Crushing Garrison
Title: Crushing Garrison
Author: John "Parn12" Digiovanni
Date: Feb 13, 2001
Rating: 4.0
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Cards:
‘Starting (5)
Hoth Ice Plains
Prepared Defenses
Imperial Arrest Order
Mobilization Points
Imperial Decree
Locations (5)
Death Star II Docking Bay
Coruscant Docking Bay
Executor Docking Bay
Hoth Echo Docking Bay
Hoth Defensive Perimeter
Characters (16)
Dengar With Blaster Carbine
Grand Admiral Thrawn
Prince Xizor
Dr. Evazan & Ponda Baba
Commander Igar
Boba Fett With Blaster Rifle
General Veers
Lord Vader
Grand Moff Tarkin
Mara Jade, The Emperor’s Hand
Arica
Snoova
Guri
Darth Vader, Dark Lord Of The Sith
4-LOM With Concussion Rifle
IG-88 With Riot Gun
Vehicles (5)
Blizzard Walker x2
Blizzard 1
Tempest 1
Blizzard 2
Starships (7)
Virago
Chimaera
Flagship Executor
Devastator
Bossk In Hounds Tooth
Stinger
Zuckuss In Mist Hunter
Interrupts (13)
Alter & Collateral Damage x2
Sense x2
Weapon Levitation x2
Oo-ta Goo-ta, Solo?
Trample x2
Twi’lek Advisor
Walker Garrison x2
Imperial Barrier
Effects (6)
Reactor Terminal
Expand The Empire
Security Precautions
Presence Of The Force x2
Search And Destroy
Weapons (3)
Vader’s Lightsaber
Mara Jade’s Lightsaber
Vibro-Ax ‘
Strategy: ‘
I thought it was time for a little deviation away from the norm about now, so this is my version of a dark side force manipulator. Rarely ever will it give up many icons in the early game, the time when activation is critical, frequently amassing tons of force activation early and using that to get out the quality guns that obliterate the light player.
Basic play starts in the first three turns, the only move typically made is pulling one of the 3 1/0 docking bays and putting some sort of lackey at it (don’t worry, they won’t be rendered useless, they’ll go and play with the force drains on Hoth later). Let them start getting you some more force via Mobilization points to turn your docking bays into 3/0 monsters, also giving up 0 force from starting. Ideally you can give yourself upwards of 11 force off of your own sites and give up nothing. Security Precautions (while good for HB) also give you +1 generation. Don’t pull and deploy the Echo Docking Bay until you must, this is the first icon you will give up more than likely, and the point of this deck is to start ’helping’ the light side with its activation after it is already too late. Once you do get the Echo DB out, hold it down with a couple of peoples for the extra activation (even pulling your guys from the other DBs over). This will be the first force drain you will acquire, more than likely, so guard it like a treasure.
The basic point of the deck is to take the game away from your opponent, deny him force to slow him down, allowing you more time and flexibility to get your people out and doing what they’re doing, as well as getting card advantage over your opponent too. If your opponent starts getting loose and liberal seeing your people fall to docking bays take the chance to go remind him that the options are endless. Always keep a wrecking crew in hand and ready to go when a weakness opens up. If by chance you cannot easily swell over him with power use the wonderful Decree to shut him down while setting up for some drains on Hoth, it can get nasty on the ice planet. Occasionally check with IAO for a DB in the reserve deck, check to see if the Defensive Perimeter is lurking in your active pile or not, and if it is, try to committ to getting it into your hand. Expanding the Defensive Perimeter is a jewel, +1 force drain and +1 weapon destiny draws, this is too good to pass up if it can cover all three of the hoth sites you run. Presence of the Force can get your troops into places he hides (Home One DB is the main culprit) and trash him good with a surprise attack while he is still forming up his troops (Crix is always a good target to take out early), which gives some flexibility on running a lot of spies. POTF can also be used to boost activation and a force drain later on in the game.
One of the bigger problems with this type of deck would be that pesky watch your step deck when it flips and limits activation to just 1 at non-battlegrounds. Yeah, that blows bad, use a POTF to get it back up again, or just get onto Hoth, keep in mind the damage that is being caused by NOT giving any force up. It limits his activation which means he cannot deploy big and draw a lot, which always keeps you a couple of turns ahead if done correctly.
I do realize the destiny in this deck is pretty bad, but it goes without saying in a sheer power deck. Sure I can amass ballistic power, but splash a little tracking into the scene with recyclable interrupts or reactor terminal and there should be no problem finding the 3’s, 4’s, and the occasional 5. Tracking works worlds when used with Tramples and Choke Vader (both work strictly with ability, not defense value). That and weapon destiny drawing has been made a bit easier with the 3rd marker, giving a much needed +1 to weapon draws. Lord Vader running around with a saber is just a monster (adding +2 to each, or typically +4 total), there is little that can stand up against that, even with poor destiny numbers. But if worst comes to worst, drop onto Hoth and get some walker garrison going, its the end-all solution. Icon+POTF+Saber+Expand Drain+Garrison=Drain of 6. Enough said about that, its possible to get 6, 6, and 5 for drains in one turn. But the game is yours, play the deck as you’d see fit, its a monster, trust me. Have fun too, as always ‘