"HAVING AN EFFECT ON PLAYERS WORLDWIDE"

Latest Review 2000-11-01 Card Title A POWERFUL OPPONENT / BLOCKADE

SAMPLE POINTS

Review System

[ ] Pounded Unto Death IIII
During your Even Up step, you may discard this Effect from play to choose and discard one opponent's <> card on this planet.
Deckbuilding Dot YellowDeploy 2 Destiny 5
Gungan laws require harsh punishments for crimes, such as the sentence Jar Jar received.

[ ] Blockade III
During your Even Up step, you may discard this Effect from play to discard one opponent's <> card on this planet.
Deckbuilding Dot YellowDeploy 2 Destiny 5
"As you know, our blockade is perfectly legal." - Nute Gunray

When I first saw one of these cards, it was the LS one and I thought. "Oh look, another anti-tank card. Well atleast I can be sure of getting rid of a probe droid."

If they'd said <> weapon rather than card I'd have caught on much quicker!

We've all experienced the pain of not getting a weapon out on a planet and getting slaughtered, now with have the opportunity to remove their only weapon (if it is universal) and give them only one turn to get some more out.

Alternatively, you could remove their last charactor to win the planet!

Why a lower rating for the DS version?
Simply put, the LS uses a lot less <> cards, so there's less to target. Go on remove my power 1 Jawa.

Beware the deployment cost, removing one of their cards isn't going to help if it means not deploying a better one of your own!

btw What do these cards have to do with Gungan law and whether or not something is legal?

Ian Vincent

[ ] A Powerful Opponent
Use with any character. You may use your character's DAMAGE number to
replace the destiny number on one of your destiny cards.
Deckbuilding Dot Yellow
Destiny 2
When dueling, this attack does one extra hit.

[ ] Power Of The Sith
Use with any character. You may use your character's DAMAGE number to
replace the destiny number on one of your destiny cards.
Deckbuilding Dot Yellow
Destiny 2
When dueling, this attack does one extra hit.

These are, in my opinion, the greatest cards for the game since Negotiations were short/Opee sea killer. No longer will players absolutely have to worry about building decks with high destiny (ie putting in cards with crappy power but high destiny...), but they can play high power/high damage/low destiny cards with no fear of losing a fight because of low destiny.

"So what does it all, mean, Jay?" Well, I think that now Jedi/Maul decks are going to be better (I don't know about more popular). The only thing that was really holding them back was their low destiny. Tanks were better destiny, so were queens. Now tanks are going to be gone for some time, and queens have been on their way out for a while.
Make way for the green midget with pointy ears and his friend Shaft...

The other great part of this card is their dueling use. If you plan on using these with Jedi, then it is quite possible to duel and eliminate an opponent's heavy hitter much more easily. I think Maul would have the advantage here, because there are simply more Jedi to choose from than Sith (obviously be design) and the chance of seeing one is
increased.

I have heard some peesimistic fans say that DotF would be the last nail in the coffin for YJ, but I truly believe that this set will add the long-needed strategy boost to the game. - Jay Saenz

You may have seen in past weeks some of my lamentations about the power of tanks. I have come to recognize them as the closest thing to a "broken" strategy as there has ever been in Young Jedi. After having run two more tournaments and playtested heavily against tanks with new cards and strategies from Naboo, I am quite convinced that tanks remain unscathed in their dominance. What I have written below is a brief analysis of tank decks, their strengths vs. other dark side decks and also their strengths vs. light side decks. After that I have presented a card idea that would help slow down tanks (and much more effectively than simple patch cards like Jar Jar).

Analysis of Tank Decks (non-uniqueness, destiny, base power) The foremost inherent strength of any tank deck is its non-uniqueness. It was the same strength droid decks had with the initial release of Young Jedi. The ability to go anywhere and not have to transport is strong. You never have to worry about getting a character or weapon stuck on a planet. Nor do you have to feel the sting of losing 5 Force trying to get said character or weapon off of a planet. As an added bonus, the non-uniqueness helps the purple dot destiny, allowing tank decks to have a 5 or 6 rather than a 2 in six to seven purple slots. Overall, tank decks enjoy the greatest of destiny's. The format for most tank decks is: 10 Red Dot tanks (Destiny 2) 10 Yellow Dot tank guns (Destiny 1) 10 Blue Dot tanks (Destiny 5) 10 Orange Dot Open Fire's (Destiny 6) 10 Green Dot Probe Droids (Destiny 6) 6-7 Purple Dot Droid Starfighters (Desinty 6) plus 3-4 Sites with average destiny of 4 This means that every time you draw a destiny, you have half a chance of drawing a 6!

