Fantasy Flight Games

An Armored Advance

Published 25 March 2021 | Star Wars: Legion

An Armored Advance

Announcing the A-A5 Speeder Truck Unit Expansion for Star Wars™: Legion

Order your own copy of the A-A5 Speeder Truck Unit Expansion at your local retailer or online with free shipping in the continental U.S. through our website today!

Getting troops safely to the front lines is vital in times of war and armored transports are the ubiquitous vehicle assigned to the task. For the Rebel Alliance, the acquisition of these assets often turns to the repurposing of civilian vehicles, and such is the case of the A-A5 Speeder Truck. Designed as a cargo transport for harsh environments, these already robust vehicles are further reinforced with armor plating and equipped with powerful turret mounted weaponry when deployed to the battlefield.

Armored transports serve a crucial role in many Rebel strategies and soon you can protect your troops and their advance by adding the A-A5 Speeder Truck Unit Expansion to your arsenal! This expansion features a vehicle miniature with a fully-detailed interior and two turret-mounted weapon options. The doors of the A-A5 can be modelled closed or open to reveal the detail inside and a clear windshield shows the interior of the cockpit and a pilot. This expansion opens up new tactical options never before available to the Rebel Alliance, and is sure to find a place among many player's favorite strategies. Read on to learn more about how the A-A5 Speeder Truck Unit Expansion might fit into your battle plans!

Mobile Command

The A-A5 can serve a greater purpose than safely getting your units where they are needed most. Enter Shriv Surgaav , celebrated hero from Star Wars™: Battlefront II. With Shriv behind the wheel, the A-A5 becomes a mobile command center, enabling him to issue orders safely behind armored walls. Not only does this free up valuable points, as your A-A5 Speeder Truck can now serve as your commander, Shriv's ability to hand out dodge tokens to nearby units also offers welcome support for nearby Rebel units. This ability can even hand out an optional suppression token, which could be quite useful for units that have Danger Sense, like the or Jyn Erso . It should also be noted that Shriv’s expertise is not limited to piloting the A-A5 Speeder Truck and he could alternatively take the controls of a X-34 Landspeeder or even zip about the battlefield in a T-47 Airspeeder !

If the inclusion of this Field Commander was not enough, an A-A5 can further coordinate your forces by use of an Onboard Comms Channel . This handy upgrade can ensure that your transport and the unit inside can work in unison, ensuring the disembarkation of your troops goes as planned.

Outfitted for Battle

Through the A-A5 does not come equipped with standard weaponry, it does have two options for outfitting it with turret-mounted laser cannons. Rebel forces looking for longer range fire support may be interested in the Heavy Laser Retrofit . The weapon’s range of 4 and Critical 1 keyword make it an inexpensive option to pick off long range targets, even in cover. If you are in the market for more firepower, the AG-2G Quad Laser brings double the dice and Impact 2, turning this humble transport into a weapons platform capable of breaching enemy armor.

In addition to these weapon options, the A-A5 comes packed with crew and pilot options that help define its battlefield role, and the inclusion of two crew slots and a pilot slot for the vehicle can present some custom-tailored combinations. For example, players after a way to better neutralize enemies in cover may want to enlist the help of a Hotshot Pilot for the Sharpshooter 1 bonus to the attack pool.

If you are looking to get your A-A5 right into the thick of things with an aggressive advance, a Reckless Driver can help displace enemy troopers and hopefully take a few out in the process! Such recklessness could provide a perfect tool to help clear objectives of enemy troopers for your transported unit to secure. This is just a sample of the available pilot options. There are four more crew options that we will reveal via social media as we get closer to release, and we look forward to revealing some of our favorite options for building out this versatile vehicle!

A New Resource

The A-A5 Speeder Truck offers a whole new set of tactical options for the Rebel Alliance. The flexibility of the upgrade cards, the inclusion of a Field Commander option, and the Transport: Closed keyword on this unit can present bold new strategies and offer up a number of synergistic interactions previously unavailable to the faction. Be sure to keep an eye on Atomic Mass Games’ social media as we show off more of the exciting new options available in this expansion!

Look for the A-A5 Speeder Truck at your local retailer in May. You can pre-order your copies of these expansions at your local retailer or online through our website—with free shipping in the continental United States!

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Patrolling the Skies

Published 24 March 2021 | Star Wars: Legion

Patrolling the Skies

Announcing the LAAT/le Patrol Transport Unit Expansion for Star Wars™: Legion

Order your own copy of the LAAT/le Patrol Transport Unit Expansion at your local retailer or online with free shipping in the continental U.S. through our website today!

Searchlights patrol the night sky, seeking signs of the enemy amongst the shifting landscape of war. For such a task, the LAAT/le Patrol Transport is the oft-utilized asset of the Galactic Republic, and later the forces of the Empire, when tracking down and apprehending priority targets. On the battlefield, these nimble transports are used to rapidly deploy troops where they are needed the most, regardless of impeding terrain or hostile environments. Able to soar over obstacles, the LAAT/le can quickly get your troops where they are needed most, and once there, protect their position with aerial support.

Armored transports offer new options for Republic and Imperial strategies and soon you can increase the mobility of your forces by adding the LAAT/le Patrol Transport Unit Expansion to your tactical repertoire! This dual-faction expansion features a vehicle miniature with a fully-detailed interior and two different sets of pilot options, one in Phase II Clone armor and the other set in the uniforms of Imperial TIE pilots. The rear doors of the LAAT/le can be assembled closed or open to reveal the detail inside and a clear cockpit panel shows the interior of the craft and two pilots inside. This expansion opens up new tactical options never before available to these factions, and is sure to find a place among many player's favorite strategies. Read on to learn more about how the LAAT/le Patrol Transport Unit Expansion might fit into your plans for an aerial assault!

An Eye In The Sky

The elevated vantage point of an aerial vehicle provides greater visibility of the battlefield to a commander. With new Field Commander options, the LAAT/le can serve as a highly mobile command center, enabling orders to be issued safely from above the conflict. This can free up valuable points when building your force as your LAAT/le can now serve as your required commander, offering a durable leadership option that can readily stay in range of your troops to issue orders. For the Galactic Republic, this option manifests in the form of Clone Commander Fox , the efficient and disciplined leader of the elite Clone Shock Troopers stationed on Coruscant. Commander Fox can help support his forces with a surge token and suppression control, a useful benefit for the Republic, who want their troopers staying in the fight with a full complement of actions every turn.

For the Galactic Empire, Governor Pryce is the new Field Commander option. A merciless Governor of the Lothal sector, Pryce is known for her uncompromising and relentless pursuit of the crew of the Ghost as seen in Star Wars™: Rebels. Her ruthless leadership can inspire her troops’ accuracy at the cost of a suppression token. Though the added suppression may seem like a drawback, and it often is, it can prove useful by providing increased cover to exposed units and is obviously less of an issue for units with a higher Courage value – which the Empire has a good selection of.

If you are looking for greater control of your transported units, the LAAT/le can further coordinate your forces by use of an Onboard Comms Channel . This handy upgrade can ensure that the transport and the unit inside can work in unison, guaranteeing the disembarkation of your troops goes as planned.

Equipped for Combat

The LAAT/le utilizes its primary weaponry of twin laser cannons to attack both airborne and ground targets as it soars across the battlefield. Should you want to pivot the LAAT/le into a more active combat role, the offensive capabilities of the craft can be further bolstered by ordnance upgrades that can be combined with the main weaponry via the Arsenal 2 keyword. Previously made available to the Republic and Separatists, these ordnance options are custom-tailored to help with specific situations. For example, “Bunker Buster” Shells are great for getting enemies out of cover, High-Energy Shells are ideal for long range fire that the enemy cannot dodge, and Armor-Piercing Shells are as you would expect, great against armored targets. When combined with the twin laser cannons, these upgrades can create sizeable and specialized dice pools that are able to address any threat.

In addition to these upgrade options, the LAAT/le comes with four additional pilot options that further help define its battlefield role. There are two additional pilots for the Galactic Republic and two for the Galactic Empire we will cover in the future. We will be sharing these via our social media channels as we get closer to release, so stay tuned for additional information!

Secure the Skies

The LAAT/le Patrol Transport introduces new strategies for the Galactic Republic and Galactic Empire. The flexibility of the upgrade cards, the inclusion of a Field Commander option, and the Transport: Closed keyword on this unit can present bold new tactics that offer up a number of synergistic interactions previously unavailable to the factions. Be sure to keep an eye on Atomic Mass Games’ social media as we show off more of the exciting new options available in this expansion!

Look for the LAAT/le Patrol Transport Unit Expansion at your local retailer in May. You can pre-order your copies of these expansions at your local retailer or online through our website—with free shipping in the continental United States!

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Smooth Talking Smuggler

Published 19 February 2021 | Star Wars: Legion

Smooth Talking Smuggler

Check Out Our Preview of the Lando Calrissian Commander Expansion for Star Wars™: Legion

"Well, he seems very friendly."
–C-3PO, Star Wars™: The Empire Strikes Back

Sometimes bravado is better than bravery.

Pre-order your own copy of the Lando Calrissian Commander Expansion at your local retailer or online through our website with free shipping in the continental U.S. today!

Always sure of himself and possessing a desire to impress, Lando Calrissian leads Rebel missions with a self-confidence rarely seen in a battlefield commander. Fortunately for him, he has the skills–and luck–to back up the bravado and soon you’ll be able to use Calrissian’s abilities to shape your strategies with the Lando Calrissian Commander Expansion for Star Wars™: Legion!

Although he may be known as quite the sharpshooter, Lando Calrissian brings more to a mission than just his skill with a blaster. His three signature command cards give him the chance to influence your entire army’s strategy at key points of a battle and playing the right card at the right time could shift the momentum in your favor. What’s more, as a commander, you can equip Calrissian with an array of upgrades that further enhance his ability to help friendly units.

In our announcement, we told you about Lando Calrissian’s knack for making contingency plans that give you the freedom to use even more command cards. Join us today as we reveal the rest of his command cards, his flawed card and explore new ways he can be customized for battle!

Lucky and Good

Effective commanders make the most of the units under their command, deftly maneuvering them across the battlefield and using their individual strengths to gain the upper hand. When this isn’t enough, the best commanders take it upon themselves to singlehandedly save their armies from certain doom.

Lando Calrissian thrives on bending the odds of desperate situations into his favor and his command card Idiot’s Array gives him the chance seize victory when everything seems to be stacked against him. Already a great shot with his X-8 night sniper pistol, this card adds the Gunslinger and Marksman keywords to his repertoire for the round, giving him the opportunity to make two ranged attacks and to spend aim tokens to manipulate the results of those attacks.

Even the most legendary characters would be lucky to generate enough aim tokens to take full advantage of this opportunity on both attacks, but Lando Calrissian makes his own luck. Waiting to play Idiot's Array later in a battle only increases his chances of playing a winning hand. Depending on which command cards are in your discard pile, Calrissian can gain up to three aim and three dodge tokens when he plays this card, giving him everything he needs to launch two powerful attacks while remaining relatively safe. In fact, with three aim tokens and the Marksman keyword, Calrissian is all but guaranteed to do the maximum damage with both his Gunslinger attacks combined with his Sharpshooter 2 keyword and the Pierce 1 of his pistol.

