The Mos Eisley Mafia: SWLCG "New Alliances" Force Pack Review - Dark Side

Merciless Plans (193-1): 13.5 out of 25 possible points.


chunkygorillas (3/5) – There are so few missions being played that this is almost just always blank. Maybe if we get more Sith missions, and more aggressive sith sets this will get better.

doctormungmung (2/5) – While missions are new and shiney, this objective text will be providing some use. Although as time wears on, I’m guessing we’ll see missions less frequently, and thus getting less triggers off of this. And even still, it’s not the most impactful thing. Setting the force to the DS will help vs Jedi, but vs pretty much all others, the DS will usually have the force anyway. Even against Jedi, you might just be getting a slight jump on what would normally happen at the end of the turn anyway. Maybe if there were more DS units similar to Gotals this would be a bigger thing, but as is, it’s not going to amount to much. Just watch out for the dream turns when you can turn on Rage during your deployment phase.

yodaman (3.5/5) – Most of the time this will be a vanilla 5-1 objective, but every once in awhile you’ll get to use the ability, flip the balance to DS and then be able to play Rage or Force Storm when your opponent may not have expected it. You could even be really daring and play some Believer Initiates after deploying a mission.

pantsyg (3/5) – A decent effect, but you still have the Force Struggle after it happens so I don’t see it swinging much. Good for taking the Force first turn if you don’t want to commit, I suppose.

Majestaat (2/5) – Even in the mission cycle, we're not seeing them in all and every deck. Due to their own nature, even mission-centric decks don't run more than a few, making this objective mostly blank, and when it triggers, it won't necessarily have an impact, as there will be a Force Struggle afterwards anyway.


*Boc (193-2): 19 out of 25 possible points.


chunkygorillas (3.5/5) – Again, there are just so few missions that this guy will often just be 2 gun unit. What isn’t bad, but not great.

doctormungmung (4/5) – This guy is solid. Two black unit damage for three cost is a pretty good deal. Especially when you consider he has three health, three force icons and is elite on top of that. But where he really comes into his element is vs missions. Getting two black blast and targeted strike, he can really blow through a mission quickly while taking the LS board down a peg or two. Considering that this set comes with a killer mission, Boc is going to be seeing a lot of play for a while.

yodaman (4.5/5) – Boc is really good. He only costs 3 cost, has 3 health and is elite which means you can get him on the board easily and he’s harder to lock down or kill. You get 2 black guns no matter what, but his passive ability is great since he gains targeted strike and 2 black blast when attacking a mission. You’ll want to play him in a deck that includes missions to really get the most out of him and fortunately the set comes with one. Even so, he’s still good value for the cost. 3 force pips never hurts either.

pantsyg (3/5) – I have a soft spot for 3-drops with Elite. Sith don’t have many, so he fills a hole in the resource curve. Easy 5/5 when attacking missions.

Majestaat (4/5) – He really looks like what old-school Sith want. Strong defender that is also great at holding the Force. Under the right circumstances he can also become a monster on offense, with 4 black icons and targeted strike. That won't happen too often, but the bonus is incredibly strong and Boc is fortunately quite competent even without missions. 3-cost makes him great to play T1 alongside an Advisor.
On a side note, it's kinda sad that Jerec and Sariss seem to be the weakest of the Dark Jedi in this game, when it should be the other way around.


Expendable Scout (193-3): 20 out of 25 possible points.


chunkygorillas (5/5) – These guys I really like, they are free blast damage, what really helps a sith deck that is trying to be more aggressive, and they let you cycle a card what is a super great ability.

doctormungmung (3/5) – Free blast is free blast. That’s hard to turn down. In a pinch you can also sacrifice this unit to help you dig for an important card (like, say, a certain mission). It’s a bit riskier to use on the LS, but there are situations where that’s not a bad call, like if they just bounced the Falcon back to hand, and it’s the only card there. Or it’s a bounced Kyle with Heroes and Legends out. Still, in the end, you’re most likely going to be either pulling defenders or pinging objectives with this unit.

yodaman (3/5) – The chud in the set isn’t great, but he’s pretty versatile and useful for 0 cost. He’s free so there’s no down side to putting him on the board. He has a white blast so you might be able to sneak in some objective damage with him in the right situations. His passive ability is sneaky good. You could use him to put an Arden into play for free if you have on in your hand or if you know your opponent only has a Falcon in your hand, you could sack him and make them discard it.

pantsyg (4/5) – Free bonus blast when your opponent goes all-in. Card draw after you use her if you really need. Arden synergy. I like free stuff.

