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Ralltiir Operations
In the Hands Of The Empire
Review by: Andrew Meewis
Edited by: Carl 'Mike' Hardy, Red 32
03/26/99

     This objective and ISB have got to be the best objectives for the dark side.  And this one is fairly easy to flip.  It's exactly like Dantooine Base Operations on the front but once you flip it's a whole new ball game.
     All the bonuses from this card are great.  Force drain -1, Let's see a Hidden Base deck step up to this when they are only draining for a maximum of 5 and that's if they have Coruscant. Kiffex, and Kessel out.  The ability to use two force during you control phase to take ANY card into hand from reserve deck is absolutly brilliant.  Have a Grand Moff in hand and need a Vader to lay the smack down? Go right ahead and get him.
     Then comes the next and absolutly devestating part of the objective I think.  Add one to battle destiny for each Ralltiir location your imperials occupy.  If you want a maximum destiny of 15 (7 Drawn + 8 Ralltiir Locations) say hell yeah!  So go out and prove that the Empire is the dominant force in the Universe.

     One quick note, however.  In order to flip this powerful objective, the Light Side must control no Ralltiir LOCATIONS!  This includes the system...  So, keep some space handy to defend Ralltiir!

Red 32's Power Ratings:
Ground = 8.5
Space = 6.0



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Set Your Course For Alderaan
The Ultimate Power In The Universe
Review by: Carl 'Mike' Hardy, The Flight Leader, Red 32
06/08/00

     Holy Cow!
     Now that I've said that.  Let me explain why.
     This is the newest of the Dark Side Objectives being to be released by the Third Anthology.  While the Third Anthology caters mainly to the Light Side, this Objective helps a Dark Side strategy that has been on many people's minds since the A New Hope Expansion...  Blowing stuff Away!
     The first side of this objective is rather straight forward.  Deploy the Death Star, Docking Bay 327 and your initial CPI Target, Alderaan.  For the remainder of the game, the Light can't play anymore Revolutions (nice), but, you can only shoot at Alderaan, the Rebel Bases and any planet used by the Light Side Objective, Local Uprising.  Thus, the concept of the "Drive By" (blowing systems up systematically along the space lane) would be illegal.  This means, the Profiting or Harvesting mains on Tatooine, or the Ewok Hoads on Endor are relatively safe from the Empire Planet Busting Bug Swatter...
     Another benefit from this side of the Objective is that fact that you can fish for any card with "Death Star" in the title and deploy it.  This gives you the Super Laser, pretty much on the first turn...  No waiting around for the Bug Swatter now.  You can also get your Death Star defense forces ready in pulling your Death Star Troopers.  'Cause Lord knows, the Light's gonna come pay you a visit!  Not only that, you can grab Death Star sites at your leasure if you're low on Force generation.
     Another, not so known benefit from this Objective is that since the Objective is played instead of a Starting Location, you'll still get to go first, even though you deployed the Death Star per the Objective's instructions.  That is, unless, the Light forces the issue with the Throne Room.
     Flipping the Objective is relatively easy...  Well, at least when you compare it to Massassi Base Ops.  Just vape Alderaan and you're in.  Once flipped, it doesn't flip back.  No worries there.
     The flip side of this Objective gets means...  Really mean.  It virtually turns the Death Star into a Star Destroyer "Haven" giving them a deploy bonus.  It also adds to the hurt by adding to your Force drains at battleground systems where you have a Star Destroyer.  Use this with Kuat Drive Yards and you pushing out SD's at a maddening pace!
     To be honest, this is just the Objective that I was looking for.  I love Star Destroyers and now, with a little help from this Objective, they're actually viable in tourny play!
     Next, if you Blow up Yavin 4, you'll add to the Force loss for each Yavin 4 site, the Light's deployed...  If he does play with the Throne Room...  Heaven help him!

Red 32's Combos:
SYCFA + Come Here You Big Coward + Imperial Arrest Order= Keep you precious DS locaitons safe a Light Side invasion force (or Force draining for that matter) for a little while.  Toss in Put All Sections On Alert or Counter Surprise Assault to make any invasion force wish they were somewhere else.
SYCFA + Death Star Assault Squadron = Do you really think you can do an Attack Run on me?
SYCFA + Navy Troopers = They deploy for 1 and are power 3 when defending a battle...  Toss in Stunning Leader and Trooper Assault for more pain.
TUPITU + Admiral Ozzel = Now those SD's are deploying at -3 (-2 for Victory's).
TUPITU + Kuat + Kuat Drive Yards = Imperial Class Destroyers are deploy -2 and Immune to attirtion <4 and you can go diving for them too!

