The Mos Eisley Mafia: SWCLG "Aggressive Negotiations" Force Pack Review - Dark Side

Vader's Army (267-1): 16.5 out of 25 possible points.


doctormungmung (3/5) – In practice this objective will have little to no impact on the game. Perhaps it’ll provide a single dial tick. In some extreme cases you might get two, if you’re running double Tatooine Crash and other heavy capture stuff. So the question becomes, how important is a single dial tick. Having played a lot of Navy, I know that a single Empire Strikes Back play will be the difference between victory and defeat. So I can’t rate this one too low. In a lot of decks, though, you’ll never get even one tick, so it’ll be a blank objective. So I can’t rate it too high. It’s like going up against a Sicilian when death is one the line. So I’ll split the difference, and call it done.

yodaman (4/5) – In theory, this objective text looks really good. Anytime you can potentially increase the Death Star dial as a DS player, that’s nothing to scoff at. In practice, it’s seemed a bit hard to pull off since you have to get 5 captured cards at an objective before it can be triggered. Slave Trade and Tatooine Crash do give you a way to capture cards fairly consistently, but it still can take awhile to get it to trigger.

pantsyg (3/5) – The dial click is super juicy, but getting 5 cards captured at one time before this is destroyed can be a bit of a tall order. I expect this will trigger once in most games, and it’s hard to say if that’s enough to make it worthwhile to start. I’m hedging this rating, which could improve if it turns out there’s enough repeatable capture support to fuel this. With the enhancement here, 4-LOM, Snoova, Ephant, and the new Childsen set available, that may be the case already.

Rio (3.5/5) – The droids are coming! It’s a 5/1 Sith pod the text "Action: Discard 5 captured cards from objectives you control to increase the Death Star dial by 1 (Limit once per turn)". That’s cool. The Scum player in me is drooling at this objective. However I’m not sure how often you can actually trigger it. You could pair it with Tat Crash and Slave Trade to ramp up the capture shenanigans. Maybe the Light side will do it for you with Cracken? Any ability to pump the dial up is worth trying.

Majestaat (3/5) – Pretty easy to get a tick if you build around this, maybe even two. If not dedicated to support this objective, then you might get a single dial tick if you're lucky. You want repeatable capture for this, like Tat Crash or Slave Trade if going ham. Stick to the likes of GA 4-LOM and IG-C if you don't want to go too crazy.
All in all, it's a cool ability, but it can be quite hard to get that many captured cards while keeping your objectives safe so that the LS won's just destroy them to make you start over.
It'll probably become better as the cycle progresses, but don't expect too much. This is the kind of effects we don't want to become particularly reliable, because they have high potential to break the game.


*0-0-0 (267-2): 21 out of 25 possible points.


doctormungmung (4/5) – Triple-Oh has a solid stat line, with a pair of tactics. The one gun would normally be a meh, but he (it?) has the ability to pump that up to two, so you can get four icons, two of which are tactics, for four cost. That’s a good deal. He’s elite, so he’s hard to lock down, and sturdy enough to take a hit. He does want edge, though, to get both those tactic icons, and its pip count is underwhelming for a main. And being a droid, he’s a lot more vulnerable than most Sith units, because all those Royal Guards won’t be protecting him. He does like Illegal Modifications, though...

yodaman (5/5) – I really like 0-0-0. For 4 cost you get a 3 health droid which is elite and has the potential for 2 guns and 2 tactics. That’s not your everyday droid. Since the objective really seems to point towards a mixed affiliation deck to get it to trigger, it’s fairly easy to get the extra gun on 0-0-0 by sacrificing a non-Sith unit.

pantsyg (4/5) – 2 tactics is a pretty sweet icon spread for a 4-drop, and Darth 3P0 brings them on a fairly decent 4-drop body. I do wish he had another edge gun for his cost, but again, 2 tactics! The text is cute and naturally calls to mind Executor synergy. While an extra gun in a pinch is always great, most units that have sacrifice synergy want to sacrifice themselves. He’ll be pretty good if we see solid leaves-play effects for Dark Side.

Rio (4/5) – Another character from the Vader comics, like Aphra in the last set. I like this unit a lot, a 4 drop with 2 tactics? Yes, please! He is elite as well, which is just a bonus since Aphra wasn’t elite. He also has an action that is deceptively good. It gives him the ability to get rid of a non-sith unit on your side of the board at will, which helps Aphra out when he kills the droid she brought into the engagement so she can avoid having to put it at the bottom of the deck. I also found that he can kill Yularin on command! That’s good. If you’re just holding on to him, and that set also comes with droids! Oh, and it also gives him a black gun as well.

