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Overview of the Recent Errata


The long awaited Star wars Destiny RRG finally arrived on October 24th. This RRG attacked nearly every “Tier 1” deck and left the meta wide open for experimentation. It’s almost like starting over with a blank slate. In this article, I will give a short rundown of the rule changes and erratas and I will describe the impacts of the changes. Then I will describe what I believe to be the next meta and the new “Tier 1” decks.

The first change we see to the rules of the game is that a player may now overwrite an upgrade only once per turn. If a player has 3 upgrades on a character, they may discard one and play a different one with no decreased cost. This rule change has little to no effect on most characters but has huge implications for FN and Sabine as well as OG Rey. FN can no longer cycle upgrades action after action and hope for damage. He also gets very little use out of Boundless Ambition. Once he has overwritten 1 upgrade, FN is done and can no longer chain out damage. Sabine got hit because she can no longer overwrite an upgrade and then overwrite again from the discard pile. This keeps her from removing tons of dice with DL-44s and also keeps her from overwriting and then overwriting with Second Chance later. Old Rey took a bit of a hit because she can no longer overwrite endless ambush weapons and take 3+ actions.

The next impactful change we get in the RRG is a change to the reroll mechanic. Previously, you could discard a card from your hand to reroll 1 or more of your dice in your pool. With the change, you can now discard a card from your hand to reroll any number of dice in your pool. This means that you can discard a card to reroll 0 of your dice! This is a change that affects only a couple of cards but it has major effects in those instances. Running Interference can no longer lock you out of taking an action because at any time you can discard a card to reroll 0 dice. This is a partial nerf to Sabine’s RI loop. Other cards affected include: Mind Probe (you no longer need to have dice in your pool to decrease the damage) and Unkar (you no longer need to have dice in your pool to ditch high cost cards).

The next change is a small one regarding damage “distributed as you wish”. The RRG states that damage cannot be dealt greater than the health + shields of a character (I believe this is just a clarification for something we already knew). The other change here is that all damage is dealt at once. This is significant because a player cannot deal damage to a character with Second Chance and then deal more damage after Second Chance has been activated. Instead all of the damage will be dealt at once and the additional damage will be ignored by Second Chance.

On page 20 we get a clarification on upgrade movement. If an upgrade is moved from one character to another it maintains its exhausted or ready state. This really only matters for cards like Master of the Council and Makashi Training.

In this RRG we gained several new erratas as well. Among the cards that got erratas are: Vibroknife, It’s a Trap, Imperial Inspection, and Heat of Battle. Vibroknife is now only unblockable for its own die and dice it modifies. This change seems like a good choice for the health of the game. It allows unblockable damage to be a part of the game without making shields completely irrelevant. It’s a trap had the Ambush keyword removed and now can change only up to 2 dice. This card wasn’t very fun to play against but I think that it did not need both of these changes. One or the other probably would have been sufficient and as is I think it has been nerfed into oblivion. Imperial Inspection is now set aside after use. I think this is a good change to one of the most NPE cards that has existed. Heat of Battle now affects only 2 dice. I think Heat of Battle was slightly too good and that it needed to be nerfed, but this errata was probably too much.

The most significant change in this RRG is the “Balance of The Force” section. In this section, there is a list of characters whose point costs have been changed. Because character point cost is the best way the designers have to balance the game during production, I think that this section is good and healthy for the game as a way to balance the game after release. One card, Phasma (2 player) was given a +1 point increase. Poe Dameron (the old version), FN, and Unkar have been given +2 point increases.

