[davidlhsl]

Episode IV

Initial Questions - 11/30/11 Complete!

Spoiler Alert!

03/23/11 - See Luke's/Leia's spoilers 03/25/11 - cards updated
03/25/11 - I had a chance to look over the cards, and everything is ready to roll! I've already playtested most of these anyways.

Luke Skywalker (05/19/11)

Spoiler Alert!

03/23/11: Post-playtest changes needed on card. I'll play the version with the change. 03/25/11 - fixed!
(05/19/11) I like Daring Escape, though terrain could pin him and the fellow Hero. He’s got nice basic stats, making him an effective figure in battle.

Tusken Raiders (04/01/11)

Spoiler Alert!

(04/01/11): Checking back to my original playtest, I had these guys pegged at 50 points. One battle (Battle IV-02) indicated 75 points was balanced, but that was squad heavy vs. heroes. Battles IV-03 and IV-03a was a slaughter for the Tusken Raiders, but that may be from Major Q9. I don't have enough experience for making the final determination on whether Tusken Raiders should be 50 or 75 points.

Darth Vader (11/28/11)

Spoiler Alert!

(05/19/11) All you need is Darth and some Stormtroopers for a nice Heroscape Party! I’m a bit delighted that Force Choke isn’t always an automatic option, as there are lots of occasions where using his normal attack is the better choice. This is a very fun unit to play!
(11/28/11) Found out a few weeks ago that Darth Vader has Force Leap! Sproing!!!! Card update pending.

Stormtroopers (05/19/11)

Spoiler Alert!

(05/19/11) They are powerful against squads but duds against heroes. They do have great survivability. They need height or Darth Vader’s Intimidating Presence to make them effective. If they get both, they can be very deadly.

Obi-Wan Kenobi (05/19/11)

Spoiler Alert!

(05/19/11) I’ve whiffed so many times with Jedi Mind Trick, it isn’t funny. Ok, it’s hilarious. As currently written, he can shut down an entire squad, even those on the other side of the map, if he can Mind Trick a nearby figure. This subject came up in a C3G design regarding Scarecrow, and some people had problems with that. I think it’s perfectly thematic. If I drafted him in a regular Heroscape army, I’d probably house rule that Force Spirit doesn’t require Force Sensitive figures to make him useful outside Star Wars. But I think it’s ok to leave that restriction, as it makes perfect sense in a Star Wars context.

Han Solo (11/30/11)

Spoiler Alert!

(05/19/11) Han takes a lot of finesse to play well. An observant opponent can avoid Shoot First by placing themselves outside Han’s range or by closing into engagement. If they hold back, then that makes his other ability easier to implement. Never Tell Me the Odds makes risking engagement strikes very tempting, especially with his life of 5.
(11/30/11) If Chewbacca picks Han for Wookiee Life Debt, Han can use a +2 move bonus to really help his Never Tell Me the Odds. By the way... I hate typing that over and over during a battle report.

Rebel Troopers (05/19/11)

Spoiler Alert!

(05/19/11) I love Hold Steady, as it helps protect the Troopers when you need to take turns with some of your heroes in a round before taking turns with the Troopers. Once they take their turn, their low defense makes them easy to take down. They pair very well with Princess Leia. With these guys, I would actually prefer to lose initiative.

Princess Leia (09/21/11)

Spoiler Alert!

03/23/11: Figure/Still/Bonus cards are missing Force Sensitive Icon. I'll assume she is Force Sensitive. 03/25/11 - fixed
03/30/11: Fire From Cover - Should this apply against adjacent figures? If the wording becomes cumbersome or this was intended, then I would recommend leaving as is. Answered: She uses it only when unengaged.
03/31/11: Fire From Cover Solution - Applies if Leia is unengaged.
(05/19/11) She’s a very solid figure in terms of her combat abilities as well as her ability to provide leadership to friendly squad figures. Force Intuition does seem more fitting for Luke than Leia, but this isn’t a deal breaker for me. Don’t forget to update the card to qualify Fire From Cover only when she is unengaged.
(09/21/11) Fire from Cover fixed.

Battles
Battle IV-01 (03/25/11): SW only. Movie matchup.
Battle IV-02 (03/28/11): SW only. Movie matchup, this time with Tusken Raiders.
Battle IV-03 (04/01/11): SW vs Classic.
Battle IV-03a (04/01/11): SW vs Classic - Followup to Battle IV-03
Battle IV-04 (04/25/11): SW vs Classic - Vader vs. the Gladiators
Battle IV-05 (04/27/11): SW vs Classic