Majestaat (4/5) – Pretty strong with double tactics, elite and 3 damage capacity. Only real downside are its two pips as opposed to the three most other mains have at this cost.
The extra gun comes very handy come mid-game when chuds hit the table to support the mains. Not only will you have the bodies to sacrifice, but your strikes will feel more worthwhile when you can instantly vaporize that LS chud, with the tactics going on the mains.
But its text is also relevant when coupled with Overwrite Protocol, to widen your threat range, or just get rid of a droid Aphra just pulled so that it won't hit the bottom of the deck, enabling her to pull it once again once she's refreshed.
So, 0-0-0 has some really cool synergies, but is just a bit lackluster on its own.


*BT-1 (267-3): 21 out of 25 possible points.


doctormungmung (5/5) – While BT isn’t particularly interesting, you get FOUR!!!!! Icons for three cost, that you can drop in at action speed. That’s just nuts. He (she?) alone goes a long way to helping Sith close out games. How many three cost events does the DS have available? Lots. So holding three back isn’t the big telegraph that it is for the LS. He also will shut down a bunch of LS tricks by closing out that one resource they were saving for a situation such as this. I’d say that BT is just about the definition of super value.

yodaman (4/5) – BT-1 gets to come in during the conflict phase if you don’t mind paying for the 3 cost then and potentially give you a surprise defender (when you’re attacking, you need to put him before you declare the engagement you want him in because of the timing windows). Also when he comes into play during the conflict phase, you get to put a focus token on a target ready resource generating card which means you can mess with your opponent’s plans if they were saving resources for something.

pantsyg (4/5) – I don’t see him winning games alone, hence the non-5 rating, but there’s a lot to like about a 3-drop with 4-drop stats that can come in during conflict--and, as a bonus, potentially shut down resources left open for tricks.

Rio (4/5) – Where 0-0-0 brought the tactics BT-1 brings the blasts. At 3 cost he is a 4 icon unit with 2 pips. Very solid for the cost. His action also allows you to play him during conflict phase from hand, and if you do you place a focus on a ready resource card this could shut down the light side’s ability to do tricks during combat. Granted having 3 resources open is kind of a predictable play, but it could always be a force lightning or Deadly Sight.

Majestaat (4/5) – Quite some firepower for 3 resources. BT-1 can be quite devastating when timed right, providing a decent amount of extra unaccounted damage and the possibility to stop the LS from pulling any dirty tricks up their sleeve by locking an open resource.
It's unfortunately fairly edge dependant, with half its icons being white. Makes it especially weak on defense when losing edge, so make sure its ability will be impactful. Otherwise, it might be better to play something else, and hope you can cheat it into play via Aphra's ability.


*Forgotten Droid Factory (267-4): 19.5 out of 25 possible points.


doctormungmung (4/5) – Free capture for something you would do anyway? Sure, why not? It’s on a non-limited two for one resource generating card that has a static effect that you don’t have to pay for. It’ll take a while to get to five cards to trigger the objective, but it’s a start, and in the right build, this will amount to one captured card per turn. You can get tricky by playing BT or the droid from Aphra’s set on your opponent’s turn to get the most out of this. Luckily this is unique, so you can’t have two of these out. That would be nuts. In those situations, it at least has a pip on the force, so it’s not totally useless in an edge battle.

yodaman (4/5) – Resources never hurt but this is a 2-1 and also unique which means if you draw a 2nd one, it’s a dead card that is at least good for 1 pip in edge. It does synergize well with the objective since once per turn it has a passive ability that lets you capture the top card of your opponent’s deck. The fact it’s not limited means you can put it out along with another resource and get the resource ramp going.

pantsyg (4/5) – Fuels Vader’s Army and other capture-based effects, like Heartless Tactics and Zygerrian Slaver, and is by far the easiest way to get Jabba’s Reach set up easily. Plus, it’s non-limited for bonkers ramp turns.

Rio (3.5/5) – I like this card a lot. It’s a 2/1 neutral resource that has a non-focus ability. When you play a droid capture the top card of your opponent’s deck. It plays right into the objectives ability, and BT as well (since you can play him on your opponent’s turn.). Capture is fun, and since you can put the card at any objective it helps fuel cards like Jabba’s Reach.

Majestaat (4/5) – Score takes a hit because it's unique. I think this should have been non-unique but limit the reaction to 1 per turn, so the second copy can still work as a resource without becoming abusive in conjunction with the objective or other effects.


