Blaster bolts fly overhead, scorching the walls at the end of the corridor. Battle hardened Stormtroopers unleash their deadly firepower, creating a laser show in the narrow corridor. If you stay where you are, more stormtroopers will arrive and your chances of survival will drop significantly. Questions flow through your mind; "How did they find me?" "How am I going to get out of here?" "Who sold me out?" You realize that, if you are to survive, you are going to have to abandon your position and stay on the move. Inside your trench coat, you reach for your trusty Blastech-15's, one in each hand. You rise and turn the corner to face the Stormtroopers. Screaming a battle cry, you return fire on the Stormtroopers. You hit one in the chest, another in the shoulder. A blaster bolt scorches just over your left shoulder as you hit a third Stormtrooper in the head. Only one Stormtrooper remains, you focus both your weapons on your enemy, just as you pull the trigger you're hit. The heat of the energy hitting your chest and burning through to your heart is excruciating. Both of your final shots go wide off their target and you slump to the floor. Breathless. Dead.

In the second Independent Development Committee (IDC) expansion, Scum and Villainy, the scum of the galaxy will be at your command. With the new ability, Stealth, staying in the shadows is no longer a tactic of the weak. This week I'll introduce you to the fifth card from the Scum and Villainy (SAV) dream card expansion set developed by the Independent Development Committee (IDC).

One of my favorite scenes from the Matrix trilogy is the scene in the lobby of the government building. Neo and Trinity enter the building and as Neo walks through the metal detector, the alarm sounds. The closest guard asks him to remove any metallic objects on his body; watch keys, coins... Neo opens his coat like a dodge watch salesman and reveals he is fully loaded with guns. The ensuing battle still gets me on the edge of my seat and the close quarters gun fight is thrilling, every bullet, every hit, every kill.

For a long time, the SWTCG had great units who employed powerful weapons to enlist the fear or respect they deserved. It wasn't until the ROTS expansion that Equipment cards were finally introduced and all the great weapons and upgrades of the Star Wars universe could finally be in our decks. The SW TCG IDC took hold of this new card type in the FOTR set and Equipment will feature again in the SAV set soon to be released.

What makes Equipment so great is the fact that there is no limit to how many equipment cards can be attached to any one unit. In one of my battle reports, against Grand Admiral Shaun, I had a Commander Gree (A) on the table loaded with 2 Clone Blasters and 1 Clone Grenade and boy did he pack one heck of a punch. Obviously, as you equip one of your units more and more the target on their back gets bigger and bigger; but the card I'm previewing today should be able to make the best use of Equipment. When you play Dash Rendar (B), you will stop wishing "If only I had another arm…"

For 7 build, you get a 40 speed Character with unlimited power and unlimited health. WHAT?! Well, actually, for 7 build, you get Dash Rendar (B), 40/5/5. But his ability can provide him unlimited power and unlimited health. Along with a nice Bounty ability and a card-draw ability, Dash gets +1 power and +1 health for every Equipment attached to him. In case you don't fully grasp the power of this new card, if Dash has 4 Equipment cards attached to himself, his stats are 40/9/9 plus he gets all the bonuses from that Equipment. But that's not all. Dash is the first card in the SWTCG that can benefit from subtype-specific Equipment that doesn't provide a benefit to his subtype. His Equipment ability is not limited to Equipment that he can use, but comes into effect for every equipment card attached to him.

Dash, like all good smugglers, is Neutral, allowing him to be equipped with 4 Jedi Lightsabers or 4 Sith Lightsabers depending on if he is in a Light Side or Dark Side deck. Dash can also benefit from any Space or Ground Equipment (if you can find a way to Equip it to him) which makes Dash Rendar (B) even more playable. For every Equipment you attach to Dash the target on his back gets bigger. Luckily for you he becomes a little bit tougher. A Dash Rendar (B) stack might be the first powerhouse from the Scum and Villainy set. For with Dash out on the table, it won't matter if he is outnumbered, because he won't be outgunned! Where is that third arm?

In the SAV set you can look forward to 9 Equipment cards and a few cards that benefit or disadvantage the use of equipment. There are also 3 Smugglers in the SAV set and 6 cards that deal with the Smuggler subtype.

Next week, we reveal a card that you already know a little about…a Bounty Hunter in the wrong arena. Slave I (G) will be the final preview for the Scum and Villainy set, where the galaxy's most notorious figures are at your command.

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About the Author
After working in the Graphical Design Sub-Committee for the FOTR set Trent has moved on to the Card Development Sub-Committee and is working as an associate on the IDC's next project. He just recently moved to the Public Affairs Sub-committee. He is a member of Rebelbasers.com and is currently the organizer of the DCCR.