SWLCG: "Draw their Fire" Force Pack Review

"Draw their Fire" Force Pack Review


THE REVIEWERS:
-Majestaat, 2014's Chilean champion.
-chunkygorillas, 2014's Canadian champion.
-colsanders, author of the Fearless and Inventive articles.
-doctormungmung, Massachussets' evil genius.
-RedSquadronK, the good old scoundrel hailing from The Smuggler's Den podcast.

Someone might have noticed we have abandoned the "Imperial March" name since our last review. Just didn't feel right anymore. If anyone is feeling like it, help our very diverse group get a cool identity and name. Either comment below or PM Majestaat if you're shy. I'll be sure to have the group vote on their favorite name and we will go with that starting the next review.


THE RATING SYSTEM:
It's to be noted that due to the SW:LCG's unique way of deckbuilding, it's impossible to just pick the stronger cards. You're likely to stick with some undesirable cards no matter what. Hence, the different scores could be seen as:
1 – Poor – Edge fodder. Drops the total value of its objective set.
2 – Bad – Most likely edge fodder. Either too situational or not strong enough for its cost.
3 – Average – Not stellar but does its job decently.
4 – Good – Solid card with guaranteed impact.
5 – Great – Gamechangers you will always be glad to see and play, if able.
* = indicates unique card.

THE BIG DEALS:

Top 5 Cards:
1 – Force Rejuvenation (The Survivors), with 24 out of 25 possible points.
2 – The Survivors, with 23 out of 25 possible points.
3 – Shien Training (The Survivors), with 23 out of 25 possible points.
4 – Hand of the Emperor (The Emperor's Sword), with 23 out of 25 possible points.
5 – DS-61-3 (Guarding the Wing), with 23 out of 25 possible points.


Overall best rated Objective Set:
The Survivors, with 24 out of 25 possible points.


THE REVIEWS:

The Survivors (146-1): 23 out of 25 possible points.



Majestaat (5/5) – Hard to kill Jedi mains just became harder to kill. Have fun with that. Its obvious strengths aside (like countering Force Choke and reducing standard unit damage), I think its most interesting feature may be encouraging play with attachments thanks to that added resilience.

chunkygorillas (5/5) - Wow what a good objective. Makes your Jedi mains that much harder to kill and punishes the Sith character decks that are often trying to kill your mains with cards like “Force Choke”.

colsanders (5/5) - Jedi are constantly getting harder to kill with direct damage, and this is not helping the situation. A fantastic ability that doesn't get turned off when it's damaged. Having two of these out is basically making your mains immortal to combat damage and Force Choke.

doctormungmung (4/5) - As far as objective constant effects, cancelling one unit damage is pretty solid. It’s no MTFBWY, or Plan of the Prophetess, but then, few things are. Now, this limited unit protection does have a couple of restrictions: the unit must be Jedi, and a character. Not much of a restriction if you’re running mono-jedi, as the vast majority of Jedi units are characters. Being Jedi is the bigger limitation, as it wont help out smugglers or rebels, or even neutral units. But, if you’ve got some of the other Jedi protection out on the board (like Guardians of Peace), that’s also easily bypassed.

RedSquadronK (4/5) - This is a straight upgrade to Last Minute Rescue (as is most of the set). The timing of preventing damage is so much more relevant than having to wait through to your next turn to heal it. Very strong.


*Qu Rahn (146-2): 21 out of 25 possible points.



Majestaat (4/5) – Good card design. Unlike other Jedi mains, Rahn will normally be a terrible turn one drop, and he remains terrible for as long as he has no targets to protect. Furthermore, his combat icons are underwhelming for his cost. Not like that matters much. Thanks to his 3 force icons and reaction, he can simply sit to contest the Force to be really useful, only seeing combat when you absolutely need to block or require that extra blast, but remember your opponent may simply focus Qu Rahn in those instances, effectively negating his reaction.

chunkygorillas (4/5) - Just insane, Ranh can just sit back hold the force and keep your characters alive while still doing damage to objectives. Getting a “Force Cleansing” on this guy just doesn’t even feel fair… only complaint is that he isn’t a great turn one play, if he had elite he probably would be, but that would for sure push him over the top.

colsanders (5/5) - So another solid Jedi main. As far as combat icons go he isn't very scary, but the Protect and Reaction more than make up for it. Add in the fact that he can just sit and hold the Force, plus get some random damage in on an objective. All I can say is that No Disentegrations just went up in stock again.

doctormungmung (4/5) - His combat icons are a little lacking for his cost, but the rest of his stats are solid. Remember how I said that you get past most of the objectives limitations if you have a Jedi with protect? Well, look no further than Rahn. And not only does he have protect, he can also inflict whatever damage he protects on to an enemy objective. Under normal circumstances, that’s not going to be more than two damage, but still, that helps make up for his combat icons. And he can do that while defending, which can mess with the DS’s plans if they have a damaged objective they were keeping open for resources. And even if your opponent focuses fire on Rahn, with a Guardian of Peace on the table, you can do the protect merry go-round by having the Guardian protect Rahn, then Rahn protect the Guardian to trigger his ability.

RedSquadronK (4/5) - Solid statline for his cost. Force User is always a great trait. The ability can be pretty strong, but it also means he uses up his health very fast, often taking 2 damage the turn you play him. As well, the Reaction only triggers off of damage he Protects, so he'll usually be sitting on the sidelines, minding the force struggle. Overall very useful though.


Sulon Sympathizer (146-3): 16 out of 25 possible points.



Majestaat (3/5) – Jedi always welcome extra resources to keep playing their big units and maybe an attachment or a smaller support unit. This one also provides some blast damage for when you need to do that final push. It being edge-enabled isn't a big deal since Jedi have the strongest edge anyway.
Finally, while this guy may not be as efficient as, say, a Tauntaun because of the extra cost, that additional damage capacity also protects him from Force Choke, so your economy will be a bit safer.

chunkygorillas (3/5) - Honestly this guy isn’t even that bad, generally 2 cost units with 1 resource aren’t great but the blast icon is really nice, not only an he help you get some more resources out he can also help you get that last point of damage you need.

colsanders (4/5) - So we get a character resource, but this is really one of the better ones in the game. The two health will keep him safe from Chokes if Vader isn't on the board, and he has blast! For being the creepiest race in Star Wars, he is pretty darn good.

doctormungmung (3/5) - This guy is close to the definition of vanilla, but even being pretty bland, he’s solid. Two health is immense on any sort of chud, providing a lot more durability. He’s got a resource to use in a pinch, which is actually pretty important, considering he’s in a support set. And he’s also got some edge enabled blast, which being in a Jedi set means that it’s going to frequently be effectively black blast thanks to Jedi’s high edge count.

