The Way of the Rebel

 "You can keep the lightsaber you stole, let it become just another dusty souvenir, or you can give it back and come with us—come with me, and be trained in the ways of the Force. You can learn what it truly means to be a Jedi."
   –Kanan Jarrus, Star Wars: Rebels

Before disparate cells of resistance came together to form a Rebel Alliance, a thief from Lothal and a small crew took on an unscrupulous governor and the might of the Galactic Empire. Through trials and tribulations, this crew—Phoenix Squadron—would help lay the foundations for the destruction of Emperor Palpatine's regime and the return of hope to the galaxy.  

Join us today as we preview the Star Wars: Rebels cards joining the field in Way of the Force, a new set of booster packs for Star Wars™: Destiny! Way of the Force brings exciting changes to the epic card and dice game, re-introducing iconic new characters alongside the equipment, vehicles, and tactics that make them truly special.

A Legacy of Rebellion

While Ezra Bridger began his journey as a simple thief, destiny had bigger plans for him. Crossing paths with Kanan Jarrus, Ezra slowly began to learn the ways of the Jedi with the former Padawan. This is reflected in Ezra’s journey through Star Wars: Destiny: he was introduced as a Force-Sensitive Thief  (Empire at War, 38) in Empire at War, and joins Way of the Force as an Aspiring Jedi  (Way of the Force, 54).

Costing eight points for a normal version or eleven for an elite, the new version of Ezra is slightly more expensive than his Empire at War variant, but he grants you the powerful ability to draw cards with a Power Action. While Ezra has one or more upgrades on him, you may draw a card. Or, if he has three or more upgrades on him, you may draw two cards! This encourages you to load up Ezra with weapons and abilities and refill your hand through his Power Action. You could even form a team with Luke Skywalker  (Way of the Force, 56) and Built to Last  (Way of the Force, 115) with the express purpose of loading Ezra up with unique Blue upgrades.

Ezra gets his own unique upgrade in Way of the Force. An important part of Jedi training is constructing your lightsaber, and Ezra's journey is no different. Like all lightsabers in Star Wars: Destiny, Ezra Bridger’s weapon is extremely damaging, no matter who fights with it. However, it gains a bonus if it is wielded by its true owner.

The special symbol on this card deals two damage to an opponent’s character, but a thief never forgets their roots, and if Ezra Bridger is the one fighting with this lightsaber, your opponent also loses a resource. This makes Ezra Bridger’s Lightsaber one of the most versatile lightsabers in the game, and with redeploy, it can be present for the entire game.

Ezra Bridger has much to learn, and with a variety of Blue upgrades, there is no shortage of ways to customize him. With special training, he can even go beyond the traditional limit of three upgrades on any one character. Honed Skills  (Way of the Force, 116) lets you place an additional upgrade on each of your characters, inviting you to build a deck focused on putting as many upgrades as possible on your characters. Once your characters are equipped with an appropriate number of upgrades, you may use Loth-Wolf Bond  (Way of the Force, 59) to give them all one shield before activating them in an order of your choice, forcing your opponent to stare down a field of character and upgrade dice they may not have enough answers for.

As you can see, Ezra Bridger is more than just a thief, and Way of the Force examines the next steps on his path to becoming a Jedi. 

An Iron Fist

Of course, what led Ezra on this path is the utter devastation of his home planet, Lothal. Once a planet populated with breathtaking views and abundant wildlife, Lothal has transformed. Now a center of industry in the Outer Rim, the Empire has robbed Lothal of its beauty.

With the backing of the Imperial Fleet, Arihnda Pryce  (Way of the Force, 18) rules as the Governor of Lothal, and she has the resources to crush any that dare to stand against the Empire. Staying completely in control, Arihnda Pryce has two special symbols on her die that allow you to turn one of your dice to any side. Then, if you control the battlefield, you can immediately resolve that die, increasing its value by one! At ten points for a normal version or thirteen for an elite, Governor Pryce can support her associate Thrawn  (Empire at War, 4), manipulating dice and enhancing them when the situation calls for it. While her comrades like Thrawn are practitioners of the Art of War  (Way of the Force, 22), Pryce has never been one to care for art, and she has access to more straightforward means of destruction.

Planetary Bombardment  (Way of the Force, 33) is a massive, six-cost support, tying it with the AT-ST  (Awakenings, 5) as the most expensive support in the game, but the price is well worth it. Not only does the massive support deal indirect damage equal to the number of vehicles you spot when it enters the field, it has some of the highest damage output in the game. If you manage to roll Governor Pryce’s special while you control the battlefield and Planetary Bombardment, you can deal a massive eight indirect damage to an opponent. Even if you can't manipulate the die roll, Planetary Bombardment is likely to deal serious damage to your opponent through damage or disruption. 

Though this damage is massive, it is an expensive proposition. Luckily, Testing Procedure  (Way of the Force, 27) introduces a way to focus on supports while gaining back some of your resources. This zero-cost event activates two of your supports, then grants you a resource if any of those dice rolled damage! This resource can fuel your Planetary Bombardment and other heavy-hiting supports to deal even more damage to your opponent.

Witht the full backing of the Imperial Navy, there is little stopping Governor Pryce from crushing the Rebellion before it even truly begins.

Loth-Cat and Mouse

Before balance returned to the galaxy, Ezra Bridger and Kanan Jarrus kept the Jedi legacy alive. While fighting for liberation from a Galactic Empire, Ezra grew from a crafty thief to a hero of a burgeoning rebellion. But his journey has not been without opposition: Governor Pryce and the might of the Galactic Empire bears down on these rebels every day. Which side will you aid?

Become a Rebel with Way of the Force (SWD12), a new set of boosters for Star Wars: Destiny, available now for pre-order from your local retailer or our website!