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I got the reference (the Allusion?) - just didn't instantly click why it applied to a competent piece.
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TheHutts wrote:Nute Gunray, from Universe  Quote:30 points, Separatist
Hit Points: 30
Defense: 12
Attack: 0
Damage: 0
Special Abilities
Unique
Separatist Reinforcements 20 (During setup, after seeing your opponent's squad, you can add up to 20 points of Separatist characters to your squad)
Separatist Reserves 20 (If you roll a 1 for initiative, you can add up to 20 points of Separatist characters to your squad immediately before your first activation of the round)
Commander Effect
Allies get -2 Attack and gain Speed 4.
Nute has a 4 rating on Bloomilk, enough to put him in the worst 50 pieces in the game, but he's really not that bad. His Commander Effect is detrimental, but doesn't affect droids, so if you're using a mostly droid squad, it's not a problem. And he has the very powerful Reinforcements, as well as Reserves - Separatist Reinforcements is especially useful for San Hill, as you can leave him on the bench if you outactivate your opponent without him. A Nute Gunray squad from Engineer did very well in the 2010 Regional season, with top 4 finishes in a couple of big Regionals: Quote:--IG-86 Nute Gunray/Whorm--
30 Nute Gunray
27 Lobot
20 General Whorm Loathsom
64 IG-86 Assassin Droid x4
12 Gha Nachkt
8 Battle Droid Officer
21 R7 Astromech Droid x3
9 Battle Droid x3
3 Ugnaught Demolitionist
6 Mouse Droid x3
(200pts. 19 activations) Nute Gunray, however, has been replaced somewhat in the v-sets - Poggle the Lesser/Drones/Muun Tactics Broker with Lobot is the backline for the vast majority of competitive Separatist squads, and it allows you to sacrifice San Hill when you don't need him, which is often a more efficient way of doing things. At the same time. we're seeing a bit of self-destruct hate in the upcoming v-sets at the moment, as well as boosts for droid squads, so it's not impossible that Nute Gunray could step back into the limelight at some stage. With Poggle around, he's probably outside the competitive scene right now, but he's far better than the worst 50 pieces in the game. 7/10. Eric definitely deserves credit for pioneering the concept. I ran this one in 2011 and won a regional with it. I think it might have been the only Nute Regional winning squad ever (maybe not). --Gunray's Gladiators-- 36 Darth Sidious 30 IG Lancer Droid 30 Nute Gunray 27 Lobot 20 General Whorm Loathsom 32 IG-86 Assassin Droid x2 12 Gha Nachkt 7 R7 Astromech Droid 6 Mouse Droid x3 (200pts. 12 activations) The key in my mind at the time was not only to San or not to San, but this was the era before poggle really took off. You could bring in Poggle and 5 drones if you needed it, and really surprise someone. You have to be very careful though - more than once the movement penalty made it so you couldn't get LoS on the Lancer to pawn it or get adjacent to a droid with Gha to repair it. I agree that once poggle and the drones took off as a staple - you were better off not bothering, but early on the surprise factor was huge. Starting with 12 activations (no act control) and going up to 26 activations (with activation control) or 28 activations (without activation control, but having 5 bombs to give you lancer protection) was pretty sweet.
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AndyHatton wrote:Don't they have Beck in New Zealand?! I got it! Awesome. C'mon, Graham!
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Iotran Guard, from Galactic Heroes  Quote:15 points, Separatist
Hit Points: 40
Defense: 15
Attack: 8
Damage: 20
Special Abilities
Bodyguard (If an adjacent ally would take damage from an attack, this character can take the damage instead)
Gunner +20 (Can combine fire with adjacent allies who have Mounted Weapon, granting +20 Damage)
Protective +10 (+10 Damage while a wounded Unique Separatist ally is within 6 squares)
Synchronized Fire (Allies whose names contain Muun Guard who combine fire with this character grant +6 Attack instead of +4) The Iotran Guard isn't very glamorous, so it's not surprising it hasn't seen a lot of play. But it does have some potential; Protective +10 is an interesting option for a damage boost, bodyguard is always useful, and it's a good option for Techno Union Combat Engineer squads. But it falls right into the zone where it's competing with the Klat Assassin for game time - and that's always going to end badly for the Iotran Guard, since it's lacking the Klat Assassin's ranged defense and high attack. There are some potential uses for it though - for instance, I like this Sithborg squad, which uses the Iotran Guard's protective with Dooku Separatist Leader. Quote:--Dooku Rises--
57 Count Dooku, Separatist Leader
20 General Whorm Loathsom
16 Dr. Evazan, Galactic Criminal
15 Lobot, Computer Liaison Officer
42 Iotran Guard x3
14 Muun Guard Colonel
10 San Hill
10 Squib Trader
9 Poggle the Lesser
3 Ugnaught Demolitionist
(200pts. 12 activations) It's difficult for the Iotran Guard to see much play when it's pitted against the Klat Assassin for game time, but it does bring just enough to the table to carve out its own niche. 5/10.
