BIGGEST SWU TOURNAMENT SO FAR (in-depth analysis)

[@nickprado3849]

These are the type of videos that push and keep alive a competitive scene in any given card game, Please keep up the great work! These types of analysis and coverage are an unbelievably important resource for players coming into a competitive scene, Fantastic work!

[@luciusgrey3405]

MrCool, Alex Hancock is the two time (and current) Final Fantasy tcg World Champion. His a great card player and top notch person.

[@TSDreamCreative]

Boba Fett is poor design. He is resource efficiency and rewards you for doing what you already want to do. He will limit the design team going forward since every Cunning Leader will be compared to him. He needs to be errata'd to only trigger from defeated units and leader out at 6. ECL also needs errata'd to a 3 or 4 cost or less unit.

[@stephencook8398]

I think many of the better players are likely picking Boba. Would love to see more representation across the board as there are plenty of viable other options and counters.

[@misterjackpots]

what’s the best deck to play if you knew you were only playing against Boba?

[@BlueSapphyre]

@@misterjackpotsprobably Vader. It has the best win rate into boba. But it’s still only like 55%. Otherwise, control decks (iden/krennic) are about 50%.

[@brombay84]

It feels like at least this tournament confirms that Boba/Green has a really high floor. There seemed to be a lot of new players doing really well with Boba/Green.

[@ArwelGriffith]

I think that was a very big thing. I went 6-2 with Iden-Red and felt I needed a whole bunch more games against Boba to get to grips with it, whilst the Boba players could largely stick to their own gameplan no matter what.

[@nickfanzo]

Atleast it’s not a 20 black lotus, 15 ancestral recall/ fireball deck like when I first played mtg in 1993-94 😂

[@wyred]

Don't know why you don't know against what type of Boba deck he won at 25:43. You can just clock on the deck. He won against two Boba green (first and last) and also one against a Boba yellow in round 5 that you missed. It also shows on the right side how good the opponents did.

[@walla1589]

I think the palpatine deck is also using the sneak attack for the super lazer tech, makes it so you can ramp/trade on turn one

[@Thorrk_THT]

Yes absolutely, I didn't want to go too long on the video so I probably missed thons of interestings details about those lists.

[@fauxblow]

I’m having a hard time convincing myself to invest further into this game when this is the state of things. Either play boba green or get wrecked. I’m bored already. Game needed way more testing and there’s no reason a 5 cost leader should have that much health. Such a shame.

[@Thorrk_THT]

That's not at all what this video imply. There a multiple decks that can go 50/50 with boba: Krennic control, Iden control and Vader ramp for example. Also take result of this tournament with a grain of salt, people are still learning the game.

[@fauxblow]

@@Thorrk_THT the problem with those decks is that you have to play perfectly. One misplay and the match is over. On the other hand you can make multiple mistakes with Boba and still maintain tempo. Yes I get it that people are dazzled by new mechanics of this game seeing how much fatigue there is from mtg but the same tired concept of a single deck oppressing the meta is stale and boring. We’ve seen this in every game since ‘93. It’s old. I’m bored of this. I was hoping this would be different.

[@pohenixwielki3178]

Thanks for video, very helpfull Boba should be a 6 Or a 4/5 Or ready 1 resorce Witch one would you pick?

[@Thorrk_THT]

I am not a big fan of changing what is printed on the card I think it's very confusing especially for new players. I will make a video later on to express what I would ban to improve the meta.

[@mikemoore947]

I think one of the biggest issues of the top 8, of the 8 losses among the top 8, 6 of those losses were mirror matches.

[@HarlequinSC2]

Is this boba meta healthy at all? Any chances for a ban in a very important card in the deck to balance the meta or something? All top 8 being Boba doesn't look any good...

[@Thorrk_THT]

As I keep repeating in the video, you got to take this result with a grain of salt. Boba is the best deck in the meta no doubt about that, however it's not supposed to dominate that hard, this result is not representative to what I have been experiencing. How do I explain this then? Very simple, people are still very new to the game, Boba is a lot easier to play with that it is to play against. I have no doubt that as people understand the game a bit better you will see the win rate of Boba decrease substantially. With all that being said it is very possible that we are going to need a ban at some point.

