The Intimidating Power Of The Empire

Title: The Intimidating Power Of The Empire
Author: Douglas "Douglas" Harvilla
Date: May 20, 2000 Rating: 4.0

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Cards:

‘Objective

Ralltir Operations/In The Hands Of The Empire

Locations (10)

Ralltir Death Star Coruscant Jungle Spaceport City Spaceport Prefect’s Office Spaceport Docking Bay Dagobah Cave Hoth Ice Plains Hoth Wampa Cave

Characters (19)

Darth Vader With Lightsaber Commander Igar Admiral Ozzel Officer Evax Lieutenant Cabbel DS-61-2 DS-61-3 DS-61-4 Major Marquand Lieutenant Watts Lieutenant Arnet Sergeant Irol Corporal Drelosyn Sergeant Barich Sergeant Elsek AT-ST Pilot x3 Dannik Jerriko

Starships/Vehicles (13)

Executor Zuckuss In Mist Hunter Boba Fett In Slave 1 Bossk In Hound’s Tooth Dengar In Punishing One Tempest Scout 1 Tempest Scout 2 Tempest Scout 5 Blizzard Scout 1 Tempest 1 Blizzard 2 Blizzard Walker x2

Effects (11)

Bad Feeling Have I Imperial Arrest Order Security Precautions Battle Order A Bright Center To The Universe Blast Door Controls Expand The Empire Search And Destroy Reactor Terminal Secret Plans Resistance

Interrupts (6)

Twi’lek Advisor x3 Evader x2 Ghhhk ‘

Strategy: ‘

Choice of locations is pretty simple. 2-0 sites and the Death Star for force generation, Coruscant to convert the Light Side version against Hidden Base, and the spaceport sites for their nifty game text. No battleground system in here because Battle Order is used against Hidden Base and Ops, deck types which typically provide me with one anyway.

If they don’t, so be it. The -1 to drains and this deck’s battle capacity will do them in, anyhow.

If the opponent is serious about challenging you on Ralltir, deploy Expand The Empire on the Prefect’s Office to give your pilots a forfeit boost. The Spaceport City thing doesn’t work with my unique leaders. D’oh Thanks for the heads up, Faramir.

Security Precautions can either be used to make a Hidden Base player lose some force or to hold key systems. Convert Coruscant, put the Executor at Kessel and probe. Now the opponent will have a hard time making you lose force to drains. Maybe fight over Kiffex, or just let it go and cause damage with drains and Search And Destroy.

Blast Door Controls stops Rebel Barrier, Narrow Escape, and Blast The Door Kid Not bad for a free-deploy effect with a destiny of 5. Some might say Navy Trooper Vesden is better than Resistance. I prefer the effect, it is higher destiny, deploys free, can be grabbed with Twi’lek Advisor, and doesn’t really take much more spreading out than Vesden.

Plus, you can still end up losing a few cards even with Vesden, particularly if you ‘react’ with an AT-ST. A Bright Center To The Universe is a little better in this deck than Imperial Decree. Easier to set up, and I only have to hold onto one system.

Skipped Tempest Scout 6 because it has no pilot or passenger capacity. The AT-ATs are in there for hitting power, on or off Ralltir. Chicken walkers are nice early in the game, but I want to be able to stand my ground against heavy mains and toys. Plus the anti-Rallops tech lately takes advantage of the weak armor on AT-STs.

One EPP Vader is enough. Didn’t want to put a whole bunch of expensive characters in here, since this deck needs cheap guys to flip early. Anyway, he’s best used for hit n’ run attacks. Battle, play Evader when he’s lost, then get him back in your hand next turn by using 2 force.

There are enough leaders in here to activate the text on the spaceport sites. The DS pilots are powerhouses, Marquand and Watts are incredible together, the AT-ST pilots are for the early flip, and the biker scouts have awesome game text.

Dannik Jerriko? He’s a special touch, a holdover from the ISB deck this developed out of. When you’re putting a walker with your best pilots up against the mains, toss Dannik in. Even from behind all that armor protection, he can place people out of play. Messes with Bacta Tank and Ben Kenobi, gives you a good shot at removing Han for good, and so on.

One last note. I hadn’t taken Sense into account when facing Revo decks because I haven’t had my Evaders canceled by it in the past. Didn’t worry me much as a consequence, but if heavy SAC and heavy Revo combinations see lots of action in your area, you might consider tossing in Crush The Rebellion or customizing the deck to get Decree running instead of my preference, A Bright Center To The Universe.

This deck rocks. I’ll update the strategy section with an after-action report when it has been used in a tournament. ‘