Overwrite Protocol (267-5): 18 out of 25 possible points.


doctormungmung (4/5) – Targeted strike at action speed is good. Luckily, it’s only for a single droid, which limits it a bit. But there are plenty of ways of giving droids more guns (Vibroknives, one version of IGgy, All Out Brawl, 000), so you can get a pretty powerful removal action that your opponent wasn’t expecting or aware of. Unit removal is what the DS loves to do, and here they get yet another piece to that puzzle. At least the event costs a resource, so you have to pay something for it. But still, this will cause a lot of unexpected pain for the LS.

yodaman (4.5/5) – Targeted Strike is really powerful and the existence of this card means your opponent has to be careful anytime you attack with a droid now. Well worth the 1 cost in a droid focused deck. Seems like it could synergize pretty well with Iggy-B’s deck too.

pantsyg (3/5) – Occasionally, this will be removal on the cheap. Unfortunately really strong candidates are fairly limited right now. Could be super cute with Assassin Droids pulled in by Aphra or a droid with Illegal Mods. The main downside: you have to attack to make use of Targeted Strike, so it’s useless on defense.

Rio (3/5) – A 1 cost event that give targeted strike to a droid after it strikes. I like it. It’s not a lot, but you can give a Dark Trooper Targeted Strike which would be nice because those dudes usually go unopposed, you could also give any droid Aphra brought in TS.

Majestaat (3.5/5) – Assassin Droids become a whole lot more appealing when they can suddenly obliterate the LS board single-handedly. Dark Troopers, Guri, 0-0-0, BT-1 and most IGs are okay as well.
Overall a decent removal tool that should be fairly consistent with all the droids you should be packing. Unfortunately, it may take a little too much to reach lethal damage, and its single pip will hurt when you don't have a clear opportunity to play it.


Heat of Battle (267-6): 21.5 out of 25 possible points.


doctormungmung (4/5) – Heats are good. Particularly in a set that already has ways of dishing out the unit damage. Pew pew pew.

yodaman (4/5) – Nice to see another Heat for Sith and it fits well here.

pantsyg (5/5) – My favorite! DS always wants to kill units.

Rio (4/5) – More unexpected unit damage is always welcome.

Majestaat (4.5/5) – The DS likes removing LS units. This always comes in handy for that end. As with Chirrut's pod, I'm giving it a little extra score here because of all the potential for extra unit damage with 0-0-0 and BT-1.


Overall: 20.5 out of 25 possible points.

doctormungmung (4/5) – Like a lot of the sets thus far, this is a very solid control set. You get free capture, multiple tactics, plenty of unit damage, surprise units and a lot of icons for a few resources. Oh, and on top of that, it has a non-limited resource. I think you can find a home for this set in just about any deck you want to make. In standard Sith, this fits in perfectly as control plus closing power, in Scum you can do a capture engine with Snoova and go for multiple dial ticks to accelerate your game. Or you can mix in with droids from your favorite source and start removing the units you can’t lock down. Depending on which way you go, some cards lose value, but not to the point of a dead card. Just don’t complain too much when you have Overwrite Protocol and no droids on the board or in hand. It’s a small price to pay.

yodaman (4.5/5) – This set has been more versatile than I initially thought after using it. Even though there are a few different mechanics you can build around to take advantage of (capture, targeted strike, etc.), it also seems fine just in a Sith focused deck. 8 pips is okay for Sith, but the set does have a resource.

pantsyg (4/5) – With a pair of solid units and some neat ways to capitalize on capture, this set looks like a strong pick for any defensive capture-based deck. Naturally, the droids are excellent partners for Aphra. I can see this fitting into a variety of Sith-Scum and Sith-Navy decks. There’s definitely a fun Droid deck out there as well.

Rio (4/5) – Overall, this set adds a lot to the droid tribe. I like the interactions it gives and it clearly wants to be played with Aphra. However, it may work in an IG deck without her. I love an objective that shuts Cracken down.

Majestaat (4/5) – All around a self-sufficient pod with a bit of everything, making it more versatile than one would initially think. If you don't care about any particular synergy offered here, you may want to run it only as a 1x to avoid dead draws because of all the uniques.
Beyond that, it's an obvious choice for a droid deck willing to pack some capture.


