Say Hello to my Furry Little Friends
by John Bustamante
Edited By: Trent McCrow

[We, the IDC, hope you didn't take our April Fools joke too seriously! In order to make up for any misunderstanding, we present two actual Battle of Endor preview cards. -Editor]

In a galaxy far away, there is a small moon, seemingly unimportant until the Empire chose it for the construction of the second Death Star. The Moon of Endor is now the most guarded point in the Galaxy. Yet, the Emperor is oblivious to the fact that the indigenous Ewok population is more of a threat then he thought. With the aid of the Rebel Alliance, the Ewoks will rise up and bring the best of the Imperial Army to their knees.

This week I have the honor of introducing the first 2 of 10 previews, not counting the "You Make the Card" or the IDC Holidays Gift Stormtrooper EN-502-07. Battle of Endor, so far the third IDC expansion set, is scheduled to have a total of 180 cards and is expected to be released early May.

Wizards of the Coast first introduced us to the Ewok subtype in their Return of the Jedi expansion, but they have always left a little to be desired. Enough cards did not surface from the ROTJ expansion to create a viable Ewok or Endor theme and the theme that did surface did not stand up to the Gungan, Tusken, Wookiee, Tatooine, or Naboo themes. With so few cards and so little support, the Ewoks and Endor units were not an effective strategy. Now, with the new Battle of Endor expansion set, the IDC Card Development sub-committee has worked hard to give the Ewok and Endor subtype more playability.

Every fan of Star Wars knows that the technology the Ewoks wielded was most primitive. With this in mind, we introduce our first preview; the Ewok Catapult. This Ground unit is an example of the technology that the Ewoks employed against Imperial forces on Endor. At only 20 Speed, 4 Power, and 3 Health for a total of 4 Build, the Ewok Catapult does not seem all too special. But, despite its relatively low stats, its star feature is its ability to untap for free just like its Gungan counterpart, Gungan Catapult. This ability is boosted by overkill on the second shot which provides 'splash' damage. With this amazing ability, Ewok Catapult can prove useful against most swarm decks where the idea is to surround your opponent with overwhelming numbers of units with relatively low power and health.

Next, we have a very interesting Ewok Character. The Ewok Elite Archer is definitely a force to be reckoned with. With 40 Speed, 3 Power, and 4 Health for only 4 Build Points this is a solid Character unit. But, the stats are not the only thing that makes this an aid to any Ewok/Endor theme. The Ewok Elite Archer comes equipped with Accuracy; a vital tool for taking out units quickly and effectively. But that is not all this furry archer has going for him. Like the famous Plo Koon (B) and Zam Wesell (C), these Elite Archers have the ability to attack units in your opponents build zone, but unlike Plo or Zam the Archer has the advantage of being non-unique. Being lucky enough to have four Archers in the Character Arena at once would definitely be something the Dark Side would not want to see. With this ability, the build zone becomes a death trap, and units like Mas Amedda (A) and Rune Haako (A) can no longer retreat to safety with these Elite Ewok Archers on patrol.

During the Battle of Endor, the Ewoks knowledge of the terrain and locations of Endor proved paramount in victory. When using the Ewok theme, Locations such as Forests of Endor and Ewok Village may keep the enemy at bay while certain Endor Rebels prepare a larger or more accurate assault. Think of other ways these two new cards can be enhanced. Would Equipment be something that could help? How about a good Battle or Mission combo? What type of support units could be of help?

As a TCG player I think it is important to try new ideas and create new ways of accomplishing a win. Don't be afraid of testing new themes or even perfecting old ones. The best players are not those that win the most; the best players are the ones who are not afraid to try something new.

All in all, the IDC has enhanced the Ewok and Endor theme. I hope everyone has enjoyed this week's preview and feel free to post any comments on Rebelbasers.

Next week we take a closer look some new ways to enhance and counter one of the most effective trump abilities the TCG offers.

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