The Smuggler's Den - A Star Wars Lcg Podcast - Episode 2

These are the first podcasts on card games that I've listened to, and I'm finding them rather enjoyable. Keep up the good work.

I find it interesting that the Heavy Blaster Emplacement was a topic today, as that is the card that is receiving the most discussion in my (admittedly small) meta. Granted, the most discussion revolved around the fact that the only way to get rid of it is Tear This Ship Apart, but you have given us a couple of other suggestions on how to deal with it. I'd like to throw out one more: Shielding. One of the guys in my meta ran a Sith control deck with 2 copies of the Cruel Interrogations pod, and was able to get his two ISB Interrogators out quickly. He just made sure to attack with both of them and put the shield tokens on something every turn, and basically absorbed all the blaster fire I could send his way.

One thing I would be interested in hearing from you guys is your thoughts on the Jedi affiliation pods. Of all the pods, my meta feels these have the least synergy, and it feels like the cards are just kind of thrown in there with little thought. None of us have put together a Jedi-themed deck that we feel is competitive, so I would be interested in hearing if you have gotten the Jedi to work and what you did. I think there is the potential for a good control deck there, but that there just might not be enough cards to make it work, especially in the realm of Jedi units with tactical damage icons. Thoughts?

Thanks for doing these podcasts. I enjoy listening to them. You mention that you play online. Can you provide a link to where I can play online? Thanks.

Heavy Blaster Emplacement is good, but I don't think it's a problem. Two in play with an Engineer can be brutal, but I actually find Defense Protocol much more frustrating to play against. With HBE, you don't get to pick the target. That can make a huge difference. Defense Protocol lets you ping whichever LS unit is giving you the biggest problems. If you manage to start the game with two in play, it can be very difficult for the LS to do much of anything.

I would like to see a few more reset cards. Jedi especially need one, since they have such limited removal options (Luke is about it). Part of what makes a Sith deck so good is the ability to reset with There Is No Escape AND hold onto additional removal like Force Choke/Force Lightning. I don't know that the Navy really needs one, since they have ways to win the game even if the board position seems hopeless (Superlaser Blast, Devastator). Still, I think it would make sense for each faction to have a reset effect of some sort.

i like your comment on skill on the game mechanic of game. what cards to keep . what cards to get rid of. i always thought cribbage had no skill. then i played someone who played serious for years. after many many losses you begin to see the subtle ability of knowing which card to keep. which card to throw away. after 120 points around the shoe, by end game it adds up and becomes more apparent. being very familiar with cards within pods( card counting, except here you won't get thrown out) and knowing when to hold them or to throw them away is going to seperate the good players. and when to play them.

I have a question:
Can a unit that gets it's focus stroken removed (by double strike for example) strike again on the same objective (and any other units committed to the engagement)?
I thought it couldn't before, but I'm still very new to the game.

Also can an attack be made without objective damage icons while an opponent controls no units on the board? (so you'd not be able to resolve the gun or tactic icons even though those are the only ones you have, just for the one unopposed damage?)

And lastly, it was clear in the example video the attacker could still play fate cards in an unopposed challenge even though he automatically wins the edge battle. Is the defender still able to thwart the attackers fate cards by playing a Twist of fate, or other fate cards, or can only the attacker play fate's in an unopposed edge battle?

I have a question:
Can a unit that gets it's focus stroken removed (by double strike for example) strike again on the same objective (and any other units committed to the engagement)?
I thought it couldn't before, but I'm still very new to the game.

Yes it can, and in fact it must strike again before the end of the engagement (unless it is exhausted/destroyed by another card in the meantime, or had more than one focus token on it for some reason). Engagements may not be completed while some participants are still ready.

Also can an attack be made without objective damage icons while an opponent controls no units on the board? (so you'd not be able to resolve the gun or tactic icons even though those are the only ones you have, just for the one unopposed damage?)

If there are no legal targets for an attack, it just does nothing. The participant is still considered to have made a strike, however.

And lastly, it was clear in the example video the attacker could still play fate cards in an unopposed challenge even though he automatically wins the edge battle. Is the defender still able to thwart the attackers fate cards by playing a Twist of fate, or other fate cards, or can only the attacker play fate's in an unopposed edge battle?

The defender is not able to play edge cards if he has no participants in the engagement. For that matter, if the attacker has no participants in an engagement (due to them being removed due to enemy actions prior to the edge battle), they may not play edge cards either. You must have at least one participant in an engagement to play edge cards.

Thanks for doing these podcasts. I enjoy listening to them. You mention that you play online. Can you provide a link to where I can play online? Thanks.

Use a program called OCTGN.