Imperial Command
Title: Imperial Command
Author: John "Artoo-Detoo" Tatta
Date: Jul 23, 2000
Rating: 4.0
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Cards:
‘Objective (1) Set Your Course/The Ultimate Power
Locations (9) Death Star Death Star Docking Bay Death Star War Room Alderaan Kessel Endor Sullust Kashyyyk Mon Calimari
Characters (21) Admiral Piett Grand Moff Tarkin Admiral Chiraneau Captain Sarkli Admiral Motti Captain Godherdt Officer Evax Lieutenant Cabbel Colonel Jendon Major Rhymer Admiral Ozzel Mara Jade, The Emperor’s Hand x2 Darth Vader Baron Soontir Fel Major Turr Phennir DS-181-3 DS-181-4 DS-61-2 DS-61-3 DS-61-4
Weapons/Devices (5) Mara Jade’s Lightsaber SFS L-s9.3 Laser Cannons x3 Death Star Tractor Beam
Starships (13) Accuser Chimaera Devastator Executor Visage Vader’s Custom TIE Saber 1 Saber 2 Saber 3 Saber 4 Black 2 Black 3 Black 4
Admirals Order (1) Fighters Coming In
Interrupts (3) Prepared Defenses (SI) Imperial Command x2
Effects (7) Something Special Planned For Them (SE) Combat Response (SE) Oppressive Enforcement (SE) Presence Of The Force x2 Come Here You Big Coward Reactor Terminal’
Strategy: ‘
Tech-Talk Ok, here’s the part you’ve all been waiting for. The new Death Star II “Tech.”
[Begin Tech you may not know.]
1.)Admiral Chiraneau - This guy is the new space G-O-D. Allowing you to Force Drain +1 everywhere within 2 parsecs of him as long as you control with a Star Destroyer. With 5 of the most powerful Star Destroyers in the game in your deck, you shouldn’t have much of a problem draining your opponent to detah if he hides from your space fleet.
2.)Combat Response - What a card, huh? Show a pilot, then search for his TIE. Personally, this card and it’s light side counterpart are my favorite cards of the set. But read the card closer … does it say anyhting about where to deploy the ship and pilot? Nope. Slap them down to a docking bay Can’t find Vader, but have Tarkin in your hand? Show his TIE, then deploy them to a Docking Bay. Beatdown ensues. Do thi with any pilot just when your opponent spreads out thinking that you’re all space. Of course, they have to be playing DB’s for this to work. I never said it was error-proof. )
3.)Something Special Planned For Them - Another of my DS2 favorites. Calrissian/Gold Squad 1 comes flying to the Death Star first turn again you … what do you do? Well, Come Here You Big Coward is your first priority … but if that’s not around? This card works wonders. Slap down a Star Destroyer with a nice pilot to boot. If you have the forcem throw a TIE down as well. Lando will think twice about moving away and he REALLY won’t want to battle. Basically, that early in the game, he simply won’t have the force to move away. Again, might not always work, but it will make a smart opponent think twice about doing the Lando/Falcon trick against you.
4.)Death Star Tractor Beam - This is always great “Tech” in any SYC deck. If Lando does squeak by first turn ignoring your “warnings” on your effects, this card will shut him down for sure. With a couple nice destiny’s, your set. Falcon is captured, and space is free to roam around in. Works well against a reacting Spiral or a spy-ship, Tantive, take-over. Great to see the look on the opposition’s face.
5.)Mara Jade - Ok, why Mara Jade instead of another Star Destroyer or even a pilot? Lots of reasons. The first being of her overwhelming battling presence. Opponent housing a character in the Home One War Room to make Home One nice and big? Mara is a spy, you know, and that lone character won’t last a long time against her and her magic wand. Also, look closer. She’s a pilot. She adds 2 to anything she pilots and forfeits for a lot if you SOMEHOW get beat down. Mara is VERY versatile in this deck. That’s the reaosn she’s in her, and the reason they’re 2 of her.
6.)Imperial Command - A simply amazing card. Here’s what happens, usually. Opponent gets tricky and battles you in space. You don’t feel like wasting force by reacting with a Black squad TIE/Pilot … or maybe you do. At any rate, you play this card. You add a destiny and probably take out half of their fleep if not all of it with a few good draws. Look at the destiny’s in the deck. With OE out, all your capitals are 2’s, leaving only 18 cards with a destiny below 2. And more than half the deck at 3 or higher.
7.)Fighter’s Coming In - Last but not least … the Admiral’s Order. With two ways of getting this bad boy out (Piett or Phennir), it’s the staple to the deck. Makes all unique, piloted, TIES immune to attrition <4. OR adds 2 to the immunity. This means that your Saber squad TIES are HUGE and your Black squad ships become even better. Not to mention Vader’s ship and Saber 1, who are both basically IMMUNE to attrition.
[End Tech that you may not know.]
Vs. Certain Decks
Ops Ops are pretty much dead nowadays, but if your opponent manages to sneak one by, Sarkli shuts it down in a hurry. Basically, their Objective flips and you can out drain them. If that doesn’t work, thin out your fleep to beat them off of their own planet. Mara, Vader, Tarkin … all are good characters to take them down. If you’re a smart player, you shouldn’t have any problem winning this game by 20+.
HB They’re dead. You can beat them pretty good in Space (even w/ Mon Cal’s), then probe their system when they flip. This is the reason I didn’t consider playing HB for my LS deck. Space decks w/ DS2 beat them pretty good. Easy win by 20+.
EBO Same as HB. Unless they’re doing X-Wing swarm, they’re REALLY in trouble. Against swarm decks, SSPFT is a killer. It takes +2 force to move each ship away from a SD. Meaning 4 X-Wings will cost a grand total of 12 force to move away. Not to mention with your Admiral’s Order out, they’re all power -2. Ouch, babe. Even so, your space presence should be able to out last theirs with your immunity and their lack there of.
Profit Will take some good maneuvering here. Once they flip, you’ll constantly be one the run to force drain them and make them lose force every turn. Their direct damage force less with be a pain to say the least. Don’t start Mara and save her later to do Suicide runs to get rid of their mains. They won’t come to space even if they are playing a few ships. That’s suicide on their part. So spread as thin as you’d like and use your characters for battling. Stick Chiraneau in a SD in space and you should win the drain race with a SD at each system.
Those are the decks that are prominent in my area. Throne Room decks are in trouble against ANY type of SYC, and Revo is useless. Just play smart and keep your opponent guessing. Most people won’t know how to deal with the new card, nor will they know what to expect.
Until next time, “May the Force Be With You.”
- John Tatta West Virginia State Champion ‘