Brief Summary of deck:  "Captain Sheridan, what are you up to?"  "Well, you
see, this nice Morden fellow came up to me and had an offer..."

Section 1: The Cards:

Aftermaths: Glory x 2, Rise To Power
Total # of aftermaths: 3

Agendas: Defense In Depth, Forced Evolution x 2
Total # of agendas: 3

Characters: Jeffery Sinclair, Susan Ivanova, Commander Ivanova, John Sheridan x 3, Senator Young, Luis Santiago, Morden, William Morgan Clark, General Hague, Senator Voudreau, Michael Garibaldi
Total # of Characters: 13

Diplomacy Conflicts: Saber Rattling x 2, Rally The People, Statement Of Position
Total # of Diplomacy Conflicts: 4

Intrigue Conflicts: --NONE--
Total # of Intrigue Conflicts: 0

Military Conflicts: Border Raid x 3, Gunboat Diplomacy
Total # of Military Conflicts: 4

Enhancements: Commerce Raiding, Presidential Coup
Total # of Enhancements: 2

Events: Contact With Shadows x 3, What Do You Want? x 2, Evidence Of Shadows x 2, Forces Collide x 3,  Shadow Strike x 3, Chaos Reigns, You Know My Reputation x 2, Conflicting Desires
Total # of Events: 16

Fleets: Deep Space Fleet x 3, Utility Fleet x 3, Shadow Ship x 2, First Battle Fleet, Second Battle Fleet, Fleet Of The Line
Total # of Fleets: 11

Groups: --NONE--
Total # of Groups: 0

Locations: Z'ha'dum Awakened, Earth x 2
Total # of Locations: 3

Total # of cards in deck: 60

Section 2: Strategy

Opening Hand: Jeffrey Sinclair, Susan Ivanova, Defense In Depth, Z'ha'dum Awakened

Opening Strategy: Basically, sponsor and promote Ivanova, get out the Defense In Depth, and sponsor Z'ha'dum Awakened when you feel ready. Hopefully in the first 5-10 turns you should draw at least one Earth, a John Sheridan, and some way of obtaining Shadow marks.  Start putting marks on John as fast as you can.  If for some reason you can't pull a Sheridan and start to fall behind, push forward and put marks on Sinclair.  The deck works either way, Sheridan just speeds it up.

Midgame Strategy: Once you've got a few Shadow marks, a Border Raid in hand, and a fleet out, push a Border Raid through for a quick 2 influence (provided Earth is in play).  Once he's opposed the conflict, nuke the fleet with a Shadow Strike (or Forced Evolution).  It won't be uncontested, but you should win by 5 or more.  The Glory/Rise To Power combo can net you a quick 2 influence from any won military conflict, just don't forget to not rotate Sheridan and another Intrigue > 2 character.  Saber Rattling is a great one in this deck.  Diplomatic heavyweights like Voudreau, Santiago, Clark, and Young  can pretty much guarantee you success against anyone but the Minbari, and with so many fleet killers, you should be ahead in Military.  You Know My Reputation is really for Rally The People, but use it on a Saber Rattling if you feel the need.   Don't use Presidential Coup unless you can't draw Santiago or he's already left play (via Temptations or other such nonsense).  Feel free to put out Forced Evolution at any time... you can use it to win your military conflicts, and destroy fleets  when you can, even when not running a conflict.  With Sheridan out, and 3 other characters with built-in Shadow marks, you've got the marks to burn once Forced Evolution is in play.  Just remember, once Z'ha'dum Awakened is on the table, the game is running on a relatively pre-determined clock (depending on when you play Contacts, Evidences, and What Do You Wants?)... you need to get a Forced Evolution in play as soon as possible.  You'll always have a 5 Military fleet in play with the text of Z'ha'dum Awakened. If they try to Forcibly Impair your Z'ha'dum, Forces Collide it -- you're not relying on Shadow influence to win, but in a tournament those extra 2 points from winning by Major Agenda are worth the effort.

