can't dodge, run to Holy Ground.

OTHER THINGS TO REMEMBER
There are some things you have to remember no matter what your strategy

• Defense - Sometimes the best offense is a good defense.  If your opponent can't hurt you, you might just outlast him.  Put in enough Dodges and Blocks to deal with your opponent's attacks.
• Heal Me - Use your Watcher: Healers and Lost Loves to regain your lost ability if you've been damaged.  Use Police: Damage to stop that Angry Mob.  Or better yet, Greenfield Hobbies!
• Cops and Robbers - I mean Police and Thief.  Remove those situations that hurt you or help your opponent and Thief his objects.  If you don't like fighting in the Mountain Cave, just Get Away From It All or play a new Location.  What's not being played is just as important as what is.  Of course, with the errata to Thief, you will probably want to use Misfortune instead. Flamboyant Attacks combined with Dirty Tricks and Improvised Weapon: Attack are great ways to get rid of your opponent's Objects and Situations if you are already restricting their Dodging ability.
• Hand Cycling - too many useless cards in your hand?  Add a few Flashbacks or Elizabeth Vaughns to get rid of those unwanted cards.  A Dojo is always handy for storing those "maybe" cards.
• Deck Size - having lots of cards is great for Exertions, but it's suicide when you can't find that Holy Ground!  Remember, the more cards you have in your deck, the harder it is to find the one card you need.

Well, that's the Basics.  You can use some of these basic strategies to build on or develop your own.  Combining these strategies can make for a pretty formidable deck and, if designed right, can also deal with a lot more strategies that it comes up against.