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#9 Queen Amidala, Royal Leader
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Entry: 30 June 1999
The Unofficial Jedi's Guide to the YJCCG Galaxy.
Compiled by jinnandtonic, June 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@angelfire.com, and I will update it accordingly.
Large sections of this entry are the same as #8, Queen Amidala, Ruler of Naboo. In future, with similar cards such as In Complete Control / Security Volunteers, both cards will likely be combined in a single entry.
jinnandtonic's Grades:
Economy: B
- Overall (as you would expect), Amidala, RL is a very similar card to Amidala / Ruler of Naboo. The only real difference between the two versions is that Amidala / RL has location bonuses at Tatooine rather than Naboo, and has Power +2 at Tatooine / Desert Landing Site. Again, she has Damage 3, so she is a dangerous proposition, especially with a base Power of only 2.
Decipher: C+
- I have mixed feelings about this card. While the Destiny, Damage and Power are all reasonably fair, the location bonuses are unjustified (again, I don't recall Queen Amidala, RL in that black number fending off Maul with Qui-Gon Jinn, in the film). I don't think a Tatooine based version of this card is justified - they should have put a Coruscant version in instead (but that will probably appear shortly). The image is a touch ordinary as well.
Overall Usefulness: C+
- Queen Amidala should only hold a place in your Amidala-themed and high destiny decks. There are several other cards with just as good average stats as Amidala, RL, but which don't have such a high Damage rating. Her Destiny of 6 is handy, and could possibly win you a close battle, but her Damage and low Power could lose you a close battle. Probably best used in tandem with Amidala, RoN, with a handful of supporting Battle cards and Royal Guard support. Not a card you throw into any deck.
FLAVOR TEXT: "The Queen is worried. Her people are suffering... dying." - Padme Naberrie
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CARD FACTS:
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RARE, GREEN-DOT, STACKABLE
Deploy: 2
Power: 2
Destiny: 6
Damage: 3
Power Bonuses:
Tatooine/Mos Espa: +0
Tatooine/Desert Landing Site: +2
Tatooine/Podrace Arena: +0
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SPECIFIC INTERACTING CARDS:
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Enough of This Pretense
(#52, Menace of Darth Maul, Uncommon, Yellow-Dot)
- This battle card gives Amidala Power +3 in a battle, a perfect companion card for Queen Amidala, RL. The main problem with using Amidala, RL in a deck is that she is only a 2 Power character yet has Damage 3. Liberal amounts of this Battle card (perhaps 4-6 in an Amidala themed deck) will help you overcome this difficulty.
There will be undoubtably more specific interacting cards in the coming expansions, which will make things a little more interesting! The above text also appeared in #8 Queen Amidala, Ruler of Naboo, because it applies to both cards.
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IN BRIEF:
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I rate Amidala, RL a less useful card than Amidala, RoN for a variety of reasons, not least because Amidala, RL is Tatooine-based, where the Dark side are most powerful. If you want to ride your luck on Tatooine, then go ahead, put this card in your deck. Just be mindful that a Royal Guard / Veteran will do the same job for 3 less Destiny and 2 less Damage. There is also a lot more Battle card support currently for Royal Guards, so choose your cards wisely. Royal Guards are certainly a *cheaper* option if you haven't got cash flowing from every orifice in your body. So, deck-themes only then. Most of which are the same as the deck-themes for Amidala, RoN.
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GENERAL PLAY TIPS:
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* Without some decent Battle card support (such as The Negotiations Were Short) or a weapon to deploy on her, you must be careful when and how you deploy Amidala. If you are playing a Tatooine-themed deck and have a couple of Royal Guards in your hand, it might be a good idea to 'test the waters' first and deploy them before the Queen. There are not a lot of characters in the game with more Damage than Power, but both Amidalas fall into that category.
* What about the double Queens deck theme? Unfortunately, both Queen Amidala versions are green-dot, which means you can only have at most 10 Amidala cards in your deck. While most people would not have anywhere near 10 Amidalas anyway, it would be fun to try 10 of each version in a deck. Pity it isn't possible. Well, along with Enough of This Pretense, you may want to include some Royal Guards, Naboo Security, Naboo Officers and copies of the Battle card The Queen's Plan. There is an obvious focus on Naboo and Tatooine, and perhaps a few copies of Bravo Pilot could be included also. I will leave you to fill in the details, but needless to say you want 2-4 of The Queen's Plan, as many Queens as you have and a nice combination of a supporting army. Use those yellow-dot Battle card slots wisely -- you have a lot of options. (e.g. The Federation Has Gone Too Far, Security Volunteers, The Queen's Plan, etc.)
* Another fun option (I can't vouch for it's effectiveness) is the Natalie Portman theme. Stir in copies of both Queens, Padme and perhaps a few copies of Anakin/Podracer Pilot. Such a combination will probably be more effective when Tatooine/Mos Espa is released, but until then, such an option is probably more fun than tourney-winning. Prove me wrong! At least the average destiny should be relatively high!
* One interesting idea is a Tatooine-based Light high-destiny deck. Here are some cards you may want to include:
- Queen Amidala / Royal Leader (Destiny 6)
- Padme Naberrie / Handmaiden (Destiny 5)
- R2-D2 / Astromech Droid (Destiny 6)
- C-3P0 / Anakin's Creation (Destiny 5)
- Jawa / Bargainer (Destiny 5)
- Jawa Ion Blaster (Destiny 5)
- Blaster Rifle (Destiny 6)
You may have to watch the Damage generated by dead Jawas and Amidalas, but provided you can draw enough weapons you should have excellent Power in all Battles. All the characters listed above, while weak, have location Power bonuses on Tatooine and will benefit from those high destiny draws.
* Style tips:
- If you are using a Amidala-themed deck, it is best to attend tournaments with your custom-made elaborate head-dress, and porcelain doll make-up (you may win some games through opponents dying of laughter or shock). Remember to wear a different outfit each match (I apologise for this tip. I could *not* resist.)
- When you play The Federation Has Gone Too Far, say the title line with that quivering lip.
- 'I was not elected to watch my people suffer....' Amidala isn't waiting around for committees - attack, attack, attack!
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ADDITIONS:
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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@angelfire.com and I'll add it here. Anyone who can make a deck containing both versions of Queen Amidala and Queen Elizabeth II / Ruler of Britain should send it in.
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