This means decks that used these characters previously can no longer be run in the same way. At least one of these characters appeared in almost all of the top decks and their errata is causing a huge meta shift. I believe that all of these changes are good and justified. Bellow I will outline previous “tier 1” decks that used these characters and cards and describe weather or not I think they can still compete.

eKylo2/eFN was by far the best deck in the early (pre-RRG) EaW meta. This deck had consistent high damage with Kylo’s ability and die and it had a great late game due to its high health and FN’s ability. By combining two of the best characters in the game, it managed to deal constant damage and out survive almost every deck. With the recent errata, FN can no longer be run at elite with eKylo. New iterations of the deck run eKylo2 with rFN. The deck took another hit with the “overwrite” rules change meaning that FN cannot loop upgrades endlessly or make use of Boundless Ambition. With both of these rules changes, this deck is nowhere near as good as it used to be. Despite this, I think that Kylo2’s ability is beyond fantastic and with mono blue hero likely to be the top of the meta the deck may still be quite good.

eKylo2/ePhasma2 was another high tier deck that included Kylo. Kylo’s amazing ability combined with Phasma’s amazing die for her low point cost kept this deck running. It had the same options as eKylo2/eFN but it had better character dice and was less draw and roll dependant. With the errata to Phasma’s point cost, this deck is effectively dead. eKylo2/rPhasma2 is just not good enough to run in a meta that can rely heavily on shields.

eVader(SoR)/ePhasma2 was a very hard hitting deck. With the potential to deal 12 damage turn 1 with character dice alone, it could literally beat any deck with a good pilot and a little luck. With the Phasma2 point increase, this deck is no longer worth running. The deck frontloaded most of its damage on its character dice and eVader/rPhasma simply can’t compete.

eCad/ePhasma2 was another deck that relied on Phasma2’s incredibly low point cost. It hit hard and was rarely able to be mitigated with its action cheating due to Cad. Like all of the other decks that relied on a 13 point elite villain character, it has severe issues with the Phasma2 point increase. eCad/rPhasma is definately able to compete in today’s meta but it is nowhere near as strong as it was and eCad has almost no other viable partners.

ePoe/eMaz was the deck to beat in SoR until Rainbow Nines made its debut near the end of the set. While Rainbow Nines saw a drop in popularity with the release of EAW, Poe/Maz continued to go strong. It could focus Poe’s dice to specials and instantly resolve for 4+ damage consistently. It also kept 3 and 4 character decks from being a threat in the meta. With the +2 point cost increase on Poe, this deck can no longer be built with both characters at elite. While the deck is still viable with 1 die Maz, I doubt that it can compete in the new meta.

eThrawn/eUnkar was the deck that everyone was excited about pre-EaW. Post-EaW, however, many of us found that the deck is neither fun to play nor fun to play against. While it was beatable by the old meta, the erratas mentioned above ripped apart every deck that beat Thrawnkar consistently. I think the errata to the deck was a good one and kept us from getting an entirely Thrawnkar meta. With that being said, eThrawn/rUnkar is still a formidable deck and could end up making a name for itself.

Having outlined the decks that were hit the hardest by the most recent erratas, I would like to outline what I believe will be the top decks in the new meta. (Keep in mind that this is my opinion given my personal testing of many of these decks against the rest of the field.)

Tier 2:

These decks can certainly compete with the best decks but it takes a lot of work (and luck!) to reach the top tables.

eThrawn/rUnkar seems to be the new iteration of the old Thrawnkar decks. So far, it seems to be doing very well as a mill deck by building up tons of resources and “Buying Out” for 15+ cards. Thrawn still has one of the best abilities in the game because it can seek out and destroy your opponents mitigation cards. This deck is certainly not as strong post-RRG but I think it can certainly still compete.

eCad/rPhasma2 is another deck that has been modified since the RRG. This version outputs much less damage than the initial version, but it can still put a hurting on your opponent. In addition, it still has Cad’s action cheating ability. I expect this deck will linger at “tier 1.5” and will be good but not quite good enough to break into the top tier.

eVader(SoR)/eKylo is an old SoR deck that saw some success. With the introduction of cards like Chance Cube this deck is now a serious threat if it can get its board state running. In the pre-RRG meta, it didn’t have enough time to set up the board state and Rend got rid of its Holocrons. In the new meta, I think that the game has slowed down just enough (and Rend has been phased out of many decks) that this deck has a place.