Even though Calrissian’s shots are sure to count, facing down two enemy units is still a risky proposition. Unless he brings them all down, Lando can expect return fire and these shots could pile on the damage. Fortunately, his innate Uncanny Luck combined with the three dodge tokens from Idiot’s Array should help him weather this blistering fire, especially if he’s heightened his Situational Awareness and can spend his dodge tokens to cancel critical results.

The Rebel troops he fights alongside won't be able to benefit from Calrissian's personal dodge tokens, of course, but he still has ways of helping them out. In these situations, a Portable Scanner is a particularly useful tool that Calrissian can use to keep his troops safe. The benefits get even better when pairing this key piece of equipment with some extra Vigilance that allows a friendly trooper unit at range 1–2 or two corps trooper units at range 1–2 to retain a dodge token for the next round, especially if they're Nimble Rebels who can continually avoid damage after spending a dodge token.

High Stakes

When your back is up against the wall, sometimes all you can do is go All In . This command card can set up a devastating offensive turn if all your units are in place. Lando can potentially affect a large number of enemy units the turn he plays this card, adding two observation tokens to each enemy unit within range 1-3 and in line of sight. These useful tokens can be spent by friendly units to reroll an attack dice targeting the affected unit, increasing the odds of getting in effective attacks. Unfortunately, Lando will have to put himself in danger to get the most out of this card but can increase his odds of survival and a more effective attack during his activation by gambling on the dice results. Adding or removing dice as a result of this effect happens after rerolls, so Lando can put the odds in his favor with reroll effects like his own Uncanny Luck, aim tokens. and the observation tokens granted by this card. Bear in mind that the results are checked for adding or removing dice before you modify dice results for things like surges, so you will have to actually roll the crit or block results as opposed to converting a surge result to either.

Pressing Your Luck

Some say if you play the game long enough you are bound to lose, and every gamble has consequences as well as rewards. Sometimes external factors alter the deal , and your fallback plans are no longer an option. Lando’s flawed card can create some narrow choices the round it is played against him but the effects can be properly planned for. As the opponent likely cannot play this card until the 4th battle round, you can play all three of Lando’s cards in the first three rounds should you need to and then plan on using another command card from your command hand the turn your opponent wants to trip Lando up. Readying upgrades like on your other units, prior to round 4 or having Lando seize the initiative will also help keep options open when the chips are down.

Senior Scoundrel

Lando Calrissian can talk himself out of almost any situation. But when he can't, he relies on more than just luck to get him through tricky situations. This concludes our preview of the Lando Calrissian Commander Expansion. May the odds be in your favor!

Look for the Lando Calrissian Commander Expansion (SWL78) at your local retailer in March 2021. Pre-order your copies at your local retailer or online through our website—with free shipping in the continental United States–here!

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The Hunt Continues

Published 19 February 2021 | Star Wars: Legion

The Hunt Continues

Check Out Our Preview of the Agent Kallus Commander Expansion for Star Wars™: Legion

"All troopers, focus your fire on the...the Jedi!"
–Agent Kallus, Star Wars™: Rebels

Pre-order your own copy of the Agent Kallus Commander Expansion at your local retailer or online through our website with free shipping in the continental U.S. today!

When the threat of Rebel insurgency is sufficient to warrant appropriate action, the agents of the Galactic Empire’s Imperial Security Bureau are deployed. Utilizing ruthless tactics and sheer cunning, the ISB quickly addresses any lapse in loyalty to the Imperial cause. Today we delve deeper into the methods of one of the organization’s most senior members in the Agent Kallus Commander Expansion for Star Wars™: Legion!

Aleksandr Kallus is a formidable operative with considerable combat ability in the field, though his true strength can be found orchestrating his forces and anticipating his prey. His three signature command cards give him the chance to influence your entire army’s strategy at key points of a battle and playing the right card at the right time could shift the momentum in your favor. What’s more, as a commander, you can equip Agent Kallus with an array of upgrades that further enhance his ability to help friendly units.

In our announcement, we told you about Agent Kallus’ flexibility in making contingency plans that offer greater options in the Command Phase. Read on as we reveal the rest of his command cards, his flawed card, and how he can best fit into your battle plans!

Disruption and Disarray

Knowing your foe is crucial to anticipating their attack, and Agent Kallus excels at doing his research. By carefully orchestrating an ISB Investigation into the key players of the opposition, Kallus can curtail tactical avenues and disrupt the enemy’s plans with ease. This command card requires you to think ahead but can be pivotal – closing off options for your opponent at just the right time. Moving into melee combat with the likes of Luke Skywalker may be a death sentence for most, but Kallus can even make a jedi more manageable with some proper planning. The effect of this command card can turn off a devastating play like Son of Skywalker and other 1-pip cards in the subsequent round. Following up with Kallus’ Face Me card in the next Command Phase could further even the odds against such a powerful foe by insuring Kallus will activate first, possibly moving in to grab a dodge token or two from the Agile 1 keyword granted this round which will help him block any lightsaber strikes. Even if the enemy commander has some tricks in mind, this reliability is further backed up by Kallus’ Cunning keyword, which will break any ties when determining priority should some trickery unfold.

Focused Fire

In the chaos of the battlefield, identifying primary targets is vital for a coordinated attack. Showing no mercy, Kallus employs Ruthless Tactics when pursuing his prey – calling out threats so his forces can readily prioritize their fire. This effect becomes more potent if the enemy is suppressed to a level equal or beyond their courage value, making for a natural synergy with supporting forces with the Suppressive keyword. The observation tokens granted by this command card allow subsequent units to spend the tokens to reroll attack results. Notably, each attack on an enemy unit applies an observation token to their target afterwards, so focusing fire with multiple units can yield benefits throughout the round. These observation tokens can be built up for a powerful culminating attack, or spent incrementally, benefitting each unit as needed after the first. In addition, Kallus can perform a free recover action after playing this card, allowing him to ready useful upgrades that exhaust like Ascension Cables or to reconfigure his J-19 Bo-rifle for ranged or melee combat.

Waivering Loyalty

Though the ISB prides themselves as being the enforcers of loyalty to the Galactic Empire, the dedication required to uphold these ideals can come at a cost. Over the course of Star Wars™: Rebels Kallus had Developing Sympathies for the Rebels he hunted, eventually questioning his allegiances altogether as his narrative progressed. In terms of gameplay, this flawed card is a tool your opponent can leverage at an inopportune time, causing Kallus to make some difficult decisions. Thankfully Kallus’ can surround himself with a number of options to help mitigate the effects of this card. Simply keeping Kallus at full health prevents your opponent from playing his flawed card, so keeping Kallus out of sight until he is ready to strike or healing him up with supporting units and upgrades can keep his loyalties sound. Alternatively, if you want to stay aggressive and simply try to mitigate the suppression, upgrades like Endurance or Strict Orders can help keep Kallus from falling back during his next activation.

No Assignment Too Difficult

Agent Kallus is a tactically flexible support commander for your Imperial Forces whose options in armament, tactics and contingency plans allow him to respond to any threat. His cunning forethought systematically eliminates the enemy’s options while increasing his own chances for success. Beware enemies of the Galactic Empire, the Imperial Security Bureau likely knows your next move, and they will be ready!

Look for the Agent Kallus Commander Expansion (SWL80) at your local retailer in March 2021. Pre-order your copies at your local retailer or online through our website—with free shipping in the continental United States–here!

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Support Protocols

Published 6 January 2021 | Star Wars: Legion

Support Protocols

Preview the Separatist Specialists Personnel Expansion for Star Wars™: Legion

“Their chances of success against us are 742 to 1”
–Tactical Droid TX-20, Star Wars™: The Clone Wars

The Separatist Alliance’s nigh-inexhaustible reserve of battle droids and their supporting engines of war is a very real threat to the galaxy. The implacable advance of superior numbers is often the default tactical approach for Separatist commanders, though at times the deployment of more specialized droids to support the endless ranks of battle droids is required to ensure victory.

Soon, you’ll be able to make use of these specialized droids with the Separatist Specialists Personnel Expansion for Star Wars™: Legion!

Within this expansion, you’ll find a T-series Tactical Droid who can lead an individual unit as a personnel upgrade or your entire army as a commander. Three new command cards that can be used by any Separatist commander give this tactical mastermind even more options for directing your forces in the thick of battle. In addition, a Medical Droid, Worker Droid, and Recon Droid can add new tactical support options to any unit with the Personnel slot.

Join us today as we take a closer look at the Separatist Specialists Personnel Expansion!

Superior Calculations

Droid armies are direct and unwavering, yet they can struggle to anticipate the creativity and resourcefulness of Clone commanders. To adjust to these complexities, the T-series Tactical Droid directs Separatist forces with unfathomable tactical discipline, either from the front lines or safely from their command center.

Though not the strongest combatants, the T-series Tactical Droid can direct multiple units with cold efficiency. As the leader of an invidual unit, a T-series Tactical Droid can direct the unit personally, insuring the other droids aren’t reliant on their AI programming, while also adding to the reliability of the attack and defense rolls of the unit with the inclusion of an automatic surge token every round. The upgrade version also bolsters the attack of their unit with an additional red dice, which adds up with the inclusion of a heavy weapon in the unit.

A T-series Tactical Droid can prove just as effective when they lead an entire army. Not only do they provide an inexpensive option for your Separatist forces, thus freeing up valuable points to take even more infantry or fitting in expensive options like an AAT tank, they also contribute to better order control, a characteristic that helps the Separatist army thrive. In this capacity, they efficiently direct their fellow droids on the battlefield with the ability to issue an order to a friendly corps droid trooper unit whether they are the nominated commander or not. Combined with the Coordinate ability from B1 or STAP units, this can contribute to complete control of your droid forces every round. To further define their support role, during their activation they can bolster up to two friendly units with surge tokens. New upgrades in the expansion like Portable Scanner, is useful for any leader, but becomes even more vital when combined with Vigilance that allows up to two friendly trooper units at range 1–2 to keep a dodge token into the next round. A very useful tactic when fielded alongside units like Maul or Dooku, who benefit greatly from dodge tokens.

Beyond the contents of this expansion, these commanders can continue to improve their armies with the addition of other command upgrades. With all those face up order tokens, an upgrade like Strict Orders can help keep suppression under control for several units and Inspiring Presence further increases the courage value of units within Range 4. If you are looking to employ more Aggressive Tactics , you can stack up the surge tokens on your units to further ensure their success.

Beyond their leadership skills, T-series tactical droids also bring new tactical options to the fore with three new command cards available exclusively to the Separatists. Order control is further improved when deploying vehicles with the Mechanized Incursion command card, which can spread out your order chain and also give you a high chance of activating first in the round with one of your units.

If a Separatist commander has spotted a distant threat that they will have a hard time reaching, they can take more direct action by calling in an Orbital Strike . This attack can suppress a problematic unit early on and the orbital barrage is something even a Jedi cannot deflect. This card can also be used by a Field Commander unit like an AAT upgraded with the T-series Tactical Droid Pilot, adding even more utility. Vehicles aren’t the only way for the Separatists to mount an offensive though. Droid troopers are perhaps the best resource Separatist commanders have to complete their objectives and when bolstered with a card like Roger, Roger! , your ranks of battle droids become even more resilient with the benefit of dodge tokens, or adaptable, with the flexibility of surge tokens.