Endgame Strategy:  Save at least one of your Forces Collide for Test Of Merit -- if they can stuff your conflicts in the last few turns, they will.  As the Shadow War approaches, you become an inviting target for others to try and shove you down so the power boost doesn't net you the win.  Hold back on your conflicts unless they're so beaten up that you feel confident you can push an extra one through.  Don't transfer influence to the Shadows unless it becomes absolutely necessary (i.e. you're trapped at ten and can just keep re-building the one you transfer, otherwise, it's pretty much a waste, unless you're  desperate to start the Shadow War before someone scores a Standard Victory.).

Weaknesses: This deck will hold it's own against Intrigue conflicts (thanks to Garibaldi, Morden, Clark, and Young), but probably not against a dedicated Centauri/Intrigue deck.  If playing one, he should most likely be your main target.  If you're playing against another Shadow deck, Sheridan becomes vital, so you can accumulate more marks and use Conflicting Desires to prevent him from getting his own Forced   Evolution out.  Worry about a dedicated Vorlon deck, but see how things play.  You're getting +1 Shadow
influence every turn, regardless... he'll have to work for his.  Be sure and attack any Vorlon players relentlessly when the opportunity presents itself.

Section 3: Variations

If you're getting swamped by Intrigue conflicts, add a Shadow Contact. The Lure Of Shadow might work fairly well in this deck... try it and see if you feel so inclined.  Add The Long Night if you're having trouble accumulating Shadow marks as the game progresses.  If Vorlon players are preeminent in your area, throw in a few Shadow Retributions to hold them off for a bit. Never underestimate the +1 influence per turn... it can't be stopped and it can't be slowed.  Tick, tock, tick, tock...
 
 Deck Commentary by Lorne Kates
>>Enhancements: Commerce Raiding, Presidential Coup
>>Total # of Enhancements: 2

Three Shadow Medallions would have get Morden into play faster.  Elder Races Triumph is also a good plan C.

>>Events: Contact With Shadows x 3, What Do You Want? x 2, Evidence Of Shadows x 2, Forces Collide x 3, Shadow Strike x 3, Chaos Reigns,  You Know My Reputation x 2, Conflicting Desires
>>Total # of Events: 16

I would add one more Chaos Reigns, and a couple Confusion in Chaos'.   The first will help with card drawing.  The second is always useful for manipulation of conflicts.  "You have a total of fifty intuige?  Okay.  How much support do you have at the moment?  Three?  Okay.  Confision in Chaos.  Bye bye conflict...".  And, as always, Meditation x3!

>>Fleets: Deep Space Fleet x 3, Utility Fleet x 3, Shadow Ship x 2, First Battle Fleet, Second Battle Fleet, Fleet Of The Line
>>Total # of Fleets: 11

A nice mix of fleets.

>>Groups: --NONE--
>>Total # of Groups: 0

Special Intellignece would go great in the deck, since almost all the characters have at least 2 Intruige.  And you can never go wrong with Psi-Corps Intillegence.

>>Section 2: Strategy
>>Opening Hand: Jeffrey Sinclair, Susan Ivanova, Defense In Depth, Z'ha'dum Awakened
>>
>>Opening Strategy: ....   ....  If for some reason
>>you can't pull a Sheridan and start to fall behind, push forward and
>>put marks on Sinclair.  The deck works either way, Sheridan just
>>speeds it up.

If Sheriden is really that important, then have him in your opening hand
instead of Ivanova.
 

>> ... The
>>Glory/Rise To Power combo can net you a quick 2 influence from any
>>won military conflict, just don't forget to not rotate Sheridan and
>>another Intrigue > 2 character.

Not quite enough for victory, but it will get past some of the new enhancements...

>> .... Just remember, once
>>Z'ha'dum Awakened is on the table, the game is running on a
>>relatively pre-determined clock (depending on when you play
>>Contacts, Evidences, and What Do You Wants?)...
>>you need to get a Forced Evolution in play as soon as possible.
>>You'll always have a 5 Military fleet in play with the text of
>>Z'ha'dum Awakened.