Cell Block Detention (268-1): 21.5 out of 25 possible points.


doctormungmung (4/5) – I usually waffle between giving a blank two resource objective a three or a four (or is the waffling between a two or a three? No matter). Here we get two resources with active text, so it’s automatically better. Being able to make the objective open endedly beefy is pretty good. Now, navy doesn’t have a lot of ways to capture, but there are some. And mixing Scum into the mix, you can get this objective up to unkillable levels. So what this really does is make your opponent focus more on your other objectives, leaving you with a relatively safe two resource objective for the game. And if they do go after it, at some point it’s likely to become a losing proposition as you find your capture.

yodaman (4.5/5) – 2 resource objectives are always useful even if they’re vanilla. The fact this one gets a damage capacity bonus for each captured card at it makes it even more useful.

pantsyg (4/5) – 2 resources and a way to gain health? Looks like a solid pick to me if you’ve got capture in your deck.

Rio (4/5) – It’s a 5/2 Navy objective that gains +1 damage per captured card there. This is really annoying in the right deck. Unlike earlier in the game life's span, capture is an actual thing now, so the amount of cards that could go on this could lead to a hefty number. I’m sure the right deck could push this to 8 consistently.

Majestaat (5/5) – 2 resources for a strong opening, plus an ability that buffs its damage capacity for each captured card in it. Reminds me a bit of Defending the Trench. May not become as beefy as it, but it won't give the LS an extra victory point for destroying it either. Anything that buys you time is great when playing the DS, and this objective does just that, though you'll have to work a bit to get that extra boost.


*Lieutenant Childsen (268-2): 21 out of 25 possible points.


doctormungmung (3/5) – Childsen is pretty decent. He’s got nice all black icons that are good enough to remove a chud and do a little blast on the way. He’s both a trooper and an officer, so he can benefit from both those keywords. On the surface, his ability is pretty great: take out an extra unit in the engagement (which can include Yoda or Chewie), and possibly get some card draw. But unfortunately his ability is linked to his striking, which means he’s a prime target for tactics. Navy has a few ways to shield their troopers, but until that happens, he’s not likely to be doing much. The real killer, though, is that he costs four. For the cost of a main, you really want something a bit more. Either another icon, or elite, or something. As is, you’ll tend to look at him in your hand and want to play him, but find you have better options for those four resources. Also, he’s stuck with only a pair of pips, meaning that even sitting in your hand he doesn’t bring quite as much value to you as other four cost cards. That makes me sad.

yodaman (4.5/5) – Childsen is an interesting main. He costs 4 and has 3 health but isn’t elite. Three black combat icons is decent though. His reaction is really good though since he can capture a participating enemy unit with printed cost 3 or lower (and there are good ones to get with that like Yoda, Hera, Chewie, etc..) when he focuses to strike so as long as you get a shot off he’s going to do some work. Thematically you get to draw a card if you capture a Wookiee or Ewok. He’s also a Trooper which means he can take advantage of any cards that benefit troopers like Family Connections.

pantsyg (5/5) – Not being elite stings, but those icons and a Yoda-killing ability makes for a super strong unit, period. Plus a bonus against the furballs.

Rio (4.5/5) – Where are you taking this…thing? A 4 cost main with 2 pips and 3 icons is kinda meh, however all of the icons are black and he comes with a boss ability. Being able to capture a card with printed cost of 3 or lower is really nice. It hits Yoda and Hera, 2 of the Light side’s best turn 1 units. The bonus of hitting a wookiee is thematic, but I am not sure about the ewok part. Also there is no limit on this guy…. Why doesn’t he have a limit?!! There are ways to give him elite, out of Kallus’ pod, if one was so inclined.

Majestaat (4/5) – Sacrifices the usual third pip and a keyword in favor of a strong ability and black icons only, though you could argue he should have an extra white icon for his cost. It all comes down to how powerful his ability is. Unlike, say, Ephant Mon, Childsen can lose edge and still net a capture. He's not stopped by shields either. On the other hand, he's limited to capturing participating units only, and has a cost restriction. He does, however, offer conditional draw and can use his two guns to deal with an extra enemy. All in all, I stil prefer Ephant. Mostly, it's the lack of a keyword what hurts Childsen, making him too susceptible to tactics. Not to mention that he can be a very weak early play because of his subpar Force capabilities and inability to use his ability on the most threatening mains not named Yoda.


