Battle of Endor - A Card Development Perspective
by Cody Barnett

Going into the Battle of Endor expansion, the Card Development team knew a lot was expected out of them. With the recent success of Scum and Villainy, I began noticing a subtle shift toward change in the way the game was played. The foundation had been paved for a colossal giant that would eventually be known to the public as Battle of Endor, a set that would forever turn the Star Wars Trading Card Game upside down.

Battle of Endor had long been anticipated, even in the days of the wretched empire, Wizards of the Coast. When Card Development began to work on the new set, we realized that there was a gold mine of material to work with; Wizards had hardly touched on the Battle of Endor with its set, Return of the Jedi. There was also the constant reminder of what the players wanted; a playable Luke Skywalker, playable Rebel and Imperial decks, and, of course, the Ewoks.

Making a playable, balanced Luke Skywalker wasn’t as easy as some may think. The real card that was to steal the show was his (S) version, which went through several alternations over the course of development. His original version was even more behemoth than the finalized version and would have left Dark Side players with a major headache (as Darth Vader (R) did to the Light Side in Revenge of the Sith). Perhaps the most controversial part of this card was the ‘power-up’ ability, which went through a different alternation each version until finally Critical Hit 2 was decided upon. Satisfied with the end result, Card Development finalized the version and passed it on the Graphic Design. From my gameplay experience since the set release, I am pleased with how much play Luke Skywalker (S) is getting; almost every Light Deck I’ve seen has utilized his corrupting power.

Making Rebel decks and Imperial decks playable wouldn’t be hard. To a degree, they were capable of putting up a fight in the meta before Battle of Endor, albeit being very low tier decks. The cards that have had the biggest impact on these decks are the heads of state; respectively, Mon Mothma (C) and Emperor Palpatine (G).

Before the release of Battle of Endor, it was comically stated that only a fool would believe the Empire would not receive plentiful bonuses in the set because of the Imperial-crazed Card Development Chairman. As evident after set released, the person who made this assumption should think of professional gambling; Battle of Endor featured a grand total of sixty-two Imperial cards! Most significant among them, however, is undoubtedly Emperor Palpatine (G). The Dark Lord of the Sith is finally able to prove his title as ruler of the most powerful galactic government in centuries. Original designs had Palpatine being very similar to Nute Gunray (C), who sent the Trade Federation into a fighting frenzy after The Phantom Menace. Part of this was incorporated onto the final version, with “Pay 0 Force -> Intercept” being the ability that would allow the Empire to soak damage and then pulverize the enemy afterwards. However, the real jewel of Palpatine is the Bounty he grants. The draw engine was one of the prime problems with Imperial decks before Battle of Endor. Emperor Palpatine (G) looks to reverse that. Not only can he redirect the attacks of your opponent’s units to ensure your key units stay alive, but he offers a reward of one card to any Imperial unit that can knockout one of your opponent’s units! Should the Dark Lord of the Sith be directly attacked, his Evade will ensure that he stays alive longer than any cowardly Neimoidian would ever dream of.

Rebel decks were more popular than Imperial decks before Battle of Endor. I was able to exploit the uses of Mon Mothma (A) and build a very deadly “Rebel Accuracy” deck that I used in many tournaments. However, with Mon Mothma (C), the focus on Accuracy with Rebel decks has now shifted to pure powerhouse combinations. The handy ability of reducing Force and build costs of the activated abilities featured on your Rebel units can be used to send your opponent down a path of destruction. Toryn Farr (A)'s ability can be used an infinite number of times; the speed boost obviously combines well with Starfighter’s End to ensure even the most leviathan ships incinerate. Not only that, but the ancient card Desperate Confrontation suddenly seems more desirable; who wouldn’t want a free +2 power each attack?

Then there were the Ewoks. These furry friends of the Alliance to Restore the Republic were one of the main factors that toppled the Galactic Empire. Ironic as it may seem, their primitive tactics overwhelmed the technologically advanced weapons of the Imperials. Though the powerhouses of Chief Chirpa (B), Ewok Squad, and Ewok Catapult are overt, the subtle use of Wokling is the real power behind Ewok decks. For only 1 build you can swarm the Character arena for free if you have any of the numerous reducers in play. They are also great for keeping your Ewok Warriors units alive; as long as you have Chief Chirpa (B) in play, you can Intercept to these units to take any damage your opponent throws at you. Desperate Bluff is a perfect card to use with Wokling to hinder your opponent’s ‘big pocketbook,’ including Darth Vader, the Death Star II, and those persistently annoying Patrol Mode Vulture Droids.
As you are playing the game this week – whether it be for the Imperial Battle Simulator or merely out of your own time – keep in mind the infinite wells of card combinations that these four cards create. Imagine what 180 cards can do!

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