Specialized droids add all new options to suit your battle plan. Though the Separatist army is largely composed of droids, the leadership of the Separatists is often made of flesh and bone. Accordingly, an EV-series Medical Droid can keep your Sith overlords and their bounty hunter compatriots healthy on the front lines by removing wound or poison tokens. If your tactics veer more towards mechanical resiliency, the PK-series Worker Droid is a great inclusion to keep the rest of your army in working order.

Droids excel at coordination and communication, but if you want to mark a unit for termination, the Viper Recon Droid can call out an enemy unit with observation tokens, bestowing valuable accuracy to other units that attack the marked enemy unit. These little droids are also capable of defending themselves and can contribute two white dice to their unit’s attack pool at range 2.

Upgrade Your Tactics

Though templated and mass-produced, the Separatist army greatly benefits from the inclusion of specialized droids to perform vital tasks. Through this specialization the droid legions can overcome and adapt to better crush the forces of the Republic. Tap into these superior tactics when the Separatist Specialists Personnel Expansion arrives on February 19!

The Separatist Specialists Personnel Expansion (SWL77) is releasing alongside the Republic Specialists Personnel Expansion (SWL75) on February 19. Pick up your copies at your local retailer at that time.

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Standing Out

Published 6 January 2021 | Star Wars: Legion

Standing Out

Preview the Republic Specialists Personnel Expansion for Star Wars™: Legion

“Come on. When have I ever let you down?”
–Clone Commander Cody, Star Wars™: Revenge of the Sith

The Grand Army of the Republic is a massive organization consisting of countless troops, vehicles, and all the equipment needed to support them in the field. More than just soldiers, countless clone specialists hold it all together, keeping it prepared to overcome whatever obstacles are thrown in its path.

Whether they're trained to lead their fellow clones into battle or repair vehicles on the fly, the impact of these specialists is felt far beyond their individual units. Soon, you’ll be able to make use of these clones’ special skills with the Republic Specialists Personnel Expansion for Star Wars™: Legion!

Within this expansion, you’ll find a generic Clone Commander who can lead an individual unit as a personnel upgrade or your entire army as a commander. Three new command cards that can be used by any Republic commander give this clone even more options for directing your forces in the thick of battle. Meanwhile, a Clone Medic, Clone Engineer, and Clone Comms Technician can add new dimensions to any unit with the Personnel slot.

Join us today as we take a closer look at the Republic Specialists Personnel Expansion!

On the Front Lines

Although the Jedi may be the highest-ranking members of the Grand Army of the Republic, it is the clones that most often carry out battle plans and complete the Republic’s objectives. With the ranks of Jedi perilously thin, Clone Commanders often have to step up and lead from the trenches.

Combining the skill at arms and genetic template all clones share with further specialized training and engineering, Clone Commanders are more than capable of leading entire regiments and can be trusted with the most vital missions and battlefronts. As the leader of an individual unit, a clone commander rallies units around his own, helping them shake off the effects of suppression. Better yet, Clone Commanders are invaluable for their ability to make units more reliable and generate surge tokens they can then share with their fellow clones.

Clone Commanders prove just as effective when they lead an entire army. In this capacity, they deftly direct their fellow clones on the battlefield with the ability to issue an order to a friendly corps clone trooper whether they are the nominated commander or not. Then, during their activation, they can further bolster up to two friendly units with surge tokens. Beyond their innate abilities, these commanders can continue to improve their armies with the addition of gear and commands. A Portable Scanner, for instance, is useful for any leader, but becomes even more vital if they display some Vigilance that allows up to two friendly trooper units at range 1–2 to keep a dodge token into the next round.

But Clone Commanders don't merely hang back and support the rest of their army. They share the combat training common to all clones, making them exceptional shots with their DC-15 blaster rifles and more than a match for most opponents in melee combat. Combined with the defense provided by their armor, these commanders readily wade into the thick of battle alongside their troops.

Beyond their personal skills, Clone Commanders have the weight of the Republic behind them and they know how to use it with three new command cards available exclusively to the Republic. Vehicles often play an important role in Republic strategy, and a Clone Commander can easily set up a Synchronized Offensive by mobilizing a vehicle and a friendly clone trooper unit that can provide some useful Fire Support.

If a Clone Commander has spotted some advancing enemy units, they can take more direct action by calling in some devastating Air Support. This attack can potentially put an enemy army on its heels early in a battle as its Beam slices through tight enemy formations, allowing the commander using it to target up to two additional enemy units. However, vehicles aren’t the only way for the Republic to mount an offensive. Clones are perhaps the best resource Republic commanders have to complete their objectives and when rallied to make an attack, few things can stand in their way.

No matter the mission, specialized clones are available to make sure the Grand Army finishes what it starts. When facing legions of Separatist battle droids, then, this starts with ensuring every last soldier stays in the fight and a Clone Medic does just that. Importantly, these medics share the fighting spirit and prowess of their commanders and continue to contribute to their unit’s attack pool even while they treat the wounded. The same goes for the Clone Engineers who keep the Republic’s vehicles in top shape.

None of these clone’s efforts would be worthwhile without proper communication, of course, which makes a Clone Comms Technician an essential piece of any army. They add the comms slot to their unit, making it even more versatile and potentially keeping it in contact with the rest of the army via an HQ Uplink.

More Than Copies

Every clone is trained to fight and give their life for the Republic. But not all clones have the training to keep the Grand Army of the Republic running like a well-oiled machine. Add even more variety to your armies when the Republic Specialists Personnel Expansion arrives on February 19!

The Republic Specialists Personnel Expansion (SWL75) is releasing alongside the Separatist Specialists Personnel Expansion (SWL77) on February 19. Pick up your copies at your local retailer at that time.

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OP Announcement From Atomic Mass Games

Published 31 December 2020 | Star Wars: Armada

OP Announcement From Atomic Mass Games

News on the World Championships for Star Wars™ Miniatures Games.

Hello, Star Wars™ Miniatures players.

Last year was…unusual, to say the least. The COVID-19 pandemic has affected everyone’s lives, and unfortunately we are not out of the woods just yet. It’s going to take a bit more time and a lot more patience before we get through this episode of history, which brings us to our announcement today.

We at Atomic Mass Games believe that our first priority is the health and safety of our staff and community. As the vaccine is being distributed, we wish to remain extra cautious, and so we have decided to delay all Star Wars Miniatures World Championships until 2022.

Now, we understand that this may be disappointing for those of you who were looking forward to flexing your competitive muscles this year. Fortunately, while the World Championships are delayed, we do still plan to have Organized Play take place this year.

So does this mean no events at all in 2021?

Not quite! As we prepare for Worlds 2022, we will continue to monitor the global situation with an eye toward resuming hosting some larger events—near the end of this year and early into next. That way everyone can get back into the swing of attending tournaments and other events before the World Championships arrive.

Of course, keep in mind that all of this is dependent on the timely and widespread distribution of the COVID-19 vaccine. If the state of the pandemic has not significantly improved by late summer, there is a good chance we will have to push off reopening events until spring 2022.

I have an invite to the 2020 X-Wing, Legion, or Armada World Championship. What happens with that?

If you earned an invitation for the 2020 World Championship for any of our Star Wars miniatures games that was canceled due to COVID-19, don’t worry—we plan to honor each and every invite at the 2022 corresponding World Championship. Naturally, all invitations issued between now and the 2022 Worlds will be honored as well.

It doesn’t matter if the pandemic situation does not improve and we are forced to push back the 2022 World Championships out even further; whenever we end up having the next Worlds, your invitation will still be valid for it.

Looking Forward to the Future

Rest assured we plan to have plenty of awesome Organized Play events in the future. With patience and perseverance, we will get through these tough times and, with a bit of luck, come back in full strength at the end of this year!

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Playing the Odds

Published 15 December 2020 | Star Wars: Legion

Playing the Odds

Announcing the Lando Calrissian Commander Expansion for Star Wars™: Legion

“Everything you’ve heard about me is true.”
–Lando Calrissian, Solo: A Star Wars™ Story

Pre-order your own copy of the Lando Calrissian Commander Expansion at your local retailer or online through our website with free shipping in the continental U.S. today!

Some leaders leave all their cards on the table, making it clear to all they would sacrifice anything for the cause. Others, however, keep their intentions closer to the chest, only revealing their true rebel spirit under extreme circumstances.

Such is the case with Lando Calrissian. A consummate gambler and scoundrel, he keeps his cool as he plays all sides to his advantage. But when the galaxy is at stake, he sides with the freedom fighters of the Rebel Alliance. Soon you’ll be able to use Calrissian’s unique brand of leadership to guide your Rebel armies on the battlefields of Star Wars™: Legion. Fantasy Flight Games is happy to announce the Lando Calrissian Commander Expansion!

This expansion contains everything you need to add Lando Calrissian as a commander of your Rebel armies, beginning with a beautifully sculpted, unpainted hard plastic miniature that reflects Calrissian’s unique sense of style. Not only will you find three different options for his signature cape, you’ll also be able to choose between two facial expressions and whether or not Calrissian appears reaching for his X-8 Night Sniper Pistol in its holster or has it at the ready.

While the miniature gives Calrissian a unique presence on the battlefield, other components, like his unit card and three signature command cards, represent his history as a gambler and his tendency to take high stakes risks. Finally, Lando Calrissian isn’t one to enter a fight unprepared, and this expansion also includes six upgrade cards that give him access to the gear and training he needs to take on any challenge.

Read on for more information on the Lando Calrissian Commander Expansion!

Smooth Talking Smuggler

Lando Calrissian has taken on many leadership roles throughout his career, but none is more important than becoming a general in the Rebel Alliance. As he leads Rebel forces into battle, then, Calrissian’s long history as a smuggler and gambler clearly influences his leadership style.

No stranger to sneaking past Imperial patrols to deliver his cargo, it’s no surprise that Calrissian is well versed in Covert Ops and can choose to become an Operative to gain the Infiltrate keyword. Once he’s behind enemy lines, he can also rely on the Uncanny Luck of a gambler and his own Situational Awareness to overcome the limitation of rolling white defense dice. At the same time, he can also use his sharpshooting abilities to deliver deadly accurate return fire with his X-8 Night Sniper Pistol.

While these abilities enhance Lando Calrissian’s individual combat prowess, others set the tone for the whole Rebel army. Like every good gambler, Calrissian always has a backup plan and, when it comes to forming battle plans, he sets aside up to three additional command cards as contingencies. After revealing a command card, but before any other effects are resolved, Calrissian can then discard that card to reveal a contingency card with the same number of pips as the discarded card instead. This makes Lando Calrissian an exceptionally adaptable commander who can readily counter his opponents with careful planning and quick thinking.

The ability to change your strategy on the fly is always useful, and becomes even more powerful when Lando Calrissian is fighting alongside another Rebel commander or operative whose command cards he can swap in as contingencies. If he joins his friends and fellow smugglers Han Solo and Chewbacca on a mission, for example, Calrissian can have access to all of their command cards while retaining his command cards as contingency plans.

Any Rebel army led by Lando Calrissian is bound to be unpredictable, especially with his ability to activate early and often. Like other Commanders and Operatives, Calrissian can always Seize the Initiative during the Issue Orders step to ensure he's ready to go at a moment's notice. But he also has an Ace up His Sleeve that allows him to bend the rules even further. He could use this command card to grant himself and another unit a dodge or standby token when he issues orders to them. Choosing the standby token gives them a chance for an extra attack or move action before their full activation that could prove pivotal. Alternatively, this card can also be played before drawing from your order pool to issue Lando Calrissian or another friendly unit at range 1–2 an order and immediately activate them, ensuring the right unit activates just when you want it to.

