Miniature Trading

General description:
This Blobesque monster slurps across the battlefield to stick it's enemies to the floor.

Uses:
The trick of using the Giant Amoeba effectively is not to treat him as an attacking monster. He is a really effective trapping monster. This is a good piece to take the fight out of a powerful enemy without letting them run rampant on your pieces.

Strategies and game play:
Use this piece to tie up the enemy. A good trick is to throw in somebody with a decent movement like a velociraptor right up to whoever is the big threat monster on the opponent's team and then use Matrix of R'lyeh to switch him up with the Giant Amoeba so that you've effectively prevented this enemy from either moving in on your other pieces or from using his range. With his invulnerable, the Giant Amoeba can usually tie up the enemy for quite a while without taking a lot of damage.

Combos with other miniatures:
Once you have the enemy stuck in the soup, you have to either hit your trapped enemy with somebody who's either got a decent range attack(Vet Field Agent or vampire hunter), or move in somebody with an area attack(irradiated zombie), or just use him with somebody who has a pretty good attack and damage value (velociraptor or vet frothweiler).

Ways to counteract it:
The best way to counter the Giant Amoeba is with somebody with a relatively decent attack value and preferably somebody who can hit with pain in order to penetrate the invulnerable effect. If you've got somebody with Invulnerable and pain (ie. Agony) Then you can probably take out the Amoeba pretty easily without taking a lot of damage.
You also want to make sure that you move victims away from the Giant Amoeaba so that he doesn't build up his Spree ability. This shouldn't be too hard to do with his slow movement.

Strengths/Pros:
He has a relatively deep dial (eight clicks) with a consistent 15 defence and invulnerable through the first four clicks wich will keep him on the battlefield for the long haul. He is a great piece for immobilizing the enemy and with a couple of victims in his goop and he can deal some pretty serious punishment against some of the weaker monsters. At 90 points, he is one of the least expensive uniques.

Weaknesses/Cons:
His movement is pretty slow, and his attack isn't great for a unique. His defense isn't the worst, but it certainly isn't the greatest either.

Artwork and aesthetics:
Well, it's basicly a big blob of plastic with a dude stuck in it. This piece isn't going to win any beauty contests. However, One of the best things about the Giant Amoeba is the density. He is a heavy piece and you gotta love the transluscent green plastic that wizkids seems to be so fond of using on the lab set. I do think the guy on his back looks a little wacky and I kind of wonder if his arms and legs have been digested by the amoeba or if they are actually in there and I just can't see them.

Overall rating:
Overall, I would give the Giant Amoeba a 7 out of 10 for being low cost and, with the right companion army, a very effective piece.