Star Wars LCG: "Imperial Entanglements" Deluxe Expansion Review - LS side part 2

Renegade Reinforcements (175-1): 18.5 out of 25 possible points.



chunkygorillas (3.5/5) – You have to really build you deck around the theme to get good value out of it, but if you did, it can add a lot of value to units you strike with. Lightside can always use more tactics.

doctormungmung (4/5) – Getting a free tactics a turn is very powerful. So of course there are some stipulations. First, it needs to go with a Renegade Squadron unit. That’s not too hard, and there are a few good ones to choose from (like Renegade Squadron itself). But you can also use a little chump, turning him (or her) into a unit that can’t be ignored. Secondly, it’s an edge enabled tactics, which is more problematic, as Smugglers aren’t the best at edge, although if you use Col Serra’s set along with the Falcon, you can alleviate some of that. Unfortunately due to the timing of the reaction, you can’t steal that newly gained tactics via Echo Caverns.

yodaman (4/5) – Hopefully, we’ll be seeing more Renegade Squadron cards in the future since right now there aren’t a lot. The ability is great though since it gives you a potential tactic and forces the DS player to deal with a unit that wouldn’t have tactics on its own. If you can win edge with something like Renegade Squadron you can do some serious focusing of the DS board with this objective out. Again, like other cards in the IE smuggler sets, you have to time things right to get the most use out of it.

pantsyg (3/5) – Extra tactics are always good, but the current Renegade Squadron sets don’t have enough synergy to build around.

Majestaat (4/5) – If FFG didn't just decide to give as this and drop Renegade Squadron as a theme, this is certainly a 4 and even a 5. Getting free tactics is huge, especially in back and forth matches since you'll be getting even more free icons out of this. As it stands, it's fairly limited in use with the lack of Renegade Squad sets, but I'm pretty sure we will see at least one more in the Endor cycle. Hopefully, it will be good and have a resource to build on a solid base.


*Corporal Dansra Beezer (175-2): 18.5 out of 25 possible points.



chunkygorillas (3/5) – She has pretty decent stats and an ability that in some situations can be super strong, but you really need to win the edge with her, since 2 health makes her pretty easy to pick off, and of course Vader Choke gets rid of her instantly too.

doctormungmung (4/5) – Beezer starts off with great stats for a three drop. She’s on the squishy side, which is her biggest downfall, but with wookies or guardians, you can alleviate that somewhat. But her text really puts her above most of her peers. She is effectively a mini-Echo Caverns. She doesn’t steal the icon, which means you can’t keep a unit alive or ready to strike by pulling that critical icon from your opponent, but still, an extra tactics from Palpatine (assuming she doesn’t get locked out) can go a long way. Particularly if she’s also getting a tactics from the objective as well.

yodaman (3.5/5) – On the surface this card seems like it should be really good. Beezer gains a combat icon of any participating unit in the engagement, not just LS ones, which means you’ll usually have decent options. On her own, if she wins edge you’ll get 2 objective damage in and she’ll be able to pick up a tactics if she’s the first unit to strike that turn. Her big weakness is like Mirax though. She only has 2 health so you need to find a way to keep her alive and take advantage of her ability.

pantsyg (4/5) – I very much underestimated Beezer. Most other LS 3-drop characters, like Rebel Commandos, have a white gun, but her white blast makes her a real threat. Her ability to gain an icon from another unit means you have to be careful blocking when she attacks solo, lest your defender grant her another blast or tactics. I like her as a target for Infiltration as well.

Majestaat (4/5) – If you can get around her rather low health by winning edge or having protectors out, you get a really strong unit. With two blast, the DS needs to block her (especially with the objective out to give her tactics) but in doing so it fuels her ability, which is super versatile. Worth nothing she doesn't need to copy PRINTED icons, so if you're swinging with another Renegade Squad unit, you can get a second free tactics. Also work with Munitions Expert and Echo Caverns.


