What about command deck building for rebels? This will be dependent of the actual list you take offcourse. To me rebel lists feel a little more squishy than imps (zillo) and mercs. For example I played one of the lists you mentioned in the article.

Han

Drokatta

E Rangers

Hera, gideon and c3po.

This list will take a lot of hunter smuggler cards. Any idea on the right balance between offensive cards to take down a figure like vader and defensive cards to keep especially Han alive for a little longer. Without a dodge Han will be dead most of the time after 2 attacks with 3 dice and one or two command cards.

For that particular list, the only 'defensive' card I would make sure to take would be On the Lam, since it pairs so well with Han, and Hera can also use it. And then I'd include as much offense for the Rangers as I can fit in: Assassinate, Heightened Reflexes, Tools for the Job, Call the Vanguard, Concentrated Fire, Primary Target, Ready Weapons, etc. Han is indeed fragile, but I'd try to play him conservatively and maybe miss his extra attack once in a while rather than leave him exposed to be murdered by focused hidden Weequays.

I agree: don't leave home without On the Lam. I also try to squeeze in Stealth Tactics when I can. That added white can go far with Cunning. But yeah, with those Hunters there's not a lot of wiggle room.

-ryanjamal

Why would you prefer these "offensive hunter cards" over cards like run for cover, which always take away damage from your opponents attack and sometimes takes away a whole attack? Same goes for though luck. With vader more often on the board slippery target becomes more useful as well I think. Heart of freedom sounds good to me too. Makes it hard to kill Han in 2 attacks when he heals 2 and you also acquire a better position as well.

P.s. Really like playing drokkatta. No possibilty for line of sight. Still killed vader with demolish and shrapnel after an attack on BT 2 spaces away from vader for his last 2 health.

I personally prefer the offensive hunter cards because I'd rather quickly kill my opponent's figures, preventing all future attacks those figures would have performed, than reduce damage for individual attacks and maybe make them miss. At a recent tournament I lost my Han early due to bad positioning, was behind by 20 points (opponent had map control on the Anchorhead Patron mission), and was sure I was going to lose. My rangers were able to take Chewie out at the end of round 2, and with a Call the Vanguard and hunter cards I did 9 damage to enemy Han at the start of round 3, which was exactly enough to kill him. It completely swung the game, which I was then able to win.

As I said, I make an exception for On the Lam because it is awesome, and Tough Luck is cheap and versatile and really good in the current meta so I try to fit it in if I can as well. But I find Run for Cover and Slippery Target to be too expensive compared to other options at 2 points, unless you're running Smugglers and no Hunters, and even then Slippery Target is pretty situational.

Thanks to Heart of the Empire, I am energized when building Rebel lists. No more furrowing my brow wondering who I'm going to pair up with eAllianceRangers, JK Luke or both. There now enough viable great units to put in a Heroic Effort list. Spy lists gained speed and some heft from Ahsoka. THOSE WONDERFUL UNIQUE REBEL HEROES are well designed. You can easily get Han to shoot twice per round. Even Newbacca makes me want to run Rebel lists that get into people's faces -- when would want to do that with anyone other than JK Luke?

Rebels still have some ground to cover -- Wookies, Trooper deployments, one or two Spy cards to help with survival, some sort of Heroic Effort-like fix for Force Users. But HotE really lifted Rebels up and I am thankful.

Edit: Let me expound a little bit on the new rebel unique heroes:

• Drokkatta - Furry Death Incarnate.
• Ko-Tun - I compare her to Hera or Leia instead of Obi-Wan, Ahsoka, Han or Newbacca. She's not supposed to be pounding Vader for 4+ damage a turn. She's supposed to be giving out tokens and hitting Palpatine for 3-4 damage so that your BIG DARN HERO (JK Luke, Solo, etc.) or your BIG DARN SQUAD (eAllianceRangers) finishes him off.
• Jarrod - I think I keep playing him wrong. He's not designed to jump into the middle of one of your big battles and just tear things up -- and then get removed from the board in one shot. I think he's designed to be run around corners when he does Brawler things, or do Leader/Spy things in the back. Having a cost 5 Spy that, for at least one activation, do some damage (sorry, Mak and Loku) is very important for Rebel Spy list diversity. When I start playing him correctly, I think I'll have more success with him.

3 hours ago, cnemmick said:

There now enough viable great units to put in a Heroic Effort list.

I guess we can say that now we can put some effort making a Heroic Effort list


Sorry, I'm leaving now

On 10-11-2017 at 6:34 PM, turkishvancat said:

I personally prefer the offensive hunter cards because I'd rather quickly kill my opponent's figures, preventing all future attacks those figures would have performed, than reduce damage for individual attacks and maybe make them miss. At a recent tournament I lost my Han early due to bad positioning, was behind by 20 points (opponent had map control on the Anchorhead Patron mission), and was sure I was going to lose. My rangers were able to take Chewie out at the end of round 2, and with a Call the Vanguard and hunter cards I did 9 damage to enemy Han at the start of round 3, which was exactly enough to kill him. It completely swung the game, which I was then able to win.

As I said, I make an exception for On the Lam because it is awesome, and Tough Luck is cheap and versatile and really good in the current meta so I try to fit it in if I can as well. But I find Run for Cover and Slippery Target to be too expensive compared to other options at 2 points, unless you're running Smugglers and no Hunters, and even then Slippery Target is pretty situational.

Played at a local tournament in the Netherlands today. I played with the list we discussed and took as many offensive hunter cards as I could and on the lam offcourse.

Han, drok, Elite Rangers RLP.

If everything works out with Han he is amazing. In my first match I was able to pull of 4 attacks (around 20 damage) after 2 rounds and with on the Lam Han did not suffer any damage at all.

Lost in the final from @Soulflame . Although I was controlling the match Han (with fulll health) got killed by vader in one activation. The max of 10 damage with his attack. Then vader got 1 health left after return fire from Han and he finished Han of with force surge for a total of 12 damage. I did take out vader immediatly after with Drokkatta by the use of demolish, but the match totally turned around after this activation.

This list is a lot of fun to play with and I can imagine this list will make it to the current meta. On the swamps this list was amazing!!