Majestaat (5/5) – A free body with blast damage in a pod with a mission, what's not to like? You can just swing, and if you're blocked, you can sacrifice the Scout to get rid of your worst card and get a better one. Sacrifice means you have a bit more ammo for the Executor (which so happens to have a ton of damage to deal with missions as well), and the discard aspect can very easily give you a free Arden Lyn (another superb defender to go alonside Boc).


Sith Lightsaber (193-4): 25 out of 25 possible points.


chunkygorillas (5/5) – Sith really needed more attachments, and this one is amazing. Putting this on almost any Sith main just makes them incredible.

doctormungmung (5/5) – Wow. Just wow. Did you ever feel like Sith wasn’t already oppressive enough with all the tactics they have to sling around? Ever think that Vader should be locking someone down while also killing half the LS board? Well, look no further. Now every DS force user or sensitive has access to tactics. While it’s edged enabled, since when did Sith have much trouble winning edge battles? Oh, and you get a unit damage as well. This card makes an already scary Vader or Mara or Emperor even more terrifying. Balance Mara is particularly mean, with two unit damage, two tactics, targeted strike, and refreshing on the LS turn. Heck, even the Dark Side Apprentice armed with one of these becomes a serious threat. Did I mention that unlike every other DS lightsaber, this one is not unique? And of course, it’s even a decent edge card.

yodaman (5/5) – It’s about time that Sith got a generic lightsaber and this one doesn’t disappoint. It’s 1 cost matches all other sabers, but it gives the unit both a black gun and white tactics. Put it on Palpy and he now has the possibility of 4 tactics. Goes great on Vader, Mara or Boc as well. Since it’s not unique you can get a couple of these out on the board at once really go to town.

pantsyg (5/5) – Best card in the set. Any Force user becomes nuts with it, particularly either version of Mara or Boc himself. Vader with 3 guns and tactics is a scary dude.

Majestaat (5/5) – It's finally here, and it's absolutely fantastic. Probably not necessary for someone like Palpatine, who already has a ton of tactics and won't do much with a single gun, but Vader, Gorc and Boc, to name a few become HUGE threats. Even a Dark Side Apprentice becomes good with this. If there really is no target, it's still got two pips.


Secret Objective (193-5): 21 out of 25 possible points.


chunkygorillas (4/5) – This fate card is just all around great.

doctormungmung (4/5) – Three force icons are great to pitch to an edge battle. Being able to mess with what objective is being engaged is just icing. Unless you’ve got an objective (or mission) that you really want to destroy, then this card enables you to engage it twice in a turn, potentially getting an extra unopposed damage in.

yodaman (5/5) – As I’ve said before, this fate cards is great. 3 pips and the ability to redirect an attack if you want. Always great to see.

pantsyg (4/5) – Less good on DS, though it does give you some tricks and a bonus 3-pip edge card.

Majestaat (4/5) – That's it, the friggin' mission must die! This will help you do so faster.


Dark Genocide (193-6): 23 out of 25 possible points.


chunkygorillas (4/5) – It’s a lot of work to maybe wipe your opponent's board, but if you do get it, it could really win the game. Plus 66 damage, how awesome is that!

doctormungmung (5/5) – Dear lord! This card will single handedly kill heavy tribal decks. Ewoks, wookies, fighters, capital ships, force users. The list is extensive. Being able to wipe the board of any one of those will seriously hurt the LS’s chances, if not quash them completely. Yes, the mission has six health, but it’s also free, so it’s not going to slow down the DS playing it. And the Sith have never really been hurting for blast all that much anyway. Even if they don’t go after it in a serious manner, the LS has to protect it, which will slow them down even more. People were complaining that Tarkin killed fighter decks. Well, if he didn’t, this will. Personally I think this is way over the top, and pretty OP, but only time will really tell.