RedSquadronK (3/5) - In the old days he would've been a 4 or 5, but ever since the Jedi big box they no longer really have problems with resources or objective damage. Still a solid card, but nothing great.


Shien Training (146-4): 23 out of 25 possible points.



Majestaat (4/5) – Screw this card. It wouldn't have made sense, but I somehow wish the Interrupt was forced. That would enable for more counterplay without making the enhancement weak. As it stands now, this only incentivates to play with more and more tactics icons, and I personally hate when the meta completely revolves around that. Hopefully, the rather steep cost of 2 means this won't be played as often as to warp the game too much.

chunkygorillas (5/5) - This card can prevent any amount of damage! And not only that, it sends it back at an enemy unit!! This card is great on pretty much any Jedi main and is insane on “Qu Rahn”. Just another reason for dark side to try and fit some enhancement removal into their decks.

colsanders (5/5) - I almost never give two cost enhancements a perfect score, but this deserves it. The fact that it is an interrupt and can deflect ANY amount of damage dealt at once makes this insane. Core Yoda is begging to have this equipped, and the fact that his objective reduces its cost makes it even better.

doctormungmung (4/5) - This enhancement is Lightsaber Deflection on steroids. Once per turn, redirect all the damage a Force User takes to another target of your choice. Mara with her lightsaber on the board? I’m betting she won't be striking at the enhanced unit anytime soon. Now, being an enhancement, there’s no surprise factor like LSD, but that just means it provides a bubble of protection around an important unit. To get the most out of it, put it on Rahn, and then he doesn’t even need to be the target of the attack, as he can just protect the damage and shift it off to one of your opponents units.

RedSquadronK (5/5) - So so so good. Doing double duty of preventing and redirecting damage is very scary, especially when it redirects entire attacks. Watch out for this being dropped in with A Hero's Trial mid-combat. Sure, your opponent sees it on the board, but when a giant Luke is barreling through your defenses, this will make putting up a defense even scarier.


Force Rejuvenation (146-5): 24 out of 25 possible points.



Majestaat (5/5) – Y u no die, Jedi? Non-fatal damage? Was just a flesh wound. Buried in focus tokens? Take my money and ready me (so you can even strike again or force a new engagement). Bounty? Sorry, already paid my fee.
Seriously though, this card does about everything. Rahn will be very happy when back to full health. Core Luke will gladly destroy another unsuspecting unit with his targeted strike. Chewie will become the new SW protagonist killing Vader a second time. The list goes on.

chunkygorillas (5/5) - So glad to see this card get reprinted it is such a good card. It has so many uses, it can be used to keep a unit alive, make a unit double strike, clear off a pile of focus tokens from them, or remove some nasty dark side enchantments (or all of those things at once!). This card also fits into this set’s theme really well.

colsanders (5/5) - I almost never give two cost enhancements a perfect score, but this deserves it. The fact that it is an interrupt and can deflect ANY amount of damage dealt at once makes this insane. Core Yoda is begging to have this equipped, and the fact that his objective reduces its cost makes it even better.

doctormungmung (5/5) - If Shien Training was LSD on steroids, Force Rejuvenation is Rage and Bamboozle on steroids. Strike twice with an important unit. Clear out Luke or Yoda after being buried under tactics. Heal up Rahn so that he can continue doing is super damage distribution and making your opponents life difficult. There are just so many uses for this card it’s ridiculous. It’s nice to see it again in a set that has a resource, and thus is more likely to see play. Now, admittedly it only works on characters, but as mentioned previously, you wont have any trouble finding those playing Jedi.

RedSquadronK (4/5) - I've always loved this card since the time a friend beat me with it back in the Core set days. Since it removes ALL focus and damage tokens it is strong, but timing can be tricky. You usually want to save it to get remove the most tokens possible, but that can occasionally leave you open to a Heat of Battle or Force Choke finishing off your intended target.


Protection (146-6): 21 out of 25 possible points.



Majestaat (4/5) - One of the most versatile Fate cards since it helps against both damage and tactics, just like Force Rejuvenation. Heat of Battle and Seeds of Decay are a thing of the past. Protection is what the future looks like (and what a horrible future it is).

chunkygorillas (4/5) - One of my favourite fate cards for the light side, especially in Jedi. Super glad to see this card, a great way to tie up the set.

colsanders (5/5) - Okay, we get it. Your not going to kill my guys any time soon. Your also not going to tactics out my next attacker either. This makes 3 Jedi sets with this fate card, I think that may be enough.

doctormungmung (4/5) - Fate cards are good. Fate cards that provide a shield anywhere you want are very good. Get a bit more oomph out of Rahn and his protect, or give Yoda a shield while he’s waiting to go into your second engagement of the turn. Or make Secret of Yavin IV that much more effective. If you can’t find a use for a shield, you aren’t trying hard enough.

RedSquadronK (4/5) - Shields are very clutch in big Jedi decks and the low priority number gives you insurance against Heats.


Overall: 24 out 25 possible points.

Majestaat (5/5) - At this point in time, Jedi players' main concern should be having way too many incredible sets and not enough space to play them all in a single deck. I'm still not convinced this is a good 2x because Jedi have such great choices. This is a support set, not a core one. There are better resources than the Sulon and you don't want to see Qu Rahn too early. Summarizing... the set is incredible but the opportunity cost to include more than one copy might be a little too high.

chunkygorillas (5/5) - How do I not give this set a 5/5, there is almost nothing wrong with it! I think it will become a staple in mono Jedi, as a great support set that can also push out some damage. I just don’t know what to take out of my deck to fit this in!

colsanders (5/5) - This can work as a two of or one of in almost any Mono-Jedi deck. But when you think about it, you can easily run this in a multi faction deck, other than the objective, every card will still be good.

doctormungmung (5/5) - Here’s where the sum of its parts is greater than the whole. What initially looks like a good support set is actually pulling double duty as an offensive set as well. Coupling Rahn with Force Rejuvenation, you get a considerable amount of blast damage that you don’t need to actually be attacking to use. As long as the DS is trying to kill your units, you’ll be able to whittle away at their objectives while keeping your other main threats alive and dangerous. In a world where Jedi support sets are starting to reach the glut level, having one that doubles as powerful offense at the same time will make sure this deck sees play very often.

RedSquadronK (4/5) - I think this is a 1-of in every mono-Jedi deck now. Two seems not so good because it has so few real units, but a single copy gives you a ton of strong options to make your other mains even stronger. I already liked Last Minute Rescue and this feels like an upgrade in pretty much every way.


