http://toptiergaming.com/decks?cmd=searchresults&title=Portage

And to make everyone feel better, two TIE-Fighter decks in Top 4. The deck is VERY fast against possible slow hands of the Luke/Han decks that everyone seems to be playing with.

Good to see a Rebel deck in 2nd place!

I could see tie decks winning in some metas, but as you can see by the first place deck, it's still second tier.

shaggscoob said:

Actually, the TIE deck is really good against that list which is why two of us ran it, due to the lack of units in the Jedi deck and the time it takes for the deck to set up and win. Turn three wins are VERY doable and its just something the Jedi deck can't keep up with unless it gets good draws. I was the person that came in second place - last week I already won a regional so I didn't try hard against my brother, who won.

I dont see how a deck that destroys 4 objectives by turns 3-4 is 2nd tier. If the Han/Jedi decks miss out on units and dont draw trust your feelings the deck is really bad. The Navy could care less about Old Ben's spirits it just wants to blow up objectives. It plays a completely different game than Sith.

Also, Han/Jedi just loses to a first or 2nd turn Devastator, there is no answer to it. It will will blow up objectives and then click the dial.

The deck is far from 2nd tier.

I guess I'm just bitter, lol. I've run that deck for awhile and get stomped by Jedi every time. Must have just been a long steak of bad luck.

It honestly wasn't as good in the Core set as it is now (because of the change in the metagame on the Jedi decks), despite not even seeing any new cards. It's just that the Han/Luke decks are only running around 16 units and can take turns just to come close to winning. The TIE deck just needs three turns and it's golden. If people adapt their builds to more units, the deck could have a harder time.

The spirits deck with x2 Luke, Yoda, Han, Guardians, Bens spirit has 18 units if you count C-3PO, 16 if you don't, that's only 32-36% of a deck. That leaves you open to bad opening hands and bad mulligan hands and really slow starts.

Yeah I wasn't counting C-3PO.

i have been playing #32 take them prisoner x2 detained and tear this ship apart recks the jedi/han deck along with the sith control and cruel interigation it just controls the hand. knowledge is power:)

For those running the tie fighter decks, how important have the cards in the Endor Gambit pack been for the deck's performance? I'm considering taking them out for tarkin's pack, or Looking for Droids. maybe. How often do you find yourself using the cards in the Black Squadron Assault pack and/ the objective itself?

ZombieTonyBlair said:

Vader Tie and Advanced Tie are good units and the Black Squadron objective is also really good. If anything gets dropped from the deck it's Endor gambit.

I don't know about that. I like the Endor Gambit - the objective is really powerful against tactics and it allows you to commit a unit to the force without having it sit out the next turn after striking. The AT-STs are good defensive units (especially against Rebel decks as if they drop a Heavy Blaster Encampment it could spell certain doom for a group of TIEs), The AT-AT Commander is just pure awesome for your vehicles (he doesn't even have to be in combat to use his ability), and the shielding card is good on something you need to keep alive or to prevent tactics on, say a certain star destroyer.

When I first built the deck I considered running Take Them Prisioner as well, since its an awesome set against the smuggler's den archtype. However, the deck is actually already good against that deck type (the deck can have a slow time getting any powerful units out on the field - you should win the game by then as long as both players are drawing average - if you draw awesome you win faster, if the opponent draws awesome you can switch to defense mode and strike off a couple of objectives after there are openings). Adding the set in could hurt your chances against a random rebel deck, which seem to have picked up play lately.

I wouldn't take out the Black Squadron stuff though. That stuff is sick and just wins games.

I have found the Endor Gambit to be the most expendable.

Kuat Reinforcements is the heart and soul of the deck.

Death and Despayre has Devastator.

Black Squadron has Vade's Tie and Tie advanced and the pilots are good from time to time.

Defense protocol has twist, talon role, attack sqaudron and the objective is good against rebels.

Endor Gambit is good too but it doesnt have talon rolls, missing out on AT-STs would suck.

OUt of all the objectives I think Endor Gambit could be dropped for the right pod, or perhaps drop 1 endor gambit and 1 defense protocol.

Yeah, I'm running the straight vehicles deck, but I'm thinking to drop Endor Gambit for either Motti or Navy Vader. Tarkin would be great too, but then I'd have to give up Black Squadron. :-/

I like this deck better with Black Squadron Assault than The Ultimate Power. Tarkin is great but the synergy you get from Kuat Reinforcements and Endor Gambit having cards that work well with vehicles (not characters) means the deck has JUST a few more tricks up its sleeve when you're running more TIEs and less Troopers (Storm or otherwise.) In fact, having so few characters in the deck also helps against Jedi - no one to suffer a Jedi Mind Trick, you see. For right now, i think it is great with running a bunch of TIEs (including the Sith affiliation one from Vader) and other vehicles.

But as for the Rebel Alliance version of this - focusing on vehicles - i just don't think it is there yet. After SFS comes out, I think the Hoth focused Rebel Alliance might be pretty good.

Thanks for posting the comments. I am also glad to see how the meta is evolving.