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I can't help but keep thinking, "So many interesting pieces would be used if the Klat Assassin were to just disappear..."
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Yeah, I don't know that it would mean the Iotran Guard would see competitive play though. It just means a big lack of variety in that price range.
I actually really like the previewed piece from last week. I've been thinking about making Nom Anor shooter squads for a while, but when I think about it, it's just easier to run Klats as they're not reliant on CEs and already come with Cloaked and Self Destruct 20. But the new guy, handing out Twin and Jolt, makes it a lot more viable to run Nom Anor/Fringe Shooter squads that are a valid alternative to Klats.
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It would be interesting to have a tournament where players are rewarded somehow (or simply prohibited from) for not using the 'usual' pieces... i.e. Klat Assassins, IG-86s, Whorm, Bastila, etc.
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The limited pool of good pieces is more of an issue without v-sets - it gets very limited then if you're trying to play optimised squads.
With the v-sets around, there are plenty of top tier squads, so there's plenty of variety. Imperials can build around Daala, Grand Admiral Thrawn, or Mitt'Thrawn, Republic can build around Tarpals, Panaka of Theed, Mace/GOWK, Panaka/Yobuck, maybe Jorus. Separatists can grab Poggle, San Hill, Lobot, and a random selection of good pieces from their huge arsenal. There are plenty of really good squads around - you'd have to restrict an awful lot of pieces before the cellar dwellers had a chance to shine.
The v-sets decision of balancing to WOTC's top tier was the way to go.
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Galen Marek, from Vengeance  Quote:66 points, Rebel
Hit Points: 140
Defense: 20
Attack: 14
Damage: 20
Special Abilities
Unique
Melee Attack (Can attack only adjacent enemies)
Double Attack (On his turn, this character can make 1 extra attack instead of moving)
Twin Attack (Whenever this character attacks, he makes 1 extra attack against the same target)
Affinity (May be in an Imperial squad)
Force Fury 19 (When this character damages a non-Unique character with a targeted Force power, roll a 20-sided die. On a roll of natural 19 or 20, that character is defeated.)
Rapport (Juno Eclipse costs 1 less when in the same squad as this character)
Force Powers
Force 2
Force Renewal 1 (This character gets 1 Force point each time he activates)
Door Shatter 1 (Force 1, replaces attacks: range 6; Designate 1 door as open; it remains open for the rest of the skirmish and cannot be closed)
Force Lightning 2 (Force 2, replaces attacks: range 6; 30 damage to target and 2 characters adjacent to that target)
Force Pull 3 (Force 3, replaces turn: range 6; move target Large or smaller enemy adjacent to this character. Make an immediate attack against that enemy at +4 Attack and +10 Damage.)
Force Repulse 4 (Force 4, replaces attacks: 40 damage to all characters within 4 squares; push back Huge or smaller characters to 5 squares from this character)
Lightsaber Block (Force 1: When hit by a melee attack, this character takes no damage with a save of 11) I've never seen Galen Marek on the table - while he has a bunch of very strong abilities, I think he really needed a lower cost and/or force renewal 2 to make him worthwhile. Because he has Imperial affinity, he can function in both Rebels and Imperials; it gives him a lot of options and obviously he functions way differently in the two. In Imperials he can work in a Thrawn swap squad instead of a high cost Vader or Cad Bane, while in Rebels he can pick up evade from Rieekan. But it's ambitious to balance a high cost beat to work efficiently in two such diverse factions, and he ends up as too expensive to function effectively in either. If Galen had Force Renewal 2, Force Pull 2 instead of Force Pull 3, and a lower cost, I think he'd be an interesting option, and I'd almost like to see a more efficient v-set version with a similar flavour. But as he stands, 4/10. PS. There's an interesting and very long thread on the design process for him here: http://www.bloomilk.com/Forums/default.aspx?g=posts&t=14530
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Good call on Galen. Fun piece but not competitive.
