The Mos Eisley Mafia: SWLCG "Galactic Ambitions" Deluxe Box Review - Dark Side pt. 2

Dark Defenders (220-1): 13.5 out of 20 possible points.


doctormungmung (3/5) – Blank two / five resources allow for some plays that you otherwise couldn’t do turn one, and in the long run can fake having a resource card on the board. Fighter decks tend to be a bit light on the resources, so getting an extra one anywhere possible is not something to turn down out of hand. Still, this is a blank objective, so it can’t be that good.

yodaman (3.5/5) – Standard 5 health objective that does generate 2 resources, but doesn’t do anything else.

pantsyg (4/5) – It’s a 2 resource objective, very helpful for getting your 2-1 Sith Pilot resource into play.

Majestaat (3/5) – Vanilla 2-resources objective. As always, it can help your deck to run better early game. Even if TIEs are fairly cheap already, an extra resource T1 allows you to play a pilot resource and a couple ships, or a 3-coster along the more common 2-costers.
That said, TIEs already have incredibly utility in other objectives and 2 resources on Defending the Trench, so you'll seldom want to pick this.


*"Backstabber" (220-2): 18 out of 20 possible points.


doctormungmung (4/5) – I love this version of Backstabber. Being able to focus out a unit during combat is great. I wouldn’t mind playing this even if I didn’t have the edge, and thus most of it’s icons were turned off. Speaking of icons, it’s got a pretty good spread for a two cost unit, having three icons, with one being black. It’s still a more defensive spread with two unit damage, but that goes with the pseudo tactics. Having two health makes it a bit fragile, but this is a unit you want to die so you can play another. It also being Black Squadron means you get all the other benefits like being able to use Guarding the Wing to help pay for it when your opponent might not be paying attention.

yodaman (4/5) – The newest version of Backstabber can be played from hand during an engagement like the original and has the same combat icons, but this version puts a focus token on a participating enemy unit when it enters play and only costs 2. It’s also Black Squadron traited which synergizes well with the entire set and other fighter sets. Very cost effective unit for what it does.

pantsyg (5/5) – Focus at action speed is always good. This little guy has saved me from huge damage in several situations, giving me time to stabilize the board so my fighters could go ham. He’s also great on the attack, knocking out key tactics defenders.

Majestaat (5/5) – A unique 2-2-2 with an extra combat icon and an ambush-like effect that works like Visage of the Dark Lord. Great in virtually every scenario. As with Yularen, you probably want Backstabber destroyed quickly so you can play the second copy. Just the threat of it hitting the table is big, and unlike Seeds/Visage, it can't be Twisted.


*Black Squadron (220-3): 18 out of 20 possible points.


doctormungmung (4/5) – Black Squadron is a beast of a unit. Five icons, three of them black, one white tactics, elite and four health are very intimidating, on either offense or defense. It is expensive at seven, but it gets down to super cost efficient if you have enough Black Squadron on the board. It is nice FFG has learned their lesson from the Freeholders, and put a cap on the discount. If you can find a way to get a Talon Roll into a deck with this thing, the Squadron will help to shut out games real quick. Even without a refresh effect, your opponent shouldn’t feel good when this unit hits the table.

yodaman (4/5) – The cost for this unit is a bit steep at 7, but you can reduce the cost by 1 (to a minimum of 3) for each Black Squadron traited card you have out. This has a great spread of 5 combat icons, including a white tactics, which is great since fighter decks often don’t have much in the way of tactics. The 4 health will help keep it alive and elite should help keep it from getting focused down. Still, if you draw this early, it might be awhile before you could play it so it’s 2 pips might serve you better for edge.

pantsyg (5/5) – In most Black Squadron decks, you’ll be playing this for 3. At 3, or even 4, this statline is very efficient. 2 guns and tactics makes it a solid defensive play, while 2 blast gives it a ton of offensive punch. A great closer unit once you’ve flooded the board with your TIEs and need a little more damage, or a stopgap against aggressive decks.

Majestaat (5/5) – It's super easy to get this for 3-4 resources T2 onwards, in which cases it's incredibly cost-efficient with its elite, high damage capacity and an impressive array of combat icons. Remember you get a discount from every Black Squadron card, not just units, so Elite Pilot Training, Closed Formation and pilots like Mithel and Vader all help.


