Fearless and Inventive - Lure of the Dark Side Review

Better late than never! After waiting for months for Heroes and Legends to kick off the new cycle, it's already old news. How is this new pack going to stack up to the first one? Let's find out.

As before, I will give each card in every objective set a rating between 1 and 5 and then give the set an overall rating.

Up first, we get the new Sith objective that a lot of people have been excited for, Agent of the Emperor. Standard 5/1, with a very powerful reaction that can lock down a pesky unit or help you win a necassary Force struggle. One thing to note is that it does stack, getting two focus tokens for one commitment seems like a great deal to me. For balancing you have to have the undamaged downside, still, an extremely powerful effect.
Rating: 5/5

Mara Jade - October. That is when we saw her spoiled for the first time, and that is why the BotF Mara is now a thing of the past. For a cost of 4, you get an amazing bargain. Three force icons and health, with 4 combat icons, and absolutely crazy game text giving you 3 amazing keywords. Putting any enhancement on her that adds unit damage, makes her even scarier. She can attack, defend, control the board, control the force, everything you want in a main unit.
Rating: 5/5

Imperial Shadow Guard - Another protector for DS? Sign me up please. It may have the downside of one less health than The Royal Guard, but the fact that it can protect ANY unit committed to the force makes up for it. It also loses that second force icon, which really goes to show how amazing the Royal Guard is for a cost of 2. Still, protect is protect, and the DS needs it right now.
Rating: 4/5

Mara Jade's Lightsaber - Out of force cards? No problem. Giving Mara, or anyone that is force sensative for that matter, another unit damage is always nice. Making her keywords all kick in is even better. After using her for awhile, it's really frustrating having to wait and commit Mara the turn you play her. This opens her up to be Jedi Mind Tricked, Kyle Katarn'd, or any other bad thing that can happen before she has her shield. Playing this with her lets you get that shield and take out a unit in the process.
Rating: 4/5

Sith Library - Another objective set with this? Sith have been studying hard.
Rating: 5/5

Rage - Oh how I love this event. Yes, you have to have the balance of the force, but honestly for Sith, it ain't hard. Attacking twice with Mara, good. Attacking twice with Palpatine, good. Attacking twice with Devastator, good. The list goes on. Your opponent locked down a unit? Not anymore. Just add this to the stable of amazing Sith events.
Rating: 5/5

Set Rating: 5/5 Seriously, does Sith really need another set this good? Probably not, but in reality, I think this set might be best splashed into other affiliations. Scum is always looking for resources, and can use the protect from the Shadow Guard. Targeted strike is something they are lacking as well. No matter how you look at this set, there is almost nothing to complain about. Surely this is the best set in the pack, right? We shall see...

Next up is the new Navy set, and we get another "while undamaged" effect. Jedi for sure, will be attacking this objective, ASAP. That is an annyoing ability, but not anywhere near as good as say Lord Vader's Command, or Imperial Blockade. I do like it however, and can really help the Imps keep the force longer than they use to be able to.
Rating: 3/5

Victory Class Star Destroyer - More big flying ships. Also the cheapest star destroyers. I really like the fact that you get two of these. Three force icons are huge for Navy ships, and they can get solid combat icons while you hold the force. I think that AT-ATs are still a better value for 4 cost, because of the shielding, always having the blast icons, and a very useful reaction ability.
Rating: 3/5

Political Reliability Observer - Wow, is that an annoying name to say. That could be a downgrade on the rating just because of that name. Anyway, here is our 'chud' of the set, and for two he isn't that bad. The tactic icon is always good to have on the board, but the money is in the reaction ability. This helps you get around your objective, or set up some stuff, say Mara getting committed before the Force phase? Need a force card to win the force back this turn? Take it off of your exhausted unit.
Rating: 3/5

Control Room - Just like sith library, not much to say here.
Rating: 4/5

Echoes of the Force - This fate card fits perfectly into this set, giving you another avenue to get around your objective. Things get crazy whenever this is used as well.
Rating: 4/5

Set Rating: 3/5 This set never had that "wow" factor card, like Agent of the Emperor did. It's another Navy set that could find a home in some mono vehicle decks. The Star Destroyer's remind me too much of the Gotal Outcasts. You play big navy to blow stuff up, and it's possible they won't be able to. There are just better options right now for captial ships.

Finally, Scum gets a new set! Of course the objective has blank text unless there is a captured card! Man am I getting tired of seeing game text like this. I understand that it can get higher than 1, but honestly. Would you rather have 1 free force icon in the force struggle, ie Serve the Emperor, or have to work at it to possibly get more than 1, then have it blown up when it finally gets above 1. Not a good start.
Rating: 2/5

Zuckuss - Okay, this is much, much better. Good cost, good icons, wish the damage capacity was 3, but that Reaction is what scum has been waiting for. A super easy way to get those objectives turned on. I think the best part of this reaction is getting to see what your opponent will have on his next draw. He also happens to be force sensitive, so if you splash some sith, you can drop a lightsaber on him.
Rating: 4/5

4-Lom - His partner in crime. For a 2 cost unit, he is definitely above average. Getting 2 black icons, and the bounty hunter trait helps, the reaction will be more useful, the bigger the card pool gets. Nothing truly special.
Rating: 3/5

Containment Field - So this is how Scum is going to win Force struggles, just strip you of your icons. I like it. Zero cost means you can always play it, and its another enhancement for your Explosive Charges. Wish it had 2 icons though.
Rating: 3/5