yodaman (5/5) – This is probably the best mission released so far. First of all, it’s 0 cost to play so there’s never a downside to putting it on the board since you don’t have to spend any resources on it. When you blow it up, you can wreak havoc with the board. You can’t name Character or Vehicle as a trait but you can name Force User or Capital Ship. It may have 6 health but that’s why Boc is around. Also, you can build a deck with cheaper blast like scum Headhunters or the new Spiders to try to get a bunch of damage in for cheap. Splash it in with Enforced Loyalty and you could take it out on the LS turn when by using Yularen or Imperial Fist to move damage from your own objectives to it. I really like this objective and it seems versatile since you don’t need the resource match to play the mission.

pantsyg (4/5) – Partial board wipe that you have to work for. One of the strongest Missions. Just don’t play the traditional Sith waiting game and expect this to work, though these days even Sith are getting more aggressive.

Majestaat (5/5) – Yes, it's harder to blow up, but it's free and likely has the strongest psychological impact out of any mission. Getting it completed will seriously hurt the LS. It's not just a dial tick, it's close to a board wipe. If the LS goes overzealous and leaves no good defense, he could very well be giving up the game if this card is in play.


Overall: 21 out of 25 possible points.

chunkygorillas (3/5) – If this type of aggressive Sith gets more help this set will be a lt better, but right now it’s just missing the support.

doctormungmung (4/5) – This set is incredibly good. A great unit, a free chud, an incredibly useful enhancement, a board wipe, and a total of TEN!!! force icons. This is pretty much Vader’s set all over again, and will be just as oppressive. Like Vader’s set, the only real drawback is the lack of resources. But, the most expensive card costs three, so even that isn’t much of a drawback. Look out galaxy, the Sith are back (not that they every really went away).

yodaman (4.5/5) – A really strong Sith set the likes we haven’t seen in a while. It has great internal synergy, couples well with lots of other deck ideas and has 10 force pips. It may not have a resource, but everything in the set is cost effective so it’s no big deal.

pantsyg (5/5) – I like the cards, particularly the Saber, but I really like how this set shakes up Sith by giving them some offensive power.

Majestaat (4.5/5) – You could put this in about any Sith deck and it would do well. Except for the objective, the cards are all good. Yes, no resource, but the total cost of the set is only 4, with half of the cards being totally free. You get a solid main, an extraordinary enhancement for all your mains and a big edge boost for your deck. If anything, it's not particularly synergistic with Sith in the sense that they're still not that aggressive, and this set has not event for the usual Palp/Vader core.


Sector Lockdown (194-1): 16 out of 25 possible points.


chunkygorillas (4/5) – Navy is pretty good at keeping objective undamaged for at least a little while in the early game, so if hey can this objective could be devastating.

doctormungmung (2/5) – I’m not a fan of this objective’s effect. Navy is known for it’s hordes of faceless minions, and thus is more likely to have copies of units in the discard pile limiting its own deployments. There will be games where the LS will feel the pain here, but really, I wouldn’t want to risk it. At least it’s only while undamaged, but a wiley LS player will just not attack it, or use it as the tactics chud’s target. You can bury it if you see it on the flop, but if it comes up late game it could seal the DS’s fate.

yodaman (3.5/5) – An interesting objective ability that could be a double-edged sword since it affects both players. It really lends itself to a DS build that uses more sets a lot of 1-ofs just to make sure you don’t get burned by it. However, in the right build and against the right type of LS deck this could be brutal. Chances are you won’t want to see it on the flop so you might only want to use 1 of these in a deck.

pantsyg (3/5) – I’ve been hurt by this flipping in the mid-game more than I’ve been helped. Definitely not a starting objective, but in the late game I could see it locking out an LS player who’s edged copies of their big units.

Majestaat (3.5/5) – Weird one, because if there's one affiliation that can keep objectives undamaged, that's definitely Navy. On the other hand, this objective doesn't have much impact early game, when it's actually undamaged. It can also hurt you, though that doesn't worry me in a Capital Ship/Officer deck. The ships are very expensive and resilient, so you either can't afford more than one copy or they don't get destroyed. In a trooper build you would be walking a very dangerous path, as you have many 4x units.