Renegade Squadron Operative (175-3): 12.5 out of 25 possible points.



chunkygorillas (2/5) – This unit would be a pretty awesome Darkside unit, with 2 black guns, but Lightside just doesn’t need that as much, especially with their chuds. This unit does however get much better if you have the objective out, and thankfully there is only 1 of this unit in the set.

doctormungmung (2/5) – We’ve seen this guy before, and he’s a solid defender. With the objective out, he can also double as a dangerous Twi’lek Loyalist. Still, he’s not doing much to get you towards your end goal of destroying three objectives.

yodaman (2.5/5) – It’s a reprinted chud and it does fit the overall theme of the set. However, even though the 2 guns are nice, objective damage is the name of the game for LS and these units don’t really help contribute to that. At least it has the Renegade Squadron trait so you can use it to trigger the objective.

pantsyg (3/5) – Yes, it’s a 2-drop with 2 black icons, but it’s a purely support unit. Sometimes it will be handy to bring these along in an attack to threaten defenders, but mostly these guys will be relegated to defense.

Majestaat (3/5) – I actually like this reprint. The DS plays much more aggressively than it used to, and this unit is threatening enough on defense that it will force second thoughts, especially with the support cards in Renegade Squadron Mobilization or with Renegade Reinforcements out. Nothing spectacular, but he's as consistent as a cheap nameless guy can be.


Hidden Backup (175-4): 14.5 out of 25 possible points.



chunkygorillas (3/5) – Cards like these are always pretty decent; you can really trick your opponent and then bring in your defender at a more opportune time.

doctormungmung (2/5) – This is an interesting enhancement. You give up the option of contesting the edge battle and making your opponent spend a card, but you can throw in a defender after your opponent has finished his strikes. That can help get more milage out of units like the Renegade Squadron Operative. Still, this requires the DS to be attacking, which doesn’t always happen. And a lot of times, when they are, you want them to use cards for the edge so they have less to use on your next turn where you get to be on the offense. In the end, I think there are a few tricks that this card will enable, but for the most part they won’t come into play all that often.

yodaman (3.5/5) – In theory, this card should be really useful since you can use it to get off a shot after all other units in the engagement on both sides have struck. In practice, it seems like this card can be played around a bit by a DS player so it doesn’t always work in a meaningful way. At least it’s 0 cost so it’s always worth putting on the board just in case.

pantsyg (3/5) – I’m not 100% sold on this card, but it has potential. Basically, it lets you have the last word in a fight, which means you can’t prevent the opponent from striking. That said, it could be useful to bring a defender in after the opponent strikes to finish off his units, or drop unexpected tactics on his other units in preparation for a counter-attack. It can also complicate how the opponent distributes tactics.

Majestaat (3/5) – While it's telegraphed, the fact this is free and reusable helps it a lot. This card is perfect to avoid some unopposed damage on your objectives and protect your units from those pesky Heat of Battle, maybe even shoot down an attacker when there are not enough enemy guns to kill your sudden defender. Certainly makes the Renegade Squad Operatives better.


Directed Fire (175-5): 20 out of 25 possible points.



chunkygorillas (4/5) – This card is pretty awesome, much for the same reasons as the last one, but since it’s an event you don’t have to telegraph it as much.

doctormungmung (3/5) – We get a Cloud City Wing Guard in event form. Now that has some potential! You can hold Beezer back and not risk her squishy two health, but still let her do her damage and potentially double up on an icon (her text may require her to be participating as well, I’ll leave that up to the rules lawyers). Or you could use that Renegade Squadron Operative who’s sitting back on defense to help kill that one unit that needs to go so you can get unopposed. Or, let Luke use his targeted strike without getting in harm's way. Only costing one is a bargain for such a flexible effect.

yodaman (3/5) – For 1 cost you get to have something outside the engagement shoot into it. That can be great under the right conditions, but like Hidden Backup, it can often be played around by the DS. Very situational, in my opinion.

pantsyg (5/5) – I really like this event. It’s inexpensive, but can be a big swing in combat. On offense, send in a chud, then hit with a big unit; on defense, chump-block then hit them with tactics or lots of unit damage from outside the fight. Basically, I love cards that introduce unpredictability.

