Hyperloop is the name of a new gimmick deck that has started to make the rounds in the tournament scene. The premise of the deck is simple. You use Poe Dameron (AW29) with two Hired Guns (AW47). A popular variant is to replace one of the Hired Guns with a Rebel Trooper (AW30). Poe is there so that once the combo is setup you can use his ability to deal more damage quickly. You use the Emperor’s Throne Room Battlefield (AW167). Your deck contains two copies of Hyperspace Jump (AW129) and Millennium Falcon (AW49).
Why use two Hired Guns vs a single Hired Gun and a Rebel Trooper? If you want to get the Falcon combo out as quickly as possible, you use the two Hire Guns because they have 2 sides showing Resources on its die. However, if you are looking at keeping Poe alive longer, or trying to sneak in more damage potential each turn, you use the Rebel Trooper, specifically for the Guardian keyword, and having two copies of Field Medic (AW105) to keep it alive longer (which you would probably have anyway in the deck with Poe). It is a personal choice, and an argument can be made for running either variant. For me, I am a fan of the dual Hired Gun variant.
So what happens is simple. You want both the Falcon and Hyperspace Jump in your hand at the start of the match. Yes, you mulligan for them if you don’t get them. You don’t spend a single Resource, saving up to play the Falcon. Yes, that means re-rolling as needed (but keeping the Falcon in your hand). Feel free to discard Hyperspace Jump to re-roll dice, this combo works if it is in your discard pile or hand. Once you get 5 resources, play the Falcon. Roll it into play. Never spend the Falcon’s die. Now, here is where the fun comes in. When you claim the Emperor’s Throne Room you turn the Falcon die to the Special side. You use the Special to play Hyperspace Jump, which can be either in your hand or discard pile, for free. You don’t switch battlefields, but Hyperspace Jump ends the action phase, for both players.
Once you get the Falcon on the table, it gets even easier. All you have to do is for your first action roll the Falcon die. Then, depending on what your opponent does, you claim the Battlefield (if it is the Throne Room), and end the phase. What, what? Yes, you heard that right. Currently, this is a Hero combo out there that works with any Yellow build (but best with Poe and Hired Gun) that can end the phase for both players at any time. This can be very, very powerful. If your opponent has an aggro deck with Darth Vader (AW10), General Veers (AW4), or anything else, and they roll a great damage roll, claim the Battlefield and end the phase. They can’t spend those dice to damage your characters.
Yes, you aren’t doing damage to your opponents characters, but they aren’t doing anything to you. It is a great theoretical way to stall the game and go to time in a tournament environment. Especially if, on the first round or two you were able to deal more damage to your opponents Characters then they did to you. If you go to time, you are ahead in the damage race. In a casual game, if I come up against this build, I know how to beat it, so no big deal.
However, there are some serious weaknesses to the build. The first is to quite simply claim the Battlefield before your opponent. Now, the downside to this is that they now have free reign to roll their characters and deal damage, so this works best when they have few upgrades on the table, and few resources to get them into play. You will take a hit, but, you are planning on dealing more damage the next round. This works great in aggro decks where you have your primary damage dealer with three upgrades on them already. It almost always guarantees you the ability to both roll the dice into play, and your next action use those dice to deal damage.
Second, and even easier, do everything you can do prevent your opponent from gaining 5 resources to play the Falcon, or do everything you can to prevent the Falcon from being used. Use Disrupts to remove Resources. Use Discards to hopefully remove the Falcon from their hand. Get an AT-ST in play and remove the Falcon that way. If possible use He Doesn’t Like You (AW97) to remove the Falcon’s die. Play Armed to the Teeth (AW93) to deal damage without activating a Character. Play Strategic Planning (AW111) to Exhaust the Falcon before it can be activated. Start with your Battlefield in play so they can’t use the Throne Room the first turn, so they have to roll the Falcon’s Special side in order to use it, or force them to have three extra resources to play their Hyperspace Jump.
Darth Vader gives your opponent a hard turn counter, if you activate him every turn you limit the number of turns to less that 30. Finally, use cards and combos to gain multiple activation’s in a turn. Elite Rey (AW38) with Elite Han Solo (AW46) can generate extra actions which mean a greater chance to deal damage and win that way. Wait until they activate one of their Characters to activate Jango Fett (AW21) and resolve his dice before they can do the combo.
Yes, to the unexpected and uninitiated, the Hyperloop combo can be scary, and I was totally baffled the first time I played against it (I did eventually win by sheer grit and determination). However, with planning and a card or two in your deck, many of which can be effective against decks that aren’t built around Hyperloop, you stand a decent chance at beating the deck. Remember, even an aggro deck goes into a prevention defense to stop the combo from working, or getting setup at all.
And, yes, it will be frustrating to play against, even if you are prepared for it.
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Another card used to great effect is launch bay in the loop deck. Roll Falcon, if your opponent rolls garbage or plays an upgrade then roll launch bay and hit hard or discard your opponent’s entire hand. They can’t activate Jango off the roll and you can still claim to hyperspace at any time.