HoSS How to Beat - February 2017
Posted February 26th, 2017 at 12:16 PM by HS Codex
Updated February 28th, 2017 at 05:08 PM by HS Codex
Updated February 28th, 2017 at 05:08 PM by HS Codex
How to Beat:
Luke Skywalker (Jedi Knight)
By: Fi Skirata
Last time we brought you the extremely powerful head of the Skywalker family, so why don’t we keep the train rolling by bringing you his almost-equal-in-power son, Luke Skywalker. At the Jedi Knight stage, Luke has become an incredibly strong character that can easily hold his own among the heavy hitters. With 5 life, 5 attack and 5 defense, this version of Luke sits as the fourth strongest figure to be released, and is also tied for fourth most expensive at 200 points. However, his greatest weakness also lies in tandem with his greatest strength: his anger-driven fighting abilities. One of the biggest benefits for playing this version of Luke Skywalker is his high stats and his potential to attack multiple times in one turn. His ranged attack also allows for up to three figures to be attacked at range, with two not even having to be in clear sight. However, his primary weakness lies in the gamble that comes from The Anger Within. If a 1 or lower is rolled, then Luke switches sides, and this die roll can be influenced by the presence of a Sith Lord, leading to multiple strategies to either take down or convert the young Jedi Knight.
Brute Force:
A rather simple method for confronting Luke is simply trying to beat him to a pulp with other heavy hitters. Much like Vader, units are most in trouble with direct engagement and should avoid it if possible, while also avoiding being grouped close enough for multiples to be hit with his Lightsaber Throw SA. As before, all tanks can be divided into three main groups which offer slightly different strategies to combatting Luke: bounty hunters, tag teams and lone fighters. With the bounty hunters, Boba Fett and Bossk are obvious choices due to their high starting value of 4 attack, which can be raised to 5 against Luke through their Bounty power. While the units have varying stats, both can offer in the same result equally well, with the choice between the two coming down to preference and army build (for instance, Boba Fett is a bit more expensive, so Bossk will have a higher range of army combinations to fit into). Dengar is also a useful counter due to his far-ranged Valken-38 Rifle SA, which can also circumnavigate Luke’s high defense.
Next comes the lone fighter group, consisting of the Rancor, Darth Vader (both versions), the AT-ST, and the Wampa, in descending order of strength. While the Rancor is currently the strongest figure in terms of raw stats, both versions of Darth Vader are going to be better counters for Luke due to their influence on his Anger Within, and their ability to affect multiple enemies along with Luke. The AT-ST and Wampa can also serve as decent counters, though the AT-ST has movement limitations and a weaker attack, while the Wampa only works best on snow-heavy maps.
The third group consists of the tag teamers, with Obi-Wan Kenobi serving as a bonding unit with any other hero with the force sensitive symbol. These heroes consist of Luke Skywalker (Farmboy), Leia Organa (Princess), Zuckuss, Leia Organa (Boussh), or Luke Skywalker (Padawan). Farmboy Luke, Princess Leia and Zuckuss are the weakest options for this matchup, but as always can serve when point totals or army build would increase their advantageousness. The best option by far is to have a Luke vs Luke situation, as Padawan Luke’s stats are just one level below his Knight counterpart. This option provides the most order marker versatility and has a high chance for one or both heroes on your side to outlive Luke. However, this option is the most expensive and will most likely take up a good portion of your point total.
Giving in to Anger:
A more useful approach to beating Luke Skywalker (and gaining a new, strong hero) is to utilize his Anger Within weakness by drafting Sith Lords. While Darth Vader is an obvious choice due to his ability to go toe-to-toe with Luke, Emperor Palpatine provides a better overall chance to turn Luke. With his Dark Side Manipulations, Palpatine can lower any D20 roll by up to two, which is increased to three due to him being a Sith Lord. While his base stats aren’t quite as strong, his Advanced Force Lightning SA can be used to attack twice, with the second attack utilizing 5 dice. It is imperative in this situation to draft the Imperial Guards alongside the Emperor, as they can increase his defense up to 6. Their 5 defense allows them to serve as a nice physical shield that can tie Luke up in engagement, while their Force Pike SA drops the opponent’s defense by one, while granting the guards an additional unblockable skull. Their ability to activate Palpatine on the same turn also allows for more maneuverability and five potential attackers, but the Guards can only either move or attack upon their activation. Gamorrean Guards can also be a useful addition or replacement to the Imperial Guards. With a potential of 5 attack they can whittle away at Luke, while a defense of 4 will allow them to withstand Luke’s assaults. Their Bodyguard power will also allow for any wounds received by Palpatine to be nullified in exchange for their lives. If luck is on your side, then this strategy can grant you up to 200 points worth of hero while simultaneously ripping the backbone from your opponent’s army.
While the “Giving in to Anger” strategy can by far be the most rewarding, it also poses the most risk. As the ability to pull this off relies on the luck of the die, it is best to make sure to continue to land wounds on Luke even while trying to convert him. While an additional full 5-life hero would be optimal, if you let him hack down your troops without recompense for too long, then the losses you receive will not be worth the potential gains. The important thing to remember is that this play is always a gamble and, depending on the army build, may not work to your best advantage.
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Nice article
@Fi Skirata
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Posted March 7th, 2017 at 12:05 AM by TREX |
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