Aim High to Shut the Dark Side Down

Title: Aim High to Shut the Dark Side Down
Author: Paul "Paul" Maholick
Date: Dec 13, 1999 Rating: 4.5

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Cards:

‘Objective (1) Mind What You Have Learned/Save You It Can

Locations (7) Cloud City Carbonite Chamber Cloud City Guest Quarters Cloud City Lower Corridor Cloud City North Corridor Cloud City West Gallery Dagobah Dagobah Yoda’s Hut

Characters (23) Chewie With Blaster Rifle Han With Heavy Blaster Pistol x2 Harc Seff Jeroen Webb Kal’Falnl C’ndros Lando With Blaster Pistol Leia With Blaster Rifle x2 Luke With Lightsaber Momaw Nadon Obi-Wan Kenobi x2 Orrimaarko Pucumir Thryss x2 R-3PO (Ar-Threepio) R2-D2 (Artoo-Detoo) Son of Skywalker Tawss Khaa Wedge Antilles Yoda Yoxgit

Starships (4) Gold Leader In Gold 1 Lando In Millennium Falcon Red Leader In Red 1 Tantive IV

Interrupts (14) Courage Of A Skywalker Don’t Forget The Droids x2 Glancing Blow Path Of Least Resistance x2 Slight Weapons Malfunction x2 Smoke Screen Sorry About The Mess The Signal x3 Transmission Terminated

Effects (7) Aim High Bacta Tank The Planet That It’s Farthest From Traffic Control Undercover x3

Weapons / Devices (4) Anakin’s Lightsaber Obi-Wan’s Lightsaber Landing Claw x2 ‘

Strategy: ‘

This deck was built as a response to both the new ECC objective and Big Blue decks. But I have tried to include as many counters as I could. Let’s take a look at the cards.

The objective start does give away two force early in the game, which can hurt against Hunt Down. But the other popular CC start, using Careful Planning to start two interior sites also gives away two force. The objective allows me to pull Yoda’s Hut and Yoda (provided I do not see a Bad Feeling Have I start), giving me another 3 force next turn. Also it protects my interrupts and effects, as well as granting some measure of immunity to my characters. And Against Hunt Down it does not provide a battleground for Vader, which may keep the DS eating Visage for a turn or two longer if the DS does not draw a battleground in their opening hand.

The non-Dagobah locations are all interior CC sites to avoid creatures, Always Thinking with Your Stomach, and Walkers. Carbonie Chamber is there for the drain +1, just be careful with the flipped DS CC objective and All Too Easy. Guest Quarters gets Leia out cheap and the DS drains –1 there. Lower Corridor is for draining, and the power bonus is nice too. North Corridor can be used to cancel drains on CC, just make sure it does not get invaded. West Gallery, is another force drain –1 for DS and the blaster gametext is useful with so many blaster toting characters.

Characters are a mix of beatdown and utility characters. The new Chewie is indeed more expensive, but the blaster is nice and works well with Aim High or Slight Weapons Malfunction (SWM). EPP Han is a straightforward beatdown choice. Harc is a pilot if needed and his gametext will help against Dark Deal decks. Jeroen Webb is also a pilot and a spy as well. KFC is deploys for 0, forfeits for 5, is a pilot for the Tantive IV, and her destiny canceling gametext can be a good thing. Lando with Blaster Rifle is good on CC with his alien text, works with Aim High and SWM. Just be sure to lose him if you want to get the Falcon into space. Leia is another straightforward beatdown choice, as is Luke with Lightsaber. Mamow Nadon is a nice ability 3 spy. Obi-wan is also straightforward and is immune to attrition less than 7 with Yoda and the Hut. Orrimaarko is an abilty 4 character with solid gametext and immunity to attrition. Pucumir adds to drains on CC, which is key to making your drains hurt. R-3PO helps against undercover spies and somewhat against ISB. R2-D2 is a solid spy, that can not be trampled. Gametext is useful at times as well. Son of Skywalker gives the Luke persona some staying power, but the deployment is limited. Can be used to leverage Courage of Skywalker, which is mainly included as dueling defense. Tawss is a solid ability 4 alien, which works to add destiny with EPP Lando, and with bounty hunting on the rise more ability 4 aliens will show up to give you that +3 power boost. Wedge is a solid destiny 4, deploy 2, forfeit 6, +3 to power pilot. Yoda is for activation and immunity at his Hut. Yoxgit is there for free deploy, ensures permanent Landing Claws, and can pull lost sabers back into hand.

