Go Commando
In what I hope will become a regular column, I talked to Dice Commando. This is a fledgling, in real life (IRL) Content Creator that has been around almost a year. Andrew is the organizer and manager of the channel. On top of the great IRL content that is shown, they have also started The Commando Cast which just posted episode 30. This CC is located in Portland, Oregon. Their Star Wars: Destiny scene has been pretty strong, with “several shops in the area that support the game and have regular events.” Andrew gives credit to the people that have put in the work to see this community increase.
Rey (AW38) was where the beginning of their love affair started for the game. He purchased it in December of 2016 and never looked back. This, of course, was during the card famine in the early days. “I had to go back to the shop later that day though because I couldn’t build a legal deck with what I had gotten… and it was all downhill from there.” Luckily, Amy – whom Andrew recently married – is also happy to play this game, and can be seen, on occasion, playing on the channel.
Andrew is more than the host and manager on Dice Commando, he is also a very good player himself. His claim to fame is, “I finished 6-0 in the Trilogy Galactic Qualifier in Portland in February of 2018 (Legacies Meta). That was super sweet because I beat Lukas Litzsinger (Creator of Star Wars: Destiny) in the final match. The performance I am most proud of to date is the Portland, Oregon Regional in February 2019 – I went 8-0 in Swiss. Even though I was bumped in the Top 8 match the next day, with the high-level field that had come down I was very pleased with my results in Swiss.”
The New Meta
I asked what types of decks he enjoyed playing, “Tarkin (LG12)/Snoke (WF4) was my favorite competitive deck pre-nerf, because of the flexibility it provided. My fun decks right now are Captain Phasma (CV18)/First Order Stormtrooper (CV20)/Advanced Training (CV133) and Mace Windu (CV56)/Aayla Secura (LG29) soon to add Lightsaber Mastery (CV114)!!” With the new changes to the Balance of the Force making that plot possible for the deck, and probably more potent.
While talking about where we were in the Meta, Andrew felt we are possibly in a great spot. However he had this to say about Vader’s Fist(AG13):
“I would still like to see some sort of change to Vader’s Fist, like a Maul’s Lightsaber (LG8) change (requires $1 to Power Action).”
On the other two main cards of this Meta, Entourage (CV152) and Megablaster Troopers (CV31) he says “My opinion that Megablasters and Entourage are fine; probably aren’t very popular, but I could acquiesce to the argument for making Entourage unique.” Even though he feels like the game is in a good spot at this moment, Andrew did have some words of warning for FFG. “My concern is that the game may be on a trajectory that will become un-fixable if certain things aren’t hashed out from a design standpoint very soon. It feels really bad that control-support seems to be basically it right now… or that mill is the best counter. I’d like a resurgence of upgrades with better value, and some 2-wide decks that can hold their own. It kind of feels like Star Wars: Destiny is risking losing it’s core identity as a game.”
I love to get the CCs thoughts on types of decks they don’t enjoy sitting across from. With Dice Commando, it was an interesting take on this question. “The easy answer here is Mill, but really I don’t mind a good tactical mill deck that moves at a good pace. Control/denial heavy decks, whether they be mill, or a DJ (WF35) deck, or even a slow-building massive support deck can be very tiring and frustrating to play against. I think mill takes a lot of heat as the ‘poster child’ for this deck type, and deservedly so….but anyone who’s been locked down by a DJ deck as they get pinged to death will understand how toxic that experience is.”
In this Meta, I asked Andrew what he felt were the top 5 cards. “That is a hard question, especially as this is immediately after the Snoke (WF4)/Watto (CV38)/No Answer (CV128) changes. I believe Wat Tambor (CV22) is going to be a high-value player until the day he rotates out, his Power Action impact is just that good. Second, Watto I still think sees a ton of play, because even if your opponent removes his die you still netted overall game value. Third, Armored Reinforcements (AG129) plot is the only thing keeping ‘Fat’ Vehicles relevant. Fourth, Vader’s Fist is still what it is. Fifth, Darth Vader TTB (AG1) is still a beast.”
CCs role in the Community
One of the characteristics that caught my eye with Dice Commando is their attitude towards the community. They have a genuine passion for the community to grow, and they have added a tag line to the end of their videos to let people know they are serious. “Please remember to keep all comments civil and constructive and help us continue to grow this amazing community.”