Springing the Ambush - What is this? A well costed capture card? Finally! Being the dark side player, you will usually know 99% of the time if your going to win a force struggle, and therefore pretty easy to pull this off. It is limited to a unit committed to the force, but with new fate cards like Echoes of the Force, it is much easier to target the unit you want to capture. With the previews from Knowledge and Defense, Sariss seems like a very nice pair for this card and objective set.
Rating: 4/5

Pay Out - Of course, being Scum, you knew that they wouldn't be getting a 'normal' resource providing card. We have our very first limited event in the game, and boy is it nice. This event will possibly let you dump your entire hand during your deployment phase. Unfortunately, its most effective in a mono-Scum deck. Another drawback is the fact that it is an event, and Trust Me is being played quite a bit now-adays. I still have to give it a good mark, just for the sake of the surprise shenanigans you can do with it.
Rating: 4/5

Set Rating: 3/5 It's just another piece in the jigsaw puzzle that is Scum. One day, one day, there will be a set that brings everything together, Scum's Council of the Sith or Fall of the Jedi. There are cards in here that would be great to throw into another affiliation, but then you have some that are really just good in pure Scum. It's still a fun and interesting set, just not tournament ready....yet.

So, this set was spoiled about a week before Heroes and Legends hit, and there has been a great deal of talk leading up to it. First, starting with the objective, you get an extremely powerful effect, even better than Across the Anoat in my opinion. It's not limited to unit's attacking alone, or Smuggler units only. It also, just like Across the Anoat, doesn't have the 'undamaged' text like every other affiliation's objective. Absolutely insane.
Rating: 5/5

Dash Rendar - Dash makes a return from his BotF version, just like Mara, and I gotta say, wow. Elite, 3 force icons, black tactics, 3 health and game text that can potentially let you one shot objectives? How does this guy just cost 4? Sure, your opponent can dump his entire hand in the edge battle to shut his text off, but that's if they can even defend. Last time I checked, Smuggler's were pretty good at removing defender's before the edge battle.(Chewie + LTWW, Swindled, Rebel Assualt splashed from Red 2, Bamboozle) Heaven forbid that there were cards that made your opponent draw...
Rating: 5/5

Shifty Lookout - Here is the 'chud' of the set, and of course it has a mind bending ability. It's Smugglers, so of course it does. A Vader's Fist for the LS, but worded better. Now your objective and Dash will always be active, and your Freeloader's cost one less as well. Your opponent better be playing Force Choke or Def Protocol, and pray you don't have Wookie Life Debt out.
Rating: 5/5

Holding All the Cards - Stupid. Just stupid. This card is so powerful, and you get two of them in this objective. In a game this short, drawing more cards can only net you good things. What's the downside, your opponent draws as well? It costs 0, and turns everything in your objective on, and is basically Admiral's Orders for Freeloaders. Another fun use is to load up your hand for Defense of Yavin, ridiculous.
Rating: 5/5

Target of Opportunity - More blast damage, in an objective set that is loaded with it. Another easy rating.
Rating: 5/5

Set Rating: 5/5 We opened the review with what could have been the best set in the box, but it just got crushed. This set ranks up there with Asteroid Sanctuary, Across the Anoat, and Wookie Life Debt. Did you just notice that I listed all Smuggler sets? Seriously, they need to get another Escape from Ord Mantell for the foreseeable future. There is almost no downside to playing any card in this objective, in any affiliation. This is also why in the H&L review I had an asterisk next to the set rating for False Report.

Last, but not least, we have the Rebel set, Commando Operations. Starting out we see the Endor trait, could we see some fate cards named Battle of Endor in the future? I hope so. As far as game text goes, that's awesome! No more fear of Twist of Fate, or Heat of Battle for at least the first turn of the game. Funny this has the 'undamaged' stipulation and the previous set doesn't... Your opponent will have to attack this, it's too detrimental an effect to just leave on the whole game.
Rating: 5/5

General Crix Madine - Here is a stat line that Rebel characters have been wanting for awhile. For the low cost of 4, you get a little of everything. Tactics, blast, 3 force icons, 3 health, 3 resources. That reaction is quite powerful as well, every single fate card let's this guy refresh. They also don't have to resolve, so it works great while your objective is turned on. A great main for Rebel characters.
Rating: 5/5

Rebel Commando - Great stat line, even for three. There are enough protectors running around lightside decks, the two health isn't that big of an issue to me. Add in the fact that this guy can drop in for free? Go ahead, turn off my objective so you can use your fate cards, I'll get a free awesome unit out of it. Don't forget that you can also drop him in against that pesky Tie Attack Squadron. Bonus, you get two in the set.
Rating: 4/5

Adaptive Strategy - I love how this set is all centered around fate cards. Here is a surprise Secret Informant, that can also trigger off of your opponents cards. Best of all its a free event, your opponent will always be thinking twice about using those Heats.
Rating: 4/5

Seeds of Decay - This is the first set in the game so far to have this fate card, and after using it a little, man is it powerful. Need to win the force struggle, or just lock out another good defender? Taken care of. What is really brutal is if you use Adaptive Strategy with this guy and lock out two of their defenders. This paired with Echoes of the Force is targeted lockdown, and since your opponent can't twist with your objective active, it's guaranteed.
Rating: 5/5

Set Rating: 5/5 This may not be as stupidly powerful as the Dash set, but it is my favorite. There is no set like this in the game, and there are just a ton of things that can happen, and confuse your opponent. Because of Dash, this set may very well fly under the radar. When everyone is getting tech in to beat Smuggler's, the Rebel's will cause problems of their own.

Overall, I think that this set crushed Heroes and Legends. There are three, super powerful objective sets, one being amongst the best in the game. How did the set rate in your eyes? Sound off in the comments below!

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