The Mos Eisley Mafia: Top 5 End of the Rogue Cycle Special

This one is coming quite late due to our technical issues from last time and other real life annoyances like exams. Do note this was all written prior to the latest FAQ and Imperial Entanglements release.

As you will notice, this is one messy article. It's hard to reach consensus on a matter such as "best sets", all the more when it comes to an exact order. In particular, we had a lot of discrepancy with the LS pods, which is why you won't find as many opinions on those. Furthermore, this was written before anyone knew the exact placing each set would take, so don't be surprised if someone makes it sound like a 5th place is the best.

TheMAC didn't participate for this one, and chunkygorillas was too lazy busy to provide feedback, although he did submit his votes. Blake333 doesn't show up too much because he's a massive Rebel fan and his votes were mainly for Rebel pods, most of which didn't make it to the top.

So, without further ado, we present you the results!


Light Side:


The Honourable Mention (aka - The unheard of 6th place): That Bucket o' Bolts (Jump to Lighspeed Force Pack).




doctormungmung - Han is a fantastic pilot, and the Falcon is a great ship. The double Well Paid is a bit problematic, but the rest of the set really has a lot of offensive control going for it.

yodaman - Han and Falcon in the same set, a Heat and 2 copies of Well Paid to reduce the cost and pilot cost of all pilots and vehicles played in a phase. What's not to like? On foot Han has the same combat icons as the original, but with 3 health instead of 2, so if you have to play him that way, it's fine. Especially if you have the objective out since you can use it to put him on a ship. Han's ability is great as is the new Falcon's. I'm looking forward to building around this set more in the future.

Majestaat – Despite what some may say, having 4x Well Paid is really nice, and they actually replace about all the resources you could need. The Falcon is crazy good, drawing a lot of attention and dealing tons of damage to units and objectives alike. Han pairs very well with it, becoming especially annoying when your opponent focuses on playing a few big units.



5th Place: Command and Control (Evasive Maneuvers Force Pack).



yodaman - It may seem like a bit of an odd choice, but this set has what's probably one of the best 3 cards in the entire cycle; Resupply Depot. That card is a game changer and it definitely helped me win a recent tourney. Being able to give any vehicle a combat icon is great, but the icon sticks around for the entire phase so if you can use it on a RSXW or something else that lets you strike multiple times with the same unit, you can go to town blowing things up or focusing DS units down. The objective rewards you for what LS wants to do anyway by increasing your reserve value when you blow things up. Independence and the Corvettes come with lots of objective damage and Independence itself reduces the cost for those Corvettes and other capital ships. Really Supporting Fire is the only card that doesn't quite fit as well here ,but that's okay.

pantsyg - Resupply Depot could be the best card in the cycle, in the context of the archetypes it wants to live in—it’s up there with Force Rejuvenation for impact on games I’ve played. Paired with multi-striking Rogue Squadron X-Wings, it’s nuts. Yes, the other cards are expensive and don’t seem to fit a low-cost fighter strategy, but they’re good late-game damage, and I never mind discarding them early to fuel the Depots or Yavin.

Majestaat – I find it hard to imagine this set without Secret of Shantipole and viceversa. The Resupply Depot and all those black icons on the Corvettes are one big reason of why Keyan is so good. Alternatively, all these black icons would likely be denied by tactics without Keyan. Anyway, the set also synergizes extremely well with Defense of Yavin 4 thanks to the extra draw. Independence is about the only questionable card in the current meta, but sometimes that shield will be the difference between victory and defeat. And thanks to the Endor spoilers, it's safe to say it will become much more impactful in the future.



4th Place: A Hero's Beginning (Chain of Command Force Pack).



doctormungmung - The best support set out there. Between Owen and Unfinished Buisness, Jedi can have some really explosive turns. And the Speeder will really help against the coming Navy Fortress.

yodaman - Ultimately this just missed the top 5 for me because of two things. Owen is great, but vulnerable to Force Choke/Vader's reaction so it's possible you may not get to sack him. Also, because of how you want to use Owen, the set really only has 1 unit.

pantsyg - I hate that two of my top 3 are Jedi sets after they also got all the best toys in the Echoes cycle, but Unfinished Business, Owen, and the Speeder are all insane cards, and can set up some explosive turns. The set is all about tempo, and Unfinished Business is the real star among tempo cards in this game. I’ve won games from almost empty boards by bringing back big Mains or the Falcon. I suspect this set will lose value when Navy event cancel becomes common, but for now, Hero’s Beginning is gold.

Majestaat – This is one incredibly versatile support pod, providing a good mix of edge prowess, economy, blast damage, card draw and recursion. Owen makes it very easy to play a Jedi main with an enhancement in the same turn, which is becoming very relevant when facing Scum, and provides all around great utility in all match-ups. The Landspeeder hits hard for Jedi standards and provides a fair bit of control. Will be even more valuable once The Tarkin Doctrine starts popping everywhere. Then we have Unfinished Business, which is so strong with EoD Falcon it's not even funny. I've lost well-controlled games to that combo alone.



