Desert Rose

Title: Desert Rose
Author: Blake "Zurai" Senn
Date: Jun 29, 2000 Rating: 4.0

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Cards:

‘Start (3) Tatooine Combat Readiness Jabba’s Palace

Locations (7) Audience Chamber Moisture Farm Mos Eisley Cantina Wampa Cave Coruscant Death Star

Characters (13) DVDLOTS Darth Vader Vader w/ Saber Mara Jade Grand Moff Tarkin x2 Jabba The Hutt Bane Malar Dengar w/ gun Dr. E Iggy w/ gun 4-LOM w/ gun U-3PO

Starships (4) Zuckuss in Mist Hunter Boba Fett in Slave 1 Bossk in Bus Death Squad Star Destroyer

Creatures (1) Bubo

Weapons (3) Vader’s Saber x2 Mara’s Saber

Effects (8) Battle Order Disarmed Security Precautions Lateral Damage Tatooine Occupation Reactor Terminal Oppressive Enforcement Resistance

Interrupts (21) Sense x6 Alter x4 Advisor x3 Elis x2 Imperial Supply x2 Circle Masterful Move Monnok You Are Beaten’

Strategy: ‘

This deck is pretty simple to play. Basically, just use your early force activation to crush the opponent. On the second turn (barring bad luck), you should be activating at least seven force and have Mara Jade at the Audience Chamber draining with her stick. Things start to go downhill from there for your opponent. Get your mains going, and either invade them (if they’re weak) or fortify tatooine and set up Occupation (if they have strong defensive positions, like EBO). Occupation combined with Resistance is the best EBO crusher. This deck beats speed EBO by anywhere from 25 to 40 depending on draws. It beats on Profit too, by killing their activation and preventing them from flipping.

Against Throne Room Mains This is the only deck that calls for a different start. instead of grabbing Jabba’s Palace, get Mos Eisley instead. Most likely they’ll drop a cheap character to the Palace first turn and stop the activation otherwise. Try to fortify a site and sit there until they come at you. Duel Obi (sense their duel helpers), YAB Han to reduce their destinies, then smack down with your characters next turn. You can surprise the hell out of the opponent if they think you have no Force to spend by dropping Supply on them and activating 4.

Against Hidden Base Set up strong at the system. It might go bad if they take it from you. If you can hold it, Occupation will win the game for you. Hold your Coruscant until they drop theirs, and don’t play the Death Star. If they’re playing heavy space, send Vader, Tarkin, Iggy, and 4-LOM into space to even the score a little. If they’re not so heavy in space, watch for EPP hit squads.

Against EBO Get Resistance fast. It will allow you to win the drain race. Control Tatooine and play Occupation, and the game’s over. Most fast EBO’s only use 2-3 systems now, so you won’t be facing that much in drains.

Against Profit You’ve got this game unless you screw up bad. Start Mara and Dengar, convert their AC first turn and deploy Dr. E from Reserve. Deploy Vader ASAP and Bubo if you find him. Bubo at AC is just tech against Profit, since they can’t run away. Sense Someone Who Loves You. You should have a strong enough crew at the AC to prevent anything but a long, bloody seige that they can’t really hope to win with Dr. E and so many weapons there. When you’re ready (and have an Elis or two) split your force and deploy Occupation. That should be the game ender.’