Eugene
Afterburn/Face/Raw/Fan Favorite
by Brian Paolercio
flyinbrian27(at)yahoo(dot)com

Backstage Area(3):

Backstage Signiture
Backstage Signing Appearance
<WWE logo> Raw Deal Fifth Anniversary

Strategy: The Signing Appearance is your usual reveal from the Backstage, as the extra card access is helpful for a superstar with such a small hand and the +1 value will tie you with your opponent to start the pre-match, assuming that they does not reveal Backstage Signature. The Fifth is also helpful, but not necessary. The Signature can help get you down to Underrated Superstar range, but is generally not worth revealing.

Pre-Match(10):

[Revolution] Dressed for Success
[Revolution] Judgment Day
[Revolution] United States Title Belt
Armageddon Is Upon Us
Bitter Rivals
I Want To Play The Game
Managed by Vince McMahon (Throwback)
Raw Deal World Title
The Champ Is Here!
Underrated Superstar

Strategy: Your optimal pre depends on if you got to go first or second in the pre-match. If you go first, select Bitter Rivals (no titles), Managed by Vince McMahon, Judgment Day, Underrated Superstar (if you qualify) and Dressed for Success, overturning 7. If you go second, go Bitter Rivals (take Pre-match Priority), Managed by Vince McMahon, Revo US Title, The Champ Is Here, Judgment Day, Underrated (if you qualify) or Raw Deal World Title, and Dressed for Success, overturning 7. The other two pre-match cards (Armageddon Is Upon Us and I Want To Play The Game) are your pre-match against Mr. Kennedy.

Mid-Match(10):

Can U Believe The Witte Retort?
Goodnight, Everybody!
Inspiration for a New Generation x 2
Ready to Fight x 2
Restricted Use In This Area
The Road To Victory
This Is Going Nowhere Fast!
You're As Graceful As A Cow On Ice

Strategy: The majority of the mid-match is to recover. Ready to Fight can put a key move back in your hand early, and, being a Chain action, it also has an additional card cost associated with reversing it. Inspirations will be a source of unlimited recovery for you over the course of the game, and it will also allow you to strip an opponent's hand bare when needed. Witte Retort exists to make Judgment Day permanent. Goodnight, Everybody is an alternate win condition. The rest is a basic reversal set.

Maneuvers(13):

[Revolution] Chain Gang Headlock
[Revolution] Droppin' Da Dime
[Revolution] Edge Clipper
[Revolution] Freestyle Shoulder Block
[Revolution] The Animalistic Clothesline
[Revolution] The Cerebral Sleeper
[Revolution] The STFU
Beatings from Dudleyville
Cobra Clutch (Throwback)
Giant Head Butt
Johnny Go Round Kick x 2
Lita's DDT (Throwback)
Unleashed Bomb

Strategy: Trademark moves are the hardest to reverse in the game, and your deck is chock-full of em. Most of them also have disruption effects, like discard or ring removal. The rest of the moves are meant to get you to the level of fortitude needed to play the Trademark Means.

Actions(3):

A Good Ol' Fashioned Mugging
Hello, My Name Is Eugene
McMahon Family Values

Strategy: Hello, My Name Is Eugene plus Inspiration for a New Generation equals unlimited recursion. A Good Ol' Fashioned Mugging could be as much a maneuver as an action, but the action half is useful early game. McMahon Family Values, which shuffles all your Uniques back, is a golden recovery card.

Antics(5):

3 x [Revolution] Double Your Value; Double Your Fun
2 x [Revolution] Look Under The Ring

Strategy: There are very few superstars that can double their value better than Eugene. Often you can intimidate an opponent into skipping his next turn or catch an opponent unaware with one of the game-breaking reversals at your disposal.

Reversals(39):

[Revolution] Rey-Rey's Wheelbarrow Bulldog
[Revolution] Smacked by the Sledgehammer
[Revolution] The Game's Spinebuster
[Revolution] The Evolved Spinebuster
[Revolution] Why Don't You Kiss My A$$?
A Revolution of the Mind x 3
Divine Intervention
Don't Try This At Home x 2
Dude, Whatever
Elbow to the Face x 3
Eugening Up
I'm Driven By Anger x 3
James' Stratusfaction
Let's Wrestle Already x 2
Once Is Enough x 2
RKO
Stratusfaction Bulldog (Throwback)
The Bottomless Pit
The Coach Says "Today's The Day!" x 2
The Dream Lives On
The Pride of the Family
Trish's Chick Kick x 3
Volley This! x 3

Strategy: Reverse, reverse, reverse. Always remember to shuffle in Dude, Whatever when applicable, as it's one of the best near-omni-reversals in the game. As stated above, your reversals are game breakers, so make sure to save the big ones for the right moment. The Bottomless Pit also functions as a secondary win condition against sponge-type decks, as the removal of both ringside piles from the game after twenty-five damage is very hard to come back from.

Any Final Strategy Notes / Insights: Eugene, as a Fan Favorite, has the potential to be one of the best superstars in the game when it comes to closing out a match. His opening handsize and Superstar Value, however, makes it a challenge to survive long enough to get there. It takes careful playing to survive an early onslaught, but your ability to come from behind with this deck can both amaze spectators and demoralize opponents. As always, feel free to tweak for your metagame, and feel free to leave feedback about this deck at the E-mail address provided above.