The Match Game

Title: The Match Game
Author: Michael "admiralpiett" Sneed
Date: Aug 4, 2000 Rating: 4.5

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Cards:

‘START (6) Hidden Base/SYSTYF Rend. Point [Aquaris] Heading For The Medical Frigate Wise Advice Squadron Assignments

LOCATIONS (6) Aquaris Anoat Ralltiir Kiffex Kashyyyk Raithal

SHIPS (10) Red Squadron 1 Millenium Falcon Artoo-Detoo In Red 5 Red 7 Red 8 Red 10 Gold 4 Gold 6 Home One Grey Squadron 1

CHARACTERS (13) Elyhek Rue Hol Okand Boushh Jeroen Webb Lieutenant Blount Colonel Cracken Lieutenant Lepira Bren Quersey Theron Nett Wedge Antilles, RSL Captain Han Luke Skywalker Kin Kian Colonel Salm Tycho Celchu

INTERRUPTS (11) Tunnel Vision Out Of Nowhere Houjix The Signal Rebel Barrier x2 A Few Maneuvers It Could Be Worse x2 Hyper Escape Organized Attack

EFFECTS (9) Traffic Control Undercover x2 Legendary Starfighter Projection Of A Skywalker x2 WYTTPOU? x2 Order To Engage

WEAPONS (1) X-Wing Laser Cannon

ADMIRAL’S ORDERS (2) I’ll Take The Leader x2’

Strategy: ‘

UPDATE First of all, I have to thank everybody for rating my deck. Your input is very valuable to me, and I already have some ideas of how to improve my deck. Sorry about the funky typing job on the strategy. For some reason, that happened when I used my grandparent’s Word Processor and cut/pasted it onto the strategy. Now, to everyone who said I should use suicide EPPs You’re absolutely right. However, because my brother was using all the EPP Obi’s, I had no access to them; EPP Luke is okay, but I like Farmboy Luke w/R2inR5 better; EPP Han’s no good, cause Capt. Han’s better; EPP Leia is probably better than Boussh, just never thought of using her. To the guy that said this has no SAC defense, I start Wise Advice and have 2 grabbers; that’s all the SAC defense I’m gonna need. Besides, nothing to important isn’t immune already; Legendary Starfighter can’t be cancelled, Houjix can’t be cancelled, and, most importantly (however obvious it may be), the Admiral’s Orders and Squad. Assignments can’t be cancelled. To those that said I need Insurrection, I see your point, but I have 2 problems 1) what do I take out? and 2) How often is opponent going to draw a 6 or 7 battle destiny to overcome my immunity?

Now, back to the regular strategy.

IMPORTANT Before reviewing this deck, please show me the courtesy of reading my strategy. I know its’ extremly long, I just am trying to show everyone just how good it is.

First off, to make everything a little easier for people that dont normally play w/SE scrub pilots, heres what each do (MP=matching pilot)

Lieutenant Lepira - MP for Gold 4; works at Anoat Theron Nett - MP for Red 10; works at Ord Mantell (also a smuggler) Bren Quersey - MP for Red 8; works at Raithal Hol Okand - MP for Gold 6; works at Kashyyyk Elyhek Rue - MP for Red 7; works at Ralltiir

All SE pilots, when aboard their ships, are immune to attrition <4 and each add a power destiny. When at their systems, they each add 1 to force drains there. When their ships are deployed to their systems, they retrieve 1 force if a Y-Wing or deploy for free if an X-Wing. Just wanted to clear that up.

What this deck really does it rule in space with staying power to hold your systems, all the while overwhelming your opponent’s space fleet with massive power, force drains, and direct damage.

Okay, start your normal HB stuff; I chose Aquaris simply out of personal preferance, you make it whatever you want. Depending on what opponent is playing and what you have in your starting hand, start pulling your systems and start parking your pilot/ship combos (via Squad. Assignments). For instance, if opponent started ROps, pull Ralltiir and park Elyhek Rue/Red 7 and whoever else youve got (DSII Wedge would be best). Otherwise, just pull Aquaris, drop a ship and pilot, and activate a ton. I usually give myself 9 activation on my second turn (that would require a system from hand and a ship at Aquaris); not too shabby for a HB deck (esp. since thats not counting icons opponent gives me). It only gets better the more systems you pull; all except for Ralltiir (which Ill explain later) are 2 LS icon systems. What this means is that after I have all my systems out, Ill be giving myself 16 force activation (17 if Lukes on Red 5). Put that together with the incredibly cheap deploy cost of the starfighters (all the Reds deploy free to their systems), and you have a deck that can easily cycle through itself and set up some nasty combos. The fun doesnt stop there. After you have everything set up, drains become a serious problem for the Dark Side. If gone uncontested, Ill easily drain for 2 at every system, and 3 at one if I get Kian going. What this does is make my opponent come to me, thus sealing his own fate. What can you do to stop these drains? Battle Order? That wont hurt much, since I activate so much. Search And Destroy? Only a drain of two, I can stop it with ICBW. You gonna out-drain me on the ground? Come on. I have 4 spies, 2 Undercovers, 2 ICBWs, 2 POASs, and the Hidden Base objective. Anyways, if/when opponent does decide to come to space, you can easily handle him. Throw down Ill Take The Leader; I cant emphasize this enough. With this down, each of your ships are immune to attrition <6; R2 in R5, Red Squad. 1, and Falcon, <7; and Home One <10 Dont forget that each SE pilot aboard their ships adds a power destiny, which is huge in this deck, cause the average destiny is massive. Its not uncommon to battle opponent w/Red 7, Red 8, and Grey Squad. 1 (not nearly my best fighting force, mind you) and draw 5 and 7 for power destinies, 5 for battle. When opponent starts running (which is inevitable), the direct damage starts to kick in. Through down Legendary Starfighter on Falcon or R2 in R5, and Order To Engage and follow opponent around. This is best done with DSII Wedge, Luke, and Capt. Han. This crew is unstoppable. 5 force loss a turn is hard to deal with, especially since the Dark Side has no way of reducing it.

