We're starting to go in circles here. I've said most of this before, but I think I’m getting some insight as to why some people think Vader’s ok while others do not:

From Fishfleas:
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He Then attempts to setup high powered attacks by using his ATE as an intimidating card to keep the opponent's major at bay.


Only my opinion, but I just don't buy this one. ATE doesn't -- or least shouldn't -- intimidate anyone. I wouldn't run in to face any enemy if I didn't have defense, and I defend every attack that comes at me, regardless. All it ever is, in games I play, is an A3. I’m far more intimidated by Maul’s attacks, by Dooku’s Tauntings, even by Obi-Wan's attacks. ATE was a neat gimmick when the game first came out but it has lost its novelty and, IMO, its impact on the game. If you think it still impacts the game, that's an important difference in how we see Vader, and part of the reason you might think the deck works while I think it does not.

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While I have my reservations with ATE being an NPE, it does work to compliment his other aspects.


Again, I don't think it does. To me, it actually lowers the effectiveness of DSD since opponents are always defending. Vader using DD also doesn't force opponents to use up any defense, so they have that much more defense left over for ATE.

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YSANC allows you to see their hand and to know if it is wise to move in for some killing blows.  It's a great way to setup ATE.


I don't agree with this either. I play YSANC, I say "Look, he has defense. I guess I can’t play ATE for a while”. I’ve never had another experience with the card. Besides, it actually takes an action away that you could have used to attack and draw out defense. Even if the guy is low on defense, you’re better off attacking instead of using YSANC.

IamRemote09:
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I can't see him out there charging full ahead against the likes of Dooku or Maul or even his former self.


As stated before, this could be a topic for another thread. But here’s my $.02: Some posters have pointed out that Vader actually doesn’t do much in Eps 4-6. He chokes some minor characters, kills Obi-Wan when Obi-Wan lets him, beats an untrained Luke, then he loses to a more trained, angry Luke. His only real impressive move is when Han tries to shoot him and he just holds up his hand and then pulls Han’s gun away. There’s a good argument here that he would not be able to fight against the Jedi of old. I respect those arguments, but I say screw all that. When I watched the movie as a kid (I’m actually old enough to remember the movies coming to the theater), I was terrified, and so was everyone else in the theater. Pretty much all the characters in the movie were terrified of him. When he walks through the smoke on the Tantiv IV, when he lands on Hoth, when he shows up on Cloud City… fear personified. When Luke has to confront him in Episode VI, did you think, “Well, Vader hasn’t actually done anything besides choke a few minor characters off. Luke should be ok?”

Darth Vader is arguably the best villain in the entire history of film. In the Star Wars universe, he is a legend for hunting down and killing the Jedi. I think the guy can handle himself, both in the films and in the SW Universe, much better than he does in Epic Duels. So yeah, it is a problem for me that the deck is so weak.

"There is a sense of satisfaction in looking at your men all ready for the fray" -- W. Somerset Maugham

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