Called to Arms (147-1): 14 out of 25 possible points.



Majestaat (3/5) – Not sure how to rate this one. With both copies out, you could get to trigger it up to four times. More realistically, you'll only get to use it once or twice in a game, if at all.
The effect greatly depends on what you're facing as well, and how strong the Rebels' Force Struggle becomes.
For example... standard Sith gameplay is to commit the big elite units like Palp and Vader, in which case you're getting a huge advantage. However, if your own deck can't put some pressure on its on the Force Struggle (which should hurt your offense), the DS player can simply commit the cheapest possible unit, leaving you with a very underwhelming objective.

chunkygorillas (4/5) - There is a lot of hoops you have to jump through to get this objective to trigger, but if you do it’s an extremely powerful effect, and definitely hurts the Sith mains decks out there.

colsanders (2/5) - There are a lot of hoops that you have to jump through to get this Reaction to trigger. It can also only be triggered twice per game, so most of the time its just a blank objective. If you can plan your turn very well, it can help against Sith, but they can usually keep the Force against Rebels with their smaller units, making it even less usefull.

doctormungmung (3/5) - Destroying a DS unit is a powerful effect, particularly when part of the trigger is something you’re likely to already be doing. But in this case, there are a few other riders, in that the attacking unit be both a vehicle and piloted, and that the target be committed to the force. And considering that all the pieces to this will be on the board, the DS can play around it. Seeds of Decay already has made the DS think twice about committing Palpatine or Vader. This will just enhance that effect. In the end, the DS will likely commit just enough units to control the force, and vs a Rebel vehicle deck, that isn’t much. Still, coupled with tricks like Green Squadron and Echoes of the Force, you could get some key units off the board. Although at most, you’re ever going to trigger this effect twice.

RedSquadronK (2/5) - This is very difficult to trigger, though it can be very strong. Especially since your opponent can see it coming from a mile away, unless you get some lucky setup where they're all focused out and you use Stay on Target to surprise attack a pilot, it's pretty easy to play around.


Gray Squadron Gunner (147-2): 16 out of 25 possible points.



Majestaat (3/5) – No unit with a pilot cost of 1 will receive less than a 3 from me, for fulfilling the pilot condition of vehicles for cheap is very welcome. The proper bonus provided by the Gunner himself doesn't impress me. Thus, I don't think this guy should get a higher score.

chunkygorillas (5/5) - This card is great, for a low cost you can add unit damage to a unit to clear out a defender, what Rebel vehicles really needed; they have lots of blast damage, but often have a hard time killing defenders. This card also fills the pilot requirement some cards have.

colsanders (3/5) - Not a bad pilot. The fact that its not unique helps a lot. Giving the rebels some unit damage can really help them with board control, which they can have problems with if they don't get Rebel Assault at the right times. It also has two Force icons, so it's a pretty good edge card as well.

doctormungmung (3/5) - A cheap but squishy unit makes him a decent chud in a pinch, but his pilot ability is where he’s at (as is typical for this cycle). This guy adds a large amount of board clearing punch to most of the things he’s going to be piloting. Home One, Rogue Three, The Crow, and numerous others become able to kill Vader or a shielded Mara in a single strike. And getting that ability is dirt cheap (free with the pilot resources from the previous force pack). Unfortunately, like the objective’s ability, this is something that’s mostly telegraphed, and whatever unit winds up with the super guns will likely be a super target for your opponent’s tactics. In the end, I’m not sure how much impact this unit will have on the game, but perhaps if you get enough “must lock out” targets, a few will get through and do their job.

RedSquadronK (2/5) - Pretty weak if played as a unit and only decent as a pilot. Certainly nice to have more cheap, non-unique pilots for the Rebels, but beyond the Pilot trait, I don't care too much for her.


Gray Squadron Y-Wing (147-3): 18.5 out of 25 possible points.



Majestaat (4/5) – Is a bit on the expensive side for the Rebel vehicle swarm we're accustomed to. But hey, it's two black blast damage and a constant ability that can make it very hard to remove, which also makes this Y-Wing ideal to invest some attachments on it. Do look out for Heat of Battle, as this unit has a rather low damage capacity.

chunkygorillas (3,5/5) - Two black blast and 3 health is great! But… 3 cost is pretty pricey for the swarm style of the Rebel fighter decks. The immunity to events is pretty awesome, stops it from being hit by ‘Deadly Sight” and such.

colsanders (5/5) - What are the worst thing for vehicle decks? Getting your board wiped by a Force Storm or Shockwave. Force Lightning and Deadly Sight are no fun either, and this thing just says, not today. The fact that it also gets two black blast is crazy, along with another event in this set...

doctormungmung (3/5) - Here’s a solid attacker that has a very interesting ability. Two black blast for three is about par for the course, although the two health is a bit low. Being immune to DS events though, now that’s something. No need to worry about Force Storm or Aggression, or Captured or Deadly Sight. Removing a lot of your opponents removal options is nice, although like the theme with this set, that just means the Gray Squadron will attract tactics even more so than other dangerous units. It’s beginning to look like this objective really wants to be paired with a source of shields….

RedSquadronK (3/5) - Being immune to events is pretty sweet, actually. It avoids both the Rebel resets (A New Hope and Desperation), laughs at Force Storm and Force Shockwave, and even shrugs off new Scum tech like Warning Shot and Salvage Operation. The bad news is that 3 is sort of a lot to afford and Niles can still steal it. All in all it's decent.


Advanced Proton Torpedoes (147-4): 18 out of 25 possible points.



Majestaat (5/5) – Another cheap enhancement for vehicles. Unlike the Grey Squadron Gunner, this one does provide blast damage, and potentially huge amounts of it in a swarm deck like Rebel vehicles like to play. All in all, this one is a great lategame finisher. You can instantly blow an objective in a single strike, even if your units are low on printed blast damage.

chunkygorillas (4/5) - This is a great enhancement, turns every crappy unit, looking at you rookie pilot, into a blast damage. This card has already helped me get several successful trench runs. It can even be a bit of a combo piece, where you build up a huge board of cheap units then you drop this and a trench run on the same turn and try and go for a 10 damage attack with on unit.

colsanders (3/5) - It's a really good thing that this is Fighter only, because Rogue Three would be comping at the bit to use this thing. The fact that all the other attackers don't have to be Fighters as well is huge. You can get a lot of surprise blast in sending the random character resource in to attack with the equipped unit.

doctormungmung (3/5) - This is a great force multiplier enhancement for a swarm deck, and couples really well with Rogue Squadron X-Wings. Send in a RSXW with this and Hobbie, and a couple of other chuds, and all of a sudden you become very likely to blow up whatever objective you’re going after. Even on a different fighter, you wind up keeping with this sets subtle theme of spread the threats to break through the defenses.

