Card Appreciation Vol. 6

CARD:  "Children of the Force"

WHAT IT DOES:  Allows twins to power up and be fleet of feet.

WHY IT'S AWESOME:  We've now played thirty 12-way Duels in Waco, and Luke Skywalker is the only character to never have won a Duel.  In fact, in 55+ recorded Duels, he's only won once.  It was the second Duel ever, back in 2002.

That's not good.

I've long thought Luke Skywalker is the worst character you can draw in a 12-way, but I have a new theory:  he's misunderstood!  He's the fifth ranked character in our league so he can't be all bad.  The issue could be that nobody has figured out exactly how to play him.  I think "Children of the Force" might be the hidden key that's been in front of our faces the whole time!

"Children of the Force" (aka "Children of the Corn," as Ryan likes to say it...) is represented in Luke's deck three times - that's nearly 10% of his hand.  You know what other Special card is in Luke's hand three times?  "I Will Not Fight You."  That can't be a coincidence, and I'm kicking myself for not seeing the connection sooner.  If you combo an "I Will Not Fight You" with a "Children of the Force" you can gut somebody's whole hand while retreating and replenishing yours!  You get to move six spaces, which is farther than anyone can roll, you can move Leia too, and you get two cards the rest of the board can't see to start restocking your hand.  That's good stuff!  Now...can somebody pull that off three times in one game? If you do, I suspect you'll be close to a victory.

BEST USED:  I don't recall seeing the combo mentioned above used in a game, but "Children of the Force" can be played well in other scenarios too.  Luke has a couple of sketchy starting positions on certain boards - if you have one of these in your hands early, use it to get out of Dodge and draw cards faster than everybody else. That will also enable you to attack first, another way to throw the dogs off your scent.  Luke is similar to a shooter, too.  You don't want to stay too long in any one spot with Luke and Leia. "Children of the Force" helps you avoid overstaying your welcome and empowers you to flee to a new alliance.  Also, if you're holding a "Justice" card after Leia is dead, being able to suddenly run six spaces to attack an unsuspecting Dueler with ten points can be critically valuable.

WORST USED:  To card up only.  Ignoring the movement benefit only nets you one additional card in your hand after two actions.  Worse yet, not using it at all.  Several characters can disarm Specials or discard you at random.  It's clear by the number of cards Luke is holding that he's meant to move and move often.  Don't be a slug.

FINAL THOUGHTS:  There won't be a big enough way to celebrate the Dueler who finally brings home a victory for the long lost Luke Skywalker.  Surely "Children of the Force" will factor into that victory?

What do you think???  Sound off in the comments below!

Card Appreciation Vol. 5

CARD:  Dark Side Drain

WHAT IT DOES:  Vampire-esque Healing

WHY IT'S AWESOME:  No character in 12-Way Duels history has more victories than the dark lord of the Sith, Darth Vader.  He is an intimidating, evil, bad mamma-jamma.  Vader benefits from having the highest health point total in the game.  It takes FOREVER to knock him out, hence the reason he's only finished last once.  Ever.  But Vader's dirty little secret is that he has little to no defensive cards.  Often his five-point attack cards are used as defense, even though the number in blue is a measly one point.  That's where the Drain cards come in.  The only thing better than knocking somebody down is gaining health while you're doing it.  With two of these in his deck, Vader can compensate a bit for the attacks he's forced to absorb.

BEST USED:  The attack value is only three points, and the health recovered only equals the damage inflicted, so it's best to pick weak targets to ensure maximum gain.  Clone Troopers and Battle Droids are the perfect recipients.  Not only are they lowly defenders, they're often the biggest nuisance Vader has to deal with in a Duel.  Make sure to use them while these minor characters are still alive in the game.  They're perfect for a finishing blow too, especially if a defender is low carded (like Darth Maul after he's spent a series of Sith Speeds).

WORST USED:  Playing these on big defenders, or any major character really, can be a tactical mistake.  If Vader saddles up to you and lays down an attack card, the defender will almost always assume it's one of his five-point attacks and will defend accordingly.  That often means the Dark Side Drain is a swing and a miss.  Stick to minor characters or Fetts to move your damage indicator in the right direction.

FINAL THOUGHTS:  Darth Vader is loaded with a lot of fun Special cards, so don't overlook these critically important healing attacks.  They could be the difference between victory and defeat.

What do you think of Dark Side Drain?  Share your opinion in the comments below!

Card Appreciation Vol. 4

Before we get started, if we could have a moment of silence for our boy...

CARD:  Heroic Retreat

WHAT IT DOES:  Hits'n'runs!