[@nickprado3849]

Would love a video going over Boba mirror match and how to navigate it in the future!

[@Parallel_]

I was there yesterday, Boba really did clean up! Sabines did very well againt me also. I played Iden Command and could not get my footing against Sabines at all. Lost all games vs them yesterday. It was a fantastic event though, looking forward to the next!

[@Thorrk_THT]

Iden vs Sabine Match up can vary wildly depending on which cards you are playing. Also playing against aggro in general requires a completely different thought process so if you are not used to play against here, you're gonna have a tough time.

[@Parallel_]

@@Thorrk_THT playing a very similar deck to KOTDs Iden Command. Super rough time, was struggling to trade with her!

[@Thorrk_THT]

@@Parallel_ Weird this version should do well against sabine

[@RossCooper]

Brilliant! Evening viewing sorted. It was a great event and my first in person one ever. Everyone was helping each other and I think this community is going from strength to strength.

[@ajtame]

Boba should be a 6

[@Parallel_]

Definitely! 😂

[@nickfanzo]

You’ll see a ban if this keeps happening.

[@stropes.]

@@nickfanzo FFG aren't hosting any competitive events themselves until after Set 2. They've publicly said a one-set meta isn't very well representative of the game and wouldn't be nearly as diverse (which you can see in their competitive Livestream video). I highly doubt they will ban anything before it creates an issue in their own tournament structure which will only be well after Set 2 releases.

[@nickfanzo]

@@stropes. I’m aware; that’s why I said if this keeps happening, you’ll see a ban hammer. I didn’t say WHEN

[@stropes.]

@@nickfanzoIt'll be a long time coming then since they said summer of 2025. Talking about it at this point, over a year in advance, seems a bit premature to me. But, to each their own...

[@Zaiko000]

Shouldnt be this out of line in a set 1 game. This is in theory the easiest set to balance

[@Thorrk_THT]

No, it's the opposite, Set 1 are always harder to balance for 3 major reasons: -Assuming the game is properly monitored with regular bans, metagame diversity often increases as more cards are added to the card pool. More options mean it's possible to build more diverse decks, and with a wider meta, it becomes difficult to prepare for everything, decks that would not stand a chance in a small meta now have opportunities to go under the radar and perform. You can see that in Magic for example where metagame diversity in older format is usually much better than in standard... -A bigger card pool means more options for players at their disposal to counter the meta decks. Players will have an easier time adjusting to the meta without needing intervention from the devs. -Set 1 is first to be developed (obviously), which means this is the set they designed with the least amount of knowledge and understanding of the game. With time and experience, designers grow a better understanding of their own game, which is tremendously helpful in designing a balanced game. Of course bigger set means it becomes harder to monitor every interaction, meaning certain broken combo can get released unnoticed. Set rotation are here to limit the size of the card pool and keep things under control. And if set rotation don't help , you still have bans and erratas.

[@LuBRiHeRo]

People use what wins.

[@djclero6861]

What adds further worry to these stats is that the boba green deck has nearly 0 synergies within itself. Boba has subtypes that don't work with anything in a set where rebels and imperials were meant to be the highlight. Still, just by virtue of sheer value it can make a new player demolish someone who plays better but is playing something else.

[@Thorrk_THT]

There are plenty of synergies in this deck as highlighted in my Boba deck tech video. Not all synergies are based on trait ;). With that aside, "good stuff" deck that rely on fewer synergies and more powerful cards have always been part of card games and that's a good thing.

[@djclero6861]

@@Thorrk_THT I mean, yeah you can synergize superlaser and give it ambush to get your bobs one turn early, you can synergize the 5/5 overwhelm unit and attack for 7, I don't think I am missing much. these are hardly really synergies in my book. What I was trying to say is that, after having played against it possibly hundreds of times, this is mostly and largely a deck that just plays the same few overpowered cards over and over and simply plays by jamming all of them into the most power crept leader. It's a largely counterable deck for sure, but it fall into the category of the decks that are in principle hardest to counter, because it is relying more on sheer value than on anything unique that other decks can disrupt.