What other deck can claim this and still be competitive? I say competitive because what makes these destiny's really sick is the base power of tanks. Every red dot tank starts off with 5 power. Every blue dot tank starts off with 4 power. Add a gun, and they're 7 and 6 power. Add a battle card and now they're 10 and 9 power. Draw destiny and half the time it will be a six. At worst you draw a 1 and so your power is 11 or 10. More likely, your power will be 16 and 15. And that, ladies and gentlmen, is not easy to beat consistantly.

Tanks vs. Other Dark Side Decks There are three other dark side decks I would like to discuss in comparison with tanks (Maul, Sebulba, Senators)

MAUL:

Of the three, Maul shows the most promise. He's got great base power, two strong matching weapons, and battle cards that work well with him (with or without a weapon). The version I've toyed with the most and like the most includes Mauls from all the sets (4 JC, 3 MDM, and 3 BoN), 6-7 Maul Speeders (Destiny 4) and 3-4 Maul Saber's (2 Destiny version), , various high destiny blue and green dot characters (Aks Moe, Probe Droids, etc.), and various battle cards (Sith Pushes, Not for a Sith, etc.). Sites I use are those where Maul gets his 2 dot power bonus. This deck has the power to beat down just about anything it faces, including Anakin. Ability to Force push is game ending. However, there is one major snag. In ten playtest games, twice I lost the game because I couldn't get Maul off a planet. There was one game where I got him off but losing 5 Force killed me later when I had to constantly draw two destiny to keep Maul and saber alive. Another minor problem is the achilles heal to weenie swarm decks. CONCLUSION: Tanks still stronger because base power with weapon about the same but non-uniqueness key. Maul can get stuck. Tanks cannot.

SEBULBA:

Somewhat overlooked, Sebulba decks are actually strong. The key to them is getting out Da Dug Chaaa! and stacking your red dot with high destiny, such as Neimoidian Aids (5 Destiny). Also need to mix up the green slot so as to not get your supporting characters stuck as a planet. Perhaps 10 different podracers would do best. Sebulba is the key. Anywhere with his podracer he is power 7. Add Da Dug Chaaa! and he's power 8, but only 1 Damage! I'm partial to the new Sebulba, who gets his bonus on Mos Espa. This keeps me away from Anakin. However you do it, Sebulba on Tatooine should be power 9 with his racer, 10 with the effect. Add in some battle cards and destiny and he is quite strong, able to match-up well with Anakin or Jedi. However, like Maul, Sebulba can get stuck on planets and can be costly to transport off. Also like Maul, he is susceptible to non-unqiue decks, such as Gungans, and unlike Maul Sebulba cannot fight more than one at a time. Sebulba also doesn't have as good a supporting cast. Overall destiny in the deck is lower and the reliance upon getting Da Dug Chaaa! or some sort of battle card hampers its overall effectiveness. CONCLUSION: Tanks much stronger and more versatile.

SENATORS:

I'm including them because with the advent of the red dot senator and multiple choices for Senators in the green dot, they are less likely to worry about transporting problems while also having more targets for one of the most powerful battle cards in the game, Vote of No Confidence. Also, their overall destiny is quite high (almost a match for tank decks), especially if you switch out some of the transports for starfighters. Senators anywhere with a battle card are 6 power. Add in an average destiny of 4-5 and they can regularly get up to 10-11 power. The trick is to take Coruscant quickly. Usually the fear of fighting against base power 4 Senators at the Senate Chamber with weapons and a battle card make people surrender quickly, which is what you want. If necessary, give up the second planet and then power up for the final planet. Try not to use battle cards until the third planet and then lay them on thick. The key is to win quick. If you face an entrenched opponent, you're likely to lose (ie., Jedi or Anakin). Senators don't have the base power required to stand up with the big boys. It's usually ouch time when your opponent puts down a power character, such as Anakin with racer, Mace, Obi, Qui-Gonn, or Adi Galia with their named sabers. However, Senators can overrun those decks, giving them a swarm mentality which the above decks don't have. Also, each turn you can possibly get out three Senators or two with two guns. With the new counter effects, this can be increased even further. CONCLUSION: Tanks have better base strength, more staying power, and non-uniqueness which means none of them get stuck.