Security Trooper (268-3&4): 19 out of 25 possible points.


doctormungmung (3/5) – These guys are decent when their text is effectively blank. Troopers that bring tactics is something that Trooper deck have long needed. The fact that it’s edge enable tactics is a bit underwhelming, but they’re still a tactics chud. Where they really explode is when you start capturing cards. Having open ended black guns is pretty serious business. Especially if you can capture cards during an engagement before they strike. The surprise factor will net you a few kills.

yodaman (4/5) – Navy can always make use of cheap tactics and this set comes with 2 Security Troopers. They have a white tactics and gain black guns for each captured card at the engaged objective when they’re defending. They’re troopers too so you can include them in a Trooper deck and get some extra benefits.

pantsyg (4/5) – With these guys out, you can hugely discourage opponents from attacking objectives by stacking captured cards there. Tactics is always great as well, and the 2 pips are a nice boost.

Rio (4/5) – The set comes with 2 of these “chuds”; troopers with white tactics (something the trooper decks were missing). They also gain a black gun for each captured card at the engaged objective, so if the Light side player wants to get all those cards back, they are going to hit a wall of guns. The sweet spot for this guy is defending an objective with 2 or more cards, and I really don’t think that will be a problem in a deck with this set.

Majestaat (4/5) – Hey, hey! Tactics for troopers, and not in an expensive officer. Between that and their two pips, they do cover for some of the weaknesses troopers had: lack of control and low edge per card. If you're willing to invest in some capture support, then they can become superb defenders.


Security Alarm (268-5): 25 out of 25 possible points.


doctormungmung (5/5) – Now this is a great card. A one for one limited resource is usually not looked down upon. Having to be linked to an objective makes it vulnerable. But, you get to free up a defender whenever that objective is attacked. That’s fantastic. People were complaining about Gladiators being opened up for defense via the Technicians. This is the same thing and doesn’t cost you a unit. Commit your Golans and never worry about committing them to the force. Let Chimaera do double duty on offense and defense. Or make sure Thrawn is free to do his thing. Bonus points if you put this on Entrenched Defenses and trigger it twice in a turn.

yodaman (5/5) – This 1-1 resource is really good. You have to put it on an objective, but it allows you to take a focus token off one of your units when the objective it’s attached to is engaged. You actually get to take all focus tokens off the unit if it’s a trooper.

pantsyg (5/5) – A resource with a refresh effect is just amazing. Like the Security Troopers, this is about punishing opponents for attacking.

Rio (5/5) – This card is bonkers. The ability to free up a defender at 0 cost is insane. I am having visions of freeing up an Energy Spider or that Thrawn they thought was used already. Hell, even the Security Troopers or Childsen (for an extra captured card) will work. We could move to any Navy capital ship, or a Trooper Krennic gave a shield to earlier. This card is really, really good.

Majestaat (5/5) – Very similar to Early Warning System, and we all know how incredibly annoying that card is. Security Alarm is more vulnerable since the enhanced objective can be destroyed (may actually be an upside if you have a buffed Cell Block Detention), but it's a 1-1 as opposed to a 2-1, and though the timing on its reaction is slightly more restrictive, it can remove a focus from any of your units, not just vehicles. In the case of troopers, it removes ALL focus. When Childsen can't be locked down, he becomes much scarier.


Security Protocols (268-6): 23 out of 25 possible points.


doctormungmung (5/5) – This pack is all about the awesome fate cards. While Battle Fury is mean and broken with Chewie, Security Protocols is just great. Capture a card during the edge battle (or two) to give your Security Troopers some surprise guns. Give the objective an extra surprise health. And make sure that you take their best next two cards and put them where they aren’t likely to see them for a long time. And then, as a peripheral, gain knowledge about the next card going into their hand. You also get to mess with Spark or other top-deck draws, potentially slowing down that deck archtype.

yodaman (4.5/5) – This fate card basically repeats an ability that’s shown up before on other cards as it lets you look at the top 3 cards of your opponent’s deck then capture one, put one of the bottom and leave one on top. Usually, that will give you the chance to neutralize their good cards that are coming up. 2 pips are good for the edge battle too. It synergizes with the objective as well.

pantsyg (4/5) – I like this effect a lot, and am glad to see it printed on a fate. Controlling incoming draw with capture on top is strong, and unlike the event in the Zed pod, it doesn’t come at the expense of your edge hand.

Rio (5/5) – The new Darkside fate card. It says: "Look at the top 3 cards of your opponent’s deck. Capture 1 of those cards, place 1 on the bottom of its owner’s deck, and place the remaining card on top of its owner’s deck". This is Echoes Zuckuss on a fate card. It’s a solid ability that works well with the pod and it has 2 pips. I really hope we see this in a Scum pod later this cycle.