Black Squadron Pilot (220-4): 13.5 out of 20 possible points.


doctormungmung (3/5) – Here we get a reprint of the first pilot in the game. And it’s not a bad unit. You don’t ever really want to play him as a unit, though, as you can give a black gun and blast to a fighter for the same cost. Putting him on Black Squadron or Vader’s TIE makes a truly terrifying unit. Even putting him on a Black Squadron TIE turns a meh unit into something your opponent needs to pay attention to. And to top it all off, it’s a Black Squadron card, so just helps out with all the tribal bonuses.

yodaman (4/5) – For the third time, we get the original DS pilot in a set. He’s still decent as a pilot, adding one black gun and one black blast to a fighter, but he’s better at a discount if you can have one of the pilot resources out. At least he can help you get out Black Squadron for cheaper.

pantsyg (3/5) – 2 is a little pricy for an enhancement. I tend to be harsh on enhancements in this game, since you’re giving up an opportunity to build your board presence and often a key edge card to get them into play. BSP provides decent value by improving both the offensive and defensive capabilities of your fighters, making their normally-weak individual strikes more efficient. Discounted by a Pilot resource, he becomes a very good play. He really shines on 181sts to give them a more relevant statline, especially on defense, or Black Squadron to go up to 3 guns. As a bonus, he’s also a resource with Guarding the Wing.

Majestaat (3.5/5) – Although I really dislike this card, it has so much synergy with all things Black Squadron that is gets a considerable boost to its score. With a Black Squadron deck likely fielding 2+ pilot resources, Elite Pilot Training and Guarding the Wing, you usually get this for free. If you don't have any of those components out, however, this is easily a 2/5 card if not less.


Come With Me (220-5): 20 out of 20 possible points.


doctormungmung (5/5) – Remember what I just said about tribal bonuses? Well, here we have a card that can search out any one of those Black Squadron cards for a cost of one. Want a killer edge card, or pilot to shut down all your opponent’s tricks? Pull out pilot Vader. Need to find a tactics unit? Search out Vader’s TIE, Black Two or Black Squadron. Just need some extra guns? How about a Black Squadron Pilot. Want another Tutor? Dig out a second Come With Me. Admittedly that last option is a little silly, but it does point out that Come With Me is traited as Black Squadron, which means you can pull it back to hand with Black Squadron Formation, which means that you can search for whatever answer you needed until your opponent destroys the objective. That’s just crazy.

yodaman (5/5) – This card is insanely good. For 1 cost, you can search for any Black Squadron card and put it in your hand. This means you can grab pilot Vader, Backstabber, or something like Elite Pilot Training to accelerate you swarm on demand. The event is also a Black Squadron card which means you can recycle it if you have Black Squadron Formation out as one of your objectives and repeat the process.

pantsyg (5/5) – All of the relevant cards in a deck with this set will be Black Squadron (except Baron Fel and his 181st), so this gives you the flexibility to grab what you need. Early EPT (especially with Guarding the Wing) can get the board flooded quickly, while Vader, DS-61-3 and Black Squadron are all valuable finds in the mid-late game. With Black Squadron Formation to recycle this and free resources you can really control the cards you’re able to play.

Majestaat (5/5) – It basically lets you look for any card in a Black Squadron deck. Need resources? Elite Pilot Training. Need protection? Closed Formation. Need edge? Pilot Vader. Need combat tricks? Backstabber or DS-61-3. Need a heavy hitter? Black Squadron. Guess you get the point by now. If you have enough resources and Black Squadron Formation out, you can keep using this over and over throughout the game. It's still got 2 pips if you somehow have nothing to search for.


Seeds of Decay (220-6): 18.5 out of 20 possible points.


doctormungmung (4/5) – Seeds still is one of the best fate cards out there. Anytime you can focus out a unit is worth it. This pairs particularly well with Backstabber, letting you lock out a group of attackers if your opponent is not paying attention. The only downside to having a seeds in a TIE deck is if you have enough 181st Interceptors out, your opponent might just give up on the force struggle altogether, leaving you with no valid targets. But, in that case, you’re winning the force struggle, so you can’t complain too much.

yodaman (4.5/5) – Still may be the best fate card not named Twist of Fate. It’s great to see its inclusion here as it synergizes well with the newest Backstabber.

pantsyg (5/5) – Wow, was I excited to see Seeds in a fighter set. It’s a great focus card for a deck that needs a little bit of control to either defend itself or push damage, and it generally hits the high-health Mains that fighters can often struggle to kill.

Majestaat (5/5) – It's still one of the best fate cards in the game. Big elites are usually the units who are commited to the Force, making this a fantastic tool to deal with one of the most threatening LS assets.


Overall: 18 out of 20 possible points.

doctormungmung (4/5) – This is a great addition to both the TIE archetype and the Black Squadron subtype. You get two great units, a pilot buff, a tutor which can search for almost any card in your deck, and a Seeds of Decay. What’s not to like? TIEs have been pretty competitive for a while. This set helps give them the consistency to push them up into the top tier. I wouldn’t be surprised to see a Black Squadron deck start taking some tournaments soon, or at least placing in the top cut.

yodaman (4/5) – A solid addition to fighter builds which almost will build themselves now using the Black Squadron pilot sets and Empire’s Elite. It doesn’t have a resource, but it comes with 9 force icons, an event that can potentially be recurred, a great fate card and has great synergy. If you’re playing fighters, you’ll want to use this set.

pantsyg (5/5) – Of course this is only a 5/5 in DS fighter decks, and probably won’t be seen much outside them. Backstabber and Seeds grant a touch of control to what is generally a fairly aggressive deck, while Black Squadron gives it a big unit to close games faster. I love DS fighters, so I’m over the moon for this set.

