With the new Objectives such as Local Uprising/Liberation and Dantooine Base Operations/More DangerousThan You Realize, the new non-unique planetary sites found in the Special Edition starter decks have become quite popular. While it may be easy to include one of each of the sites in such a deck, it is important to know what each of these locations does in order to maximize their benefits in your deck. So lets examine them closely. But before we begin looking at these locations you may want to take a look at which of these sites can deploy to the various planets.
Farm
During your deploy phase, Hypodronics Station or Vaporator may deploy from reserve deck; reshuffle.
The obvious advantage of the farm is that it is a 2/1 site that has no counterpart for the Dark Side. This allows you more activation earlier in the game and allows you to pull out a Hypodronics Station or Vaporator during each of your deploy phases.
Since such Objective decks start with the planet system, this also allows for a secondary advantage, nightfall and the 2X droid. the 2X security droid from Premiere makes characters immune to attrition <3.
Another commonplace strategy is starting with Tatooine as the starting planet for the Uprising Objective and use the Moisture Farm as the starting planet site. This is a great strategy if planning a deck around Ardon "Vapor" Crell. With Crell down, and the Vaporator/Hypodronics Station combo going, you can drain for 3 force. Revolution the Farm and add some Mains with saber to back it up, and you've got a heafty drain. It also becomes comvenient that the only location needed to give your opponent "a gift" is the audience chamber.
Forest
Your characters present here are immune to attrition.
This is a great location to hold in battle. Since it makes your characters immune to attrition, you can hold this site with little worries (since the Dark Side does not have a card like Revolution). If you can figure out how to set up a decent drain here, you can have a huge tactical advantage. One such way is using an Ithorian to add a force Icon to each side, thus increasing drains by 1. Ithorians also work their magic at Swamps and Jungles.
Another idea might be to add an extra copy of this card or an extra revolution for invading your opponents territory. You could convert or revolution the opponents forest and then take the battle to them. The forest could become a key location to hold in a pinch. For instance, if playing a Raltiir Ops deck, this could be an easy location to hold in a pinch, while you gather your forces as backup or try to control another location such as the system to flip the objective.
Jungle
Your aliens and creature vehicles are each power +1.
This location is a key site. It makes your aliens power +1 and the opponent's force drains are -1 and attrition -2. While it isn't as nice a the immunity provided by the forest, a bit of guerrilla warfare here could be tactically advantageous as well. this is also a good place to send an Ithorian for vacation, but make sure you give him some backup!
Swamp
Once during each of your deploy phases, may deploy 1 creature from reserve deck; reshuffle.
Another nice spot for an Ithorian, the real advantage of this site is in the opponent's game text. Here, to initate battle requires +3 force and they nay not react to or from the same site.
The swamp also allows you to deploy a creature here from reserve deck. Beacause of this, this may be another location you may want to deploy on your opponents location in order to bring out some creatures to attack his operatices and other lower power characters.
Desert
Your jawas may deploy here. Sandwhirl moves only if on Tatooine.
The desert can be a key site if played correctly. If on a system other than Tatooin, deploy a couple jawas and sandwhirl and you have a pretty secure force drain. On Tatooine, it guarantees you the ability to play sandwhirl early in the game by using the objective to pull out this site. The fact that your opponents battle destiny draws are -1 here is a nice bonus as well.
Spaceport Street
During your move phase, may move free between here and any related spaceport site.
If you are playing with several of the spaceport locations, the spaceport street can help by allowing quick, free movement to anywhere else in the city. While the Dark Side benefits more from their version of the same card (they have one more spaceport site than the Light Side), it can still be the easiest way of moving about the city. Remember that Imperials are -1 here.
Spaceport City
If you have a non-unique rebel leader at same or related site, Force drain +1 here.
Park a non-unique rebel leader on your planet and get a nice addition to your force drain. It might be a good idea to place such a character at the forest as well as elsewhere to make it more difficult to remove this force drain bonus. Then hold the City with some additional power.
Spaceport Docking Bay
Your docking bay transit from here requires 2 force. Your starfighters deploy -1 (-2 if a freighter) here.
This site has some not-as-obvious tactical advantages. Since the Docking Bay can be pulled out using the objective, it becomes easier to docking bay transfer to other systems, especially if your opponent plays with an objective that allows docking bay deployment from their reserve deck (as in the case of operative deck and the Carbon Freezing Objective). But beware, this makes it easier for your opponent to come to (and leave from) your planet once they are deployed.
Beakman