No, not always.  You still need to sponsor the fleet again...

>>If they try to Forcibly Impair your Z'ha'dum, Forces Collide it --
>you're not relying on Shadow influence to win, but in a tournament
>>those extra 2 points from winning by Major Agenda are worth the
>>effort.

No one is going to Force Impairment Z'ha'dum Awakened.  It can't be targetted by anything.

>>Endgame Strategy:  Save at least one of your Forces Collide for Test
>>Of Merit -- if they can stuff your conflicts in the last few turns,
>>they will.

Remember, Shadow Medallion can retrieve a Forces Collide.

>>Weaknesses: This deck will hold it's own against Intrigue conflicts
>(thanks to Garibaldi, Morden, Clark, and Young), but probably not
>against a dedicated Centauri/Intrigue deck.  If playing one, he >should
most likely be your main target.

This is where Puppeteer comes in handy.  Wait until your opponent supports a conflict with an Intruige character.  Then, Puppeteer an opponent's character and attack.  With luck, you can wipe out two characters at once!

>If you're playing against another Shadow deck,
>Sheridan
>>becomes vital, so you can accumulate more marks and use Conflicting
>Desires to prevent him from getting his own Forced Evolution out.

Playing Morden will hurt them as well.  Or Sworn to Shadows in case your opponent gets him out first.

>Worry about a dedicated Vorlon deck, but see how things play.  You're
>getting +1 Shadow influence every turn, regardless... he'll have to
work for his.  Be sure and attack any Vorlon players relentlessly when
>the opportunity presents itself.

In case you are indeed stuck in a stalemate with a Vorlon player (or even another Shadow player), Elder Races Triumph is your best bet.  With Sheridan, you should always have the most marks...

My Thoughts:

Yet another Shadow deck that wins by Forced Impairment.

Commentary from William Cavert

Why this deck has no intirgue conflicts I do not know.  The great thing about the Shadows was at least for my Earth Chracaters was that they had many extendend ways to boost their inrigue.  I mean a pair of Prey On the Weak would have nicely added onto this deck.  Also LURE OF THE SHADOWS !!!!!!! my god how could yuo have forgotten that.  Annex Neutral World is a cute little military conflict as is survey in force so you know what is coming, I suppose sense this is the first, I mean second Shadows deck it can afford some missing cards but, they should be getting better than this soon.  And when the great war comes out wow.
-Will Cavert
 

RESPONSE FROM WES BROWN

Lorne and Will: Thanks for the comments!  All good points.  Thought I'd expound on why I did a few things here.

First, the reason I don't have more Chaos Reigns/Confusion In Chaos/Meditation is because I consider the deck too big already.  I've tried to squeeze in another Chaos Reigns, but haven't been able to find the room.  Meditation is a good card, no doubt.  But it's not the end-all-be-all. ;)  The Shadow Medallions are a good idea -- I'll make the room for them once I have a couple.  The two of you have  convinced me to shove in a Zack Allen (more intrigue!), Special Intelligence, and a pair of Intrigue conflicts: probably a pair of Prey On The Weak.

D'oh!  Good point on the Z'ha'dum Awakened: brain dead ol' me forgot you couldn't target it with anything.  I've toyed with the idea of dropping in Elder Races Triumph, but if the game goes long enough for the Shadows or Vorlons to make 50 influence, I've been out of cards for a while.  Besides, there must come a point where the Vorlon player can't push Vorlon influence any higher -- there are only so many cards that provide/require Vorlon marks or up Vorlon influence -- but I'll still be getting +1 a turn.

As for The Lure Of Shadow, a) I don't own one yet, and b) it's just a way to rack up marks.  I will admit it would be nice to be able to keep adding marks to Morden and Senator Young, so if/when I get ahold of one, I'll probably put it in.  For now, though, I usually end up with all the Shadow marks I need (on the order of 15 plus or so).

And a question:  I don't get the comment about Forced Impairment.  Huh? Guess I'm just slow.

Thanks again!