Lando Calrissian may tip the odds in the Rebels' favor, but bringing down the Empire is still a tall task that requires courage and dedication. Thanks in part to his little maneuver at the Battle of Taanab, General Calrissian is an Inspiring Presence for those around him, extending the range that friendly units can use his courage value when checking whether they are panicked. No matter how you decide to use him Lando Calrissian will make the ultimate gamble to save the galaxy from the tyranny of the Empire.

Bet it All

The Rebellion has no shortage of brilliant military leaders willing to take on the might of the Empire. But few of them approach the fight with the flair of Lando Calrissian. Get a feel for his leadership style in future previews!

Look for the Lando Calrissian Commander Expansion (SWL78) at your local retailer in February 2021. Pre-order your copies at your local retailer or online through our website—with free shipping in the continental United States–here!

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Hunter of Spectres

Published 15 December 2020 | Star Wars: Legion

Hunter of Spectres

Announcing the Agent Kallus Commander Expansion for Star Wars™: Legion

"Next time they make a move, we'll be waiting for them, to snuff out that spark before it catches fire."
–Agent Kallus, Star Wars™ Rebels

Pre-order your own copy of the Agent Kallus Commander Expansion at your local retailer or online through our website with free shipping in the continental U.S. today!

To the Galactic Empire, loyalty is everything, even if it has to be enforced. Whenever rebellion rears its head, then, the Imperial Security Bureau is there to correct it. Ever vigilant and endowed with seemingly limitless authority, its agents use both brute force and their own cunning to bring dissidents in line and snuff out any signs of insurgency.

Feared both within and without the Imperial ranks, none are safe from the long reach of the ISB. Soon, you'll be able to add one of its very best agents to the ranks of your Imperial armies. Fantasy Flight Games is happy to announce the Agent Kallus Commander Expansion for Star Wars™: Legion!

This expansion invites you to put this ruthless agent in command of your army, beginning with a highly customizable, unpainted hard plastic Agent Kallus miniature that reflects his status as a ruthless Imperial agent. In addition to choosing between two facial expressions for your miniature, you'll also be able to assemble your Agent Kallus with the trademark Imperial Security Bureau helmet or with no helmet at all. Finally, Agent Kallus is deadly up close and with a blaster and you can choose whether he appears with his signature J-19 Bo-Rifle in its blaster or staff forms.

While these features project Kallus' status as a ruthless ISB agent, his unit card clearly outlines all of his abilities and his three signature command cards reflect his capacity to shape your strategy through careful tactical planning and his own martial prowess. Despite all of his skills, Kallus is still susceptible to sympathizing with his enemies, a weakness that is reflected in Flaw card included with this expansion. Finally, Agent Kallus carefully calculates what he'll need for each battle and seven upgrade cards invite you to choose the gear and training that best fits your battle plan.

Read onto learn more about the Agent Kallus Commander Expansion!

Suppressing Dissent

In their mission to ensure ultimate loyalty to the Empire, Imperial Security Bureau agents are expected to be just as adept in a fight as those they lead into battle. Agent Kallus more than lives up to this ideal and, in doing so, is the rare commander who can take on either of these roles in your army.

It takes more than skill with a blaster to root out rebellion and Agent Kallus is among the very best at anticipating and foiling his opponents' plans. He knows the importance of remaining flexible, which is why he's always making contingency plans. While building a command hand, Kallus can set aside two extra command cards. Later on, when he needs to change his tactics on the fly, he can also replace his revealed command card with one of his contingency cards with the same number of pips. This alone means Kallus works exceptionally well alongside other Imperial commanders and operatives, but his cunning pushes this one step further, allowing him to both ensure the right command card is played at the right time while also winning priority for the round.

No matter whose plans are being enacted, Kallus is unafraid to join his troops in the midst of battle. His sharpshooting combined with the piercing blasts of his RK-3 blaster pistol make him particularly dangerous at range 1–2, especially given his ability to convert surge results to critical hits. Meanwhile, as an ISB agent, Kallus has also undergone advanced combat training to hone his skills in hand-to-hand combat. He needs the right equipment to put these skills to the best use, of course, and some Ascension Cables could help him get the drop on his enemies.

But this is only the beginning. Kallus is also highly skilled with a J-19 Bo-Rifle, making him even more versatile in battle. When it is in its blaster form, Kallus can make a more powerful attack from a longer range. This attack may not have the innate pierce of his RK-3, but it is lethal nonetheless and he can spend the aim token he gains from his Tactical 1 keyword to give it Pierce 1. Alternatively, the weapon's staff form retains every bit of its lethality in melee combat while also giving Agent Kallus the chance to charge into melee combat.

Equipping Agent Kallus with his J-19 Bo-rifle clearly makes him a more aggressive and capable combatant. With these tools at his disposable, he can more easily challenge an opponent to face him and gain even more benefits. This command card makes Agent Kallus even more ferocious in melee combat, giving him the chance to gain a dodge token as he charges at his opponent and convert surges to blocks during the encounter. Better still, enemy units engaged with him have no choice but to take him on and cannot withdraw, giving Kallus a great opportunity to inflict some damage. Finally, the defensive boons he receives from this card become even more pronounced during these encounters if he's been trained to have the Situational Awareness to dodge critical strikes.

Snuff the Spark

Agent Kallus is prepared to snuff out the smallest specter of dissent. See all the different ways he can lead your Imperial armies in future previews!

Look for the Agent Kallus Commander Expansion (SWL80) at your local retailer in February 2021. Pre-order your copies at your local retailer or online through our website—with free shipping in the continental United States–here!

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Updated Mission Parameters

Published 19 November 2020 | Star Wars: Legion

Updated Mission Parameters

A New Rules Reference Guide for Star Wars™: Legion is Now Available

Hello Legion players! Legionnaires? Good people of Star Wars™: Legion!

It is our pleasure to announce Rules Reference Guide 2.0, which features the 2020 competitive points rebalancing. This update represents a major overhaul to the game, so we’d like to take a moment to highlight some of the key changes.

Following our philosophy of trying to lift units up rather than lop off the tall poppies, we're happy to report that the majority of changes involve points reductions to lesser-used units. In particular, we applied a host of points reductions aimed at bringing all the vehicles of the game up to the level of the TX-130 Saber-class fighter tank and the AAT. Furthermore, to help trooper units combat this new menace, we’ve applied steep discounts to numerous anti-armor heavy weapons across all factions. Additionally, we’ve made an effort to increase the viability of Rebel and Imperial Corps units with targeted reductions to certain units alongside these heavy weapon discounts.

In addition to points changes, we’ve also applied a small number of impactful errata to units and cards that we felt needed more attention than just a points reduction. Notably, the T-47 Airspeeder gains “attack surge: critical” on its surge chart, and both the Wookiee Warriors and Chewbacca gain increased mobility with the Scale keyword and extra lethality with the Duelist and Lethal 1 keywords, respectively. We try to tread very carefully indeed when it comes to changing what actually appears on a card, but from time to time we feel that an errata is necessary to address fundamental deficiencies or imbalances that points changes cannot fully solve.

This Rules Reference Guide also contains several important changes to some foundational keywords, in an attempt to make the units that possess those keywords more effective—and more fun. These are the most significant changes:

Units embarked on a vehicle with the Open Transport keyword are now able to perform attacks and to be attacked, and benefit from heavy cover while embarked. This should lead to some interesting new strategies involving the X-34 Landspeeder and the TX-225 GAVw Occupier combat assault tank.
Units that are obligated to perform a compulsory move during their activation can now perform that move at either the start or the end of their activation. With the additional tactical flexibility this change provides, I expect to see units with the Speeder keyword become more popular than ever.
The Agile X and Tactical X keyword now require a standard move in order to generate tokens. Units with the Scout X keyword and either Agile X or Tactical X can no longer produce tokens during the Deployment step of Setup.
Finally, we come to the most decisive change: Eliminating the ability of clone troopers to use the standby tokens of other friendly clone units at range 1. Clone troopers are now restricted to sharing aim, dodge, and surge tokens.

This is a change we thought long and hard about, because it will have serious ramifications for the Grand Republic faction. Numerous alternatives were tested and ultimately discarded, because we kept coming back to the same core issues. Widespread standby token sharing is problematic for several reasons; it is too powerful, too frustrating for the opponents of the Republic, and it leads to highly non-interactive game states.

In many cases, the right move when playing against a Republic army with access to numerous standby tokens is to simply not engage. When a mechanic is able to punish players severely for doing what they need to do to win the game—namely, attack the enemy and advance toward objectives—it can feel like there’s no right answer. We want to encourage interactive games and keep Star Wars: Legion approachable, and in order to do that, the rule had to change. The simplest and best solution was simply to remove the option to share standby tokens from the core rules of clone troopers.

Republic units with the Exemplar keyword like Padmé Amidala and Anakin Skywalker will still be able to utilize this powerful ability, but by limiting it to key characters it is now more targeted in scope and limited in scale.

It’s our sincere hope that the sum of these changes will lead to a more balanced, interesting, and dynamic game for fans of all four factions. We can’t wait to see what new lists and strategies the players cook up!

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An Important Star Wars Announcement

Published 16 November 2020 | Star Wars: Armada

An Important Star Wars Announcement

News About the Future of Our Star Wars Miniatures Games

For the full press release, click here .

Atomic Mass Games Takes Its First Steps Into The Star Wars™ Miniatures Games Galaxy

Development of Star Wars: X-Wing, Star Wars: Armada, and Star Wars: Legion Moving from Fantasy Flight Games to Asmodee’s Miniatures Games-Focused Studio

SEATTLE, WA, November 16, 2020 – In a strategic reorganization of its Star Wars miniatures titles, Asmodee is announcing today that oversight of its three Star Wars miniatures titles will be moving to their dedicated miniatures games studio, Atomic Mass Games.

Development of all future miniatures games will be handled by Atomic Mass as well. The move to a specialty studio positions Asmodee’s miniatures titles for even greater success in the future.

“Atomic Mass is committed to bringing people together through fun games, and Star Wars has been bringing people together through the power of myth and story for over 40 years,” Steve Horvath, Head of US Publishing, said. “Combining their talent with the strength of our current Star Wars miniatures games and the limitless possibilities of a galaxy far, far away is going to lead to incredible new experiences for tabletop gamers and Star Wars fans to enjoy.”

Simone Elliott, who has shepherded Fantasy Flight’s relationship with Lucasfilm Licensing since 2015, will lead Atomic Mass Games during this time of expansion as Head of Studio. Will Shick assumes primary creative oversight as Head of Product Development. Joining them will be key members of the teams involved in the creation and evolution of Fantasy Flight’s current Star Wars miniatures games, Star Wars™: X-Wing, Star Wars™: Legion, and Star Wars™: Armada.

About Atomic Mass Games

Composed of veterans from the tabletop miniatures games industry, Atomic Mass Games is committed to delivering immersive lifestyle hobby games that combine industry leading tabletop miniatures and fast, fun, kinetic game rules to create lifelong collectors and players.

