I'm not here to shock anyone, and I certainly don't want to upset any of you faithful readers, but this article is all about what Decipher did RIGHT regarding the Special Edition expansion. I've already written a history and a negative piece, so it's time to finish telling the story by completing the circle with the positives. I know that all of us in the SW:CCG community like to bitch an awful lot, but I encourage you to keep reading and find it in your whiney little hearts to give Decipher a good old pat on the back.even if it is followed by a swift kick in the ass.
When I think about Special Edition, the first positives that pop into my mind are the new rules and glossary. Not that I necessary like what's printed in them, but I do appreciate the time and effort that went into creating such a valuable resource. The glossary is now the first place players should go when the have a question about a card or game action. Despite the fact that the organization of the information is sometimes bizarre and difficult to follow, the fact that we have a one-stop reference is nice. Many of the pessimists are quick to point out that the glossary is too long and there was a CRD almost as soon as it was released. While both of things are annoying, I'm still giving Decipher points on the board for trying to make the game easier for all players, especially the newbies.
Secondly, I would like to say that despite some of the infamous exceptions (Camie, Outer Rim Scout, Droid Merchant), many of the card images were stunning. The celebration cards were most cool, and I think the picture of DLOTS is breathtaking. I liked the Goo Nee Tay and Uh-Oh, and thought that a number the unique aliens were very well done. Most of the cards are of average quality for Decipher (which is pretty darn good by the rest of the world's standards), and it's unfortunate that a few poorly illustrated cards have given the entire set a reputation for being artistically substandard. Although I agree that someone should have been paying more attention to the cards of lesser aesthetic quality, there are also a good number of them that are worth admiring and should be recognized for the time and effort that was put into them.
Despite the fact that when I think of Special Edition, the first strategies that pop to mind are pre-errata operatives and Hidden Base, SE was not the almighty destroyer of strategies that many critics have said it to be. While it may appear that a very small number of strategies have survived the introduction of SE, I beg to differ. Not only are there a pretty good number of tournament-worthy strategies out there, but there is also a whole spectrum of variations on these strategies. Right now, there probably half a dozen different strategies that make use of Hidden Base - whether it's HB/Mains-n-Toys, HB/Sanctuary, HB/Manipulation, or HB/ Drain and Battle, the strategies are different and just happen to have HB in common. It's vaguely like when starting interrupts came out - virtually every deck made use of them, but the decks were remarkably different. As far as strategies go, SE made it possible for both the light side and the dark side to play ground and/or space. No longer does the LS have to sit on the ground until it is able to draw Cap. Han AND the Falcon AND another pilot for the destiny draw. With the right collection of effects and interrupts, the LS and the DS can square off in space without either having an unfair advantage. Last week I played a DS TIE deck against a LS power space deck. Turn after turn, S-Foiled X-Wings went head to head with TIES that were bolstered by the Vengence and Dreadnaughts. All Power to Weapons and Organized Attack were all over the table, and when the smoke cleared, it was a timed win for the DS by a very lucky five force that had been retrieved the turn before... one of the most enjoyable games I can remember. SE leveled the playing field in a number of ways. Thus far, I've seen cloud refinery decks, decks that finally accomplish the much awaited Epic Duel strategy, non-unique aliens decks from the JP era with a SE kick, the much maligned yet durable numbers decks, ISB, EBO, Raltiir Operations, more jawas (hell yeah baybee) and tuskens than ever before, AT-ATs and speeders have made a serious comeback, and God knows I never thought I'd have been going through my commons box looking for TIE Scouts, but that's in there too. In a lot of ways, we have more choices than ever before.
SE was a set that came with a number of very good effects. As much as I was irritated by the rehashed rares (Docking and Repair Facilities, Rebel Fleet, etc), I'll admit that I play with them often, and they have made nice additions to my decks. When I compare the effects in SE to those from Dagobah that are collecting dust in my binder, I "thank the maker" that the majority of those in SE could be useful. In fact, a number of them are wonderful. My LS operative deck has a good old time using Mechanical Failure against those poopy AT-ATs that tend to come down and Trample my poor, ability one characters. Wise Advice is great for keeping my interrupts and effects in my deck if my opponent decides to remove them from the table with a well timed sense or alter. Secret Plans is an excellent way to curb that annoying LS retrieval, and now that LS manipulation is in the mainstream, it also helps keep Oola and Leesub out of my hand. Bright Center of the Universe and The Planet It's Furthest From are also must-haves in so many decks. Thanks to Decipher for making some effects that we can actually use.
Another great thing that SE brought us was the non-unique sites. I can't tell you how much I like these. No longer am I doomed to languish on Tatooine and Cloud City with an occasional jaunt to Hoth. Now my decks are just like a VISA card - everywhere I wanna be. I love the fact that I can chill out on Kessel, Dantooine, Anoat, Kiffex, Raithal, Kirdo, Clackdor, or Bothuwui. It's the coolest thing. Granted, it's a little tough to develop a non-operative-based strategy for those places right now, but with some imagination and another expansion, I think stuff will develop. Congrats to Decipher for letting us play "what if" in the Star Wars universe.
Although I've mentioned them in passing, it's time to talk about the objectives. In an overall, general way, I like objectives. I think they are Decipher's response to the long-time criticism that SW:CCG isn't enough like the movies. Rescue the Princess, Carbon Chamber Testing, Hunt Down and Destroy the Jedi, and Mind What You Have Learned all allow the player to design a movie-based deck it's what players have been requesting for years. I realize that a few of those are genuinely tough to pull off if you're really trying to accomplish the objective, but these things weren't exactly easy in the movie either. I think it's cool that Decipher made the objectives. Now I realize that local Uprising and Imperial Occupation are both pretty powerful and that Hidden Base is the bane of most DS players' existence right now, but even these objectives have their uses and are very beatable. I think the next expansion will fix some of the problem we currently have with objectives, but I hope decipher doesn't bend too much - the objective makes you think, and as much as SW:CCG players cry every time they have to use those craniums of theirs, objective were a nifty addition.
Finally we reach the miscellaneous section - things that I personally like about SE because I think they're cool. First of all, we finally got WOOKIEES! Beakman just traded for six wookiees, and we now have enough for a real wookiee deck. I can't wait to put one together. Now I hate the fact that they are fixed, and would like to see a dump truck of manure find its way to the home of whoever decided to stick them in the SE starters, but I love that we have WOOKIEES. I also like the new creature rules; I finally understand how and when a creature eats and moves. Speaking of creatures, for some strange reason I also really like One-Arm the wampa. Wampas are cool anyway, and this wampa is a bad ass just because of what he lets the others do. Some of the new weapons, most notably the disruptor pistol and the intruder missile, are great and make weapons other than those matching a specific character worth using. And finally, the new Ben and Vader rock your momma - it just doesn't get any better than choking and reviving like a mad woman.
And so I conclude my series on Special Edition, and I do it on a positive note. Special edition certainly does have its problems, and I'm sure I'll write more about those in the future. But for a brief moment, I wanted to take a break from the moaning and groaning and point out that there really was some cool stuff in the set. Special Edition might not have been everything we hoped for, but it could have been worse... it could have been 324 cards like Dagobah.
Queen Jawa