Majestaat (5/5) – Anything that messes with battle math is really good. The very simple Heavy Fire has won me more games that I can count because a single unexpected extra combat icon can make a world of difference. While this one costs a resource, it should often have a much bigger impact. Why would your opponent bother blocking a Renegade Squadron Recruit? Because it suddenly enables Renegade Squadron itself to resolve its icons, that's why. Super versatile and super cheap, those are the kind of events I like.


Last Minute Reinforcements (175-6): 15 out of 25 possible points.



chunkygorillas (4/5) – This card is actually super similar to the last event, but slightly more powerful. Also adding the card to the bottom of your deck as some synergy with the card Central Computer, since you can get that unit right into your hand next time you draw.

doctormungmung (2/5) – This is a much weaker version of Unfinished Business. It’s only good on defense. The only plus it has is that you get to search out a non-vehicle from your deck. But other than that, ugh. And it costs two! Maybe if you could do some Falcon shenanigans, or pull in a Renegade Squadron, but nope, they’re out. Perhaps you really need a Chewie on defense to kill a bunch of units? I suppose there are some corner cases where this is good, but being limited to defense on the LS really hampers things here.

yodaman (3/5) – A poor man’s version of Unfinished Business (Majestaat's note: yet it's more expensive! ) since you can only use it to bring in defenders and it costs 2 rather than 1. You do get to pick and choose from you deck and when you finish the unit goes to the bottom of your deck rather than the discard pile. If you play this with Fortune and Fate, you can combo with the Central Computer to then get the unit back in your hand and play it as normal. It almost seems a bit too conditional and defensive though for a LS card.

pantsyg (4/5) – Expensive, but worth it in the right deck. I like the synergy with EoD Chewbacca or Freeholders, both annoying units to attack against, and Central Computer from the Lady Luck set to get you that big unit back. Keeping 2 resources open is the real challenge.

Majestaat (2/5) – I mostly see edge fodder here. The effect is strong, I don't deny that, but at 2 resources, reaction-speed, limited to defense and non-vehicles, it just feels too restrictive in most cases.


Overall: 17 out of 25 possible points.

chunkygorillas (3.5/5) – This set is above average, it has some pretty cool tricks and some units that are at least okay.

doctormungmung (3/5) – I almost want to give this set a 2 / 5 rating, because it is so defense oriented and the LS needs to have some offense. So this basically becomes a support set, vying for the limited space in a deck that is allotted to support sets. But Beezer and the objective are very good, so they I think ultimately help pull this set up to a middling rating. Maybe if the other Renegade Squadron sets weren’t such a hodge podge of mostly support sets, this would fare a bit better.

yodaman (3/5) – This set seems to scream out that it should be in a deck with Renegade Squadron Mobilization to get decent targets for the objective. The trick is figuring out what else to use then and that’s not obvious still. The lack of a resource and the fact the units have 2 health make it weaker than I’d like it to be. Another Smuggler set that’s come up short compared to the power sets that have been around for awhile.

pantsyg (4/5) – I was pleasantly surprised how effective Beezer and LMR were. The set seems overly defensive, but I like to see it as setting you up for big counter-attack moves. In mono-Smugglers, I can see utility here, as they often need to build up their forces before they’re able to get damage in reliably.

Majestaat (3.5/5) – Last Minute Reinforcements stopped it from getting a 4. I don't dislike defensive pods in LS, but they don't quite work that well if they don't give the DS a good reason to attack (see Ties of Blood). With so many tools involving a sudden surge of combat icons here, as a DS player I only see good reasons to NOT attack. It's not like Smugglers will take the Force anytime soon anyway, so the dial should advance quickly.


