In the Mouth of Madness: A Card Development Perspective
By Cody Barnett

As the Independent Development Committee celebrates its two-year anniversary, its fourth card set - Clone Wars: Republic at War - is released to the public. In the aftermath of the highly successful Battle of Endor, the Committee understood that the bar was yet again to be raised. The difference, however, would prove to be on an innovative level rather than a 'powerful' level. Several tests and experiments were thrown into this set and many, I think, have proven to be a wonderful addition to the game.

When working with Clone Wars: Republic at War, the Card Development sub-committee knew that most of the emphasis of the set should be on the Separatist and Clone subtypes. We also understood that by doing so, we could complement the Jedi, Dark Jedi, and even Republic subtypes. Card Development even developed a new subtype: Gladiator. This would reflect the events that transpired on the Outer Rim world of Rattatak during the Clone Wars: Volume I saga. Making each of these subtypes work without vesting too much power into them proved to be a trying task, however.

The first subtype we delved into was the Clones. Light Side Clone decks were dominant in their day but, in the rise of Rebels, had grown dormant. The Clone decks couldn't stand up to the might Imperial machine created by subsequent sets since Empire Strikes Back. Card Development looked to reverse this with Captain Fordo (A).

Captain Fordo (A) gives the Clones a leader to rally behind, just as Emperor Palpatine (G) did for the Imperials. When designing Captain Fordo (A), Card Development wanted a commander that would give the Clones the power they needed to bring down the colossal giants that maintain an iron grip over the game. Since Clones can gain speed through the Clone Fire Team, it was logical for Captain Fordo (A) to give his troops a bonus that allowed them to hit hard and fast. Since Card Development didn't want a bland boost that had been tried before, we decided to use one of my favorite new keyword abilities: Fury. Fury allows the player to roll 'extra' dice if the attacking unit rolls a natural four. I found the ability uncanny and one of the most original in the game when it was first proposed and quickly warmed to using it. In my opinion, Fury was just what Card Development was looking for in Captain Fordo (A). By granting a Fury bonus, the clone known as Alpha-77 makes sure his troops have the cover fire needed to secure a victory for the Republic. On top of that, Captain Fordo (A) grants Accuracy 1 bonus to all Clones, since a large number of the Republic's troopers already have an Accuracy 1.

Next were the Separatists. This deck could barely scrounge playability before the release of Clone Wars: Republic at War. Now, however, they are a force to be reckoned with, thanks in part to the Supreme Commander of the Confederacy: General Grievous (F).

Who better to command the Separatists than the master tactician himself? General Grievous (F) gives the Separatist Droids a much needed boost preventing defending units from using Evade, Deflect, or Lucky when attacked by such units. Card Development found this to be in perfect harmony with the General's cunning ability to trap his opponents into an inescapable checkmate, as demonstrated in the Battle of Hypori. Separatist Droids such as Droideka JA-11-08 and Mygeeto Tri-Droid can fire away at your defenseless opponent, leaving them battered and bruised. Not only that, but the cyborg ensures that he stays around to help his troops by sporting an awesome combination of Armor and Parry 2. Even Mace Windu (A) has difficulty dealing with such a Force.

Card Development considered using a version of Darth Tyranus as the Separatist figurehead. In the end - and this shouldn't come as a surprise to those who know me - Darth Tyranus (J) became the 'tank' card to be used in conjunction with the Gladiator and Dark Jedi subtypes.

Speaking of our fierce warrior friends, the Gladiator subtype was an interesting one to develop. We always intended to have the Gladiators meld with the Dark Jedi decks, since Gladiators could not have a foothold in Space. One of the strongest arenas for the Gladiators, however, is the Ground arena - which is ironically the Dark Jedi's weakest. This is no coincidence; Card Development wanted these subtypes to compliment each other in such a way. Upon reviewing Clone Wars: Republic at War, I feel elated at just how well these subtypes work together.

Developing the Jedi subtype was interesting. Card Development knew that a solid Jedi Ground card was expected, and it delivered three: Jedi Battle Squad, Obi-Wan's Speeder Bike (A), and the groundbreaking Mace Windu (E). Jedi Battle Squad was the traditional 'wall' unit needed for the Jedi to make a serious bid in the Ground arena. With a health stat-to-cost ratio and good damage prevention, Jedi Battle Squad will be the thorn in your opponent's side when running Jedi decks. Jedi Battle Squad went through many versions before being narrowed into the balanced unit it is today. The original form not only had a cheaper Deflect but also sported Parry 1, which proved to be too powerful. The idea for Mace Windu (E) to be a Ground unit was not actually developed until later in the set as a counter to a Character being able to strike a Ground unit with impunity from the Character arena. Being able to hold down two arenas with one person brings Mace Windu to the top of playability once more.

The Jedi also required an unexpected leader in the form of Ki-Adi-Mundi (C). Ki-Adi-Mundi (C) was one of the last cards to be approved and went through many forms before finally reaching the version we have today. It proved difficult to balance Ki-Adi-Mundi (C)'s hefty stats with his 'leadership' ability. Playtesting proposed an excellent compromise, however, that resulted in the card we have today.

As with Battle of Endor, Clone Wars: Republic at War has proved revolutionary to the way in which the game is played. So many opportunities and interconnected strategies are presented that it is impossible to describe them all. I can only hope that you are enjoying these as much as I am.

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