Presence Of The Force

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Info

Title	Presence Of The Force
Side	Dark
Type	Effect
Set	Premiere Limited
Rarity	R1
Uniqueness	Restricted (••)
Destiny	2
Icons	Effect
card_uid	1_227
Version	printed
Printings	Premiere Limited (1995, black border) — this page Premiere Unlimited (1995/96, white border) — same art and text Japanese Takara Premiere

Presence Of The Force is a Dark Effect from Premiere Limited.

Card Text

Deploy on any location to add one [Dark Side Force] and one [Light Side Force].

Lore

A location is affected by the history of the events which occur there. The Force '...binds the galaxy together' and has an ebb and flow.

Strategy

By Justin Pakes

Imagine my dismay as I browsed the voluminous libraries of Deciphers card lists to discover that one of my favourite (proper English spelling there... :) cards was sans card extra. The often acronymed, PotF. So lets see if I can add anything to even that score. Being a Premiere card, the old hands amongst you may not find anything new here, but then again, maybe a refresher is in order.

The card adds one red and one blue Force icon to whatever location you deploy it. A sabre for me, and a sabre for you. The deploy is zero as are the deployment restrictions. It's a two dot card, but remember that "cumulativity" stops you gaining any benefits from two copies at the same location. The wonderous thing about this card is it's elegant simplicity but amazing versatility.

One use of the card is a boon to the early game. It is an extra Force activated. And in that frustrating game where the only time you see your locations is as destiny draws, that extra one can be vital.

The most obvious offensive use of this card is immediately apparent, a bigger drain at a location, preferably one you already securely control! Lovely for you, added headache for your opponent! And never forget that it is *any* location. Handy if your opponent forgot to stock Cloud Cars and your trying to boost the benefit of your cloud superiority!

"Just another drain bonus" some of you are saying, I can get that with a sabre! But with the advent of Dagobah, the true value of a PotF used in this way was realised. Being an extra icon, and NOT a drain bonus (such as +1 to Force Drains) it is immune to that 'Bane of the Drain', Great Warrior (Jedi Test #1).

The alternate use is a little more subtle. At a location where you have no force icons, this card is better than a spy. Sure, it can't go undercover, but it won't get snipered by the first weapon that comes along either. That extra icon allows you normal deploy, and is like the front door key to many LS starting locations. E.g. Massasi War Room, Obi's Hut, Hoth Echo Base Command Centre (before the shields go up), or even LS Dantooine. If you can get the power down you need to hold them, that makes for a big early drain. If you have it in hand really early, it can be your only hope against those irritating LS decks that revolve your starting location early depriving you of force. Even better, allow yourself to get to that LS Big One and cancel that darned Asteroid Sanctuary.

There are also a few more esoteric uses. A couple of cards are concerned with the number of icons at a location. Djas Puhr, Feltipern Trevagg, or even Commence Primary Ignition for a little added destruction. I would also say Braniac, but when it comes to that sort of mathematical proficiency, I'm a weak-minded fool. ;)

"The perfect all round card!" I hear you now exclaim. Surely there's a catch! And indeed there is. But to me, the quality that makes this a *great* card is how it is a double-edged sabre if you use it without thinking. Very appopriate when you consider the picture on the card. Play it early, and you could be giving your opponent much needed Force activation. Put it on a location you cannot hold, and you may well feel the sting of the extra drain. Without proper planninng and situational analysis, many of the benefits could end up benefitting the Light Side. This tool belongs to the thinking player.

And beware the counters too. Cloud City's Clash Of Sabres will cancel it outright. Alter has the same effect, but there's plenty of counter-counter's to that. And most irritating of all is I Have A Bad Feeling About This which LS can use to retarget it to a location they control (e.g. Dagobah!). I always recommend the multi-function Bad Feeling Have I to take care of that problem.

Combos:

How can you list combos for something that can be used almost anywhere, anytime?

Obvious => PotF + LS Obi's Hut + your characters controlling it with a Vaders sabre and a Dark Jedi Sabre = drain of 6.

Favourite => PotF + DS Mos Eisley + Sunsdown + Djas Puhr = An alien who even alone is Power 8, Ability 4, Forfeit 5, Immune To Attrition < 3, draws destiny, and gets an extra destiny worth of power! Even Vader would quietly thank the Emperor that he's on the right side of that behemoth! For icing on the attrition cake, add Lone Warrior + Moment Of Triumph, stir vigourously, and draw 2 extra destiny's.

Combos

• Presence Of The Force + Endor Shield (V) + Endor Three Force icons for you, none for the Light Side. Opportunity to drain for three.

Pulled by

• Twi'lek Advisor
• We Must Accelerate Our Plans

Canceled by

• Clash Of Sabers

Also known as

• POTF

See Also

Sources

• Premiere Dark Side card list at Decipher.com (archive, 11 June 2002)
• Star Wars CCG cardlists index at Decipher.com (archive, 25 December 2008)
• Complete Card List (Decipher PDF, archive 28 September 2007) — Dark Effect: Presence Of The Force, Premiere, R1

References