“Mudhole? Slimy? My home this is!”

–Yoda, Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back

Journey into the most secret parts of the Galactic Empire in the Between the Shadows deluxe expansion for Star Wars™: The Card Game. Among the cards of this expansion, you’ll find plenty of new cards for the Jedi and Scum and Villainy affiliations, as well as others who engage in shadowy operations. The Scum and Villainy of the galaxy thrive on their back-alley deals and secretive crimes, while the Jedi seek to keep their flame alive and undermine the servants of the dark side.

When we announced Between the Shadows, we previewed the most feared bounty hunter in the galaxy: Boba Fett. Then, in our first preview, we looked at a new version of Luke Skywalker – much more experienced in the ways of the Force. We delved into the Black Sun criminal empire and its leader, Prince Xizor, in our second preview. Today, however, we journey deep into the swamps of Dagobah to see the united power held by a group of Jedi in Yoda’s objective set.

Into the Swamp

Mixing two affiliations in one deck in Star Wars: The Card Game has a number of benefits, but under certain circumstances, an undiluted affiliation can prove the most powerful. In Between the Shadows, the Jedi can be strongest when facing the dark side as a single united force. Together, the Jedi seek victory by relying on their steadfast commitment to and their intimate knowledge of the Force.

Your path to gaining the benefits of a unified group of Jedi begins with the objective of this set, The Master’s Domain (Between the Shadows, 638). This objective produces resources equal to the number of Jedi objectives that you control. Because of this ability, if you have only Jedi objectives in play, you could potentially generate three resources from this one objective, greatly increasing your ability to pay for units and powerful events.

You’ll find more rewards for creating a deck using only Jedi objective sets with a new version of Yoda (Between the Shadows, 639). This Yoda possesses the elite keyword and a massive amount of Force icons, similar to his past incarnations. The true power of this unit, however, is that he gains an edge-enabled tactics icon for each Jedi objective you control. With that many tactics icons, Yoda rivals the power of Emperor Palpatine (Core Set, 51). The amount of Force icons within a pure Jedi deck makes winning the edge much easier, and cards like The Flight of the Crow (Knowledge and Defense, 543) help you further develop the edge prowess of your unique Jedi units.

The Bogwing (Between the Shadows, 640) is another card that only grows stronger with more Jedi objectives in play. This free Creature has a damage capacity of X, which is equal to the number of Jedi objectives in play. As an added bonus, a Bogwing gains a unit damage if you have three or more Jedi objectives, making it an inexpensive and efficient defender. To help you keep your units safe when defending or attacking, this objective set also includes a copy of Lightsaber Deflection (Between the Shadows, 89), a free event that deflects one point of damage onto another unit.

A group of Jedi sharing a united purpose are always a power to be reckoned with, and their commitment to the Force cannot be underestimated. You gain another tool to keep control of the Force struggle in Yoda’s Hut (Between the Shadows, 641). This enhancement provides a resource, but if you control at least three Jedi objectives, Yoda’s Hut also contributes two Force icons to your side during the Force struggle. This enhancement offers you an easy and inexpensive way to keep control of the Force, giving you time to control the game and deal extra damage from holding the Force.

The final card in this objective set is a brand-new fate card, The Jedi’s Resolve (Between the Shadows, 642). When played in an edge battle, this fate card contributes two Force icons, but its ability is even more potent. If you control a participating unique Jedi unit in the engagement, this card lets you set the Balance of the Force to the light side and skip the Force phase this turn. For the maximum effect, you should play this fate card while defending one of your opponent’s attacks. By skipping the Force phase on your opponent’s turn and depriving him of the chance to commit any of his units, you ensure that the Balance of the Force rests with you at the beginning of your next turn.

The Deepest Commitment

Whether you follow the way of the Jedi and defend the galaxy, or use your bounties and illicit practices to turn a profit, you’ll find plenty of new cards in Between the Shadows.

Enter the shadows of the Star Wars universe when Between the Shadows releases at retailers everywhere next week!