Vader Dark Fist
All eight cards are Galactic Empire, so Vader's Force Pull comes back 15% faster. Every unit is organic, so when the enemy leader dies, Vader's Fearsome Enforcer heals your whole army. The plan: pull the enemy leader in, stun them with Aphra, shred them with Bladesmen, then march the Dewback into a turret during their respawn.
Darth VaderThe deck
Era set bonus: Galactic Empire: all 8 cards, so your skill cooldown is 15% shorter. X values grow with your leader's level and perks.
How it wins
Win the leader fight with Force Pull and Aphra's stun, then push the turret with a healed army and the Dewback while they respawn.
Strengths
- Full era bonus: Force Pull on a much shorter cooldown
- Leader kill heals all your organic units
- Aphra's stun plus Bladesmen is a reliable kill combo
Weaknesses
- Tech decks dodge Aphra's stun (it hits organics and leaders)
- Splash on Stormtroopers and Death Troopers
- Fast air strikes on a pulled clump can hit your own push
Card by card
| Card | Cost | Job | How to use it |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | Unique, stun | Grenade stuns many organic units and leaders. The core of the kill combo. | |
| 2 | Cheap damage | Three shooters for 2 energy. Cycle card. | |
| 3 | Burst melee | Two fast-attacking melee units. They shred whatever is stunned in front of them. | |
| 3 | Splash | Explosive shot hits clumps. Your answer to swarms. | |
| 3 | Ranged damage | Two strong shooters for the back line. | |
| 3 | Air strike | Strafes a line. Finish a fleeing leader or a squad walking in single file. | |
| 4 | Turret charger | 2,515 health and charges the nearest structure. Your win condition after a leader kill. |
Game plan
First minute
- Stormtroopers first, or wait. Keep Aphra for the leader.
- Walk Vader to the front of your units, not past them. He's tanky but turrets still hurt.
- Watch for the enemy leader stepping forward: that's your Pull.
Win the fights
- The kill: Force Pull the leader, Aphra's grenade on them, Bladesmen on top. That's 5 energy plus the skill.
- Leader down: your units heal. Drop the Dewback now and walk everything into the turret.
- Sandtrooper behind your line answers swarms.
2x energy and Sudden Death
- 2x energy: Dewback every time their leader dies.
- With the 15% shorter cooldown, you get more Pulls than anyone else. Pull every time it's up and their leader is in range.
- Sudden Death: Dewback plus TIE Fighter on the weakest turret.
Signature combos
Dark Fist
Force Pull + Doctor Aphra + Devaronian Bladesmen
Pull, stun, shred. The deck's signature leader kill.
March of the Empire
Leader kill, then Dewback + Death Troopers
Your army just healed. Dewback charges, Death Troopers shoot behind it.
Pull and Strafe
Force Pull + TIE Fighter
Pull everything into a line, then strafe it.
Matchups
| Against | What to do |
|---|---|
| Droid decks | Aphra's stun won't hit tech. Swap Death Troopers for Rocket Stormtrooper. |
| Swarm decks | Sandtrooper first. Swap TIE Fighter for TIE Bomber if swarms keep winning. |
| Leader divers | Pull them into your Bladesmen. If they keep killing Vader, swap Aphra for Fifth Brother. |
| Anakin Rage | Rage makes Anakin stun immune. Wait for Rage to end before using Aphra. |
Swaps: Death Troopers to Rocket Stormtrooper against droid or tank decks. TIE Fighter to TIE Bomber against swarms. Aphra to Fifth Brother if divers keep killing Vader.
Mistakes to avoid
- Throwing Aphra's grenade at squads, then having nothing for the leader.
- Playing the Dewback before a leader kill, when it walks into a full defense.
- Forgetting that units only do 35% damage to leaders: the kill comes from Vader, Bladesmen burst and the TIE.
Upgrade order
- Darth Vader
- Doctor Aphra
- Stormtroopers, Sandtrooper and Devaronian Bladesmen
- Dewback Trooper
- Death Troopers and TIE Fighter
See Upgrades and resources for costs.