[@djclero6861]

And I am not really sure how good decks with just good stuff is a good thing.

[@scorishimmernight6011]

The Sidedecks are so interesting. The players either had situatinal problems many times and needed to fix them or they put a lot of thought into their decks if "What could go wrong, what do I need against what potential leader". Seeing the Iden player have restock in their sidedeck made me laugh, since that could mean their game(s) went too long atleast one time xD I'm really excited to see the "meta" in like 2 months. there are so many people in the local store I play at, that dont have all the cards to build the "meta" decks listed here. Since they only bought displays/Boosters and not specific cards yet. Which is fair, first month of the cardgame, you dont wanna invest 10+(money currency of choice) into cards multiple times if you could afford 2 boosters for it. I also think that many vader and luke players at the tournament played with modified starter decks (I'd have done the same, since I dont have so many cards to build a good deck with another leader, if I had all the leaders lol) but thats just a theory. If I had the choice to play on this tournament with a starter deck or dont play at the tournament, I'd play for sure, even if I get obliterated by every boba xD Also, tournaments in other countries world wide could change the meta so quick. I'm sure there are some locals where one person just destroys everyone with an IG deck, because no one knew what is possible with the cards we have in this set, unless you put a "chess mind" into it xD

[@kujitolive106]

These videos are absolute gold for the game, keep it up! Very cool to see the meta changing with each tournament. Do we have a site in which we can check which big tournament are being organized? I can't find them

[@danielbarker8755]

Ooh if I squint I can just make out my name at the bottom of the screen when you’re showing the leaders 😂 Progress lol.

[@PontusWelin]

This doesn’t prove that Boba is the best deck. This could just as well be that the best players play Boba

[@Thorrk_THT]

What makes you think that? Throughout the tournament, we saw multiple boba player that were very inexperienced as well (notably in round 1 and round 5) Also, take into account that Boba Green has been dominating all the tournaments we played online in the last 6 months. I am not basing my analysis on this tournament alone.

[@PontusWelin]

@@Thorrk_THT ok. That is good to know

[@justinschmelzel8806]

I was surprised you never seen steal yo girl palp. His game plan is ramp and steal the enemy units.

[@Eroth]

Iden green does not only has access to ramp, but also ECL 🙂

[@BobbyMcwho]

Is there a competitive play focused discord for this like 20Lore for Lorcana?

[@Thorrk_THT]

on Discard You mean?

[@beastmodeplayinc8136]

I think in germany we will not get this kind of big tournement

[@ramongoroth]

Interesting the winner has all the No Good to Me Dead in the sideboard.

[@maxm44]

Great content. Any chance you will do a breakdown on the Boba/ECL deck? Maybe it’s weaknesses can be found that way

[@Thorrk_THT]

Turned out I did: kzbin.info/www/bejne/hYfYeWikYtyoqJIsi=s8_eaSGznRjidwx_

[@darrenhazelden2340]

A note on restock, I was 6-2 krennic with restock as well, I played it twice and it was absolutely relevant both times (once to getting me my big spaceships back, and once to stop me being vigilance milled). Cards definitely a good mirror consideration

[@Thorrk_THT]

Very interesting , yeah you saw this type of cards being used in Magic too but I was not expecting this to become so relevant so quick

[@BadatBoardgames]

Can you donate video on how to stop grand inquisitor that would be insightful

[@Thorrk_THT]

When I"ll make my deck tech video on GI I will into more details on how to play against it.

[@jeffreyarsenault8393]

Can you only watch if you subscribe to the channel?

[@Thorrk_THT]

I think so yes.

[@profchen86]

very nice !!! i hope swu iz stonger day by day !

