You might laugh and not think its possible. When you look at the two characters they do something similar but it is clear that Ivy does it a lot easier and consistent then Christie. Christie's draw ability from her character card ends her turn. One would say it allows her to draw blocks for the next turn or hope to pull reversals. Most conversations about Christie also focus on the life symbol. Most people feel that since life has more cards it is better to play her off that symbol. Because of this it is limiting how folks view her. If you look only at life Ivy again proves to have more solid support and does the job better then Christie. Now lets look a bit deeper and we can start to see what needs to be done to make Christie playable and able to keep up with Ivy or possibly surpass Ivy.

First thing is to play Christie off of ALL. It may seem weird but All crosses over into fire cards and into life cards. It is the perfect bridge off combining two powerful elements. Those elements are damage from fire, card draw from all, and difficulty suppression support from life. One would say that Ivy can go and play off of ALL as well. I would disagree. Ivy does not need damage pumps first of all. While they are useful her support doesn't require it. Second of all her base support is really good so you really don't want to mix to many other elements in her. Lastly some of the combo's of All disrupt her 3 difficulty niche which would ruin her purpose.

Some key cards to look at in the ALL category are as follows
for the money
searching for family
hunting for jin
Father's tragedy
Fatherly love
Killer Android

These cards give card draw primarily and Killer Android gives Asset protection. Now these cards are independent from some of Christie's core cards. There are others we can look at but those are the ones that stood out to me right now.
SSS Loop (samba, side flop, and slippery kick) is thought to be the core of Christie and it is needed to make her competitive. I beg to disagree. While SSS loop can do a lot of damage the down side of making the consistent 5+ checks will wear on the player. Not only that if the kick is fully blocked the combo is stopped. To give the kicks enough speed you are looking to play at least 1 graceful style on top of the support that comes with Christie. In all honesty its not going to work unless you get these three key cards in your hand at a stage in the game where you have enough resources to continue the loop. So instead of focusing on the loop that has problems lets look to use Christies attacks to be more productive in a turn. How I propose this is using Paul’s and if you choose Algol’s attacks. Now one may wonder why those two in particular. Algol has the high damage values for low difficulty. Algol doesn’t have status and effects on his attacks but he can lay down damage. Algol’s attacks can be used to fish out blocks or used as a finisher. Paul’s attacks give you tech control. Paul’s outlook as many know is to force the opponent to tap out all their resources on your turn. The more tapped resources the better for you. This means that you will have higher success doing a minor loop at the end of attacking. Paul also has a few kicks that benefit from Christie’s support. So that is an added bonus.

So what does this look like? For what I’m playing around with right now are the following attacks. (Note I personally didn’t use the Algol attacks due to low accessibility of SCIV cards)
Side flop (loop)
Samba (loop)
Lighting brush fire (momentum gain, card pool removal)
Neutron bomb (difficulty reduction, card draw)
The boot (stun)
Tandoya (stun)
Over the shoulder (force the opponent to commit more cards)

I did not use slippery kick but if you want to add it go ahead. Now under this construct you can see a few things. The first is that Samba flush out side flop. But side flop flushes out all your other mid kicks. So you can attack with the boot, side flop, attack with The boot again, then samba, then side flop, and finally then the boot. In one turn you have put out 24 points of damage if all your attacks hit. Also you have stunned your opponent 3 times making future blocking tougher and tougher. The opponent is almost forced to let samba and side floop go through or partial block because the boot does so much more damage. Again we haven’t even factored in speed pumps to look at the effectiveness of this philosophy change.
One may say why play throws or any non-kicks with Christie. Pure and simple reason is that there are enough cards she can play that can get stuff out of her card pool or reduce difficulty that not playing those cards is a crime. Look at the attack I choose for this display. There are a lot of damage and status effects I can pull with little to no effort. Lets say I don’t have samba or side flop in my hand I can use lighting brush fire to send a previous attack (not even one that was successful) to my momentum and it ejects its self from the card pool it does damage. Now if I speed pump this card after stunning my opponent in 2 previous attacks its guaranteed to go off. Thus I loose 2 cards from my card pool, my difficulty is lower, and my opponent is less likely to be able to block what I have next.

