Big Pocketbook
By T. B. McCrow

The Outer Rim is full of unsavory types. Many of the Galaxies most feared individuals retreat to their underground hives and frequent the outer rim Cantina's looking for their next job. Your trip to the undercity has been incident free for the most part but you are yet to face your greatest fear. A little farther ahead is the small underground cantina that has caught your attention, the 'Hutt's Slime Pit'. You have been told the most deadly Bounty Hunters visit here in search for a Bounty Offer worthy of their time. It is even said that the great Boba Fett has visited before. You have come here for one reason and one reason alone: to hire someone for eradication duty. It's a good thing you brought your big pocketbook today.

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 first two cards from the Scum and Villainy (SAV) dream card expansion set developed by the Independent Development Committee (IDC).

To kick things off I thought it would be a good idea to start with a familiar theme: Bounty and Upkeep. Wizards of the Coast was responsible for the release of the first SWTCG set that was not based solely on the Star Wars Movies. In the Rogues and Scoundrels set, players were introduced to Characters and other units from the Star Wars Expanded Universe. The IDC Scum and Villainy Set will do much of the same. I thought it would be a good idea to have a look at two cards from the SAV set that feature the 2 success stories from the RAS set; Bounty and Upkeep.

Bounty is one of the game's most rewarding abilities. For those of you who don't know, a card with the Bounty ability is rewarded for discarding your opponents units. Bounty can range from more build to spend next turn to drawing more cards or even removing damage counters from your units. One of the Best Bounties to date can be found on Guri (A), "One of your Characters gets "Pay 2 Force Force -> Untap this unit" until end of turn." Units with Bounty can provide you the edge you need to defeat your opponent and Bounty makes those units worth all the more in your decks.

The first preview card for the SAV set is Bounty Offer. When I first read the list of cards in the upcoming set, I have to admit that this card did not jump out at me and scream 'Play me! Play Me!" It wasn't until I was given the task of preparing the preview cards to be spoiled that I gave this card another look. At first glance, you will probably dismiss this card as I did, but when you look closer at how this card works, you will find it is more valuable than you first might of thought. For an investment of 3 build, one of your Neutral units gains "Bounty: Gain 1 build point" until end of game. To most, this looks like you need to wait three turns just to offset the cost of playing this Mission; and if you can only discard one unit per turn, that is indeed the case. When this Mission is played on one of your unit's with a built-in untap ability you will be able to gain multiple build very fast. Without credits in the Star Wars galaxy, you are helpless; and without build in a SWTCG game, you are defenseless. Bounty Offer provides a new way to avoid that fate.

The second card I am previewing for you today is one of the cards that got me really excited about the SAV set! Bespin Engineers. This Ground unit may be the catalyst that brings Neutral only decks to the cutting edge of SWTCG game play. This Ground unit focuses on the second ability introduced in the RAS set; Upkeep. For 3 build, you get a 30 speed unit with 1 power and 1 health; but I don't think this card will see much action in the Ground arena. Bespin Engineers has one of the best Reserves abilities the SWTCG game has seen so far! For the cost of only one Force (and tapping Bespin Engineers), you are allowed to choose one of units with Upkeep and ignore that unit's upkeep for that turn. This little beauty of an ability can save you a lot of headaches, and can help you spend your valuable resources on other cards, not losing your precious build to pay the upkeep of your units. Where Bespin Engineers really shines is when its ability is played on a card like Han Solo (I), saving you 2 build, or better yet, played on Prince Xizor (A). When this card is coupled with Prince Xizor (A), you are only paying 1 Force to pay for all your Neutral units' Upkeep costs! With the addition of Bespin Engineers to your Bounty Hunter deck, you will defiantly be keeping your Pocketbook full!

In the SAV set you can look forward to 8 other Missions, 12 more new Ground units, 12 units with Bounty, 8 units with Upkeep, and even a Bespin Space unit.

Stay tuned next week as we bring you the next 2 Previews for the Scum and Villainy set, where the galaxy's most notorious figures are at your command.

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About the Author
Trent has been a player and collector of the game since Attack of the Clones and is currently the Articles Workgroup Leader for the IDC Public Affairs Sub-committee. Since writing his first article for the IDC a new love has blossomed and his dedication to providing the best service possible to the players of the SWTCG is second to none. Trent has recently been promoted to the rank of Reporter over at Rebelbasers.com and is trying to further develop the RB community. He posts under the alias IVIaceWindu.