Starships are lean. The Leaders and Falcon are basically targets to the Landing Claw. The Tantive IV can deploy anywhere and can be loaded with pilots for beatdown in space if needed. This is not a space battle deck. Use the claws and call it good.

Interrupts are a mixed bunch. We have numbers defense in Don’t Forget the Droids. Hunt Down defensive comes in the form of Courage of a Skywalker, Glancing Blow, and Transmission Terminated. Path of Least Resistance allows you to spread out a bit on CC for drains. It can be used for Sorry About the Mess beatdown, or to perform the hit a character in battle and run away trick. Slight Weapons Malfunction often earns you that second destiny draw, and is a used 4. Smoke Screen can break the Vader/ Tarkin combo or clear a site with a walker if need be. Sorry About the Mess and be offensive or can be used to kill spies. The Signals help get the Undercovers for your spies.

There are few effects. Aim High adds 5 to power with two blasters being fired, not that hard with Leia, Han, Chewie and Lando all packing heat. Plus it hurts DS retreival. It is your default choice for starting. Bacta Tank saves your people, ‘nuff said. The Planet It’s Farthest From is anti-operatives. Traffic control recycles when looking for specific cards, or can be used to set up high destinies. The Undercovers go with the spies to block drains.

The Sabers are solid in battle and can add to drains, which is important. Anakin’s can go on Leia if you need the extra drain or if Luke has his own stick and is in no danger. Landing Claws shut down the drains at Kasyyyk and Endor that every DS deck seems to play these days. All the devices are retreivable by Yoxgit, giving you more life from your sabers should you lose them or can be used to negate a minor force drain or two.

Here is how the deck stacks up against popular DS decktypes.

Hunt Down – Start Aim High. Anti dueling package is in place, Tranmission Terminated is here as well as 2 spies that can cancel Visage. Undercover R2 can cancel it with help. Do not deploy Luke or Obi until you have the dueling protection, try to stack your destinies. If it is non-dueling, go cancel Visage and use spies and claws for their drains. Then set up your own on CC.

ISB – can be tough if they set up the –1 with 5D6 and Imperial Decree. Use SATM to kill 5D6. And keep draining at the lower corridor. Try to block decree. It will be tough, you may have to commit your forces to blocking decree to get some drains at CC. I suggest SOS stays at home in the lower Corridor, with Obi for backup in the Carbon Chamber. Keep Path of Least Resistance in hand for dropstrike foiling. Then send Han, Leia and Chewie of CC to block decree. That will get you two drains of two, is Pucumir or sabers are involved, more if both.

Operatives – Your choice on starting effect, but if you start TPIFF, be sure you can defend it. Then out drain them. Use your spies to help.

Big Blue – spies and claws are key, then establish your drains

Ominous Rumors - Block the biggest drains with your claws and set up your drains quickly. Blocking decree is a must to win the drain race. If you can use your spies for bunker beatdown.

Dark Deal – same as Big Blue only the drains are worse. Occupation could be a problem. Try your best to control Bespin, use the Tank for pilots but it will be tough. If you see a lot of this deck, pack Endor Celebration.

Other things to consider – there is zero protection from Manipulation in this deck, so be aware of that. If your local area plays a lot of this, you need to make some changes. If your Landing Claw gets cancelled, go to Dagobah and play cat and mouse until you get Yoxgit on the table.

The deck can handle the major decktypes out there but it does have some weaknesses. But I am not sure how to make the deck work while still being able to counter all major DS strategies that I believe this one does. If you have ways to improve this deck, please let me know. I am always willing to learn. ‘