Deck ID: 8486

Author: Bill "BRay" Gordon

Title: Manipulator- Gordon style

Side: Dark

Date Published: 2000-07-17

Description:
This is a classical old style manipulator with SYC start. I used it at DragonCon & Origins opens, with the only loss to Clint Hays.

Rating:
4.5

Cards:

'Set you Course
Death Star
Alderaan
DS docking bay
Tat docking bay
endor docking bay
DS war room
Executor docking bay
coruscant docking bay
DS control room
cantina

Dengar in P1
Bossk in HT
Fett in S1
Zuckuss in MH

Maras saber
DS tractor beam

Brangus Glee
Bane Malar
Darth Vader
Dark Lord
Jabba the Hutt
Djas Puhr
Miiyoom Onith x4
Mara x2

Resistance
Search & Destroy
you coward

Twilek
elis
masterful move x2
voyeur x2
set for stun x2
alter x3
sense x4
monnok x3
scanning crew x5
a dangerous time x5


'

Strategy: '

EXTRA NOTE There have been some comments about some other deck types destroying this deck. There isn't a deck that wins all the time. But this one controls the game the whole match. A Dangerous Time is the key card in the deck, because it dictates what type of cards the opponent uses and draws. If played right, your opponent will get the worst possible cards in his hand 75% of the time he draws cards. Also this is not a deck that can be played right out of the box. It takes lots of practice and real time experience to know when to play certain cards, how to rearrange the cards, when to dig for cards & when to deploy your own characters and ships.




There are a few card adjustments I made after DragonCon. I put in the DS tractor beam, added another s.crew, & dengar in ship. These changes were for the better and as it is posted is the best version I was able to come up with.

Start with Resistance in most cases. You have your three battle ground sites out on second turn if you need them with DS control room.

Search for DS control room & deploy a cheap character, preferable Miiyoom if you get her first turn. Then deploy the 1/0 docking bays.

Scanning crew their hand first turn if possible. Then draw up for your manipulation cards, (s.crews, a dangerous time, monnoks).

By second or third turn your manipulator is working, with the idea to give your opponent the worst possible hand every turn. I will not go into the details of how to stack cards with a dangerous time because numerous articles have been written about manipulation. All you have to do is kill his guys in hand with night lilly, keep his hand below 12 with monnok, scan out females, and plink away with small drains.

There are several great advantages to this type of deck. You know what cards are in their hand most of the game. You know what cards are in their deck. This gives you the advantage of how to play an error free game. Yes I still make mistakes, but the decisions are much easier to make. Most of your deck is used interupts so even if you draw a lot they get recirculated after you take advantage of the benefits. Most of the destinies are 3, this means you will win SAC wars with only 4 ability characters. You don't have to set up destiny draws for the tractor beam, but if you do need to set them up, you have your Alters or Masterful moves you can track. Set for stun and DS tractor Beam are absolute must have cards in the deck, and you can read why in my TR's.


The tough match ups

Mains with lots of characters.
The reason this is tough is because some characters will make there way through the lock. Sometimes they are the good ones. The one that will hurt you the most is Obi so keep him off the table at all cost, especially Ben Kenobi. But you want to manipulate the pile to keep the low destiny cards in his pile so you can battle with your characters that remain immune to attrition.

Profit
You want to let them flip the objective, set for stun Han then Miiyoom him lost. This may take several turns to set up but once Han is off the table your chances of winning are almost assured. If they start with Scrambled Transmission, you will want to dig for a Voyeur so you can make Shocking Info lost. You will still take the five card damage, but he looses his tool to hurt you. You will also want to wait to use A Dangerous Time until a critical point where they have activated a lot of cards, then manipulate the pile sense it is a lost interupt now.

Space
This can be tough but A Dangerous Time is your biggest tool. Don't let them have those ships. Most people don't understand the value of this card, but you control the game with it. The swarms are the easiest to deal with. You just Alter the Fat lady early, put doubles together with ADT, then Monnok their ships. The tougher game will be one with all of the unique ships. But they only come out one at a time and there are fewer of them. They will be harder for them to get out too, because of ADT. If they do get out some ships, they will come to the DS guaranteed. This is where the Tractor beam comes in to play. Use most of your resources to get your ships and only go to the DS after they are there and you coward is not working. After the battle capture a ship and it is now yours. But more importantly, the tractor beam will keep them off the DS as a deterrent. This is a great advantage because with Zuckuss or Bossk you now have more ability & power, and they have less. Once the tractor beam is deployed more than likely they will stay completely clear of the DS. Search and destroy is a great ally also.

Numbers
usually not a problem, they have lots of duplicates. Set them up with a dangerous time then Monnok them. You get your three battle grounds by second or third turn guaranteed.

Mains with lots of red
the lock comes down on them real easy and they are helpless. Read my reports from DragonCon & Origins on this.

I know this deck will probably be dead after DSII, but I wanted to share it with you just the same.
'