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Mon Calamari Tech Specialist, from Alliance and Empire  Quote:4 points, Rebel
Hit Points: 10
Defense: 13
Attack: 3
Damage: 10
Special Abilities
Scramble (A Droid enemy or an enemy with Mounted Weapon hit by this character's attack is considered activated this round; save 11. Huge and larger characters ignore this effect.) A 4 point shooter is generally a good thing, as it can combine fire for your bigger shooters, but Rebels don't have many boosts for non-uniques, so even at 4 points the Mon Calamari Tech Specialist didn't see much play. But like lots of other forgotten WOTC pieces, the Mon Calamari has received a boost from the v-sets. Admiral Ackbar, Supreme Commander gives Mon Calamari Tech Specialists 1 point off via Rapport, while his Concentrate All Fire Power encourages the use of combined fire to provide unpreventable damage; as the cheapest shooter available to the Rebels, the Mon Calamari Tech Specialist is obviously very useful in these squads. Mon Calamari Tech Specialists have proven strong enough with Ackbar's help that they've made the semi-finals of GenCon, in the following Fingersandteeth squad: Quote:--Just the spot (of Ackbar)--
27 Han Solo, Smuggler
27 Lobot
27 Luke Skywalker, Rebel Commando
25 Admiral Ackbar, Supreme Commander
20 Princess Leia
16 Elite Rebel Commando
16 General Crix Madine
14 General Rieekan
9 General Dodonna
12 Mon Calamari Tech Specialist x4
3 Mouse Droid
3 Ugnaught Demolitionist
Preferred Reinforcements:
(Lobot) 20 Jawa Scout x2
(199pts. 17 activations)
It's great to see the Mon Calamari Tech Specialists get some new life from the v-sets - a forgotten piece that's cracking the top 4 at GenCon. Good work design team, and happy Christmas, 7/10.
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OOM-9, from Destiny of the Force  Quote:20 points, Separatist
Hit Points: 40
Defense: 15
Attack: 5
Damage: 10
Special Abilities
Unique
Droid (Immune to critical hits; not subject to commander effects)
Commander Effect
Droids are subject to this effect: Separatist Droid followers within 6 squares get +3 Attack and +3 Defense. OOM-9 looks underwhelming compared to the commonly used droid boosts like General Grievous DAC, Whorm, and the Battle Droid Officer; but his CE does help a different group of pieces than the above pieces, so there is a niche for him. The v-sets have provided some strong in-faction droid options for the Seps like the A-Series Assassin and the BX Spotter, so it's not just IG-86s and Lancers all the time, and OOM-9 specifically helps these pieces. OOM-9 is also great for boosting Grievous Hero of Hypori, an otherwise strong piece with relatively weak stats. Since his CE is ranged, he does need Mouse Droids to help him spread his CE, and 20 points does seem slightly pricey for a CE and little else of value. I don't think OOM-9 is quite a competitive level piece, but I'm prepared to be surprised, and he's definitely worth considering for squads built around Separatist Droid followers, 6/10.
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TheHutts wrote:OOM-9, from Destiny of the Force Quote:20 points, Separatist
Hit Points: 40
Defense: 15
Attack: 5
Damage: 10
Special Abilities
Unique
Droid (Immune to critical hits; not subject to commander effects)
Commander Effect
Droids are subject to this effect: Separatist Droid followers within 6 squares get +3 Attack and +3 Defense. OOM-9 looks underwhelming compared to the commonly used droid boosts like General Grievous DAC, Whorm, and the Battle Droid Officer; but his CE does help a different group of pieces than the above pieces, so there is a niche for him. The v-sets have provided some strong in-faction droid options for the Seps like the A-Series Assassin and the BX Spotter, so it's not just IG-86s and Lancers all the time, and OOM-9 specifically helps these pieces. OOM-9 is also great for boosting Grievous Hero of Hypori, an otherwise strong piece with relatively weak stats. Since his CE is ranged, he does need Mouse Droids to help him spread his CE, and 20 points does seem slightly pricey for a CE and little else of value. I don't think OOM-9 is quite a competitive level piece, but I'm prepared to be surprised, and he's definitely worth considering for squads built around Separatist Droid followers, 6/10. He is also nice for those of us who don't have a GGDAC, you can combine him with Whorm for a few less points and a similar(ish) effect.
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When he came out, he plus Whorm replaced GGDAC in some builds. Not sure how far any of them went, though.
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FlyingArrow wrote:When he came out, he plus Whorm replaced GGDAC in some builds. Not sure how far any of them went, though. ' Would it be more accurate to say that Poggle + ~12 Drones + Whorm replaced GGDAC in most builds?
