Revolution Batista Strategy Guide
by Andy Covell

Choice.
Batista is the animal, as well as the World Heavyweight Champion. His moves are huge and powerful and probably hurt. Now I was training in OVW (trying in TNA now), and never stepped in the Ring with him, but I have taken Body Slams and Clotheslines...and I must say, it wasn't pretty :( Imagine a guy like him knocking you around. So immediately when I see this guy (just last week actually at a house show), I want to build him with massive maneuvers. Naturally, I decided to try his Storyline (Although is normal ability is just as good):

I Walk Alone
Pre-match: Storyline
Discard 2 cards.
Superstar Value: +4
New Superstar Ability:
Your Colossals are -6F.
Successfully play a Colossal: draw up to 1 card.
Unique

BACKLASH DECK (12)

Pre-match (6)
Intercontinental Title Belt x1
I Walk Alone x1
A New Plan x1
Hardcore Hell x1
Ring Psychology: Hold x1
Ring Psychology: Assault x1

Your Pre-match depends on who goes first.
If your opponent is Triple H or John Cena, play the Intercontinental Title Belt first because otherwise, if they are gold hungry, they may play that belt card before you do. Which would really, really stink. If they play Intercontinental Title Belt before you, then play Hardcore Hell. Then of course play I Walk Alone. The 3rd is a throw up on what you would like to play. This Pre-match is actually up to the player.

Normally if you can play what you want, it will look like this:(good to see if there are better cards to discard)

Intercontinental Title Belt>I Walk Alone>your choice

Opponent plays belt before you:
I Walk Alone>Hardcore Hell>your choice

Now the "your choice" may have people in confusion. But yes...this is my deck idea. But it's up to you to elaborate on what I have created. This gives even players that copy whole deck lists the choice to accept what they will do during a game. Either option you choose, will benefit you and here's why.

Ring Psychology: Hold>Nice little card for recovery, which is a big thing (at least to me) in the Revolution format. So more power to stay alive. And plenty of Holds to gain this benefit.

A New Plan> This is definitely your way to change that 9 hand size. Unfortunately, there is no guarantee that your hand will be better than your other hand, so if you are going to play it, play it after your belt for 11. That way, when you play I Walk Alone, at least you have some choice on what to discard.

Ring Psychology: Assault>Let's see here. Get cards from your Ringside pile. Hmm...play maybe a small Assault core to grab, let's say, a Colossal STF, or DDT...ouch! Or use it on Clothesline to grab a Figure Four Leg Lock! Pound after pound of Colossal!

Hardcore Hell>Have nothing to say bad about this card. This could be a Superstar-Specific. Combo this will Abdominal Stretch to get rid of Masochist out of opponents Arsenal, and your definitely in range to play any Colossal in the deck! Plus Bear Hugs and Snap Mare still gives you that feeling you are still playing the old Ability.

Mid-match (6)
A Thousand Years of Anger x1
Before This Gets Out of Hand x1
Keep Your Eyes Open or It's Game Over x1
I Can Do Anything I Want x1
Knife-Edge Chop x1
Talk Is Cheap x1

Good reversals. I only pack Talk is Cheap in case there is a card that I simply cannot afford to take. Personally, I hate having high Fortitude not playing Antics. Although many are not in this deck, it still is a downfall...Knife-Edge Chop is in their as a low Fortitude maneuver to play so you don't overturn 6, and a bonus to Ring Psychology: Assault, as well as a way to fill up their Mid-match slots!!! A Thousand Years of Anger is just so amazing. Reversal that stops a lot of power and does damage. Unlike cards like Before this Gets Out of hand, it can't be played for a while. I did not include Wreckless Intent as his hand size should have some type of low fortitude maneuver.