Majestaat (4.5/5) – Look, it's Echoes Zuckuss... in fate form! Easy capture, information and deck manipulation, all in one, for free! Solid. Decent synergy with other cards here, and even stronger if you're packing more cards that benefit from capture. You may not notice its impact right away since it's not as direct as, say, a Heat or Seeds. But don't be fooled, this is a very strong fate.


Overall: 22.5 out of 25 possible points.

doctormungmung (4/5) – I was hoping for more trooper love, and we got it. This is a great set, and it fits in with troopers pretty well. But it’s also not limited to a trooper deck. It works well with any generic defensive deck. Or you can slot it into a capture heavy deck and use the troopers for defense while the rest of your units go to town. It is a little on the expensive side, but if you’re turning on those troopers, it becomes almost cheap (or at least fantastic value (imagine having your Security Troopers defending a late game Tatooine Crash…). I really wish more of the earlier trooper sets were up to this caliber. I do realize that I’m biased here, so perhaps take my rating for this set with a grain of salt.

yodaman (4.5/5) – An interesting addition to the trooper deck archetype. It has 3 trooper units, a resource that has extra benefits and a fate card that synergizes well and 9 total force icons which never hurts. The capture mechanics included in the set gives you some control pieces to supplement trooper decks. Expect to see this one in trooper builds.

pantsyg (4/5) – I really like this set. I’m a big fan of the cell block scene in ANH, and this set captures the feel pretty well in addition to bringing a lot of power to any defensive capture deck. It’s almost like they’re pushing that theme with this pack, eh?

Rio (5/5) – Overall, I absolutely love this pod. I am happy to see a capture themed pod that ACTUALLY captures cards. It’s an incredibly defensive pod that clearly wants to work with Scum, but I think it will be the missing puzzle piece for a trooper deck.

Majestaat (5/5) – Krennic's pod left me somewhat disappointed, so I'm very glad we got this for troopers. It doesn't provide much in the way of blast damage, which can still be an issue, but it does pack hard removal, tactics, resources and decent edge, all greatly appreciated.
Alternatively, you can mix this with Scum to get the most out of your capture-tech. Security Alarm loses a bit of power in such a deck, but for the most part, every single card should still work really well.


Shadowed Surveillance (269-1): 19 out of 25 possible points.


doctormungmung (4/5) – This objective has an interesting effect. Basically, it lets you try to pull extra cards from you opponent during an edge battle. This couples very well with Twist of Fate. Put in a Twist and an extra card or two to bait them out, then pull one them back. Or if they don’t take the bait, pull it back anyway. Or lead with the Twist, and if they don’t put a card in, pull it back. Admittedly, that’s a bit of a tell, but now you don’t waste a Twist, so they still have to deal with it.

yodaman (3/5) – To be honest, I’m really not sure of the point for this card. Once per turn you can return a card from your edge stack instead of placing a card in edge. I suppose you could use it to bluff a card for a future edge battle, but I’ve yet to see the use of it. Hopefully, someone will build something that shows how this can shine.

pantsyg (4/5) – This is a card advantage machine, and plays really nice with things like Guri, Hidden Vibroknife, and Threat Removal. Very solid combo potential.

Rio (4/5) – The first Scum pod of the cycle is an interesting one. It is the standard 5/1, but it has probably one of the most interesting abilities I’ve seen on a card. It allows you to pull a card back from an edge stack instead of putting in it. This may not seem like a big deal, but it’s actually the best bluffing card this game has gotten. Imagine 2 of these on the board…. I think this will lead to many edge battles that the Light side will over commit to without even realizing they’ve done so. You may lose but that’s ok, you have Guri in hand. This will be in a top deck this regional season.

Majestaat (4/5) – This card gives me a headache. Whenever I think edge battles against Scum are already bad enough, FFG makes sure to give a kick in the nuts. I think this could become a 5/5 and I'm just too bad a player to tap its full potential.
In particular, I've liked how this gives you so much flexibility to set up your Twists of Fate or play around your opponent's.


*Garindan (269-2): 16 out of 25 possible points.


doctormungmung (3/5) – We get a spy with some actual spy ability. Being able to look at a tenth of your opponent’s deck is very good. Even without the ability to modify those cards, you now know basically their entire next hand. There’s a lot you can do with that kind of knowledge. Unfortunately, you have to jump through a few hoops to get that knowledge. First, you have to put Garindan in harm's way. Then you have to lose an edge battle, putting him (and your other units) in even more harm's way. And finally you have to have more cards in hand than your opponent. Now, the objective will help with the last, but still, it’s rather tough to pull this off when you want to. But (there’s always a but), Garindan LOVES Guri.

yodaman (4/5) – A 3 cost main with 3 health, 3 combat icons and 3 force icons isn’t bad. The black tactics are always welcome. He’s a Mercenary so you can pull him with Jabba’s Summons if you want. His reaction is interesting since it lets you get information about the cards your opponent is about to draw if you meet the condition (after you lose an edge battle and you have more cards in hand than your opponent). That condition seems to work well with the objective, but I’m not sure it’s really that impactful.

pantsyg (3/5) – The main value here is the tactics icon, though the hand knowledge is a useful little bonus. I expect this guy to play the cheap Force hound role most of the time.

