Deck ID: 15676
Author: Brian "HuntaWarya" Hunter
Title: Big Blue done RIGHT aka Retardosaurus Rex ISB
Side: Dark
Date Published: 2001-05-01
Description:
The ISB space deck that revolutionalized dark side deck design, and took 1st place at the Vegas DPC.
Rating:
5.0
Cards:
'Objective (1)
ISB Operations/Watch Your Step is Dead
Locations (7)
Coruscant
Fondor
Kessel
Sullust
Endor
Endor Landing Platform
Executor Docking Bay
Weapons (1)
Vader’s Lightsaber
Admiral’s Orders (1)
Battle Deployment
Vehicles (2)
Blizzard 2
Tempest I
Characters (18)
Lord Vader
Darth Vader, Dark Lord of the Sith
Grand Moff Tarkin
Admiral Chiraneau
Admiral Piett
Admiral Ozzel
Grand Admiral Thrawn
U-3PO
Commander Merrejk
5D6-RA-7
Arica
Guri
Outer Rim Scout x6
Starships (9)
Dengar in Punishing One
Boba Fett in Slave I
Zuckuss in Mist Hunter
Bossk in Hound’s Tooth
Avenger
Devastator
Dominator
Chimaera
Executor
Effects (10)
Something Special Planned for Them
Lateral Damage
Secret Plans
Battle Order
You Cannot Hide Forever
Den of Thieves
Imperial Decree
There is No Try/Oppressive Enforcement
Mobilization Points
Imperial Arrest Order
Interrupts (11)
Monnok
Masterful Move
Ghhhk
Point Man
Abyssin Ornament
Twilek Advisor
Prepared Defenses
Imperial Command x4 '
Strategy: '
Note This is not card-for-card the same deck I used at the DPC. the deck I used had a few meta choices for playing in Tatooine, whereas the deck I am posting is what I would think is best overall. Example In vegas I used the combo version of ghhhk to cancel landing claw, because the claw is popular in tatooine. since Masterful Move can’t pull the combo version of ghhhk, I took the MM out of the deck for Captain Godhert, giving me even more defense against the claw. But this version of the deck is more effective if you don’t see many claws in your area (which is the case in most regions)
Other Note This will be the first time I have ever posted a deck to decktech that has a sanctioned game loss. I normally only submit undefeated decks, but I am making an exception for this deck (current record 20-1), since I’ve had over two dozen people request that I post it.
Starting Setup
Use prepared defenses to start with mob. points and IAO. third effect varies (YCHF vs. inserts, decree vs. ebo, SSPFT vs. WYS, TINT/OE if you expect sense/alter, etc.)
Early game
Use Mob. Points to grab the Executor. Use IAO to pull the exec. db. If you don’t have Merrejk, then you need Piett to pull him out for you. If you don’t have Piett, then you need an Imperial Command to pull HIM out for you. Get Piett to the exec db for mob points generation, then put merrejk down with him. Use merrejk to start yanking out your systems (usually starting with Fondor) Continue using Imperial Commands to bring more Admirals into your hand for you to use as pilots later. If you have the Den, use it to cancel early drains. Otherwise, put your excess rim scouts at the docking bay to prevent an early grimtaash.
Mid game
Deploy the Executor to Fondor with a pilot or two. Move a couple guys from the exec. docking bay to the bridge if you think you need the extra help. If you think there will be more ground battles than space battles, then leave the forces at the exec db and transit them over to endor later, once you have a walker or two on the table for them to pilot. Move the executor to endor for the bigger drain, and to make it more difficult for the light side to deploy/move to you. Drop undercover spies to block ground drains. Put out a couple rim scouts if you haven’t already, and flip your objective. If you know you’re playing against a hardcore space deck, don’t spread out early. Keep your ships together, settle for modest drains, set up decree if needed/possible, and wait until you can reinforce. This deck does NOT get off to a lightning start, and cause lots of early damage. It’s a ”control deck”, so expect for your opponent’s strategy to get up and running before yours does. It’s okay, because once your deck IS up and running, it naturally shuts down your opponent.
Late Game
Having Chiraneau up in space will give you some strong draining potential in the air. Try to get Vader/Tarkin/walker together to make life difficult for your opponent on the ground. You will normally be able to hold at least ONE battleground site, which is generally all you’ll need. Retrieve lost agents with your objective, and get back a few more cards by using the abyssin ornament on your rim scouts. If your opponent uses several related sites, 5D6 can shut down a lot of drains at once. the Imperial Commands that you have used to go get admirals have probably started cycling back to you, so use them to limit your opponent’s battle destiny in space, or to add battle destiny yourself. Guri and Battle Deployment can also help to keep your opponent from going into a destiny-adding frenzy.
Card Choices
SSPFT-since the deck uses no grabbers, this card is the key to shutting down recycling retrieval. It is also handy for making it costly for your opponent’s ships to run away from you
YCHF-lots of low destiny characters, so this card is a no-brainer. it can also pull out your battle order if you need it.
Masterful Move-kills the annoying savrip. lets you search your deck for a ghhhk if the opponent hits you at the executor docking bay before you are ready. can also pull the monnok, and is a good 6 for tracking purposes
Point Man-cancels Order to Engage if you get chased around on the ground. Also cancels demotion, if it gets used against Tarkin, Chiraneau, etc.
Punishing One-for cancelling immunity on Home One, the Falcon, or x-wings targeted by organized attack
Slave I-this card has amazing stats and excellent game text. easily one of the most cost-effective dark side ships in the game. and since it is a starfighter, it helps you get fighter/capital pairs at your systems, for purposes of the AO.
