Just a quick outline of some of the different ways to describe deck strength that have been brought up:
1) Originally, I created a spreadsheet that took the properties of your card and produced a value. It did an ok job, but as decks and cards got more sophisticated, it got outdated. Also, there were elements of decks that the spreadsheet somehow couldn't capture.
2) These elements, as best as Scott and I could define them, were:
- Killing Power: Your ability to kill other characters. A combination of high-attack cards and direct damage.
- Staying Power: Your ability to withstand damage. A combination of defense, hit points, and healing.
- Resource Power: Your ability to draw cards or deny others from drawing cards. Scott and I figured resource power doesn't help you kill or stay alive on its own, but rather it amplifies your killing power and staying power.
- Movement Power: Your ability to move, move others, or stop others from moving. It is kind of a form of resource power and like resource power it doesn't help you win directly, but it amplifies your ability to kill or stay alive.
3) Just recently, I brought up the idea of "balance". You need ample amounts of killing power and staying power to be effective. More killing power or staying power is better to a point, but at some point, having other kinds of power is better. The best decks are balanced in killing power and staying power.
4) Ceilings and Floors is the latest idea, though I'm sure most ED-ers have figured it out by now. Try to get a sense of your character's Ceiling -- his best game, and his Floor -- his worst game. Giving a character, for example, several strong attack cards likely gives that character a high ceiling. Maul is an obvious example. His ceiling is among the highest in the game -- if he gets the right cards in the right order, he'll beat anyone's brains in, doesn't matter who you are or what cards you have. A less obvious example is Boba. Even though he's favored to lose most matches, he beats anyone with a good draw. Now, if you want a character of average power and you give him a high ceiling, the way to counter that is with a low floor. Boba probably has the lowest floor in the game with low HP, a weak minor, and a Yellow deck. His floor is even lower than Jango's but Jango's ceiling is pretty low, which is why he struggles so much. While Maul's ceiling is higher than Obi-Wan's, what makes Obi-Wan better is his consistency -- in the form of a high floor. Sure, he can draw all Clone Trooper cards but for the most part, even his bad games are pretty good. Yoda is kind of the opposite of Boba. His ceiling isn't very high -- even his best cards are not that powerful. But his floor is also very high, even with a bad draw he's tough to kill. One thing I've learned is that basic decks affect floors and celings a lot: A Green Deck gives you a pretty high floor, and to a lesser degree, so does Blue. A Red Deck or a Yellow Deck almost ensure that your floor is low.
A quick run-down of ED decks:
Obi-Wan: Mid-to-high ceiling, high floor
Yoda: Mid-to-low ceiling, high floor
Mace: Mid-to-high ceiling, medium floor
Anakin*: High ceiling, mid-to-low floor
Luke*: High ceiling, low floor
Han: Mid-to-high ceiling, low floor
Palpatine: High ceiling, medium floor (good D but low HP)
Maul: Very high ceiling, low floor
Dooku: Mid-to-high ceiling, medium floor
Vader: Medium ceiling, low floor
Boba: High ceiling, very low floor
Jango: Low ceiling, low floor
*Anakin and Luke depend a lot upon getting their cards in the right order. If they get'em in the right order, they can be awfully strong. If they don't, they can be awfully weak, especially with those Red Decks.
I haven't thought through these very carefull so I totally accept disputes.
Maul has the highest ceiling, IMO. In other words, Maul's best hand beats anyone else's best hand. Really, Palpy's best hand beats everyone else's due to YWD, but even when he gets YWD, he often struggles to find the killing power he needs. Obi-Wan and Mace have good cards but I guess I've never seen either of them just walk up and cream anyone the way Maul or even Boba Fett can. Obi-Wan has the highest floor followed by Yoda. Obi-Wan's HP gives him the edge, but both have the great defense to survive most initial draws. Even Vader's and Jango's best games aren't really all that good. I think ATE was supposed to give Vader a high ceiling but it just doesn't work out that way. All the Red and Yellow Deck guys have the potential for a pretty bad game.
