Budget Deck Tech: Signed in Blue Inq

It’s tough in the streets of Star Wars: Unlimited right now. Spark of Rebellion has been gobbled up like hotcakes, and for a new player, product can be very hard to come by - especially with rising secondary market prices spurred on by the absence of fresh boxes to crack.

But what if I told you that you could make a fun, fast deck that is both straightforward to pick up for newer players and features challenging decision points for experienced players? What if this deck provided an aggressive playstyle that may be beneficial when facing the current meta decks?

What if you could purchase this deck FOR LESS THAN $75?!

That’s right - featuring ZERO hard-to-acquire Legendary cards, only eight Rare cards in both main deck and sideboard, and in aspects that are battle-tested in the SWU scene, I give you this week’s Budget Deck Tech, featuring the indomitable Grand Inquisitor!

 View deck on SWUDB.com

Dual-Wielding Dual Threat

Grand Inquisitor, Hunting the Jedi (SOR 11) is a leader that has seen intermittent play in the Spark of Rebellion environment, but he should not be taken lightly under any circumstance. With the ability to ready a unit starting in the very first round to deal damage to your opponent’s base, Inquisitor decks can, at minimum, challenge other aggro decks in a sprint to the finish line.

When paired with the Vigilance aspect, the deck also provides some flexibility when you’re LOSING the base race because those two colors feature an event suite that can clear out your opponent’s threats on the board. And Blue/Red Villainy is so hot right now.

We won’t devote too much time to the event package because if you’re spending your resources on removal rather than playing units to the board with this deck, that means you’re in survival mode and it’s absolutely necessary.

But in a world where decks are focusing on larger top-end units, having an answer in hand should prove beneficial if you’re unable to close it out early.

The Perfect Weapon

It’s important when running Grand Inquisitor to lean into his Leader ability as fully as possible, because that’s what sets him apart from just sleeving up Darth Vader, Dark Lord of the Sith (SOR 10). While Vader boasts more raw power as a unit, the Inquisitor has the edge in sheer damage output if you can consistently trigger extra attacks with his ability.

As a result, we want to stack our deck with as many units that start at 3 power or less. Fortunately, there are several units in the Ground arena that provide a unique synergy with Inquisitor’s penchant for resets.

Obviously, no Grand Inquisitor deck is complete without his brothers and sisters - specifically, Fifth Brother, Fear Hunter (SOR 131) and Seventh Sister, Implacable Inquisitor (SOR 133).

With these faithful servants of the Empire willing to bend themselves to the will of the Force, the “Inquisitor package” allows for impactful resets that further your win condition in multiple ways.

A second-round Fifth Brother reset that your opponent can’t deal with could turn into 4-5 damage, depending on if he uses his own On Attack ability to boost his power. Threatening 5 damage a round from a 3-cost unit is a massive boon to your aggressive strategy.

Meanwhile, Seventh Sister can account for 6 damage spread evenly between the opponent’s base and another ground unit, clearing the way for your other units to attack unhindered, or softening up a leader for an eventual Takedown (SOR 77) or Force Choke (SOR 139). Plus, her 6 HP means that she can swing for multiple resets even before Inquisitor hits the table!

I Feel Gritty…Oh, So Gritty

More often than not, you will be resetting your units only once before they are in danger of being defeated by your opponent. However, loading up on units with the Grit keyword allows you to make the most of that one reset by adding extra damage to the subsequent attacks.

Scout Bike Pursuer (SOR 32) is a classic example of this, and a card that seems tailor-made to synergize almost exclusively with two cards in Spark of Rebellion; Grand Inquisitor and Death Trooper (SOR 33).

A round-one Pursuer is a dream opener for this deck - with Inquisitor’s ability, it provides you with an instant 3/2, ready to attack your opponent’s base or trade favorably into their 3-HP unit to reset the board.

One spicy play I’ve enjoyed is dropping Baze Malbus, Temple Guardian (SOR 65) into the Ground arena in Round 3 and forcing your opponent to make a choice. If they take initiative, Baze is free to reset and hit for 4 damage. If they try to stall out or avoid the reset, you can take initiative yourself, leaving a 5-health Sentinel in their way in the next round, that will only get stronger each time it gets hit. Baze provides additional flexibility to the deck depending on the situation. 

You Must Choose

With great power, comes great… wait, wrong movie. Regardless, although this particular brand of Grand wants to make as many attacks to your opponent’s base as possible, it isn’t always as cut-and-dried as running headlong into an Inquisitor reset without considering the variables.

One potential trip-up is resetting Fifth Brother (or any unit, for that matter) when an opponent has the resources available to do something about it.

If Fifth Brother comes down Round 2, and your opponent is sitting on an unused Energy Conversion Lab (SOR 22) and has resources available, watch out! Depending on the board state, you could be opening yourself up to an Ambush from a Superlaser Technician (SOR 83) or something even scarier.

Seventh Sister is helpfully printed to be outside of Takedown range… but not if she resets, so always have your opponent’s resource count in mind when making the decision to damage your own units.

The two copies of Fallen Lightsaber (SOR 137) are incredibly useful when you deploy your leader (he said the thing!) and can also open up your opponent’s units for more pain from a First Legion Snowtrooper (SOR 130).

They can be equally deadly on any other Force unit in your deck, but be mindful of the fact that those units can much more easily be dealt with than your Leader unit. Besides, holding onto a Saber for several rounds so that you can turn your Grand Inquisitor into a 6/9 menace is just so NICE.

Finally, as you approach the later rounds, you will find copies of higher-impact units like Count Dooku, Darth Tyranus (SOR 38) and Ruthless Raider (SOR 134) to help you close out the game.

However, these units, combined with any Grit units that already have damage on them, will frequently cut down on your ability to trigger an Inquisitor reset every round. Board state will be a crucial consideration for you when Grand Inquisitor has been deployed, so you aren’t limiting yourself to swinging for 3 damage and calling it a day.

You Have No Idea What You’ve Unleashed

SWU designer and visionary Tyler Parrott has already hinted that he has some serious mileage on Grand Inquisitor decks through Spark of Rebellion and beyond. 

You know what's really cool? Your first showcase being the one leader from the set that you'll be playing the longest #FFGStaff pic.twitter.com/0Np648HMC2

— Tyler Parrott (@davflamerock) February 24, 2024

While I wouldn’t presume to put this version of Inquisitor up against the most finely tuned of Tyler’s decks, I believe Sabine Wren, Galvanized Revolutionary (SOR 14) hasn’t cornered either the aggro market or the budget market just yet. With strong options no matter how you play it, Blue Inq can be a force to be reckoned with at a price point that is very friendly to seasoned and newer players alike.

I encourage you, dear reader, to give this pairing a try and make it your own. There are loads of other cards that won’t break the bank that can amplify your playstyle and help you mold Grand Inquisitor the way he shapes his allies to his whim. However you decide to approach it, the ability to make a deck like this on a budget speaks to the beauty of how Star Wars: Unlimited is designed.

Long live SWU, and long live the Empire!

Kevin
Roll On Gaming
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