Star Wars Destiny: Blue Heroes & Villains Preview
The Spirit of Rebellion Expansion packs are almost here – check out the last of the heroes and villains coming soon!
We’ve talked about the Red Heroes & Villains. We’ve covered the Yellow Heroes & Villains. Now we’re taking a dive into the Blue ones! I hope you’re ready to get a little (Force) sensitive.
pictures via FFG
The Blue Heroes
Obi-Wan is coming to Destiny! His die is full of useful things as well, packing some decent damage and good support. But really, his abilities make him shine. First off, Guardian (which we’ll see more of later) means he can tank damage for your other characters. That means he can buy them time to get powered up with the upgrades they need to be a real threat.
Secondly, when he is defeated, you can play a Blue card from your hand or discard pile for FREE. That’s a pretty nice ability for a character you know is going to get taken out of action…
Luminara is another Jedi character who is a fantastic support. Her ability combos with all of the non-unique characters really well. If you stacked that with some other bonuses (like upgrades or weapons) you could have a general character (like the Rebel Commando from the Red Heroes) with an Overkill die drop an astounding 8 ranged damage in one hit. Now, I’m not saying that’s going to happen every time…but it is a possibility.
Jedi Acolyte is another non-unique hero. Not only does it pair really well with Luminara from above, it’s also a strong support option by itself. Having two Focus results on this die can really help you manipulate your other dice and that could be the difference from whiffing to pulling off a crazy combo!
The Blue Villains
Oh Little Ani…Maybe your card’s flavor text should read “didn’t have the high ground.” Regardless, this character is a hyper-aggressive character. He’s got lots of ways to deal damage and he pairs nicely with other cards upgrade cards (like Force Heal…) down below. If you’re looking for a consistent damage option, Darth Vader can bring the heat – just be warned: he’s also flammable.
Asajj Ventress’ ability can really mess with your opponents hand. Most decks might take for granted the ability to discard a card to re-roll their dice. However, Asajj makes them pay double the cost. This can really disrupt your opponent’s ability to consistently get the die they need. And, because the deck size in this game is 30 cards, that means discarding an extra card is a pretty steep price to pay.
Palpatine is a monster. He costs a bucket load of points, but if you think about it, he’s one of the most hyper aggressive cards out there. Every time you resolve his die it’s 2 damage to your opponent’s characters. You could build a deck with JUST him and support cards and it would be deadly. His Elite version would mean you get 2 of his dice so that’s a free 4 damage a turn. That’s nothing to sneeze at! Sprinkle in some of the Force ability cards below and your off to the races!
Alternatively to the Pure-Palp option, toss in a Royal Guard card. He’s also a Guardian which means he can tank for the boss man and his ability means you can force your opponents to hit themselves! He’s a shield and damage generator, too. Not too shabby for 9 points…
The Blue Upgrades
Shields got you down? Then you need a Handcrafted Light Bow! Seriously, this card is mean in the right deck. The special ability can really cut down your opponent’s character’s heath pool by forcing them to drop all their shields. If you can manipulate your dice to get the results you need, this one could be a game changer.
Force Heal is one card I’d would add to any deck with a blue character in it – hands down. It’s a great upgrade for the extra shield, resource or healing it can provide. This is one of those cards that can pay dividends over and over again.
Force Push is a little pricey for 3 resources, but looking at it’s die and ability, I can understand why. First off, it’s got 3 ways to mess with your opponent. Either with a discard of 2 (which, OUCH) or by allow YOU to change your opponent’s die to a facing of your choice. Blue characters and their dice manipulation skills are pretty solid – but it makes sense. Just ask Watto…
Force speed seems like a pretty useful card. First off, the cost is 0 so that makes it worth taking in my book. You can use it as discard bait if you don’t need it or you already have one in play. Secondly, it allows you to take 2 actions 1/2 the time you roll it. Using that ability you can get the jump on your opponent. There are plenty of combos/follow-up moves you could do with this one.
Lightsaber Pike is going to be useful for Melee-heavy decks. If you have some spare resources and are looking for a good way to spend them, this card is a solid option – especially with that +4 melee damage…ouch.
Lure of Power – this card is pretty tempting. If you’re a gambler/risk taker then this one is going to pay off 2/3rds of the time. It’s a generic +X mod which means you can use it with ANY dice. That’s pretty useful for whatever strategy you want to go with. Think outside the box…what if you combined that with Focus die to setup a killer combo. Or what if you wanted to mess with your opponent and you went for disrupt or discard. Now you’re cooking with gas!
The Blue Events
This is an interesting event card. Synchronicity allows you to drop 2 unblockable damage to a character that you choose, providing you have a melee damage die AND a shield die showing. Now, it’s a resource-free card but if your deck doesn’t have a way to generate shields and melee (or a way to reliably flip your dice to those) then it’s kind of useless. However, those are things Blue Characters tend to be able to handle fairly well. And hey, it’s 2 direct damage for 0 resources!
Premonitions is a card that takes the theme of Spirit of Rebellion, which is running multiples of the same card, and runs with it. The wording on this card is a little weird, but basically it’s going to allow you to play costly cards for free. Now, that takes some luck and a good bit of planning, but that could turn the tide for you late game.
Anyone else get angry when they get a blank? Well if you tap into your darkside, you can use that anger to force your opponent to takes some damage. Personally, I would rather use my Focus dice to change those blanks around – this card allows you to harness them instead. I think keeping a copy of this card in your deck might not be a terrible idea, especially if your opponent is messing with YOUR dice.
This Price of Failure is pretty steep – however, it could also turn the tide. Combine this with the Royal Guard/Palp combo and you could turn your almost dead card into another round of Palpatine punishing your opponent.
The classic Lightsaber toss – this card basically says pay 1 resource, deal 2 damage to a character. If you’re playing a Blue deck, you’re going to get those melee results. Why not keep this in your deck for when you need to take a random swipe at an opponent’s character.
For more info on these cards be sure to read FFG’s article on the Blue Heroes and Villains of the Spirit of Rebellion set.
Spirit of Rebellion Booster Pack $2.99
The Star Wars saga has always centered on the timeless struggle between good and evil. At different points throughout the saga, evil may be lurking in the shadows or controlling an oppressive, galaxy-spanning Empire. Yet there must always be balance in the Force, and whenever the dark side rises, a spirit of rebellion begins to light the way forward.
With the new Spirit of Rebellion Booster Packs for Star Wars: Destiny, 160 brand-new cards enter the game, incorporating elements from every movie in the saga, but with a special focus on the newest Star Wars movie: Rogue One. You’ll find plenty of characters from Rogue One within this set, including Jyn Erso, Chirrut Îmwe, Mon Mothma, and Director Krennic, alongside other iconic characters from across the Star Wars story. The spirit of rebellion has ignited—prepare to bring the feverish battles and kinetic action of Rogue One to your games of Star Wars: Destiny!
Every booster pack includes five randomized cards and one premium die, broken down into three common cards, one uncommon card, and one rare or legendary card with a corresponding die. All cards that feature a corresponding die are either rare or legendary cards. With every booster pack, you’ll find new characters, supports, upgrades, or events, along with new ways to enter the Star Wars galaxy and fight for your chosen side!
The Spirit of Rebellion Booster Packs are set to hit stores this week – May 4th, 2017! Are you ready for your Destiny?
