A Dark Time - Light Side Review

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I will be talking about some of these cards in detail in upcoming edition(s) of abUse the Force; I will keep my reviews short and punchy.

Self Preservation - 2/5

The ability on this card is better than it not having any ability, but it seems unimpressive compared to the abilities on objectives such as In You Must Go, The Secret of Yavin 4, A Message from Beyond, or even Jedi Training. With the current card pool, this is quite bland. If future cards create extremely high stakes for winning or losing the force struggle, then this could increase in value.

Gotal Outcast - 2/5

I do not care for this card. He is a force user, which has obvious synergy with Forgotten Heroes. But, I have mixed feelings about Forgotten Heroes also. The card does virtually nothing unless you can hold on to the force. True, this objective set gives you some help doing just that, but I still feel like this is a relatively bad card. Plus, he is a 2x in this set, so you will draw him consistently if you run 2x of Self Preservation. Right now I don't like him; future sets could make him more valuable. There is potential, but he just isn't very good right now.

Soresu Training - 4/5

Awesome. Shielding and +1 damage capacity for free and two force icons. I rest my case.

Unwavering Resolve - 1/5

Helps you win edge battles, which makes the Gotal Outcast better. But, with 4x Gotal Outcasts and 2x Unwavering Resolves, given that you run two copies of the set, it still seems awkward. Jedi often need every available resource to drop key characters and get key enhancements out; holding back for this could be more of a pain than it is worth.

I have tried various builds with this objective set, and am not yet impressed. In time, though, there is definitely potential here.

Overall - 2/5

Self Preservation (48-1) - 2/5

As much as I like the spirit of this objective I don't see it actually having a huge impact on many games. On face value an extra force icon for force struggles seems like it would be a benefit and in certain situations I am sure it will be; however, in most games there is a bigger disparity that one or two force icons. I would almost rather have seen this ability on a Rebel affiliated objective to help bolster one of their larger weaknesses. Combined with Unwavering Resolve this objective is a bit better, but even that isn't an assured interaction. In the future this objective may be a bit better if the theme of cards gaining extra abilities or stats based on controlling the force starts to take off, but as it stands this is rather underwhelming.

Gotal Outcast (48-2) - 2/5

This is one of the first cards that gives you an advantage for controlling the force so in one aspect I like it for its creativity and "new" factor. The downsides to this card are rather glaring though. First off this card has zero value outside of edge battles if you cannot gain control of the force struggle, without having even edge dependent icons it is a meat shield that your opponent can completely ignore. Secondly the card is utterly useless on turn one for light side as most every dark side player will more than likely take control away on their first turn. Hopefully down the road there will be some ways to bolster the efficiency of these force struggle dependent cards, at this time they aren't too stellar.

Soresu Training (48-4) - 4/5

Shielding and damage capacity are huge right now and a card that gives a unit (Force Users only) both abilities for the amazingly low cost of free is top notch in my books. This card makes the entire objective set worth playing, especially in combination with Yoda or Luke this makes them even harder to kill or tactics down. I also really appreciate how accurate the card is to the actual lightsaber form which is a highly defensive form; that little extra polish from the creators getting things right just adds to the overall quality of the game in my opinion.

Unwavering Resolve (48-5) - 3.5/5

Unwavering Resolve is the first in what I hope will be many ways to "cheat" the force struggle and gain an advantage for playing cards such as the Gotal Outcast. I wish this was a two of in the objective set so that you could play it more reliably or that it was an enhancement akin to Echo Caverns. As a one cost event card it is still good if a bit limited. I can see the fear of this card keeping dark side players up at night and most light side players are going to start leaving up one Jedi affiliated resource just to keep their opponents honest.

Overall - 3/5

Self Preservation - 2/5

Jedi rarely need a hand winning the force struggle so this objective is almost blank. If more emphasis is put on winning the force struggle then this may become a clutch objective, outside of this happening I feel it will be rarely picked if possible.

Gotal Outcast - 2/5

As said by everyone else he has obvious synergy with Forgotten Hero's but I can't get round the fact that the opponent can simply make this guy a 2 cost meat shield that will mostly end up sitting in force struggle or stopping unopposed damage. The fact that this card is a two of does start to really hurt this oSet.

