Hey Imperial Players,

What are your thoughts on actually spending influence points on side mission agendas to acquire villains, such as Vader?

My impression is that this is mostly a waste of influence -- there are enough high-threat options for open groups as it is (elite trandoshans, anyone?) Spending 3 influence on a card that is only marginally better, at best, seems like a waste.

I like to throw it out because if forces my heros either to abandon a sidequest that gives them a cool reward or automatically give me the option to get Vader.

Sure, but suppose that the heroes just let you have Vader (or that your success is guaranteed). Is Vader really worth 3 influence?

Compare that to something like High-Value Target, which, for 2 influence, allows you (once per mission) to gain Threat equal to Threat Level on defeating a hero. Something like that is sooo much better. (Granted, I think that'd be comparing it to one of the best agendas in the game.)

Don't forget its random what agenda cards you draw.

Sure, but you can save your influence for a better draw. 3 Influence is generally more than you get in a single round. Of course, if I have more influence than I know what to do with, I'll just buy everything... but my impression is that side missions which provide (expensive) Villains are the last things you should take.

Vader is a bit 'picey' as my 2 year old nephew says.. but Bobba or IG-88 are both very useful in the right situation.

Typically if your rebels have gained an ally, you should go after one yourself. Then when they launch theirs you can launch yours as a counter, for basically free with the threat they give you. I know that you build your deck before they decide, but really you can tell which way they are leaning by just stalling a bit as they talk about placement and the such

You're not wrong.

Even if you get the villain, in all but the final missions, they cost far too much to bring out. Unless... they bring an ally like Solo. Then you can plop that villain out there on double threat deployment missions.

But if you're truly talking about efficiency, without taking into consideration any flair or cool factor, then I would agree with you. The Villains are rarely worth the cost it takes to gain them.

I do it to deny possible rewards for completing their Hero or other side missions. If they choose to bypass the agenda mission, free reward for me. But if they do the agenda mission, that's one less chance for them to gain an annoying reward.

Edit: I do want to get the Stromtrooper leader or the royal guard champ. I haven't the chance to win them yet.

I do it to deny possible rewards for completing their Hero or other side missions. If they choose to bypass the agenda mission, free reward for me. But if they do the agenda mission, that's one less chance for them to gain an annoying reward.

Edit: I do want to get the Stromtrooper leader or the royal guard champ. I haven't the chance to win them yet.

When I am playing as the Rebels, I love to see Villain Agenda missions come up. I never take them. I smile and know that the Imperial player has spent 3 Influence gaining a villain that I will very rarely see. And if I do, then I still smile, because I'm facing a single figure instead of four (ex: one RGC instead of two sets of reg RGs)

I do it to deny possible rewards for completing their Hero or other side missions. If they choose to bypass the agenda mission, free reward for me. But if they do the agenda mission, that's one less chance for them to gain an annoying reward.

Edit: I do want to get the Stromtrooper leader or the royal guard champ. I haven't the chance to win them yet.

..but... but...

The heroes can always just say no, and ignore it, giving you the "free" reward (it's not free really, it cost you 3 influence!)

The question is, if the heroes choose to ignore you, was it worth it at all?

When I am playing as the Rebels, I love to see Villain Agenda missions come up. I never take them. I smile and know that the Imperial player has spent 3 Influence gaining a villain that I will very rarely see. And if I do, then I still smile, because I'm facing a single figure instead of four (ex: one RGC instead of two sets of reg RGs)

My thoughts exactly. This always seems like an IP mistake.

Weird, I've won matches on the back of my villain heroes, my rebels hate it when I pick one up. Maybe you guys aren't playing them right? If the Rebels focus fire them, you play passive and let your other troops do the damage/take the damage. If they choose to go after your other figures, you blow them up with the hero. If played right the villain is a huge thorn in their side, if you just send him in to die then ya that is a total waste of threat. They are especially powerful on timed maps as the rebels will lose a lot of time chasing/worrying about the big bad villain.

My opinions, the more I play the campaign the more I like the balance of the Ally/Villain system. Lots of debate on if allies are worth bringing into play and what not, I personally think they are, but more for late campaign when threat is already high.

