Card Appreciation Vol. 2

CARD:  "Precise Shot"

CHARACTER:  Padme Amidala

WHAT IT DOES:  Pierces your soul.

WHY IT'S AWESOME:  Do me a favor, and read the number in the red semi-circle at the top of the card.  No, it's not an upside down six.  That's a big, fat, fear-inducing nine attack points.  And when Padme aims her blaster at your dome, you better be ready to move your damage indicator down a row or two.  Besides being one of the largest attack cards in the game, it has the added bonus of allowing you to discard a card to draw a new one.  Precise Shot is the gift that keeps on giving...pain!

BEST USED:  Anakin and Padme are the most nuanced, complicated characters to control in Epic Duels.  Some characters are balanced, others are more offensive, and still others are defensively oriented.  But these two fit their own category - chaotic.  And nothing introduces potential chaos quite like Padme shooting at you.  There's only one Precise Shot in the deck, but you have to defend for it every time she fires at you.  That means it's to your advantage to fake its presence in your hand a couple of times before laying waste to an opponent.  I prefer to use it long range, so in a 12-way Duel, your best bet is often to fire it towards the dark side.  The Fetts, with their perpetually low defensive cards, are a good bet to extract maximum damage.  If you combine it with Padme's "Shot on the Run," an attack card with a value of six, that's 15 total hit points in one turn (and you can retreat after firing).  Nobody wants to face that.

The true Dueling expert, though, will also utilize the discard feature.  This is crucial for keeping Anakin as nimble as possible.  His "Anger" and "Calm" cards are used best in tandem, so Precise Shot helps you dig for them.  Anakin can be a bit light on defense, too, so you get an extra crack at guarding yourself.  She sure takes care of her major character!

WORST USED:  You know what's not fun?  Using a nine attack and having it completely defended.  So beware of characters with high defense cards that can neutralize its value.  Also, there are a few characters who can do exclusive damage to minor characters.  Shooting them with Precise Shot is an open invitation to ending Padme's game early.

FINAL THOUGHT:  Padme is a character who can go unnoticed in a 12-way Duel.  Don't make that mistake, or you'll find out just how Precise her Shot is.

What do you think of Padme's Precise Shot?  Let us know in the comments below!