*Captain Zed (194-2): 20 out of 25 possible points.


chunkygorillas (4/5) – His ability isn’t super useful currently, but he has good stats, and is an officer, what is really good.

doctormungmung (3/5) – This guy is decent, but nothing great. Tactics and durability for three cost are pretty good. But if you want to keep his effect active, you can’t block with him. You really want to see him when there are wolfmen in the LS discard pile, but then, Jedi typically have the tactics that they’ll be able to turn him off anyway. Being elite, he does make a decent force holder, and it’ll be hard to lock him down. But still, I’d rather have his effect not tied to his readiness.

yodaman (5/5) – What’s not to like about a 3 cost, 3 health unique Navy unit with black tactics along with 1 white gun and blast. I really like Captain Zed’s ability as it can deal with all kinds of LS shenanigans where they try to get stuff back from discard. As long as he’s ready your opponent won’t be able to take advantage of Unfinished Business, pull Wolfmen back from discard, use Hyperspace Marauder or Balance Obi-Wan to bring back cards or even use Stay On Target with pilots in discard. Plus the fact he’s unique means he can trigger Imperial Fist. Zed being on the board means LS has to deal with him and that’s good.

pantsyg (4/5) – 3 drop with Elite and tactics, I’m sold. His effect is awesome against Jedi or pilots if you can keep him ready.

Majestaat (4/5) – Black tactics on a 3 HP unit is rather hard to stop. What Zed generally does is stay back and hold the Force thanks to his 3 force icons and elite, defending only when it's absolutely necessary or you're sure you don't need him ready for his ability. So I think he does his job very well, making sure your Star Destroyers win the objective race by stopping the LS tricks or locking a particularly threatening unit.


*Stalker (194-3): 21 out of 25 possible points.


chunkygorillas (4/5) – This is a super good defensive unit, with 3 guns and shielding, plus in the late game it can start to get a lot of blast damage.

doctormungmung (4/5) – This ship is a closer, plain and simple. Even against the most mono of mono decks, there will be some neutral units. And you only need a few in the discard pile to be able to start popping objectives. I’m betting at least half of the time, this unit will have blast to spare and destroy full health objectives by its lonesome. Having shielding means that the only real way to take care of the threat is to win the edge vs it, which isn’t a given these days. All that said, it’s non-edge enabled icons are rather wimpy for a five cost unit, and it isn’t elite. I’m also not a huge fan of mechanics where I constantly have to recalculate to get a value, particularly if it involves searching through a bunch of cards.

yodaman (5/5) – Another unique Star Destroyer that costs 5 and has 4 health. It also has shielding and icons like Thunderflare with 1 black gun, 1 black blast and 2 white guns. That alone would make the card good, but its ability puts it over the top as it gains an edge-enabled blast for each out-of-faction units in your opponent’s discard pile. It may be a bit situational and you always want to see it later in the game when there should be more cards in your opponent’s discard pile. Even so, mono decks always have neutral units that end up in discard and if you’re playing against a mixed affiliation LS deck, if you get edge, you will most likely be able to 1 shot any LS objective or mission. Couple it with Tractor Beam and take out more than one thing on your turn. If this unit was Elite too, it would be OP. As it stands, it’s just great.

pantsyg (4/5) – The late drop of all late drops. If you’ve killed or he’s edged 4+ neutrals (or he’s running multi-faction), this guy kills objectives. Great after Emperor to lock down the board and swing for the fences.

Majestaat (4/5) – This must be one of the meanest units the game has seen. Incredibly resilient, strong on defense, potentially a nuclear bomb on offense. So why not a straight 5/5? Because unlike other Star Destroyers, this one is extremely edge dependant, and I like that, because even though it can basically one-shot any unit or objective in this game, the LS can always plan for the edge battle to make the Stalker just a very expensive shield. Good design, with clear strengths and weaknesses to exploit.