Soresu Training - 4/5

The saving grace of this oSet. Any big unit from the smugglers den (aside from Han) will welcome this, Yoda simply loves it giving him his damage boost and helping solve one of Yoda's main problem-survivability. The icing on the cake is the enhancement is free!

Unwavering Resolve - 3/5

Had this thing been free it would of had a much higher rating but that one cost really does hurt it, especially as the resource will have to come from an objective. All that said keeping the force on your side can decide games so the card is not without merit if you have the resources spare.

Heat of battle - 4/5

Same as usual

Overall - 2/5 this set is cute but I can't see competitive players running it over more useful objectives.

Self Preservation (4/5)
I have yet to actually get this objective into play yet, but it's a great effect and certainly synergizes well with the rest of the objective set. As I'll mention a few more times, I really like the direction of placing more emphasis on the force struggle and keying mechanics off of it.

Gotal Outcast (3/5)
A solid chud who will either wreck some objectives if you have the force or give you 2-3 force pips to try and win it back. Also very nice to get more "Force User" keywords for attachments and draw!

Soresu Training (4/5)
This makes me wanna dust off A Message From Beyond and tinker more with Jedi attachments. It's a solid addition to their suite of buffs and a card I'll usually be happy to draw, especially at 0 cost!

Unwavering Resolve (2/5)
In my experience so far, it seems like this will win you the occasional game and otherwise be kinda useless. I definitely like the flavor of it though, aiding in the fight for the force struggle.

Heat of Battle (3/5)
Same ol' solid card.

Overall (4/5)
This might be my favorite objective of the pack and I usually don't even play Jedi. It's got lots of synergy and none of the cards are dragging it down. I'm a huge fan of the possibility of Jedi decks based on using the force to smack down those pesky Sith. Make more sets like this one!

Self Preservation 3 out of 5

A decent card that will occasionally catch your opponent off guard but nothing game breaking. Jedi rarely have an issue with the Force Struggle but this will help cement that fact. Awesome art though.

Gotal Outcast 3 out of 5

I like the design of this card. Im sure there will be many cards released that have effects based on the balance of the force. I like the fact it keys off Forgotten Heroes as well. More card draw is always good. I do wish it had some sort of combat icon though as a lot of the time against Sith this card will be terrible.

Soresu Training 5 out of 5

I really like this card. More attachments for the Jedi theme are always appreciated and this is certainly a good one. More than anything the increase in damage capacity is awesome for the powerful if sometimes breakable Jedi. I really like this card. Extra shielding as also very cool, allowing you to free up Guardian of Peace's shielding for extra resilience.

Unwavering Resolve. 4 out of 5

Great card. Keeping the balance of the force away from the DS player is important and this card achieves that quite easily. Over the course of a game, seeing 2 of these will slow down the DS player something chronic allowing Jedi to play a slower game and focus on building more consistant attacks.

Heat of Battle....

Nuff said.

Self Preservation (2/5)
This objective seems like it could be good, but so far in my testing it just hasn't been relevant.

Gotal Outcast (2/5)
You need to build a deck around this card. Against Sith decks you won't normally have the force unless you've dedicated yourself to this task. His force user trait so far has been the best part of the card in my testing.

Soresu Training (5/5)
Yeah this card is amazing. It's not broken, it's just very very good.

Unwavering Resolve (3/5)
This pod is all about having the force and this card helps you accomplish this task.

Heat of Battle (3.5/5)
Heat grows on me more every day.

Overall (2/5)
Kinda blah. It could be the beginning of a new archetype. But in my testing I've found the pod to be quite weak.

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Prepare for Evacuation - 3/5

I like the ability, especially since we have more Hoth objectives on the way. This makes the DS think twice about what to go after, and could save the LS some time as well as save other key objectives from being attacked. I like it. It is not amazing, but balanced and solid.

Renegade Squadron Escort - 2.5/5

This card is not bad. Wedge can pilot it, if you are in a bind, which is nice. It has the Renegade Squadron trait, which could become more valuable as the card pool expands. The Protect keyword is handy. But, given all of that, I still wish this card had something else; maybe an additional icon, an edge-dependent blast damage perhaps, or shielding, or something. I give it a 2.5 because it is a versatile card.

