Look Ma No Rebels
Title: Look Ma No Rebels
Author: Paul "Paul" Maholick
Date: Oct 26, 1999
Rating: 4.0
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Cards:
‘Objective (1) Hidden Base/Systems Will Slip Through Your Fingers
Locations (10) Bespin Hoth Kashyyyk Kessel Kiffex Ralltiir Rendezvous Point Tatooine Copy of Option 1 Hidden Base Copy of Option 2 Hidden Base
Characters (8) R2-D2 (Artoo-Detoo) Ralltiir Freighter Captain x7
Starships (10) YT-1300 Transport x10
Interrupts (17) All Wings Report In x2 Grimtaash Houjix It Could Be Worse x2 It’s a Hit x2 Nar Shaddaa Wind Chimes x2 Out of Nowhere x2 Rebel Barrier x2 The Signal x3
Effects (14) Bargaining Table Do, Or Do Not Kessel Run x4 Never Tell Me The Odds x3 Rebel Fleet The Planet That It’s Farthest From Traffic Control Undercover Yarna d’al’ Gargan ‘
Strategy: ‘
This deck is designed to outlast your opponent by blocking force drains and using retrieval while draining in space. Let’s take a look at the cards
Locations provide both the ability to produce some big drains (Kessel, Kiffex) and play solid defense using TPIFF and It’s a Hit (Bespin, Tatooine, and Hoth) Kashyyyk is here to help with beatdown, given the DS ability 6 requirement to draw destiny. Ralltiir is there to give the Ralltiir Freighter Captains (RFC’s) the ability to draw destiny, and you can react to it. Courscant was not included due to its DS deploy bonus. Given that the DS already has a deploy bonus at Raltiir, and you will never have a rebel to enforce for LS gametext, I did not feel it was wise to jeopardize the fleet for another drain of three, given the overall defensive nature of the deck..
The only starships used here are the YT-1300 Transports. They provide nice platforms for your RFC’s to draw destiny. They are hyperspeed 5 and have ship docking capability, which can come in handy for Kessel Runs. Also they are independent starships, so they can not be targeted by Tallon Roll. They can be used to block drains on Rebel Fleet, and can be used to retrieve force with All Wings Report In. On the other hand, they are weaker than X-wings, and cost one more to deploy so you can not be quite as aggressive with them. However, they do have better destinies (3) than X-wings, and a higher forfeit (5), which makes the trade off a little more palatable.
Characters are also of a singular nature. The RFC’s are a good destiny 3 to set up the secondary numbers attack. They draw destiny once Ralltiir is on the table. They also double Kessel Runs from Ralltiir, which the YT’s enable you to complete every turn if you have a ship at both Ralltiir and Kessel. Start at Ralltiir, fly to Kessel, dock the ships, change pilots, and fly back in the other ship. Now retrieve 10 force. R2 is there for numbers and is a non-trample-able Undercover Spy. Using Undercover with R2 can also get you into the Holotheater to cancel Visage.
Interrupts are a mixed bag, but straightforward. All Wings gets YT’s for Rebel Fleet and retrieves once a game. Grimtaash is there to hurt doubles or further slow combo oriented deck. Houjix is there to save you from the beatdown that can occur given the DS deployment bonus at Ralltiir. It also helps make Lateral Damage less of a stinger. It Could Be Worse helps shut down force drains and Security Precautions damage. It’s a Hit cancels force drains and can save you from It’s Worse. If It’s Worse is popular in your area, don’t play ICBW without it, and even then be very careful. Nar Shadda helps get RFC’s for the Bargaining Table and retrieves once a game. Out of Nowhere helps add some punch to your defense as the RFC’s add one to the maneuver of the YT’s making them a four. The extra destiny should hurt given the average destiny (3.1 after starting location) of this deck. Rebel Barrier can be used to set up beatdown or save your from a beatdown. The Signal helps get your many effects into hand.
Those effects are straightforward as well. Bargaining Table blocks drains with aliens. Do, or Do Not defends your effects and interrupts. If SAC is popular in your area you might consider adding Wise Advice, but given this deck’s ability to retrieve it is probably not necessary. Kessel Runs serve as your retrieval engine, using it to complete runs between Ralltiir or Rendezvous Point each turn. Kessel Run is harder for the DS to cancel as now that IAO is so popular, Oota Goota, Solo is not played as often. NTMTO is a nice little addition to the deck and can really hurt the unprepared. Use your retrieval and The Signal to ensure your opponent always has an insert in their deck. Rebel Fleet is just Bargaining Table for the YT’s. TPIFF can kill any single planet draining strategy, except for Tatooine. Traffic Control keeps your hand under 13 for Yarna. Undercover blocks a drain with R2. Yarna keeps all those copies safe from Monnok.
So that is what is in the deck. Now for some gameplay notes. Try to get your effects up and running quickly to kill those early drains as you set up HB. Once HB is flipped you have 6 possible cancelled drains each turn (2 from HB, Bargaining Table, Rebel Fleet, It’s a Hit, ICBW). Try to control Kessel as it is essential to the Kessel Runs and is a nice drain of three each turn. Use Kessel Runs to Ralltiir with care, as beatdown can take place here. Attack with numbers as quickly as you can, but not at the expense of setting up your effects. Getting R2 down as a spy helps both your numbers and kills a drain.
The deck is not a power deck and will have to live off of retrieval and Out of Nowhere to survive a Big Blue space deck. Luckily you do not have to worry about Tallon Roll. Retrieval will also be an important key to a victory over Hunt Down, but you should be able to outdrain and outlast it, just look out for the Counter Assault variety, and use It’s a Hit to cancel the assault. Against operatives your ability to cancel/ reduce drains will frustrate them. Against Ralltiir Ops consider not deploying your Ralltiir to eliminate the deploy advantage there. (make sure it is not your Hidden Base) The same draining minimizing strategy used against operatives goes for Dark Deal and ISB drain decks. No rebels in the deck means Drazin is screwed, as are scanning crew decks, and Yarna takes care of the rest of the manipulation package.
Overall the deck is very defensive and can be somewhat slow. Try to get things set up ASAP. Whittle away at your opponent with drains at Kessel. Keep canceling their drains and they will deploy even more stuff, making your win easier to obtain. Watch out for CHYBC if you retrieve with a Kessel Run from the RP. Also be aware of Secret Plans and make sure you have enough force to both retrieve and function during your turn. Choose the RP based Kessel Run if you run low on force as it will cost less with Secret Plans on the table. Hopefully HB will provide you with enough force to get around Secret Plans for the most part. Use numbers where you can. Even if they get Resistance out, NTMTO is still a two for one trade, and you can retrieve what you lose. Remember to avoid a direct slugfest, and retrieve wherever you can and you should carry the day. ‘