Mysteries of the Rim (176-1): 20.5 out of 25 possible points.



chunkygorillas (2.5/5) – Not a terribly useful objective, but has some synergy with other cards in this set, so it’s not useless.

doctormungmung (4/5) – This objective is great! You should almost always be able to get two resources out of this a turn. If you have an elite unit out that has a single focus on them, throw another focus on to get a resource. Or if you have a unit that has been buried by tactics, what’s one more focus, right? The best target for this is the Outer Rim Mystics, who like to be buried anyway. The reasons keeping this from being a 5 / 5 are that occasionally you won't have a good unit to receive the focus, and that you can’t use the objective to pay for something that costs two by itself.

yodaman (5/5) – Being able to move a focus token from this objective to a Jedi unit in order to free up a resource is great. Once again Jedi get an objective with a useful ability that can certainly be used to help the Jedi train keep rolling.

pantsyg (4/5) – Free resources! Well, not quite, but this ability synergizes well with the Mystics and the event in this set, or cheap, expendable Jedi units like Lost Masters or Jubba Birds.

Majestaat (5/5) – Between action-speed and no need for the target unit to be ready, this is one very good objective. If you have a Mystic out it's a no brainer to just transfer the focus for some extra money, which will help get your mains out early. Also, if you have MTFBWY and making an attack would be too risky, just get some more resources and then commit to refresh. Mid to lategame it can give you that crucial resource to play the game-winning event, or even a surprise enhancement if Hero's Trial is out. Overall, I just see many very likely situations in which the cost to use this objective is too low while the possible benefit too high.


Outer Rim Mystic (176-2&3): 22 out of 25 possible points.



chunkygorillas (4/5) – These guys are actually awesome, their ability to “protect” focus is pretty great way to through off your opponent’s plans, since you can stop lots of their units with only 1 tactics icon from being much use. Plus they actually have a blast icon, so if you are ahead in the game and don’t need the “protect” ability you can actually use them to get more damage out, and Jedi really doesn’t need a support set with 0 blast icons, so that is nice to see.

doctormungmung (4/5) – These guys shut down Thrawn, hard. Palpatine loses some bite, but can still stop a unit from striking, although he needs to win edge to get through a shield. Two of these units on the board make it incredibly difficult for the DS to do anything tactics-wise. And the best part is that the Mystics don’t care if they themselves are buried under a mountain of focus, they’ll happily meditate the day away and provide enlightening messages to the rest of your units. In a pinch they can go on offense, or look to hold the force for a turn, although that’s really just a short term benefit with a large long term cost. Most of the time you want to see these guys on the board, but they can be pretty good in the edge as well. Tactics protection comes to the game, so of course Jedi get it… Sigh.

yodaman (4/5) – Protect is one of the most useful abilities in the game and now, for the first time we essentially get units that protect tactics, even if it is limited to once per turn. The fact there are 2 of the Mystics is certainly helpful since the set is limit 1. The ability of the mystics make them good targets for Force Illusion, the event in this set. You can load them up with tactics, then play Force Illusion. The only drawback about these is their combat icons as they only come with one white blast and one white gun, but that’s not really their purpose so it’s not too big of a deal.

pantsyg (5/5) – These are extraordinarily strong. Protection from tactics is big for Jedi, but I could see splashing these into any deck that wants its big hitters to remain unfocused. They also totally shut down Thrawn, and don’t have to be ready to use their ability!

Majestaat (5/5) – And so, Jedi mains basically lost all weaknesses. There's so much going on with these guys it's not even funny. They're Force Users, they have blast damage, 2 force pips and a mind-blowing reaction, making the objective super usable or your mains almost impossible to lock down. Also a big middle finger for Thrawn.