Rio (3/5) – A 3 cost, 3 pip unit with 3 icons and 3 health. This is needed in Scum, with all the 2 drop resources they have access to, a 3 drop for a turn one play is really good. Too bad he isn’t elite, however he comes with a nice ability. If you lose an edge battle and have more cards in hand, you can look at the top 5 cards of your opponent’s deck. Knowledge is power, and he gives you lots of information. You basically know what your opponent will draw next turn. However, you do need to lose an edge battle which may result in him dying…

Majestaat (3/5) – Three pips and black tactics are nice. His reaction will help you prepare for anything the LS tries next turn. Unfortunately, you could go as far as losing Garindan himself since you have to lose edge to trigger his ability. On top of that, you need more cards in hand than your opponent, though admittedly that should often be the case if you're losing edge, and while that makes sense with the rest of the pod, it feels like an unnecessary restriction.


Trandoshan Mercenary (269-3): 17 out of 25 possible points.


doctormungmung (3/5) – I had thought this guy was almost a total waste of space until I notice that he has shielding. So he becomes a decent chud. He’s not doing much in combat, but he’s either protecting key units or helping to make sure strikes get through, or providing a bit of longevity to your objective. He himself is a bit harder to take out, with two health, and situationally more. Still, getting his interrupt to trigger when you want to will sometimes mean holding on to cards when you don’t want to. Or then there are all those times where you’re defending and the LS just has their whole hand. And I’m spending too much time discussing a functional but uninteresting shield chud, so I’ll stop here.

yodaman (4/5) – This 2 cost, 2 health chud actually comes with shielding which is always useful. It only has one combat icon, but the shielding aspect and the potential to prevent a point of damage if you have more cards in hand than your opponent helps.

pantsyg (3/5) – Hard to kill and hard to lock down, but he’s not hitting very hard. He is a great target for Hidden Vibroknife, though, as you can lose edge and pretty much be guaranteed 2 damage out of him.

Rio (3/5) – What’s this dude’s deal? He cost 2 and has a black gun and shielding…. He also has an ability that allows him to prevent a point of damage when he is dealt it, no limit. So this dude will be living to strike your guy even if you lose the edge battle. Granted, it’s only 1 damage to your opponent, but he WILL strike. If only there was a way to give him more guns…

Majestaat (4/5) – Minimal damage output compensated with insane resilience. Since he can be so durable even without the shield, you can easily put it on another of your units or objective and still see this guy live to provide support for another turn. Can stop a lot of blast damage on his own.


Prized Possession (269-4): 20.5 out of 25 possible points.


doctormungmung (4/5) – One for one limited resources are the backbone of most economies. Having access to more of them is generally a good thing, unless it’s your 8th Sith Library. But seriously, at this deep into the card pool, having a good variety of sets with resources is important for deck building, and this helps with that.

yodaman (3.5/5) – The standard 1-1 neutral resource for Scum. Never hurts to have those.

pantsyg (4/5) – Resource.

Rio (5/5) – It’s nice to see this in a set that isn’t Scum only.

Majestaat (4/5) – Boring but effective. You need resources in every deck, and 1-1s make sure you're not taking a tempo hit. Though I must say that's it's a bit weird we didn't get a more interesting 2-1 resource since the pod is already cheap enough and the main is a 3-coster.


Hidden Vibroknife (269-5): 17.5 out of 25 possible points.


doctormungmung (3/5) – More unit damage, with edge loss shenanigans. If you are aiming to lose an edge battle, you might as well try and get something out of that. The shield from the chud and this can combine to get some more dead LS units when they weren’t expecting it. Or just put it on your units in deploy and provide a more intimidating defense/offense. Or just use it for edge when you actually want to win an edge battle, because it’s two pips are pretty good for that.

yodaman (4/5) – Nice to see this enhancement reprinted which gives the character or droid it’s attached to an extra black gun.' Fits the theme of the set in that it can come in for free if you lose an edge battle. Since you can now potentially have 4 in a deck if you use this set and Guri’s set, you could lose an edge battle and then, potentially really load up damage on something.

pantsyg (4/5) – Surprise! You’re dead. An extra gun is pretty nice for most DS units, if you can get the strike off after losing an edge battle.

