Who else remembers the first time they witnessed the horrific power of the tribe of space bears known as Ewoks? I can recall watching our bootleg VHS copy of Return of the Jedi and being amazed at the sheer volume of these fuzzy marauders. While Wicket stole Leia’s heart (and mine) with his adorable innocence, my true love for these creatures grew from their ability to come together as a unit to accomplish both a thriving community and a fearsome offensive.
When the Ewoks were first announced in the FFG Spark of Hope article, I was instantly hooked. My admiration of the creatures joined forces with my naturally goofy playstyle to create a whirlwind of excitement for this next set to drop. Being the kind of player that gravitates to thematic pairings and strategies like Gungans, having a hoard of Ewoks just made sense to me.
I have always been the one who wants to pull away from what the current top decks are and push for more difficult victories with decks that I have personally put together. While I have nothing against meta decks, I simply prefer that the few games that I do have a chance to play should be with decks that I am excited to play with — not just decks I can win with. Let me tell you three reasons why Ewoks are one of those decks for me.
***Please note that this article was written shortly before the FFG live stream and does not include information on the character Wicket or the new ‘trap’ downgrades. The mechanics of those new cards call for a drastically different build than the ones listed in this article and deserve their own separate analysis.***
Teddy Bear Horde
The first and most exciting reason is the fact that this is the largest team we have ever been able to play in Star Wars Destiny. Flying past the five-wide Battle Droid (LG9) deck with a monstrous SEVEN characters, the Ewoks make me feel like I need to invest in a bigger play mat.
While the seven characters that you do get are not that impressive, I believe there will be creative people who find unique ways to utilize their numbers. Seven is a big number in this game, and though the Ewok Warriors do not have dice associated with them, they present a unique opportunity with that absence.
My first choices for cards that can find a powerful spot in this deck are Gang Up (LG68) and Diplomatic Protection (LG123).
While Gang Up may be difficult to get on the table and keep there, I believe it will be well worth the effort, even with a single resolution of its indirect side for a potential of 6 or 7 indirect damage. With a reasonable, cheap removal suite, you will hopefully be able to keep the attached character around for one or two shots.
Diplomatic Protection boasts the potential of up to twelve shields for a single resource! With cards like Draw Attention (CV94), Dangerous Maneuver (LG150), and Karabast! (AG97), you should be able to push the damage onto the attached Ewok Warrior quickly enough to make use of this effect. Even an extra four to six shields late game has the potential to push the game into the next round.
A few more honorable mentions that should be auto includes in this deck are Near Miss (CV166) and Flank (AN15). Near Miss will be in the lineup until you are making a last stand with your single Ewok, and Flank will be an ever-powerful piece of mitigation as your opponent slowly picks through your seven characters.
100% Probability In A Game Of Chance
If FFG promised new cards with guaranteed damage, shields, etc., would the online threads not go wild? While our Ewoks’ guarantee is for a small amount, it is still a 100 percent probability. Without the distraction of a dice or worry about the percentage of hitting damage, the Ewoks give you one indirect damage just for activating them.
I mentioned before that I have been a large proponent for the use of Gungans. Their goofy tactics often cause the opponent to underestimate them and allow you to pull unexpected victories from constant blank rolls. But even with the Gungans, you have to keep Boss Nass (WF71) alive and you only have a one-in-three chance of hitting that choice blank side. While I understand that the Gungans currently have far more support than our recently spoiled Ewoks, I think that the Ewoks’ guarantee of damage will make them slightly more relevant.
Enough Theme To Fill The Forest
Star Wars is the reason I play this game. It just helps that the game is fun. My love of all things Star Wars pushes me to keep revisiting Destiny and the thematic options it presents. While I certainly play decks that would make no canon sense, I am much more apt to go with one that does. The appeal for me to control my favorite Star Wars characters and strengthen them with appropriate weapons and abilities is one of the biggest joys of this game for me.
The prospect of playing a group of Ewoks is such an exciting offer to me. With Return of the Jedi being my favorite Star Wars film (I know, I know, shh), the idea of using the theme of Endor for a deck really jumps out at me. While the first version of this deck for me is definitely going to be Chief Chirpa (SH93) and six Ewok Warriors, I am also concocting several more teams in my head already.
The second team I am most excited for is the Ewok Deity deck. Utilizing See-Threepio along with Chief Chirpa I hope to recreate the scene where Han and Luke almost get cooked. With elite C-3PO, elite Chief Chirpa, two Ewok Warriors, and Chirpa’s Freewok I believe a support-based deck will work in my favor. See-Threepio adds the previously unavailable element of Command cards to the deck, further advancing the staying power thru healing cards and additional removal.
I also have a rainbow version of the deck in mind that runs C-3PO, R2-D2 (SH56), Chief Chirpa, one Ewok Warrior, and the additional Freewok from Chirpa’s ability. While not as focused on the Ewok Warriors in this build, I do see the potential for fun games to be played with this. I know folks are probably looking for ways to break Threepio and Artoo. I am just grateful the FFG made this dynamic duo cheap enough to slot into multiple teams together. I was worried that Threepio would get the K-2SO (EW26) treatment and sit in the binder at an awkward high point value. Thank the Maker that isn’t the case.
As Spark of Hope quickly approaches, my excitement for the Ewoks and more unspoiled support cards grows. I hope I see other creative folks put these unique characters to use and can’t wait to have my alternate artwork versions of them on the table. Until next time y’all, may the Force be witcha.
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