Niman Training (176-4&5): 22 out of 25 possible points.



chunkygorillas (4/5) – Free enchantments are often good in Jedi, and this one also has a pretty sweet effect that can help quite a few of the Jedi mains who don’t have Elite. It also has 2 edge icons so it’s good in the edge.

doctormungmung (3/5) – Free enhancements that help keep units unfocused are good. True, most of the big hitters are already elite, but Rahn isn’t, or Leia, or Ferris, or Tra’Saa. All of whom would be greatly improved by being able to remove an extra focus a turn. And if you don’t have any of those units on the board, no worries, you have a two force icon card for the edge. Admittedly, I’d rather only have one of these in the set, but with a limit one on the objective, you’re never going to see these clogging up your hand for long.

yodaman (5/5) – Wait, I can make a Force User or Force Sensitive Unit unique and do it for free? Sign me up. There are so many good targets for this including Core Luke, Echoes Leia, Kyle, Rahn, T’rá Saa, Gotals and the Lost Masters which are considered committed so they’ll always be double focused when they strike. This card alone makes The Forgotten Masters set even better.
pantsyg (5/5) – I can’t believe this is a free enhancement. Every Jedi that you’ve ever wished was elite (like Leia, Vima, or T’ra Saa) can become elite, for zero. On top of that huge bonus, they become immune to Pilot Boba capture. Talk about value.

Majestaat (5/5) – Being free and having two force pips make these an easy 4. The fact Jedi now have some very good non-elite units (Leia + basically all the mains in the Rogue cycle, and also Lost Masters) and some very powerful effects only affect units without enhancements (pilot Boba, Threat Removal) make this an easy 5 instead.


Force Illusion (176-6): 23 out of 25 possible points.



chunkygorillas (3/5) – This card has potential to really win games, especially with multi tactics units like BtS Yoda, who could go in unopposed thanks to this card and then lock out all the defenders to make it easy for the rest of your units to push through. But it’s really situational, so it often gets thrown in the edge, or never ever seen, since you can only have 1 of it in your deck.

doctormungmung (5/5) – Talk about internal synergy! This event loves both the objective and the Mystics. Get someone with a few tactics on them, and all of a sudden, you can send in your favorite Jedi with tactics or targeted strike to lock out your opponents defenders before they get a chance to defend. Basically this event turns a Jedi into an uber-Sleuth Scout, and everyone remembers how annoying those can be. And with Mysteries of the Rim on the table, you can even sneak this one in when all your resources are tapped out. This event can and will win games.

yodaman (5/5) – A great Jedi event for only 1 cost. Obviously you want to have one of your force users buried in focus tokens (that’s what the Mystics and units like Lost Masters are for though) in order to get the most bang for your buck since the number of units you can keep out of an engagement is dependent on the number of focus tokens you have on the force user. Being able to clear the way for a lone attacking unit like BtS Luke, Yoda or Crow to do some serious damage or to an objective or to lock down a board is incredibly useful.

pantsyg (5/5) – Topping off an already nutty good set is a nutty good, undercosted event that allows you to sneak a unit in without opposition. Most likely your Mystics will accumulate lots of focus, making this single event able to shut down the entire defense. Any committed unit striking will let you push 2 of their best defenders out. A huge event with the Crow, or a multi-striking Luke or BtS Yoda.

Majestaat (5/5) – You don't really need a big setup for this event, as having a single focus token on a unit is enough to potentially disrupt the whole DS defense, or at the very least remove their most threatening defender from the picture. You can then use your lone Yoda to lock that unit anyway, allowing the rest of your army to engage the other objectives safely. With a Mystic out, then it becomes quite easy to affect 2+ enemy units and get a real free attack, which can be enough to win a game or lock down the enemy board with a Speeder Bike, for example.


