Top 5 Cards to Watch Out For at the Richmond Sector

Hey everyone! This is Jack from the Golden Dice Podcast! For today’s article, I wanted to talk about some cards I am expecting to help shape the Richmond Sector meta! The whole GDP crew will be in attendance this weekend, so we are gearing up to play in what might be the largest SWU event yet!

I do want to say that I will not be ranking the leaders, as they should be a bit more known. You should definitely be prepared for Quinlan, Han1, Sabine, Qi’ra, etc. Instead, I hope to highlight some cards that I expect to play a significant role in the top decks and are likely newer to the playing field.

You want to be ready for each of these cards, even if you are playing a deck that is likely running them!

So let's jump into it – if you are going to Richmond, or even any upcoming PQs, I would have these cards in mind and be prepared to have an answer for 'em!

5. Bamboozle

In general, I will try to pick cards that are debuting onto the scene, but it is hard to not mention Bamboozle (SOR 199).

As a Quinlan main myself for the last few months this card has been one I used a lot during TWI’s PQ season. It was great into Sabine and Han1 matchups. Being able to exhaust Han to prevent his 7th resource or bounce a Darksaber back to the Sabine player's hand were such incredible swings. 

Now we get a set (Jump to Lightspeed) where the main theme is leaders who can deploy as upgrades. Bamboozle continues to be in a great spot.

I won’t argue about whether or not this should be errata’d or banned or anything, as it counters pilots so hard, but I will say you need to be ready for it if you are running a pilot or upgrade deck. Furhermore, Bamboozle being able to cost 0 by instead discarding a yellow card means your opponent can hit you with it at any time. Despite being a Cunning Heroism card, I would even expect some Cunning Villain decks like Cad Bane to pack this in their sideboard.

4. Traitorous

Traitorous (SOR 122) is another old card, but it does feel as though this card is at an all time high in the Jump to Lightspeed meta as compared to previous sets. 

Now this does not counter Leader Pilots like Bamboozle does, but Traitorous is a card that has the ability to slot into slower-paced decks to take care of the "Turn 1 Ship, Turn 2 Big Pilot" decks that can really run away with games.

If you can get down any Turn 1 play, into a Resupply (TWI 127) on Turn 2, and then into Traitorous on Turn 3 to grab a Millenium Falcon (Han1 playing it Turn 1) with a Chewbacca, Faithful First Mate (JTL 103) piloting it, you will be a very happy camper.

A lot of these pilots at the 2-3 upgrade cost mark are VERY powerful, like Chewbacca, Iden Versio, Adapt or Die (JTL 36), Darth Vader, Scourge of Squadrons (JTL 142), Boba Fett, Feared Bounty Hunter (JTL 189), etc. They do have counter play – thankfully! – so just be prepared to see Traitorous even if you aren’t running a pilot deck yourself.

3. Sabine's Masterpiece

What a banger of a card. The base artwork, the prestige version, and the power level of Sabine's Masterpiece, Crazy Colorful (JTL 250) just hits.

What really shines, to me, is that if you have a Command unit out, you can give an Experience token to a unit. If you open with a Round 1 Luke Skywalker, You Still With Me? (JTL 94) or Battlefield Marine (SOR 95) into ECLing this tie as a 4/4, you can really take over the game. 

I do think the other triggers can have great plays as well, but the Experience token bump can get out of hand the fastest and can help create 2 targets on the field – the 3/3 in space giving tokens and the thing that is getting the tokens.

The main time you will see this card is in a Sabine deck, and I really wanted to draw attention to this card as I know most of you are all too familiar with the classic Poe Dameron, Quick to Improvise (SHD 153) or Wrecker, Boom! (SHD 154) ECL line. With Sabine’s Masterpiece, Sabine ECL now has a great counter into Han1 playing a ¾ Falcon on the first turn.

Sabine continues to be a great deck and will certainly be around in the coming tournaments, so just be aware that if a green unit is on the field, you might be getting hit by a 4/4 ambush in space for 3 resources!

2. Chewbacca, Faithful First Mate

I have already made mention of two cards that counter Chewbacca a bit with Bamboozle and Traitorous, so now it is time to focus on what could be the scariest pilot you will see!

Chewbacca's reveal (via his inclusion in the Han Solo Spotlight deck) generated so much excitement, only for it to die out as we all heard the chorus of “I will tap Jango to exhaust X”. Chewie had a lot of hype behind him, but he struggled to break into a meta that allowed Jango to constantly tap him down. But now Jango Leader and Triple Dark Raid are gone!

While Chewie can definitely pop up in a Sabine deck, I think the deck he scares me the most in is Han1 Command. Being able to play either Set 1 (Piece of Junk)  or Set 4 Falcon (Get Out and Push) on Turn 1, then playing Chewbacca on Turn 2 as a pilot can create big problems fast. 

If it is Set 1 Falcon and you don’t have an answer, that is 9 damage on your base by the end of Phase 2.

I also want to remind everyone that Chewbacca as an upgrade can be defeated!!! Many times I have seen confusion among people assuming the upgrade cannot be defeated as well as the unit, but it is just that the unit he is attached to cannot be defeated. You may absolutely play Confiscate (SHD 262) or Disabling Fang Fighter (SHD 166) to get that walking carpet out of here!

1. Force Throw

Capping off the list, it was hard to say anything but Force Throw (SOR 167).

This card has helped make Quinlan Vos Tarkintown the deck that it is, and now I would expect a surge of Anakin/Vigilance decks – and even a sprinkle of Rey – into the meta as well.

The flexibility of this card is unmatched. You can keep your opponent's hand low and kill their units, or you can guarantee a kill on bigger units by discarding your own cards.

Sure, your opponent would need a Force unit out, but Quinlan running the curve of Grogu, Irresistible (SHD 196), Ezra Bridger, Resourceful Troublemaker (SOR 192), Ahsoka Tano, Chasing Whispers (JTL 201), Plo Koon, Koh-to-yah! (TWI 196) – and deploying Vos – means they can really stop their curve and Force Throw you at any moment!

An Anakin deck can also hit it consistently, even if they have to hold back playing a Yoda, Old Master (SOR 45) for the 4-resource turn so they can play Yoda then Throw!

While this card can be extremely maddening, you do have the ability to play around it at times. If they curve force units then they curve force units – nothing you can do! But if you can reliably deal with Ezra or Yoda as they are played, you can help keep them off Force Throw for a bit. You can also make sure to keep 0-2 cost cards in your hand to minimize the board impact of it should they hit you with a Throw.

On to Richmond!

So that's my short list of cards you should be on the lookout for at Richmond and (hopefully) have a gameplan on how to deal with them.

Admittedly, it was hard to not dedicate a spot to any type of ramp, as I do expect ramp decks like Qi’ra, Palp or Piett to make a bit of a splash this weekend. I just think by this point competitive players know a Qi’ra deck is running 3 Resupply and 3 Superlaser Techs.

I wish you the best of luck at your future events! Also if you are going to be at the Richmond Sector, Minneaplois Regional or Galactics in Las Vegas be sure to say hi to me! You'll also have an opportunity to challenge one of the Golden Dice members to a game! We will be giving away our custom GDP poker chips to those who beat us in the main events and pods!

JustJack
Golden Dice Podcast
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