While designing for my fan creations, I started work on Xianghua. While working on her, I used her past incarnations as inspiration for my versions. However, I took a more creative look at **Xianghua**...
R: After you play a Death and Fire card, draw 1 card.
Now, at first this was just a plain, "Oh, OK, so basically run a deck with some D/F cards and keep a handsize? Kinda nifty..."
Until I thought about how today's game is played. Multi-symbol is probably this block's most popular phrase and deckbuilding philosophy, and that was when I noticed **Xianghua**'s potential.
She has Death, which has arguably the strongest control base right now, All, which has a very interesting mixed foundation base, and Fire, which is all about damage and speed pump. Mix the three together, and what do you get?
Well, it's as such. Start your turn by playing Death/Fire cards, and draw off her response. Depending on what's in your card pool, as well as your hand, you ought to be able to make a decision of which of her 3 symbols you'd want to play: All, Death, or Fire? If I'm correct...I've discovered something big.
**Xianghua**
Assets: 5
2x Red Gi 3/4 +2-HIGH [unique]
3x Olcadan's Mentoring 0/6 +0LOW
Attacks: 16
4x Chain Throw 5/3 [stun: 2] [Throw]
4x Widow Maker 4/3 +2-MID
4x Flowing Gale Hook 4/3 +2-HIGH
4x Flying Cross Chop 3/3 +3-LOW (All/Fire)
Foundations: 40
3x No Memories 4/4 +3-MID (Death/Fire)
3x Bitter Rivals 3/4 +2-MID (All/Fire)
3x Commitment to Excellence 2/6 +1-LOW (All/Fire)
4x Inhuman Perception 2/5 +1-HIGH
3x Buddhist Devotion 2/5 +2-HIGH [breaker: 1]
3x Unorthodox Training 2/5 - 2/5 +2-MID (All/Death)
4x Bounce Back 2/5 +2-MID (Death/Fire)
4x Grim Stride 2/5 (Death/Fire)
4x Adoration 1/5 +2-MID (Death/Fire)
3x Manifest Destiny 1/4 +1-LOW (Death/Fire)
3x The Tae Kwon Do Zephyr 0/5 +1-LOW (All/Fire)
3x Saikyo-ryu 0/4 +3-HIGH (All/Death)
This deck, from the looks of it, pretty much has it all. I'll explain...
**Xianghua**
Xianghua is draw, and is all the draw I need (although I did consider Vast Resources, but it didn't really seem necessary). The point of her R is to use it for building. Like I said, if your hand isn't clear enough, or maybe you want more options, then drop a No Memories or Grim Stride, and see what you draw into. Once you've drawn as much as you'd like, play off of one of her three symbols. Generally you're going to want to build off of Death because you want to make sure her 19 vitality survives the opponent's turn. However, if you're confident you can kill next turn, drop off Fire.
Attacks
No Attack has Death-Fire, although I did consider both Grim Roundhouse and Jade Crusher. Reason being: her R isn't for attacking. You want a sturdy enough base enough to launch your assault and kill them. Fire is much more aggressive than Death, so I used Fire for its attacks. Combined with my foundation base, Chain Throw and Widow provide enough control for Flowing Gale and Cross Chops to finish the job.
Control
This deck is jam-packed with various sorts of control. Bitter Rivals, Red Gi, and Saikyo-ryu control their hand. No Memories, Grim Stride, and Inhuman Perception control their abilities.
Aggro
No need to really bring it up, but obviously, it's out there. Adoration pushes attacks through, while Commitment seals the deal. Tae Kwon Do fights off pesky Rejections, and Manifest charges through the oppressive measures.