Table of Contents
How to Use the Meta Snapshot
This snapshot, or tier list, shows the best decks to play in any particular event to give a player the highest chance of winning the event.
Here are the various decision points that go into forming the Meta Snapshot and how to properly use and follow it:
- Introduction: This is just an overview of the snapshot; a guide on how to use it.
- Thoughts and Observations: A general summary of the current meta with commentary about notable points including influencing events or new cards or any other important information regarding the meta.
- Deck List: A sample list, maybe from a featured event, in most cases, or from my own testing gauntlet, if necessary. Will feature some of the most popular and newest decks, not necessarily all of them.
Legend - The Ranking System
- S-Tier: Overtuned decks that warp and control a large part of the meta. May not always be in the meta snapshot.
- Tier 1: Well-optimized decks that can consistently top and/or win an event. Not a perfect deck, but a solid deck with few weaknesses and a gameplan against most everything.
- Tier 2: Competitive decks that have a few glaring weaknesses but can still compete with some, or most, of the top decks with some solid tech options and sideboard plan.
- Tier 3: Average deck that isn't bad but also not well-equipped to top or win an event without a lot of breaks going your way. Poorly optimized decks, linear in nature, and easy to attack.
- Tier 4: Inconsistent deck that may be built around a specific card or multi-card combo that doesn't end a game. Overly niche deck that won't win against the top, well-refined decks.
Thoughts and Observations
May 4th weekend was the biggest weekend for Star Wars events in the game's young lifetime and what a weekend it was! Several 50+ player events happened across the country, including a 129-player $4k event in Richmond, VA hosted by Star City Games. We have a lot of data that can shake up the meta but you'll notice quickly that the big decks are still, well, the big decks. There were a few surprises, including the mono-Vigilance Iden deck that won the largest event of the weekend, and the second largest event we've had so far, as well as a handful of mono-Cunning Boba Fett decks that surprised, including a 70-player event in CT won by BobbySapphire of KTOD.
In what I think was the most surprising development of the weekend, Boba Fett Command all but fell off the map completely in Richmond. While I don't expect this to be the case moving forward to set 2, May 4th was largely devoid of what many people considered a tier-zero deck on release of the game. Richmond featured a very Sabine heavy field with a quarter of the field playing some flavor of the aggro menace. Command Sabine was most represented and also placed four in the top cut which again converted at an above-par rate. Using the data that we've seen from event to event, Sabine's conversation rate remains extremely high which makes her a very solid choice for any event in your neat future. Given how favorable the control Vigilance matchups are, and ways to find edges in the mirror, all combined with the disappearing act of Boba Fett, there's not a lot for Sabine to be scared of at the moment.
Another surprise at the event was the emergence of Han Solo. While the conversion rate isn't anything to write home about, the deck *is* performing well and was the second-highest played deck in the event with Command Han leading the way. The reason for this? Han has a solid matchup into the Vigilance control decks with the amount of unit recursion that it can pack combined with powerful discard effects like Spark of Rebellion and out of aspect Bodhi Rook, which also sporting a passable at worst aggro matchup.
All that said, Vigilance control decks continued to person with a new contender, Vigilance Boba Fett, entering the arena. I'm pretty sure that this is the definition of "if you can't beat them, join them" as the disappearance of Command Boba Fett is literally due to the Vigilance decks having an overwhelming advantage into them. Vigilance, itself as a card, continues to be a staple in the meta but it's also nice seeing decks start to play Cunning in non-double Cunning decks in not just Boba Fett but also Han Solo. The same can be said for Bodhi Rook who is also seeing a lot if play lately since hand disruption is at an all-time premium.
If aggro is the far left and control is the far right, the meta lately seems to be going off the deep-end on both ends. Control decks go farther and farther to the right to try and counter each other, while aggro goes farther and farther left to try and get under and be faster than others. It's a very weird, very healthy meta right now but what's happening is that with the far left and right tugging at each other, there's this new space that exists in the middle in the form of mono-Cunning Boba and Command Han that are very solid against both. I'm going to be playing in a store showdown next weekend on May 19th and will be deciding between the two aforementioned decks because I think they're just so well positioned until the aggro and control decks come back down to earth a little bit and lean more toward the middle. Funny enough, as decks become more "middle focused," that's when we see a re-emergence of Command Boba Fett which starts the cycle all over again but this time it will be with set 2 and 18 new leaders to explore. Crazy, but very fun to piece together, right?
The Tier List
| Tier | Cards |
|---|---|
| S-Tier | Nothing |
| Tier 1 | • Command Boba Fett • Cunning Boba Fett • Command Sabine • Cunning Sabine • Command Han Solo • Vigilance Darth Vader |
| Tier 2 | • Aggression Leia • Command Iden Versio • Command Krennic • Vigilance Iden Versio • Command Darth Vader • Aggression Chirrut • Vigilance Palpatine • Aggression Iden • Command Luke Skywalker • Vigilance Han Solo |
| Tier 3 | • Aggression Luke Skywalker • Vigilance Thrawn • Aggression Grand Moff Tarkin • Command Chewbacca |
| Tier 4 | • Everything else |
The Decks
Command Boba Fett
I know, I get it, I just said that Command Boba has fallen off a lot and it's still in tier 1 and the first deck I talk about. That's because it's still the glue that holds the meta together. The existence of Command Boba still keeps a lot of decks in check while the Vigilance control decks keep the Boba decks in check. If you eliminate one or the other from the meta, things unravel quickly.