Majestaat (5/5) – It's clearly a Black Squadron pod and it's rated as such. No way to doubt it gets a perfect score there, and it does increase the power of such a deck substantially with its 9 edge, heavy hitter, tutor and different control options, making your build far more unpredictable. Lack of resources isn't really a problem considering synergy with other pods, and even then, the objective itself has two to make up for it a bit.
Now, I've been playing a ton with Black Squad since GA came out, and while it's definitely much stronger now, TIEs inherent weak strike economy and high dependency on Baron Fel are still difficult issues to overcome.


Hunters of the Jedi (221-1): 16 out of 20 possible points.


doctormungmung (4/5) – One thing that this game is not lacking in is Force Users or Force Sensitives. Pretty much every Jedi unit is a force something. Then there are a few outside of Jedi that are also attuned to the force, most noticeably Leia. And that’s just the LS. DS has just as many. While there are only ever two Sith, there are plenty of dark Jedi, or adepts, or trainees, or wannabes. There are even a few force attuned creatures. So, with all these force x’ers, there will be plenty of opportunities to cheat in a free Sithspawn. And with this set, there are plenty of those available. There’s always Gorc or Pic, but now you can add Terentateks to that list. And free units, especially big scary ones, is a deal I’d take all the time. Particularly when that involves also killing LS units.

yodaman (4/5) – Being able to put a card into play at no cost is always good. This objective allows you to put a Sithspawn card into play anytime a Force Unit or Force Sensitive unit is destroyed. That goes for both sides so if you happen to kill your opponent’s Luke or Yoda, you can take advantage of this objective and drop in a Sithspawn card. You’ll definitely need to build around the objective by including a bunch of Sithspawn to get the most out of it, but it can lead to very powerful board positions when it goes off.

pantsyg (4/5) – Getting a free unit for killing a Force User is a big swing. Useless against non-Jedi decks, but easily buried in those cases.

Majestaat (4/5) – Here's something mean against Jedi. If they lose a unit, you gain one, sometimes as big as Gorc or a Terentatek. It's still quite good in all matchups, especially if you're willing to support it a bit. This really likes Royal Guard Champ, for example, as he can always come back from the dead afterwards.
Do note this does not work with sacrificing. But its not restricted to destruction by combat icons.
Also, it's limit once per turn, so if you have both copies out, you may be able to get a considerable army of Sithspawn out of nowhere.


Terentatek (221-2&3): 18 out of 20 possible points.


doctormungmung (4/5) – Talk about a big beefy unit. For four cost, you get four health and three black guns that ignore shields. Yikes! It also has semi-force immunity, which helps versus things like Jedi Mind Trick (how often do you see those these days?). But be wary, because there are a few DS events that won't work on these beasts, like Force Invisibility. That’s a small downside for an otherwise great unit. It’s also decent in a pinch to hold the force of in an edge battle with it’s two force pips. Oh, and it’s a Sithspawn, so will come in from the objective when you start dropping Force Users.

yodaman (4.5/5) – For 4 cost, you get a 4 health Sithspawn Creature with 3 black guns. The set comes with 2 of them as well which is very good. Their 4 cost means you can get them on the board turn 1 and their high health makes them tough to deal with. They can’t be affected by Force events which is an interesting mechanic. LS units won’t want to deal with the Terentatek unless they have some tactics. One drawback is they aren’t elite so you want to do what you can to keep them free from tactics. Also, you can’t put enhancements on them, but that’s okay.

pantsyg (5/5) – These guys are a little like Sith Freeholders in my mind. While they lack tactics, they have Main-level stats with 3 guns and 4 health, and are non-unique so you can spam out a wall of them. Facing 1 or 2 of these in the early game is a real chore.

Majestaat (4.5/5) – A fearsome monster to face, the Terentatek hits very hard against units. Likewise, it can take heavy punishment before going down. Obviously, you want to get them for free after killing a puny Jedi or losing a force sensitive/user of your own. Because that won't always be the case, it's a very good thing such expensive units have two pips.