About Asmodee USA

Asmodee USA is a sales, marketing, and distribution arm of the global Asmodee Group, a leading international company dedicated to bringing great games and amazing stories to all corners of the world. Asmodee USA represents the strongest portfolio of board games in the industry, including such favorite titles as CATAN®, Ticket to Ride, Spot It!, Pandemic, Just One, Dixit, Dead of Winter, and many more.

About Asmodee Group

Asmodee Group is a leading international games publisher and distributor committed to telling amazing stories through great games with over 34 million games sold in more than 50 countries. Through our portfolio of iconic game titles, including CATAN®, Ticket to Ride, Pandemic, Dobble/Spot it!, Arkham Horror, Splendor, KeyForge, and Star Wars: X-Wing, we create a dynamic transmedia experience for players across a variety of digital and physical platforms. Asmodee also creates inspiring and innovative products in partnership with leading entertainment and technology companies. Asmodee operates in Europe, North America, South America and Asia and is headquartered in Guyancourt, France. Learn more at corporate.asmodee.com.

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Cad Bane 201

Published 28 October 2020 | Star Wars: Legion

Cad Bane 201

Advanced Strategies for Using Cad Bane in Your Separatist Armies

Cad Bane will do anything to capture his target and claim his bounty, including laying traps to keep his enemies off guard. While this makes him a versatile unit in Star Wars™: Legion, it also means he can be tricky to play well. Today, Kyle Dornbos is back to further demystify using this Separatist Operative in combat. Join him as he discusses advanced strategies for Cad Bane in today’s article!

Welcome to Cad Bane 201, the Advanced Tactics guide to the Separatist Operative Cad Bane! If you haven’t already, please check out our article covering basic strategies for Cad Bane’s here. This article will focus on some advanced strategies for using Cad Bane in competitive play. We will take an in depth look at Bane’s three pip command card, I Make the Rules Now , and how to use Bane Tokens. We will also take a look at Cad Bane’s Electro Gauntlets , some competitive list ideas, and leveraging order control with Cad Bane.

While Cad Bane is perfectly playable without leaning into I Make the Rules now, this command card drastically changes how he functions, so let’s dive into it.

I Make the Rules Now

Divulge is a new keyword, which basically means you reveal a command card to your opponent at the start of a specific step to gain an effect. In Cad Bane’s case, you reveal I Make the Rules Now at the start of the Deploy Units Step, and you are then required to play it as your command card in round 1. Alternatively, you can choose not to reveal it, and just play I Make the Rules Now like a normal command card, in which case you place just one Bane Token instead of three.

Bane Tokens are placed face down on the battlefield. When a unit moves, deploys, or is placed at range one of an enemy Bane Token, the effect is resolved. There are three possible effects:

Here I Am: The Bane Token is replaced with the Cad Bane miniature and he issues himself an order. This token can also be revealed voluntarily at the start of any command phase, without an enemy unit having to trigger it.

Kablamo!: The token detonates using the area weapon on the I Make The Rules Now command card.

Smoke and Mirrors: The token is removed and nothing else happens.

Basically, the token can blow up, spawn Cad Bane, or do nothing.

The most important of these effects is the one that places Cad Bane on the table. Like units with the Infiltrate keyword, Cad Bane can deploy almost anywhere on the battlefield, excluding in your opponent’s deployment zone. One key disadvantage relative to Infiltrate is the Bane Tokens are placed before any units are placed, which means A) you have to decide where Cad Bane is going to be before your opponent deploys any units and B) your opponent can respond to your token placements with their own deployments, including potentially revealing the tokens during the deployment phase with abilities like Scout.

The first couple of times you play Cad Bane, make sure to place the Here I Am token in a location where Cad Bane will be safe when he is revealed. It is okay if it ends up being obvious to both you and your opponent which token is the Here I Am token. It’s easy to get cheeky and aggressive with your token placements, but if Cad Bane is revealed prematurely in an exposed location, he can get quickly eliminated before he has a chance to impact the game. I generally place the Here I Am token behind a line of sight blocker near the center of the table, so he can react to how my opponent deploys.

There is a bit of tension between the two effects on these tokens; you want the Kablamo! token to be in a spot your opponent is likely to go, while you want the Here I Am token to be in a useful but not exposed position. I usually use the “Smoke and Mirrors” token as bluff for Cad Bane’s location, placing it in a plausible spot he should be, and then put the Kablamo! token near one of my opponent’s objectives or in a key lane they need to advance through. You could also use the Kablamo! token as a third bluff for Cad Bane’s location. I tend to do this most against opponents that either have a lot of scout moves and can thus reveal closely placed tokens early, or have access to mechanics that can mitigate the damage on the Kablamo! token before walking into it.

Instead of Divulging I Make the Rules Now, you can also just hold it in your hand and deploy Cad Bane normally, dropping a Bane Token sometime during the game. If you do this, Cad Bane will appear at that token’s location when it is revealed, regardless of where he currently is on the battlefield. This can be handy for getting Cad Bane out of trouble, or running away with an objective.

Electro Gauntlets

Cad Bane’s exclusive armament features a strong four red dice attack and suppressive, along with passing out immobilize tokens to a target wounded by this weapon. Additionally, Cad Bane can disengage from a unit that has at least 1 immobilize token, even while this card is exhausted. The disengage ability works nicely with Cad Bane’s two-pip command card, I’m in Control , which also hands out immobilize tokens.

As Cad Bane does not have Charge or Relentless, a blow with the gauntlets can be somewhat difficult to land. I find them most useful once Cad Bane is already in melee at the start of a turn. If you want to set this up offensively, take a move action, use Steady to perform a ranged attack, and then use Cad Bane’s second move to engage a unit in melee, preferably one that has already activated. On the following turn, attack with the gauntlets and then disengage and run away. This works well coupled with Cad Bane’s one-pip command card, I’m Your Worst Nightmare , where you can attack with the gloves, move away, and then take a shot with Cad Bane’s pistols.

Sample List

The Separatists currently only have two commander choices: General Grievous or Count Dooku. Both of these iconic characters are expensive centerpieces in their own right. Taking Cad Bane alongside one of these two saber wielders essentially gives you two focus pieces; one close range melee threat and one mobile but fragile flanker.

Let’s take a look at Cad Bane paired with General Grievous.

This list has Grievous, Cad Bane, 6 B1s with heavy weapons, and two BX droid snipers for stripping standby tokens or picking off units at long range. Crucially, it also has two HQ Uplinks on B1 units.

If you position your units correctly, you should have perfect order control on every turn, including on turns where you are only giving out one order. I usually put my HQ Uplink units on each end of my B1 chain, and then put both my BX snipers on one end of that chain, in range of both the end Uplink unit and at least one other normal B1 near the end of the chain. In this way you can use both uplinks to bounce orders to your B1s and BX snipers, leaving either Grievous or Cad Bane’s token as the only token in your bag.

You could run a very similar list with Dooku, though I prefer Grievous for his command cards; Dooku’s cards, like Cad Bane’s, tend to be best when saved for the mid to late game. Alternatively, Grievous has two command cards that are perfect for bridging that gap from turns two through four in Supreme Commander and Crush Them .

This concludes our Cad Bane: 201 article. Go collect some bounties!

Kyle Dornbos is one of the co-hosts of a notorious Legion podcast and a blogger. You can find articles and other great content by Kyle and his colleagues on their blog.

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Dark Duelist

Published 27 October 2020 | Star Wars: Legion

Dark Duelist

Preview the Darth Maul and Sith Probe Droids Operative Expansion for Star Wars™: Legion

“At last we will reveal ourselves to the Jedi. At last we will have revenge.”
–Darth Maul, Star Wars™: The Phantom Menace

Darth Sidious’ minions operate in the shadows, fomenting unrest and bending galactic conflict to their master’s will. Of them, one dark warrior stands above all the rest: Darth Maul.

Pre-order your own copy of the Darth Maul and Sith Probe Droids Operative Expansion at your local retailer or online through our website with free shipping in the continental U.S. today!

Sidious’ young apprentice is eager to test his skills against the Republic’s Jedi Knights, and with the aid of his DRK-1 Sith Probe Droids, he will hunt down any enemy of the Sith. Soon, you too can harness Maul’s rage with the Darth Maul and Sith Probe Droids Operative Expansion for Star Wars™: Legion!

With this expansion, Darth Maul can do your bidding as part of your Separatist army. Maul is brought to life on the battlefield by a beautifully detailed, unpainted hard plastic miniature that can be assembled in three distinct poses with two different head options. First, he can appear brandishing his iconic double-bladed lightsaber in his right hand in front of him or preparing to strike with the lightsaber in his left hand behind him. Finally, Maul can be assembled menacing his opponents with both hands on his lightsaber. Meanwhile, Maul can be accompanied by a detachment of three DRK-1 Sith Probe Droid miniatures that observe his enemies from afar.

However you choose to assemble and deploy your miniatures, two unit cards lay out all of Maul and his probe droids’ abilities. Already a powerful individual combatant, Maul can alter the flow of battle with his three signature command cards that tap even more deeply into his rage. Finally, eight upgrade cards give you the chance to further augment Maul’s abilities by completing his training or giving him additional Force abilities.

Read on for a full look at the Darth Maul and Sith Probe Droids Operative Expansion!

A Phantom Menace

As Darth Sidious pulls the strings behind the scenes, Darth Maul is one of the most valuable tools at his disposal. Able to carry out orders with equal parts precision and discretion, he can often accomplish what an entire legion of battle droids cannot.

Already known for their large number of characters skilled in the Jedi arts, Maul adds another potent lightsaber combatant to the Separatist ranks and he may be the deadliest of them all. Rolling an astounding eight attack dice, he has the potential to bring down a skilled enemy commander–or an entire unit of troopers–with a single attack. Half of these are inaccurate white dice, however, forcing Maul to rely on aim tokens to ensure his blows inflict the maximum amount of damage. Fortunately, he has plenty of ways to gain access to these valuable tokens.

He could simply gain one by using one of his actions, of course, and his mastery of the aggressive Juyo form of lightsaber combat helps make this more efficient. While Maul is wounded, he can channel his anger into this form to perform an additional action during his activation, allowing him to aim, move to engage an enemy, and use his last action to attack. This sequence can be enhanced even further if Maul first adopts an Offensive Stance before making an Offensive Push to grant himself three aim tokens for his attack.

This method may rely on superior training and lightsaber mastery, but Maul’s hatred gives him plenty of other options. He is particularly ready to take revenge on the Jedi, and his At Last command card gives him the perfect opportunity to do so. Not only does this card give Maul an additional one-pip command card to swiftly strike his enemies, it also provides him with an aim token and the Jedi Hunter keyword, allowing him to surge to critical results when attacking a unit with the Force upgrade icon. But that’s not all. Maul savors every opportunity to bring down his enemies and this card also gives him the chance to suffer a wound when he activates, potentially unlocking his Juyo Mastery and providing another opportunity for him to unleash his Anger.

Maul is clearly an aggressive fighter, but he is no fool and only takes on opponents he knows he can beat. If he ever finds himself in an unfavorable situation, then, he can even the odds by playing Duel of the Fates. This command card helps him defend himself with a dodge token while also allowing him to disengage with one enemy to potentially target another. What’s more, enemy units engaged with him must rely on their own skill and cannot spend aim, dodge, standby, or surge tokens. This is a significant advantage against any opponent and works particularly well against the hated Republic and their units’ common ability to share their green tokens.

