How can a figure that tosses two blue dice and ignores other figures for targeting be useless?

Are you serious?

He generally does 0-1 damage, 2 if you're lucky.

Yes, I am serious. Mak can use Element of Surprise at will, with 2 blue dice for range, his ~ for Critical is nice and pretty much removes the defense dice (other than an X) with Pierce 2. He is just about perfect for picking off Imperial Officers. Focus him- which with C3P0 and Gideon running around isn't too hard to do. Or even better Gideon's take it down card. So, focus Mak, use Take It Down- you're rolling blue blue green- with a very good chance of getting pierce 2- with +2 wounds. An easy 5+ damage. At a pretty consistent 8 or more range.

From a figure that cost 3.... and Mak's card is pretty darn good as well- not allowing your opponent to play command cards for a Turn. Oh, you wanted to play Take the Initiative... I don't think so.

Pouring focus and command cards into Mak just to make a single good shot seems bad.

Even focused, you can only reasonably expect 3 damage against someone with a black defense die. 4 about 50% of the time, and 5 is like 17%. White defense die is even worse.

Removing the defense die only gives you about 1 more damage, making you pretty likely to hit for 4, 50% of the time you get 5, and 15% for 6.

Focused, at 8 range, you have a 55% chance to kill an officer... Worse if you count Cower. And even if you did kill him, you probably just focused a guard.

I'd much rather focus elite sabs and do massive damage with blast or stun key characters.

Or focus Luke and do massive damage to a single character.

Also, Mak's command card does not allow you to stop the opponent from playing Take Initiative. If you're doing that, you're playing incorrectly.

I've tried using Mak, but I've never found him to be effective. I'd rather take 3P0 and Balance of the Force, or just R2 in most cases. At least R2 can speed up your card draw, which will allow your Command Cards (which are centered around the main characters of your squad, rather than a 3pt one) to come into play more quickly and reliably.

Pouring focus and command cards into Mak just to make a single good shot seems bad.

Even focused, you can only reasonably expect 3 damage against someone with a black defense die. 4 about 50% of the time, and 5 is like 17%. White defense die is even worse.

Removing the defense die only gives you about 1 more damage, making you pretty likely to hit for 4, 50% of the time you get 5, and 15% for 6.

Focused, at 8 range, you have a 55% chance to kill an officer... Worse if you count Cower. And even if you did kill him, you probably just focused a guard.

I'd much rather focus elite sabs and do massive damage with blast or stun key characters.

Or focus Luke and do massive damage to a single character.

Also, Mak's command card does not allow you to stop the opponent from playing Take Initiative. If you're doing that, you're playing incorrectly.

R2D1, R2S1, R3D2, R3D1S1, R4D2, R5D1 (Range, Damage, Surge)

That's the sides of a blue dice. Rolling just the blue, here are the possible outcomes:

4 in 36 chance of 2 damage

4 in 36 chance of 1 damage 1 surge

8 in 36 chance of 3 damge

8 in 36 chance of 2 damage 1 surge

1 in 36 chance of 2 surges

2 in 36 chance of 1 damage 2 surges

4 in 36 chance of 4 damage

4 in 36 chance of 3 damage 1 surge

1 in 36 chance of 2 damage 2 surges

Saying the back dice averages a 2, when there is a surge, it is essentially negated. So, in 20 of the 36 possible results- (almost 50%), it means nothing. On the non-surges, it negates 4 in 36, with 2 damage on 4 in 36, and 1 damage on 8 in 36.

So, the results would be with a 2 on the black dice

4 in 36 chance of 0 damage

13 in 36 chance of 1 damage

14 in 36 chance of 2 damage

5 in 36 chance of 3 damage

That is much better than your ' 0-1 damage, 2 if you're lucky' Actually you are more likely to get 2 or 3 damage instead of 0 or 1 (19 to 17). 2 Damage is the most likely (with a black die on a 2). And to be honest, you are just as likely to roll a 1 shield as a 2 shield on a black dice. Which would up most of those damage figures by one. 19 out of 36 possible chances are 2 damage or more.

Tossing in a Green die, if he is focused significantly increases his damage potential, considering that 50% of the results on a green die are 2 damage. Two other results are 1 damage, 1 surge.

Your comment that 'Even focused, you can only reasonably expect 3 damage against someone with a black defense die' is off base as well. I think you need to check your numbers.

And yes, you are correct about Mak's card and take the initiative- I had in my head what I feel Mak's card should be (at the beginning of your turn). Mak, you would have to activate him first.

That's a lot of theory. Having played Mak a lot, practical experience says, that you more often than not don't get the "your opponent must discard 1 random Command card from his hand."

More often than not, it is better to use your Focus to make a good unit great, than to make an OK unit good. Most often, the best use for Focus is an elite Saboteur.

I use this for attack calculations: http://mattyellen.github.io/imperial-assault-calculator/

Just doing blue+blue against a black die, you're at 59% to do 2 damage, 21% for 3. That's not great.

Factor in that you're probably shooting at protected units, and you're looking at 30% to do 2 damage. 64% to do 1.

Sure, if you focus him, you can boost your chance for 3 damage to a whopping 62%, but then you're wasting your focus when you could be focusing sabs to blast a whole squad of guys, or stun something important.

I'll go ahead and say that Rebel High Command is better than Mak, or R2. I would never bring either of those units if I had the points for something else.

100% agreed about Mak.

I'm still not fully sure about R2. I think he should've costed 2pts, so I think you may be right; I just haven't used him enough to say for sure.

I use this for attack calculations: http://mattyellen.github.io/imperial-assault-calculator/

Just doing blue+blue against a black die, you're at 59% to do 2 damage, 21% for 3. That's not great.

Factor in that you're probably shooting at protected units, and you're looking at 30% to do 2 damage. 64% to do 1.

Sure, if you focus him, you can boost your chance for 3 damage to a whopping 62%, but then you're wasting your focus when you could be focusing sabs to blast a whole squad of guys, or stun something important.

I'll go ahead and say that Rebel High Command is better than Mak, or R2. I would never bring either of those units if I had the points for something else.

EDITED- because I am a dumbass.

--- same as before.

That's a lot of theory. Having played Mak a lot, practical experience says, that you more often than not don't get the "your opponent must discard 1 random Command card from his hand."

theory? Just how is math a theory? You have a 6 sided dice, you roll it, each side has a one in 6 chance of showing up. That's a fact, not a theory (unless the dice is weighted)

Didn't realize the discard a card was part of the damage discussion, I just consider it an extra.

More often than not, it is better to use your Focus to make a good unit great, than to make an OK unit good. Most often, the best use for Focus is an elite Saboteur.

I'll generally agree with that statement, depending on the situation.

Yea, Mak's pretty good when you give him 1 surge ability that does pierce 2 and +1 damage.

I see my mistake- correcting previous post.

That's a lot of theory. Having played Mak a lot, practical experience says, that you more often than not don't get the "your opponent must discard 1 random Command card from his hand."

theory? Just how is math a theory? You have a 6 sided dice, you roll it, each side has a one in 6 chance of showing up. That's a fact, not a theory (unless the dice is weighted)

Didn't realize the discard a card was part of the damage discussion, I just consider it an extra.

I've never considered to take Mak for the Damage alone. Before passing was allowed, I'd take him for the 3-points-activation. Afterwards I'd take him for the discard. The Damage alone is too low to justify 3 points.