3rd Place: The Secret of Shantipole (Attack Run Force Pack).



doctormungmung - Farlander can be such a beast, and you can get surprising mileage out of the event, as it moves any enhancement.

yodaman - This set has grown on me and I've come to realize just how powerful it is. The objective is a vanilla 2-5, but that's okay since it's best to play this set with Rebel sets like DoY4 and the aforementioned Rogue Squadron Assault. Having the 2 resources available along with those other sets can help you get a swarm going in a hurry. I like the fact it has 2 mains. Keyan's ability is incredible and if you get Wedge on Blue Nine you can live the dream. This set may be Jedi, but it fits in better with Rebels IMO and that's okay. Reassignment is a great card and the set rounds out like RSA with a Jedi pilot resource and a Stay on Target. Pairing this set with DoY4 and RSA provides a great Rebel vehicle core that is definitely competitive in the current meta.

pantsyg - I admit a bias toward this set,because I spent most of the cycle running pilots, and this is the better set to choose to add a pair of Stay On Targets to the ones in Rogue Squadron Assault. Keyan is another card that wins games, letting vehicles care even less about the edge battle. Reassignment can be a nice little trick in a deck stacked with Pilots. Sad to put three Jedi sets in the top 5, but this one at least isn’t an addition to the growing stack of excellent Mains sets.

Majestaat – I admit I wasn't too impressed by Keyan at first, but man has he grown on me, especially when one of your vehicles has an Astromech Droid Upgrade or Resupply Depot is in play, allowing you to instantly kill a troublesome defender or lock it down before it even gets to defend. And the extra Stay on Target are really valuable to keep your Rogue X-Wings piloted.



2th Place: The Survivors (Draw their Fire Force Pack).



doctormungmung - Jedi got even more sturdy, and the ability to use the DS's damage against them.

yodaman - Just when it seemed like the cycle was going to focus on pilots/vehicles and Jedi might finally be brought back to the pack, this set arrived and dispelled that idea. The entire set is incredible for any character based deck. Rahn gives you a way to deal damage indirectly to DS objectives via protect. The entire set synergizes well, even the chud has a resource and white blast which never hurts. The reprinting of Force Rejuv in a playable set was a great addition too. And I didn't even mention Shien Training. Wow.

pantsyg - There’s no denying the impact The Survivors, Rahn, and Force Rejuvenation have made on the meta, making already annoying Jedi Mains even more difficult to handle. Just check out the top lists from Gencon to see how this set has become a Jedi staple.

Majestaat – This was a very strong addition to the Jedi arsenal, giving them a huge boost to their mains survavility without having to play Secrets of Yavin 4. Luke and company wouldn't be stopped by a Heat of Battle or Force Choke + cheap defender. Like Leia, Rahn is a nice fit to the peaceful Jedi philosophy, getting you closer to victory even when taking a more defensive approach. Shien Training and Force Rejuvenation further developed the idea that Jedi mains are basically one-man armies. The set has a resource with blast damage to boot, making this one a comfortable fit for most brown decks.


1st Place: Rogue Squadron Assault (Ready for Takeoff).



doctormungmung - This one really threw Rebels back up into contention, and all the fun tricks you can do with those X-Wings and Hobbie.

yodaman - This singlehandedly made Rebel vehicle decks viable again. When it first released many people wondered about the low force icon count for the set, but the Rogue Squadron X-wings are incredible cards. Another set that really has wonderful internal synergy. The objective allows you to cycle through your deck quicker. Hobbie is basically immortal, 2 RSXW with 3 health are incredible and to round out the set we got the rebel pilot resource and a Stay on Target. It was a great start to the cycle.

pantsyg - Rogue Squadron X-Wings have enabled an entire new decktype in Rebel Fighters, and finding a way to deal with them effectively is a major concern when building DS decks. If that’s not shaking up the meta, I don’t know what is. This set is the cornerstone of what I consider the best current LS decks, and brings up the value of just about every other LS set with pilots.

Blake333 - Meta changing pod right here! When I saw this pod for the first time I swear it was like the designer of the game finally said "Ok, Rebels can win in tourneys now “. I am in hardcore love with this pod.

Majestaat – I bet we've all been crushed by those X-Wings more times than we'd dare count. Not only is the pod a core piece of pilot decks thanks to its draw engine, resource and Stay on Target, but the X-Wings can easily become main-level threats with just a bit of support, and while that requires more cards than playing a single big Jedi, it sure is cheaper. Plus they're not unique, so you can have up to four of them wrecking havoc on the field. Metas may come and go, but this set is basically perfect for what it wants to do, being incredibly powerful on its own.