Tanks vs. Light Side Decks There are three light side decks I would like to discuss in comparison with tanks (Anakin, Qui-Gonn, and Gungans)

ANAKIN:

It has been my experience that this is the only true counter to the Tank deck and even this one has its problems. First, the good stuff. Anakin with his podracer and the proper destiny's beats anything short of Maul with his double destiny saber and good destiny's. There are plenty of great support cards for Anakin, including the fight together with Artoo. The only reason this deck loses is because of bad destiny draws (there are 12 2's -- 6 podracers, 6 transports), don't get a transport when you need it, or you get entrenched with an opponent and draw yourself to death. MATCHUP WITH TANKS: Best on the light side at beating tanks, but non-uniqueness really helps tanks. Speed is equal with both decks (usually getting one power card out a turn -- tank vs. Anakin). Difference with addtion of Naboo has been the fight together with R2, which overcomes bad destiny draws. In head to head matchups, however, tanks came out just ahead of Anakin, 6-4. One game, however, including the most appalling draw for Tanks. Otherwise, it would have been 7-3 in favor of tanks.

QUI-GON:

Force push is what makes this deck type possible. Qui-Gonn with his weapon and battle cards can take down nearly anything, but insurance is the Force push, which guarantees a win against tanks. Biggest problem is what happens when you run out of a Force pushes, don't get one in hand, or realize you can't put ten in your deck because otherwise you'll lose to other deck types out there such as Maul and Sebulba who use battle cards with power bonuses which are enough to overcome Qui-Gonn's base power? MATCHUP WITH TANKS: Favorable, but at what cost in matchups with other dark decks? Other problem is that Qui-Gonn can get stuck on planets.

GUNGANS:

Many different varieties. I discount the Jar Jar version because even with his electropole and a three power bonus battle card, he is still in a deck type that generally has on average destiny 3. If you get his weapon, with the battle card, and a really good destiny, then you take out a tank with an average destiny and weapon and have a chance to win. Otherwise, Jar Jar is toast and tanks keep on rolling. I've also seen the generic gungan deck with Kaduu's, Tarpals, and some Jar Jar's. This deck shows more promise because of the inherent speed and higher destiny, but to consistantly beat tanks, this deck relies upon the battle together card. Very effective no matter where you are, but I suspect there are not nearly enough of them in the deck (perhaps 6 tops) -- especially if you're packing the Gungan effect.

MATCHUP WITH TANKS:

I've noticed this matchup seriously depends on the players. With evenly matched players, the outcome is always the same: tanks win. With the gungan player being the better player, tanks sometimes lose but not often enough. Base power of tanks is really hard to get around. The non-uniqueness of tanks is the real killer and the true strength. Thanks all for reading this and enjoy your day. - Councilor Sullivan Sith Master

At first glance, his game text appears to be awesome, one less dameage and one more power. But remember that the sith saber is one of the worst cards ever made. It´s much like Aurra´s weapon except that it has one more destiny, BUT IT CAN ONLY BE USED BY A SITH! Furthermore it only gives a +1 bonus(+2 with sidious game text), while Aurras rifle gives +2(+3 with her game text). You must use a lot of these sabers to make sidious effective, and that will hurt. But in a deck with 5-10 Sidious it might still be worth it to use some sith sabers. - Choda Boy

Aurra Sing Mercenary has been a controversial card ever since the Menace of Darth Maul set. "Why," people ask, "is Aurra Sing just as powerful as Obi-Wan, have a lower deploy, and a lower damage?" The answer that many people have given: "Decipher bases cards on their actual stats in the Star Wars universe, not how long the appeared in the movie." This is true, and while Aurra Sing decks have been on the decline since The Jedi Council hit the shelves, I believe that they will continue to become less popular even with the addition of Aurra Sing, Mercenary. While she retains her basic stats, her location bonuses have been reduced to one at the Podrace Arena with the addition of her game text which adds one power when she is using her matching weapon anywhere in the universe. Her weapon however, is destiny one, which people tend to try to avoid.

