Unmatched
Ghost Rider
Overview
Ghost Rider is a supernatural spirit of vengeance who first appeared in Marvel Comics in Marvel Spotlight #5 in August of 1972. Since then, Ghost Rider has seen many adaptations in comics, television, movies, and video games. He mainly appears in ensemble Marvel products, such as the video game Ultimate Marvel vs Capcom 3. In 2007 Ghost Rider made his live-action debut in the self-titled movie Ghost Rider, played by Nicholas Cage, with a sequel released in 2011 titled Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance.Â
In an attempt to save his father, stunt motorcyclist Johnny Blaze agreed to sell his soul to the devil. In doing so, he found himself able to transform into a skeleton consumed by ethereal Hellfire. He travels the world using his fiery motorcycle, bringing vengeance and justice to evildoers. In Unmatched, Ghost Rider uses his Hellfire to judge the souls of all who oppose him.
Ghost Rider is included in Unmatched: Redemption Row, where he must battle against the left Fist of Khonshu who is known as Moon Knight, and the invincible Luke Cage.
Hero Stats
Health:Â 17 /Â Attack:Â Melee /Â Movement:Â 2
Special Ability
Ghost Rider starts the game with 5 Hellfire. When you maneuver, you may spend 1 Hellfire. If you do, increase Ghost Rider’s move value to 4, and he may move through opposing fighters. Then, deal 1 damage to each opposing fighter he moved through.
Strategies and Tips
Ghost Rider is a hero who relies heavily on resource management. HIs five Hellfire tokens are the key to his strategy and success. Ghost Rider has a few cards with abilities that let him regain his Hellfire, but it is still important to know how to get the most out of them and recover them once used. Depending on the matchup, you may find yourself sacrificing attack power to boost your defenses, while other times you will do the exact opposite.
Primary Strengths
Incredible maneuverability
High attack power
Heroes with 1hp sidekicks
Primary Weaknesses
Low value defenses without using Hellfire
Bad resource management
The following are 3 tips to utilize his Hellfire to the fullest:
Tip #1: Supernatural Awareness
Ghost Rider can inflict a ton of damage with Hellfire, so you may be tempted to use them aggressively. While this may prove effective, Ghost Rider does not have great defensive options without his Hellfire. With Hellfire, though, his defensive game can be one of the best.
Control The Demon is a versatile card with a value of 0. This card could be his worst or best, depending on how well you plan. During combat, this card gains +1 to its value for each Hellfire you have, and you do not have to spend hellfire to get the bonus. This card has the potential to have a value of 5, and since Ghost Rider lacks defensive options, you are better off saving this for defense.
Deal With the Devil is a defense card with a value of 2 that lets you increase its value by 1 during combat for each Hellfire spent. This could add up to a value of 7, which is insanely high and rarely needed. Since this effect occurs during combat, analyze how much Hellfire you need to spend to cancel the attack. Sometimes it may be worth taking one or two points of damage to conserve your Hellfire.
Tip #2: Hellfire Chain
While you can prioritize defense, you cannot win the game by only defending. Ghost Rider has a few cards he can chain together that cost minimal Hellfire while simultaneously giving him the potential to gain even more. When starting a chain, look no further than Hell Rides with Me and I Brought the Devil with Me.
Hell Rides with Me is a scheme that allows Ghost Rider and up to one adjacent fighter to move up to 4 spaces each, gain 2 Hellfire, and gain 1 action.
I Brought the Devil with Me is an attack with a value of 3 where you may spend 2 Hellfire to gain 1 action after combat.
You can chain these cards together for a total of four actions in a single turn without losing any Hellfire. In one of these chains, there is the potential to attack up to three times, and you can do so with little fear since you will still have Hellfire to defend with. Another option is to end the chain of attacks with I Finally Escaped Hell. This versatile card has a value of 3 and lets you move Ghost Rider up to 2 spaces after combat letting you create some distance.
Attacking with The Wicked Will Burn during your third or fourth action can help you gain even more Hellfire. This versatile card has a value of 3 and allows Ghost Rider to gain 2 Hellfire if he started this turn in a different space.
Plan your chain according to what’s in your hand and where your starting Hellfire is. With a few exceptions, the goal of a Hellfire chain is to put pressure on the opponent without losing Hellfire and potentially gaining even more by the end. The exception is a Hellfire chain with the intent to end the game or destroy an opponent.
Tip #3: The Spirit of Vengeance
Ghost Rider has two cards in his deck that can quickly put an end to any opponent at the cost of Hellfire: Blaze of Glory and Penance Stare.
Blaze of Glory is an attack with a value of 2 that allows you to spend any amount of Hellfire to deal damage equal to 1 point per Hellfire spent to EVERY fighter in Ghost Rider’s zone after combat. While the damage dealt includes Ghost Rider, you can deal up to 5 points of unblocked damage to every fighter in his zone, which can prove devastating to multi-sidekick heroes and opponents in a 3+ player free-for-all.
Note: If Ghost Rider kills the last hero and himself during this attack, he is considered the winner since he was the attacker.
Penance Stare is a versatile card with a value of 3 that adds the boost value of your opponent’s card to this card’s value during combat. You can do this twice at the cost of 2 Hellfire. While circumstantial, this can be one of the most brutal attacks in the entirety of Unmatched.
As mentioned in Tip #1, there is a risk when spending too much Hellfire on attacking your opponent. Thankfully, Ghost Rider has a couple of cards that help him manage his Hellfire more easily between attack and defense:
Chains of Hellfire is a scheme that sets your Hellfire back to 5. This card can be used to trap your opponents. By using all of your Hellfire to defend, they may get comfortable ending their turn next to you. By using this card on your first action, you can use your second action to attack with either of the cards above for maximum damage.
Stroke The Flames is a defense card with a value of 2 that lets you regain Hellfire equal to the amount of damage Ghost Rider received after combat. This card is a bit of a double-edged sword. If you have the health to spare, it may be worth taking a large attack to gain your Hellfire back to claim vengeance on your next turn.
Final Thoughts
Ghost Rider’s Hellfire management makes him one of the most rewarding heroes when the game goes his way. On top of the attack and defense boosts his Hellfire grants him, the ability to boost his maneuver with Hellfire while not spending a card makes Ghost Rider extremely versatile. Since a major aspect of his game plan is focusing on resource management, newcomers to the game may find his playstyle too complicated. In the hands of an experienced player however, Ghost Rider is a force to be reckoned with.
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