If you're searching for advice how to best Amethyst/Steel, the plan is simple: pressure early, respect Evasive in the midgame, and punish their "tap-out" turns. You'll do that with cheap removal like Fire the Cannons!, scalable songs like Strength of a Raging Fire, and a light Vanish package that makes targeted actions awkward.

TL;DR

• Game plan: keep the board small, tax their Evasive questers, and punish the first big develop (usually turn four with Genie).
• Core answers:

  • 1-ink ping: Fire the Cannons! (deal 2 to a chosen character).
  • Scalable song: Strength of a Raging Fire (damage = your characters; sing it for free).
  • Evasive mirrors: Jasmine - Fearless Princess (gains Evasive on your turn; discard for Challenger +3).
  • Vanish tech: Rajah - Ghostly Tiger, Palace Guard - Spectral Sentry, Giant Cobra - Ghostly Serpent.

• Best counters to test first: Emerald/Sapphire Control and Amethyst/Sapphire "bounce" shells - both answer Evasive while keeping cards flowing.

The Problem (What Amethyst/Steel is Really Doing)

The deck buys time with efficient trades, then wins by chaining Evasive threats you can't easily block, led by Genie - Wish Fulfilled (4 ink, Evasive, Draws a card when enters play, and quests for 2). On turn four, Genie both replaces itself and starts a race. Their soft spots are the turns where they spend most ink on a single Evasive or spend a turn answering your board without adding enough power.

The Solution

1) Kill the engine, not the exhaust

Direct answer: delete the first Evasive cleanly and you usually win the tempo war.

1-ink window: Fire the Cannons! finishes an Elsa or snipes small questers for a huge swing.

Scale up when wide: Strength of a Raging Fire turns your board into removal - plan to sing it on pivotal turns.

Example:

T5 they play Elsa - The Fifth Spirit (5 ink), exerting your best character. Trade with what's free to soften Elsa, then Cannons for 1 to finish. If you're already wide, sing Raging Fire to remove their backup and keep pressure.

2) Make targeting you awkward (Small Vanish Package)

Vanish = "When an opponent chooses this character for an Action, banish them." It punishes targeted removal and some Songs. Include some Illusions in your deck and tune the count based on what turns you want to make the most impact:

• Rajah - Ghostly Tiger (2 ink, Vanish)
• Palace Guard - Spectral Sentry (1 ink, Vanish)
• Giant Cobra - Ghostly Serpent (3 ink, Amethyst/Steel; Vanish; optional discard to gain 2 lore)

Budget payoff: Treasure Guardian - Foreboding Sentry draws on entry if you already have an Illusion.

3) Force fair fights

Mix cheap fighters and must-answer 2-drops so Amethyst/Steel has to engage on the ground:

• Captain Hook - Forceful Duelist (1 ink, Challenger +2) trades up and protects your questers.
• Calhoun - Marine Sergeant (2 ink, Resist +1; Level Up -> +2 lore on banish) punishes their trades.
• Doc - Bold Knight (2 ink; "discard your hand, draw 2" on play) reloads when you're ahead on board.

4) If you can't beat 'em in the air - join 'em (selectively)

Racing Evasive is fine when you pick the right tools:

• Jasmine - Fearless Princess gains Evasive on your turn and converts a discard into Challenger +3 blowouts.
• Genie - Wish Fulfilled (4 ink; Evasive; draw a card on play) keeps the gas flowing.
• Dumbo - Ninth Wonder of the Universe (4 ink; Evasive; gives your other Evasives "Exert, pay 1: draw 1 & gain 1 lore").

Deck-building Advice

Shells that Pressure Amethyst/Steel

• Emerald/Sapphire Control - bounce, friction, and steady questing; good Evasive checks without losing cards.
• Amethyst/Sapphire ("Bounce") - same Evasive axis but faster card velocity; forces mirrors where your answers are cheaper.
• Steel splashes (Amber/Steel, Sapphire/Steel) - keep Cannons + Raging Fire and layer sticky 2-drops to punish tap-outs.

"Deck Techs Against Amethyst/Steel" (plug-and-play picks)

Main deck (typical 60):

• 4x Fire the Cannons! - the cleanest 1-ink tempo swing.
• 2-4x Strength of a Raging Fire - your board becomes their problem.
• 2-3x Captain Hook - Forceful Duelist - 1-ink fighter that trades up.
• 2x Calhoun - Marine Sergeant - Resist +1; "Level Up" swings lore.
• 2-4x Illusions with Vanish (Rajah/Palace Guard/Giant Cobra) - tune the count for your local meta.

Meta pivots (adjust your list for maximum flexibility):

• Jasmine - Fearless Princess if you expect lots of Evasive mirrors.
• Genie - Wish Fulfilled to keep hands full in slower rooms.
• Dumbo - Ninth Wonder of the Universe when you can safely leverage the Evasive draw/lore engine.

Example lines of play (copy these)

1. Punish the Elsa turn (turn five).
2. They play Elsa (5 ink), exerting your best character. Trade with what's free, then Fire the Cannons! for the finish, then deploy another 2-drop; hold a singer for Raging Fire next turn if they rebuild.
3. Vanish bait.
4. Lead with a choose-effect (Cannons, certain Songs) into Rajah/Palace Guard to trigger Vanish, then develop behind it. Don't sink expensive removal into a unit that could disappear better with combat in the form of favorable trades.
5. Break the Dumbo snowball.
6. If they curve Genie (4) into Dumbo (4), either choke their ink (if your list supports it) or line up Raging Fire to clear their Evasives and reset the race.

Pros & Cons: Common Anti-Amethyst/Steel Shells

Emerald/Sapphire Control

Pros: Resets tempo, resilient to Evasive

Cons: Can stumble vs ultra-low curves

Sapphire/Steel Midrange

Pros: Best "fair fight" tools; removal density

Cons: Can lag card velocity vs Amethyst

Amethyst/Sapphire Bounce

Pros: Mirrors Evasive plan but faster

Cons: Can overdraw/under-develop board

Amber/Steel Songs

Pros: Raging Fire blowouts, flexible card choices

Cons: Needs tight sequencing to avoid gassing out

Budget Alternatives

• No Dumbo? Lean on Jasmine - Fearless Princess for on-turn Evasive and Challenger +3 blowouts.
• No Genie? Use efficient 2-drops + Doc - Bold Knight to reload without losing board.
• Tight budget? A mini Vanish package (Rajah/Palace Guard) is cheap and warps removal choices.

Advanced Tips

• Count Songs proactively. Waiting one turn often turns Raging Fire from "trade" to "wipe."
• Sequence around Elsa's exert. Establish weaker, but more impactful characters for questing after she comes down.

Beginner Warnings

• Don't waste Cannons on chip damage when a clean block + ping is available next turn.
• Don't overextend into your own Raging Fire--you need bodies and a singer; make sure the remaining board doesn't challenge well into your exerted board.
• Track lore math relentlessly; Amethyst/Steel pivots from stabilizing to sprinting fast.

Next Steps

1. Pick your deck (ES Control, AS Bounce, or Steel-based midrange).
2. Add the anti-Evasive core: Fire the Cannons! + Strength of a Raging Fire, your own Evasives, and a couple of high-rate 2-drops.
3. Test and tune for your events (Glass City Showdown; Lorcana Challenge Milwaukee).
4. Use InkDecks to scout fresh lists and metagame shifts as Fabled settles.

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