I still firmly believe that Command Boba is the best Overwhelming Barrage deck and also the best deck for the Darth Vader unit. It's really hard to argue against a deck that can play all the best cards in the game at their respective costs but at its surface Boba Fett is simply a curve deck with high impact cards. It's possible to beat it by just going under it or wider, or just removing their powerful threats with removal effects, this giving Vigilance a strong matchup into Boba. Below is the most recent Command Boba deck, the biggest innovations being from the KTOD team who have inserted Recruit as well as Gamo Guard, both to good use.
Command Sabine
We talked about some potential changes to the deck last time to make mirrors better and that's essentially the direction that the current Command Sabine deck is taking. We're able to hedge against the mirror quite a bit while also continuing to be good against the Vigilance control decks. The mono-Vigilance decks can be a nuisance and if that continues to be the trend then we might have to insert Wolffe and U-Wing back into the side. I don't think we've seen enough mono-Vigilance lately to classify as a trend and dramatically change our deck, but it's something to consider moving forward toward set 2.
The below list is what I top 8'ed the 129-player with and presently I don't think I'd make any significant changes. I think Mercenary Company is a solid card to test if Boba gets popular again but for now I like where this is at.
Cunning Sabine
The first of the few newcomers to tier 1 this month is the Cunning version of Sabine. The uptick in Vigilance control has given Cunning Sabine a pretty wide window to climb into a pretty favorable spot in the meta. Being able to effectively use Millennium Falcon, Sneak Attack, and Surprise strike to do large chunks of damage out of nowhere is always welcome in am aggro deck. I don't personally think that the Cunning version offers anything better from the Command version but both remain solid choices for different reasons. All that said, the main reason to play Cunning Sabine is for the Millennium Falcon itself.
The biggest debate for the deck is whether to play Jedda City or a 30 HP base. Currently, I prefer the 30 HP bases. Another hot button is whether to main deck Spark of Rebellion or not. For now, mine are in the side.
Cunning Boba Fett
This deck has been largely kept in tier 2 because of how popular Command Boba Fett has been, to to an extent Command Darth Vader, but it's always been a great deck. In essence, it's the best aggro-tempo deck that you can play and combined with cards like Cunning, you can do both at the same time and then some. I don't think any deck exploits bounce effects like Waylay, Cunning, and Cantina Bouncer the way that Cunning Boba does and it also allows you to play hand disruption in Bodhi rook as well. If you wanted to really tech for the control decks, which you're already pretty solid against, you can also play out of aspect Spark of Rebellion for 4.
I was down on Cunning Boba a few weeks ago as I felt Vader and Command Boba would largely keep it in check to the point where it wasn't a good call for a large event, but KTOD again proved me wrong and won a Connecticut $1k with it. Below is the deck that did so.
Command Han Solo
Something else that has been kept largely in check by Boba Fett but is now able to exist due to the direction of the meta is Command Han Solo. With a solid aggro matchup due to efficient units across the board combined with just enough disruption, combined with more than enough disruption and recursion in the form of Home One to battle control, Han is in a really good space as long as Command Boba continues to see fewer numbers. In fact, Command Han was the second-most played deck Star City Games Richmond $4k on May 4th, and for good reason. A few made top cut, which again should bolster it's place in the meta, and I don't see that changing any time soon.
There are many forms and flavors of Han right now but I don't think you need to get cute. As long as you're playing U-Wing, Home One, and a healthy dose of disruption, you can win plenty of games. There's a Sneak Attack version that I like that finishes games with Fleet Lt and Home One but that might be falling into the "too cute" category. There's also a version with things like Vanguard Ace and V-Wing but those definitely fall into "too cute" territory and unnecessary. In the end, however, it's not a lot of extra card slots if you do decide to go that route. If I were playing Han tomorrow, and I very well might in an upcoming Showdown event on the 19th, I'd play something like this:
Vigilance Darth Vader
This one is a little tricky because Vigilance control is absolutely tier 1 but they can largely just be lumped together. Vader, Boba Fett, and to an extent, Palpatine all play roughly the same way and do mostly the same things. Of course there are differences here and there but the decks just look to stabilize games with Childsen and then gain back the life they lost with Vigilance, and in some cases Cargo Juggernaut as well.
The decks remain largely well positioned as long as the control decks continue to go farther and farther right as I mentioned earlier, and will continue to adapt and be refined. I'm not sure which flavor as Vigilance control will be chosen for the next few weeks but you can for sure count on seeing it. Vader remains the one of choice due to the overpowering Leader stats, for now, and it has made multiple back to back top cuts in large events.