Storm Commando (194-4): 18 out of 25 possible points.


chunkygorillas (3/5) – Not bad, but for 2 I think I would want a little more.

doctormungmung (4/5) – Personally I love these guys. Milling through your opponent’s deck is a gamble, but it doesn’t have that much of a downside. At worse, you’ll be helping them get to an important card a bit faster, but you’re also as likely as to deny them of that card entirely. These guys get you the discard both going in and out of play. Getting a black blast, while terrible at defense, is a solid way to help speed up the game, and it’s a nice draw for either tactics (protecting your more important units) or to be killed, thus getting another discard. Being a trooper means there’s synergy with the various Navy trooper builds as well. Plus, they just look cool.

yodaman (3.5/5) – This Navy set comes with a 3rd unit and considering how the first two are essentially 2 mains, it’s amazing how good this card could be too. It costs 2 and only has 1 health, but that’s worth it for what it does. You get a black blast and when it both enters and leaves play you get to discard the top card from your opponent’s deck. Couple this set with Reawakening or Cruel Interrogations and you could really mess with the LS’s ability to do much.

pantsyg (4/5) – Discard is cool, and this guy forces 2 discards. I like the aggressive body; slam him down and send him at objectives to put the pressure on.

Majestaat (3.5/5) – As someone who hates to bet on luck (yet I'm playing a luck-based game, don't judge me) I can't quite value these guys as high. Even so, I think they definitely pull their weight and play in favor of the set. If Sector Lockdown is in play and healthy, what do you do as the LS once the Commandos start attacking you? Do you let them get unopposed damage or block and risk losing your important units? That interaction I can like.
They can also become super annoying in a trooper deck with Family Connections.


Sector Garrison (194-5): 22 out of 25 possible points.


chunkygorillas (5/5) – This card is just pure money, a 1 for 1 resource, that also has a great ability on it. I will gladly pay one cost to shuffle a great unit back into my deck so that I can hopefully draw them again.

doctormungmung (3/5) – It’s a one for one resource, so right there it’s worth having in your deck. It’s neutral, which isn’t great, and it’s ability costs you it’s resource, which also isn’t great. I’m not a fan of those types of cards, but at least it isn’t a two-for-one resource. What it enables, though, is pretty decent. Now you can pitch those key units to help win critical edge battles, and if you have your resource base set up, you can then pull those units back into your deck to hopefully see again. Still, it’s not a guarantee they’ll ultimately get back to your hand, in which case it’s a resource wasted.

yodaman (4/5) – This is a bit of a first. It’s a 1-1 neutral resource in a Navy set that isn’t a living resource. That’s always welcome. Navy always seems to have a bunch of resources though so you can also take advantage of the enhancement’s ability and focus it to return a unit from your discard pile to your deck, which gives you the chance to play it again. Very welcome card. It’s too bad it’s not Navy affiliated.

pantsyg (5/5) – Nutty card. Best used to recur huge units like Palp, Vader, etc that you’ve edged.

Majestaat (5/5) – Navy in particular lacked 1-1 enhancements, making this great to keep some sort of income even despite enemy tactics or a desperate Moment of Triumph that wipes your Logistics and Duty Officers. Then you also get a neat ability to keep strong or high-edge units in your deck, increasing the quality of your future draws. If Sector Lockdown shows up midgame, this will also help to play your important units despite its ability.


Search and Detain (194-6): 22 out of 25 possible points.


chunkygorillas (4/5) – There has been a few other similar cards to this and they have all be very powerful. Getting to control your opponent's draws is very good.

doctormungmung (5/5) – What’s better than getting rid of one card from your opponent’s deck? How about getting rid of two? This is a great control card. You can make sure that Luke goes to the discard pile, while his lightsaber goes to the bottom of the deck. Bury wolfmen where they’ll never see the light of day. Even just the knowledge of what they’ll be drawing next turn is great. On top of all that, you get it in a free event, so it’s just costing you a card. Combine this with any form of event recursion and you can be digging rather deep into your opponent’s deck in a single turn.

yodaman (5/5) – For 0 cost you can look at the top 3 cards of your opponent’s deck discard one of them, put one at the bottom and leave the other on the top. Follow it up by putting a Storm Commando into play and you can discard 2 cards from your opponent’s deck in one turn. It only has 1 force pip, but who cares. There’s no reason not to play this card when you draw it.

pantsyg (4/5) – You want this turn 0 to discard a Main, it gets much worse as the game goes on. Still, the opportunity to neutralize 2 cards is pretty decent.

