Truly Wonderful, The Mind of a Child Is
Some of the Younglings may not return from this particular field trip…
The Jedi deck has
been
one of the strongest deck themes available to the Light Side player and now it's no longer the one-trick-pony it
used to be. Most Jedi decks contain 4 or more versions of 2 or 3 different Jedi, each able to fight alone, but
alone it can take a while to clear the Character arena. With a plethora of new Jedi in Jedi Guardians,
some new strategies emerge to spice up the classic Jedi deck.
Mace Windu has been the strongest Light Side Jedi ever since the release of Sith Rising . While he's still very strong and cost-effective, there's a new sheriff in town. Yoda (D) is now the strongest single Jedi available. One minor setback… OK, a major one really, is that at a cost of 13 it's a lot of build for just one unit. However, his special abilities make him well worth it should a Dark Side opponent even think about challenging you in the Character arena. The plan for this deck is to generate huge amounts of Force in a short amount of time and then utilize Yoda (D)'s abilities to clear the arena once and for all. But building the big guy is tough proposition. The better method of finding Yoda (D) on top of the stack is through Hero's Potential. In fact, Yoda is capable of making the biggest upgrade with Hero's Potential, going from a 5 build (B) or (E) version to the 13 build (E). The (E) version is the most useful with its powerful Reserves ability, though it's doubtful the deck will ever find Yoda retreating. Yoda (A) is also a decent candidate for the Potential, especially if you've got a ton of Force and the Dark Side is running a swarm deck, as his Pay 10 Deflect 3 can be devastating. Yoda (C) is the version of choice if the Dark Side is running Vader or Maul as the "tap and zap" ability can get past the Evade abilities of the Dark Jedi.
Since the deck is going to run a lot of Jedi units in the other arenas, there are 2 new Jedi that can help out. Mace Windu (D) grants a +1 power bonus to all other Jedi and he can back Yoda up if things aren't going well. When things are going well, Even Piell (A) and a bunch of Force will seal the deal in any arena where Jedi units are present. How is all this Force going to be generated? Mainly by Jedi Younglings. These littlest Jedi are a great deal for just 2 build points as they have an Evade ability, but more importantly, their Reserves ability can generate a lot of Force. Even after you tap them to gain 2 Force you can bring them into the arena, which is sometimes useful if you're in danger of losing the arena.
The Ground arena Jedi are Elite Jedi Squad, Jedi Patrol, and Jedi Heroes. The Heroes are the real threat here and can make good use of all the Force the deck generates with their Evade ability. However, since none of the units has much in the way of health, I needed to add a unit that can survive if the Dark Side is playing with Bombard units. The Republic Communications Tower has 9 health, so it should be able to survive a long time. But even better, it grants Critical Hit 1 to all the other units in the arena. This is especially nice for the 6 power Heroes. Also, when Piell gets going, the Jedi in Ground can get in some big attacks that will be made even bigger with the Tower.
In Space, there are several Jedi units, but since many build points will be used to gain Force, I've only included the Starfighter Jedi units. These include Jedi Starfighter 3R3, Jedi Starfighter Scout, and Obi-Wan's Starfighter (A) and (B). However, these units don't have the hitting power required to take down a Dark Side Capital Ship, so the X-wing Attack Formation is also included. Its Critical Hit 3 and Evade ability provide the backbone of the arena.
As for Battle cards, only 2
copies of Hero's Potential are necessary. While Yoda can
make the best use of it, don't forget about Obi-Wan's Starfighter (A) and (B). If you have the (A) version on top
and the Dark Side ends up
retreating from Space, you can use the Potential to put the (B) version on top and make a very unexpected attack
against a retreated unit. Protecting the Space and Ground units are Pilot's Dodge and Jedi
Knights Survival. Yoda shouldn't need the Survivals, as the (D) version's Pay 2 Evade 4 is the
best Evade ability in the game. Finally, to gain a bunch of Force at light speed, Strike Me Down is best used
on a Youngling after it's served its purpose. The quick 6 Force gained is often worth the loss of the long-term
benefit of the Youngling. Since the deck has so many Jedi units, Recognition of Valor
is a great way to earn 6+ Force on Turn 1 or 2. To make sure you draw the cards you need for the Yoda stacking,
Wedding
of Destiny is the best card draw in the game and even provides a point of Force.
Here's what the deck looks like all put together…
Strategy Advice
After seeing your initial
hand, you should discard Jedi Knights Survival, Hero's Potential, and Strike Me
Down, as they are cards for the late game. A great opening setup would be: Yoda (E) with (C), (D) and (A)
understacked, 2 Jedi Younglings, Jedi Heroes, Elite Jedi Squad, Jedi
Starfighter 3R3, and a X-wing Attack
Formation. An early Recognition of Valor
goes a long way. Be sure to put the Younglings into the Character arena when you finish the Recognition, unless
the Dark Side has enough units deployed to take them out.
Once the number of units on each side starts dwindling, it's time to prepare for the win. Use Strike Me Down on a Youngling, then Hero's Potential Yoda (D) to the top of stack, attack, untap, and boost your Jedi units with Even Piell (A). The Dark Side will be hard pressed to defend against the onslaught.