For anyone that has been part of a stream, you know that it can be nerve racking. You know people are watching. Andrew felt “it was about 2 months back that I started using it. Unfortunately as the channel has grown, we have picked up some viewers that feel the need to ‘detract’ from the positive experience of the gameplay. Even when people are being polite, the fact remains that a greater percentage of comments are ‘you missed X’ or ‘I found a mistake’ or ‘that was a misplay’ than they are ‘good job’ or ‘thanks’. In fact, many of the same people that consistently comment on misses have never left a positive or reinforcing message – it’s as if their enjoyment of the channel/game is bringing others down. Now this is the internet and it is what it is, but I started using that canned message to hopefully remind to keep feedback positive, and remember that the people on the other side of the screen are real people – people putting themselves out there to enhance everyone’s experience and to provide content that helps us all.”
Being a Content Creator can be filled with trials. When you think about what was needed to be overcome at the launch of the game. Months of no product could have caused it to die an early death. Having the CCs allowed for some help with the community’s interest. “Star Wars: Destiny is my first FFG game that I have ‘really’ played. With somewhat lacking levels of support and frequent periods of communication droughts from this publisher, the content Creators help to fill the gaps, keep people interested, and overall serve as ‘hubs’ for the community. I believe the game would be okay without them, but content creators enhance the experience for those that want more than just cardboard and dice.”
“My one concern, if you could call it that, is that I do feel that some of the CCs can create a ‘factional’ divide in the community. To a certain extent there are Artificery guys, the Hyperloop guys, the ABG guys, etc. Each has their own Discord, their own secret content, etc. This isn’t a problem outright and certainly exists in many other games – however, our community isn’t as large as many other games… I wonder what it looks like to a person coming into Star Wars: Destiny for the first time.”
Community means a lot to Dice Commando. They feel a connection to it on different levels. “The community is everything. The local community lets me film them playing. Without them there would be no content. Without people watching, what would be the point? And on top of all that, the positive feedback and positive interactions we have with the community keep us motivated to keep videos coming.
Helpful Tips for New Players
The helpful hints that Dice commando has are to use the great resources available to you. There are “articles by YourDestiny and Artificery.” Andrew also suggests not only picking up a starter you like and get a few packs to get an elite character. He then believes that “buy specific singles that you need to fill out your deck,” is the best strategy.
“Anyone who watches the Commando Cast knows the value that I place on building one’s own deck. Simply put, knowing *why* the cards that are in the deck are there, exactly, and being the one who decided how they should be played and when, puts you on the easier road to both ‘turning’ and becoming a better pilot.”
Dice Commando’s Calling
While doing the Content Creators Corner, I want to find CCs that are unique. People that have a story to tell. I also want to find the CCs that put the emphasis on the community, people that have a passion to make this a better place to play a game we love. The Dice Commando fits this to a T. Andrew says it best, “My charter for the Dice Commando was, and remains, to bring high-quality and all-play-level access that would neither require nor request financial support.”
He started the Dice Commando for two reasons, “aside from T3 Gaming there were essentially no regularly-posted IRL channels. I felt we were at risk of losing a lot of this game’s true ‘magic’ by building a virtual community, not to mention making it easier for people to meet online and chat in Discord vs going out and playing in person, and building a community.”
The other reason that Dice Commando exists is because of walls. Andrew felt like more and more CCs were going after Patreons so they might make special content and hide it behind those walls. “This is of itself fine – and more power to them – but as time moved on more and more Creators were putting things behind pay walls, giving Patreons early access and/or exclusive content. I’m afraid that this can create a perception to someone looking in that the game is not as welcoming, or that the barrier(s) to entry are higher than they actually were.”
Some Parting Thoughts
In a world where people profit, it is refreshing to find a group that still helps those of us that want to learn for free. Dice Commando is a site that has the entertainment and discussion to make you a better player. Knowing that there are places like this to send new players makes trading our Padawans easier. Take the time to check out this Content Creator. They truly show that they are here to build a strong, and polite community. I’ll use their closing line as I finish this article—“Go Commando”
If there is a Content Creator you’d like to see an article on please leave a message and tell me.
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I love the Dice Commandos!
P.s. I have it on good authority that the Dice of Failure guys are also cool. – A Dice of Failure guy