Unmatched
Hamlet
Overview
Hamlet is the protagonist of the play The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark written by William Shakespeare. Hamlet is a complex and contemplative young prince who faces an existential crisis when he learns of his father’s murder at the hands of his uncle Claudius in order to seize the throne. Hamlet’s struggle with the psychological implications of avenging his father’s death leads him into deep inner turmoil while he grapples with the themes of morality, madness, and the search for truth. In Unmatched, Hamlet’s inner turmoil takes form in his special ability which can prove to be both an advantage and a hindrance to himself and his opponents.
Hamlet is included in Unmatched: Slings and Arrows
Hero Stats
Health: 15 / Attack: Melee / Movement: 2
Special Ability: The Question
At the start of your turn, choose TO BE or NOT TO BE. If you choose NOT TO BE, deal 2 damage to one of your fighters.
- TO BE: When you maneuver, draw 1 additional card.
- NOT TO BE: Add +2 to the value of Hamlet’s attacks.
Sidekick: Rosencrantz & Guildenstern
Health: 6 / Attack: Melee / x1
Strategies and Tips
Hamlet is a fairly straight forward fighter. His attack values are low at first glance but become formidable when paired with his special ability. His primary weakness is himself, so players must make sure to manage their hand size so as to not needlessly discard important cards. Players must also pay close attention to his health dial, as the damage he does to himself can easily be enough to cost the game. Fortunately, Hamlet has cards that help heal him and return cards to your deck to help you not blow through your deck too quickly.
Primary Strengths
Strong card effects
Powerful offensive options
Card draw
Primary Weaknesses
Cards that can cancel his card effects
High attack values
Defensive long ranged fighters
Tip #1: To Be
This should be seen as Hamlet’s default state. It costs nothing and the ability to draw an extra card when maneuvering will put you at an advantage against any opponent. With that said, this will have you reaching a full hand of seven cards very soon and we want to avoid discarding cards when possible.
Method in the Madness is arguably Hamlet’s most important card. This scheme allows you to place any number of cards in your hand on the bottom of your deck, then draw up to that many cards and gain 1 action. This card is key for not running out of cards in your deck and reaching exhaustion before your opponent. Since you will be drawing so many cards, this card is best played when your hand is full, then you can place five or six cards back in your deck while hanging on to one or two versatile / defense cards in case your opponent move in to attack.
Tip #2: Not To Be
When selecting this at the beginning of your turn, you need to be ready to attack with everything you have. Your opponent will be expecting an attack at this point, so it is best to attack with cards that will minimize the effectiveness of their defensive options.
Uncertain Doom best exemplifies this idea. Though it is seemingly weak with a base value of 2 (4 with Hamlet’s special ability active), the card effect ignores the value of the enemy card played if it is versatile. This isn’t just ignoring the printed value, but the entire value. This card seems tailor made to oppose Shakespeare since he only has versatile cards he can defend with, but it is also effective against characters like Sinbad who also doesn’t have any blue defense cards. Additionally, many heroes have very few blue defense cards so they rely on using their versatile cards.
Cruel to be Kind is another seemingly weak attack card with a base value of 2, but during combat you are allowed to BOOST the card. Your best option is to boost this card with another copy of this very card. There are only two in your deck, making this a one use only attack, but with a boost value of 4 this gives you an 8-value attack you can throw at your opponent which is sure to deal some heavy damage.
Taking two damage to swap to this state isn’t ideal, but you can choose to deal that damage to his sidekick, which in my opinion is what they are best used for. Additionally, Hamlet has many card effects that allow him to recover health, so keep those in mind whenever attacking and defending as many of them require you to win or lose combat to activate.
Tip #3: The Rest is Silence
By drawing so many cards and dealing damage to himself, you will be playing a short game as Hamlet. Therefore, it is vital to stay on the offensive. There is one card in this deck that is vital for keeping the pressure on your opponent.
The Rest is Silence is a defense card with a value of 2. While the defensive value is weak, the true value of this card is in its After Combat effect which immediately ends the turn. This means that offensive after combat effects do not happen, Shakespeare does not get to add a card to his line, and The Wayward Sisters do not get to add an ingredient to their cauldron. This card is best used when your opponent attacks you on their first action during their turn. This cheats them out of an action and potentially leaves them vulnerable to attack on your turn.
Final Thoughts
Hamlet is a fairly straight forward hero in a set of heroes with some of the most unique mechanics in the game. This doesn’t make him bad, in fact this is what makes him stand out among his peers. This doesn’t mean he is too simple, as balancing his special ability with his card effects that allow him to heal and retain his deck make for an intense gameplay loop. His fast paced, aggressive play style forces all of his opponents to keep on their toes. Hamlet will naturally play a short game with all of his extra card draw and self damage, but this makes for fun and exhilarating gameplay that is sure to be engaging for all players.
