Date, Marry, Ditch: Imperial Leaders in JTL

It’s Valentine’s Day, and what better way to celebrate than with Star Wars: Unlimited? As the hype continues to build for Jump To Lightspeed, and in lieu of the more common title of this particular postulation, it’s time for a thrilling game of Date, Marry, Ditch! 

Sidenote - If you have a significant other or someone special that you’re looking to celebrate Valentine’s Day with… maybe don’t plan it around SWU. But hey, do your thing!

In this article, we’re going to look at the three powerhouse Imperial Leaders that have been revealed to this point: Grand Admiral Thrawn, …How Unfortunate (JTL 2), Admiral Piett, Commanding The Armada (JTL 5), and Darth Vader, Victor Squadron Leader (JTL 6). We’re going to choose one Leader to Date, one Leader to Marry, and one Leader that gets "left on read”. 

Some criteria:

1. DATE refers to the Leader that I feel like has potential, but needs a healthy trial run. As with many early relationships, this could be equal parts exploration and “I can fix him!” energy. Could lead to marriage later on if you play your cards right. (Get it… play your… never mind.)
2. MARRY means love at first sight. You’re taking this Leader and going straight to the chapel on the Las Vegas strip on the way to the Galactic Championships at the Venetian. This Leader may not be “the one”, but you’re hitching your wagon to it anyway because you’re smitten.
3. DITCH is pretty self-explanatory. This Leader could see more of your binder than your playmat, and though it may be overlooked, it’s like the nice guy in this equation: it finishes last. 

Before committing to one lucky space bachelor, it’s important to weigh the red and green flags that each Leader presents. Let’s examine Thrawn, Piett and Vader in numerical order to avoid the appearance of favoritism - after all, we wouldn’t want anyone getting jealous! 

The Smart Guy

It always feels like a toss-up in social circles as to whether the smartest guy in the room is actually among the most popular or not. Take Spark of Rebellion Thrawn, for example.

Hand knowledge? Great.

Board control? Awesome.

Popularity in tournaments? As if.

Fortunately, JTL Thrawn has hit the gym as well as the books, and now is poised to run with the cool kids, thanks to an astoundingly-useful ability on paper. Repeating any “When Defeated” abilities on your units has had all the boys and girls in the schoolyard swooning since Thrawn set foot on campus for his sophomore year. 

Despite being a late bloomer at a 6-cost deployment, his appeal hasn't been hindered, in large part because of the sheer wealth of other units rushing to be his friend. Cards like Ruthless Raider (SOR 134), Admiral Motti (SOR 226) and Val (SHD 58) are jockeying for position to join Thrawn’s gang.

But the Grand Admiral rolls into town with a posse of his own in JTL, featuring cards tailored to his every whim. 

Like all Leaders when they first arrive, Thrawn is still trying to find his identity.

Traditionally, Vigilance has been the aspect of control, especially in Villainy with all the staple control options that pairing presents.

But while this Thrawn could lean into the familiar, there’s a world where he fits better in a midrange-leaning-aggro build, simply due to the sheer numbers he can churn out with his ability. 

It’s also possible that a Thrawn player could rely too much on the “When Defeated” clique and sacrifice raw stats and/or well-established “good” cards for the sake of the theme of the deck. Being adaptable is something you and the Grand Admiral will both have to be cognizant of as you continue to grow your relationship.

However, with a loyal circle of friends and what could be a ton of flexibility, Grand Admiral Thrawn is proving that brains are sexy, and we are here for it!

The Rich Guy

Who doesn’t love being spoiled in a relationship?! If you’re looking for your future SWU Leader to keep buying you bigger and better things as you spend more time together, look no further than Admiral Piett, who’s not afraid to use Daddy’s money to splurge on a Capital Ship or two for his boo. 

Despite the power and confidence Piett’s wealth gives him (being in the ramp aspect of Command), he may be a little shy at first to commit. After all, aside from the Outlaw Corona (SHD 116), those Capital Ships are at a price point where you’re going to have to wait until things get a little more serious. 

The Admiral isn’t exactly the most imposing figure in the halls, either, with his 2/7 statline. The financial gain he represents may cause your opponents to target him immediately, and he won’t be able to do much in return until he’s stuffed in a locker for the rest of the game.

