Rebel Alliance

## Overview

*The Rebel Alliance is here to rescue the galaxy from the grip of the Empire! They work from the shadows, keeping things under wraps until the last moment, when they ambush their way to victory and then retreat back to the shadows between the stars.*

When you use one of your cards' Special abilities, many more can follow it all at once.

### Details

#### General

* Name: Rebel Alliance
* Author: Berryl
* Complexity: 2/5
* Version: 1.3
* Last updated: May 31, 2022

#### Special details

Featured in the Star Wars Smash Up expansion

### Breakdown

This faction has the standard 10 minions and 10 actions. It has the standard 30 total minion power, or an average minion power of 3. Among their actions, they have:

* 0 play-on-minion actions.
* 1 play-on-base actions: Phantom
* 9 standard actions, 4 of which directly affect one or minions (in **bold**): **2x Ghost,** 2x Supply Run, **Go Time, Phoenix Squad,** Message of Hope, Successful Mission, Empire Day

### Minions (10)

* **1x Fulcrum (5):** Ongoing: After each time a Special ability is used, give one of your minions +1 power until the end of the turn.
* **1x Kanan Jarrus (4):** Talent: Look at the top three cards of your deck. Return them to the top and/or bottom of your deck in any order.
* **1x Hera Syndulla (4):** Special: Before a base scores while this minion is in play, you may move one of your minions to another base.
* **1x Zeb Orrelios (3):**  Special: After you use another Special ability, you may play this minion as an extra minion.
* **1x Sabine Wren (3):** Special: After this base scores, you may move one of your other minions here to another base. Give that minion -2 power until the end of the turn.
* **1x Chopper (3):** Draw a card. Discard a card. Special: Once per turn, after another Special ability is used, you may use this minion’s on-play ability.
* **4x Ezra Bridger (2):** Special: Before this base scores, you may look at 2 cards from the top of your deck. Reveal and draw any number of those cards with Special abilities on them. Return the others to the top and/or bottom of your deck in any order.

### Actions (10)

* **2x Ghost:** Move one of your minions to another base. Special: After you use a Special ability, you may play this card.
* **2x Supply Run:** Look at the top four cards of your deck. Draw one of them and return the others to the top and/or bottom of your deck in any order.
* **1x Go Time:** Give one of your minions +1 power until the end of the turn. Draw a card. Special: After you play your first minion in a turn, you may play this card as an extra action.
* **1x Phoenix Squad:** One of your minions gains +3 power until the end of the turn. Special: Before a base scores, you may play this card.
* **1x Message of Hope:** Special: play after you use your third or higher Special ability in a turn. Other players cannot use Special abilities this turn.
* **1x Phantom:** Play on a base. Ongoing: At the end of your turn, if you have a minion here, draw a card.
* **1x Successful Mission:** Special: After a base scores where you were the winner, draw a card for each of your minions there.
* **1x Empire Day:** Shuffle any number of cards with the word Special in their abilities from your discard pile into your deck.

### Bases

* **(Breakpoint) Base 1 (VP):**

* **(Breakpoint) Base 2 (VP):**

## Clarifications

Any clarifications for specific cards that can be read and/or interpreted in multiple ways goes here.

## Strategy

### General

Rebel Alliance has several cards who can use their Special abilities in response to other Special abilities. This allows them to stack maneuvers all at once, especially before or after bases score. Their primary focus is in fact on phase 3 manipulation, with a good amount of movement and power boosts that primarily occur during that time. Most of their ways to use Specials come from in play, rather than in hand: five before a base scores (4x Ezra Bridger and Hera Syndulla) and one after a base scores (Sabine Wren), although they have one way from hand to trigger things before or after bases score or in phase 2 (Phoenix Squad, Successful Mission, and Go Time, respectively). Each of these windows give you opportunities to play your stacking special abilities (Ghost, Zeb Orrelios, Chopper, and Message of Hope) and stack power with Fulcrum. When you start to run dry of Special cards, Empire Day can get as many as you want back, although be careful not to shuffle too many low-impact cards back in.

### Partner Suggestions

A partner who performs well in phase 2 will support Rebel Alliance very well. Fortunately, most of RA's minions are very easy to play. so a partner with more situational minions is acceptable. A partner with other Specials that can activate in phase 2 will go a long way, as it gives even more opportunities to play the stacking Specials and derive phase 2 value from Fulcrum.

#### Published

* **Teddy Bears:** Snuggly Bear is the perfect phase 2 Special ability for Rebel Alliance, and with how much phase 3 manipulation the deck has Fun Bear can sort of become viable.
* **Musketeers:** Musketeers fare very well on their own phase 2, and they very much appreciate all of RA's phase 3 movement to persist their singularly powerful minions.
* **Explorers:** Explorers have a host of situational minions that RA supports nicely. Using Crypt Looters' special abilities makes for very exciting opportunities with solos out of nowhere or enhanced Idaho Smith plays. Two copies of Lost City give more from-hand opportunities for stacking specials.

## Author Notes

When I designed this faction for the Star Wars expansion I wanted to make a new take on specials-focused factions distinct from Ninjas, Mega Troopers, or Spider-Verse. The stroke of inspiration came with the design for Ghost, where it has a Special ability that reacts to other Special abilities.