ECONOMY: B While this version seems balanced to the previous version, I have a feeling that people will continue to use her Menace of Darth Maul counterpart, Aurra Sing, Bounty Hunter, simply because of the destiny of her weapon. A one-destiny card is a high risk for simply an added one power. The fact that she is a Red deckbuilding dot is a plus however, when combined with her deploy cost of three.

DESIGN: D+ In my opinion, they should've at least got a picture that was a little more different than the first. The basic stats are the same... but come on, losing two Tatooine location bonuses for a power dot added when she uses her destiny-one Rifle? I think I'm beginning to sound redundant, wordy, or maybe I just talk too much. :)

USEFULNESS: B+ Once again, I say her MoDM version is better. But if you're willing to make the sacrifices, I say she can be just as useful as her other. FINAL GRADE: C+

NOTES: I believe Aurra Sing decks declined in popularity for a reason... and this new version really doesn't help really. While still not obsolete, she could probably do some damage to an unsuspecting player. Still, it's your call on whether to include her or not. - JediPaco

For a Gungan deck, why not have him lead the assault. With a high destiny deck, Tarpals would still make the best choice. Give him his new pole that he owns and he makes Boss Nass look up to him, go figure. The common universal Gungans may be better overall, but Tarpals can ensure a victory should he be drawn as destiny. How does a bureaucrat like Rep Been becomes more powerful than a Gungan warrior like Tarpals? He doesn't anymore. No matter. Bombad General, awesome effect to help out the Gungan deck. Giving One bonus too each Gungan in general is great, now Tarpals is going to kick some major tank butt. Captain Tarpals + Rep Been (Decent Destiny) = Major power now. Well just have to see what Decipher comes out with next. - M

This will definitely find it's way into my Maul deck. Now even more so as a new Anakin will most likely come out, this new saber will be a staple,most likely. Maul's double lightsaber gives him a power boost of two destiny draws. Shove in nothing but a high destiny card in every other slot and you have the ultimate beatdown deck The only match for the lightsaber will most likely be combination cards or characters like Qui-Gon, Obi-Wan or Mace with his new Lightsaber. Now how about a Mace- Yoda deck now. Maul with his lightsaber can hold his ground like never before if you build the deck correctly. - M

This would probably be the best card if you needed to fill up some red spot spaces. Ithorians are too weak and only get the real bonus on Tatooine. Jawa, Bargainer is much too weak and has the disadvantage of having a damage of 2. The rest of the red stoplights (Jedi's Namely) are expensive to deploy. About 2 or 3 fillers, Ishi Tibs will have to do. Other than for that, there usefulness, serve no other purpose unless you’re playing a Tatooine deck or foddar. Since Podrace Arena is the Light Side Tatooine site, he gets the bonus there if you start first. - M

Jar Jar is the most disliked character in all of Star Wars. However his new Battle of Naboo Young Jedi card is awesome! Hope it keeps up for future personas. Can anyone say, "Jar Jar's power and deploy are pretty good, four and four." His destiny is lacking just a bit, but a 3 is still not too bad. Like an Obi-Wan ! His Damage of 2 is also very good, the same as an Ishi Tib or other cannon fodder card. With his electropole, Jar Jar can hold his own in battle. 5+ destiny is pretty impressive for a character who is as clumsy as Jar Jar is. Jar Jar has a future now, and is Tounament viable. All you Light Side players out there should be happy about Jar Jar's upcoming 9 power at the Battle Plains when battling a tank. With his electropole, Jar Jar will be the same as Captain Panaka is for the Desert Landing Site right now. Who knows, Light Side Jar Jar might even take out Maul. Can we all say, "Finally we can build a Gun Gan deck. - M