Gunnar Stahl 1.0

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Let's Go Shake Their Hands

So I've been running eAckbar/eLeia since the beginning. My version has always been a little different, partially because it's what I came up with prior to looking online, and partially because I have a need to feel like it's my own. It has gone through many, many iterations.

Cards

Field Medic - This is probably the most obvious omission. Keeping whichever character they're targeting alive just a little bit longer is great. The only problem is I kept finding myself using the words, "I can't believe the words are about to come out of my mouth, but... I am... discarding Field Medic." There are just other cards I'd rather have in my hand. I took out one and the deck began operating smoother. I took out the other and that trend continued. I haven't looked back.

Rebel Assault - I am not as convinced that this will be an auto-include in Ackbar/Leia as others seem to be. It is nice that it's free, but the main use that I'd get out of it is against blue 's. I'd rather this cost 1 and not have the limitation. I suppose removing a die capable of high damage that rolled something other than damage might be worth it. I'll test it out as a one-of, at first, and go from there.

Survival Gear - No immediate effect and I find that I never leave this equipped long enough (in this deck) to really benefit.

Comlink - I'd included this as a one-of since the first iteration and removed it just this morning. Comlink was included because of the inadequate mitigation present, and while it has been clutch on many occasions, it has also been great for my opponent on many occasions. There is now plenty of other mitigation... mitigation that can't result in worse situations.

Res. HQ - Unless I have several key cards in my hand that I'm likely to use on the next turn, I do not like drawing less than three cards during upkeep. HQ turns either all of the discards into 's or the first discard into 11. So far I like it, but it requires more playtesting to better determine effectiveness.

The 2nd Block - I'm not hesitant to use Dodge on a single 3. If I'm up against ranged damage, I have a favorable enough edge that it's more important to avoid 3 damage than it is to wait for a time to avoid more than that. But if there is a 3 (or some combination of dice with the same total), I was feeling a bit more hesitant because I had only the one Block. So... two.

Dug in - I originally ran two of these. I took one out for the first Block because I found I rarely actually played both copies, and I didn't even always play one. Along those lines, even the one-of is in a variable slot.

Leadership - There are games I don't end up playing any upgrades on Ackbar. If Leia is fully stocked, and I don't have All In or need 's for anything, I would be much better off rolling Leia a second time than rolling Ackbar at all.

1) Retreat - While I haven't seen anyone play this card (or even run it), there have been plenty of times playing this game, with any deck, when I've thought, "This round is going to hurt a lot," not "This next resolution is going to hurt a lot."

2) Surgical Strike - Originally, this was on the list basically as a one-of to deal with an early Infamous or It Binds All Things, or even a mid/late Backup Muscle, for a single . However, after last night's foray into multiple dealings with Force Ghost, I may be moving this up on the the list.

3) Comlink - It's still too recent of a removal relative to how long it was included. I'm keeping it here for now, but I do not anticipate it coming back.

I feel like Echo Base is often overlooked. I claim a lot, which helps with the lack of total health resulting from having only two characters. But, if I don't claim, I don't care that they get a . Frozen Wastes will only make my life more difficult on the turns I do not claim for whatever reason. Mos Eisley Spaceport is another one people use when they don't want the location to do much. The thing about that is, Echo Base helps me, and Mos Eisley really doesn't.

That said, I usually play their battlefield if I win the roll, unless their deck benefits too much from it. For example, I usually don't choose Starship Graveyard or Rebel War Room if they are running those. As far as the 's go, I normally put one on each, but sometimes I put two on Leia.

Really I'm just going to go over starting hand. It's Promotion, the DH-17, and Rearm. I pitch anything that isn't those. The only time I don't is when I have at least one Rearm and at least two of the other two cards. When that is the case, I look at the other cards and make a judgment call. The exception is if I have both Rearms but only one of the other cards, then I will pitch one Rearm (along with the other cards that aren't any of those three).

For that line between what's ideal and what's realistic... one of each is very nice. It's Promotion on Leia for 1, which draws a card, overwrite with DH-17, then Rearm Promotion to Leia for free, drawing another card. At that point, you've used three actions to set up, but you've spent 1, have four cards in hand, and have two upgrades on Leia that put her max Trap! damage at 7, and you still get to roll all of your dice. Because Promotion is played first regardless, sometimes you can draw into this.

Then just always try to draw at least three cards every upkeep.

That's a wrap.