Grace’s GS-winning Hunt Down

Title: Grace’s GS-winning Hunt Down
Author: Joshua "Stormcrow" Grace
Date: Oct 28, 2000 Rating: 4.5

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Cards:

‘(always starting) Hunt Down Prepared Defenses Moby Pts. IAO Visage Holotheatre Meditation Chamber

(locations 5) Rendili Death Star DB CC DB Spaceport DB Executor DB

(characters 15) Dark Lord x2 Lord Vader Darth Vader Vader w/Saber GM Tarkin x2 Palpatine x2 Fett w/blaster Mara Jade Dr. Evazan Captain Sarkli Commander Igar Admiral Chiraneau

(weapons 2) Maras Saber Vaders Saber

(blue 7) Tempest 1 Blizzard 2 Death Squadron Star Destroyer Executor Bossk in Hounds Tooth Zuckuss in Mist Hunter Chimaera

(red 24) Reactor Terminal Force Lightning You Are Beaten Search and Destroy Secret Plans Lateral Damage Its Worse You Cannot Hide Forever Come Here You Big Coward Battle Order Therell Be Hell x2 Weapon Lev x2 Trample x2 Alter x2 Evader x2 Twilek x2 Visage x2 ‘

Strategy: ‘

As far as the effectiveness of this deck is concerned, I played it in 4 or 5 tournaments and lost only 2 games with it. The deck has been tweaked a bit since the first tournament I played it in, but the concept remains the same hit them hard and fast with direct damage. The deck was designed as a viable alternative to BHBM (at a time when I didnt have an Emperor Palpatine), using Visage rather than the BHBM effect to whittle away at the opponents life force. Rather than feeling that HotJedi was a detriment to this deck, I felt that peoples reliance upon Honor would cripple them since this deck can search for and occupy 3 battlegrounds in a hurry, suspending Honor.

The third starting effect is usually You Cannot Hide forever, but against some decks, you may wish to choose Battle Order (to prevent quick drains).

The deck shares a decided weakness with other non-dueling Hunt Down decks–you must chase Luke and Obi until theyre dead. Without the dueling, you want to trap them into battles. If you cant, you will be losing to your Visage as much as your opponent. More so, if you cant occupy 3 battlegrounds to suspend Honor. Normally, this isnt too much of a problem since you should be able to block their drains with a small army and drain when they run away, giving you a slight edge on damage each turn. Sometimes, though, it backfires. Only the ignorant will say a single deck can win every game. (NOTE Hunt Down is still great, though, because the 7 side kills the SuperFalcon and protects your characters from any combination of Han/Leia beatdown, right Mike?)

Match-ups

Vs. TIGIH. I played against two of these decks at the MN Grand Slam and quickly decimated both. TIGIH is in for an early force choke against a Hunt Down deck, and Choke Vader along with Tramples, Dr. E, Mara and a couple lightsabers makes mince meat of Eloms. The speeder variant forced me indoors for much of the game, but I was able to kill my opponent with drains, Visage, and, eventually, Search and Destroy. Just keep your forces together, ensuring that you will win battles, until the game is decided. If you do lose some battles, get the Emperor to the same site as Vader.

Vs. Hidden Base. Against any variant, just try to kill them with direct damage, Visage and Search and Destroy. Dont be afraid to give Hidden Base decks (or any deck) a Rendili to drain you at. The extra generation early is more important than worrying about a drain of 1. Get Secret Plans into your hand, and try to guess ahead of your opponent. Dont deploy it too early if you can help it; your opponent will save the force necessary for the retrieval. If you can deploy it when your opponent no longer has the force for the retrieval, then youre playing like a champ

Vs. MWYHL. Much like the game against Hidden Base. Set up quick and let direct damage kill your opponent. Prevent retrieval with Secret Plans and Come Here You Big Coward. Dont worry about Anger, Fear, Agression. You can lose 16 force from 4 of those inserts and still win by 20+.

Vs. EBO. Dont send Vader to Hoth. Let him sit at a DB. The docking bays were chosen to prevent both Projection and Lost in the Wilderness. No reason to go missing on Hoth. Just drain and do direct damage. By the time your opponent will have set up EBO, you should be ready to fight at the biggest drain system. If theyre playing a SuperFalcon deck, let the Falcon hold its system, and play Battle Order; set up your ships somewhere else. You should be ahead by 5 force by the time EBO is set up, and then Search and Destroy should balance the remainder of the game.

Vs. Rebel Strike Team. Oddly enough, the only time I faced this deck, I lost. Quite simply, Vader evaded my hand. Given a halfway normal draw, deploy Vader early to Endor. Then deploy other stuff to Endor. Then completely over-run Endor. I have a grudge against this deck now and am looking for a chance to do to Endor what I know my Hunt Down can do. Trample their forces into oblivion.

Vs. New age Throne Room. Draw enough cards to beat Oola. Start Battle Order. Deploy Come Here You Big Coward. Force the action to the battlegrounds. Consolidate your forces.

Meanwhile, if you suspect that your opponent has spies to cancel Visage, deploy the Emperor at the Holotheatre. He doesnt help with Search and Destroy anyway, so you might as well just have him protect his ugly digitized mug shot.

Vs. Profit. Nearly forgot about Profit. Profit has yet to free Han against this deck. Start Secret Plans (I love Han Solo). Deploy Mara and Fett to the Audience Chamber. Back them up with Vader, then Tarkin, then Dr. E, then the Emperor. Just sit and hold the Audience Chamber until your opponent forces you to do something. If Han is freed, use Trample, Force Lightning or Choke Vader to make him go away again. Let Visage pick away at their lifeforce. Set up Search and Destroy once you’ve solidified the AC and any other location–walkers at Jabba’s Palace work nicely.

Enjoy the deck before it’s rated into oblivion.

Joshua “Stormcrow” Grace ‘