Action-series Bulk Transport - 1/5

Wow. This card is ugly. Thank you for letting me search for a character card, when a deck running this set is probably quite vehicle-heavy. And, if you do happen to pull Wedge, he goes right into play. At this point, this card is pure ugly edge fodder. That face that people make when they smell a jammed vacuum belt starting to burn is the face I first made when I saw and read this card. Someone prove me wrong, please. This card seems bad. It could be good on defense, but vehicle-heavy LS decks don't typically have a ton of cards in hand when the DS attacks, and they lose a lot of defensive edge battles. This card just feels so awkward.

Ion Cannon Burst - 2/5

The LS equivalent of Force Stasis, but for vehicles. It lists the Droid trait, which adds some value beyond just listing the Vehicle trait. But, in many instances this will be a dead card. And, if it is a dead card, it is not much use in an edge battle either. It has potential, and some great utility, however.

Overall - 2/5

Prepare for Evacuation (49-1) - 4/5

I am more than likely overvaluing this objective, but I really like the way it can completely punish your opponent for attacking your Hoth Objectives. With the number of Hoth objectives being run in many Rebel Vehicle decks (which I see being the main decks using this objective set) your opponent will have to make very careful attacks otherwise they risk getting blow out on attacks back after triggering this objectives ability. I can also see this objective being played in combination with Subzero Defenses to bring most dark side attacks to a halt against your Hoth objectives. The future of Hoth based decks is looking very bright.

Renegade Squadron Escort (49-2) - 3/5

Protection for vehicles makes cards such as Home One and Red Two even more formidable then they already were. Sadly the Renegade Squadron Escorts aren't on the same level as their Character protector counterparts. This is mainly because they lack either one additional damage capacity or shielding, with either one of those two improvements these would easily be the best cards printed for a vehicle based deck in combination with Preparation for Battle. Be that as it may they are still a very solid addition and allow you to play some better vehicles that before this unit was released were just a little on the squishy side.

Action-series Bulk Transport (49-4) - 2/5

I really struggle with this card because I want to like it just because of its ability, but I struggle with seeing how exactly it fits either with the objective set it is part of or with the decks that will likely be build around this objective set. In a character based deck that has access to Twi'lek Smuggler, Guardian of Peace, or even Renegade Squadron Operative this card is really quite good so this might see quality play in a pure Smuggler deck come Edge of Darkness. Unfortunately with the ruling that characters revealed with this units ability MUST be played as characters (Wedge Antilles is the main example) it limits some of the cards uses in the vehicle decks it will likely find a home in.

Ion Cannon Burst (49-5) - 3/5

Yet another card that in certain match ups will be a life saver and in others a total bust. Since most dark side decks are running at the very least a copy or two of the Devastator it means that this card will likely be useful and if Droids become a major theme in Edge of Darkness it could improve the utility of this card even further. Also being able to potentially clear the way for more profitable attacks or keep yourself safe after making an all out attack mean that the card has much needed utility.

Overall - 4/5

Prepare for Evacuation - 4/5

In a Hoth heavy deck the ability can ensure that the dark side player can only take one objective at the most as his vader/palpatine/devastator etc takes a trip back to hand. I think more testing is required though to show the true value of this objective.

Renegade Squadron Escort 3/5

I like this guy but it feels like he's missing either an additional damage capacity or shielding even an extra edge dependant damage. The protect can help keep those other more powerful ships on the board long enough to deal their damage.

Action-series Bulk Transport - 2/5

Man this thing is ugly looking like a dust buster and a dumbbell's love child. Unfortunately for the bulk transport its stats and abilities don't make up for its bad looks. The ability seems out of place on a unit that will mainly be used in a vehicle heavy deck, the resources look handy but out of place on a unit that you want to be involved in combat situations. Had this thing not had the resources and cost 3 it would of being more useful but having to more than likely sink a whole turns resource into this thing would leave a bitter taste in my mouth.

