Battle
of Endor - You Make The Card - Part 3 by
Brian Weeks
From
across the starry heavens to the lowest levels of the forest floor,
an epic battle rages. Planet side, Imperial scout troopers, rebel
commandos, and even the indiginous furry Ewoks fight for dominance
and their own survival. Far above, in the cold reaches of space,
two Jedi fight to fulfill their destinies. The ultimate battle of
good versus evil is about to begin, and this time, YOU are in control.
The first and only time Wizard
of the Coast allowed Star Wars TCG players world-wide to help develop
a card for the TCG was for the Empire Strikes Back expansion.
After seven online polls, Mara
Jade (A) was created. In three years and ten WOTC expansions,
the TCG fan got to help make one card. The IDC rectified this oversight
by allowing you to help create the Equipment card, Thermal Detonator
for Scum
and Villainy. So, today and in the following weeks, YOU, the
loyal TCG player, will again help us create a card for our next
expansion, Battle
of Endor.
Time
to Cast Your Vote
I guess the Dark Side is more powerful and seductive. You voted
the next You Make The Card to be Dark Side. I personally voted for
the Light Side, but the majority rules. Now, with some input for
the IDC Card Development Sub-committee, we have six Dark side Space
units for you to vote on. Choose wisely. After this decision, there's
no turning back and your journey to the Dark side will almost be
complete.
For those who are curious, here's
the results from Step Two.
You
Make The Card - Step Three
We
just can't stress enough how important this choice is. This is
all up to you. We urge you to take some time and really think
about what you want. This is now the point of no return for the
You Make The Card polls. Once you choose which Dark side Space
unit you want, we'll then begin developing and voting on the stats
and abilities of the card.
The
Card Development sub-committee, in order to not interfere with
units already in development for Battle of Endor, have chosen
the six possible units you can vote on. So, in no particular order,
here they are.
Devastator (B) Devastator was an Imperial I-class Star Destroyer of the
Imperial Navy famous for its participation in the capture of Tantive
IV and as Darth Vader's flagship. When Vader's new command ship,
Executor, completed construction, Vader transferred his flag,
but Devastator remained a part of his roving, Rebel-hunting Death
Squadron, and participated at the Battle of Hoth. Devastator
was finally destroyed during the events of the Battle of Endor,
apparently under concentrated starfighter attack.
Emperor's
Shuttle (B)
The Lambda-class shuttle was based on a tri-wing design with a central
stationary wing flanked by a pair of folding wings. The Lambda was
favored by Imperial personnel because it was heavily armed and shielded.
Thus, the vehicle class found itself used by key Imperial officials
including Emperor Palpatine himself and Darth Vader. These high-ranking
officials often converted the cargo space into personal quarters and
equipped them with secure HoloNet transceivers directly connected
to Imperial Center. Palpatine's shuttle was equipped with extra shielding,
for obvious reasons. It was also rumored that it was equipped with
a cloaking device for added protection.
Imperial
Communications Ship
The communications ship was of a different design than the Imperial-class
Star Destroyers, having reactors positioned just inside a cargo bay,
instead of in isolated, separate chambers, as on the Imperial-class.
It also had extensive jamming capabilities. The vessel also stood
out in a fleet consisting mostly of Imperial-class Star Destroyers,
as Rebel starfighters singled it out as one of the larger Destroyers
and the main communications ship.
Baron Fel's
TIE Interceptor (A)
Baron Soontir Fel was a general in the Empire of the Hand and commander
of its Starfighter Corps. In his prime, he was considered one of the
best pilots in the Galactic Empire and perhaps the Galaxy as a whole.
The TIE/In starfighter, or TIE Interceptor, was an improved version
of the TIE/ln starfighter. It was identifiable by its arrow-shaped
radiator panels, as distinct from the hexagonal ones on the TIE Fighter.
It was one of the fastest starfighters in the Galaxy at its prime,
rivalling or suprassing the Alliance's RZ-1 A-wing interceptor.
Star Destroyer
Fleet
Although they dwarfed the frigates and cruisers in the Galactic Republic's
standard warship scale, Star Destroyers were smaller in scale than
Imperial Star Cruisers. During the Clone Wars, Star Destroyers were
considered medium-weight warships. With the extensive increase in
warship-sizes in the Empire, Star Destroyers gradually came to be
considered as smaller vessels. Their size encompassed ships ranged
from about 900 meters to multiple kilometers in length, but even smaller
and larger vessels would also have the term applied to them. Many
Star Destroyers also acted as carriers, containing, in many cases,
an entire wing of starfighters.
Imperial
Theta-class Shuttle
The Cygnus Spaceworks Theta-class T-2c shuttle was a tri-winged personnel
transport craft, most often used by influential senators, officers,
and courtiers to travel between planets and starships while maintaining
high levels of security. Supreme Chancellor Palpatine used a Theta-class
shuttle as a personal transport when attending to off-world matters
during the Clone Wars. Though the Theta-class shuttle served the Empire
and Palpatine well, it was later replaced by the more advanced Lambda-class.
Even so, Theta-class shuttles were still used by the Empire as support
vessels, alongside older models like the Kappa-class shuttles.
Voting
for Step Three ends 12:00pm CST, Thursday, February 22nd, 2007.
Step Four will then be posted on Friday,
February 23rd, 2007.
Here's
the results of Step 3.
We're
very glad that you've joined us for this fun and exciting process
and we look forward to seeing what kind of card the TCG fan community
can create!
Thoughts
or comments? Visit the message board thread for this article here.
About the Author Brian Weeks
(aka Skywlkr) has been playing the Star Wars TCG since its introduction
at Celebration 2 in 2002. After playing the demo game and introducing
it to RedneckJedi and Darthwalls, Team 'Dude Where's My Card' was
created. He competed in three qualifiers, yet the closest he ever
ranked was eighth. As a member on Rebelbasers, SWDuelist and a writer
for the now defunct Diehard Online, he has tried to promote the game
through information and interaction.
He is married,
has a three year old son, is an architect, has been the Treasurer
and Newsletter Editor for five years for JediOKC
(an Oklahoma City based Star Wars Fan Club), was the IDC Card Development
Chairperson for Fall of the Republic and is now the
IDC Public Affairs Chairperson. Despite all that, he still has time
to introduce the game to new players…KEEP THE GAME ALIVE.
The
IDC is a player-elected body representing the Star Wars Trading Card
Game community. Neither this website, nor the information contained
herein is in any way produced for a profit to the IDC or any of its
members. The expansions created by the IDC are not available for sale
online nor in any store. The card images are free to download, print
and play.
From
across the starry heavens to the lowest levels of the forest floor,
an epic battle rages. Planet side, Imperial scout troopers, rebel
commandos, and even the indiginous furry Ewoks fight for dominance
and their own survival. Far above, in the cold reaches of space,
two Jedi fight to fulfill their destinies. The ultimate battle of
good versus evil is about to begin, and this time, YOU are in control.
