In previous installments of this series I focused on using the 2 player starter characters in an attempt to help new players enter this game cheaply and competitively. Today I’m going to move away from those characters but still remain budget. It’s no secret that Mono Blue Heroes is one of my favorite archetypes. In the short history of this game I’ve tried tirelessly to find the right character combo and strategy but it’s always missed something. In the previous format Luke Skywalker tried his hardest but his die is inconsistent and leaning on them makes that strategy weak to die mitigation. Going wide with Rey and two Padawan could deal a massive amounts of damage quickly but was weak to Thermal Detonator. With the advent of Empire at War we have something that is resilient, consistent and robust. And its all thanks to this man…

As of the day of this article’s publishing two Kanan’s cost about 8 dollars US which just boggles my mind, a sound investment for sure. It’s definitely on the top end of rares from this set. His ability is incredibly deadly when combined with his focus side since it will always allow you resolve whichever side of any die you want. This will let you pair your modifiers with base sides without having to worry about pesky die mitigation or just allow for consistent damage. Costing 13 with two dice will give you a variety of possible combinations but today I’m only going to write about the mono blue version. Here is the current budget version I’d bring to an event:

This deck is aggressive, fun and competitive without the need for legendary cards. Thermal Detonator is still a concern but that card is less prevalent then it used to be. If you are worried about that you could swap one of the Padawans for a more robust character like Rey, Force Prodigy or Jedi Instructor but without access to high priced rares and legendaries Padawans are the superior choice because of their ability. I’ve currently been testing a version with legendary and expensive rares and while that’s certainly has more staying power the budget version can still bring home the bacon (or some killer tofu if you’re a vegetarian).

Battlefield

B’Omarr Monastery will let you resolve many of the modified sides of our upgrade dice. This deck is somewhat slow so if you find this effect to be too beneficial for your opponent you can try something like Obi-Wan’s Hut or if you want to go completely dummy you can go with Secret Facility.

Upgrades

The deck can have some explosive starts where it plays multiple 1 cost weapons on the first turns. Shoto Lightsaber and Rey’s Staff are guaranteed 1 drops while Reaping the Crystal can turbo out Lightsaber and Rey’s Lightsaber for 1 cost onto a Padawan. The upgrade suite is rounded out by Makashi Training which is chosen because of its awesome action ability, respectable die and its ability to help consistently play out Guard. Since it’s not a weapon Makashi is a card you mulligan and want to see in the 2nd round or later. Feel free to experiment with other choices, but I feel its the best of the budget options. Makashi costs about 4 dollars on ebay while a Force Training play set is currently 5, if you’re really watching your budget Force Training is serviceable and will actually be better in certain spots. Cards like Vibroknife and Ancient Lightsaber are better in these slots but those are 13 and 41 dollars on Ebay respectively. However, if you happen to have access to those they should find their way into this deck.

Events and Yoda’s Quarters

This deck has opted for the Caution/Riposte combo that can be completed with the help of Return of the Jedi. The mitigation suite of Flank, Force Misdirection and Guard is very powerful although they are conditional. Sequencing your character activations and dice resolutions to maximize your opportunity for their use requires some practice and is the hardest part of playing this deck. Their use can be awkward but the payoff is certainly worth it. I usually roll out Kanan first since his die will allow you to use Force Misdirection and Guard. Reaping the Crystal and Lightsaber Pull will help your explosiveness and consistency. Rend remains a budget player’s dream allowing you to remove monetarily expensive upgrades like Force Speed and Sith Holocron and keeping overpowered supports like Imperial Inspection from ruining your day. Yoda’s Quarters is for the mid to late game giving your bad dice rolls guaranteed value and it’s cost is more palatable with Reaping the Crystal. My testing with this card has been mixed so if you feel its not working for you don’t be afraid to move on from it to try something else.

I hope you’ve enjoyed this article. If you have any comments or suggestions for these budget and casual articles please let me know. I want to try and grow the community as much as possible and I hope these articles help new players break into the game without having to break the bank and perhaps inspire established players with deckbuilding ideas they might not have thought of. I’ll be releasing my fully powered version of this deck for our Patrons this week so if you’re one of them keep your eye out.

Take care and as always…

May the Rolls be with You

-NJCuenca

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