However, if you two are able to stick it out, you’ll be rewarded with riches beyond your wildest dreams. As of the writing of this article, and excluding any Heroism cards, there are 21 different Capital Ships that Admiral Piett can purchase, including some of the newest models and hot commodities with 5-star reviews. 

Piett isn’t afraid to wow you with grand gestures, either. With all those ships at your disposal, he’s got two legendary tricks up his sleeve. One of the craziest complementary cards in the entire set so far has been Planetary Bombardment (JTL 181) which is going to provide a massive payoff in the damage race against your opponent. I mean… 12 whole damage? He must really like you!

Then as if that weren’t enough, the ceiling gets even higher with Turbolaser Salvo (JTL 131) coming into play. If your Devastator, Hunting the Rebellion (JTL 143) is facing down three units in the Space Arena, firing off a Salvo turns into a whopping 27 damage! After all, nothing says love like annihilating the competition!

We are definitely living in a material world, so if you’re a material guy or girl, give Admiral Piett a call at 527-SHIP this Valentine’s Day, and you may get more than you bargained for!

The Team Captain

Victor Von Vader is the wildcard of the group. To this point, the effectiveness of Piloting is the great unknown, and some seasoned players of Star Wars: Unlimited may have trust issues when it comes to new mechanics being introduced into the relationship - they don’t always take hold, especially in the competitive environment. 

Like any brash young athlete, Vader’s stubbornness will likely make or break his potential, as he is all-in on creating TIE Fighter tokens to help swarm the board. Notably, these tokens come at a decently simpler price point than previous token-generating leaders like Nute Gunray (TWI 2) and Captain Rex (TWI 7).

Vader’s 5/5 statline as an upgrade is among the largest in the set so far, and while he doesn’t have the same protection as Luke Skywalker, Hero of Yavin (JTL 12), deploying a combined 7 points of power and 7 HP when he flips onto a vehicle is not to be ignored. 

That said, how much can you rely on 1/1’s?

Luckily, Vader’s teammates have his back in this regard, and Command Villainy seems poised to immerse itself into the token hunt. Wingman Victor Two (JTL 84) can either be a meaningful Round 1 play as a 3/2 ground unit, or add more ships to the fray when played as an upgrade. That ability can be paired with a First Order TIE Fighter (JTL 81) to threaten a 4-damage burst on the first action of Round 2. 

Not to be outdone, Wingman Victor Three (JTL 86) uses his upperclassman status to provide Experience to another unit in your armada. This can further enhance your Round 1 play once you play an additional unit or Vader creates a TIE Fighter token. It’s worth noting also that both of the Dark Lord’s wingmen are decent ground unit options for their cost, despite having no additional abilities in that arena. 

Want all your free 1/1’s to become free 2/2’s? Enter Victor Leader (JTL 85) to provide a static increase to the entire fleet of TIEs that both your deck and leader can churn out. Unlike General Veers (SOR 230), the ability on Victor Leader is not limited to Imperial units, so you are free to load up the Space arena with anything and everything, and Victor Leader will buff it all. 

Now, there’s no denying that Vader’s team is undersized, and may lack the talent that some other rosters can boast. But depending on how his ideal build shakes out, there’s definitely a chance that Vader’s leadership and strength can help carry these cards - and you - across the threshold to Victor-y!

So, we’ve sized up our potential suitors and it’s time to make a decision. 

Call Me, Maybe
Date: Admiral Piett

It would be foolish to ignore the potential that Admiral Piett provides with his fleet of gigantic ships and the supporting cast around them. If we’re being honest, he very easily could have been the Leader I chose to Ditch, just because of what is likely to be a high-variance, swingy experience with the good admiral.

But just like the awe factor you feel when Piett pulls up in his sleek ride, so too do I similarly feel faint when I consider the raw power and game-changing ability of Planetary Bombardment. This card alone is going to be the make-or-break card for Piett - to the point that I believe games will be decided on whether or not you draw it. 

While Piett has some motivation to dive into Vigilance due to some of the spicy Capital Ships in that aspect, the one-two punch of Ruthless Raider and Planetary Bombardment are too much to ignore, so that will be the focus of our early dates as I get to know the man behind the money. 

Meet Me At The Altar
Marry: Grand Admiral Thrawn

If I’m going to insert myself into an episode of 90-Day Fiancé, it better be with the candidate that is the most ready for commitment right out of the gate. To me, that candidate is Grand Admiral Thrawn. 