Now for specific cards strats. Spy pilots (Tycho/Jeroen/Blount/Cracken) These guys have to be the most versatile players in my deck. They easily turn my Gold 4 or 6 into a wrecking crew; 1 battle destiny, 1 power destiny, power of 6, immune to attrition <6. They also help me sneak into the Holotheater to stop Visage, sneak into the Death Star for an easy drain, etc. On top of that, you can throw Undercover on each of them to stop ground drains (incredibly annoying for opponent). They also each have special little abilities Blount and Cracken are ISB hate; Jeroen works w/Salm or DSII Wedge to subtract from opp. battle destiny; and Tycho can go on an empty X-Wing after its pilot got not out, draw BD anywhere.

Hyper Escape Evil combo w/OTE, plus its great if you want to spread your drain pilots thin.

Houjix for my spies at Holotheater, and if I decide to attack opponents site w/them (Tycho and Cracken=battle destiny, forfeit of 8 and power 5, not bad).

Organized Attack Recirculating destiny=5 (even if Sensed), great if Ill Take The Leader not on table or opponent has tracked destinies.

Rebel Barriers Beatdown and beatdown prevention; also stops from opp. probing too much.

Kian and Salm While they arent SE pilots, they both pull out and work on GS1. Salm is great if you drew your only Houjix or just mis-tracked; Kian adds insult to injury in the drain race. Oh yah, and if you actually happen to run into a Dark operative deck, Salm will win you the game.

Only 1 X-Wing Laser Cannon? Well, for one thing, the deck is tightly packed-I dont have nearly enough room to put in more. Its really in there only as a beatdown tool and an anti-ZinMH + Sec. Prec. combo.

Home 1 With the activation I get, the LS Executor is easily deployed. This things a beast in space

Tunnel Vision Another beatdown tool. Especially useful when I need just one more pilot/ship combo to beat opponent. A necessity in any high activation LS deck, i.m.h.o.

Ralltiir A very underrated system. Oftentimes, opponent will forget your text, try and beat you down, and get whupped because I can react. Also very helpful against ROps. Besides, Elyhek Rue works there anyway.

How to play it against certain deck types

BHBM There are 2 ways to play against this either give him Luke right away and make sure not too lose many battles (not that hard), or keep Luke in space and just suck up the Your Destiny force loss. I tend to lean toward the latter, since Ive got 2 ICBW and these decks never have to much draining potential. Be careful not to spread out too much, and use those grabbers to keep his SAC from overwhelming you. However, even if it does get through, nothing he can cancel is that important (esp. since youre gonna get it right back with your activation and Wise Advice.) Undercover Spies, flipped obj., and ICBW will take their toll on his ground forces. This could be a tough match up, but definately one you can win.

Court Laugh in their face. Their BH ships are absolutely lame when you get Ill Take The Leader out, and an Undercover spy will satisfy their obj. damage.

ROps Probably the toughest matchup, esp. with the activation of post-DSII ROps. Convert his Ralltiir and hold it w/Elyhek Rue and DSII Wedge; if he tries to deploy to the system and land his starfighter, Barrier him to his doom. Next turn, beat the living crap out of him. With you massive space fleet, he wont be able to ever control 2 systems for Imp. Decree. Remember, the site drains are easily stopped with obj. and Undercover spies. Try also to pump up your immunity as much as you can by getting out your Ill Take The Leader, since he will add to battle destiny if he flips. If you play it right, ROps can still be defeated.

TIE Interceptor swarm This is actually much easier than it looks. With your spy pilots, you can easily sneak into Wakeelmui, cancelling Sienar Fleet Systems and making their TIEs deploy for a crapload. Those spies can also sneak into the Death Star if they start SYCFA, which is what most do. On top of that, those Interceptors are easily reduced to jack crap when you get Ill Take The Leader out, and none of them have hyperspeed (including the Sabers). Remember, your starfighters are not easily shot down, especially with A Few Maneuvers handy. Baron Soonter Fel? Wedge and a Red buddy will take care of him. Oh yah, and grab their All Power To Weapons.

ISB Blount at Coruscant means their objective does nothing for them, and Ill overwhelm them with massive drains. If the play the old Sunsdown on a system, Cracken will stop them cold. Just watch out for Pol Treidium, and you should handedly defeat this deck.

Hunt Down Spies kill Visage; I dont use Honor Of The Jedi cause I couldnt contest him if he occupied 3 bg sites. With Visage gone, theyre only method of damage will be Search and Destroy, just keep tracking your ICBWs and draining; they wont be able to stop that. This shouldnt be too hard.

Thats all I can think of, remember, a lone SE pilot in his ship at any system will usually have a power of about 9 with power destiny alone. I am open to all CONSTRUCTIVE criticism; thanks in advance for the reviews ‘