Majestaat (4/5) – Information and a bit of deck manipulation in a free package. Whether to discard or send the best card to the bottom depends on several factors. Does the LS have recursion? Do you have Sector Lockdown out?


Overall: 20.5 out of 25 possible points.

chunkygorillas (4/5) – I think this set is really good, but the current navy decks might have a hard time trying to fit this set in.

doctormungmung (3/5) – There are some great elements to this set (namely the milling). But it also works against itself. The trooper wants to go with Family Connections in a trooper deck, but the objective will really just kill that deck if it ever shows up. The officer wants to be sitting on the board doing nothing, and is relatively easy to turn off. Even when he is active, he’s not necessarily doing you much good. The Star Destroyer is potentially really beefy, but also incredibly dependant on winning the edge. And did I mention I really don’t like the objective ability? Ultimately I think this set is a one off, although if you can live the dream of multiple Search and Detains a turn, I can see running two.

yodaman (4.5/5) – Another strong Navy set that should do well in a variety of builds. You can use it in Mono-Navy or couple it with Sith sets like Rewakening or Scum sets like Tatooine Crash that are based around manipulating the LS deck. It has a resource, 3 units (2 of which are mains so hello Imperial Fist) and a free event. Really the objective text itself is the only thing keeping this from being a 5 in my mind.

pantsyg (5/5) – This seems like it should have been a Sith set. I’m loving it as a 1-of in both Sith control and aggressive variants. I’m not convinced it has a place in Navy, oddly enough.

Majestaat (4/5) – Although the set lacks anything that really blow my mind, and its tools are rather gimmicky, it is very solid as a possible core piece for a deck. You get some cool units, one of which is a good force holder, another which is a heavy hitter, and an efficient resource, making it a nice starting point. It has worked well in my Capital Ships deck, and I expect it to be decent to good in trooper builds.


The Spice Trade (195-1): 24.5 out of 25 possible points.


chunkygorillas (5/5) – It’s amazing, it can make your opponent waste an attack, and if they don’t you get 2 resources every turn!

doctormungmung (5/5) – Look at what we have here! Two resources a turn, guaranteed! It’s pretty much just as good (if not better) than Masterful Manipulation, and Mobilize the Squadrons. And while it’s almost trivially easy to destroy, doing so doesn’t get your opponent anything other than (at most) reducing your resource count by one a turn. In the process, your other objectives get to live that much longer, which gets the dial that much closer to twelve.

yodaman (4.5/5) – The first objective that is truly elite (Mobilize the Squadrons is pseudo-elite thanks to its reaction). It gives you 2 resource each turn its out and even better, when it leaves play, it doesn’t count as an objective being destroyed for LS. It just sits there as an inviting target making LS have to decide if it’s worth taking it out to deprive DS of 2 resources even though it won’t help towards their victory condition. The only drawback is that it’s vulnerable to Rebel Assault on the first turn before you can use its resources and that could really set you back if you’re not careful.

pantsyg (5/5) – Elite objectives are the bomb. Your opponent will often ignore it, which means (1) more resources for you, and (2) no way for them to win in one turn if they get desperate.

Majestaat (5/5) – Didn't see this one coming. Easy money with almost zero drawback. The LS is damned if they destroy it, and damned if they don't. I have already lived the dream of 2 Masterful and Spice Trade in play. Didn't draw a single resource. Didn't matter.
Worth noting Dirty Secrets on this is like a kick in the nuts. Fortunately, Calling in Favors insn't particularly popular.