Tuk'ata (221-4&5): 15 out of 20 possible points.


doctormungmung (3/5) – These guys are Tusken Sithspawn who are also Force Sensitive creatures. Cheap tactics that can either come in off of the objective, or bring in something bigger when they are destroyed. Or just flood the board with unit damage and tactics. There’s nothing to dislike about these things, although they’re not going to win you the game either. What you do get is two to four solid defensive chuds that can combo in your bigger units. I’ll take that.

yodaman (4/5) – The set also comes with 2 of these secondary units. They cost 2, have 2 health and have a black gun and white tactics, a la Pic. The Tuk ‘ata are Sithspawn Creatures and Force Sensitive which means if they get destroyed they’ll trigger the objective. Cheap tactics are always good and creature decks seem to be lacking in tactics so that’s a nice inclusion.

pantsyg (4/5) – A perfect defensive 2-drop. As with their big brother Terentateks, being non-unique means you can have a bunch of little annoying tactics weenies running around on your board. Force Sensitive is a bonus, as it activates Vader’s Meditiation Chamber.

Majestaat (4/5) – It's very nice to have cheap tactics that, unlike Advisors, won't just die to a Heat of Battle or BtS Luke's reaction. What's most interesting about them are their traits. Having both Sithspawn AND Force Sensitive, they play either as triggers or effects for the objective.
Because they usually are ignored when you lose edge, it's pretty easy to sneak in a Feeding Frenzy when they strike.


Valley of the Dark Lords (221-6): 18 out of 20 possible points.


doctormungmung (4/5) – Super resources are great! Here you can get a free resource for all your sithspawn, which now there are some pretty good options for. Accelerate out a Gorc or a Terentatek. This allows you to play a turn one Tuk’ata plus a Sith Wyrm, and also draw a card using the Dark Lair that you played before your creatures.

yodaman (5/5) – Sithspawn decks now get a card similar to what Navy and Rebels already received. This is a free enhancement that generates 1 resource. Sure that can only be used to pay for Sithspawn cards, but if you’re playing this set that won’t be an issue.

pantsyg (4/5) – A free resource is great, but it doesn’t accelerate you toward Vader or Palpatine, or give you extra money for events. If you’re playing a Sithspawn each turn it’s easily providing a ton of value.

Majestaat (5/5) – With only Sithpawn units here, and some being rather expensive, it's much appreciated to see a resource here, even if it only works with that trait. It's a 0-1, so you get a benefit right away -assuming you have a Sithspawn in hand-. It's not even limited, so you could play both copies and yet another resource all on the same turn. If you're also playing with Gorc, Pic, and maybe Wyrms, this actually becomes a very reliable resource.


Overall: 18 out of 20 possible points.

doctormungmung (4/5) – I love this set! But then, I’ve always had a soft spot for creatures. Now with all the creatures and sithspawn sets, you can set up a pretty impressive wall of guns while keeping up with some serious card draw. With all the targets now, Brothers of the Sith can easily pull three cards to hand, and two thirds of those have two force pips. If you see a Dark Lair early, you can easily run through your deck and deck yourself with all the draw you can get. Hopefully you’ll be able to close out the game before then.

yodaman (4.5/5) – A strong addition to Sithspawn/Creature decks. You get 4 units which is amazing for Sith, a way to cheat in units and a resource. It’s a very defensive set though since it has no blast, but that’s okay.

pantsyg (5/5) – I love this set. Terentateks and Tuk’atas are exactly the kind of units I want to see filling my control deck, and a 4-unit set really alleviates those classic no-unit Sith draws. I’ve been running 2 of this and Fearsome and Foul for a very effective Sithspawn package that fits nicely into a variety of Sith decks, even if you don’t lean hard into Sithspawn and Creatures with your other 7 sets.

Majestaat (4.5/5) – It's either the foundation for your Sithspawn deck or the final piece for your random Sith deck. In the former, it provides some much needed resources and a ton of deck synergy with the objective being very reliable.
In the latter, it supplies the Sith with 4 threatening non-unique defenders to complement the usual mains, all with the potential to stop LS mains on their heels.
Downsides include weak edge (though Sith can afford to pick 1-2 sets like that) and absolutely no blast, which can mean particularly slow games.


Out of the Mists (222-1): 13.5 out of 20 possible points.


doctormungmung (3/5) – Normally anything that relies on winning an edge battle by double would be almost a non-starter, but this is Scum. Between Behind the Black Sun, the Prince’s Scheme, Reversal of Fate, Twists of Fate and some good edge cards, that’s not out of the question. It’s still not going to happen all that often, but it’s not going to be the once in a lifetime thing either. So, now that we’ve got that settled, what do you get for winning by double? Well, you get a free unit! That’s a good deal. The downside is that the unit has to be in your discard, which means that the unit needs to be in your discard already, or in the edge stack that you just won with (since edge stacks are discarded after the edge battle, and the reaction is to winning the edge battle). That’s not terrible. Just watch out for those sneaky LS players who just don’t put anything into their edge stack. But if that’s the case, you’re winning edge, so capitalize on it.

yodaman (4/5) – The ability on this card is really neat even if it’s a bit hard to pull off. If you win a contested edge battle by double your opponent’s force icons you get to put a scum unit that costs 3 or less into play from discard. This means you could recycle that Black Sun Headhunter, Snoova or Zuckuss that you had to discard earlier for some reason.

pantsyg (3/5) – Triggering this effect is difficult, but the threat it implies can force your opponent to play edge battles suboptimally, often conceding them without playing anything. Great in conjunction with other edge battle tricks, like Guri to punish when your opponent overcommits.