For all of his skill, Maul is still a melee fighter who must first engage an opponent to truly shine. Fortunately, his exceptional combat prowess is complemented by his ability to slip behind enemy lines and wreak havoc. He can easily become a Phantom Menace, preventing enemy units beyond range 2 of him from attacking him as he approaches. Alternatively, this card can be revealed during the Deploy Units Step to have him infiltrate the battlefield and immediately put him close to some important targets and to immediately begin sowing Fear amongst the enemy ranks. Better yet, he can always Seize the Initiative to strike at his foes right away.

No matter which option you choose, Maul’s DRK-1 Sith Probe Droids will never be far behind. As a Detachment, they deploy at speed-1 from Maul, ready to aid him in the fight ahead. These droids can help by softening targets with suppressive fire before Maul moves in to finish them off, but their true value comes with their ability to take the new Observe action. This action assigns three observation tokens to an enemy unit at range 1–3 and in line of sight that can later be spent by an attacker to reroll one attack die for each observation token spent. Once Maul is behind enemy lines, his droids can quickly pave the way for him by scouting enemy positions and making them more vulerable to his blades.

Take Your Revenge

The Sith have remained in the shadows for far too long. The time has come for them to reveal themselves to the galaxy and Darth Maul is the perfect instrument of vengeance. Unleash him and his probe droids on the battlefields of Star Wars: Legion on November 20!

Look for the Darth Maul and Sith Probe Droids Operative Expansion (SWL76) to release alongside the Anakin Skywalker Commander Expansion (SWL74). Pre-order your copies at your local retailer or online through our website—with free shipping in the continental United States–here!

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Hero of the Rebellion

Published 26 October 2020 | Star Wars: Legion

Hero of the Rebellion

Announcing the Limited Edition Luke Skywalker Commander Expansion for Star Wars™: Legion

“Echo Station 5-7, we’re on our way.”
–Luke Skywalker, Star Wars™: The Empire Strikes Back

Luke Skywalker fought on many fronts of the Galactic Civil War, battling the Empire both from the cockpit of his T-65 X-wing and on the ground with his lightsaber and trusty DL-44 blaster. Wherever the war effort took him, Skywalker was a symbol of hope to his fellow Rebels and soon Star Wars™: Legion players will get the chance to experience him like never before.

Fantasy Flight Games is happy to announce the Limited Edition Luke Skywalker Commander Expansion, available soon at your local retailer!

Ready for Action

Whether leading the fabled Rogue Squadron or a small strike team, Luke Skywalker earned his reputation as one of the Rebellion’s most enduring heroes through countless battles and this Limited Edition expansion depicts him as he appeared during one of the most iconic clashes in the Star Wars saga: the Battle of Hoth. Wearing his Rebel flight suit and perched atop the wreckage of his T-47 airspeeder, this version of Luke Skywalker is ready to continue the fight on the ground.

Not only does the miniature included here bring a totally new sculpt of Luke Skywalker to your Star Wars: Legion battles, you have the freedom to customize it to fit your personal taste. The miniature can be assembled carrying either Luke’s lightsaber or his DL-44 blaster and with or without his flight helmet. Additionally, if you decide to include the flight helmet, you can also choose whether Luke enters battle with its visor up or down.

However you decide to assemble your miniature, Luke Skywalker is as skilled as ever on the battlefield. This expansion also contains a unit card with abilities identical to the Hero of the Rebellion version of Luke Skywalker found in the Star Wars: Legion Core Set, but now featuring updated artwork matching his new appearance. Additionally, you’ll also find copies of Luke Skywalker’s command cards My Ally is the Force, Return of the Jedi, and Son of Skywalker featuring this updated artwork alongside the unit card. Finally, to ensure Luke Skywalker is fully prepared for battle, this expansion also contains reprints of four upgrade cards: Emergency Stims, Environmental Gear, Force Push, and Hope.

The Limited Edition Luke Skywalker Commander Expansion will only be available for a limited time. In the Unites States, this expansion will be available through local game stores, each of which will be eligible to receive a small amount. For those of you that live outside the United States, look for more information on distribution in your area soon!

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The Chosen One

Published 20 October 2020 | Star Wars: Legion

The Chosen One

Preview the Anakin Skywalker Commander Expansion for Star Wars: Legion

"You're gonna pay for all the Jedi you killed today Dooku."
–Anakin Skywalker, Star Wars™: Attack of the Clones

Anakin Skywalker is no mere Jedi Knight. Identified from his youth as the Chosen One who would bring balance to the Force, his service to the Galactic Republic throughout the Clone Wars cemented his status as one of the most powerful Jedi in the galaxy.

Pre-order your own copy of the Anakin Skywalker Commander Expansion at your local retailer or online through our website with free shipping in the continental U.S. today!

Revered by his fellow Jedi and the clones who serve under his command alike, Skywalker employs all manner of unorthodox tactics as he fights to rid the galaxy of the Separatist menace. Now, he is ready to take command of your Star Wars™: Legion armies with the Anakin Skywalker Commander Expansion!

Within this expansion, you’ll find everything you need to place Anakin Skywalker in command of your Galactic Republic armies, beginning with a beautifully detailed, unpainted hard plastic miniature featuring two distinct assembly options. First, you can assemble Anakin Skywalker with a powerful two-handed grip on his lightsaber. Alternatively, he can be built with one hand on his lightsaber in an open stance.

In addition to the miniature, you’ll find all of Anakin Skywalker’s abilities laid out on a unit card alongside his three signature command cards that allow him to leave his own mark on a battle. Powerful as he may be, Skywalker is more susceptible than most to the temptations of the dark side, and this weakness is represented by a new Flaw card that his opponents can exploit. Finally, rounding out this expansion are six upgrade cards ensuring Anakin Skywalker has the training and Force abilities to face any test.

Read on for a full look at everything in the Anakin Skywalker Commander Expansion!

Hero of the Clone Wars

Anakin Skywalker played a major role in some of the most pivotal events of the Clone Wars, from the very first battle on Geonosis to the final days of the Republic. This expansion reflects his evolution as both a general and a combatant throughout this conflict, especially as a Force user. Beginning the war as a padawan, Skywalker quickly grew into a respected Jedi General and his unique abilities are on full display here.

Like many Jedi, Skywalker can easily traverse the battlefield ignoring terrain height 1 or lower, but he begins to set himself apart from his peers with his skill with a lightsaber. Few can match the power of his blows and Skywalker can easily pierce through an enemy’s defenses whether they’re armored or not. Better yet, he is a master of the Djem So form of combat and can redirect an opponent's attacks with powerful strikes of his own, allowing him to inflict guaranteed damage on his attacker if he spends a dodge token.

Despite this prodigious power, Anakin Skywalker still craves more and this desire both aids and impedes him in battle. On the one hand, his temptation to use the dark side of the Force allows him to equip Force upgrades of any alignment, making him the only character in the game who can tap into their Anger while also using Light Side Force upgrades. On the other hand, this flaw provides your opponents with an advantage in the form of a flaw card that is added to their hand. This card begins shaking Skywalker’s faith in the Jedi Order, ultimately preventing him from being issued orders if he has at least one suppression token when it is played.

Even with this drawback, Anakin Skywalker is still a powerful Jedi Knight and his skills are further enhanced by his command cards. Rather than give him a tactical boost for a single round, each of his cards grants Skywalker new abilities with the Permanent keyword, allowing him to keep these cards in play and slowly grow in power over the course of the battle. At the same time, however, Anakin Skywalker‘s aggression often gets the better of him and each command card also requires him to meet a certain condition or take a suppression token.

For example, opponents would be wise not to underestimate Anakin Skywalker’s power. This card enhances both his lightsaber strikes and his mastery of the Force, making him even more useful in combat. But Anakin Skywalker must also capitalize on this aggression or else he will gain a suppression token every round he does not perform an attack. Doing so requires him to first move into melee combat, of course, and playing This is Where the Fun Begins allows him to confront an enemy and make an attack all at once while also helping him avoid damage along the way. In this case, however, Skywalker must also be the first friendly unit to activate to avoid gaining a suppression token.

A lightsaber is an effective weapon against both blaster fire and other melee weapons, particularly in the hands of someone who has received extensive training. Anakin Skywalker can use this training to adopt a Defensive Stance, providing more opportunities to make use of his Djem So mastery while closing in on an enemy unit. Then, once he’s ready to attack, he can switch to an Offensive Stance at the start of his activation and strike them down.

But being an effective commander is about more than your individual combat skills. In addition to being a renowned duelist, Anakin Skywalker also leads the legendary 501^st Legion of clone troopers and his bravery is often reflected in those he commands. Skywalker became a Hero of the Clone Wars while in command of this legion and can strengthen himself and those he fights alongside with this card. Not only does this boost the tight-knit teamwork the Republic is known for by allowing friendly units to spend Skywalker's green tokens, it also gives him two surge tokens at the beginning of each round that will be available to all friendly units at range 1–2 and in line of sight.

Beyond this, Skywalker is more than willing than most commanders to go out of his way to protect his troops, even going so far as to create a Force Barrier to shield them from ranged attacks. This is effective at keeping any trooper unit in the fight, but is an especially helpful way for Skywalker to protect his fellow commanders like Captain Rex or a Republic operative such as Padmé Amidala. Finally, Anakin Skywalker won’t always be able to issue orders to himself. In key moments, though, he can Seize the Initiative to make a combined assault with the rest of his army.

Lead From the Front

Whether he's planning strategy or fighting in the thick of battle, one thing is clear: Anakin Skywalker will do whatever it takes to protect the Republic. Have him lead your forces when the Anakin Skywalker Commander Expansion releases on November 20!

Look for the Anakin Skywalker Commander Expansion (SWL74) to release alongside the Darth Maul and Sith Probe Droids Operative Expansion (SWL76). Pre-order your copies at your local retailer or online through our website—with free shipping in the continental United States–here!

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Padmé Amidala 201

Published 19 October 2020 | Star Wars: Legion

Padmé Amidala 201

Advanced Strategies for Using Padmé Amidala in Your Galactic Republic Armies

Padmé Amidala may not fight on the front lines like the Galactic Republic’s clone troopers, but that doesn’t mean she’s not willing to put herself in harm’s way for the Republic. Mike Syrylo recently covered the basics of using this crafty Republic operative in your games of Star Wars™: Legion. Today, Mike Barry takes a deeper look, offering some advanced tips for using the Senator from Naboo!

Welcome to Padmé Amidala 201, your advanced tactics guide to the Galactic Republic Operative Padmé Amidala!

If you have not played with Padmé Amidala on the table yet, we would recommend you check out our 101 article to get a feel for the basic abilities she brings to your armies.

While that article gave an overview of Padmé Amidala’s baseline strengths and weaknesses for everyday games of Legion, this article will prepare you to bring her to a tournament. We are going to take a closer look at a few of Padmé’s abilities and synergies that work well competitively and how you can leverage them to gain an advantage on the tabletop. Once we do that, we’ll take a look at specific lists that allow you to take advantage of Padmé’s unique abilities to preserve the Republic for years to come!

Let’s pick out the key items on her unit card that make Padmé unique.