ARSENAL (60)

Superstar-specific (7)
Inside This Pit of Danger x1
I'll Chew Them Up and Spit Them Out x1
The Animalistic Clothesline x1
The Hanging Tree x1
The Evolved Spinebuster x1
The Guardian Powerslam x1
The Demon Bomb x1

All the specifics are awesome minus The Hanging Tree...if it were Colossal, it would be awesome, but it isn't, so it isn't as amazing, but definitely pack it.
F:0 Assault Cores (8)
Slap x3
Punch x3
Big Boot x2
Reversals only, unless needed to play a maneuver.
F:0 Hold Cores (8)
Collar & Elbow Lockup x3
Arm Bar x3
Chicken Wing x2
Reversals only, unless needed to play a maneuver.
F:0 Throw Cores (8)
Headlock Takedown x3
Belly to Belly Suplex x3
Inverted Atomic Drop x2
Reversals only, unless needed to play a maneuver.
Non-F:0 Assault Cores (0)
Does not fit with the deck theme.
Non-F:0 Hold Cores (6)
Bear Hug x3
Abdominal Stretch x3
Bear Hugs are like having Batista's old Ability, in maneuver form, and getting rid of overturning reversals like You Telegraphed That. Abdominal Stretch is in there in case of not drawing a Colossal, as getting rid of Masochist at Heart can really make your opponent upset...Plus Ring Psychology: Hold can get great benefits from this when you get some recovery. Small stuff to get to the minimal Fortitude Rating to get to your Colossals.
Non-F:0 Throw Cores (3)
Snap Mare x3
Small stuff to get to the minimal Fortitude Rating to get to your Colossals. Plus a great card in itself. Another mini old Batista Ability.
Hold, Assault, and Throw Means(0)
Why? Well uh let's see...why have Means when you have Colossals? Your Colossals just turned into Mean Fortitude level Colossal damage. With a deck like Test or Batista, Means become scarce, if none at all, like my build. You already have 3 Superstar Specific Mean cards if you need them.
Assault Colossals (1)
Clothesline x1
Works ok with Ring Psychology: Assault plus Colossal pain and recovery.
Hold Colossals (4)
STF x2
Figure Four Leg Lock x2
Lowest Colossal in the game. Plus Ring removal. This is getting downright dangerous!
Throw Colossals (3)
DDT x2
Press Slam x1
Remove Ring...yes...and if your opponent has nothing else to remove, nail em with a Press Slam. Search and Destroy...
Reversals (10)
Masochist at Heart x2
Try to Get Away x1
You Telegraphed That x2
I Won't Be Beat Tonight x1
Why Don't You Kiss My A%$? x2
Inertia x1
Basic reversals. Do what needs done. And this is a backup plan in case they are in the Colossal range. Usually I pack 2 of I Won't Be Beat Tonight, but that was when I was playing against him.
Antics (2)
A Spirited Turn of Events x2

Just there in case you need a little bit of recovery, and it's like you forced them to the aggression rule. Never play on opponent with a big hand, or slots in backlash deck, because then you will feel the burn, when you dump 6. You should not have that problem if you were playing Snap Mares, Bear Hugs, and DDT's to clear their hands and Fortitude.
Antic: Follow-ups (0)
No reason. I never play follow-ups with Batista's storyline because the simple fact is...who cares about Momentum? In this deck, you are crushing your opponent with powerful maneuvers!!! I'd rather have my opponent overturn Masochist at Heart over You Telegraphed That any day.

Basically, you start off usually with a good hand, and lower theirs with discard cards like Snap Mare and Bear Hug, and hopefully your small maneuvers that are harder to reverse because of how small the damage is or because you decided to play Hardcore Hell can get rid of Masochist at Heart or I Can't Be Beat Tonight, you can quickly get up to those high damaging Colossals. Once in Colossal range, you can totally destroy their Ring Area with your DDT's and Figure Four Leg Locks. Before you get to heavy on Colossals, check your opponent's fortitude and see if he may have a Specific reversal like Think Nothing of It....But Love It, Smacked With the Sledgehammer, Evolved Spinebuster, Straight-Edge, Rey-Rey's Wheelbarrow Bulldog and others in their hand. If they are in Fortitude range, hold off and play the opposite of what they reverse if they are and check their Ringside pile. You never want to run into another Batista and getting your cards reversed by Evolved Spinebuster, cause yes...you will be kicking yourself in the butt later!!! Many Colossals that you may never use, but you never know what you may run into...I'm Tougher Than Nails will really get you angry!!!

This deck is made by me for you. You choose how you want to run the Pre-match...the choice is yours, but either way this serves as a great way to make choices, while still playing a solid deck. Thanks!