Majestaat (3.5/5) – The headache when fighting edge battles against Scum gets worse. Although it's hard to pull this off, the benefits can be huge, getting the likes of Doole and Bubo back, or more importantly, keep both Zuckuss and 4-LOM together on the table.
Even if you don't get to trigger this, the pressure it puts on your opponent is considerable. Can't just play Seeds and pass anymore.


*Zuckuss (222-2): 18 out of 20 possible points.


doctormungmung (4/5) – The original version of Zuckuss was pretty good. He had one of each icon (meaning a Tactics) for three cost and a great effect. Here we get another cost efficient icon spread with some great text. Making your opponent put their first edge card faceup will go a long way to winning an edge battle, perhaps even by double. Then if you’ve got the dynamic duo going, you get edge two, which is great (again towards winning by double, or, you know, just winning). So by himself Zuckuss is solid, and with 4-LOM, you’ve got a hard to beat combo.

yodaman (5/5) – On his own, Zuckuss is a really cost effective unit. For 3 cost you get 3 health, 1 of each combat icon (although the tactics are white) and Core Obi’s ability in that your opponent has to play their first edge card face up. In combination with 4-LOM though, Zuckuss also give you edge 2 which is great. He’s not elite so you want to do what you can to keep him from getting locked down and he does work better with 4-LOM than individually, but even without the combo aspect, he’s still a good main.

pantsyg (4/5) – Z-Man is an efficient 3 drop whose static text gives you even more advantage in edge battles. With 4-LOM he’s really good; edge 2 is very difficult for opponents to overcome.

Majestaat (5/5) – Solid stats; useful traits that synergize with the likes of GA Palp and Opps Jabba; two good abilities, though one needs 4-LOM to be present. Zuckuss is all about boosting your edge, either via knowledge or... well, the edge keyword, and thus increases your chances of triggering the different effects in this pod.


*4-LOM (222-3): 19 out of 20 possible points.


doctormungmung (4/5) – Unlike his original version, this 4-LOM is very good (the original 4-LOM was ok, but nothing special). Being able to capture any two cost or less just for attacking is a great deal. Especially since it’s repeatable. All of a sudden, this little two cost unit becomes a big target. And in case you were wondering, here’s a very small part of the list of two or less cost units that are totally worth getting off the table: core 3PO, Speeder Bike, Nudj, Sleuth Scout, etc. If that wasn’t enough, if he’s attacking with his compatriot, instead he can capture ANY EXHAUSTED unit. Is Luke, or Yoda, or Home One focused out? Well, now they’re relaxing under one of your objectives. That is definitely worth five resources, especially, again, since it’s a repeatable effect.

yodaman (5/5) – Like Zuckuss, 4-LOM is also cost effective. He only costs 2, has 2 health and has a black gun and blast. Also, he can capture a unit that costs 2 or less when he’s attacking. However, he’s great in combination with Zuckuss as then, 4-LOM can actually capture any exhausted unit when attacking, plus Zuckuss will give that edge 2 bonus when they’re together making it easier to get that first shot off. He’s also not elite and while he does work better with Zuckuss than individually, he’s still a decent unit even without combo shenanigans, especially since he can also combo with Boussh.

pantsyg (5/5) – 4-LOM is a total menace, especially for 2. He’s extremely cheap, repeatable chud removal, and with Zuckuss he can start doing a ton of damage to your board position. When I see him across the table, I know I have to kill or lock him down ASAP.

Majestaat (5/5) – New 4-LOM can be a real nightmare for the LS, especially with Zuckuss out and -Palp forbids- Boussh as well. He's as average as 2-cost units can be statwise, but his reaction is real money. It can easily capture any support chuds, and when paired with Zuckuss, virtually anyone, as Zuckuss provides the edge and tactics to set 4-LOM up.