Command Iden Versio
No changes this month to the Command Iden deck. It's a pretty solid tier 2 deck right now and likely won't ascend to tier 1 any time soon. This isn't because the deck isn't good, it is, it's just because until someone figures out a way to beat the Vigilance control decks it's going to be shoved down. Furthermore, the Sabine decks are finding more and more ways to go wider and dodge removal at the same time.
This is a deck I want to keep in the back of my mind for when set 2 drops but for now I don't think I'd consider it for a major event when there are safer, better options available.
Command Krennic
You can essentially just copy and paste everything I said about Iden and paste it here about Krennic but he does have a slightly better aggro game plan since he comes out earlier. He still has the same issues that Iden does when trying to fight the Vigilance hard control decks, but as far as midrange/soft control decks go, Krennic is better positioned than Iden at the moment.
Aggression Chirrut
A bit of an underdog story right now, we have Aggression Chirrut. Objectively the best current deck for Force Throw, Chirrut is unassumingly the midrange killer. What the deck does better than any other deck, with the exception of Boba Fett, is control the midgame with a very hard to remove Leader as well as Force trait units backed by upgrades and Force Throws.
There's a lot of untapped potential with Chirrut, despite having a very underwhelming Leader side, and I'm excited to see which direction the deck goes in the future. The deck is always evolving to wrap itself around the meta but with that being said, we'll still with the list we had last time as well with no major developments in the last month.
(This is from last month, nothing has changed in Chirrut's world and he's largely not interested in the shifting meta.)
Aggression Leia
A deck that is very similar to Sabine in playstyle but is oftentimes better positioned into a field of control decks. Where Sabine can be a little weak, Leia can actually be strong. That said, she struggles a lot in the Sabine matchup where Leia isn't fast enough to race, or resilient enough to play the control game, and she can struggle against Boba Fett as well if the Boba player can remove Leia quickly as she lacks the reach that the Sabine leader ability provides. I still think Leia is pretty well positioned into the current expected meta and as such, she's a solid tier 2 deck this time around.
Command Darth Vader
I think Command Vader is in an interesting spot right now. It's pretty good against the midrange Han and Boba decks at the moment, has some game against the Vigilance control decks in the form of Devastator and Relentless, but still struggles against aggro. I don't think that there's a way to build Command Vader to be both good against control and aggro so that's the only thing keeping from being a true tier 1 deck.
We're gonna start seeing more and more Devastator's main deck though, which just again, makes it better into control and further away from being aggro. Have to hedge somewhere and I think that's the correct hedge.
Aggression Iden
This deck deserves its own section mainly because it plays unlike any other deck currently in the game. While there's space for a "normal" Iden red deck to exist, the most prevalent version at the moment is the event heavy "oops all removal" versions that just run the opponent out of threats and win with milling via multiple vigilance-sor-58s.
I think this particular deck is extremely good into a control meta but extremely bad into an aggro meta which keeps it from being a solid tier 1 deck. I wouldn't be surprised if this deck wins events here and there if the meta stays control heavy but until we get to that point it's hard to justify a deck as tier 1 that can't beat most, or any, aggressive deck. Below is the current version of the deck that you can find in a few different places.
I didn't update this deck for the month because I still think Vader is better than Iden in the current meta, but it's still a deck worth considering.
Command Luke Skywalker
Jumping up into tier 2 this week, Luke is just another Leader in the Han Solo, Boba Fett, etc. line of midrange Leaders who are just well positioned at the moment. Plays very similarly to Han and has all the recursion available to him in the form of Home One, Luke just trades some disruption for Restore instead.
I think that I still prefer Han over Luke at the moment, but the Force package is very strong and also can lend itself to out of aspect Force Throw to help combat the control decks as well, or 4 cot Spark of Rebellion. I like where this deck currently sits.
Vigilance Iden Versio
Last, but certainly not least, is Vigilance Iden control, the new kid on the block. I'll be honest, I'm not convinced that this deck has staying power, but with the meta being as greedy as it is right now, it makes perfect sense that mono-Vigilance control finished atop the SCG Richmond event. I think decks will adapt to this pretty easily but we'll see how it shakes out. Playing Wolffe on a key turn will shut off healing and finding new ways to deal with Childsen will enable aggro to get past this.
That said, playing Vigilance for 4 feels like cheating. Vigilance is arguably the best card in the game at the moment and being able to play it cheaper than every other control deck goes a long way to making sure you can win the Vigilance race. This is something to keep an eye on but I wouldn't go changing your sideboard cards or your 50 so drastically just yet.
Conclusion
I think I said it best earlier by mentioning how far left or right the meta is going and I don't know if we've reached the critical point just yet to snap back to reality. Command control and midrange decks are continuing to be pushed out of the meta by these super greedy Vigilance control decks which is also just allowing the aggro decks to run a little wild right now. What has to happen for the meta to shift again? I think we might see roughly this super greedy meta until set 2 release but we'll see.
I don't think there are any further $5k events on the set 1 horizon so we may have to wait until July anyway to see a major shift. Until then, play what you want in this wild west format and hope to dodge your bad matchups. Like I said earlier, I think Command Han and Cunning Boba are in the best position for any immediate events but Sabine is always just right there to play into a heavy control field as well.
Good luck in your future events and I'll see you next time.
