Perhaps one of the things people would most like to know is "What's Hot?" Here I'll try to answer. Based on my knowledge of the current Tourney Scene I'll compile a list of the top decks for each side.

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Top 4 DS Decks

1) Big Blue.

Very popular now for the simple fact that it has a good chance against nearly every deck type. It usually starts with a location that gives it a good starting activation, D* etc.... From there it's a lot of blue cards, Walkers and ships, and characters. The basic idea is to do what DS does best, overpower.

2) HDADTJ

Another very popular deck. It usually includes the dueling cards, but often doesn't actually duel unless it stacks the odds in it's favor. Instead it tries to kill off mains with shear power, then get in big and quick drains at all the 2/2 sites and force drain +1 sites. This coupled with the loss from Visage causes some serious and consistent damage to the opponent. The biggest way it varies from Big Blue is in its use of Interrupts. It tends to use Sense and Alter as well as a lot of powerful interrupts like Elis Helrot and You Are Beaten. As well as "Counter" cards like Evader.

3) Operatives

Still a popular deck. However its newest variation models after Big Blue. It doesn't go for the fast drain as much as the consistent drain and the complete nullification of the opponents drains. It combines the force drain -1 part of its objective with Imperial Decree to almost totally stop the opponents drains. With its high forfeit Ops as well as blue cards, like walkers or speeders, it's far less vulnerable to an EPP Hit squad. The super speed version is still around however. This kind just focuses on flipping as fast as possible and can often have drains of 6+ by the 3rd turn, and can thus kill off an unsuspecting opponent before they have a chance to fully react.

4) Drazin

This deck relies on a combo with Corporal Drazin and Special Delivery which when you have a captive allows you to take any 3 cards from your lost pile into your hand on each of your turns. Generally 2 cards and a Special Delivery. Combined with Carbon Chamber Testing which automatically supplies a captive this deck can be very dangerous. It usually uses cards like Scanning Crew, Miyoom Onith, and Imperial Barrier to prevent the LS from interfering. As well as getting in small but consistent drains with Vader and crew, it will wear you down and keep you from doing much and most of what you do can be retrieved with Special Delivery.

The top 4 LS decks

1) MWYHL Beatdown

With the recent ruling that if you don't have 6 ability and are required to have 6 ability to draw destiny, by cards like Jedi Test 2, you can't add any destinies. This means that once JT2 is done, a lone Bossk in Bus can't draw destiny, neither can a lone Djas Puhr no matter what interrupts you play, and either can operatives unless there is 6 ability at the site. SO the deck trains up to test 2, which also gives LS a bunch of force thanx to DOS, Yoda and Dagobah locations, then battles with Mains, and often uses cards like On/Off The Edge for retrieval. This is kind of like the LS's version of Big Blue as it can handle most any deck, however the added power of retrieval and limiting of drains, thanx to JT1, means when done right it is a force to be reckoned with.

2) Revolver

Although it has seen a huge decrease in use thanx to many decks which are designed to beat it, it is still a popular deck and will probably be around for sometime. The premise is simple, deny the opponent force, and thus a chance to do much of anything. It's bad enough that the opponent can cut your genereation down to 1 before you get a turn, thanx to starting with Y4 Throne Room and using Careful Planning to grab the Farm and Swamp. Then the Swamp allows LS to pull out Nudj's which means the opponent gives you no force. Without force there isn't much you can do. And, with all the force LS activates one must be very wary, it is very possible for LS to drop every EPP down in one turn. One of the things that makes this deck so powerful is the fact that you don't get a chance. What I mean is this, the opponent is FD'ing you, you have 3 Evaders in the deck but even if you are lucky enough to draw 1 it will be Sensed. Even if you play anti Sense cards the chance that you will get it is slim. Therefore it is very hard to defeat this "redundant" defense of the opponent. One of the few consolations you have if you play one of these decks is that it will run into an anti-Revo deck at some point.

3) Hidden Base

The deck that won't die. Many thought that with the release of Security Precautions HB was dead. But that is far from the truth. There are many variations of this deck, but there seem to be 2 dominant ones. The X-wing swarm, which is much like the original. Even if you do probe their base you have to fear the X-wing beatdown. And of you don't probe you will probably lose the drain race. The second is similar to the first except it favors damage prevention over attack power. Cards like It's A Hit, It Could Be Worse, and Kessel Run are staples. And cards like Rebel Barrier, along with the infamous Order to Engage have found their way into such decks thanx to some depraved minds.

4) Operatives

Much like its DS counterpart it comes in 2 versions, the super speed version and the power version. Unlike DS however, the power version doesn't limit the opponents drains through a combo like Imp Decree/Imp Occ. Instead it uses mains to slow down the opponents draining while its drains do damage. LS also has the opportunity to increase its drains with cards like Ithorians, Sabers, and T-47 Battle Formation. Allowing it an average drain of 3 per site, as opposed to the DS's 2 per site.

Ok, so now you're saying thanx for the info, but what do I do against these decks?

Well, I'll give you some pointers:

Against power decks you have to do 1 of 2 things, outpower or outpace. It may not be easy to outpower some decks but it is possible, especially if you use a DTF/FA like combo which means you only have to crush them in one battle to end the game. By outpacing the opponent you take advantage of the fact that power decks are rarely fast, and can bve considerably slowed by cards like Bad Feeling Have I and Goo Ney Tay. So you just stick to your plan and try to do irrepairable damage before they can stop you.

Against operatives you either want to crush them in battles and allow for your own mobility, meaning you can move more than 1 site at a time, so they can't run and drain. Or cut down their drains, using cards like Decree, The Planet It IS Farthest From, or objectives.

Against Drazin, 2 words: Noble Sacrifice.

Against HB, make sure you have enough ships to probe, and enough cards to stop/punish there "regeneration", cards like Oota Goota Solo, It's Worse, There'll Be Hell To Pay.

Against HDADTJ, a slew of Anti Dueling cards helps. As well as cards to stop/punish your opponents S/A use, Do Or Do Not or Mind What You Have Learned. Cards like Transmission Terminated work well with MWYHL.

And finally the most infamous of all, Revolver. One of the best things to do against this deck is beat them at their own game. Start D* to give you force and deprive them. Use creatures like Bubo to eat all their Nudj's. Cards like Come Here You Big Coward can seriously hurt their drains. Or you could use HDADTJ in tandem with Evaders. You could even use cards like Jabba's Palace to make sure you get force, but don't forget about the LS's text. Revolver is one of the most frustrating as it means you have to use multiple cards to counter it or use a deck that is basically designed to defeat it.

Good luck, and May The Force Be With You ;o)

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