*Moruth Doole (195-2): 21 out of 25 possible points.


chunkygorillas (4/5) – This guy is actually really good, if your opponent does take an objective he can free you up another defender. Plus he has a black tactics what is always nice, but he is a little pricey.

doctormungmung (4/5) – Icons and health, this guy is a little overcosted at three. Still, a black tactics isn’t bad. But where he really comes into his own is with his reaction. He can really accelerate the end of the game when the DS starts destroying objectives. Not only can he allow units to attack multiple objectives, he can clear out defenders at the same time. If he’s on the board mid to late game, unless the LS has a serious defense up, the DS should be able to close things out in a turn or two.

yodaman (4/5) – Moruth’s 3 cost for 2 health, 1 black tactics and black gun may seem a bit steep at first glance, but then you realize how insane his ability is. It’s a built in Bamboozle, but better in that can but used to move a focus from one of your own units to any enemy unit (not just characters) and triggers anytime an objective is destroyed. In that way, the repetitive nature of the trigger is similar to Palpy’s, but Moruth has a bigger immediate impact on board state as it allows you to free up one of your own units and focus a LS one.

pantsyg (5/5) – If you have any semblance of a board, drop this guy. Totally bones LS attacks, and can create a death spiral where they just can’t stop you from nuking their stuff. If you see him across the table, remove ASAP.

Majestaat (4/5) – Low HP, black tactics, bonkers reaction. His ability can totally tip the scales in your favor on those very close games, suddenly giving you an extra defender if the LS is attempting to destroy more than one objective in the same turn; or getting rid of an LS defender for the final dial tick.
Do note May the Force will still triumph Doole's ability.


Energy Spider (195-3&4): 19 out of 25 possible points.


chunkygorillas (4/5) – To get one attack out of them is pretty good for only 1 resource, there is also a few ways to get them to strike more than once. Even playing them just to commit to the force isn’t terrible since they have 2 force icons.

doctormungmung (3/5) – These creatures are interesting. For one cost, they have fantastic stats, but they are most likely just single use in any combat. And facing tactics, they can even be zero use. Which is why I kind of view them as one cost events. Make sure you use them the turn they come out, and you’ll more than likely get your money’s worth. Even if you don’t attack with them, two icons can go a decent way to getting you the force for a turn or two. If they do get to swing, look out. Four black icons will bring the pain. There isn’t any surprise factor though, like there is with Unfinished Business.

yodaman (4/5) – I really like the spiders. The set includes 2 of them and they come with 1 cost, 4 health, 2 black guns and 2 black blast. The only problem is they don’t refresh so you have to resort to using tricks like Motti’s reaction or Tarkin blanking them to get them to strike more than once. That’s okay, just think of them as a cheaper version of a DS Rebel Assault. Even if they only get to shoot once, it’s worth the 1 resource you spent on them. Since they’re neutral, the can work in any deck. They can give Scum decks blast they might be lacking. Couple them with Mission Command or Merciless Plans to get cheap blast that could have a huge impact in attacking a mission and eliminating a lot of LS units at once.

pantsyg (3/5) – Sure they don’t refresh, but whatever they hit, they’ll hit hard. I like them; edge them if you don’t.

Majestaat (5/5) – One more for the select group of 1-cost super units. With their statline, they're suitable for virtually any role, though you must be careful when commiting them to the Force. One focus token and you're potentially losing a Force card for the rest of the game. The spiders will usually get only one strike out, usually dealing 2-3 blast damage, finishing what a Black Sun Headhunter started, or letting one finish the job afterwards. That's plenty for only one resource.
Between Doole, Spice Visions, IE Tarkin and Motti you have a few options to get more mileage out of the spiders, cases in which their value skyrockets.


Spice Blitz (195-5): 22 out of 25 possible points.


chunkygorillas (3/5) – I’ve found this card too situational, and it’s hard to just hold on to it in till the right time.

doctormungmung (5/5) – This is such a versatile event. You can either use it to close out games, allowing a big unit to strike twice (against the same or multiple objectives). Or you can make sure a key LS unit gets locked down. There’s nothing that keeps you from playing this event at the end of a phase, thus pretty much immediately replacing the focus tokens that it removes. It’s not out of the question to lock out even an elite unit for two to three turns. That is well worth the cost of a single resource.

yodaman (4/5) – When I first saw this card, I thought it was a good way to free up a spider and double strike. Then I was watching pantsyg play a game with this set and realized how powerful it can be when you use it on one of your opponent’s units at the end of your own force phase. Time it right and you can turn the 2 units that were on a Yoda who is about to refresh into 4 and keep him locked down for another turn. There are other great tricks you can do with this card so it’s awesome for only 1 cost.

pantsyg (5/5) – Another nutty card. Use it after your Force phase to permanently lock someone out, or when you need to push for lethal.