RedSquadronK (3/5) - Solid enhancement, but depends on your board state. Feels like it can be a little win-more rather than helping you come back from a bad situation where you probably don't have a ton of units to attack with. At least it always triggers off the unit it's on and sometimes that 1 more damage is all you need.


Desperation (147-5): 21 out of 25 possible points.



Majestaat (4/5) – This is huge. More so in a set with a unit that is immune to events and two very cheap unit enhancements. Right now, standard DS play has little to no answers to this. The timing restriction on the dial and the big cost of 3 make it hard to play though. Good thing it has 2 force icons for edge, if you're not capable of waiting for the perfect opportunity to play this.

chunkygorillas (3/5) - This card is super powerful….. if you draw it at the right time, if you don’t it will just be an edge card most likely, since if you draw it early it will be hard to just hang on to it for several turns.

colsanders (5/5) - This card is absolutely crazy. There are going to be a lot of blowouts because of this card, and also a lot of wins pulled out of certain defeat. Having two units that are straight up immune to this, and two pilots to make your other fighters immune makes this just stupid good. Easily the best Rebel event other than Rebel Assault.

doctormungmung (5/5) - Now here’s the money card. Rebels have had something of a board while since the core set, but A New Hope is in a set that provides little in the way of offense or support, and thus doesn’t see much play. Here we have a board wipe in a set that has several other threat vectors, as well as ways to help the LS keep a solid board through the wipe. Currently the DS doesn’t do much in the way of enhancing their units other than the odd Lightsaber here and there, so the impact on playing this will usually be huge. Since it’s not limited to the LS’s turn, it can be used at the end of the DS turn to get the biggest unit swing. The main downside is that the dial has to be at 8, which is very dangerous territory. If the DS has been attacking, it’s entirely possible they could win on their turn starting with the dial lower than 8. So the LS needs to be wary about missing their chance to use this card and steal victory away from their opponent.

RedSquadronK (4/5) - Don't get me wrong, this card is very, very strong and something the Rebels have badly needed. But it's also pretty easy to see coming as it costs 3 and requires the dial at 8. If the DS is really in control, then they can often slow down or speed up their victory to give you the smallest window of opportunity possible. At least you can play it on the DS turn to give yourself a (probably) open field to close out a game.


Target of Opportunity (147-6): 19 out of 25 possible points.



Majestaat (4/5) – Rebel vehicles love playing aggressively, and this is the perfect fate card for that.

chunkygorillas (4/5) - Always a great fate card for rebel vehicles.

colsanders (4/5) - A very logical inclusion into the set. The Rebels can't get enough of these apparently.

doctormungmung (4/5) - Objective damage on a fate card. It’s what the LS wants to win the game, and as long as there isn’t a twist in the opponents stack, they’ll be one damage closer to doing just that.

RedSquadronK (3/5) - Sometimes you just need that 1 more damage and this gives you that. Also helpful in potentially setting up a trigger from the objective.


Overall: 19 out of 25 possible points.

Majestaat (4/5) – Big amounts of blast damage and plenty of tricks for that final game-winning push, Rebels will take that. I do hope they can get a boost to their Force Struggle to make the objective work as I think it was intended.

chunkygorillas (4/5) - I think this set is great and slots into a rebel fighter deck easily. The set can also help punish the character decks that have been so popular for so long, what is great since I think rebels needed more ways to fight the Sith decks that can just dominate the force and control the board.

colsanders (4/5) - I don't know if its a must have in a vehicle deck or not, Desperation seems so good that it might be. The crazy thing is that you can use this in other affiliations. I'm really surprised it's not stamped Rebel only.

doctormungmung (4/5) - I want to like this set more, but I just think that there are too many ways to deal with the threats it brings to the table on an individual basis. Where it will really get the most mileage is from spreading those threats around so that some can break through the DS’s defenses, as well as providing a larger presence to pounce after things become “Desperate”. I can see this set both going up in stock and going down, depending on how actual play experience goes.

RedSquadronK (3/5) - Mono-Rebel always takes 1 copy of this. I could even see an interesting Jedi deck that builds up super-Jedi with attachments then runs this to clear out everything else. The problem is I think other than the event this set is pretty lackluster.


The Daring Escape (148-1): 15.5 out of 25 possible points.



Majestaat (3/5): I always like to have one 2-resources objective out for when I really need to make an important play. Though I must say... Falcon aside, we haven't seen any particularly expensive unit for Smuggler vehicles, so I'm not sure if the extra resource is actually necessary.

chunkygorillas (2.5/5) - A vanilla 5/2 isn’t awful, but I don’t think it’s really needed; ya it can help get the Falcon out (the old one of the new one coming out in the last pack) but I would way rather see a cool ability that synergizes with the set.

colsanders (4/5) - Blank text, two resources, I always like that in a Smuggler set because of the turn 1 Falcon.

doctormungmung (3/5) - Blank objective with two resources and five health. Nothing sexy but solid, and provides the option for getting a big unit like the Falcon out on a turn before you see any of your resources.

RedSquadronK (3/5) - I think we're close to being able to build a mono-Smuggler's deck with only 2-resource objectives. That's cool, but not particularly useful. So this is pretty middle of the road.


*LE-B0D9 (148-2): 17 out of 25 possible points.



Majestaat (3/5) – Can be a minor annoyance when piloting, but I don't see it making enough of a difference for 2 resources. As a unit, he makes for a decent defender/force holder, and I expect him to fulfill that role most of the time, if not getting dumped in an edge battle.

chunkygorillas (3/5) - His pilot cost seems really high compared to other pilots we have seen for his ability. He is really good on the “Outrider” but he isn’t that great on anything else I have tried yet.

colsanders (4/5) - Here is a great example of a pilot unit that can function as an enhancement and normal unit. The two Force icons are welcome in smuggler decks, and so is the tactics on a two health unit that can't be Choked! The reaction when piloting can keep some of your more fragile ships alive before they get the retaliation from the defenders. A really solid unit.

doctormungmung (4/5) - Here’s one of those rare units who is just as good, if not better, at being a unit as they are at being a pilot. Two cost for two health and a tactics is very solid. Black tactics would be better, but that would almost be too good. Still, even as a pilot, Leebo can help pull some interesting combat tricks. Pair him with a Cloud City Operative or Bamboozle, and you get a unit that can attack multiple objectives in a turn. If that unit is a Sleuth Scout or a Blockade Runner, all the better, as your opponent will have a tough time protecting both objectives.