Hera vehicle decks were some of the most interesting decks to think about Pre-EaW. Post-EaW, however, the game simply moved too fast for vehicle decks to keep up. With the recent erratas, the game has slowed considerably, leaving a place for Hera vehicle decks. These decks can often get 20 resources worth of vehicles out by turn 3, and because they don’t get removed when a character dies (unlike upgrades), the deck can spiral out of control quickly if the opponent can’t stop it.

eVader(Awk)/X is a deck that has been around forever. First it was Vader/Raider, then it was Vader/Guard, and finally it was Vader/Phasma. With the Phasma point increase, Vader/Phasma is no longer attainable and so we have the following options to pair with Vader: Tuskin Raider, Royal Guard, and Magnaguard. This gives us a buddy for Vader in color and allows us to choose which we like best. With the decrease in turn 1 damage dealt by character due to the errata, I think OG Vader really has a place in the meta because of his strong die and ability. In addition, blue Villain has some of the best mitigation in the game which gives Vader some good options for deck builds.

Tier 1.5:

These decks have a bit more umph and can really take down any deck. They need a bit more luck than the tier 1 decks but these could win any tournament.

eHan/eRey was a formidable deck in Awakenings making the top tables in high level tournaments such as worlds. During SoR, the deck got new tricks such as Force Speed, Vibroknucklers, and Vibroknife. It got even more new tricks in EaW with cards like the X-8 Sniper. The deck saw very little play, however, because Vibroknife invalidated its core mechanic (shield generation). With Vibroknife nerfed, this deck is coming back with a vengeance!

ePalpatine was never as good a deck as people wanted it to be. It had power but only having 2 dice meant it could be easily shut down. With EaW he got new tricks like Indomitable and Endurance. He didn’t see much play because, being mono blue, he suffered to Kylo2 decks. With Kylo decks significantly decreased in power and shields again relevant, this deck has a place in tier 1.5.

eJango/ePhasma2 is another new version of the old eCad/ePhasma2. It aims to deal damage fast and kill you before you kill it. It is a bit of a glass cannon but it can deal damage fast and is reminiscent of the epidemic that was Jango/Veers in Awakenings. It still remains to be seen if this deck can keep up with the rest of the new meta but it certainly has good character dice and Jango’s has retained its fantastic status.

eKylo2/rFN is the newest version of the Kylo2/FN decks that were the top of the meta pre-RRG. I think that this is currently the strongest pair for Kylo2 who is a great character with a great ability and high health. Despite this, I think that once Kylo2 dies, FN will have a hard time competing (keep in mind that he can only overwrite one upgrade per turn). While this deck certainly can pump out the damage, I think that it is far removed from the meta-warping place it once held.

Tier 1:

These decks are the best of the best. These are the decks that you will most often see at the top and that you should test the most against.

Riekan/Padme/Acolyte is one of the best mill decks right now. With the ability to discard two cards with each activation, Riekan is a fantastic card, and Padme is one of the best mill cards out there. With the inclusion of blue, you can run all three colors and use every mill card available. With the ability to use C3-P0 on a 3 resource from a Chance Cube to get 3 discard, this deck can even attack the hand and finish out games fairly well. I expect this to be one of the best decks arround.

eKylo2/rGrievous is one of the most formidable decks out there right now. Kylo’s ability, as I mentioned before, is just fantastic and makes him the obvious first target. With Greivous as the secondary target, he can easily build up his upgrades with his stealing ability. With the two top decks, Sabine/Ezra and Qui/Kanan, being mono colored, this deck is a serious contendor.

eSabine/eEzra was one of the best hero decks in the format before the errata and, since everything that beat it was nerfed away, I expect it will be one of the best decks you can run. Sabine’s action cheating ability allows you to instantly resolve your dice and with the Luke/Vader damage loadout her dice are going to be packing heat. Ezra’s “steal a resource” special is awesome and his dice are good enough that he can close a game on his own with a few upgrades. The deck can loop Second Chance like nobodies business which gives it both damage and survivability.