Majestaat (5/5) – It's weird, but even vehicles can use this. One would think they'd be addicted to gas or plasma, not spice. Whatever... this card is fantastic. Getting to double strike with a Spider or Headhunter can instantly destroy an objective. Or use it with Xizor and lock down the whole board. Heck, even getting one or two more guns in that early skirmish can mean a dead LS main.
As a more tricky use, sell your goods to any focused LS unit in the Force Phase and watch them suffer from withdrawal for the next turn, opening the board to keep pumping tactics or go for your Spider/Headhunter bombs.


Hallucination (195-6): 20 out of 25 possible points.


chunkygorillas (4/5) – It’s a pretty awesome effect, The Prince’s Scheme, and I have You Now are some of my favourite targets for it.

doctormungmung (4/5) – Here’s a fate card with serious potential. You can risk it and hope that your opponent puts in a fate card, but where you really should be using it as a force multiplier for your other fate cards. Combine this with The Prince's Scheme and steal pretty much your opponent’s entire edge stack. Turn that Heat of Battle into two or three unit damage. Or toss back all of your objectives damage with Imperial Fist. The only thing really holding it back is that you want to play it with another fate card, and with there only being one in your deck, you’re at the mercy of the randomness gods.

yodaman (5/5) – This is a really cool fate card. It’s similar to the LS card Adaptive Strategy except for the fact you can resolve the targeted fate card twice if balance is with DS. Coupled with things like Heat of Battles, Seeds or even Imperial Fist and you can really impact the state of the game just from a single edge battle.

pantsyg (4/5) – Super good, but don’t count on your opponent playing Fate cards for you. Use this in combo with your own Fate cards and you’re gravy. Super sick with Heat of Battle.

Majestaat (3/5) – While you can build around it to do some wicked things, I've found it's generally too situational, especially as a 1x.


Overall: 22.5 out of 25 possible points.

chunkygorillas (4/5) – I think this is a great 1 of for Scum, it gives them more blast damage, and a really good objective.

doctormungmung (4/5) – This is a great set. It can fit nicely into pretty much any scum deck, and with only two cards needing a scum resource, it’s not a bad splash either. You can even just drop it in a sith or navy affiliation deck and not worry about it. If you see the objective, you’re going to play it. If not, then you’ve got a pair of edge chuds, to go with some great one cost event-units and a great fate card. You just have to worry about drawing the right cards at the right time, which can be difficult with only one copy of this in the deck.

yodaman (4.5/5) – Elite objective, 3 units, cheap and powerful event and great fate card. The only real shame with this set is that it’s limit 1 as that hurts its consistency. It doesn’t have a resource either but, overall, this is a great scum set that will fit into lots of builds on the DS.

pantsyg (5/5) – Another awesome Scum one-of, my choice for best set in the pack. This is a great pick in any aggressively-minded deck. This and 2 Xizors gives you a great shot at huge opening turns that the LS just can’t recover from.

Majestaat (5/5) – Crazy pod. Doole is rather pricey, but he supports the spiders well, and they pack a punch. Spice Blitz is versatile and powerful, also supporting the Spiders if needed. Only Hallucination has me unconvinced, but it's not a bad card by any means.
While I have only played this in mono-scum builds, it doesn't rely on any trait or any kind of particular strategy, making it a good splash in just about any deck.


FINAL WORDS:
So we had a faculty meeting at the University... I kept listening to the headmaster mindlessly until he suddenly yelled "Ben Solo! Oh my god, you look just like Ben Solo!" and pointed at me. I knew my life had ended right there, so I went ahead and shaved my head afterwards.

Anyway, this is another good pack for the cycle. Some of the LS archetypes will still be needing some help, but they definitely got some love here. The DS stuff, meanwhile, is great all-around. I don't think any of these sets will become staples for highest level play, but they are very solid nonetheless and should see some competitive play.

Many thanks to the reviewers and readers who make this work worthwhile.

You can find all our other reviews here.

May the Force be with you all!