There are two keywords here that no other unit released thus far has: Authoritative and Exemplar. Additionally, she has access to three other notable keywords on her command card Diplomatic Cover, including Secret Mission, Infiltrate, and Reliable 1. While these keywords may have been seen before, they are fairly unique and have never been seen on the same unit. Let’s start with Authoritative and Exemplar because they are always available.

Authoritative allows Padmé to issue an order that she would receive to another unit at range 1-2. There are several ways to use this mechanic. First, you can use it to give Padmé’s orders she gets from her command cards to someone who is not Padmé. This is the most basic use of this ability, but it can be used to do much more than that. You can transfer this order to enable Fire Support interactions on units that have that keyword or allow a powerful unit in your army, like Obi-Wan Kenobi, to have access to two one pip command cards. You can also use it to transfer an order token to a unit that needs access to an order token to use the triggers on Strict Orders or Aggressive Tactics if you have those upgrades in your army. Beyond just transferring order tokens though, Padmé can use Authoritative as a Comms Relay effect if she is not the unit issuing orders that turn.

For instance, if Captain Rex is at Range 3 of Padmé Amidala and issues an order to her, she can then issue that order to a unit that is Range 2 of her, effectively extending Captain Rex’s command range to 5!

Exemplar allows Padmé to share her green tokens with any unit at range 1–2 of her. You’ll note that this effect is very similar to the Clone Trooper keyword effect, but it works on all units and notably Padmé cannot use other units’ green tokens. This allows Padmé to share green tokens with multiple units in your army at a higher range and, perhaps more importantly, allows units that normally cannot share tokens to use her tokens, including Obi-Wan Kenobi, R2-D2, and the Saber Tank.

Taking the example of Obi-Wan Kenobi further, he can spend Padmé’s standby tokens to move and then trigger the Charge keyword, or spend Padmé’s dodge tokens to use his Soresu Mastery keyword and protect your valuable clone units. The combination of these two keywords allows you to have a hero that is truly a support character in function, providing you with the capability to hand out orders and tokens to exactly the right units at exactly the right time.

Now, let’s take a look at Padmé’s defining Command Card, Diplomatic Cover, and how it interacts with the rest of her kit. This card has two modes and we will walk through both of them. The first option you have with this card is to not Divulge Diplomatic Cover, allowing Padmé to gain the permanent ability Reliable 1 when you play it. Choosing this option means you should play Diplomatic Cover as early as possible in order to get maximum value out of Reliable 1, which she can then utilize alongside her Exemplar mechanic to give your clone units, vehicles, or Jedi surging red armor saves. If you elect to go this route and do not play it early, it’ll be difficult to find a good spot to play it later in the game due to its slow initiative and low order count. Try and play this on turn 1 or turn 2 to maximize its value and efficiency. This mode is less aggressive, creating a character that is purely support in nature and only there to back up your army.

The second option you have is to divulge Diplomatic Cover when you deploy units, giving her Infiltrate, Secret Mission, and a dodge token when deployed with a cost of requiring this card to be played on turn 1. Going this route fundamentally changes how Padmé will be played, making her more aggressive and giving her a vital objective to accomplish over the course of the game. This option also is one of the reasons Padmé is an incredible asset to have in your competitive army. Many game objectives result in ties or low scoring games, especially with the new objectives from the Vital Assets Battlefield Expansion. With Secret Mission, Padmé allows you to pick up an extra victory point, sometimes quite easily, to help you literally win the game.

Some games you may be able to set up Padmé in your opponent’s deployment zone safely and then rush her back to your army. However, most savvy opponents will not allow that to happen; while you can leverage Infiltrate, you should use Padmé to support the advance of your army while they make a hole in the enemy lines for her to gain access to their deployment zone to score. Additionally, in concert with R2-D2, this allows Republic players access to 2 objective points without having to interact with an objective card, possibly completely changing the flow of a game. For instance, if you are playing Key Positions and have both R2-D2 and Padmé, you no longer need to score the middle objective to win - you just need to hold your own and score both Secret Missions.

Let’s take a look at several lists that could be fielded in a competitive environment to best use Padmé’s suite of abilities:

This list is your basic double secret mission list. It leverages both Secret Mission units as well as Rex’s Scouting Party ability in order to setup an advantageous advance and keep your Secret Mission units safe. The corps and special forces of the army are there to back up your characters’ secret missions and compete on the normal objectives. You’ll need to watch out for armies that are packing more heat on firepower than you are and are aggressively attacking you if you decide to play a list like this, however, as it does have problems holding up in a sustained fight.

Let’s take a look at another list that takes a different approach.

This list is really all about Obi-Wan, and Padmé is there to support him specifically. By leveraging her Exemplar and Authoritative abilities, you are effectively giving Obi-Wan Command Card orders on all 6 turns and allowing him to share Padmé’s Standby token every turn. Once Obi-Wan clears the way, Padmé is then free to score her Secret Mission. Being primarily combo-oriented through the dual use of Padmé and Kenobi, you’ll need to watch out for opponents interrupting your combo by disrupting either character’s progress.

This list focuses on Padmé supporting the army. With the addition of Strict Orders and Aggressive Tactics it wants to make sure that your valuable corps units have the orders available to them while leveraging your command cards. The Phase II Clones can use Padmé’s tokens to spend standby tokens out to range 3 and also use her aim tokens to increase their lethality.

Whichever type of list you choose, Padmé will bring a swathe of new options to your Republic army to allow you to maintain freedom in the galaxy.

Mike Barry is one of the co-hosts of a notorious Legion podcast and a blogger. You can find articles and other great content by Mike and his colleagues on their blog.

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Built for Battle

Published 1 October 2020 | Star Wars: Legion

Built for Battle

Assemble Your Star Wars™: Legion Miniatures with Our Assembly Guides

Star Wars™: Legion transports you to the ground battles of a galaxy far, far away, inviting you assemble and paint your own army of iconic troopers, vehicles, and characters. Now, building your miniatures just got a little easier. We’re happy to announce a new assembly guide is available on our website.

The assembly guide for the Republic AT-RT Unit Expansion–found in the Painting & Assembly Guides section of our Star Wars: Legion product page–guides you through assembling your own AT-RT in service of the Galactic Republic, including sections for all the different assembly options. This diagram joins our tips for assembling all of the units in the Clone Wars Core Set and will be joined by others as new units are released.

In addition to these diagrams, check out our Star Wars: Legion product page for rules, organized play resources, painting guides, and more!

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Cad Bane 101

Published 24 September 2020 | Star Wars: Legion

Cad Bane 101

Learn the Basics of Using a Bounty Hunter who Needs No Introduction in Your Star Wars: Legion Army

A bounty hunter who plays by his own rules in a faction dominated by vast armies of identical droids, Cad Bane certainly stands out amongst the Separatist Alliance’s other units in Star Wars™: Legion. But this uniqueness is also his strength, and today Legion expert Kyle Dornbos is here to go over the basics of adding the Cad Bane Operative Expansion to any Separatist army.

Cad Bane is a bounty hunter for hire who needs no introduction. He works in the shadows, doing the bidding of the puppet master behind the Separatist Alliance, using booby traps, tricks, gadgets, and his intellect to accomplish his objectives, all while wearing a fabulous wide brimmed hat.

In Star Wars: Legion, Cad Bane is a disruptive presence on the battlefield who often operates apart from your main force as a thorn in your opponent’s side.

Cad Bane is a mobile and flexible threat. With Jump 1, Steady, Sharpshooter, and his Dual LL-30 Blaster Pistols, he can pop in and out of cover while picking off opposing models. While he rolls only a surging white die when defending, he does have Danger Sense 2 and can be more durable after he has taken fire. Meanwhile, his three courage keeps Cad Bane moving even when he has accumulated a couple of suppression tokens.

Cad Bane’s real strength, however, lies in his command cards. We will start with his one and two-pip cards, saving the three-pip for an upcoming article on advanced strategies.

I’m Your Worst Nightmare

I’m Your Worst Nightmare is a simple but very effective card. It allows Cad Bane to make two attacks, while improving his defense with Uncanny Luck. If Cad Bane already has a couple of suppression tokens to enable Danger Sense, he can be very difficult to take down on the turn you play this.

Combined with Steady, Cad Bane can move, attack, move, and then attack again. This can be a very effective way to claim a Bounty, especially if Cad Bane is equipped with Hunter, which would provide an aim token on each attack if his target is wounded.

I’m In Control

I’m in Control is an effective way to shed suppression while disabling nearby enemy units. “At the Start of Activation” effects occur before a unit’s rally step, so I’m in Control can be played when Cad Bane has a large stack of suppression to avoid him panicking or losing actions. Note the targets do not have to be enemy trooper units; Cad Bane can pass suppression tokens to friendly units if necessary.

Enemy units that receive suppression from this card also gain an immobilized token, further slowing them. I’m in Control is a great card to play to thwart your opponent’s plans when one or more of their units are trying to reach an objective.

Bounty Hunter for Hire

Cad Bane is the first character with the Bounty keyword available to the Separatist Alliance. Bounty is a valuable keyword, representing one of the few ways to score victory points beyond accomplishing objectives.

Importantly, Bounty is something you should view as a bonus, rather than something to count on. Opposing characters are often tough, well protected, or buried in your opponent’s back line. Luckily, Cad Bane has all the tools necessary to take down tough targets in hard to reach places to fulfill this goal.

Playing Peekaboo

Cad Bane is very different from previous bounty hunter characters in Star Wars: Legion. He has neither the attack range of Bossk nor the durability of Boba Fett. But he does have the Steady keyword as well as the ability to deploy in unexpected locations via his Bane Tokens.

Cad Bane is best used to harass exposed units near pieces of line of sight blocking terrain, where he can move, take a shot, and then move safely back behind cover. This is known as “playing peekaboo.” The Jump keyword gives you some additional flexibility here, where Cad Bane can jump straight over the piece of terrain he is hiding behind, take his shot, and then move to another safe location.

There is another concept that builds on this called “last-first,” which refers to the time during a given turn in which you activate Cad Bane. You hold Cad Bane until your last activation on a turn, pop out of cover and take your shots, then on the following turn play a low pip command card and activate Cad Bane immediately, taking a parting shot and moving safely back behind cover.

Be very careful not to expose Cad Bane to too much firepower. Though his Danger Sense helps, Cad Bane is still relatively fragile and can be defeated very quickly when focused. Cad Bane is known for his planning and patience; if you act similarly, you may find that Cad Bane’s quarry will present you opportunities as the battle unfolds.

Sample List

Cad Bane often works independently, apart from the main elements of a Separatist force. The best way to support him is to take a solid core of units that can take advantage of the chaos he creates by pushing objectives and taking ground while Cad Bane zips around the flanks picking off exposed units.

This list can be made with just two Clone Wars Core Sets and Cad Bane himself. It has General Grievous, four units of B1s, and two Droidekas to hold down the center while Cad Bane does his thing. The B1s feature two HQ Uplinks, which are especially important on turns where Cad Bane’s command cards are being used, to ensure you avoid triggering AI on your B1 units.

There is a lot more to Cad Bane and how he fits into the machinations of the Separatist Alliance. We will revisit him in our advanced tactics article!

Kyle Dornbos is one of the co-hosts of a notorious Legion podcast and a blogger. You can find articles and other great content by Kyle and his colleagues on their blog.