[@nickfanzo]

I wonder what development testing showed the creators of this game, when looking into what the meta could be. If this keeps up, boba is gonna get the ban hammer. In this day of TCGs developers should be able to tell what is too dominate in testing before a release. This isn’t mtg in 1993, when TCG card games were non existent. One deck shouldn’t be completely dominating, if the game was tested well before release. For a game being out for a little more than a week, we shouldn’t see a top 8 with all the same deck

[@moonlifeSW]

They made some last minute changes just before printing and didn't test enough.

[@nickfanzo]

@@moonlifeSW Well big oops on them then! Maybe push the game back a few months to test it 😂

[@Thorrk_THT]

Just keep in mind that until Devs can use AI to make insane amount of playtest, 1993 and 2024 have the same limitation: time and manpower. No studio has the time and money to playtest a game to the same extend as thousands of players around the globe for several months. Yes our knowlesge of card game is more advance than in 1993, but at the end of the day every game is different and first set are always the most difficult to balance because everything is new. The second massive limitation is production, for cards to be manufactured and arrive on time for release they must be ready years in advance. The next 2 sets are already being printed as we speak and their developpement has stopped a long time ago. This means the devs are unable to make changes to the set to adapt to what is happening with the players. In those condition it's extremely hard to release a perfectly balanced game. Name me one TCG that has been perfectly balanced at release? On the meta the situation is not as bad as this result makes it sound, yes Boba is the strongest deck but there are mutiple option that can fight it 50/50, the tournament top8 is not very diverse but top 16 is much more so. I also want to say that SWU more than any other game rewards players for playing situational cards because they can always be ressourced. So when the card pool expand players will have plenty of options to counter the popular deck without hurting themeslves. Right now the card pool is just too small to allow player to adapt. The other positive notes is that Boba is a pretty fun to play with and against. In all card gamer there is always a deck to beat, I am personnly glad the deck to beat is boba and not somrthing obnoxious.

[@nickfanzo]

@@Thorrk_THT I have no issue with boba doing well except that it’s warping the game already. I have three boba lists made as well as 5 other decks, so I am flexible

[@BadatBoardgames]

Good video thanks

[@vosskvoss9321]

They have the top 8 decklists anywhere?

[@darrenhazelden2340]

Just follow the link in the description...

[@donniem7979]

Scary when i saw how they planned to play test this i knew it was going to be a terrible first six months lol they didn't hire any professional editors or grammar analysts... Nobody to play test to prevent hoard build... It's Warhammer seventh edition issues all over again and Boba is custodes... I emailed them almost a year ago to prevent this and free to play the game early to cross check their cards... This doesn't look good... Maybe I will stick to yugioh goat format for a little while longer

[@Thorrk_THT]

It's safe to say it's nowhere near close the balance issue you could encounter in 7th edition ^^

[@acedobleace]

Not a fan of banning cards, it reduces the value of the card significantly. Just restrict it to 1 copy per deck. Or make an errata if really necessary. But never ban a card.

[@anthonypalmer6513]

No bans, but maybe errata the Boba leader to come out a turn later and cut the flip resource ready to 1.

[@ArwelGriffith]

FFG have previously done restricted lists to break up combinations of cards to adjust the power of certain decks. So could restrict ECL and Firespray so you would have to choose between them for example.

[@Thorrk_THT]

I agree errata are the best but they are not always possible nor convenient. I don't like restriction which turn the game into a game of Luck ( a cool you draw the one copy of the banned card)

[@nathandennis9420]

The Game is currently broken .. this only proves it!

[@mackdye9070]

"in depth analysis" - Uhhh Boba Fett is real good. No one needs a video about this topic. Its a one set meta and this is exactly why they didn't do official events until more sets come out.

[@SteelfurSpeaks]

Disagree. I like videos about this topic

[@kevinsayers5985]

Star wars unlimited is an FFG game. Did people really expect it to be balanced? I was a paid play tester for this game and even in play testing it was out of whack. The core mechanics of the game changed so many times in the 6 weeks we were testing it, it was like a different game every time and I'm sure not enough play testing was done on this final product they settled on. This is just how FFG is. 🤷🏻‍♂️

[@Thorrk_THT]

Agree very difficult to test a game that changes all the time, hopefully it gets there over time first set are always challenging.