True Fear

“A young Jedi named Darth Vader, who was a pupil of mine until he turned to evil, helped the Empire hunt down and destroy the Jedi Knights.”
   –Obi-Wan Kenobi, Star Wars: A New Hope

From seedy cantinas on backwater planets to the upper echelons of society on Coruscant, the name Darth Vader is spoken in hushed tones. Though few know the truth behind the terrifying mix of man and machine, they know that coming face to face with the Dark Lord of the Sith is to be avoided at all costs, as few who behold his terror will live to tell the tale.

Join us today as we preview Darth Vader in Across the Galaxy, a new set of boosters for Star Wars™: Destiny that features 160 brand-new cards!

Across the Galaxy continues the themes found in Legacies. You can look for new plot cards to help customize your decks, modifications for vehicles, and cards that activate when you spot some of Star Wars’ most recognizable characters, including Darth Vader—the focus of today's preview!

Dark Lord of the Sith

Darth Vader has a terrifying reputation for a reason. Should you find yourself in the Sith Lord's crosshairs, he will hunt you across the galaxy using the power of the Force and pure terror. In the game,  Darth Vader, Terror to Behold  (Across the Galaxy, 1) is an expert at exacting vengeance on your opponent’s characters. As a Power Action, if one or more of Vader’s dice were removed last turn, you can discard a card from your hand to roll those dice back into your pool! With three sides of Vader’s dice showing damage and the ability to protect them from removal, Vader can quickly cut down his foes and inspire fear across the galaxy. You can't run from Darth Vader—removing his dice only delays the inevitable damage he is sure to deal. 

As iconic as Vader himself is the crimson glow of his lightsaber. Few in the galaxy have seen him ignite the terrifying weapon, and even fewer have lived long enough to tell the tale. Darth Vader's Lightsaber  (Across the Galaxy, 16) is a three-cost upgrade with four melee damage symbols, but its true strength lies in its ability. After you resolve this die, you can spend a resource to roll one of the attached character's dice into your pool. Then, if the attached character is Darth Vader, you may deal one damage to any character! With three sides of Darth Vader's Lightsaber showing a modified melee symbol, you can resolve this die with a character die, then immediately roll your character die again, providing massive damage for minimal loss, and inflicting even more damage if it's wielded by Darth Vader himself.

As much as Vader inspires fear in his enemies, he inspires loyalty among the Imperial ranks. The 501st Legion of clone troopers served the Republic faithfully during the Clone Wars. After the establishment of the Galactic Empire, the legion found itself once more under the personal command of Darth Vader and received a terrifying new nickname: Vader's Fist  (Across the Galaxy, 13). Vader’s Fist enters Star Wars: Destiny as a terrifying five-cost support. When you play this support, you can immediately roll out its die, so that initial turn could see Vader’s Fist used twice in a single round. But the assault doesn’t end there. As a Power Action, you may roll the die in again, continuing the well-coordinated onslaught. If you spot Darth Vader, you can add precision to this Power Action by turning the die to any side. With proper play, you can roll out Vader’s Fist three times in a single turn, overwhelming your opponent with an unrelenting assault of ranged and indirect damage, disrupts, and shields. 

Fear and Dead Men

The presence of Darth Vader on a battlefield is enough to win massive battles. Even when he is alone and surrounded by enemies, he doesn’t see a threat, he sees Fear and Dead Men  (Across the Galaxy, 7). If you find yourself surrounded by enemies, this uncommon event lets you resolve one of your melee damage dice against each of an opponent’s characters, cutting them down in their tracks!

While this card does not spot Darth Vader specifically, he can provide a die showing four melee damage, making him a perfect target. Being able to deal this much damage to every opposing character can be a huge swing and put true fear in your opponent as their characters succumb to the terror of Darth Vader’s assault. Even if you have not rolled Vader’s four melee damage, a well-timed Deadly Advance  (Across the Galaxy, 111) can make sure Vader is holding all the cards, tailoring his dice into a barrage of damage.

Darth Vader’s constant rage and anger fuel his power, but he requires time in his Meditation Chamber to heal and connect to the Force. Darth Vader’s Meditation Chamber  (Across the Galaxy, 10) is a Blue Villain support that can be exhausted to heal one damage from a Blue character. Furthermore, you can put a card from your discard pile on the bottom of your deck, and you can spot Darth Vader to draw a card. Even without spotting Vader, this can be a valuable tool to defend against mill focused decks, and with Darth Vader, it can help you search for valuable tools to overwhelm your enemy.

Though Darth Vader is strong in the force, he requires special equipment just to stay alive.   Endow  (Across the Galaxy, 6) is a one-cost event that lets you equip Darth Vader with everything he needs, playing any number of Blue upgrades from your hand on one of your Blue characters, then rolling each of them into your pool. A timely Darth Vader’s Lightsaber or Force Choke  (Awakenings, 13) can turn a poor roll into a game-winning situation.

A Terror to Behold

While the Legacies block has introduced plenty of cards that rely on spotting specific characters, Across the Galaxy introduces several cards that are enhanced by the presence of Darth Vader. The Dark Lord of the Sith is already a terror to behold. With these new tools, who can possibly stop Vader from spreading fear across the galaxy?

Join the Dark Lord of the Sith in Across the Galaxy (SWD13), available now for pre-order from your local retailer or our website!