The age of Fortification play was at its peak in the earliest WOTC expansions. Attack of the Clones and Sith Rising both had Fortifications that saw plenty of use for their large power and plenty of health. At the time, with the game still coming into existence, Fortifications were seen as WMD's for the Ground arena. As time passed, speed and strength of numbers became the deciding factor in the Ground arena. With the introduction of Blast Doors, the Fortification can rise again to supremacy.

For a total of 4 Build Point to Build and Equip, any Fortification can gain "Put 2 damage counters on this unit -> Prevent all damage to this unit. This ability can't be disrupted." It rings familiar of the ever powerful AT-AT Assault Group of ESB. With this ability, any Fortification has an added line of defense that can stop a swarm long enough for reinforcements to arrive or even to attack with the destructive forces that many Fortifications come equipped with.

Since Blast Doors is a Neutral Equipment, it has varying uses for both the Dark and Light side. The Light side could use Blast Doors to protect the Planatary Ion Cannon, Yavin 4 Hangar Base, Echo Base, or even the old Naboo Spaceport and Naboo Defense Station. The Dark side also has many Fortifications that could use defending, such as the Endor Shield Generator, Death Star Turbolaser Tower, the venerable Trade Federation Battleship and Control Cores, or even the Geonosian Defense Platform.

With the advent of Stealth, super speedy units now have the perfect counter. Now, let's try to counter the super stealthy units with the power of Fortifications!

"This station is now the ultimate power in the universe."

Or at least the first Death Star would have been if Wizards had not screwed up the entire concept of the first Death Star cards in the Battle of Yavin expansion, but I do not wish to digress. The reason I won't is that the Battle of Endor expansion has helped to make sure that the lessons learned with the Death Star II in the Return of the Jedi expansion continue. In creating a card that is not only a good unit for its stats for only eight build, the Death Star II (D) easily becomes the centerpiece of most Dark Side decks that will be created for the next few months.

The reason is simple. Before this set, making a Dark Side deck that generated build was not an easy process and ultimately weakened most decks by trying it. Now however, the Dark Side has a great card that can be favorably compared to a version of the Millennium Falcon with Princess Leia (G) on it, the multiple copies of Free Coruscant that could be deployed, etc.

Furthermore, with just a few good battle cards, this Death Star will not look better as a large orange smear in an Endor sky. Whether you use something straightforward like Break Off The Attack or something more sinister and sneaky like Imperial Misdirection, just make sure that this Death Star is out in setup and lasts one turn without dying. That way as the Force increases, that copy of either Hotwire or Dismiss in hand will be very effective, without having to devote deck space to Cloud City Battleground in every deck this ultimate weapon resides in.

Combine this with traditional build gaining cards like San Hill (A), Mas Amedda (A), Kabe (A), or the brand new Imperial Banker and all those excess build points can build a nice ground unit like the Death Star II Ceremonial Legion or the Patrol Mode Vulture Droid. Or perhaps a couple of Homing Missiles would suit the situation better, if not an Occupied Bespin to cycle through the deck faster.

No matter what, as that LackeyCCG program sits on desktops across the TCG fandom begging to be used, just remember that a Dark Side deck is just not complete without the Emperor's favorite new superweapon.

The Battle of Endor is an expansion that, as I continue to playtest it, continues to amaze me with certain cards that have very specifically addressed the metagame in a great way. Now while some will remain controversal (mostly the higher speed cards like Tie Pursuit Wing or the "card cycling"* Green Squadron A-wing), the card I wish to discuss is Sanctuary Moon.

Before BOE, as a Light Side player especially, only a fool or a person who had not played the game much would miss the power and significance of the Dark Side's use of Hidden Cost. In many cases, one high build roll on any given turn would be the difference between the Light Side winning, and the Dark Side smashing whatever was left with Endor Imperial Fleet, Darth Vader (R), Boba Fett (H), or to a lesser extent the 501st Legion (A). Comparably, the best Hidden Cost unit the Light Side had in it's arsenal was Boba Fett (H). The Light Side also had access to the HC Jabba/Spirit combo, but usually, the Light Side employed Hidden Cost more to stall than win.

Then the amazing Battle of Endor expansion came along. Certainly the Light Side received some great new Hidden Cost units in Luke Sywalker (S), Ewok Squad, and the Rebel Commando Unit. However, the Dark Side has also received the Interdictor-Class Star Destroyer, which is a great counter to Light Side units trying to use something like Anakin's Inspiration.

A Light Side player would be advised to incorporate Sanctuary Moon into their deck. This is to ensure that if the Dark Side deploys a Hidden Cost unit, your Stealth strategy in any arena cannot be countered. As a Dark Side player, I would advise you not to use this Sanctuary Moon due to the numerous powerful Hidden Cost units at your disposal. Using Locations and/or Search for the Rebels would be an expedient way to guard against Sanctuary Moon.

*("Card cycling" is a observational term used in reference to a newer card replacing an older card (with identical or similar abilities) for a lesser build cost. In the above mentioned case, Green Squadron A-wing card cycles A-wing from the Return of the Jedi expansion.)

Sometimes I think both fans and authors of the various spin-off fictions after Return of the Jedi forget one important thing about Luke Skywalker. It is forgotten that Yoda said of him, "Much anger in him, like his father." In other words, Luke is not just this serene guy that takes it all in, acting as if he hasn't grown as a person since the ESB. I am glad to see in this card, Luke Skywalker (S); the IDC has not forgotten this in the slightest.

Now, you may be asking yourself, why bother with Luke's (S) version when I could be talking about his (Q) version? Well, besides the irony I see in that the "mega" Luke's version letter is (Q)........there is also the fact that the (Q) version has about as much subtlety as an AT-AT Assault Group. There is no way you put a card down like Luke Skywalker (Q) and the DS player doesn't think, "This isn't going to be the usual pilot deck."

Now (S) on the other hand, just look at the potentential. First, when this card kills, it means business. Boba Fett (H) won't be coming right back from your opponents hand, nor will Darth Vader (R) keep hacking away at his son over and over without the possibility of getting sucker punched first. Unlike his famous mentor, Obi-Wan Kenobi's Hidden Cost version (Q), this Luke lets himself feel real, attached anger. It might corrupt him some and cause him to be monosyllabic, but it also ensures that instead of a lot of smack talk with little result, neither Armor nor the Emperor's Robe will slow him down. Whether this card is used in conjunction with something straightforward like Luke's Wrath or an even more self-damaging card like Brutal Assault, even a Force heavy Emperor Palpatine (D) will have something to fear.

If I may be so bold, this card is what Wizards of the Coast should have done with Luke Skywalker (O). Instead, every 2 out of 3 LS decks were full of pilots. But every player will discover, as they build the various deck types in Battle of Endor, it's time to shake up the status quo. Luke (S) is a card that begs you to reconsider forsaking Character and instead fight for it. Get a little angry. Some corruption isn't going to turn you into a Sith. And maybe, just maybe, you can turn on your copy of ROTJ and remember Luke made a third option, regardless of what the Jedi or Sith wanted of him. The last battle of the saga didn't require Luke to be "piloting" a starfighter or speeder; it required him to be more cunning then the Master of all Manipulation.