RedSquadronK (3/5) - I think his pilot ability is pretty lame, but he has decent stats as an actual unit.


*Outrider (148-3): 19 out of 25 possible points.



Majestaat (4/5) – Good stats guarantee a high score here. The action is quite versatile, but Smugglers are lacking the cheap pilots and enhancements with blast damage to really abuse it.
Might actually be worth including this set in a Rebel deck, because it doesn't seem to work too well in a yellow deck.

chunkygorillas (3/5) - This card would be so good if it didn’t need to be piloted to use its action since so far the sets I want to play it with to get the most use out of its action do not run any other pilots, I find myself jamming “Hobbie” into the deck just to increase the pilot count but hurting the overall synergy I am trying to go for. Hopefully smugglers will see some more pilots later in the cycle.

colsanders (4/5) - So the ship I've been wanting since Dash got into the game, finally makes its appearance. It's not nearly as flashy as the Falcon, but few ships really can be. It has a very solid stat line for its cost though, the 3 Force icons are great for 3 cost. The action when piloted can make some pretty tough decisions for your opponent when trying to decide how to defend, especially if you have a lot of units on the board.

doctormungmung (4/5) - And to go with the solid pilot, we get a solid ship. Three cost for three health and two objective damage is great. The three force icons are gravy. Looking at the text, things just get better. Most pilots don’t care about being focused, so you don’t lose anything by doing so. And thus for effectively a non-cost, you can to sneak in some objective damage after you’ve seen if you’ve won edge, or after all defenders have struck. Paired with Leebo, you get a unit that’s incredibly hard to pin down, and can do hit and fade attacks until the cows come home. And that gravy of three force icons means that the Outrider is immune to Deadly Sight. That’s some good gravy.

RedSquadronK (4/5) - Very good ability that triggers off of any pilot and an otherwise solid stat line, especially for only 3 cost. Doesn't feel too good yet, but with more Pilots this will be very annoying. Too bad tactics can still sort of shut it down.


Spacer Cantina (148-4): 16 out of 25 possible points.



Majestaat (4/5) – The same as the other pilot resources. No more, no less.

chunkygorillas (4/5) - I’ve basically reviewed this card before (just different affiliations) basically it’s good, especially if you have lots of pilots and it being non-limited is awesome.

colsanders (3/5) - We get the smuggler pilot resource for the cycle in this set, and I think it fits much better here than in Lando's for sure.

doctormungmung (3/5) - Smugglers get their pilot resource. Under the right circumstances, if can really accelerate your game. But even if it doesn’t, it’s still a resource that will pull its weight over the duration of a match.

RedSquadronK (2/5) - Not a fan of these pilot resources yet. They have no icons for edge battles and they are inefficient unless you have pilots. Usually in vehicle decks you're wanting to swarm the field more, so the delayed benefit seems counter to the general strategy.


Punch It (148-5): 14 out of 25 possible points.



Majestaat (2/5) – I normally love free events, but there are too many restrictions on this one and it has a crappy edge count. It's like Entangled: if you can actually get to trigger it, it should feel very strong, but the number of times you will effectively get to trigger it should be pretty limited, to say the least.

chunkygorillas (4/5) - This card is pretty sweet, it can prevent your best unit from dying to something like force lightning, but it lets your opponent choose the replacement target what is unfortunate since often whatever card effect they are using could still hurt you pretty badly.

colsanders (3/5) - There can be some time when this can save your bacon, but I kind of view this like Entagled for Scum. A lot of times this is just going to get dumped into the edge battle, unless you see that Force Lighting coming.

doctormungmung (2/5) - For a situational protective event, it has the right cost (zero). And in the right situation will be a game changer. Did your opponent just Force Lightning the Falcon or the Outrider? Well, maybe not. What’s really nasty is that Force Lightning isn’t limited to enemy units, so even if the Falcon is coming in as the first attack of the turn, odds are that there is still a DS unit with a focus on it somewhere (like say an Advisor to the Emperor). Still, those corner cases will be rare. I’d rather see this card with another force icon to help make sure you don’t hold on to it too long, but it is what it is.

RedSquadronK (3/5) - I'm not actually sure how to rate this one, I haven't seen it in practice yet. I can see it being pretty devastating if you force them to redirect their Force Lighting to one of their own units, but that seems pretty rare and many of the more common single-target events are for Characters. But 0-cost is the best cost, so at least you don't have to telegraph it.


Stay on Target (148-6): 18 out of 25 possible points.



Majestaat (4/5) – Although I don't think LE-B02D9 is a particularly good target for this, I still feel it's a strong fate card, and hopefully you have other pilots to choose from with it. If not, you're dropping the value of this card, really.

chunkygorillas (4/5) - Same as before, still a pretty awesome fate card.

colsanders (4/5) - The fate card for the cycle, always solid to have in a pilot pod.

doctormungmung (2/5) - Smugglers get their copy of Stay on Target, although they have fewer pilots to play with it. As the cycle progresses I’ll bet that this will go up in value, but right now it’s a bit meh.

RedSquadronK (4/5) - A fantastic edge card, almost too good sometimes because you'll work out all these tricks to use it and not pay for your pilot only to have this Twisted away or something else ruin your plan. But seriously, putting pilots in for free is already pretty strong and will only get stronger.


Overall: 16 out of 25 possible points.

Majestaat (3/5) – Fairly average set that doesn't focus in one particular aspect, except maybe supporting pilots with the Cantina and Stay on Target. There are better core and support sets to build a vehicle deck with.

chunkygorillas (3/5) - The set isn’t bad, but it just doesn’t seem to have a home right now. If Smugglers get some more pilot sets to help this one I think it will get a lot better.

colsanders (4/5) - I think that this is a great set, I just haven't taken the time to figure out where it will truely shine. I think that the Smuggler pilots won't really get going until the last set when we get That Bucket o'Bolts.

doctormungmung (3/5) - I want to give this set a four, but the situational-ness of the support cards is keeping me back. I do think that both Leebo and the Outrider can have some explosive potential, though, so I do expect to see this set make its way into some Smuggler vehicle decks. I know that I want to put one together to see how it goes, at any rate, and I haven’t been drawn to Smugglers for a while.

RedSquadronK (3/5) - Another mediocre pilot-based set. I'd run it in a pilot-based deck, but not much else.


The Emperor's Sword (149-1): 16 out of 25 possible points.