Dark Side:


The Honourable Mention (aka - The now heard of 6th place): The Reawakening (Jump to Lighspeed Force Pack).



doctormungmung - It's foreboding Episode VII, right? But seriously, Arden is a great defender, and the objective can really ruin just about any LS decks day while getting important intel.

yodaman - I've been using this set extensively since Jump to Lightspeed finally came out and I'm a big fan. The objective's ability can be crippling to the LS as I found out during a recent tourney I won when I used it extensively. Nothing is quite as satisfying as using it to discard a main, critical fate card or event before the LS can even draw it. Arden comes with 3 guns which helps in the meta. Dark Side Apprentice is a good addition since it gives some needed blast for a more control type deck. Give Into Your Anger doesn't help against vehicle decks, but it can certainly do some work against non-vehicle ones. Return to Darkness is another enhancement which can help against a Desperation deck.

Blake333 - A great solid set that I think will see a good bit of play. But not as much as other.

Majestaat – The more I play this set the more I like it. In the correct build all the direct damage and removal will simply overwhelm character decks before they even get to edge battles, slowing them considerably since they won't even get to cycle their hands. To this day I have never paid full price to play Lyn, and we all know how strong is it to get such a strong defender out of nowhere.



5th Place: The Empire's Elite (Ready for Takeoff Force Pack).



yodaman - With all the great stuff that came out towards the end of the cycle, it's almost easy to forget how good this set really is. Every card is great. Like its rebel counterpart from the Ready for Take-off, this set helped set the stage for DS vehicle decks to really shine. It addresses issues that Navy ships in particular of having trouble winning edge and keeping the force, thanks to Fel and the ability on the 2 ships. Having the pilot resource and a Stay on Target rounds out the set nicely and the objective's ability helps you recycle the important pilots you want to have on the board (like Fel, Vader and Boba) back to your hand if you happen to lose the ship they were piloting.

pantsyg - I consider this set foundational to TIE decks. Baron Fel is a lot of value if you can find him, and the 181sts alongside pilots like Vader, Mithel and Fett can give your vehicles a lot of punch in the Force Struggle without needing to commit. Unfortunately the 181sts are somewhat weak defenders, but the set offers a strong base for any fighter-themed deck.

Majestaat – Key piece in any DS fighter/pilot deck. The Interceptors are quite efficient and make fighters surprisingly good at the Force Struggle, to the point they can even contest against Jedi. Baron Fel gives you an insane amount of value. The objective, resource and Stay on Target all work very well to keep your units boosted with Fel or get the most out of pilot Boba, playing him over and over. If anything, this set balanced the otherwise weak aspects of fighters.



4th Place: The Last Grand Admiral (Chain of Command Force Pack).



doctormungmung - Thrawn is just such an oppressive unit, he pulls the rest of his set, which is ok up to top tier levels.

yodaman - This gets high on the list for one main reason - Thrawn. By himself he brings up the overall value of his set thanks to his ability. Couple him with the Chain of Command event and he can potentially deal as many tactics in one swoop as Palpy. The Noghri are useful 2 drops. Even though they can only protect officers, that helps keep Thrawn around and they'll be even better when IE is released to the masses.

pantsyg - As I mentioned in the Chain of Command pack review, this set is totally carried by Thrawn. The rest of the set is mediocre for now, but it’s hard to take issue with 2-gun defenders that will get better when Imperial Entanglements drops.

Blake333 – Really, what can be said about this amazing pod other than what I said before in my first review? THRAAWWWWNNNNNN!!

Majestaat – This came to solve many problems for Navy and gave a big boost to any defensive deck with its three good (amazing in Thrawn's case) units. Our blue friend is still one of the hardest things to deal with in the game, especially early. It's even worse when you throw the Bodyguards into the equation, who will keep Thrawn and the rest of the Navy's support officers safe. If I don't rate this one higher is probably because the non-Thrawn cards don't feel as impactful without the IE stuff.



3rd Place: Defending the Trench (Attack Run Force Pack).



doctormungmung - New Vader is super oppressive, and I Have You Now will ruin many LS's boards.

yodaman - The fact I don't have this set even higher is really a testament to the fact FFG did give us a lot of powerful DS sets during the cycle (even though there were admittedly some dud - see Eater of Luck). Vader's the best pilot in the galaxy and his ability is insane to prove it. His TIE has a tactics which is something DS vehicle decks certainly welcome and also gives a way to cheat in some units if the deck is built to make use of Black Squadron cards. Closed Formation is certainly useful if you get it early. I Have You Now is also a great addition to the set as well.

pantsyg - I had a hard time choosing between this set and Boba’s for the top spot, which is funny as they both came in the same pack! Vader himself is really strong and can put your opponent in some bad positions, especially when he comes in as a surprise via Stay On Target. I Have You Now is the other star of the set, and makes the set appealing even for non-fighter decks with good edge abilities, like Sith characters. It’s a versatile set that’s at its best with fighters, but has solid enough cards all around to hang with several decktypes.