Christie requires high draw and card pool removal options. ALL has various draw options that a person can invest in. But there are some options that I feel suit her well more so then Ivy. The first is the Brazillian Beauty. This lets you simply get rid of your Graceful Styles or Frantic Search. The next is Hoping for the best in combo with Hunting for Jin. This combo lets you A) Rearrange your cards after a Nina hax, and B) Allow you to draw into a card you want during your or your opponents turn. This combo lets you fish for blocks, finishers, assets, or whatever almost any time you want. Next when we look at Father’s Tragedy. This gives you the option of going all out. If you can land 3 in your staging area you have the potential to pull the attacks or blocks you need to draw. Again you can use Hoping for the best to see what’s coming so you can figure out if and when you ware going to play fathers tragedy. I have financial trouble in my deck but I see it more as a control element then a draw element. I want my opponent early on to tap out more so then getting new cards. If you have any of the other draw options out Financial Trouble can be used aggressively. Financial Trouble against Ivy is good because if she can’t tap a foundation she can not draw. That is not the case for Christie. The Ivy player can’t afford to stop your drawing if they want to continue their assault combo. Unless they have Path of the Master they aren’t going to be laying down major damage. My only question would be could Christie use her ability on her opponents turn. If not then ignore the following. If so after using your draw options from your foundations on your turn you can use your character draw option on your opponent’s turn. A quick note on Designer Clothes. I feel it is a very optional card. You have other options to flush out cards in your card pool. While it does send cards to the momentum (including non-attacks) currently Christie does'nt need momentum to do anything other then to fuel Capoeria style. So if you are runing Capoeria style then please do run designer clothes.

I’m not going to get into damage pumps that much because they are self explaintory. Path of the Master is an easy choice to put in her deck. I would say if you got it play it. The next thing I would consider is Rivarly with a bear. This card doubles Christies kicks damage. If they stop the damage pump they had to tap a foundation. Good for you. Its got to be the hair is a risky card. The main reason I say that is that your telling your opponent you can’t block. But this card can be awesome when used with the other draw options because you can inflate your hand beyond its printed hand size and drop a few throw bombs on your opponent. While this may not be King or Rashotep level throws they will force your opponent to block or tap resources. The last card would be best of friends. I think that it is more of an icing on the cake card. If you don’t’ want to play it then don’t play it.

Anyway I hope we can use this as a building point to develop tech for Christie. I think when we stop trying to make her Ivy and chain out a hundred paper cuts to kill we can find a similar but different in operation character that has depth potential. I hope this is one of many cards we can start looking at and improve upon. I think we are a point where we can tech out a lot of cards and make them top teir but we will have to be open, share ideas, and develop different and new paradigms past the obvious and the easy.

PoTM + Loop = TONS of draw.

PoTM + Christies = high dmg, high spd attack

But honestly i am going to try and build the christie loop with a different character and a few twists...(POTM lets any char play it minus the fruit picker)

Im sorry but when you have 2-3 Communing with the Ancients in your staging area along with a PoTM and the loop in your hand....you win.

I always thought Tira + PoTM + SSSLoop would be interesting. Throw in Castle-Twilight, as well as her speed bumps. Communing off of Air, or some of Nina's support off of Death to push everything through. Maybe even throw in a few Ivy tricks for extra support. Ice Coffin would be good, as well as Alchemist to get things rolling.

Plus, I always liked the idea of SSSLoop to use PotM to draw into an Earth Divide, then drop that (With Alchs up on the 2 kicks in the cardpool) on a 6 and multiple it with Tira. Just thought it would be funny.

-Tinman

You forgot possibly one of the most important cards to make Christie work: Genius Alchemist.

In a turn where you're attacking, it's a "pseudo +1 to your checks". Think about the SSS loop for instance.

For the hell of it, let's start with Samba. Let's do nothing to Samba and play a Side Flop. Genius Alchemist on Side Flop. Then the Slippery Kick that follows will only need a 5. When Samba is removed, Side Flop still doesn't count toward progressive, so go ahead with that Samba again, enhance with an action like Graceful Style (or play Base Hold afterwards), then after adding Side Flop to your hand, Fruit Picker with an 8 diff, for 11 damage (Base Hold would do more). So you needed to make a 4, 5, 5, 5, 5 (for action), 8. Totally doable turn 3 or so, even 2 with Open Road rigging and some luck.

A Life version with Osterrheisburg Castle: Metrosexual Vampires will ready your Genius to make something ELSE not count toward progressive. PotM would help seal the deal in that case.

My question when we look a playing Christe off Life why would I do that if Ivy does it so much better? Seigfried earth divide on Ivy is funny. I'm still testing the tech in my Dariya deck. So far she hasn't beat my Rashotep deck with King support. At the same time I have looped and have done good damage. The problem is drawing attacks at the wrong time and not getting them later. Caporeia style is fighting against the tech because you need the speed boost but the attack that hit may be in your hand and the other attacks missed or where blocked. So what happens is momentum gain is not consistent sometimes.

I wouldn't consider Fatherly Love as a "key" card. I would never risk discarding two important cards to draw two. Financial Trouble is superior in every way. You also seem to confuse Financial with For the Money, as your opponent doesn't tap to stop Financial, they discard which Christie would love.

