BRAWL: Basic Set

The Basic Set of BRAWL, illustrated by Ryan Kinnaird, is a set of very simple decks. It's perfect for beginners, but experienced players also frequently play these decks. Played well, these decks can hold their own against the more sophisticated decks in the series.

The six basic decks are Bennett, Chris, Darwin, Hale, Morgan, and Pearl. Their complete recipes are in the table below.

Deck	Bennett	Chris	Darwin	Hale	Morgan	Pearl
Blue Hit	8	7	4	5	8	7
Blue Hit-2	-	-	1	1	-	1
Blue Block	1	2	3	-	4	1
Green Hit	3	5	4	8	6	7
Green Hit-2	-	-	-	1	-	1
Green Block	1	2	1	1	2	1
Red Hit	4	8	8	4	2	1
Red Hit-2	-	-	1	1	-	-
Red Block	1	2	3	1	1	1
Base	7	4	3	6	5	5
Clear	6	2	1	4	4	5
Press	1	-	3	-	-	2
Freeze	3	3	3	3	3	3

Bennett

"Bennett is a thoughtful fighter, the slowest in the set. He has the strength to accomplish anything, but is seldom sure of what he wants. Skill Level: Advanced. Advantages: Slippery. Many Bases and Clears. Weakness: Biased. Few Hits in red and green."

Bennett is widely regarded as one of the two strongest fighters in the original set (along with Pearl). It takes little effort to get up to speed with either of these "advanced" decks, as they are still relatively simple compared to those in later expansions. Bennett's weaknesses are harder to exploit than Pearl's, since it's not terribly easy to close him out in either of his weak colors. And of all the basic set, he's the one who can get away with the most thinking. With 7 Bases and 6 Clears, he can undo just about anything you throw at him.

Chris

"Chris is a stubborn and level-headed fighter. She never strikes an opponent in anger, and is eager to meet any challenge. Skill Level: Easy. Advantages: Balanced. Good mix of Hits and Blocks. Weakness: Predictable. Not many strange cards."

Chris is probably the simplest BRAWL deck that will ever be created. This also makes her the yardstick against which all other decks are balanced. In the hands of a talented player, Chris is a powerful and lightning-fast deck. Unfortunately, if she gives her opponents any time to maneuver, they are likely to take her out.

Darwin

"Darwin is versatile and strong, and always full of surprises. He can be selfish, creative, and aggressive, and never passes up a challenge. Skill Level: Moderate. Advantages: Tricky, lots of Presses and Blocks. Weakness: Reckless. Few Bases and Clears."

Before the Club Foglio characters arrived, Darwin was widely regarded as the weakest of the basic set. True to form, he was full of surprises. His three Presses make him some people's first choice against any deck that relies on Base Modifiers, which were not introduced in the basic set. Still Darwin presents some unique challenges, such as how to get by with only one Clear.

Hale

"Hale is a powerhouse, the biggest and strongest fighter in the set. His technique is very simple, which can sometimes get him into trouble. Skill Level: Easy. Advantages: Strong. Hits and Hit-2's in every color. Weakness: Narrow. No Presses, very few Blocks."

If you play Hale, you have to play him simple and fast. That's what we are alluding to in the box text. You don't have any clever decisions to make: no Presses, no weak colors, very few Blocks. As long as you don't stop to think much, you'll do fine with Hale.

Morgan

"Morgan is tiny, sleek, and devastating. She has a quick temper and a very simple fighting style. Because of her size, she mush be fast to win! Skill Level: Moderate. Advantages: Focused. Strong Hits and Blocks in two colors. Weakness: Small. Nothing fancy, only two red Hits."

Morgan requires as much speed as Hale, but also a good deal of thought. That's why we rated her as "Moderate." With one weak color and a disproportionate number of Blocks, Morgan will keep you on your toes. But if you play her fast enough, you will do exceptionally well.

Pearl

"Pearl is a serious fighter: complex, bright, and very strong. She can be easily distracted, but loves the challenge of a good fight. Skill Level: Advanced. Advantages: Complex. A little bit of everything. Weakness: Vulnerable. Only one Red Hit."

Pearl quickly jumped to the top of the popularity heap, based in no small part on her artwork. She's also got more Clears than anyone besides Bennett, and she's fairly easy to play as long as no one discovers how to close her down. Once players reach the level that they can shut Pearl out in Red, she has to play a little better to stay on top! Still she's regarded as one of the two best fighters in the basic set (along with Bennett.)

Beat People Up, the Button Men and BRAWL Home Page, is (c) 2002 James Ernest and Cheapass Games.