Overall: 22.5 out of 25 possible points.

chunkygorillas (4/5) – This is a really solid support set, that fights with Secret at Yavin 4 for a spot in Mono Jedi.

doctormungmung (4/5) – This is a fantastic support set, and as long as the DS loves their tactics, the LS will love Mysteries of the Outer Rim. This is the answer to Thrawn, and to a lesser extent tactics in general. It’s got a good edge count at nine, and allows for some crazy plays. Being a one-of means you can fit this into most decks (it partners particularly well with Balance Obi). The only issue is what to take out of a Jedi deck to fit this in. That, and it’s not a great splash into other affiliations. But then, Jedi are awesome and don’t particularly like to share their toys, so that’s nothing new.

yodaman (4.5/5) – It should be no surprise that Jedi once again gets the best set in the pack. The fact it’s limit 1 is the only reason I’m not giving it a 5 out of 5. It pairs well with so many Jedi sets that have come before it and really helps make the Lost Masters more playable thanks to Nimon Training. 9 icons total makes it great for edge, but chances are these cards will hit the table more then they’ll be put into edge battles.

pantsyg (5/5) – Not a lot needs to be said. A really powerful support set for Jedi.

Majestaat (5/5) – I honestly think this is in an auto-include pod, at least in mono-Jedi. Not only does it have incredible internal synergy, but it also provides a ton of utility for your mains.


Planning the Rescue (177-1): 14 out of 25 possible points.



chunkygorillas (3/5) – It’s a really interesting effect that has lots of synergy with the set.

doctormungmung (3/5) – By itself, this objective is pretty bad. It thins your deck placing cards you don’t control into an area you have to work to get them back. In combination with most of the other cards in this set, and a few other sets, this is pretty good. If you pull a good card or critical unit, place it an objective by itself so that if you can get a rescue effect, you are guaranteed to get that specific card. Or if they are all the lower tier of card, you can lump them all at one objective to give Craken a ton of blast. Going up against Scum you might have fewer options as to where you can safely put those captured cards, but most good scum objectives these days don’t have effects based around cards captured there, so that’s not such a big concern.

yodaman (3/5) – This objective helps introduce a potentially fun type of deck (rescuing cards), but since the reaction is forced it’s possible you’ll have to place cards as captured that won’t do you any good. You also could end up having cards captured that you’d rather have in hand.

pantsyg (3/5) – Seems like a disadvantage, but sometimes you’ll be sifting the crap off the top of your deck, and with Rescue Mission and Cracken, you almost want some big units to get captured.

Majestaat (2/5) – Doesn't really do anything until you see some tech from this own set, and even then, the benefits can vary wildly. With just one more set that focuses heavily on the same mechanic, this can get a huge boost.


*General Airen Cracken (177-2): 18.5 out of 25 possible points.



chunkygorillas (4/5) – This guy has pretty decent stats to begin with, and he has 2 awesome abilities, one that gives him more blast and one that can get you free units! If you build you deck around this you can get some pretty serious value out of his reaction.

doctormungmung (3/5) – Again, in a vacuum, Cracken is overcosted but not terrible as a three drop. Black tactics is always good, and three health is sturdy for a character. But in combination with captured cards, particularly if you have some control over those cards, he becomes pretty good. Open ended blast can one shot things in a hurry, although being edge enabled you might have to jump through some hoops to get it turned on. Getting to deploy a rescued card for free is also very nice. If you can get, say, Home One captured by itself at an objective, if you can rescue it while Cracken is attacking (say with Renegade Squadron), you get a five cost unit for free. That’s a good deal. But because you aren’t going to be solely in control of captured cards, he loses some effectiveness.

yodaman (3.5/5) – Cracken is a decent unit that fits in with the overall theme of the set. 3 cost may be a bit pricey since his text only helps if cards are captured somewhere. At least he has black combat icons (gun and tactics) no matter what and 3 health.

pantsyg (4/5) – This is my kind of unit. A 3-drop with black tactics is very worthwhile, and his text can be a big upside. He’s a great target for Infiltration drops against objectives you stack with captured cards.

Majestaat (4/5) – The combination of 3 HP and black tactics already make him pretty good. He can lose edge and is still likely to survive a strike to then lock someone problematic down. If you get the auto-capture engine going, then he becomes a monster, potentially getting a very big blast bonus, and even netting you free units/enhancements.


