Earlier I posted a Part 1 – Villains article talking about the meta, how it shifts, and what are current meta-defining decks and how they work. This blog post will cover the Heroes side of the game. Again, this will cover the decks I have played, or played against, and there are always a lot of experimental lists out there.
Elite Rey (AW38) / Elite Han Solo (AW46)
A favored Hero deck, this one combines two iconic characters that meshed well on screen. One of the major reasons that the Holdout Blaster (AW63) is so expensive is thanks to this deck. Chaining upgrades with Ambush on Rey, then using her ability for extra actions to deal massive damage makes this deck very potent. Adding in a Second Chance (AW137) loop using the Mos Eisley Spaceport (AW172) keeps Han Solo alive much longer than he should be. Remember, you aren’t using Rey so much for her dice, but for her ability. Very user friendly to new players, in the hands of an expert it is downright deadly. While this deck can get quite expensive with two Han Solo’s, two Holdout Blasters, and other essential goodies, it is a joy to play for many players. While the Characters may not change in future waves, the additional cards available will make this deck more potent in the future, especially if new ranged weapons – or even melee for Rey – have the Ambush keyword.
Stars: 9.5
Admiral Ackbar (AW27) / Elite Luke Skywalker (AW35)
What some describe as the Hero version of the Vader/Raider, or more precisely Vader/Jabba, the purpose of this deck is to maximize Admiral Ackbar’s die to allow Luke to deal as much damage as possible. Unlike the Vader/Raider version, this deck generally has far more Events with dice manipulation in it, which means that you can modify the deck to your liking base on your playstyle. Do you want more Red cards like Field Medic (AW105) and Dug In (AW139) to keep your characters alive longer, or more dice manipulation to allow you to mess with your opponents dice, or change yours to a beneficial side? However, without the help of a Sith Holocron (AW16) (or a Hero version in a future expansion), it lacks the ability to get out as many upgrades as the Villain version as cheaply or as quickly. I can see Luke continuing to be a powerhouse in future sets, and his partner changing depending on the meta.
Stars: 8
Poe Dameron (AW29) / 2 Hired Guns (AW47)
While commonly used for the infamous Hyperloop combo, this set of characters is deadly without it. For an explanation of how Hyperloop works, visit my other blog post. However, the biggest drawback is that the Hired Gun die damage sides all require a resource to use. Also, while the Hyperloop combo is extremely annoying to beat, there are many ways to do it, and has become one of the biggest pariah decks out there, given its negative play experience reputation. Right now, using Poe specifically for his Special die side is rare, but there is a dedicated group of players out there giving it a go, and will only get better in future sets. Hired Guns, however, are great resource generation cards, but lack the serious damage punch needed for long term viability
Stars (Hyperloop): 4
Stars (No Loop): 6
Elite Admiral Ackbar (AW27) / Rebel Trooper (AW30) / Hired Gun (AW47)
A toolbox deck made popular by Flaxative and talked about on the Knights of Ren podcast. Flaxative gives a great write up on SWDestinyDB, so I won’t go into great detail about this deck other than to say that is is a great example of a Hero toolbox deck. The idea is to be a jack of all trades, master of none. With 7 potential resource on the 4 Character dice, you have the ability to generate a lot of resources quickly to get your cards into play as needed. The funny thing is, there is a take on this deck replacing the Rebel Trooper with another Hired Gun for a different way to play Hyperloop. While much of the deck idea is still the same, having tools at your disposal to hurt and hamper your opponent, the idea is to include Hyperloop in that toolbox as a panic button, and not the main strategy of the deck. And, with more potential resource generation each turn, you can get out your big-cost items earlier than you could in the normal Hyperloop deck. Either way, the deck works as long as you can get the tools you need in hand.
Stars (Hyperloop): 4.5
Stars (No Loop): 6
Elite Qui-Gon Jinn (AW37) / Finn (AW45)
Another deck archetype on which I have done a previous article. Qui-Gon Jinn makes a great character to work into many different decks. While the deck I created is focused on using Qui-Gon’s ability as much as possible, given his reasonable point cost, excellent die, and great ability, he can stay alive much longer than his 11 health would indicate. Especially if you focus your deck on providing as many shields as possible for Qui-Gon to deal out as potential damage. With Finn, it is still much more of a fun deck than a serious one. However, like many more decks out there, this one can be tailored to suit many players’ desires. I really like Finn because it is a cheap card that comes in the Rey starter, and he has 3 damage sides on his die and a Shield icon. Oh, and nothing is funnier than deploying Luke Skywalker’s Lightsaber (AW41) directly to Finn and seeing the look on your opponents face.
Stars: 5.5
I hope that this article, along with part 1, has given you an idea of what is out there in the meta today. It is very surprising what players can come up with given that there is only one released set available. It shows the creativity of the players and how, by changing just a couple of cards, a player can customize the deck to their specific play style. One thing is certain, we are all eagerly awaiting news from the next set to see how the meta may change in the future.
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ePoe/eRey belongs at Luke/Ackbar level.