As a counter to that, what villains are worth bringing into play, or are they? I would say, yes, yes they are, however, it depends on what the Rebels do. First factor, I love forcing the rebels to make a choice between their mission or giving me an auto-reward. If they play the mission I win by preventing them one opportunity to get a reward, if they don't, I win by getting the reward. That aspect is an awesome game mechanic that I really enjoy the balance and decisions on.

Now what villains are worth it?? Vader for the most part will not ever be worth it to bring in (have you guys played that mission, I cannot for the life of me beat the Rebels in it) unless a couple things happen. The Rebels would have to already acquire a high level ally (Chewy is my personal fav for having Vader, Han would work also), then I would say it is worth going for Vader. If they bring either of them in, the starting threat is good enough Vader can enter the mission early enough to make a difference. Problem with this, is it relies on a lot of factors, 1. They select those heroes in their selection pull, problem with this is I am not sure if it is common knowledge, our group plays that it is. The other problem is, you as Imperial have to create your agenda deck before the side mission deck is created, so this knowledge comes after you selected your decks. 2. They have to win that ally in that mission. 3. They have to decide to actually use that ally. So, yes, Vader can be played and used to a great effect, if you can actually get him in their, which is unlikely.

Villains that follow a similar pattern to me as described above and are situation dependent: Boba Fett, IG-88 and Royal Guard Champion

Villains I like and think are def worth it: Dengar, he's ideal at 7 threat, not hard to get him into missions without allies, Kayn Somos at 10 threat is a bit high, but he offers so much when it comes to improving your troopers and can easily be added to the game in Late Campaign missions, with or without allies.

Villains I don't like: General Weiss and General Sorin. Just not my playstyle, and haven't spent enough time with them to really evaluate.

Boba Fett is worth it.

Every time.

Oh yeah.

So, question from a first time IP. Does a side mission that I buy as an agenda replace the side mission they would normally do or do they do both?

So, question from a first time IP. Does a side mission that I buy as an agenda replace the side mission they would normally do or do they do both?

An Agenda Side mission replaces another side mission... If the Rebels goose to do it. They can ignore it, but then after they've completed the other side mission, you get the reward automatically.

Note that there are also Agenda Forced missions. These do not replace side missions, and the rebels cannot choose to not do them.

When it comes to Vader, you are probably better off buying the inf card that simply allows you to take his card into hand rather than playing Dark Obsession, which is handing the rebels an extra 400 credits on a platter.

Now, I almost always include the Vader set and the Agents of the Empire set purely for the card that reduces the cost of a card by 5 and the card that increases the threat by the threat level. I have even combined the 2 cards to bring down a big threat easily.

One other minor point is that the Hoth campaign has 2 6 threat missions compared to the base campaign's 1. This makes it slightly easier to play villians.

And finally, you have to look at a villians cost compared to the threat level - as in how many turns will it take to bring in a villain. Dengar is great but he does show up in the campaign a bunch. Kayn Somos can be brought in in 2 turns, that is great if you are going trooper heavy. I have also brought in RGC to good effect as you can bring him in in 3 turns at threat 5 (tho a -5 cost or +5 threat is helpful).

The key to playing the side missions is timing. It is easier to play them in the hoth campaign because there is less grey and green missions. You want to play them when there are other really good missions out - like the reds.

We just started the Hoth campaign, so most of my experience is with the Core set campaign.

I like the metagame that comes with having a powerful Ally. That is why Chewbacca is my favorite to get, especially if the Imperial has already gained an expensive Villain like Vader.

Remember, the Imperial player must choose his Open Groups on set up, and then the Rebels choose to deploy any Allies, and then the Imperial player gains his additional threat but must deploy from his Open Groups. So, you gain Chewbacca, the Imperial player puts Vader or the RGC in his Open Groups, and then you don't bring Chewbacca. Now he's got an 18 threat cost card in his Open Groups that he sits on and must then choose to let it sit there, or watch as his forces on the board dwindle to nothing while he saves up the threat.

Villains are powerful, but if they don't have support, they'll go down. Especially if most of the heroes have Tier 2 weapons.

Boba Fett is worth it.

Every time.

Oh yeah.

Agreed. IMO Boba is never a bad choice.

Boba Fett is worth it.

Every time.

Oh yeah.

Agreed. IMO Boba is never a bad choice.

I'm not exactly sure about that. I wouldn't take him in a threat 4 mission or fewer. But yah, he is probably pretty good. I, unfortunately have not had the chance to recruit him yet.