Majestaat – One of the best 2-resource objectives in the game. I still smirk when my opponent attempts to destroy it, since that really sets them back. Vader is some kind of monster who lets you ignore about any surprise the LS could have down its sleeve. Closed Formation is one of the best things that could have happened to DS fighter decks and I Have You Now wins games on its own. The TIEs in this set really want to be played in a Black Squadron heavy deck, but they're still decent to good on their own, and Guarding the Wing is often enough complement to make them really exceptional.



2nd Place: Behind the Black Sun (Jump to Lightspeed Force Pack).



doctormungmmung - This set makes it so hard to fight edge battles vs Scum. Do you want to win? Do you want to lose? Combined with all of Scum's other edge tricks, it's damned if you do, damned if you don't.

yodaman - I may catch flack for not rating this set higher and putting it in my top 5. I really like the set, but ultimately, as a matter of principle and preference, I'm not a fan of trying to intentionally lose edge battles even if Guri's ability is incredible if you do. That's why it just misses out for me. The objective's ability is great though since you can manipulate the edge battle either way. Admittedly, I haven't played with Guri's set as much yet so in another couple weeks, I may have it rated higher.

pantsyg - Completely ruins edge battle predictability, which I love, and gives Scum non-capture removal options. I’m pretty much in love with this set. Scum have gotten some of the worst sets this cycle (vying with Smugglers for that ignominious honor), but I’m happy to have two very deserving Scum pods in my top 5.

Blake333 - I find this to be a huge meta changer . With this threat out there I don't know if folks would risk. Throwing edge cards away to cycle your hand with the threat that guri could pop out with a vibroknife and kill nearly anything you are attacking with BEFORE you can strike.

Majestaat – When it comes to an objective's text, this is definitely amongst the best, often putting the LS on a lose-lose scenario when it comes to edge battles, especially in mono or Scum-heavy decks that can have other edge tricks like Prince's Scheme or Reversal of Fate. The whole set offer various ways to deal with enemy units and swing the game's tempo in your favor.


1st Place: The Hunter's Flight (Attack Run Force Pack).



doctormungmung - Boba Fett is similar to Thrawn. While not at his level, the rest of his set I feel is better than Thrawns, and really helps solidify Scum at the upper levels.

yodaman - I absolutely love this set. Pilot Boba's ability is so good that they had to issue a restriction between this set and Training Procedures immediately. That's okay, because Slave I's reaction allows you to bounce Boba and use him again on other ships. It love that it has two mains, the pilot resource and a Stay on Target. Bail Out is the weakest card in the set, but even that has its uses.

pantsyg - So good, it made the restricted list! Boba is great inexpensive removal that can be recurred with a Fate card, and you don't need many vehicles in a list to get him set up. He’s even strong on foot, with icons well worth the cost to play him as a unit. He’s awesome in dedicated pilot decks, and his set brings both blast and removal to Scum, who needed those tools.

Majestaat – High edge count, a non-limited resource and one of the best removal tools in the game made The Hunter's Flight a very juicy addition for any deck that had a reasonable amount of vehicles (my own experience has shown that 6+ vehicle is about the minimum to make Boba consistent enough). It patched some weaknesses TIEs had when facing Jedi in particular, while Scum received another capture effect to activate some objectives or trigger other powerful effects (Chain Reaction, I'm looking at you).


Final Words:
This time I'll use this space to give a brief personal conclusion on the cycle based on the results.
Interestingly enough, the LS got one set from every Force Pack released throughout the Cycle into the top. And while it seems like the Jedi got the most out of it at a first glance, Secret of Shantipole is actually to be played in non-Jedi decks. Wish I could say the same about Bucket o' Bolts, but... FAQ happened. Fortunately, it seems like people are willing to experiment more with Smuggler ships, and thus, that one set will remain strong, I believe.
On the other hand, DS had subpar releases during the first half of the cycle, and very impressive ones in the second half (I would dare say Nad Shaddaa Drift was the only non-great DS pod in that period).
All in all I'm very happy with this cycle. Pilots proved to be a fun and actually very strong inclusion to the game. While the cycle revolved around them and vehicles, we also got some fantastic objective sets that had nothing to do with them, showing you can have a certain thematic focus without stretching things in a way it simply won't work for some affiliations (see Navy in the Echoes cycle).

The Imperial Entanglements review will be next. Hopefully, it'll only be a couple more weeks for that one to be up.
Closing up, I invite you to share your thoughts on our choices for the top 5 and the impact the Rogue Cycle had on the game. You can quickly access any of our previous articles through our forum thread.

Thanks for your time!
May the Force be with you all.