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Padmé Amidala 101

Published 15 September 2020 | Star Wars: Legion

Padmé Amidala 101

Learn the Basics of Using the Spirited Senator in Your Star Wars: Legion Army

Padmé Amidala recently joined the ranks of the Grand Army of the Republic in Star Wars™: Legion, opening up a wealth of strategic options with her unique abilities and powerful command cards. Just as skilled with a blaster as she is negotiating in the Senate, Padmé Amidala is effective at both completing objectives and boosting friendly units. Join Legion expert Mike Syrylo today as he discusses the basic techniques to use these skills most effectively!

The flavor text for Padmé Amidala reads “Spirited Senator,” and no two words describe her Star Wars: Legion personality more than these. Whether you’re recreating the Battle of Geonosis by pairing her with Obi-Wan Kenobi, telling new stories about her times with Captain Rex, or having a mother-daughter duel with Leia Organa’s Rebels, Padmé Amidala has all the tools you need to get the mission accomplished. She comes with six health, white defense dice that surge, and (usefully) a Courage value of three, putting her in the upper echelon of Legion courage values.

Let’s go over some of those tools in greater detail.

Unit Card

The most apparent, and potentially strongest, combination Padmé Amidala has on her unit card is between the keywords Exemplar and Quick Thinking. Just like Jyn Erso and Iden Versio, Padmé Amidala is able to take both an aim and a dodge token with one action. Not only does she possess the Nimble keyword, allowing her to gain a new dodge token every time she spends one, but she also lets her friendly units within range 2 and line of sight spend her green tokens. For example, if you have a Phase I Clone Trooper lining up an important shot, Padmé Amidala would be able to Aim and use Quick Thinking to generate two aims for that shot!

Padmé Amidala also has access to a Looted E-5 Blaster, which packs a Red and White die shot out to range 3 with Pierce 1. Nothing crazy, but it does allow her to utilize her Sharpshooter 2 keyword to reduce opponent’s cover by two, meaning that any successful dice results will trigger her Pierce 1. Quiet, but effective.

Authoritative is also a very strong, flexible keyword. It allows Padmé Amidala to transfer her order and issue it to someone else within Range 2 of herself. Basically, Padmé Amidala is a mobile, extended Comms Relay. This is especially deadly when paired with Obi-Wan Kenobi, as it allows Obi-Wan to have two 1 pip priority turns, meaning he is able to act quickly on the turns you want him in the fray.

Command Cards

Earlier, I mentioned Padmé Amidala’s strongest combination on her unit card. This only gets better with the introduction of her command cards. Let’s count down and begin with her three pip, Diplomatic Cover. Padmé Amidala introduces a new mechanic to Legion with her three pip: Permanent. Exactly like you would think, this command card’s effect stays throughout the entire six rounds of a game! This card specifically includes a choice of effects as well.

Using Divulge, Padmé Amidala can reveal this card at the start of the “Deploy Units” step of Setup. If she does, she gains Secret Mission and Infiltrate. If you recall, Secret Mission allows you to score a victory token with a free action if you are within your enemy’s deployment zone. Combined with Infiltrate, this is an incredibly powerful tactic. Should you choose not to Divulge the card, Padmé Amidala gains Reliable 1, our favorite keyword from the Phase II Clone Troopers, which automatically generates her a free surge token at the start of each turn. When combined again with Exemplar, she becomes a mobile surge token battery for clones, Jedi, and Sabre tanks alike.

Padmé Amidala and Leia Organa share many characteristics, both in personality and within Legion. Aggressive Negotiations functions very similarly to Leia’s No Time for Sorrows command card. Not only does the ordered unit have the ability to make a free speed-1 move, but they also have the choice to instead gain a green token. Is your Rex in a dangerous spot? Get him a dodge. Obi-Wan is just outside melee range? Now he’s engaged! This card grants Padmé Amidala and your army a lot of flexibility on where and when you play it.

As a side note, due to Authoritative, Padmé Amidala is able to order the Sabre tank using this card, potentially giving your tank TWO free aim tokens to start the turn, if you combine this card’s aim generating effect with the comms upgrade Linked Targeting Array. Pretty deadly stuff.

Padmé Amidala’s one pip, Our Fate is in Your Hands, is rather unique. Most one pip cards come with a devastating attack or an offensive ability; hers is more supportive. “Danger Sense 2” elevates her survivability–useful if she has just scored a Secret Mission–and strips suppression from friendly trooper units around her. However, these suppression tokens get transferred to Padmé Amidala herself, which charges up her Danger Sense ability while allowing her troopers to perform actions without worrying about losing their second. Also, as mentioned before, Padmé Amidala’s ability to pass her orders makes this card incredibly versatile; essentially making it an Ambush with a bonus for Padmé Amidala herself.

Weaknesses

There are two main weaknesses that require the player's attention while using Padmé Amidala. Unlike many of her Republic companions, Padmé Amidala rolls white defense dice. Therefore, you do have to pay more attention to where she is placed on the table, as she is more vulnerable to being taken off the table quickly when fired upon. She also only possesses Exemplar, and because of this, other units can use Padmé Amidala’s green tokens, but she is unable to use theirs.

The second weakness comes in the form of Padmé Amidala’s firepower, or lack thereof. Without any uses of Fire Support, Padmé Amidala only rolls two or three dice at a time, so positioning her in a direct firefight with an opposing unit is not always the best option. She is great at finishing off a single unit leader or two, but full squads? Best leave that to the Clones.

Sample List (8 Activations)

Obi-Wan Kenobi (Force Push, Strict Orders, Tenacity)

Padmé Amidala (Recon Intel, Looted E-5 Blaster)

Captain Rex (Recon Intel, JT-12 Jetpacks)

3x Phase I Clone Troopers (DC-15 Trooper)

2x Phase I Clone Troopers (z-6 Trooper, Targeting Scopes)

Total: 796/800 points

Finally, let’s go over a quick list idea that uses Padmé Amidala, the Clone Wars Core Set, and Captain Rex. This list is pretty straightforward, but showcases many of the synergies that Padmé Amidala possesses. Five Phase I troopers allow plenty of Fire Support options to combine with Padmé Amidala, especially when combined with her ability to convert attack surges to hits. Obi-Wan Kenobi and Padmé Amidala work well together due to Exemplar and Authoritative, as Obi-Wan effectively has two 1 Pip turns and has the ability to spend Padmé Amidala’s green tokens (including standbys!) due to Exemplar.

There are quite a few more synergies present here, including Guardian and Secret Mission, and we encourage you to discover some of them! As your Republic army grows, Padmé Amidala unlocks some really neat lists with Phase II Clone Troopers and ARCs, and we will be diving into some of those tricks soon in our article covering more advanced strategies for using Padmé Amidala!

Mike Syrylo is an avid Legion player and blogger. He enjoys golf, power lifting, and exploring local breweries. You can find articles and other great content by Mike and his colleagues on their blog.

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Available Now – September 11

Published 11 September 2020 | Star Wars: Legion

Available Now – September 11

New Star Wars: Legion and Genesys Products are Now Available

Take a look at the latest products from Fantasy Flight Games, now available at your local retailer!

Clan Wren Unit Expansion

An ancient Mandalorian clan with ties to House Vizsla, Clan Wren's storied warriors are legendary for their battlefield prowess. Now they unite with the Rebellion, fighting for a free galaxy and the liberation of Mandalore.

Within the Clan Wren Unit Expansion for Star Wars™: Legion, you’ll find seven highly customizable Mandalorian miniatures—enough to deploy in two distinct units—and eight upgrade cards to outfit them for combat. Three of these miniatures blast off from their bases with jet packs and flight stands let you decide their height and trajectory. Meanwhile, a single Mandalorian trooper can wield the traditional beskad saber or appear with a single Westar 35 blaster pistol. Finally, Clan Wren matriarch Ursa Wren leads her family into battle with her signature Nite Owl helmet.

Pick up your own copy of the Clan Wren Unit Expansion (SWL68) at your local retailer or online through our website here!

Inferno Squad Unit Expansion

Tasked with protecting the secrets of the Empire by silencing any who would reveal them, Inferno Squad is a special forces unit led by the brilliant command Iden Versio. Among the elite ranks of the Imperial special forces, Inferno Squad is particularly notorious for its unconventional tactics, but its efficacy is undeniable.

This expansion adds seven finely detailed, unpainted Imperial Special Forces miniatures to your collection—enough for two distinct units—along with seven upgrade cards that invite you to kit them out for battle. In addition to the standard Special Forces troopers, you can also assembe Inferno Squad members Gideon Hask and Del Meeko miniatures with or without their signature helmets.

Pick up your own copy of the Inferno Squad Unit Expansion (SWL69) at your local retailer or online through our website here!

Republic AT-RT Unit Expansion

Built for speed across any terrain, the AT-RT Republic scout walker lets a single clone trooper bring an entire unit's worth of heavy firepower to the battlefield. Capable of striking from unexpected angles and outflanking formations of enemy battle droids, the AT-RT makes a formidable addition to any force of clone troopers.

The Republic AT-RT Unit Expansion puts a single beautifully detailed, unpainted hard plastic AT-RT miniature with two distinct pilot options at your disposal. Beyond the pilots, you can also pick the weapon mounted on the AT-RT’s hardpoint, choosing between a rotary blaster, a laser canon, and a flamethrower. Finally, five upgrade cards help bring these visual modifications to life in game.

Pick up your own copy of the Republic AT-RT Unit Expansion (SWL71) at your local retailer or online through our website here!

STAP Riders Unit Expansion

Swift scouting craft designed for coordinating allied forces and performing reconnaissance, single trooper aerial platforms, or STAPs, are typically piloted by B1 battle droids and kept aloft by whirring repusolorlifts. As they speed above the battlefield, these nimble craft allow their riders to deliver targeting data to friendly units or strike at enemy forces before flitting away from harm.

Within the STAP Riders Unit Expansion, you’ll find two beautifully detailed, unpainted STAP rider miniatures that featuring a number of customization options. Two different flight stands let you depict them at different heights, while the STAP pilots themselves can be assembled in a variety of poses. Finally, four upgrade cards invite you to equip them with comms systems to more fully integrate your STAP riders into your army.

Pick up your own copy of the STAP Riders Unit Expansion (SWL73) at your local retailer or online through our website here!

Mutant Invasion!

The Crucible is filled with strange and wondrous creatures, belonging to many disparate Houses. And if that inherent variety wasn’t enough, the introduction of mysterious dark æmber has welcomed in a flood of mutation, as once-familiar giants, thieves, demons, knights, and others become forever changed. Some rejoice in the changes, while others see them as heresy and fight to eradicate the dark æmber and its effects. Which side of the conflict will you take?

Within the Mutant Invasion! roleplaying supplement pack for Genesys, you’ll find 40 oversized cards stuffed with information for players and Game Masters alike, expanding on the content included in the Secrets of the Crucible sourcebook. You’ll encounter a brand-new playable species, rules for incorporating the mutative dark æmber into your own games, adventure builders, locations, and over 30 NPC adversaries to populate your adventures. If you’re planning to take your Genesys adventures to the Crucible, the Mutant Invasion! supplement pack brings even more of the diversity and wonder that makes the Mass Mutation set of KeyForge decks so compelling.

Pick up your own copy of Mutant Invasion! (GNS13) at your local retailer or online through our website here!

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