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In this first expansion for Fantasy Flight's new Star Wars TCG, you take on the roles of the scum and villainy of the universe, Outlaws and Fringers, last vestiges of Empire, a bad batch of clones... or just a simple man trying to make his way in the universe.
YOU HAVE SOMETHING I WANT
This starter set is a superb introduction to the game, whether you've played before or not, placing you in the roles of either Moff Gideon or The Mandalorian. The villain deck is very aggressive, as you might reasonably expect, with the inclusion of some staggeringly potent new cards - Calculated Lethality, for example, is so good that I'd consider picking up a second starter set just to have another 3 copies of that. The Gideon deck isn't subtle, and out of the box it's easier to play, whilst giving Imperial (as well as Villain) players lots of new toys in their arsenal. Incinerator troopers, for example, have a First strike mechanic, dealing damage before they take it (and I'm quite glad it's not a keyword), and Moff Gideon's Cruiser brings a 3 cost unit out of hand or discard for free, which is neat although not necessarily that useful on turn 8 (or earlier with your usual green shenanigans).
Speaking of green, Dark Troopers have an interesting twist on Grit gaining Experience when damaged (let's not forget though, Experience counts as an Upgrade!), whilst Gideon himself gives units that are 3 cost or less +1 on the attack. It also gives you more copies of core cards such as Snowtrooper Lieutenant, and given the scarcity of Spark at present that's no bad thing.
THIS IS THE WAY
The Mando deck, on the other hand, is more subtle, introducing some of the new mechanics that are included in this set - it's all about upgrades, Bounties and Capturing, getting bonuses for taking out your opponent's cards and stashing them out of play. You get a host of characters to support this from Fennic Shand to the ever adorable Grogu, and it's a great way to learn the game's increasing complexity whilst still being accessible to newcomers.
There’s a clear mechanism at play here with exhausting being used to have Djin run almost as a denial deck. I don’t know that’s it’s quite as successful out of the box, but it’s certainly interesting. Similarly, though it introduces the Bounty mechanic, it’s a little too unfocused in the starter set itself.
As for the Heroism cards, if I have a niggle, I would have preferred Karga to be Neutral aspect (like the basic Mandalorian) rather than Heroic from a fluff perspective, but the last thing Villain decks need is more access to the top of their decks, so fair enough. The Mandalorian’s Rifle supports the capture mechanic clearly, and with 3 copies included you’ll have plenty of time to pull it for him once he’s out.
Both decks use Vigilance/Blue as their secondary aspect, which is an interesting choice and does mean that you have less dilute choices for building a single deck from the starter set. I’ve already mentioned the utility of Calculated Lethality (I mean, I really, really like that card), and on the hero side you get 3 copies of the Razor Crest, which will fit neatly existing into Blue restore decks as well as helping return upgrades from your discard. You also get a couple of the real power Rares from the set, Mandalorian Armor and Doctor Pershing – you won’t be sad if they turn up in your boosters, but it’s great to have them out the gate. Pershing will see a lot of play in Green/Blue with Superlaser Techincians (which, incidentally, we also now get as a fixed card this time around) and it’s great that they’ve included this core combo in the new starter set.
I HAVE SPOKEN
This is an excellent introduction to the game, and a great step up from Spark of Rebellion with its additional mechanics. Plus, you get 2 new playmats, 2 deck boxes and a full set of tokens! A worthy addition to your collection! Search your feelings - you know it to be true.