Ion Cannon Burst - 3/5

While the card feels quite narrow in the current meta I think the one time you stop a devastator or tie attack squadron coming across your side of the board will be worth it, and with S&V looking like they'll pick up some droids and vehicle this card will only get more useful as time goes on

Battle of Hoth 3/5

Probably my least favourite fate cards but heat of battle and twist can't be in every oSet

Overall - 3.5/5 has potential in the right deck but will always be a supporting roe rather than a lead act

Prepare for Evacuation (3/5)
It's a powerful effect, but a rare occurrence, especially compared to the last S&S objective. I do always appreciate multi-use wording, where you can target your opponent's big guy or use it for triggering Leia/any leaving play effects.

Renegade Squadron Escort (2/5)
I love Rebels so when I saw this I was so excited for getting some protect! It'll solve all the Rebels' problems, right? After playing a few games, I'm really not in love. The Jedi protector gets shields, the Sith one gets 3 health, and this one just gets slightly better offense.

Action-series Bulk Transport (1/5)
What a goofy looking vehicle. Is it a carrying case? A dust-buster? No matter what, it seems a little over-costed. I am intrigued by the search effect since there are so few of those in this game, but since it is for Characters, it doesn't really jive with the other units in the set.

Ion Cannon Burt (3/5)
I like the range of use it has, from vehicle to droid, from attack to defense. Wish it was 0 cost, but at least it is neutral. Solid card.

Battle of Hoth (2/5)
Not as useful as most fate cards, but still fine I suppose.

Overall (2/5)
This might work well in an all S&S deck as they seem to run a mix of vehicles and units, but for now it just doesn't really provide enough support for either.

Prepare for Evacuation. 5 out of 5.

Awesome card. Being able to build a deck composed of primarily Hoth objectives is quite likely so the ability is going to be priceless. Not only that but the DS player is also quite likely to have access to some solid Hoth objectives as well. This basically means that the ability will get used quite a significant amount. Bouncing back a Vader/Palpatine or anything thats being a pain is just amazing. Another very solid objective for SS.

Renegade Squadron Escort. 4 out of 5

Cheap and efficient. A lack of shielding makes this card a little weaker than its Jedi counterpart but it still allows more resilience for your ships which is what the LS players need. Keeping that Y-Wing around a little longer can really impact the game let alone what it can do with a workhorse like Home One. Great card.

Action Series-Bulk Transport 4 out of 5.

DUSTBUSTERS IN SPAAAAAAAACCCEEEE!! Ugly card, ugly ugly ugly. The worst art I have seen this game so far. As for the card itself I actually quite like it. Its versatile. Its well costed, fairly resilient and makes for a decent blocker/attacker witha reasonable amount of unit damage. Not only that but it has a couple of extra resources as an added bonus. The ability itself is quite interesting as it specifies characters which makes it quite useless in a RA deck but lets not forget, this is a SS card and no doubt they will have a number of character units to trigger it.

Ion Cannon Burst 4 out of 5.

Currently not so hot but later on in the game this will be a solid card. Denying a single capital ship from attacking makes this card worthwhile, let alone the number of future Droids and Ships which will be released over the course of the game. Limited application currently but will only get better.

Battle of Hoth...

Nothing new here. Still a decent card.

Prepare for Evacuation (3/5)
This is a great effect in an all Hoth deck. However, so far the decks in which this pod shines are decks featuring the Defense of Yavin 4 and other non-Hoth objectives. However, I was able to use this to great effect bouncing Palpatine and the Devastator on one turn.

Renegade Squadron Escort (4/5)
The card I was waiting for. This one card suddenly makes playing Home One viable and greatly improves the chances that Rogue 3 will stick around. It is a bit slower way to play Rebels, but it makes them feel much more consistent.

Action-series Bulk Transport (2/5)
This is an odd card. It doesn't fit well into a Rebel deck. Searching for characters and not having blast icons is not worth the 4 cost. However, I'm guessing there will be a build in which this card is able to shine at some point. For now I've been using it as a 2 force icon edge card which isn't that bad.

Ion Cannon Burst (4/5)
I love this card. Since both Navy and Sith are relying heavily upon the Devastator this card is an ultra cheap way to control that beast. At Kubla Con this card helped me ice 2 different games.

Battle of Hoth (2/5)
The three force icons are great, but the effect is fairly minimal.

Overall (4/5)
This is a key objective for most Rebel vehicle builds. Although most of the pod isn't great, having vehicles that protect is a huge step forward for Rebels.