Capoeira Style is only alright if you don't have One with the Rhythm. Getting the first hit off and you get Capoeiras effect, and then it only gets better from there. Also, depending on how long you can keep the loop going, its hilariously slow and and painful mill.

I would replace Fathers Tragedy with Paul's Gi as well. If you're drawing as much as you could with Financial Trouble, Search for Pants, Paul's Gi, Christie at the end of the turn, you won't be hurting for cards and your opponent shouldn't have that many cards in hand anyway.

Designer Clothes only sends non-attacks to momentum.

I'd consider using Rivalry with a Bear. So much of Paul's support give you win-win conditions. I'd also consider splitting into life because the OC-emo kids make all these cards soo much more abusable.

I'd like to see a deck list, and see every element together to get a better idea.

Bpet said:

Currently I have most of the cards you mentioned in my Dariya deck. I didn't want to make a deck list because then it becomes a deck critique versus developing tech ideas. I thought Paul's Gi was exclusive to him. But its not so it would be a key card. The card draw and draw is the only thing that can put her over Ivy. I think that Riveraly with a bear is good but man it would be better with all life is prey access.

Well...yeah, but then that's just kinda saying that she would be better if she had fire, which she would. We can sit around and talk about little tech combos her and there, but its not till they all go into a deck till we see if there's good synergy.

Christie off of all right now is her support plus some Paul, and then a little bit scattered between SCIV and Shadowar. Algol adds Body and/or Controller of Souls. Ivy can add Search for Pants, Genius Alchemist, and maybe Evil Sparrow and Purified Body. And Astrid can add...Pommel Smash? eh, sure, why not?

Thing is, with only 3 sets, All/Water are both small card pools and Life isn't much bigger. Add that some of those characters support don't mesh well with others, and the pools even smaller. It doesn't take long at all to discover most tech at this point in the game. One you could also try is loop once or twice - Action - Knee Thruster - Fruit Picker - multiple 1. Do some stuns, and a couple For the Moneys and it might work.

Edit: oh, off life (and all the kicks, cept boot have both) you can throw Knee Thruster - Law's Somersault Kick. That gives you in essence, multiple 2 right?

You gave me an idea. I wonder if you could use any of the SSS loop cards to eject multiples to your hand. This could be something could put Christie over. The reason I say this is because it expands her damage potential. The check hax and draw Paul gives I see is nessecary. Even if the card pool is smaller off All then the bigger pool of life, I think coventenal thought sidelined the character because effort doesn't seem viable. Most of the community has written off the character outside of SSS loop. I think that there is other things that can be done.

All of the SSS Loop says Combo E: Add <zone> kick from your card pool to your hand. That cannot happen to a multiple, as that multiple is not a kick. I am still undecided on Christie. To get her full potential, you need to accomplish what ivy does, but in a manner that makes Ivy's kill look like a piece of cake. There really are no cards that make the SSS loop truly a killer condition, as your opponent will know it is coming, and how difficult it is to pull off. They will also be assuming that you will finish up a few loops with a Fruit Picker, which they will hold a block for. Christie's kill condition is twice as difficult as anyone elses, and still requires a lot of set up to accomplish. Check Hacks, One with the Rhythm, momentum to fuel it. Genius Alchemist to make sure you can play the Fruit Picker. Overall, it is a very difficult feat to pull off against most decks, and her 18 vitality means that waiting around for the cards will kill her.

-Tinman

Tinman said:

That is why I am looking at Dariya to do what she does but better. I also think the damage pumps are required to force people to block. I will say that playing the 6 hand size of Dariya is a minor setback to the full fury needed to get the combo off. But if a person goes for a mini loop with better mid attacks then it makes a lot of difference.

Play her off life, Ignore the loop, Take advantage of her own draw support(which is very good),Ignore the Loop, and don't complicate the deck. Oh, did I mention Ignore the loop? Seriously, ignore it, she isn't Ivy, don't try to make her ivy, her best attacks are outside of the loop.

Christie gets a bad rap, but it's because people are trying to do too much with her and/or off the wrong symbols. Just kick people and try to play lots of cards with blocks. I have no desire to build her, I never cared for her in the games, but I think reasonably effective Christie deck is a Simple Christie deck that takes advantage of her good card support and some other support life already has, and ignores trying to be Mini-Ivy.

Yeah, he's right. Off life, and completely ignoring the loop, you can do Close Throw/Cobra Clutch + No Forgiveness - Lunging Brush Fire and send the throw to momentum - Knee Thruster - Fruit Picker for a total of 28 damage. All while using OC for readying, as well as Hunt for Jin/Hoping for the Best/Searching for Family for drawing/deck stacking. And of course, Life speed pumps to push it through. Her non-loop attacks, in particular Lunging Brush Fire, let her play a very aggressive game.

