Guide to Defeating Priestess Zanzel

Priestess Zanzel is by far the most powerful AI in BLOX Cards. Unlike the other AIs in the game, she is nigh-impossible to beat with any conventional meta deck and entirely impossible to beat with something randomly slapped-together. You must instead create a specialized deck to fight her.
Of course, to defeat your enemy, you must first know your enemy.
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== Decklist ==
The cards Zanzel uses are actually separate from the copies of the cards we have access to. Clicking on the card links will take you to the version of the card she uses.Some of these cards are Tokens, by the way.
FIGHTERS
Dominus Praefectus x4
Bird of Eternal Paradise x5
Apocryphantasm x4
Charging Apocryphantom x4
Spiteful Apocryphantom x4
Survivors of Perfection x4
Crystal Golem x3
Judgemental Apocryphantom x3
Observant Apocryphantom x3
Magic Broom Black Cat x2
Zanzel Repentant x1
ACTIONS
Thunder Bolt x1
Living World x1
Mass Epidemic x1
Lightning Blast x1
The AI will always start with Aura of the Promised One and Alpha Brick's Aid in hand.
Menacing, no? With 4 boardwipes, as well as a large amount of cards that give cards the AI can discard for Permastuds and a lack of colourless icons in her cards' costs, Priestess Zanzel is able to consistently obtain a giant board very quickly. Now, how does she play it?
== AI ==
The AI's been doing somewhat better recently, but it's still not perfect. A normal turn for the AI looks something like this:
1. If the total stats of the Player's board are at least 2000 more than to the total stats of the AI's board: Cast Mass Epidemic, Lightning Blast, and/or Thunder Bolt. (The AI can accidentally cast multiple at once, if it has enough studs)
2. Cast cards according to priority. (see "Priority")
3. Attack. Prioritizes fighters with low Health and more than 0 Power.
4. Discard a random card. (This is usually an Action. Most of Zanzel's non-Action cards have a hidden passive that prevents her from discarding them.)
5. End turn.
If any step is impossible to complete, it skips to the next step.
===Priority===
High PriorityPlayed first, if possible.	Low PriorityPlayed after all possible High Priority cards.	ActionsOnly played if the AI controls a High Priority fighter.	BoardwipesOnly played if their opponent's total stats are 2000 more than theirs.	LifeThresholdPlayed at 500 or less Life.
Apocryphantasm 	Dominus Praefectus 	The Apocrypha Actions 	Thunder Bolt 	Alpha Brick's Aid
Aura of the Promised One 	Charging Apocryphantom 	Alpha Brick's Destruction 	Mass Epidemic 	Zanzel Repentant
Bird of Eternal Paradise 	Magic Broom Black Cat 	 	Lightning Blast 	
Crystal Golem 	Survivors of Perfection 	 	 	
Observant Apocryphantom 	Spiteful Apocryphantom 	 	 	
Judgemental Apocryphantom 	 	 	 	
===Cheating AI===
Turns out, the AI cheats.
Priestess Zanzel always starts with Aura of the Promised One and Alpha Brick's Aid, and she forces the turn to end if she gets below 500 Life. This means that the autowin cards actually can't work against her.
===AI 'loopholes.'===
*The AI cannot boardwipe if you don't meet the conditions. This means that, as long as the stat total (health+power) of your field is less than 2000, and you make sure to keep the Matriarch above 500 Life, you can be sure that she will never boardwipe.
*The AI doesn't account for Defender when attacking. Since the AI doesn't account for Defender when attacking, fighters like Fat Cat and Beekeeper completely prevent Zanzel from attacking as long as you can ensure that she'll attack your other fighters. It's much easier than you think, since Fat Cat has 1500 Health and 0 Power, two things that the AI is programmed to attack last.
*The AI doesn't attack before summoning fighters. Since the AI doesn't attack before summoning fighters, you can cast low-Health, OnEnemySummon cards like Gravity Inspector and Caleb244 as long as she has a space open for a fighter. She's forced to summon before she attacks, so she can't attack them before their effects activate.
*The AI refuses to attack glass cannons, unless the AI's fighter will survive. The AI will not attack glass cannons (ex: 50 Health) if that fighter has more Power than any of their fighters' Healths.
*If you deal Burn damage to Zanzel during her turn, she will forcefully end her own turn.
*Zanzel cannot prevent damage from Fatigue. (drawing cards with 0 left in deck)
== Location ==
So you know Zanzel's deck, and how she uses it, but you can't seem to find her. Don't worry, we've got your back.
The Matriarch is located on the roof of the HQ, the tallest building on the map. It's right next to spawn, too.To get up to the top, you need to take the elevator up to IcyTea's office, then exit through the door. There should be a ladder. Climb that, and she should be right in front of you.
== Anti-Zanzel Cards ==
Some cards are better than others against Zanzel, and should be considered a staple for Anti-Zanzel decks that can make use of them. Those cards are listed here.
Here's some general characteristics of good anti-Zanzel cards:
* Destroys a card(s) in the opponent's hand. Zanzel tries to save Aura of the Promised One until the LifeThreshold is met, so it's awesome if you can remove that beforehand.