WHY IT'S AWESOME:  Let's be honest, friends. When you pull the envelope containing Han Solo and Chewbacca during a 12-Way Duel, you know things are stacked against you.  It's a Force-user's world, and all you've got is a blaster and the minor character your eleven competitors want to kill first.  But you know what?  THAT'S JUST THE WAY HAN LIKES IT!!!  Unlike the Fetts, fellow shooters who can fly out of danger, Solo has to use his feet to escape.  Shooters work best when they can stay under the radar.  Moving around and gathering no moss is a strong strategy for a character like Han.  Hitting someone with five points of damage on your way out of town usually isn't enough to prompt a chase from a lightsaber, but it's enough to to leave a sting.  And with two of these in your hand you can stay nimble.  The other huge advantage to these cards is that you aren't burning defensive cards.  Han is weak sauce when it comes to defending himself, so even one and two point defense values are needed to survive.

BEST USED:  When you're flipping sides!  Thank your former alliance partners with five points of love and get the heck out of there.  Chances are they'll have bigger fish to fry.  Try to get a bit of raised terrain between you and your ex-mates for added protection.

WORST USED:  Up close and personal without using the five spaces of movement.  Point blank is not the way to go, hence the word "retreat" on the card.  Don't be a hero.  Shoot first.  (See what I did there!!!)

FINAL THOUGHTS:  Han has twice as many victories as the Emperor and Luke, so you've got a shot.  And these attack cards are key to survival and the win. 

Card Appreciation Vol. 3

CARD:  "Sudden Arrival"

CHARACTER:  Greedo

WHAT IT DOES:  Creates dramatic entrances and exits.

WHY IT'S AWESOME:  Well, "awesome" might be a bit of an exaggeration, but Greedo's Sudden Arrival cards do come in handy.  The card is based on the scene from Star Wars when Greedo surprises Han in the cantina.  When you play it you can drop Greedo anywhere on the board as long he's adjacent to another character.  That means no matter how guarded another player might be, Greedo can always slip in behind them.

BEST USED:  There are three ways this card is used best.  First, it's a good way to keep Greedo close to Boba Fett after the bounty hunter uses his "Rocket Retreat" card.  This enables Greedo to maintain his human shield function as Boba's minor character.  Next, it's a great way to give Greedo a clear shot at a character he doesn't have line-of-sight for.  It works even better if that enemy is far across the board.  Greedo has a seven point attack, along with a couple of four point shots, so even though he doesn't get a ton of respect from your rivals he can still make life complicated for them.  Finally, Sudden Arrival is a great way to box a character in or separate them from their alliance or minor characters.  And in all of these instances of use, it never counts as an action, which is a huge advantage when you're navigating a shooter during a 12-way Duel.

WORST USED:  You see Sudden Arrival used sometimes when a player has ten cards in their hand and they don't want to attack somebody.  I think that's a shortsighted approach to the flexibility it provides. Another thing to be mindful of is the character you "Suddenly Arrive" next to.  If you land next to Yoda you can get force lifted, and you'll never discard three to stand him up again.  Place him next to a major character who gets nervous about his close proximity and he can be killed pretty quickly.

FINAL THOUGHT:   Greedo is a bit of a walking punch line in Epic Duels, so have fun building the suspense when playing this card.  But remember, he can be useful...anywhere on the board!

What do you all think about Sudden Arrival?  Share your thoughts in the comments below!

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!

Card Appreciation Vol. 1

CARD:  "Taunting"

CHARACTER:  Count Dooku

WHAT IT DOES:  It punches you in the mouth...repeatedly.

WHY IT'S AWESOME:  Though Count Dooku is currently a bottom-three ranked character in this Duels league, it's not because he isn't dangerous.  The heart and soul of his deck are his four, that's right, four Taunting cards.  Good for seven points of carnage apiece, Dooku can potentially drop 28 points of attack in a mere two rounds of play.  Only a couple of other characters in the game can do more damage in such a short span of time.  But the real kicker?  The card replaces itself after each action with the "draw a card" bonus.  So you can drop those 28 points of vengeance and still have ten cards in your hand!  Admittedly, it's hard to hold all four in your hand at one time, but not impossible.  Dooku operates best when you have a full ten cards in you hand and the Taunting attacks help you maintain hand superiority.

BEST USED:  In tandem, preferably when you know your opponent's best defense cards have already been played.  Like it was mentioned above, they play better when your hand is/nearly is full.

WORST USED:  When you're low carded.  Dropping the Taunting card on an enemy when you have few cards in your hand is a quick way to exit a game early.  Dooku's biggest weakness is his defense, and using the Taunting card will almost always produce a counter-attack against you.  The one time you might ignore this advice is at the start of the game, especially if you are one of the first three or four players in the rotation of play.  Everyone starts off with four cards, meaning premium defense cards are less likely to be in play, and the "Draw a card" feature of the Taunting will help you keep pace.  Dooku often starts near the Fetts or Emperor Palpatine, three characters with smaller health point totals that could be half dead with one successful Taunting play.

FINAL THOUGHT:  It feels so right when you land two of these in a row on some poor, unsuspecting competitor.

What do you think of Taunting?  Sound off in the comments below!