Dominator-this card is in the deck so that I will get a better review from Dominic. )
Kessel-I used to use Kashyyyk, but found that the force drain bonus was often eliminated by menace fades. that being the case, Kessel makes an excellent replacement. your ships deploy -1, (-2 if Tarkin is there), and your opponent needs 6 ability to draw destiny there. Also good for just reducing the drain at Kessel against any light deck that hopes to hurt you for 3 there.
Battle Deployment-amazing card. reduces power of x-wings when they swarm you. lets you deploy walkers from reserve deck. keeps your opponent from drawing more than one battle destiny on the ground. yowza.
Deck Matchups
Vs. Hidden Mains-with 2 undercover spies, plus 5d6 and the den of thieves, you can usually handle their meager drains at the docking bays. Imperial Command and Guri will keep the super falcon under control, while secret plans and SSPFT limit their ability to retrieve. This is not a difficult match to win.
Vs. TIGIH Scouts-these decks rely on corporal midge to get a decent drain going, so if you can hold down one site, imperial decree will make this easy. But that won’t always be the case, as TIGIH can sometimes kick you off the ground. Escort Luke with Vader, and try to keep him out of harm’s way. Battle on the ground as little as possible, and let your space-drains do their thing. Again, use the den, 5d6, and your spies to block their drains. these decks have little (if any) ability to fight in space, so they will just have to eat the chiraneau drain and like it. Very winnable matchup, but tough to get a decent differential out of it.
Vs. EBO-use decree to shut off their bonuses. You can either set up with 2 systems and a site, or try for two rebel base locations if you get a walker early. (the rebel base locations can also give you an early flip of your objective) Against the most popular EBO variant (x-wing swarm), battle deployment, dengar in punishing one, and monnok are your closest friends. battle order can also be handy if they spread out thin early, because you should be able to take the ridge away from them with relative ease.
vs. Jedi Testing-your most important card in this matchup is the endor docking bay. that one battleground site is what lets you get around battle plan, so that your big icon drains at sullust and endor won’t cost you a bunch of force that you want to be using to reinforce your locations. keep your forces concentrated, don’t try for early damage before test 1 is finished, or you might leave yourself vulnerable to early beatdown. Just be patient, apply steady pressure, and by the time they are ready to flip, they will probably not have the force to pay for secret plans and retrieve ten. and without that retrieval, they won’t be able to survive, not even with the help of jedi test 5.
vs. Rebel Strike Team-this plays a lot like the match vs. TIGIH, but this time they will have more ships. But your fleet is still stronger. convert their endor and you’ll have a much easier time deploying there than they will. Keep them off the endor system by using Imperial Command to add battle destiny. Don’t worry about losing pilots/ships yourself. You always have more. Just concentrate on destroying THEIR ships, because they can’t replace them. holding the endor system will stop them from flipping, and that will keep their ground drains from really hurting you. If they actually deploy the bunker, then toss vader and tarkin in there, along with any support characters you can spare (including Arica, if needed)
vs. Yavin 4 mains-plays about the same as the match against Hidden Mains. remember that your decks contains 11 spies. that can be handy for attacking them early at their home one docking bay if they try to use it for staging areas generation. it also allows you to invade twix sites, or even the throne room itself.
Vs. Asteroid Sanctuary-Imperial Decree means they drain for zero at their Big One Asteroid sectors. Outer Rim scouts means you lose zero force to the Sanctuary itself. any questions?
vs. Profit-start Arica undercover as your only alien. use U-3po, or 5D6, or the den of thieves to stop drains at any other tatooine locations. Profit is totally impotent against this deck when it comes to draining. the direct damage from their objective is their only weapon against you. so, since they’ll be weak in space, lose ISB pilots to the direct damage rather than over-deploying to your ships, and then retrieve those pilots. this continual regeneration of your life force should give you the edge, since they will not be able to stop your drains in space.
vs. WYS-hahahahaha. Auto-win, of course. This matchup is a joke. I only brought ISB space out of retirement for ONE reason, and that was to utterly decimate WYS. The fact that the deck does well against other strategies is just a nice bonus. Every one of the matchups I just listed before this one is winnable if you play smart and get a decent draw. But every single advantage this deck has over ANY of those light-side decks is just a side-effect of the advantages it has over WYS. I put in everything. Kessel to convert theirs. Battle deployment, Imperial command, and Guri to limit their destiny. 5d6 + ISB objective + den of thieves + undercover spies + Imperial decree to stop their drains. Battle deployment to replace their Admiral’s Order. Monnok to kill their doubles. SSPFT to keep them from playing retrieval out of their lost pile. Lateral Damage to stop the Outrider. the endor docking bay to get around their ”I hope she’s alright” and battle plan. double-icon systems like endor and sullust to make sure menace fades can’t save them. plenty of big nasty ships to make sure they will never, NEVER be able to use Tatooine Celebration. The entire decklist is just one big pile of anti-WYS tech. If you ever wanted to find a ”WYS Killa”, look no further.
Well, I think that’s pretty much it. If you have the patience to play a slow control deck, instead of an aggressive beatdown deck, a speed drain deck, or a non-interactive cheese deck, then I think you’ll find this deck has no major weaknesses. I haven’t been able to find a light deck that beats it consistently. can you? and more importantly, can your opponents? ;) Hope you have fun with the deck, and thanks for reading.
Brian Hunter
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