---------------------------------------
#50 Counterparts
---------------------------------------
Entry: 3 August 1999
The Unofficial Jedi's Guide to the YJCCG Galaxy.
Compiled by jinnandtonic, August 1999.
Thoughts? You like this? You hate this? Email me!
The Unofficial Jedi's Guide to the YJCCG Galaxy is THE card strategy reference for Decipher's Young Jedi CCG. Starting with the first expansion, 'The Menace of Darth Maul', each individual card will be discussed until it can be discussed no further. Nevertheless, if I have missed something, email me at jinnandtonic@yahoo.com.au, and I will update it accordingly.
jinnandtonic's Grades:
Economy: B
It is exceedingly tough to rate economy in cards like this, which are both ravingly economical and not. Counterparts adds a fairly massive Power bonus to R2-D2 and C-3P0 and allows them to fight together in battle. This is the card that allows R2 and '3P0 to prove they are truly superior to Dark Pit Droids and worse. It is also the basis for a very cool theme deck. However, Counterparts has but a Destiny of 3, and is only usable if you are using a fistful of copies of both R2-D2 and C-3P0.
Decipher: A-
Another top notch effort from Decipher. When I first saw the character cards of C-3P0 / Anakin's Creation and R2-D2 / Astromech Droid, I was shocked. It was like drawing a stupid Interrupt or Effect as your Rare card in a SWCCG booster. I did not think I would ever use these cards. And then Counterparts came along, and they became useful and cool and did justice to the characters. A cool Power bonus, and an okay image. I would prefer the Destiny higher, but I digress. Good enough for me.
Overall Usefulness: C
Not the type of card you are going to put in your deck unless you are using, say, 5 copies each of R2-D2 and C-3P0. Most of the Battle cards in YJCCG are this way: you need to get a specific combination of characters in play in order to reap the benefits. This is made significantly harder by the fact that R2-D2 and C-3P0 are not likely to survive long in play by themselves, even against your average Dark Battle Droid. So, overall, it is not that useful. In the right deck (and you really have to make at least half your deck look like a Counterparts theme) this card can be deadly. I am hoping that future versions of C-3P0 or R2-D2 (Say, R2-D2 / Amidala's Pride, or something) are a different dot color so this theme can be further fleshed out.
--------------------
CARD FACTS:
--------------------
UNCOMMON, YELLOW-DOT, BATTLE CARD
Destiny: 3
Game Text:
[?][?] Use with R2-D2 and C-3P0. They fight together (without a Weapon card).
Flavor Text: When C-3P0 meets R2-D2, neither has any idea that their destinies are entwined.
------------------------------------------------
SPECIFIC INTERACTING CARDS:
------------------------------------------------
The magic combination you will need in play:
R2-D2, Astromech Droid
(#11, Menace of Darth Maul, Rare, Green-Dot)
AND
C-3P0, Anakin's Creation
(#12, Menace of Darth Maul, Rare, Green-Dot)
There are two big problems involved here in getting R2 and 3P0 in play together so Counterparts can be used. The first is that they are weak and die easily. There is nothing more annoying then having Counterparts and 3P0 in hand when your opponent attacks and mauls R2 with his/her Battle Droid. The best way to keep the droids alive is to have more characters in play than your opponent (e.g. have lots of Jawas, etc in your deck and in play) and put your droids at the end of your Battle plan. The other big problem is that both versions currently available of the characters are green-dot, which means the best you can do is put five copies of each in your deck. In other words, the odds of drawing one of either R2 or C-3P0 in your first hand is 1 in 10, and obviously drawing both cards or both and Counterparts is even less likely to happen (I can't quite remember the maths....anybody?). Unfortunately there is no real solution to this last problem besides ignoring the deck-building restrictions, which won't get you very far. You will just have to persevere.
-------------------
IN BRIEF:
-------------------
R2-D2 and C-3P0. Such amusing characters. And Counterparts is the card that gets the most out of them in YJCCG, although it is troublesome to apply. In one turn, with a fantastic draw, you could deploy both C-3P0 / Anakin's Creation and R2-D2 / Astromech Droid, and the following turn attack, using Counterparts. The total possible combined Power is 14, or 16 if you are on Tatooine. Easily enough Power to off either Darth Maul / Sith Apprentice or Darth Sidious / Sith Master. Obviously, this card is the basis for a potential killer deck, and perhaps Decipher was wise to limit the maximum possible number of R2s and 3P0s you can have in your deck to 10. Otherwise, they may have been a lot of Light Counterparts decks ripping apart the Trade Federation to bits with their witty antics, which wouldn't have done at all. Still, a powerful card when used in the right deck.
-------------------------------
GENERAL PLAY TIPS:
-------------------------------
* The Counterparts theme. Start with something like 4-6 copies of Counterparts, maybe a couple more if you are game. Obviously, 5 copies each of R2-D2 and C-3P0 are needed also. For other characters, stick to either tiny weak characters or monsters (e.g. Jedi or Jawas). The tiny weak characters can sacrifice to protect R2 and C-3P0, and the Jedi can be used to hold off Battle Droids while you wait for Counterparts to come up. You might also want to include Anakin Skywalker / Podracer Pilot (both R2-D2 / Astromech Droid and C-3P0 / Anakin's Creation have nice Destiny values). This kind of deck theme is often more fun than it is effective, but this deck theme is effective as well!
* Style Tip: Trounce your opponent's Maul with your dynamic droid duo. That'll teach him for picking on that nice Liam Neeson. He was a good fellow, you know.
------------------
ADDITIONS:
------------------
Up to you. Think of anything else cool about his card, or combos that you have used to great effect? What about a particular game in which this card made you win? Send anything like that to jinnandtonic@yahoo.com.au and I'll add it here. I have an R2-D2 phone. When it rings, it lights up and makes R2-D2 noises. No, you can't have it.
Back to The Unofficial Jedi's Guide to the YJCCG Galaxy