1) Originally, I created a spreadsheet that took the properties of your card and produced a value. It did an ok job, but as decks and cards got more sophisticated, it got outdated. Also, there were elements of decks that the spreadsheet somehow couldn't capture.
2) These elements, as best as Scott and I could define them, were:
- Killing Power: Your ability to kill other characters. A combination of high-attack cards and direct damage.
- Staying Power: Your ability to withstand damage. A combination of defense, hit points, and healing.
- Resource Power: Your ability to draw cards or deny others from drawing cards. Scott and I figured resource power doesn't help you kill or stay alive on its own, but rather it amplifies your killing power and staying power.
- Movement Power: Your ability to move, move others, or stop others from moving. It is kind of a form of resource power and like resource power it doesn't help you win directly, but it amplifies your ability to kill or stay alive.
3) Just recently, I brought up the idea of "balance". You need ample amounts of killing power and staying power to be effective. More killing power or staying power is better to a point, but at some point, having other kinds of power is better. The best decks are balanced in killing power and staying power.
4) Ceilings and Floors is the latest idea, though I'm sure most ED-ers have figured it out by now. Try to get a sense of your character's Ceiling -- his best game, and his Floor -- his worst game. Giving a character, for example, several strong attack cards likely gives that character a high ceiling. Maul is an obvious example. His ceiling is among the highest in the game -- if he gets the right cards in the right order, he'll beat anyone's brains in, doesn't matter who you are or what cards you have. A less obvious example is Boba. Even though he's favored to lose most matches, he beats anyone with a good draw. Now, if you want a character of average power and you give him a high ceiling, the way to counter that is with a low floor. Boba probably has the lowest floor in the game with low HP, a weak minor, and a Yellow deck. His floor is even lower than Jango's but Jango's ceiling is pretty low, which is why he struggles so much. While Maul's ceiling is higher than Obi-Wan's, what makes Obi-Wan better is his consistency -- in the form of a high floor. Sure, he can draw all Clone Trooper cards but for the most part, even his bad games are pretty good. Yoda is kind of the opposite of Boba. His ceiling isn't very high -- even his best cards are not that powerful. But his floor is also very high, even with a bad draw he's tough to kill. One thing I've learned is that basic decks affect floors and celings a lot: A Green Deck gives you a pretty high floor, and to a lesser degree, so does Blue. A Red Deck or a Yellow Deck almost ensure that your floor is low.
A quick run-down of ED decks:
Obi-Wan: Mid-to-high ceiling, high floor
Yoda: Mid-to-low ceiling, high floor
Mace: Mid-to-high ceiling, medium floor
Anakin*: High ceiling, mid-to-low floor
Luke*: High ceiling, low floor
Han: Mid-to-high ceiling, low floor
Palpatine: High ceiling, medium floor (good D but low HP)
Maul: Very high ceiling, low floor
Dooku: Mid-to-high ceiling, medium floor
Vader: Medium ceiling, low floor
Boba: High ceiling, very low floor
Jango: Low ceiling, low floor
*Anakin and Luke depend a lot upon getting their cards in the right order. If they get'em in the right order, they can be awfully strong. If they don't, they can be awfully weak, especially with those Red Decks.
I haven't thought through these very carefull so I totally accept disputes.
Maul has the highest ceiling, IMO. In other words, Maul's best hand beats anyone else's best hand. Really, Palpy's best hand beats everyone else's due to YWD, but even when he gets YWD, he often struggles to find the killing power he needs. Obi-Wan and Mace have good cards but I guess I've never seen either of them just walk up and cream anyone the way Maul or even Boba Fett can. Obi-Wan has the highest floor followed by Yoda. Obi-Wan's HP gives him the edge, but both have the great defense to survive most initial draws. Even Vader's and Jango's best games aren't really all that good. I think ATE was supposed to give Vader a high ceiling but it just doesn't work out that way. All the Red and Yellow Deck guys have the potential for a pretty bad game.