Rio (3/5) – Here is the way to give that Trandoshan another gun. We’ve seen this card before in Guri’s pod. You can play it for free from your hand if you lose an edge battle by 2 or more. It’s a nice surprise on a guy who doesn’t care if you win the edge or not. So perfect for the Trandoshan.

Majestaat (3.5/5) – I don't like this here as much as I liked it in Behind the Black Sun. You have Guri and the Freelance Assassin there, both who have fantastic synergy with the extra unit damage. But Garindan and the Trandoshan Mercenary don't quite benefit as much. Still, it's cheap to free unit damage, and it has two pips.


Seeds of Decay (269-6): 23.5 out of 25 possible points.


doctormungmung (5/5) – While not new, Seeds is still one of the best fate cards out there, particularly for the DS, because it cancels so much of what MTFBWY provides. Everyone knows this is good. ‘Nuff said (gogo Stan Lee).

yodaman (4.5/5) – Still may be the best fate card not named Twist of Fate. It’s great to see its inclusion here so Scum has it in a set that isn’t Wittin.

pantsyg (5/5) – Everyone knows Seeds is one of the most powerful fates.

Rio (4/5) – Not sure why this isn’t a heat, but I won’t complain about a Seeds either. It’s a card that is better on the LS than DS, but it can also be really good because the LS sees so few of them on the other side of the board.

Majestaat (5/5) – Been a while since we last got a Seeds. It's still as strong as ever, stopping any commited unit right on its tracks.


Overall: 17.5 out of 25 possible points.

doctormungmung (3/5) – This is an interesting set that tries to do things that haven’t quite been done before. Although I’m not sure how much it actually accomplishes. I still don’t have a good sense how often either the objective or Garindan will be useful (at least ability-wise, his black tactics is always welcome). On the surface, it feels like this set is just a bunch of random cards throwns together, but when you sit down and think about it, they all help each other in subtle ways. Is it enough? I don’t know. There are certainly better options out there, but perhaps this will find a home. And I have a feeling that someone will be able to break it, I’m just not sure what that would look like (and thus, that someone isn’t me).

yodaman (4/5) – This set seems to have some interesting internal synergy, but with so many good Scum sets it’s hard to see exactly where it might fit in. Still it has a resource and a Seeds so that bumps up its potential usefulness. 8 icons is decent even if it’s not outstanding.

pantsyg (3/5) – While there’s a lot of solid stuff here, it feels like this is going to mainly go into decks as a way to get access to Seeds. It provides a fair amount of utility, but nothing hugely unfair.

Rio (4/5) – This is an interesting set, I am really excited to experiment with it. I believe half the community will say its garbage, and the other half will think it’s the greatest set ever. I think the mileage you will get out of it depends greatly on your playstyle. The objective will absolutely put some players on tilt and sometimes mind games are what you need for an advantage. This set gives you those in spades. What it doesn’t give you is blasts….

Majestaat (3.5/5) – Seeds is amazing, and the more I play with the objective, the more I like it. But there's nothing particularly threatening here. Maybe the stall provided by Seeds and the Trandoshan are actually enough? Yes, I've said before that buying time for the DS is pretty strong, but other sets either have stronger stalling mechanics or also include some sort of removal or blast to help with sealing the game, none of which are present here.



FINAL WORDS:
Just a couple days late, but we're pretty close to our desired schedule. All good.

I've quite liked this particular pack. There are several strong cards, but nothing feels overpowered, as the scores show. The one exception would be Security Alarm, but hey, at least it's easier to deal with than Early Warning System, so that's a plus for the game's health.

Desperate Circumstances comes next. Should be a while before we get the full spoiler, and a little more until we get the actual cards, so we'll be taking a nice break in the meantime.

Completely unrelated, but I wanted to express my support for North America and the Caribbean. It's been one hurricane after another, the devastation they've left clear for us all to see. Heck, Mexico even got hit by a pretty severe earthquake as well. Just hope you can all push through and get back on your feet like you've always done. Best wishes.

And that's about it for this time.
Many thanks to the reviewers for their hard work and the readers for their continued support.
You can check past reviews in our forum thread here.

Also, yodaman has basically turned his home into a cinema. If you're interested in watching SWLCG matches, pay a visit to Yoda's Hut.

May the Force be with you all!