Seedy Cantina (222-4): 13 out of 20 possible points.


doctormungmung (3/5) – Non-limited resources are never something to look down upon. It’s a two for one, so it’ll slow down your tempo, but you can still play a Prized Possession at the same time, so after the tempo stumble, you should be doing pretty well. You also get a “free” rider effect with the same trigger effect as the objective, (so infrequently). But when it happens, you get to discard their best enhancement (like Massassi Temple War Room, Echo Caverns or Resupply Depot). That’s not bad.

yodaman (3.5/5) – A 2-1 resource that comes with an ability that fits with the theme of the set. When you win a contested edge battle with double your opponent’s force icons, you get to discard an enemy enhancement without any restrictions on the target. This gives another way to get rid of something pesky like Shien Training, a LS resource or annoying enhancement like Resupply Depot or Echo Caverns. However, the fact is it can sometimes be a bit hard to get the ability to trigger.

pantsyg (3/5) – Much like Out of the Mists: difficult to trigger, but it affects your opponent’s edge play significantly. I like that it’s a resource with a passive effect, no focus needed.

Majestaat (3.5/5) – Like the objective, this can put the pressure on the LS. If you get to trigger it once or twice, you can completely wreck your opponent's economy. But more often that not it will be a blank 2-1. Fair enough when you have two great 3- cost units in the same pod.


Crisis of Identity (222-5): 12 out of 20 possible points.


doctormungmung (3/5) – Here’s an event card that’s almost never going to get played. Not only do you have to win a contested edge battle by double, your opponent needs to have a pair of units with a matching trait that you want to swap into/out of combat. That’s a dubious effect to get from an infrequent trigger. Luckily, it has three force pips, so will instead just help you win an edge battle (perhaps by double) and get all the other benefits associated with that.

yodaman (3/5) – This card seems destined for edge every time you draw it since it has 3 pips. The ability is interesting, but probably not worth it when you could play this in edge instead.

pantsyg (3/5) – I really can’t think of a reason I’d play this, but I can’t rate any 3-pip edge card lower than 3.

Majestaat (3/5) – While the effect on this card is better than people give it credit for, it's quite hard to trigger when you have to hold a 3-pips card in your hand. That doesn't happen with the objective and the enhancement, because they're already on the table and are repeatable.


A Quick Hunt (222-6): 14 out of 20 possible points.


doctormungmung (3/5) – Again with the win by double! At least it has two force icons, so it’s not bad in that respect. And if you do manage the double thing, picking off a unit committed to the force is pretty solid. You’ll either get something good like Yoda, or maybe a Nudj. It’s a good effect with a trigger that’s not entirely under your control. So don’t plan on it, just use the pips to win edge, and if it happens, smile as you live the dream.

yodaman (4/5) – Like the objective’s ability and resource, this fate card also depends on you winning an edge battle by double your opponent’s icons. It has 2 pips to help in that regard, but like the other similar cards, it may be hard to get this to trigger. However, if it does you get to capture a unit committed to the force and typically that will be some LS main that will be great to get off the board.

pantsyg (3/5) – Again, this card is more about threat, though the effect is huge if it does go off.

Majestaat (4/5) – Yet another card the LS must keep in mind, and unlike the other cards here, this is untelegraphed, giving your opponent a false sense of security. Good thing it's hard to trigger, because you're likely capturing one of the best LS units for free, which is a HUGE swing in the game. If you're lucky enough to have an Echoes in your hand as well, you may be able to capture any unit.


Overall: 19.5 out of 20 possible points.

doctormungmung (5/5) – Talk about a theme mechanic. Every once in a while you get a set with one, but rarely are you beaten over the head with it like this set. And really, the theme is something you can’t count on. When it does happen, you’ll get some good effects though. In the meantime, you get two fantastic units, a set with great edge and a resource. Really, you can’t ask for much more than that. Plus it’s Zuckuss and 4-LOM! Those guys are just awesome.

yodaman (4.5/5) – In a vacuum, this set is decent despite the contested edge battle aspect. Because of that you’ll want to play it with sets with cards that can manipulate edge battles (Masterful Manipulation for Prince’s Scheme, Jabba’s Reach for Reversal of Fate, Behind the Black Sun for the objective itself) in order to get the most out of that aspect of the set. I think this set is probably greater than the sum of its parts. You get 2 very good units that work well together, great synergy, a resource that has an ability, a fate card and 9 force icons total. It will combo well with lots of Scum sets already out there and may even fit into multi-affiliation builds.

pantsyg (5/5) – While the “win by double” cards are highly variable in effect and thus earn middling scores, the 4-LOM/Zuckuss combo is just really, really good. Repeatable removal is extremely valuable in this game, making the pair a huge threat. With Boushh, this duo can end games extremely quickly.

Majestaat (5/5) – While it's true most effects here are really hard to trigger, they are threatening enough that they'll have an impact on how your opponent approaches the game. This may be difficult to notice and can lead you to judge this set negatively.
In any case, this is a self-sufficient pod with a resource, 9 pips (with two 3-pips cards!) and two different removal tools, one of which is repeatable. If you're gonna play this, I really recommend you include both copies of the set because the Zuckuss/4-LOM combo is stupid strong.