Majestaat (3/5) – Don't think there's anything to add here, except maybe, that Sith do like having that extra resource for a turn-1 Vader.

chunkygorillas (3/5) - Usually 5/2’s are awesome in Sith but I don’t think I’ll be running this set in a deck where I want the 2 resources all the much.

colsanders (4/5) - Two resource objectives are great in Sith, you got the big guns you need them for.

doctormunmung (3/5) - This force pack seems to like it’s two resource vanilla objectives. While the DS doesn’t get the opportunity for a first turn Falcon, they do get the option of a first turn Vader, or just a larger wall on units on that first turn. Again, not sexy, but solid.

RedSquadronK (3/5) - Another 2-resource objective for another faction that has tons of those. It's fine.


*Maarek Stele (149-2): 18 out of 25 possible points.



Majestaat (3/5) – Terrible stats for a unit. You really want him piloting. His ability is universally useful, working with basically any vehicle, though you probably want Maarek in a big one. Obviously, the more icons the vehicle has, the more you will benefit from him.
Should always be useful and maybe even lethal against objectives. Against units it's kinda tricky. You either soak damage until your main target is focused or use your tactics to focus it. Can't say I'm convinced.

chunkygorillas (5/5) - Now that’s a pilot I’m fine paying 2 for, his ability is just insane. It can help speed Tie decks up, or you can do tons of damage with the “Tie Attack Squadron” or even put him on the “Executor” for a crazy amount of damage. 3 pips for edge battle is also great, especially when you can use “Stay on Target” to get him back.

colsanders (3/5) - So Maarek is very overcosted when not being used as a pilot. The Force icons are nice, but the 2 health, and only 1 black icon is pretty weak for a defender. However, when he is piloting lets say a 181st Interceptor, he is a beast. Getting those three Force icons is huge, and he can do some serious damage offensively and defensively. Courscant Defense Fleet for 10 dmg?!

doctormungmung (4/5) - As a unit he’s nothing to write home about. Which means he’s also likely a pilot. Still, he has three force icons which is great, particularly if he winds up on a 181st TIE Interceptor. But, that’s not really where you want to put him. He works best on something with more oomph, either offensively or defensively. On offensive, you will alway be able to find an objective that’s exhausted to get double duty from your blast damage from. Defense is a bit more awkward, as you either need tactics, or have to strike at a unit that’s already struck this engagement, which is more of a long term look at the war. Still, doubling damage is never bad, and Stele is experienced enough to pilot Star Destroyers, or even the Executor.

RedSquadronK (3/5) - I'm torn here because there is HUGE potential with putting this on a TIE Attack Squadron and playing a ton of Talon Rolls to wipe their board, but I also find pilots pretty lackluster so far. The stats are okay as just a character and the edge icons help, but I'm going to be hard pressed to give a pilot more than a 3 at this point.


*Delta One (149-3): 16 out of 25 possible points.



Majestaat (4/5) – Very solid stats. It's weird to see such an expensive TIE dealing so little blast damage, but it works well with Sith more defensive nature. Those 3 HP even enable Delta One to shield a more valuable friendly and still survive the engage. While situational, its reaction is powerful and patches some Sith weaknesses against vehicle swarms.
Quite honestly, the only issue I see here is Navy would want more aggressive units for this cost, and Sith simply have better options in the same range.

chunkygorillas (3/5) - While this card has a pretty awesome reaction, it’s so limited in what it can hit. IF they are playing Jedi characters, what see a lot of play still, this card just won’t do that much. It’s stats with shielding is pretty good, I just don’t think this unit is worth 4 resources if you can’t get the reaction to trigger.

colsanders (4/5) - Great all around unit, good icons, good health, shielding, and a reaction that will probably be huge this cycle. This is actually one of the better units that can defend the Falcon. If you do win the edge, you get to pseudo-tactics it, if you lose, the shield will keep you alive. Maarek is really good in the cockpit as well because of the shielding. Let them strike, then obliterate them.

doctormungmung (3/5) - The defender is a little lacking in combat icons for four cost, but with a health of three and shielding, you get a very versatile unit. Two black unit damage plus shielding makes a solid defender that can put a dent into an attacking force, and make them really work for the unopposed bonus. The game text couples very nicely with Stele, although it is a bit situational, in that your opponent needs to be playing vehicles and few pilots. Still, even against Jedi, you can potentially lock out those annoying Speeder Bikes, although that’s a bit tricky. In the end I feel like Delta One is just a bit too expensive for what it does, even with Stele at the helm. Maybe if it was Elite...

RedSquadronK (2/5) - Way too expensive for a Fighter. I do like the Shielding and not caring about edge, but it's still just so very very costly. Nice little interaction with Maarek, but I don't think LS has a real Fighter deck yet.


Advanced Concussion Missiles (149-4): 10.5 out of 25 possible points.



Majestaat (2/5) – Weak against single attackers like Jedi. Weak against swarm decks like Rebels since (most) their units are fragile anyway. It can be the extra damage you need to have the LS on his heels, but I don't see that happening often. A single edge icon really makes this below average.

chunkygorillas (3.5/5) - This pretty sweet enhancement, it can really help your fighter have enough unit damage to actually kill the defending unit and not just wound them. It’s nothing crazy though, just an above average card.

colsanders (2/5) - Not nearly as good as the enhancement in the Rebel set, which makes the 1 force icon very disappointing. The only real times I see myself using it is if I'm playing against Desperation, or can get it on a unit that has two black unit damage already, and other than Delta One, there isn't one.(Not counting Tie Attack Squadron)

doctormungmung (2/5) - This is the mirror to Advanced Proton Torpedoes, although it’s less good because you aren’t in control at how much bang you are getting for its buck. You’ll always be guaranteed at least one extra unit damage at least. Delta One is the ideal target for this enhancement, as at a minimum of three unit damage plus shielding makes for a very solid defender. 181st TIEs also get decent mileage from it, but without the shielding you get into the nebulous zone of needing to have the edge to get to strike with them most of the time. You get the most out of ACMs when you’re facing a swarm, but swarms have low health, and so that extra damage is likely wasted.

RedSquadronK (1/5) - I could see this being a 2, but I wanted to rate something a 1. Seems more suited to defense, but TIEs are generally an aggressive deck. Also battles are usually just 1-2 units per side, so it doesn't get too crazy.


Hand of the Emperor (149-5): 23 out of 25 possible points.