Red 32's Power Ratings:
Ground = 5.0
Space = 9.0


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Fighters Coming In
Review by: Carl 'Mike' Hardy, Red 32
06/22/00

     At last the Pilot Character and his starfighter come into their own!  Massassi Base Operations told us a little about the direction Decipher was taking to improve the playability of Pilots and their starfighters.  This Admiral's Order is the apex of this move.
     Normally, it was hard to justify the room in your deck to include pilots AND their starfighters.  It was easier to have starfighters with permanent pilots and have the pilot characters act as attrition fodders for the big main characters, or simply pilot the capital ships and walkers.  Now, you get some great benefits if you save the room for such starfighters.  You also get penalties if you don't save the room.
     Unique Starfighters are now immune to attrition <4.  You don't even have to have the matching pilots aboard.  That makes it nice and flexible.  Then, any starship without a pilot character aboard is power -2!  Be careful, this is a global effect (meaning it effects both you AND you opponent), so plan accordingly.
     The you-only effects include a Force drain bonus to docking bays related to systems you occupy.  Get Imperial Arrest Order going and get the docking bays to Force drain out of!  You also get to relocate a just lost starfighter to a related docking bay once per turn.  That way the starfighter can fight again another day!  This really improves the survivability of your star fleet!

Red 23's Combos:
Fighters Coming In + The DS Boys (DS-61-2, DS-61-3 or DS-61-4) + Any Black Starfighter = Imunity to attrtion and may draw a battle destiny in not able to otherwise.
Fighters Coming In + Combat Responce = Not only are they immune, but, you can go dumpster diving for the matching pilot or rig.
Fighters Coming In + Endor Operations = You get a systems and a related Docking Bay right off the bat!  And these are Juicy drain locations too!

Red 32's Power Ratings:
Ground = 3.0
Space = 9.0



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Bring Him Before Me
Take Your Father's Place
Review by: Carl 'Mike' Hardy, Red 32
06/23/00

     This objective recreates the climactic "Duel of Fate" between Luke, his Father and the Emperor.  The pivitol moment where the entire balance of the Force hang precariously between good and evil.  If Luke could be turned, all would be lost!
     The main focus of this Objective is quite simple, really.  Get Vader to capture Luke and haul his Farmboy butt in front of the Emperor for some instruction in the ways of the Dark Side of the Force.  You start with the Enperor's hang-out, the Death Star II: Throne Room, toss out a card to weaken Luke's resolve, Insignificant Rebellion, and put the screws to the Light Side if they try to keep Luke away from his dad, Your Destiny.
     For the rest of the game, Scanning crew is out and Luke can't be placed out of play (sorry Dannik, maybe another day...).  You can also go dumpster diving for the Emperor and your Opponent can go fishing for Luke, each deploying -2 (Luke can even be resurrected from the Lost Pile, if he should meet an untimely end before his insidious instruction).  Whenever Luke is present with his dad, he's immediately captured and the Objective flips.
     Once flipped, you'll start taking some damage until you get Luke face to face with the Emperor.  Once that happens, Luke and Vader will start duking it out to see who gets to sit at Palpatines right hand.
     This is where it gets tricky...  Both players draw destiny and add Luke's or Vader's ability to the result.  If Vader wins, the Light Side takes 3 Force damage.  But, if Luke wins, you get to shuffle your deck and draw desinty.  If the result, plus any bonuses you get from Insignificant Rebellion is greater than 12, Luke become a bad guy and the Light Side losses the game!
     The wierd part about this dueling mechanism is that neither Luke nor Vader are lost if they lose in a duel...  They stick around to duel again during each of your turns.  This continues until the Light gets Luke out of there (by releasing him and removing him) or kills Vader.  Since Luke is still a captive, the Light won't be able to simply walk him away, nor will Nebrun be able to help him.  And, since the Emperor's there, bringing a hit squad is going to be a hard thing to do.
     This gives you some time to work Luke into a nice, rich lather for the turning...

Red 32's Power Ratings:
Ground = 8.5
Space = 0.0