Life also nets you very important anti-stun cards, and flexible body to live a turn longer. Though between Christie, Ivy, and soon Mitsurugi All/Life isn't too hard to dual symbol.

Bpet said:

Dont forget Researching the past and Genius Alchemist to Make your later attacks easier to play

failed2k said:

If I am ignoring the loop altogether and looking at life why not use the current draw support and play Seigfried or Ivy or Lu Chen? The draw 5 and the turn ending hurts her a lot. The kick speed boost is nice but it doesn't help non-kicks. The limitations of the card are pretty strict. That's why I thought doing something atypical (not playing off of life) could actually spur some discussion and new ideas. I'm not looking for a championship deck I'm just looking for some connection of a few different puzzle pieces to get a new image.

darklogos said:

But if you focus too much on the loop then aren't you limiting new ideas? Just because you can play her off life, doesn't mean she becomes just another Life character. What does she have that the others you listed don't? +1 handsize, three really good kicks that none of them would use, and the ability to have a hand full of blocks at the end of her turn. Ivy is in her own poke world, Siegfried is better off earth imo, and Lu Chen...is Lu Chen. Focusing too much on the SSS loop, no matter what symbol it's played off, will restrict everyone's thoughts about her. Just because you start on the more "obvious" path, doesn't mean new idea's won't pop up along the way.

One thing that came to mind for me, and this is just a random idea so take it with a grain of salt, is using Yi Shan support to take advantage of the fact that you can take the cards directly to your momentum on the same turn that they ar played. i.e. Striking Thunder into Brush Fire, so that you get plus two to your attacks for the rest of the turn, or yi shan tail sweep + atoning for the past so that you get the ability to move whatever you want up to your momentum likity split.

Essentially emulate Adon with parts of your support

From there use Minuet Dance, or some other multiple (I don't know the symbols very well)

forteconcarne said:

while that might be a good idea and all it isnt specific to one life character any other life character could use those cards just as well...building a yi-shan deck this way might be a good idea of some sort. Three 7 Damage multiple copies of menuett dance is pretty good in my opinion, Throw in say cassies speed buff or Drossel and your good to go.

There another interesting idea that someone at my store has done and thats run all the life kick that are offered with christies support and put them into ivy.....i was suprised when i saw how many life kicks there are, Swing kick, Evil sparrow, Christies kicks, yi shans dragon tail, etc.... its an interesting idea that gives you speed buffs and a lil extra draw before you start attacking in ivy and you can still use ivys support as well to back it up

Wow that is an interesting idea of putting the life kicks into a deck and then feeding it to ivy. Using genious Alchemist on the 4 difficulity kicks then using the 3 difficulty kicks to not count toward progression. Knock key cards back to your hand as needed.

darklogos said:

yeah it worked pretty well in practice because with christies kicks you can recur your attacks and play then again for 3 difficulty as long as you get back the right kicks

the only one you cant use is the one with the water enhance

Or you can run Path of the Masters and just run all three of Christies Kicks. You would not even need to run them all together. Mix in some kicks from Lu Chen and Yi Shan, add a SWS, and an Alchemist or two, and you can attack till the cows come home.

Kicks to look at:

Evil Sparrow

Leaping Snap Kick

Swing Kick

Add in Christie's Move to the Rhythm, and you have some really nice damage.

SWS -> Swing Kick -> Evil Sparrow -> Samba(pick up Swing Kick) -> Swing Kick -> Slippery Kick(Pick up Samba) -> Samba(pick up Swing Kick) -> Swing Kick etc.

Assuming you have cleared the SWS with Brazilian Beauty, you have a good Combo on 4-5 difficulty.

-Tinman

Da_ghetto_gamer said:

You can if you pack needs no ally.

darklogos said:

True but you might as well run path if your going that route

True. If you have POTM then your going to run it anyway. The needs no ally gives a little bit of surprise factor to the opposing player. I think I may have something to to surprise people in my Siegfried and Yi Shan decks.

I've tested my Christie a few times and came to the conclusion that she doesn't need Path of the Master.

Sure it helps, but doesn't it just help everyone? So... what makes it on Christie more special than say... King or Ivy? Although I can argue to the grave that Ivy doesn't need it either, you get my point.

This is a turn 2 play:

Searching for Family F, Side Flop, Evil Sparrow (ditch for no progressive), Samba (Genius Alchemist, grab Side Flop), Side Flop (Genius Alchemist, grab Evil Sparrow), Evil Sparrow (ditch for no progressive), Frantic Search, Fruit Picker for 12 damage.

So a potential 27 damage turn 2 for making nothing higher than a 5, then a 6 for Fruit Picker. Turn 3 you can get a lot more potential damage, which basically translates to a dead opponent.