Alliance Infiltrator (177-3): 15.5 out of 25 possible points.



chunkygorillas (3.5/5) – Solid stats for a 2 drop, synergizes with Cracken, and draws a card, this is a really good 2 drop! Of course if your opponent has no capture cards she’s just a vanilla unit though.

doctormungmung (2/5) – She’s a standard chud with a one time “enters play” effect. Against Scum she can be fairly potent, shutting down Jabba’s Reach or the Findsman’s Intuition. She can also help out by setting up Cracken for a bigger hit. But those are fairly situational effects, so frequently she’ll be your run of the mill generic chud.

yodaman (3/5) – A very situational card that might not do anything. Clearly this card is meant to function as part of a theme deck built on rescuing captured cards. If you don’t have anything captured, her stats and combat icons are okay for a secondary unit in a set. If you have captured cards you can potentially move a card to another objective that might be easier to destroy.

pantsyg (4/5) – The same old 2-drop stats, but this one lets you draw a card for the low cost of moving a captured card, which you’ll almost always be able to do given the tools built into this set.

Majestaat (3/5) – I'm not yet sure if I like starting with Planning the Rescue in my opening flop. If you stick with it, you get a body with blast and draw a card to boot. If you don't, it's just another vanilla 2-drop. Yeah, it's strictly better than other chuds, but I just can't seem to draw her at the right time, so her text is generally irrelevant.


Superior Intelligence (177-4): 18 out of 25 possible points.



chunkygorillas (4/5) – This is a way to really set up good combos with Cracken, and to enable the Infiltrator. Plus it also works as a resource.

doctormungmung (3/5) – Basically you get a non-limited resource, which is almost never bad. Being a two for one isn’t great, but not being limited opens up your turn options quite a bit if you see this card. It’s effect is meh to great, depending on what other cards you have at hand. If you have Rescue Mission, this becomes “pay three resources to put a unit into play at action speed” which is pretty great for anything that costs four or more. It can also be used to set up Cracken, but at the cost of the resource. The complete lack of force icons stings, though.

yodaman (3/5) – Another card that synergizes very well with the set. For two cost, you get a resource and the ability to put a card from your hand as a captured card under an enemy objective. This will take some setting up though since you probably only want to focus the objective to put a card out as captured if you have something worth cheating in and a way to cheat it in.

pantsyg (4/5) – At first this looks like a card that does nothing, but I love the possibilities here. The obvious play involves setting up a big card for Rescue Mission in the Conflict phase or an objective for Cracken, but more subtly, it lets you get a crap card out of your hand before draw, making it kind of like Fall of the Jedi. At worst, it’s a resource.

Majestaat (4/5) – Non-limited resource that will allow you to get your combos going when you need them. I do think it should have had a force icon though.


Undercover (177-5): 19 out of 25 possible points.



chunkygorillas (5/5) – Just a really solid event that also has the upside of getting captured instead of discarded after is resolves, to synergize with the whole set.

doctormungmung (3/5) – There isn’t much card recursion in the game, so getting a two for one is pretty good. Admittedly they get shuffled back into your deck, but with Owen running around, I’ve definitely seen him show up multiple times in a game, even when there’s only one of him, so it’s not bad long term (or if you’re lucky). Plus you get a captured card for Cracken to play with.

yodaman (3/5) – I like the fact you put cards from discard back into your deck so you could potentially draw them again. However, having this card captured doesn’t do much good if you don’t have Cracken out.

pantsyg (4/5) – Recursion! I love it, especially because you get 2 cards back. Granted, they go into the deck rather than your hand, but I can think of plenty of cards I’d want another shot at drawing. Use it just before Cracken strikes to give him a free blast damage if you’ve won the edge.

Majestaat (4/5) – Free event with two pips. You get to choose any 2 cards to potentially draw them again, be it your mains, some powerful events or maybe even fate cards to keep the DS on its toes. You then also get a little extra to boost Cracken. But you don't actually get immediate benefit, so it just falls short of a 5.