Blue Hero is, in my opinion, the best of the best post-RRG. In my previous article, which can be found: here, I outlined what makes blue hero so good. I won’t go into too much detail here, but blue hero was fairly good before the new errata. After the errata, everything that beat blue hero has been nerfed, and blue hero has come out (almost!) unscathed. The only card blue hero used that was nerfed is Vibroknife. While this might, at first, seem awful for blue heroes, I think that it actually helps them because their shields can be used to soak damage instead of just being bypassed. Thrawnkar and Kylo2 were some of the only decks that blue hero had to worry about but both have almost completely disappeared. I think that every deck in blue hero has the ability to do great things. Options include: Ahsoka/Qui, Ahsoka/Kanan, Ahsoka/Rey, Qui/Rey, Qui/Kanan, Luke/Rey, Obi/Rey, and Mace/Padawan.

Below is my most recent version of a blue hero deck as an example:

Out of all of the blue hero decks listed above, I think that Qui Gon/Kanan is the very best. Blue hero, I expect, will be the very top of the meta and Qui Gon/Kanan is the top of the top. It can use Kanan’s ability to great effect allowing you to focus your dice to any side and instantly resolve, resolve mixed damage, or focus and Force Misdirect. Kanan’s diverse sides help Force Misdirection to be potent and Qui Gon’s ability makes him have 4 damage sides on his die. There are also cards that deal damage from hand like Synchronicity and Luke’s Protection. I’ve built my post-errata version of this deck to capitalize on blue weapon synergy. With the errata to Vibronife, I think it can safely be taken out of the deck and without it we can include cards like: Lightsaber Pull, It Binds All Things, Shoto Lightsaber, and Lightsaber Training and use them effectively. I have a crazy high win rate with this deck beating every deck listed above countless times and also beating many other decks which I did not mention. I encourage you all to try out the deck and let me know what you think! My current list is below:

Link to deck on www.SWDestinyDB.com: http://swdestinydb.com/decklist/view/15376/nicksroguejediv2wnewrrgdiscussionanddeckdescrip-1.0

Characters:

Battlefield:

Upgrades:

Supports:

Events:

Questionable Card Explanations:

Heroism:

This card just seems bad. I haven’t seen this card played in a single deck and it’s been around for a full year. This card finds its place at last in this deck due to the shield generation. Removing your opponent’s die is huge with the small cost that you must remove some shields on the character they aren’t targeting. You can also remove base damage sides forcing rerolls in order to resolve modifiers.

Do Or Do Not:

I just love this card. Qui Gon has one of the best dice in the game with 4 damage sides and a resource side. I love anything I get with Do Or Do Not on Qui Gon’s dice except the blank. Taking 3 shields or doing 3 damage is hard to argue with.

Force Illusion:

In the heyday of Vibroknife, this card was useless against just about any melee deck. With Vibroknife now nerfed, it can effectively be used against both melee and ranged decks. I think this card is less situational than Deflect and is a good replacement.

Fearless:

This is a card that not many decks run, but it is one of the best cards for Qui Gon. It combos well with Qui Gon’s shield pinging ability, but it also can get you your Luke’s Protections back after you use them. If you have 2 Fearless on Qui Gon and 2 Luke’s Protection in hand you can deal 6 damage without even resolving a die.

Overall I think that the new and different meta is awesome. This is an exciting time for Star Wars Destiny. There are many decks that can compete now, and nothing seems excessively broken or powerful. For myself, I will be playing mono blue and testing its abilities against the rest of the field but there are many options for deck building right now from classic Emo Kids to Hera Vehicles.

I hope you enjoyed this article! If you did, please consider subscribing on our home page to be notified when we post new material. You can also contact us at MandalorianHQDestiny@gmail.com.

Thanks for reading!

-NickTheBug; Mandalorian HQ

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