Entrenched Defense (223-1): 20 out of 20 possible points.


doctormungmung (5/5) – Secret of Yavin IV was a staple in Jedi decks for a long time in no small measure do to the ability to protect a key objective. Navy got a similar protection in the Tarkin Doctrine. Now they get their own version of Secret. If you ever flop Tarking plus Enforced Loyalty plus Entrenched Defenses, the LS will not be able to turn off EL until Entrenched is gone. With six health, that’s not easy. Fortress will dish out six to nine damage without you having to do anything. That’s just about a win all on the flop. No wonder people hate Navy.

yodaman (5/5) – Navy gets its own version of Secret of Yavin 4. It’s a good thing this is a limit 1 set or you may never be able to turn Enforced Loyalty off. Use it to keep your most important objective free from damage.

pantsyg (5/5) – Navy really didn’t need this effect. With Enforced Loyalty and Tarkin Doctrine alongside it, why even bother playing the game?

Majestaat (5/5) – Secret of Yavin 4 is good and DS doesn't even need to attack to win. This would have still been great before Enforced Loyalty. With its existence, it's all the better. Combined with Tarkin Doctrine, it can be extremely hard to reach EF. Fortunately, it's still counterable by Luke's Landspeeder, Endor Han and Secret Objective.


Golan-II Defense Platform (223-2&3): 18.5 out of 20 possible points.


doctormungmung (4/5) – Talk about beast defenders. Get the best part of a TIE Phantom with monster defensive stats. Three black guns, the possibility of a tactics, and enough health to soak up all but a super Jedi hit (late game Yoda, Kyle/Luke with Sabers). That’s taking out one to two units. Now, you can’t attack with these, but really, that’s not what you want with that icon loadout. They are expensive, and aren’t elite, so after that one shot it gets off, it might be out for a while. Even with those downsides, it’s well worth the investment to put each one of these you come across onto the board.

yodaman (4.5/5) – These units are great even though they are a bit costly. The set comes with 2 of these and for 5 cost, you get a 4 health unit with 3 black guns, 1 white tactics and a passive ability that prevents focus tokens from being placed on it by either card effects or enemy combat icons (and really what else could even put tokens on things) while it’s ready. Couple these with Imperial Entanglements and you could get 4 guns and take out pretty much any LS unit in one shot, even if it’s shielded. They aren’t elite, but the set includes a way to help take focus tokens off of vehicles. They also have 2 force icons in case you need to use them in edge.

pantsyg (5/5) – I’m honestly not sure how to deal with these. Sure you can focus the hell out of them once they strike, but the first time they’re in a fight, they’re going to eat a Main. That’s really tough to work around.

Majestaat (5/5) – If you thought it was hard to get past the Chimaera, think again. The Golans can be extremely hard to deal with thanks to their three black guns, four damage capacity and immunity to focus effects as long as they're ready. This means they can defend against most units, ignore edge and still destroy the opposition. Worse if they do contest edge, as they have a white tactics to boot. Because they're expensive and lack elite, your best bet is to overwhelm them with numbers or throw a sacrificial lamb before proceeding to bury them in focus tokens. Since they can't attack, you may want to sit back and build a board before facing them.


Early Warning System (223-2): 19.5 out of 20 possible points.


doctormungmung (5/5) – Navy isn’t lacking resources, so getting another one isn’t normally a big deal. But this one has two key things going for it. First, it’s not limited, so you can play this plus Fleet Staging Area, and not lose any tempo. Second, and more importantly, you get a core Luke ability to use on your best vehicle. Attack with Chimera or Thunderflare, then free them up at the beginning of the LS turn to point all those guns at any incoming LS units. Comit a Golan and make sure it’s freed up after striking on the last LS turn. Or just make sure you have a Gladiator or a DP20 available for super edge help or super shields. The power and utility of this resource is just incredible.

yodaman (4.5/5) – Navy gets a 2-1, affiliated resource with an incredible ability. After your opponent’s turn begins you can remove a focus token from a vehicle unit you control. This will help prevent your Defense Platforms from getting locked down or allow you to strike with a main like Chimaera and then ready it for defense (as long as in only has 1 token on it) in a way that’s similar to MTFBWY. A great card that will certainly work well as long as you’re using a decent amount of vehicles in your deck.

pantsyg (5/5) – As mentioned with Beyond the Rim, refreshing on your opponent’s turn is a really powerful ability. Super OP with Golans, Gladiators, Phantoms, or Chimaera.

Majestaat (5/5) – Always great to have a resource in expensive sets. Though this won't really help you play a Golan T1, it provides incredible support for them afterwards, keeping them free from focus tokens. Most Capital Ships can get a lot out of this if they're uncommited as well.