Thrawn - at least, the way I initially see him - has the unique advantage of being able to use his units not just as aggressors, but as pawns in the grand design.

Sacrificing smaller units and taking advantage of their When Defeated abilities is of no consequence to Thrawn, and there are several cards in Vigilance/Aggression Villainy that allow us to exploit that, both literally and figuratively. 

Without leaning too heavily into the Exploit mechanic, there still is some room for a couple of heavy hitters like Count Dooku, Fallen Jedi (TWI 138) and Malevolence, Grievous’ Secret Weapon (TWI 39).

Defeating your own units to pay for these monstrosities provide key effects when they hit the table, and you can follow up with Thrawn’s ability on top of that. 

For removal purposes, we may finally have a use for cards like Merciless Contest (TWI 238) and one of our favorite cards on the channel, Self-Destruct (TWI 140), which we helped to reveal during Twilight of the Republic spoiler season. Using your units as fodder to defeat your opponent’s units feels way less bad when you still get a benefit from it, thanks to Thrawn. 

One of the key cards in any Thrawn build, regardless of aspect pairing, may be the aforementioned Val, who can provide a whopping FOUR Experience tokens to your units on defeat when Thrawn doubles up, which can outweigh the Bounty effect on its own. Additionally, if you sacrifice Val when Morgan Elsbeth (TWI 35) attacks, all of a sudden you could be swinging for 7 instead of 3, Restoring 1, and drawing a card. Doesn’t our new hubby spoil us? 

Without a lot of playtesting, it’s hard to know if these are just flights of fancy or actual combos that can be advantageous. Even so, Thrawn provides a very exciting foundation on which to build, which is important in any marriage. I now pronounce you deck and player! 

It’s Not You, It’s Me
Ditch: Darth Vader

This is painful.

My heart hurts having to cast aside the new Darth Vader. I was so pumped to see the first Vader unit from Spark of Rebellion that I spent the Christmas holiday writing an article all about it, and I’ve also played with the initial Vader Leader (SOR 10) more than any other leader in the game so far.

To be clear, I WANT to be wrong about ditching Vader. I think the idea of a TIE swarm is extremely cool, and I hope that they put enough tools into Jump To Lightspeed to make him viable. Darth Vader is my favorite Star Wars character - more than Maul, more than Thrawn, etc., and I want to see him do well.

The mental block that I’m running into in my head is this: I think if Vader does end up being a strong Leader in the competitive environment, he will be the easiest Leader to counter.

First and foremost, Vader can be removed via Confiscate (SOR 251, SHD 262) as soon as he’s deployed as an upgrade, which completely negates his 5/5 boost that you waited 5 rounds for.

If you’re less worried about making your opponent hold upgrade removal, other cards that exist, popular or otherwise, will give Vader considerable difficulties. Overwhelming Barrage (SOR 92) is never NOT going to be a card (unless it doesn’t get reprinted after rotation), and any ping damage from opposing Leaders (Vader, Luke, Quinlan, Jango) is going to serve as a major detriment to those TIE Fighter tokens you’re making. Finally, sideboards can always slot in Clear The Field (TWI 199) to get rid of your entire squadron in one fell swoop.

It’s not all bad with Vader, of course. Any vehicle-focused Leader or deck can make for a very effective platform for Triple Dark Raid (SHD 194), a card that has more than proven its worth in the meta game thus far.

The Cunning event package should provide an equal amount of buffs and tricks to be able to surprise your opponent, perhaps even enough to propel you ahead of them in the damage race.

At the end of the day, I like the idea of Darth Vader more than I like the practicality of Victor Squadron’s commander, and when I size him up against Thrawn and Piett, it boils down to an unfortunate process of elimination. I would be thrilled to revisit this article in 2 months’ time and issue a mea culpa, but for now, Vader ends up in the dreaded friendzone. 

Playing The Field

While I have more faith in some of these Leaders than others, the reality is I will be testing with all three of them when Jump To Lightspeed releases in March.

My personal excitement for this set is at an all-time high because it has so many of my favorite things: big ships, great Leaders, and fun new mechanics to mess around with. 

I truly hope all three of these Imperial bosses see their time in the sun as the SWUniverse gets ready for Galactics in July.

Hopefully one of these builds inspires you to go on a few dates of your own with these fine, upstanding gentleLeaders! 

Kevin
Roll On Gaming
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