Majestaat (5/5) – IT'S A TRAP! Particularly powerful against big units decks. You can leave them sitting helplessly while you bash them with your blasters. You can prevent those small tactics chuds attacking alone to screw your best unit. You can save an objective when LS is threatening all of them simultaneously. Oh, and while you can use this before the enemy plays Protection, the shielding keyword can screw you anyway.

chunkygorillas (5/5) - This card is amazing! On the Dark Sides first turn to attack generally the Light Side does not have many defenders at all so this can just lock them up allowing you to get some pressure early on, and even later in the game when this card cost 2 it’s still great. I also love that it can affect attackers or defenders, making it much more versatile.

colsanders (5/5) - This guy. This right here is worth running the set. It is crazy powerful when you have The Emperor's Web out, being free early game. Heck even for two late game, this can win it for you. The synergy with Maarek is pretty obvious, but being able to just shut down bad blocks like the Falcon is just so good.

doctormungmung (4/5) - Being able to focus out an attacker / defender before the edge, or even before you have to decide who to defend with is huge. Although being a reaction, it’ll go off after shielding, which reduces its effectiveness somewhat. But even if you do put a focus token on the shielded unit, you can pull off that shield, exposing them to whatever guns and tactics you have available. I like the cost reduction if it’s in the early game, as it helps mitigate a bad draw to some extent.

RedSquadronK (4/5) - Pretty cool event and can really cover the weakness of the aggressive TIE decks by more or less canceling a single attack. Bad news is Shields still stop it and it costs resources (unless you've got Emperor's Web...), so it's certainly not foolproof. Very strong.


Heat of Battle (149-6): 19 out of 25 possible points.



Majestaat (4/5) – Yeah, The Survivors exists, but this is still a good card for DS. Couple this with Delta One or any smaller fighter with the missiles to get that crucial third point of damage.

chunkygorillas (3/5) - This a good fate card for the set, and a almost always a nice fate card for the Dark Side to have with all the 3 damage capacity units out there.

colsanders (5/5) - Great inclusion here, Sith gets another set with Heat other than Vader which is very good.

doctormungmung (4/5) - Heat are better on defense, and thus work better for the DS. Being in a set that’s versatile enough to go both on offense and defense is even better.

RedSquadronK (3/5) - These are great surprises to disrupt your opponent and turn the tables, especially early game.


Overall: 16.5 out 25 possible points.

Majestaat (3/5) – This one is weird. The set has decent internal synergy, and it can fit in about any deck, yet it feels like it has no home. I mean... it can patch some weaknesses in Sith characters and TIEs, but doesn't exactly play to their strengths.

chunkygorillas (3.5/5) - I think this set is above average, but it is kind of in a weird place where it doesn’t fit into the super aggressive Tie deck and so far there isn’t a more control oriented vehicle deck for the Dark Side. Though I could still see this set in a Tie deck since it can help control the board a bit and get some extra damage in, you would just be sacrificing a couple slots usually filled with a mass amount of Tie Fighters to help create a Tie swarm.

colsanders (4/5) - I like this set a lot, mostly because of Delta One and Hand of the Emperor. The enhancement really hurts though, and Maarek is a tad overcosted out of a ship. Still, combined with The Empire's Elite, its a solid inclusion to Fighters.

doctormungmung (4/5) - This is a solid all around set that can be both offensive and defensive. It can work its way into a hybrid Sith/Navy vehicle deck, a Sith Executor deck, or even just a more standard Sith or Sith/Scum deck. In a predominantly non-vehicle deck, you only really have one dead card in the ACM (Stele is a good edge card). Still, you’ll get the most out of the set when you do have other vehicles to work with. Shielding, black icons, and combat tricks are useful just about anywhere.

RedSquadronK (2/5) - Just don't see the units being worth playing at this point. They don't even have Black Squadron synergies.


Guarding the Wing (150-1): 22 out of 25 possible points.



Majestaat (4/5) – Black Squadron will be what speed really looks like. You can have some explosive turns thanks to this, effectively getting to play your whole hand if you can afford to sustain some objective damage during the LS turn. That's not all, if you mindlessly focus your units for resources, many LS builds will then lock them for the rest of the game. Watch out for that.

chunkygorillas (4/5) - Really interesting ability and it can really help ramp into an insane amount of Tie Fighters in one turn. It even gives your Black Squadron pilots a resource what is pretty awesome. This objective will just keep getting better as we get more Black Squadron units also.

colsanders (5/5) - Well, Black Squadron decks should never have resource issues if this objective flips. This can free up your other Black Squadron objectives to actually use thier action abilities, which has been an issue in testing.

doctormungmung (5/5) - Talk about resource explosion! If you are building a Black Squadron Deck, all of a sudden pretty much all of your units now have a resource. This includes your pilots like Black Squadron Pilot and Mauler Mithel. Black Squadron Pilot is particularly nice with this objective, because he doesn’t care if he’s focused or not while piloting, so you don’t lose any combat options using him for his resource. There are also a couple of other Black Squadron enhancements that get a similar boost. The only sad thing here is that the various objectives that Black Squadron cards show up in aren’t traited as Black Squadron, so they don’t become two resource objectives. Even so, the amount of board presence you can build up is tremendous. And you can also make sure you have a resource to play Death From Above to guarantee some blast if you lose edge. The surprises you can pull with an open resource can be key to victory.

RedSquadronK (4/5) - Did I say "Black Squadron synergies"? Why yes, yes I did. While at the moment this probably isn't a 4, it will be once the rest of the set comes out and we get even more Black Squadron cards. This really takes swarming to the next level!


*DS-61-3 (150-2): 23 out of 25 possible points.



Majestaat (5/5) – Pay one for two surprise unit damage. Why, thank you, now I can also deal the unopposed bonus. Would be good just like that, but he has the Black Squadron trait and is, of course, a pilot! Guarding the Wing, Black Squadron Formation and Stay on Target all work extremely well with this guy.

chunkygorillas (5/5) - This card is nuts, a surprise 2 damage is always great, especially when you are only paying one to get it. It can help you kill off a big defender or even get rid or a unit like “Speeder Bike”, what can often be a really big pain of a unit for Tie decks to deal with. I think this pilot makes this set an auto include in any Black Squadron deck and probably most Tie decks (assuming the rest of the set isn’t garbage).

colsanders (5/5) - This pilot is awesome. So he isn't that good as a normal unit, but he never will be. Two surprise damage is just deadly, the fact that he is free when you have the pilot resource out is nuts. One Heat of Battle can tee up almost any unit to be finished off. Too bad he's unique.

doctormungmung (4/5) - Backstabber has to go by his designation here to avoid confusion with his vehicle form, which is a bit sad, but understandable. As a unit, he’s a passable chud with cheap blast (if squishy). But as a pilot he’s great. For a very low cost, you get a surprise two unit damage. And with Guarding the Wing, you’re likely to have the one resource needed to mess with the combat math. Being able to do two unit damage for one cost (none if the pilot resource is out) is tremendous. It’s not quite Vader - Force Choke good, but it’s close, since the damage is not limited to any specific trait. The only real downside to Backstabber here is that once he’s done his thing, he does nothing for you. So it’s good to put him on something squishy, or that’s likely to get destroyed. That way you can cycle him back again with Stay on Target, or using the Empire’s Elite.