* Resets the stats of a fighter(s). Resetting the stats of an Apocryphal Action that was turned into a fighter will set its Health and Power to 0, destroying it. (Note that being immune to Set effects also means that their stats can't be reset.)
* High Health, and at least 500 Power. (700 Power means they can take down the Dominus Praefectus)
* High stat hate. Like most archetypes, Zanzel's fighters love to buff each other. This can be especially dangerous during the lategame.
* Ends the turn early. If you get it off, this prevents her from attacking or discarding.
* High Health + 0 Power, and has the Defender passive. Completely shuts down Zanzel, since the AI doesn't account for Defender.
Just because a card isn't on this table, doesn't mean that you shouldn't run it!
FIGHTERS 	How do they counter the Priestess?
Bobaman1 	A cheap, readily-available, decently-statted source of AoE damage.
Fat Cat 	With another fighter on the field with lower Health or at least some Power, completely shuts down Zanzel by preventing her from attacking.
This is due to the AI not accounting for Defender when attacking; with Fat Cat's 1500 Health and 0 Power, it's almost always at the bottom of the AI's priority list.
Caleb244 	
Stops Zanzel before she can discard.
ClanAtlas 	Far too many of Zanzel's cards put cards in her hand. Can destroy Alpha Brick's Aid.
GodzGalaxy 	All of Zanzel's cards are Tokens. Teach her why that's a bad idea.
Cast Through Time 	Good in the lategame; instantly destroys her Apocryphal fighters by resetting their stats. After all, there's no ResetImmune yet! CC note-please test
Eisenhower Reunited 	Since her main purpose is to cast out apocryphal actions, this will prevent her from doing anything, not even stopping and wiping the board when her life’s at 500. Of course, her fighters can still be cast.
ACTIONS 	ACTIONS
Divine Favor 	Use only in swarm decks that can easily rebuild your board, or decks that can buff your fighters' Health after this card is cast. Some of Zanzel's cards aren't SetImmune, so...
Luck o' the Lobsters	It's a really good boardwipe, okay?
== Anti-Zanzel Decks ==
To paraphrase the original "Guide to Beating Matriarch,”
"There's a surprising amount of ways to beat Zanzel once you start thinking about the problem and surfing through cards that everyone knows are garbage-tier."
So get out there, and give Zanzel an actual challenge for once!
=== Working Decks ===
Decks in this category can consistently defeat Zanzel.
Anti-Zanzel Lifeloss	The first Anti-Zanzel deck, as well as the first deck to try defeating Zanzel without stalling cards. Uses Red's abilities to really mess with Zanzel's hand, preventing her from casting Alpha Brick's Aid.
Anti-Zanzel Burn 	The second Anti-Zanzel deck. Bypasses Alpha Brick's Aid by making Zanzel force the turn to end during her turn with burn.
Much faster than Anti-Zanzel Lifeloss, as it doesn't rely on outvaluing her.
=== Outdated Decks ===
Decks in this category have been rendered useless by updates to the AI or changes to cards.
I'VE BEEN OUTSIDE OF BLACK MESA, GORDON. THERE'S NOTHING THERE.
That's a good thing. It means that nothing's become outdated yet.
=== Anti-Matriarch Decks ===
Decks in this category were able to consistently defeat the Matriarch, but couldn't make the transition to Zanzel. 
Don't be afraid to add decks to this table, or suggest them in the comments!
Anti-Matriarch B/Y Mill 	
Uses Blue's anti-matriarch stall tools and Yellow's amazing mill cards to take down the Matriarch. Also abuses the caone OTK.
Much less consistent than Anti-Matriarch Nightmares, and the cards are more difficult to obtain too.
please don't use this deck. Anti-Matriarch Nightmares is better in every concievable way.
Anti-Matriarch Nightmares	
A mill deck that uses Nightmares to mill the opponent, along with the normal anti-matriarch stall tools.
Even though it's a Nightmare deck, it's heavily centered around Blue. It has a hard time getting even 3 Green icons. However, because it's so centered around Blue, it's incredibly consistent (except for when you want to cast Inechi).
Anti-Birb Burn 	
The original Anti-Matriarch deck, and also the page where the original "Guide to Beating Matriarch" was created. 
Abused the fact that the AI used to be unable to attack 0-Power fighters. It was incredibly easy to stall, back then.
=== Theoretical Decks ===
Decks in this category have yet to be made, but can theoretically defeat Zanzel.
Don't be afraid to add decks to this table, or suggest them in the comments!
Mill 	Fatigue bypasses the Matriarch's ability to force the turn.
Noli's Domain	Most of Zanzel's cards have effects that activate when they're summoned, or the turn ends. Thus, Noli's Domain would completely lock down Zanzel's effects. All you'd need to do is take down the AI's high-statted fighters.
Sinisters 	Zanzel loves to have a stockpile of icons. Show her why that's a bad idea. (Oh, and your Sinisters have good stats for trading, and also give you ways to destroy her hand.)
Paraselene 	Zanzel's boardwipe card are actually dealing effect damage, and Paraselene are benefit from it. Also allow you to get high statted fighters and hand destroy card like Periastron Strike.
== Other Tips ==
*Since fighters aren't unlocked at the end of the turn of the player that goes first, if they're going first, you get an extra turn to prepare when going second.
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