Trade Federation decks have been around for some time. Their popularity faded somewhat with the release of Revenge of the Sith, but they remain a potent strategy. Trade Federation decks took a hit with the restriction of Blockade {TPM}, but Revenge of the Sith also added a few cards to help these decks as well.
Buzz Droids are amazing. They may not seem like much at first glance, but they're a key unit in the Space arena. They pretty much say, "Pay 0 Force Intercept." Buzz Droids should become an immediate target to Light Side players, taking the heat off Droid Starfighter DFS-1VR. If not, they can and will lock down the Space arena.
The Dark Side has always had monster cards in the Ground arena, such as Trade Federation Control Core, Stormtrooper Regiment, Battle Droid Division -- and now Patrol Mode Vulture Droid. In the old days, this unit would have cost 9 build, but it still would've been solid. At 7 build, it's good, and when you can deploy it for 5 build, it's the cake, the icing on the cake, and the sprinkles, too.
Darth Sidious (F) and Darth Sidious (G) are the nut high. For those who don't play poker, that means they're really good. Darth Sidious (G) can discard one of his own units to gain control of an opponent's. Then switch the stack to Darth Sidious (F) to discard that controlled unit, and gain half of that build cost in Force and build in any combination. Trade Federation decks always had a tough time winning the Character arena, but now with Sidious, the job will be easier. This, of course, is a good thing, because Lightsaber Quick Draw could ruin you in the Ground Arena. Darth Sidious (E) provides direct damage and is a good weapon versus spirits.
Trap Door! furthers the direct damage theme and combos well with Sidious (E). A general strategy when facing a Trade Federation deck was to drop a solid character in the Character arena and then try compete in Space and Ground. Since the Character arena usually only had Nute Gunray and some droids, this wasn't too hard to pull off. Now that the Character arena can be won, it provides a new dimension to the overall deck. Dark Sacrifice isn't needed as much any more, and Trade Federation MTT can be used to focus on putting units in the arena where your opponent is weakest.
I'll still miss Blockade {TPM}, but one copy is included and still very much needed.
Did I mention this deck doesn't like Lightsaber Quick Draw? There are some other annoying cards, too, such as Asteroid Field (which hasn't been used much since Trade Federation decks lost popularity), but that one's at the top of the list.
I could provide an analysis of the deck but it's not anything new -- more of an update. If you aren't familiar with the archetype, check out this previous article on Dark Side engines or this one on Trade Federation decks. All in all, the deck still has power and shouldn't be ignored.
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