Rescue Mission (177-6): 17 out of 25 possible points.



chunkygorillas (4/5) – I’ve been waiting for this card to get reprinted, it’s a great inclusion to the set, since if you have a good unit captured at an objective but Cracken is not out, this is an alternative to cheat them into play.

doctormungmung (3/5) – I’ve always liked Rescue Mission, it just never saw much if any play, because it was in a crummy set. Well, not anymore! (Spoiler: I think this set is not crummy). If you know you have a unit captured by itself at an objective, this card lets you deploy that unit, no matter it’s cost, at action speed for two. Hi there Home One, or Luke, or Chewie! If it’s not captured alone, it’s a risk, but you still get a card back. Ideally you want to use this when you know you’re getting something good back, but if you have to pitch it, it’s two force icons are decent towards the edge.

yodaman (3/5) – A reprinted card that makes sense given the focus of the set. As with the entire set, this card is situational. However, when you get to spend 2 resources to cheat in something like Falcon or Luke, it will be worth it.

pantsyg (4/5) – This card can be bonkers if you set it up right. Use it toward the end of conflict to bring in a big attacker after the other defenders are focused from your earlier attacks. The key is setting up a big unit as the only card captured at an objective.

Majestaat (3/5) – We all waited for this card to be playable. Well, it sure is now. I'm just not sure how consistent it is. You could use Superior Intelligence to make it very easy to trigger, but unless the unit costs 4 or more, you don't really save anything. In fact, even then you might be losing since you can't count on the 2 pips on this card for the edge battle. Maybe you get lucky with the objective and only expensive units get captured, but I don't like relying on pure luck to win.


Overall: 17.5 out of 25 possible points.

chunkygorillas (4/5) – I think this is one of the best designed sets in the game, its super synergetic, super interesting, fun, and not broken! Right now it’s maybe not good enough for competitive play, but if this kind of deck style gets more help, it could become a serious deck type.

doctormungmung (3/5) – I like this objective set, but it’s something you really have to build around to get the most use out of (unless you live in a scum heavy meta that likes capturing). Currently there aren’t that many sets that synergize well here, but hopefully in time that will change. And if that does, I think you are going to be able to put together a very interesting and fun deck that can pull some crazy effective stunts.

yodaman (3/5) – I like the idea and the theme seems fun, but I’m not sure how competitive this set really is. It seems like the rescuing captured concept needs a few more sets to really make it shine. For now, Renegade Squadron is probably a set you’d want to run with this as it gives you another way to rescue captured cards and you want to fill out your deck with things you’d like to cheat onto the board.

pantsyg (4/5) – This set isn’t lighting the world on fire, but it’s by far the most interesting in the box. I’m looking forward to running it in a variety of decks, most of which involve big units like Jedi Mains, Home One, Corellian Corvettes, or the Falcon. There’s natural synergy with Winter’s set as well, which is thematically cool and provides Rebels with lots of affordable tactics icons.

Majestaat (3.5/5) – It's one of the most fun and best designed sets. It also has some tools to make it competitive, but it's very combo heavy and its theme lacks real support. As said, I think it's just a matter of another similar pod showing up to make this one a really solid pick. If that doesn't happen, well, I hope you face a lot of Scum, as many of their effect will make your life a lot easier when playing this set.


FINAL WORDS:
I know, another delayed review. All I can do is keep apologizing for that, and thanking everyone for keeping up with us despite that. I hope to have the DS side up this weekend, before I'm assaulted by exams again.
Back to the review, what do you guys think? Are the Smuggler pods as bad as everyone says? If anything, the scores indicate they are at least above average for the most part.
Should we conclude that everyone at FFG plays Jedi, or is the community overreacting to their cards without giving other affiliations a real chance? Comment below and let us know.

If you want to check previous reviews, you can always find them in our forum thread.

May the Force be with you all!