Fleet Repairs (223-5): 15.5 out of 20 possible points.


doctormungmung (4/5) – Navy has a lot of high health vehicles. Chimaera, Thunderflare, Devastator, Stalker, Executor, Golans, etc. They’ll usually take a couple of hits and stick around, but that third hit is usually terminal. The nice thing about that is you usually have a turn of them sitting at one health, so that’s plenty of time to pay one resource and reset them back to full. That’s pretty cost effective. But that situation isn’t always going to present itself while Fleet Repairs is in your hand. For all those other times, you get a great edge card (and honestly, that’s mostly what it’ll get used for). That’s a good use of a card slot in a set.

yodaman (4.5/5) – Navy really doesn’t have a way to protect damage to vehicles, but for 1 cost, this event
lets you remove all damage from a vehicle unit. That can often be the difference in getting that one last shot off by a big ship. On top of that the card has 3 force icons so it’s great for edge if you don’t need to clear off any damage.

pantsyg (3/5) – Occasionally this will save one of your big ships from destruction, but most of the value comes from its 3 edge pips.

Majestaat (4/5) – As if dealing with the Golans and Capital Ships wasn't hard enough already. Now they can get back to full health with a single resource. The fact it has 3 pips make it great even when you don't have those beefy vehicles out.


Heat of Battle (223-6): 16 out of 20 possible points.


doctormungmung (4/5) – Navy is pretty light on Heat’s (the only others are in Devastator’s and the Dark Troopers sets). So getting one more is welcome, considering that the Dark Trooper Project doesn’t fit all that well in Navy Fortress builds, or capital ship builds. And as a defensive fate card, Heats are great. A lot of the time that one unit damage means a dead unit when the LS wasn’t expecting one. They can be particularly useful vs a one health unit.

yodaman (4/5) – A great fate card that synergizes well with the Defense Platforms. Pile on the damage then take something out with them. Nice to see it included here.

pantsyg (4/5) – One of the best Fate cards, in my opinion. Extra damage is always useful to a defender.

Majestaat (4/5) – Always very useful for the Dark Side. May be a bit unneeded here with the Golans already have a big damage output, but it'll certainly help the rest of your units, especially if there are protectors out.


Overall: 18.5 out of 20 possible points.

doctormungmung (4/5) – I love this set. You can drop this into just about any deck and you won’t have a dead card. Now, it prefers to be in a big ship deck, but even in a Sith or Scum deck if you can spare a slot you can get a great defensive set that’ll kill units and win edge battles, all while protecting your power objectives. The only think you have to be aware of is that you do want to have enough resources in your deck to have a shot at getting the Golan’s onto your defensive line, but other than that, I wouldn’t be surprised if this becomes an auto-include like Spice Trade and (to a lesser extent) the Hutt’s Menagerie.

yodaman (4.5/5) – Navy gets another outstanding set. It’s a good thing it’s limit 1, because having 2 of these in a deck would be OP. You get 2 great blockers, a resource a 3 pip edge card and a Heat. It also has 9 icons total. Really the only drawbacks are the lack of elite on the pricey units and the fact the set has no blast so this set is somewhat more defensive which is fine for DS. Navy has enough offensive firepower that having this defensive set as a complement to their other stuff is nice.

pantsyg (5/5) – Another auto-include for defensive Navy decks. While Golans are expensive, their ability to completely shut down big attackers is just too good when your game plan is already “make LS attacks a nightmare.” The enhancement is nuts with many of Navy’s best defensive units.

Majestaat (5/5) – An auto-include in Navy fortress decks, and even in more aggressive Capital Ship decks, as they've got the economy to field the Golans, and Entrenched Defense can keep Deploy the Fleet safe. Thanks to its resource, high edge and lack of complex combos, you can actually splash this anywhere. You lose some value on a couple cards, but it should still prove to be a worthy addition.


FINAL WORDS:
Wow, what a great way to close this Deluxe. No wonder everyone believes the Dark Side has the upper hand in the current metagame.
Every single pod is very good, though one are more situational than others, or rely on some specific traits.
I'll admit I'm quite shocked so many amazing cards didn't make it to the "top 5". As you can see, there are a ton of 19/20 and 18/20. Can't include them all or it would be an endless list.
Even stranger that not a single set managed to get a perfect score, though two of them were almost there.

The Opposition cycle is the next quest for this team. The Ancient Rivals review should be up in 3~ weeks, once A Wretched Hive is released. Gives us some time to test properly.

The other review team is almost done with the first part of the Core box. That should be coming next week. Because of some issues, I decided to swap the dates for this article and that one. Hope nobody minds.

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.

If you're into listening instead of reading, chunkygorillas' Ion Control Podcast may be just what you need. Be sure to give it a chance.

Meanwhile, 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!