A Look at Star Wars LCG deck.broken

So the Echoes of the Force Cycles saw a lot of power and speed creep for the light side. Given that every game I have ever playtested for would look at a cycle at the same time, I have to make the assumption this is how it worked for FFG. If so I would have played with this during testing and I am sure it isn’t the most optimized list you could make with this core. I would also like to look at what was tweaked and if cards could have been adjusted to avoid their fates.

Smuggler Affiliation

May the Force Be With You x2

It is hard to argue that this isn’t the best pod in the game and the fact that this should have been tested along side 2 pods that would start the restricted list is frightening. The move to it triggering only once a turn was a solid errata, as most strong effects in this game shouldn’t happen multiple times a turn/phase. Now could more Seeds have been put in Darkside pods to counter the effect, yes. I think a few more good DS pods to take away the free clear would have allowed it to stay the way it was for at least a little longer.

Given that this pod was played in almost everything regardless of affiliation maybe something more radical should have been done. What if this was a Rebel objective only? Sure the titles would have to be swapped around but how much would this single change shape the entire thing.

Against All Odds x2

About to be one half of the restricted list. This was easy card draw to make Dash a constant threat and set up the easy drops in your other pod. The Holding All the Cards also helped to find what you needed fast.

I am not sure if any changes needs to happen to any of this. Maki g Holding limited would mean you need to design a replacement card but I don’t think that would solve the real problem.

The False Report x2

Ushering in the Restricted list Era, The False Report Bay Bay! So a board wipe on your refresh step and 2 Freeholders. A card that can help dig for it in Slicing In and enough card draw and bounce to make these guys free to play. That and a 2 cost removal for a lower costed card that you can just play for free again.

So you cap Freeholders at a set discount since you have given them every tool to make this high cost a non-factor. So cap the discount at 5, a 3 cost that can be splashed around to keep the DS player from just sitting back a dropping defenders seems far less abusive to me and could probably still be played together with Against all Odds.

Along the Gamor Run x 2

So this was how the LS was going to hold the force after they used up all the committed to the force tokens. If you could get it running it was hard for the DS to pry the force back and it helped with card draw/cycling to the cards you needed. Cheap edge enabled tactics helps you hang in the fight for your engine to establish.

So this was given the errata limit one per objective deck. This isn’t a bad fix but the fact that all these cards made it through testing is terrifying. Right now the LS wanted to hold the force to chip a little more damage and help slow the DS so the game goes longer than 6 LS turns, or 5 if they control the force and take 1 objective. I believe this was designed to let the normally lower pip counts of the Rebel and Smuggler units to squeeze out the force phase. It ended up being a Jedi drw engine. Maybe the answer is encouraging less Jedi or having it be active when all smuggler objectives are revealed or the a jedi objective isn’t revealed.

Questionable Contacts x 1

Trust Me x 1

These last 2 pods give you ways to cycle your objectives through self damaging effects and give you Han and Lando which is just flavor but another Target of Opportunity and more resources help smooth out rough starts. While also providing some utility events to slow the DS.

So there is a breakdown of what I hope was in every playtest group and what almost saw the light of day if the restricted list hadn’t happened.

I was hoping to to a rundown of the sets available for the upcoming summer 2022 league but I am not sure if I will getva chance before it starts.

Later days.