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FlyingArrow wrote:When he came out, he plus Whorm replaced GGDAC in some builds. Not sure how far any of them went, though. His main benefit for me is to bring in with Nute if I need some extra attack. But otherwise I still rock GGDAC in all my droid squads. Rangeless +4/+4 and twin is worth the extra 16 points. Also he is less fragile then OOM-9/whorm and their mouse requirement. Long story short, good for reserves. Not so much for general play
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Santa Claus, Galactic Hero, from Life Day  Quote:39 points, Fringe
Hit Points: 90
Defense: 19
Attack: +0
Damage: 0
Special Abilities
Unique
Cloaked (If this character has cover, it cannot be targeted by nonadjacent enemies)
Camaraderie (Allies whose name contains Reindeer gain Mount)
Synergy +2 (A character whose name contains Reindeer or Elf gets +2 Attack and +2 Defense while within 6 squares of this character)
Speed 4
Naughty or Nice (Replaces attacks: touch; deal 20 damage to a living character. An allied character can instead remove 20 damage from itself)
Force Powers
Force 5
Force Phase (Force 1: This turn, this character can move through walls)
Lump of Coal (Force 1, usable only on this character's turn: sight; ignores cover; 10 damage)
Commander Effects
Before the first activation of the round and after initiative has been determined, if this character has line of sight to an enemy character, an allied character whose name contains Reindeer or Elf may make an immediate attack this turn. I got this one, Graham. It was a surprise to see Santa make an appearance in the Life Day vset as he had previously not been known for his appearances in canon, but after sighting an obscure reference from a long-out-of-print graphic novel series (and, of course, Lucas' inclusion the character in the re-release of the redone version of the 3D remake of the revamped, Blu-ray'd Episode I) prompted his quick inclusion into the set, and a birth of a new and much needed subfaction. He's a powerful character, but it is soon obvious that he's a mega-tech piece for the whole North Pole subfaction and, without a good dose of Reindeer and Elf characters in your squad, its dropping 39 points of a big fat bowl full of jolly jelly. We saw this play out in last year's Guatemala Regional where Dr. Ropata took it out with this tasty squad: Quote:--All You're Getting For Christmas is Smoked!--
39 Santa Claus, Galactic Hero
31 Reindeer and Sleigh
27 Mother Christmas
27 Rudolf
34 High Elf x2
36 Elf x4
3 Mouse Droid
3 Ugnaught Demolitionist
(200pts. 12 activations)
While it was risky not taking Lobot, Mother Christmas' abilities (which you all know after the controversy they caused - which I won't go into here) balanced the squad nicely and, while the High Elf character never really took off in competitive play (people preferring to use Arthur Christmas and/or Steve Christmas instead), the use of two here was quite clever. Still, that Regional win aside, Santa only seems to pop up once a year and otherwise hasn't delivered apart from that, 6/10.
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Shado Vao, from Legacy of the Force  Quote:Hit Points: 100
Defense: 22
Attack: 13
Damage: 20
Special Abilities
Unique
Melee Attack (Can attack only adjacent enemies)
Double Attack (On his turn, this character can make 1 extra attack instead of moving)
Greater Mobile Attack (Can move both before and after attacking. This character can make extra attacks even if he moves this turn, but he must make them all before resuming movement.)
Force Powers
Force 2
Force Renewal 1 (This character gets 1 Force point each time he activates)
Lightsaber Block (Force 1: When hit by a melee attack, this character takes no damage with a save of 11)
Lightsaber Deflect (Force 1: When hit by a nonmelee attack, this character takes no damage with a save of 11)
Lightsaber Precision (Force 1: This character gets +10 Damage on his next attack)
Lightsaber Riposte (Force 1: When hit by a melee attack, this character can make an immediate attack against that attacker)
Master of the Force 2 (May spend Force points up to 2 times in a single turn) Shado Vao's notable as one of three WOTC melee pieces with Greater Mobile Attack, while they handed out GMA like candy to powerful shooters. At 48 points, he's a fair attacker with Greater Mobile and Lightsaber Precision, while he's also tough defensively with Block, Deflect, Riposte, and Master of the Force 2. Shado is a competent allrounder, but he's nowhere near the attacking threat of Mara Jade Jedi and he's nowhere near as tough as Kol Skywalker for melee interference, so he ends up as a Tier 2 piece. Given this, it's not surprising that he was remade in the last v-set with a more competitively viable version - he has a lot of the same flavour, but is cheaper and has more hit points, so there's little reason to take the original any more, 6/10.
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Utapau Trooper, from Champions of the Force  Quote:10 points, Republic
Hit Points: 10
Defense: 13
Attack: 6
Damage: 20
Special Abilities
Order 66
Sniper (Other characters do not provide cover against this character's attack)
Wall Climber (This character ignores difficult terrain, enemy characters, low objects, and pits when moving as long as a square he occupies and a square he is moving into are adjacent to a wall) For one point more than the regular Clone Trooper, the Utapau Trooper has Sniper and Wall Climber, two very useful Special Abilities. Despite this, it's hard to justify 10 points on a 10 hit point piece with no defense and not enough power to compensate for it. The Utapau Trooper might be better than a Clone Trooper, but that doesn't mean it's good. 3/10.
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