RedSquadronK (4/5) - I know, I know, I said I'd not rate a Pilot higher than a 3. But this guy is really, really good. Very cheap with immediate impact no matter the ship he lands on. And coming in the middle of battle makes him a nasty surprise. Definitely a card to watch out for.


Black Squadron Fighter (150-3&4): 15.5 out of 25 possible points.



Majestaat (3/5) – Rather lackluster. Not sure if having black blast makes too much a difference since these are not exactly hard to shoot down. At least they have the Black Squadron trait, helping your economy with Guarding the Wing.

chunkygorillas (3.5/5) - A way above average Tie fighter compared to what we have gotten before the Rogue Squad cycle. A black blast with 2 health is awesome, but without it doing anything else fancy I find it hard to rate this card anything but above average. Having 2 in the set is also really nice.

colsanders (3/5) - After the 181st, these guys are really mediocre. I really don't like the fact that you get two in the set, its basically a Freelance Hunter that can Talon Roll and maybe generate a resource when needed.

doctormungmung (3/5) - These guys are TIE Advanceds but without the bonus damage and with a resource match. So in that, they are strictly worse. But, they still have a black blast, and two health, and can take a Talon Roll or the ability of Black Squadron Assault just as well as their Advanced brothers. Cheap blast that combos with pretty much every other card in a Black Squadron deck is the meat and potatoes of that archetype.

RedSquadronK (3/5) - Very blah stats and no text. The only thing stopping from the 2 rating is the Black Squadron trait.


Elite Pilot Training (150-5): 21 out of 25 possible points.



Majestaat (4/5) – This can go to decent from bonkers. With one (maybe two...) Guarding the Wing and a few Black Squadron units you can take an absolutely huge leap in resources and board presence. It also has 2 force icons for edge. Not much to dislike here. Just don't play it if you have no other BS cards to play.

chunkygorillas (4/5) - This card is super cool, it can help you get even more Ties out for your Tie swarm and if you have this set’s objective out it even has a resource what is super cool. It also triggers it’s reaction off itself when you play it so you can kind of think of it only costing 1 resource what is super awesome.

colsanders (5/5) - A very good limited enhancement, even though it costs 2. If you have the objective out, it can pay for itself the turn it comes into play. With two of the objective its really awesome. Having 2 force icons is gravy, making the second copy great edge fodder.

doctormungmung (5/5) - Here’s one of those enhancements that combos with Guarding the Wing. So not only do you get a card that will react to playing any Black Squadron card (even itself) to get the resource acceleration going, you can use it as a resource to pay for your next Black Squadron card as well. Between this and the objective, you can easily play out your hand every turn. Hopefully the resulting swarm will be enough to out race your opponent. Now, this card doesn’t work very well at all outside of a Black Squadron deck, but between all the internal synergy with Black Squadron cards as a whole, there isn’t really that much need to go outside of that archetype. But if you really want to, then this card’s rating drops down to a two, but that’s your own fault.

RedSquadronK (3/5) - Very cool swarm-y feel for the Black Squadron and I like that it has the Black Squadron trait, both triggering itself and working with the objective. Two edge icons also makes it fine to toss if you don't need it.


Target of Opportunity (150-6): 17 out of 25 possible points.



Majestaat (4/5) – TIEs value every single point of objective damage they can dish out, making Target a perfect fit here. It's also another trigger for your TIE Attack Squadron.

chunkygorillas (4/5) - Probably the best fate card you can put in a Tie fighter deck.

colsanders (3/5) - Ties have to blow up stuff as fast as they possibly can, and this is always needed.

doctormungmung (3/5) - Targets are great in an offensive deck, but being a DS offensive deck, you still likely have to get four objectives instead of the three the LS needs, and thus the card is a little the worse for it.

RedSquadronK (3/5) - TIE decks are aggressive, so this fits. Wish it was the other (Stay on) Target, but that'd probably be too strong with the pilot here.


Overall: 18 out of 25 possible points.

Majestaat (4/5) – I think this set puts TIE Fighter decks (well, more like Black Squadron) in a pretty good spot. Provides a ton of support for fast gameplay, from all the resources to the cheap blast damage.

chunkygorillas (4/5) - This set is great for the Tie deck, it gives them really great 2 cost units, an amazing pilot, and ways to get a ton of resources out to help build up the swarm. With the addition of better “chud” units, more ways to get the edge keyword, a little bit of force manipulation, and protect in this cycle so far it seems like the only thing the Black Squadron decks needs t become a dominant deck is a way to consistently get shields on units.

colsanders (3/5) - There are some really good cards here, DS-61-3 is killer, and the enhancment can get your swarm going. However, outside of a pure Black Sqaudron deck, this is really not that good, even with other Tie sets. Hopefully the Black Squadron gets fleshed out with Vader's set.

doctormungmung (4/5) - I don’t see how you can run a Black Squadron deck without this objective set. This is effectively the Emperor’s set of that archetype. But, unlike the Emperor, outside of that specific archetype, you lose some considerable utility. Still, even splashed into a more standard vehicle deck, you’ll have at least eight Black Squadron cards (assuming taking two Guarding the Wing), so it’s not a total bust. The resource ramp you can get is amazing, and on top of that you get some combat math manipulation, and lots of cheap blast. I really think that this set might be the one to push TIEs over the top into a tier 1 deck, but only time will tell.

RedSquadronK (3/5) - It's really a 4 once more Black Squadron cards come out, but for now it's a solid 3. Also want to take a moment to thank Majestaat for organizing the review and letting me join in! Also want to shamelessly plug The New Smuggler's Den: I know we don't make many episodes, but we love when you listen! Also also thanks for reading!


FINAL WORDS:
As you can see, per the people's request, we now upload the images for every card. If there's anything else you would like to see for the next review, don't hesitate to ask!
Can't miss the proper thanks to our readers who make doing this work worthwhile, and of course the reviewers who invest their free time into getting this done.
While it may be a little late, I also welcome RedSquadronK for joining us and getting us back to the magical number of 5 reviewers.
As always, feel free to to agree or disagree in the comments' section below or in our forum thread.

May the Force be with you all!